Help! Our favourite boys' name has just been 'stolen', we need a new one!

[cupcakefairy]

I'm 24 weeks pregnant, don't know if it's a boy or girl but we have loads of girl names we like...and NO boy names.

We finally settled on Jude about 3 weeks ago and have both grown to love it, now some friends just named their baby boy Jude yesterday I'm devastated- we didn't know any before that. I know we could still use it but we feel it's just too close and we have soooo many mutual friends it would just be too weird. So gutted about it.

Before coming up with Jude I just couldn't get excited about the idea of having a boy, now I'm back to that again...our potential ds needs a name otherwise I fear I might be disappointed if it's not a girl

The only other name we both like is John but it seems boring now. I love Benedict & Theodore but dh doesn't, and Ralph but it doesn't go with our surname...HELP!

We want something strong, not too common but not too 'out there'...anyone?

My son is Dominic which is not too common but I also like

Tristan
Tario
Milo

Poor you, I'd be very upset .
Jude was on my shortlist for DS 1 along with Felix, Barnaby, George, Milo...but Jude has an air of maturity and a cool factor that they don't have. Will think and get back

You're only 24 weeks though, are you sure that in what is effectively, another 4 months, no-one would bat an eyelid that you used the same name as a friend?

Anyone said Julius?

That's a top name, and pretty unusual.

Jesse
saul
Rafe
Kit
Jerome?

What about Francis? underused and very nice IMO....Fran for short

your name easnt stolen.get over it.it is popular and in common domain

so go pick another

That's what she's doing I think scottishmummy...

Patrick
Alec (as opposed to Alex - oddly, I like one but not the other)

Although if you really love Jude I'd go for that. For DS I'd not have comtemplated another name I think, no matter how many there were running around.

Wow, thanks so much all for your replies. Some really great suggestions here...amazingly we can't use over half of them because they're either a) in dh's family (he has a huge family) or b) recently been used by friends with babies..(yes, even Evan, Reuben, Elijah and Rufus)

I know I'm only 24 weeks, and MIL thinks we should still use it but I just feel a bit like a copycat.

The suggestion of Vincent is interesting as that's what I was gonna be called if I was a boy! It's gone on the list incase it grows on us

Others we've put on the list (with dh's scrutiny) Jerome, Leo, Jesse, Gabriel.
Thanks for all the positive comments about John too I do really love it.

Hi Lion I really like Dominic but dh is Tom so we couldn't really have Tom and Dom - there's always a reason not to use nice names, grr!

flimflam again, really like Jed but it totally reminds me of the freaky stalker in Enduring Love by Ian McEwan so is a no-go!

Panic sorry it happened to you too, sucks doesn't it! Harriet is on our short list for a girl

Ambassador is totally swaying me though

Johnny is fantastic and I'd use Jonathan as the proper name for when he is a high Court Judge.

Also how about:

Kit short for Christopher or Christian?
Gregory (Ilove this)
Francis which I love, but also Frank for short is great.
Eddie/Edward cute and gravitas in one.

I've got 9 weeks to go til I get my lil Jude!!! Reuben was a name on my list as well. Another name I really liked was Rudy..love love love Jesse, but DH is adamant I can never have that Hope you finda name you love as much as original x

For what it's worth, two of our good friends both gave their daughters the same name (born about a year apart) and it's been absolutely fine.

Jude is a lovely name.

Jon, as short for Jonathan is nice, and Jonnie is lovely for a little boy.

your baby is for life but some friends aren't....i know that sounds harsh but you surely can use the name if you really want too.

a friend asked me if i would mind if they used the same name as my son and i said of course i wouldn't mind.....its a great name!

the same names float around in my family too.....my niece has the same name as her mothers cousin....it didn't raise an eyebrow at all

Please use Seth - it's my absolutely favourite boy's name but our surname starts with an 's' and it sounds silly. A waste, since I have 2 gorgeous boys but have never been able to use the name

That's really harsh - I am totally paranoid about other friends 'stealing' my names, so can understand why you must be totally gutted!

Jude was my top boys name until I married someone with a surname that doesn't match it! I think Gabriel (Gabe), Nathan (Nate) or Luke are along the same lines as Jude, although actually my new top name for a boy is Hal.

(And now I've written it here if anyone I know uses it in the meantime I can refer them back here and say 'haha see, I had it first!')

I met someone this week whose name is Erasmus. I actually quite like it. I certainly like it more than the "Jackie" he calls himself!!!

Have you read Charlotte's Web?

The most beautiful name in the world is Wilbur.

Unfortunately dh disagreed.

I also liked Arthur.

My baby boy would suit either of these names, I like the name my dh chose for him, now. But now I just think he is amazing and would make any name he is given beautiful.

I think ds is amazing now, dh is just hunky.

Jesse

Max, or Henry?

When I was in labour last week (about half an hour before the birth) I made my husband promise that we could call the baby Jude (knew he could not refuse at that particular moment) - only we had a girl . Our boys are Jack and Seth (bizarrely have never met another Jack of the same age as DS1, but good friends called their son Seth months before us, but we went ahead anyway).

John is a great name; strong, tradional & classic. Maybe Jude, although very nice is a bit of a 'trendy' name and will date a bit.

jesse is a fab name - my dh has sadly vetoed it.
Lawrence
Kester
Duncan
Angus

Samuel

Jonathan

Rory

Joe

George

Frank

Danny