Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

Paul - views please

46 replies

Playdough · 27/09/2008 17:57

Six weeks to go until due date and DH and I really struggling for a boy's name. Our short list is all over the place but one that I keep coming back to is Paul. But is it too 60s/70s? Or is it due for a revival, perhaps? We like short, classic names as we have an unusual and quite difficult to spell surname. So what do MNetters think?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
anorak · 27/09/2008 18:12

I think it's lovely and high time it was used again.

MaryAnnSingleton · 27/09/2008 18:13

yes, actually is v nice

Cappuccino · 27/09/2008 18:14

oh I love Paul

I had a lovely friend called Paul

LadyOfWaffle · 27/09/2008 18:14

DS2s midle name, I like it

singersgirl · 27/09/2008 18:14

I think it's lovely too and I was seriously considering it for DS2. I think it's due for a revival. There were loads of them at primary school in the 70s, but I only know of one child Paul now.

MaryAnnSingleton · 27/09/2008 18:14

yes, actually is v nice - like it lengthened to Pauly which sounds like Goodfellas

MaryAnnSingleton · 27/09/2008 18:14

yes, actually is v nice - like it lengthened to Pauly which sounds like Goodfellas

JuneBugJen · 27/09/2008 18:15

Its great in a retro fabulous way. A bit like calling your dd Anne or Mary. I like it and it bizarrely will be unusual compared to all the 'unusual' names!

belgo · 27/09/2008 18:15

It's lovely.

DarrellRivers · 27/09/2008 18:15

Don't use it, I don't want it to become popular again as I want it stay all for my use
[like it[

TheBlonde · 27/09/2008 18:16

I like it

JuneBugJen · 27/09/2008 18:16

Is that you darrell...from Malory Towers? Is Alicia doing well?

belgo · 27/09/2008 18:16

at DarrellRivers - that's why I never suggest the names we have picked out for dc3 (due in two weeks!)

DarrellRivers · 27/09/2008 18:19
Grin
donnie · 27/09/2008 18:32

I love the name Paul. It was on my list of names if we'd had boys!

WhereTheWildThingsWere · 27/09/2008 18:36

Oooooh I went out with two lovely Pauls many moons ago, use it.

KnickersOnMaHead · 27/09/2008 18:46

Message withdrawn

jellybeans · 27/09/2008 18:51

I really don't like it. Too 20 years ago.

CapricaSix · 27/09/2008 18:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

elliepants · 27/09/2008 19:00

I'd go with your gut instinct and if you like Paul and you keep coming back to it then it's probably right for your little one.

Califrau · 27/09/2008 19:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Playdough · 27/09/2008 19:18

Wow, thanks so much for the responses. The name fits well with my other two children's names and so, newly confident with MN approval, I think we'll definitely use it as either the little one's first or middle name, perhaps with a more contemporary alternative name so he can use that if he prefers.

Jellybeans, how about Gary then ? Actually, our other children have quite '20 or even 30 or 40 years ago' names too! I think they really suit them now, alhough I had wobbles about both names in the months/years following birth. I do find choosing names difficult.

Thanks again everyone.

OP posts:
jellybeans · 27/09/2008 19:26

I actually really like Gary! I hope I didn't offend you about disliking Paul, it isn't an awful name and at least it is normal and traditional. It's purely individual choice, after all otherwise all our kids would have the same names!

loobylu3 · 27/09/2008 21:01

Paul is a lovely, classic name. It is my father's name (born 1940s) and it is also my son's middle name after his g/father. I think it may come back into fashion. There is actually a little boy at my son's pre school called Paul.

Original poster
Playdough · 27/09/2008 21:17

... and I know two gorgeous Garys! Jellybean, no, I'm not offended at all -- plain and traditional tends to be our family style in a lot of things but I actually think it's lovely that there are so many different choices for names these days and I am glad that there is such variation in today's classrooms. (There were eleven people with my name in my year at secondary school.)

OP posts: