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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Honest thoughts on our baby boy name shortlist please

90 replies

Arandomnam3 · Yesterday 06:04

Due soon, really can’t decide on a name for our little boy.
this is our current shortlist (in no particular order)
Miles, Tristan, Cameron, Connor, Scott, Harrison, James

Please give your honest thoughts on which you love / hate?

OP posts:
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beeble347 · Yesterday 13:29

Arandomnam3 · Yesterday 06:04

Due soon, really can’t decide on a name for our little boy.
this is our current shortlist (in no particular order)
Miles, Tristan, Cameron, Connor, Scott, Harrison, James

Please give your honest thoughts on which you love / hate?

I teach secondary if it helps from that perspective at all? I think they're all objectively nice names but you're more likely to meet a naughty Scott or Harrison.

Connor and Cameron are somewhere in the middle.

Miles and James are my favourites. Tristan is a lovely name, feels very literary but I have seen quite a few in recent years, surprisingly.

peanutbutterkid · Yesterday 13:48

Scott: I knew so many unpleasant bullies with this name, can't think I've ever met one I warmed to
Miles: sounds like a snob, Posh; I suppose I've never known one, though
Harrison: just lacks charm
Connor or James: fine but... this week I met a James who is borderline for being a downright weirdo. So this week, not keen on that one.
I actually called DS the remaining name. It used to universally disliked name on MN so achieving Marmite status is an improvement :-)

And if you think I'm harsh, you ought to hear the things MNers say about my name.

Excellentsausages · Yesterday 13:50

Miles - not a fan of the sound (prefer Milo). Better than Giles though.
Tristan - LOVE this name. Was on my list but vetoed by DH.
Cameron - ok. I like Cam as a shortening but it's a bit 'overconfident guy in sales/personal training' to me for some reason.
Connor - same vibe as Cameron
Scott - Quite a nice name but very 80s.
Harrison - not a fan, too surnamey. Prefer Harry.
James - not a fan although all the shortenings are good (Jamie/Jimmy etc)

NamingNoNames · Yesterday 13:53

James - Would gladly name a son this.
Miles - like but don't like Myles
Tristan - ok, will be Tris. Seems a sad name.
Connor - prefer Conor. Very popular in the 1990s/2000s but I know a babyone.

Cameron - Brexit. Seems dated
Scott - 1970s name, Scott Mills.
Harrison - No Archers.

MeAndMyGhost · Yesterday 13:54

I like Tristan and James.

inkgirl · Yesterday 14:12

My eldest name is James connor. So I'm a little bias on your short listed name

mathanxiety · Yesterday 14:28

I like Miles, Scott, and James best.

I'd spell Miles 'Myles' though. It looks more like a name and less like a plural.common noun that way imo.

hellospring26 · Yesterday 15:07

Ha, my English lit teacher’s kids were Tristan, Cameron and Connor.

IwanttoWFH · Yesterday 16:01

I like James, Miles, Tristan, Cameron and Conor.

I hate the name Harrison. Scott is very dated.

Calliopespa · Yesterday 17:26

Sidetracked by the zoo animal game.

It isn't really fair to call it zoo animal if it's Leo.

I'm guessing Wolf or Bear.

I'm hoping Tapir.

CharlieBoo · Yesterday 17:28

James is by far the nicest name on your list. It’s a classic but not overly popular, will always be timeless.. suitable for a baby/toddler, teenager and adult..

My next favourite is Miles.. the rest are not my cup of tea.

Calliopespa · Yesterday 17:36

James is perfectly solid, perfectly safe, perfectly nice op. Possibly getting a bit bored by James on here, as it never went out of fashion and now seems to be a never-out-of-fashion-but-currently-very-in-fashion name which it was when I was young, along with Sam and Ben.

Miles I really don't get as being a nice name. It's not weird, it's not teaseable, but to me is as random as calling a child Metre or Kilogram. Sounds a bit like Giles and Nigel to me, neither of which are very attractive imo.

Harrison is a nice sound, but I much prefer the more classic Henry, Harry or Harold. Surname names are to me a bit like place names (think Brooklyn).

Cameron is again not a weird or teaseable name but just rather middle aged man-ish to me, and again has a surname feel. Vaguely makes me think Cameroon, and I don't like the unisex quality.

Connor I don't like. Connor the con man.

Tristan I rather like but I can concede it has a middle class and slightly wet feel, which I think is why, ime, men tend not to like it. It does make me think a little of a boy whose mummy made him wear toddler dungarees a year or two too long BUT there are far worse images than that! Makes me think of a nice boy who possibly has an arty streak - a choirboy maybe. I quite like the Tristan and Isolde medieval feel. The opera may be why I think choirboy.

Of all of them, I'd go with Tristan if wanting to be a bit unusual, James if wanting to be safe, and I'd probably myself choose Harry but for Harold not Harrison.

Calliopespa · Yesterday 17:39

Oh I forgot Scott. Scott is dated and to me too much like calling someone Welshe or Englishh.

fudgesmummy · Yesterday 19:32

James is my all time favourite boys name but it doesn’t go with our surname so couldn’t use it ☹️
I’ve now got 2 small DGS’s and despite my hints neither of them are called James, not even as a middle name!
Also love Miles 🙂

Piglet89 · Yesterday 19:41

SalmonOnFinnCrisp · Yesterday 06:19

All are fine - good

Miles, Tristan, Cameron, Scot would be my favorites

Love Tristan- dated 2 of them both superbly nice men.

I personally hate Harrison its popular thoug. I feel its a surname but there are a million more dumb/idiotic names out there and totally fine as a name.
Connor is also a surname imo but I'm irish.

Pick something you love.

My child has a classic and widely considered highly beautiful Irish name and I was told by the headteacher it was awkward to spell and what name to lumber my child with (im paraphrasing)
In the same breath she was gushing over how lovely the name was of a child named after a ZOO ANIMAL....
🧐😵‍💫🤯

People have different tastes.

I picked it because I loved it not because it was phonetic.
Clearly the parents of zoo animal had similar feelings.... 😅

Edited

@SalmonOnFinnCrispI grew up in Belfast and there were dozens of Connors in my secondary school in the 90s.

Favouritefruits · Yesterday 19:42

I love Tristan and if I were to have another child it would be top of my list!

bellventrico · Yesterday 20:39

I like Miles best - saw a friend Milo ( short for Miles) today lovely name. Tristan is my least favourite

TheToteBagLady · Yesterday 20:52

I like Conor (not Connor) and James

17caterpillars1mouse · Yesterday 22:33

Miles - i've come across quite a few Miles / Myles in the last few years. Its not really grown on me though. I prefer the Myles spelling as it distinguishes it from the distance

Tristan - i really like this and considered it for my own ds. It's my favourite of your choices. I also like Tristram

Cameron - I like Cameron as whilst it seemed popular in the 00s, Ive not come across a baby Cameron recently. I also like the nn Cam

Connor - not the biggest fan. I went to school with quite a few so it feels a bit dated to me.

Scott - i also went to school with a lot of Scott's but i actually find it quite refreshing

Harrison - i'm bored of Harrison, so many over the past 10-15 years

James - a classic

Shloopie · Yesterday 22:36

I see Connor and I think 'absolutely not'. I see Conor and I think 'classic Irish boys' name'.

But I think I like Miles best from your list. And you can't go wrong with James really.

DefiantRabbit9 · Yesterday 22:54

I like James the best.

duod · Yesterday 22:58

Meh tbh I only like James

LivingTheDreamish · Today 00:00

The only one from your list I would use is Tristan, which I really like.

Nothing wrong with James but it's a bit boring. I would use Henry/Harry over Harrison.

saraclara · Today 00:44

Tristan and Miles - a bit 'wet'
Harrison is still a surname to me. And too long.
Scott is dated
James - bit boring now

Cameron wins by a mile for me. And I like Cam for short.

Denim4ever · Today 00:48

I like Miles, Tristan and James