Thomas (Tommy) or Benji?

[firsttimepregnanthelp]

Hi everyone,

Baby boy is 10 days old and bf and i can't agree on names. I like traditional names (George, Harry, Oliver etc) and I don't like bf's suggestions (Blake, Reese, Paul, Alex).

The two that we both don't hate but don't love are Thomas (Tommy) and Benjamin.

I really don't love the idea of having to compromise on my child's name but which out of those two is better? Any other suggestions?

I'm not really keen on Thomas or Benjamin to be honest. If I had to choose, i'd go Benjamin - although i'd go for Ben over Benji (and Tom over Tommy).

What about Alexander if your partner likes Alex? Its a nice traditional name.

Tom over Tommy and Ben above Benjy.
How about Benedict

I love Benedict. Also not a fan of Benjamin or Thomas. What about Henry, its similar to your Harry. Or the more trad spelling Rhys of your husbands Reese.

I like Thomas Tommy is also fine.much better than Benji. Although I think Alex (Alexander) is nice why don't you like it?

I've got a Benjamin so am biased. He is 18 now. Goes by Ben, Benj, Benjo, Benjo-boo, Boo and Boodles. Only his nanna called him Benjamin. I loved it when I named him and still love it now. Good strong name.

I think of Benjamin as being a younger son name (probably because of Benjamin being the 12th son in the bible story, and because I used to live in France where it's also a word used for the youngest child). Also I really like Thomas. So I would pick that and then save Benjamin for if you have another little boy.

I like Thomas, Benjamin, Benedict and Alexander and if they must be shortened, then Tom, Ben and Alex are equally great names which can be carried into adulthood.

Benji sounds like a dog and isn't Tommy a type of gun?

I absolutely love Benjamin/Benji, we couldn't use it for family reasons though 🙁

Thomas is OK but a little bit meh. Don't love Tommy as a nn.

Benjamin is a great name. However no grown man should be called Benji

Benji is a good dog name.

Tommy. Benji sounds like a dogs name.

😂 I was just typing that

I like Benjamin (Ben), Thomas (Tom) or Alexander (Alex, Xander, Sandy).

Really like both - refreshing to see unextraordinary names on here. Not keen on Benji but like Ben as a nickname. Prefer Thomas

Benji in the US is a very famous show about a dog (think Lassie) so I think dog name.

Both are fine, common, normal

I love Thomas and like Benjamin, but really dislike Tommy and Benji. Personally, I'd shorten to Tom and Ben.

Thomas does edge it for me.

I don't believe in compromising and think you need to find a name you are both happy with.

Blake and Rees are both names you need to love because they are fairly unusual and have a slightly unisex vibe (Lively/Witherspoon).

Alex/Alexander is as boring as George, Harry and Oliver. Paul is nice but seems very 1960s.

Tom and Ben are by far the best on the list IMO because they could be any age.

Not keen on Benedict. Seems a bit like 'we wanted a name that's a bit different'.

What is your surname? The name needs to flow with it.
For example, Ben Down or Tommy Robinson might not be a good idea.
I'd start a new line of thought and think of some new ones, and look at how they go with the surname.

Quite a few of your names, if not all of them, could be surnames. (Debbie Harry, Floella Benjamin etc)

Gabriel, Gregory, Edward, Sebastian, Daniel, Joshua
All can be shortened.
Good point from PP about surname,also initials and middle name.

I much prefer Thomas, but really dislike Tommy as a nickname. Tom is fine.

love Thomas and that it can be shortened to Tom or Tommy. He can be Tommy as a toddler and become Tom as a teenager.

Not keen on Benjamin but every other boy in my school was a Benjamin

@firsttimepregnanthelp , give the baby your surname, not the father's.

Should you split up, you'll be glad you did.

Well in a world of increasingly bizarre names on these threads, I am relieved to finally have a thread where I can say I think both these names are lovely: traditional, versatile and both shorten nicely. I'm not sure why you are getting so many negative responses!

Thomas is a good, solid name and I have many friends who have chosen it as a first choice. I think Tommy is underused and rather sweet as a nn on a small boy, and it will easily shorten again to Tom as he grows. Great name.

Benjamin is similar, and I rather like Benji as a more unusual form of shortening. I have not known one since I was a child. Again, it easily shortens to Ben as he grows, if he prefers that.

With both, I'd go for the full name on the BC and call him Tommy or Benji, and I'm presuming if you like traditional names you are probably thinking that too.

Alexander I like, if his Dad was up for that, but I agree Alex itself is not quite as nice, and I prefer Tommy/Tom or Ben/Benji.

Both classics which have tapered off since I was a girl, when they were used a lot more. Time to bring them back a bit - and I think you should feel relieved you have found such nice compromises.

If it's any comfort, I prefer them both to George, and Harry and Oliver are quite overused, though nice.

I love Benedict though, if you think you could convince him!

We have a father and son in our family who are Benjamin and Thomas so I love both.
How about Samuel?

How about Billy?