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?

Call him Jude (if he's a boy, obviously ). Names aren't 'taken'. It's going to be with him for life. The other Jude probably won't be. Throughout his life he'll meet and make friends with other Judes who aren't even on your radar. Will he think "Oh my god, how awful, another bloke called Jude"? No. Give him the name you want. Will your friends accuse you of copying? Don't think so. Will they feel cheated of a unique name? Don't think so? It's a name not a copyrighted brand.

Call me superstitious but I think if you are struggling that much you won't need a boys name. My dh and I could only agree on a boys name and even though I was secretly convinced I was having a girl, could not decide on a girls name. My ds is five months old today! Also I know of a few other people who have been in similar situations. Anyway good luck with the pregnancy and if you decide on names - just tell everyone, state your claim

Hey cupcake sweetie! 2 of our close friends both called their daughters Alexa, about 2yrs between them & no probs! If you really love Jude why dont you tell your friends the truth, what u planned & how u now feel, to get their opinion? X x x x x

Jolyon (Joe or Jolie/Joly for short?)

Aw thanks guys Jude is still on the list, we'll see how we feel about it after some time I guess.. but I am warming more to John again after all the compliments (would def be John not Jonathan)

Jesse & Seth are also in there Really love Jesse but dh has a female cousin Jessie so his family might find it weird ha, maybe I just care too much what people think!

Gabriel was good until someone mentioned the gay-boy nn and our surname already rhymes with 'gay' so think we'll avoid that one!!

Casmama I'm sure you're right and we'll have a girl but I was paranoid if we didn't have any boy names we'd end up having a boy!

Hi 4ever

Lol chickbean I said that to dh last night that during labour I was going to enforce Benedict on him or some other name he's vetoed.. he looked properly shocked that I would consider that tactic

Patrick. Best boy's name ever.

What do all the Jacks' parents make of threads like this? and goes into hiding!

I love Jude, but think John is cool too. There is a v cute 2 yr old John at playgroup.

I also love;
Jago
Seth
Isaac

A v close girlfriend of mine was pregnant at the same as me DC 2 for both of us. About 4 weeks before the birth I told her that we'd finally agreed on our boys name. Sharp intake of breath from her as they had decided upon the same name.

However, we saw no reason to change, as both families adore it. We see them regularly and it has never been a problem. The boys enjoy having 'twin names' If you love it, go for it!

seeker I love Patrick, and it's my Grandpa's name so even better but dh hates it I don't like the nn Pat either.

silver and pixie thanks for the advice, I don't have anything againstpeople having the same names, obviously- that would be ridiculous - just saying I'd feel a bit of a copycat and cos we have so many mutual friends, including loads of dh's family, just don't want everyone to be like 'oh, another Jude'...but like I said, it's still on the list to think about.

A friend of mine has a Jude, and also a Sol (nn Solly) which is quite unusual but along the same lines as Jude, and very sweet for a LO but strong when they are older, as i think you said you wanted a strong name.

But personally, i would go for the name you want and not worry about copying. We were really keen on the name Freddie/Fred and my DHs BF has a son called Fred. I decided to ask how they would feel if we used the name and they were fine about it. In the end, we chose Samuel but i think it helped to know it was still an option which we later ruled out ourselves. If we hadn't asked, and had just dismissed it, we might always have felt "cheated". Worth testing the water with your friends/family?

No one has said

Miles

That's a cool name

I also know a Xavier - he's a feisty kid!

cupcakefairy - my Patrick is practically never Pat. I don't like Pat either, and I was bracing myself for it, but it hasn't happened. If he's shortened at all, it's to Patch or PJ.

Interestingly his best friend is John, and they are the only John and Patrick in theier big Primary school and in the all the clubs they go to.

Hi

Tate

Cole

Toby

Glen

Good luck! Personally i would stick to my guns and have Jude !

Another vote for Jerome. Or Emile. Or Nathan.

i prefer jon/jonathan to john.

Ossian

Kester (shortened form of Christopher) Wilfred. Ezra. Silas, Seth,

Aww seeker Patch is so cute, I love that! Sure dh wouldn't go for it though.

hatwoman Jonathan is ok but John is the preferable for us cos it's in the family, plus St John was pretty legendary.

lottie I really love Ezra and that would def be on the list but our surname starts with R so it sounds really clumsy

lowri we have a good friend named Osian & it's a great name...we live in Wales too, but it's a bit too Welsh, we'd prob have to have Welsh names for any subsequent dcs too...

pulapancake Sol/Solomon is great, thanks

You're all giving me lots to think about! I'll have to update with what we choose come May

Dylan
Joel
?

Hi cupcakefairy some really fab names have been mentioned. Especially like some of the biblical names.

Just out of interest do you definitley think you won't use Jude or is it that you think your friends would not like it?

Just curious because my old boss used the name I loved for his daughter 6 weeks before I was due. We went ahead and used the name we loved and since then both my boss and I have left the company and no longer see each other.

I'm not saying it is right for you but no one owns a name, espcially one that is well known. Just a thought but I am sure you have had that. Just wanted to add my support if you did want to use it.

I knew i was having a girl and told my friend the dds name. She had her dd 3 months before mine and called her dd the same name. I kept the name I planned to use because we loved it and the chances of dd going through life without coming across someone else with same name would be impossible. If you love Jude go with it. You dont know if you will know her in 10 years.

How strange I was going to suggest Dominic(my fave boy's name) but it doesn't have to be shortened to Dom- what about shortened to Nic?

If you like short snappy name like Jude, what about Zach? (or Zachary if you want a longer version for the birth certificate)

I'm sorry if you've already answered this question(I haven't read all the posts lol!)but did your friends know you wanted that name and copied you or was it just an unfortunate coincidence??
I love Jude aswell but DH told me he would never name our next child due Jude as it reminds him of Jude Law(and I won't repeat the words he said about him hehe)!
Good luck and you never know it might be a girl so you don't have to make your mind up just yet x

I really loved Jude with DS2 but went for Otto in the end, if that helps. Also have a Sebastian and DD would've been Asa if she was a boy, but she wasn't (but her name is very, very similar to that anyway).

Loving Wilbur whoever suggested that!

I love Vincent too! DH doesn't though so we will never get to use it.