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Baby names

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

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Original poster

Alex(ander) - how many do you know?

42 replies

fairimum · 30/01/2010 21:31

Considering this for new baby boy
Alexander John

How many little ones do you know? babies? in your childrens primary class/nursery etc?

We live in Berkshire is that is relavant!
thanks so much

OP posts:

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akhems · 31/01/2010 08:15

I have an Alex William - he's nearly 18

don't know any others

GoldenSnitch · 31/01/2010 08:41

I have an Alexander who us nearly 3 and we know one other who is 2.

When choosing DS's name, we looked through the birth announcements in the local paper. That way we could see a snapshot of what names were popular in the children being born at the time. We never saw an Alex.

Georgimama · 31/01/2010 08:45

I only know one, but then I don't know many primary school age children. It is a lovely name and if it helps, the young lad I know who is called Alexander (never Alex - usually Xander to his family) is an absolute peach of a boy. One of the lovliest teenagers I have ever met.

I don't think it matters if there are a lot of others though - a lovely name is a lovely name. Scroll back a few hundred years and every boy was called Edward/John/George/William (all fab names too incidentally). No one seemed to have a problem with that.

weaselbudge · 31/01/2010 09:17

About 4 under 2 (surrey) compared with 2 jacks.

SqueezyB · 31/01/2010 12:49

I know one who is 2 (Bedfordshire). I think it's a lovely name, it's classic and is not too over-used, unlike all the Toms and Georges I know!

AitchTwoOhOneOh · 31/01/2010 12:55

i know a few but it's a great name and you should choose it. when he gets older he'll have lots of nicknames to choose from, i know older sandys and lexs as well as alex and alecs. and there's xander if you want to pretend to be posh...

Two4One · 31/01/2010 16:55

Georgimama you're quite right. My Dad is called John. So was his Dad. And his GF. So was his FIL when when he got married and one of his BILs. At least two of his closest friends are called John. And several cousins. I'm pretty sure he's never given it a moment's thought. It's just how people named their babies back then, they liked to keep names in the family. Rather a nice tradition really.

I think it's a fairly recent (noughties?) obsession to want to have unique names for our children. Not choosing a name simply because it is generally well-liked by many seems quite strange when you stop to think about it...

All part of the "my baby is more precious, unique and special to the world than any living thing on earth now, or at any time in the past or future" culture...

The thing is, as you grow up you realise the name does not maketh the man. Calling your child Jasper, Virgil, Ptolomy etc stamps a label on his forehead from birth. A label his parents want others to read and from it deduce something about their own class, status and fascinating originality. It's the middle class version of carrying a tiny dog in a handbag.

Two4One · 31/01/2010 16:57

BTW, I love Alexander.

golgi · 31/01/2010 17:19

I wasn't bothered by the popularity or otherwise of the name - I just liked it. As someone else has said it gives plenty of nickname options.

Alex's brother is George - we know a couple more of them, so it seems more popular around here than Alex.

We have an unusual surname, so didn't really want the boys to have an unusual first name too.

Amapoleon · 31/01/2010 17:22

I know one and he is 3.

TheCrackFox · 31/01/2010 17:28

I don't know any but I think it is a lovely name. Who cares if it is popular or not?

ShellingPeas · 31/01/2010 17:30

I work with the under-five age group and in my sampling of around 700-800 children over the past 5 years I have come across 5 children called Alexander, so not so very common here - Kent/Sussex area.

spongebrainbigpants · 31/01/2010 17:49

Being a mum of an Alex I kind of agree with those sentiments about it not mattering how popular it is, and I'm not a big fan of all these weird unique new names that parents seem intent on saddling their poor children with.

However, I was one of five Clares in my class at school and every workplace/club/social group I've joined I've always encountered another Clare.

I like my name, but it would be nice not to share it with so many people!

Morloth · 01/02/2010 10:12

We are leaning towards Alexander. I love it. Would use Xander at home but I think Alex is inevitable.

Wouldn't worry about popularity. I was Morloth C for all of school and DS is already Will A at school.

Am untraumatised by this.

clemette · 01/02/2010 10:20

DS (just 2) is Alex. He is the only one in his nursery (90 children). All little boys around here (Nottingham) seem to be Harry or George or Oscar.

I would worry less about popularity and just make sure you can deal with any shortenings of the name you choose. I wanted to call him Nathaniel, but don't like Nate (and DH doesn't like Nat) so Alexander he is.

Quink · 01/02/2010 10:29

I have an Alexander John , we're in Devon. There aren't any other Alex's in the (small) school atm, though there was one in the year above, who's now left. He's always Alexander to us or 'Xander to his siblings. Mostly Alex to friends and teachers though.

SE13Mummy · 01/02/2010 11:21

I think there's either a male or female Alex in each of the year groups (so 60 children) at the primary school I teach at but I can't think of any where there's more than one.

We're in SE London and although it's a fairly popular name none of the ones I know have to be Alex A/B/C etc. James and Ben are the most 'doubled-up' names in my school.

If Alex(ander) is the name you like then go for it, as others have already said, there's no telling how many will be in his class in the future.

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