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Baby names

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

Original poster

Theodore

38 replies

duchesse · 17/03/2009 19:14

Never thought I'd start a thread in baby names, but here goes...

I have a dilemma: 16 years ago when we were expecting our first child, our boys' names were Benedict or Theodore. In the end, he didn't look like a Theodore when he was born. Now we're expecting another, and still like Theodore, but it seems in teh intervening 16 years to have become really popular, thanks to Theo Walcott I presume. (who is a lovely lad and supports breastfeeding so he gets my vote any time)

The other three children all have relatively unusual names and have only ever met one or two others of their kind, which they mostly think is a good thing. What I'm worried about is that if we call Bump Theodore, he'll be one of two or three in any class he's in. I don't even know if he's a boy yet, but I have a feeling, you know?

So, Theodore, too "popular" or not?

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Leannabanana · 17/03/2009 19:16

yes lovely....teddy for short? gets rid of the Theo apsect.

OracleInaCoracle · 17/03/2009 19:18

i love it! dont think its too popular at all, dont think i know a theo/theodore...

btw, its soooo nice to see a thread in babynames from you x

janeite · 17/03/2009 19:20

Love it - only know one and have never heard of Theo Walcott.

MargaretMountford · 17/03/2009 19:21

my ds is a Theo and the only one in his school

Original poster
duchesse · 17/03/2009 19:26

God Lissie I know- it's almost positive isn't it? I'd better watch that- it might turn into enthusiasm...

OP posts:
chaya5738 · 17/03/2009 20:06

Love love love it

WinkyWinkola · 17/03/2009 20:12

Theo is very popular. Theodore isn't so.

My DS is Theodore. I love the way he can be Ted, Teddy, Theo or Theodore. Or Dotty! It's such a versatile name and stylish and solid too.

Go for it!

LynetteScavo · 17/03/2009 20:14

The only Theodore I've know was an absolute cutie - but he was known as Ted.

Buda · 17/03/2009 20:17

I like it a lot. Have a friend with a Theo and he is a cutie.

We are about to get a dog and DS wants to call it Theo after Theo Walcott!

EdwardBear · 17/03/2009 20:20

I dont know any Theodores in RL, its not that popular.
I dont think there'll be two or three in his class at school.
Teddy for short is fab.
I have a Teddy short for Edward

NotAnOtter · 17/03/2009 20:20

my Theodore is 12 and yes too popular now

bluebump · 17/03/2009 20:21

I have a Theo and it's not too popular around here at all.

Sesi · 17/03/2009 20:25

It's been ranked around #57 for the last two years in the top 100 lists.

That's too popular for me.... but probably equates to only a few others in a school, could be in the same class though.

BonyM · 17/03/2009 20:58

The Bounty site says that it is ranked 506 in 2009, up from 575 last year. So not very popular at all if this is correct.

Dottoressa · 17/03/2009 20:59

It's popular here, but it's still nice!

hulabula · 17/03/2009 22:01

Theo is very popular round here (Surrey), so I personally wouldn't use it on that basis....

We too liked Benedict and Theodore (amongst others) but ended up naming our ds Quentin.

shoobidoo · 18/03/2009 10:02

Lovely name but becoming more popular... Depends how 'unique' a name you're looking for. What are your other ds' names?

Original poster
duchesse · 18/03/2009 10:12

shoobi- I have a Benedict, a Felicity and a Cecilia. They're all early saints -kind of by accident, but they have a one-syllable surname and need a polysyllabic first name to counterbalance, and early saints often seem to fit the bill. There's no religious reason for the saints' names, so they're not mandatory.

OP posts:
BonsoirAnna · 18/03/2009 10:21

I think Theodore is a lovely name. I wouldn't choose it myself however as Théo is right up there at the top of the name charts in France and has been for quite a while.

shoobidoo · 18/03/2009 10:38

Lovely names duchesses .

We too have a short, one syllable surname. Like you, we wanted a longer first name, but not too long in case it gets shortened to a one-syllable name (hope that makes sense).

Theo would sound long enough, though imo.

I also liked

Conrad
Quentin
Tobias
Felix

Original poster
duchesse · 18/03/2009 10:39

shoobi- you mean for example a lovely name like Benedict being shortened to plain "Ben"? [grr] , or Felicity to Flick or Flea, or Cecilia to Cecil? [triple grr]?

OP posts:
Original poster
duchesse · 18/03/2009 10:41

love Felix but can't use it because of Felicity.

Really dislike Tobias because of very very strange little boy over the road.

Conrad nice. Also Quentin.

OP posts:
shoobidoo · 18/03/2009 10:47

Yes, duchesse that is what i mean...

We had excactly the same naming dilemma, with many names we loved (like Benedict, Maximilian etc) inevitably being shortened, and a one-syllable name with our short surname sounds very silly....

In the end we went for Felix, Annabel and Quentin and, so far, none have been shortened...

100yearsofsolitude · 18/03/2009 10:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

thumbwitch · 18/03/2009 10:51

It's such a great name that even DH is considering it for no. 2 if we ever get there!

Conrad is a lovley name; how do you feel about Crispin?

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