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Evan or Hal?

40 replies

TheBish · 11/04/2010 22:14

Struggling to come up with a name for baby number 2. Evan has just come to us but don't know any in our bit of London. Is it really popular and what do people think?

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AussieSim · 15/04/2010 01:21

HAL is a fictional computer in Arthur C Clarke's Space Odyssey and it is EVIL. Definitely Evan.

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ButterPie · 15/04/2010 00:56

JenDuff - I'm looking for you on chat!

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jenduff · 15/04/2010 00:41

I know the most gorgeous Evan - looks like a young Harry Potter - not sure about Hal other than as a nn

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IwishIwasmoreorganised · 14/04/2010 22:26

I have an Evan.

It seems to be increasingly popular around here (South Wales)

Hal sounds like you've forgotton a bit - it's great as a nn, but not as a name per se imo.

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scottishmummy · 14/04/2010 22:14

i like evan

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Jamieandhismagictorch · 14/04/2010 17:59

Yes, Sakura I don't want it to become too popular either. Every other DC has got DS2s name - and I chose that because it was uncommon then!

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Jamieandhismagictorch · 14/04/2010 17:57

I have a 9 year old Evan (London). There's one other of a similar age round here.

It is still my favourite name. Chosen because of the Welsh connection.

Evan Davis is pretty cool, IMO

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Sakura · 14/04/2010 10:28

LOL henry.

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Sakura · 14/04/2010 10:08

I went for it because of the Welsh cultural heritage- in case that helps...

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henry37 · 14/04/2010 10:07

Evan

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Sakura · 14/04/2010 10:06

Well my baby is called Evan, so obviously that one...
OTOH I don't want an Evan boom!

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Lovethesea · 14/04/2010 09:55

Evan I think of Evan Almighty film - which I liked but the name wouldn't be my choice.

Hal I think of as a nn and quite american for some reason ....? Childhood books with a US character Hal I think have done it.

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Merle · 14/04/2010 09:19

I like them both.

I think if you want to go for Hal then it should be Henry on the birth cert, with Hal as a nickname. I can't help remembering that Henry V was called Hal when he was a prince - he spent all his time mucking around and no one thought he would amount to any thing. Then came the Battle of Agincourt and the rest is history...

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mummyofexcitedprincesses · 13/04/2010 23:57

Oooh I like Harrison as a 'long' version.

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Zoidberg · 13/04/2010 20:15

Hal is fab, the one Hal (grown up) I know of said he loved his name too. We would have if we'd had a DS. As well as in Shakespeare, Hal is a character in a David Foster Wallace novel and DP is a massive fan of his. Also Hal Hartley cool director. We did make a lot of "open the pod bay doors Hal" remarks to ourselves but even with that in mind, loved it. I did think maybe Harrison on birth cert tho, swayed by that notion that one should have something "proper".

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MiaWallace · 13/04/2010 16:08

I love Evan. If I ever have a ds his name will be Evan. (I've insisted that all my dc will have Welsh names although dp is English)

Sorry but I don't like Hal. Reminds me of the film Shallow Hal

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mummyofexcitedprincesses · 13/04/2010 15:56

I love the name Hal but would go for Henry (or Harry) on the birth certificate. It is a cool name for any age and very uncommon. I think of Prince Hal from Shakespeare's Henry V.

Evan is nice too but not my favourite.

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mathanxiety · 13/04/2010 15:46

'Good King Hal' was Henry VIII -- Hal is an old diminutive for Henry.

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twosofar · 13/04/2010 08:08

I went to university with a guy called Hal... always thought it was really cool. Agree with others that I prefer it as an abbreviation, but definitely Hal over Evan IMHO.

Evan reminds me of Ethan, which reminds me of Nathan - both of which really annoy me for some reason. Sorry can't be more specific!

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LouMacca · 12/04/2010 22:41

Loads of Evans where we live.

Never really thought about Hal before but actually it sounds quite cool.

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TrillianAstra · 12/04/2010 21:52

Evan.
What is Hal short for? It sounds like a shortening, but it doesn't really make much sense.

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ChickenInABasket · 12/04/2010 21:49

I'm in London too and have a 3 year old Evan, the only other Evan we'e ever met was in Wales last month!

Strangely we have 2 Hal's in our neighbourhood though!

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scottishmummy · 12/04/2010 20:39

hal,no sounds like a spit on the porch kind of name

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moondog · 12/04/2010 20:32

Evan is nice but Hal????

Suitable only if you lived and worked on a cattle ranch in the midwest circa 1950.

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LostArtOfKeepingASecret · 12/04/2010 20:30

I love them both but couldn't use them for DS because they sound atrocious with his surname. If going for Hal, use as a nickname for Henry.

I can't stop thinking of Evan Dando now!

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