Baby due in 4 weeks - help me decide... Christian is front runner..

[Boobz]

...and I don't even know if it is a boy, but this is the only name I have really loved over the last month of so.

So, names we have for a boy are:

Christian (nn Kit)
Hector
Dashiell (nn Dash)
Isaac (nn Ike or Zac)... I love this but am worried that it's too popular now - and yes, I do care about that sort of thing I'm afraid...

with either Alexander or Benjamin for middle name.

And girls names:

Valentina (nn Nina)
Marianne (nn Annie, but would probably call her Marianne mostly)
Constance (nn Connie, which I love - much more than I like Constance, but I'm of the long formal name variety, so would never christen her Connie, IYSWIM)

with middle name Lily, probably.

Already have a 14 mo DD who is Penelope Lucy (Pen / Penny / Penpots for short).

Last name is Reed.

What would you go for, for boy or girl?

Promise I won't do a million of these threads in the last month, so do give me some feedback!

Thanks.

Ack - there is no consensus!

Surely Christians are not wet?! Kits certainly aren't IMO...

Dashiell is DH's favourite... I thought it might be a tad poncey?

Ugh, this is so not helping!

Love Dash (very, err, dashing). Constance (Connie) gorgeous. Like Valentina (Nina). Isaac (Zac) nice, but tis very popular, as you say.

Not keen on Hector, unless you actually are Scottish.

Kit is lovely, although don't really like Christian. Prefer it as nn for Christopher.

I don't like Christian... to me it just suggests you are very religious (So would be ok if you are!)

Christopher I like, and Kit is a fab nn.

Chris is equally likely to get used for Christian as for Christopher - I think you just need to make it clear his nn is Kit not Chris.

Love Dashiell, nn Dash - but won't be so great if he turns out to be a bit slow moving.

Love Marianne.

Not so keen on your others.

Hmmmm.

Love Dashiell and Marianne and don't dislike any of the others but Christian would be my least favourite tbh

Marianne (nn Annie) is lovely and quite unusually without being poncy (Valentina=a bit poncy).

I know a Dashiell and he us in prison so that puts me off. Hector is great but shortened to Hec it isn't. Isaac v v popular as you say. I like Christian nn Kit but it does remind me if the Eastenders character.

Ah I don't watch EE so that's ok.

Marianne is lovely....

Christian (nn Kit)- like Christian, love Kit. Christoph maybe rather than Christopher?
Hector- okay- reminds me of "Hector Protector
Dashiell (nn Dash)- like a lot
Isaac (nn Ike or Zac)- not too keen

with either Alexander or Benjamin for middle name.

From your choices:
Christian Alexander or Dashiell Benjamin

And girls names:

Valentina - love!
Marianne - love too, although v different style.
Constance - love too, different style again!

I like all of your choice a lot. (We seem to have v similar taste as I love Penelope too)! If pressed would probably choose Marianne Lily assuming baby has no Italian/ Russian/ other multicultural roots.

Is this your final shortlist or do you want other suggestions?

I would only use Christian if you are actually a practising Christian.

Kit my fave, I do like Christian as well and Christians are not wet (viz Christian Slater).
And Marianne (tho personally Arianne is one of my top names ever).

I always remember your labour thread Boobz, was amazing and inspiring and was not long before my homebirth to another little P.

Thanks loobylu3 - it seems I have got the same naming genes as you! I could be open to more suggestions, but am already finding it hard to stick to those 6 options, so not sure if I could cope with more confusions?!

Spookily, Christian Alexander and Dashiell Benjamin were my combos too - are you sure you're not me?

DH has now said that he is going off Christian and is plumping for Hector (Tor for short). Quite like that, as an alternative to Kit...

Zozzle - do you really think I need to be a practising Christian to use Christian? Don't most people just recognise it as a name rather than it's religious connotations these days? Just out of interest, are you particularly religious?

Zoidberg - did I miss your homebirth story? Did you have a Penelope too? Am even more likely to post a labour thread this time around as DH might not even be here to support me like he was last time (do you remember his posts??) so will need even more MN support! He's in Sudan in the 2 weeks run up to my due date so I could be using Penelope as my main cheer-leader...

I have an 8 yr old niece called Valentina (she's part Argentinian, part Italian, part English). She's often given the NN pronounced Vall-ay which is really lovely. She's a very bright, very pretty little thing and suits an unusual name really well. I think it's a lovely choice, personally, but then she's a really adorable child so I'm a bit biased .

I love Tor for Hector. One of the only reasons I wldnt use Hector is the nn Hec, but Tor makes that problem go away.

Yes it's the "hec" bit I don't like too. Prefer Torin.

Boobz- perhaps I won't post any more suggestions then! The ones you already have are great!
Are you due soon?
I hope you have somebody else to be around when you are in labour if your DH has to be away!

More suggestions would be lovely - I think I would like your suggestions to Looby...

Due 9th June... have got friends on stand by for baby and dog sitting... and another to help in labour! Very lucky to be surrounded by supporting peeps here in Streatham..

too, not to.

Would you consider Alexander or Benjamin as first names? Or what about

Theo
William
Jude
Lawrence
Saul
Silas
Timothy
Zachary
Isaiah
Eli
Seth

No I didn't get round to posting my story I really meant to. Was a long early labour like yours.

Yes we do have Penelope, sometimes Pen but often call her by any P-name (pumpkin, pea, plum).

Don't worry, mumsnet will be here for you again no doubt!

Christian (nn Kit) ..Dislike and would assume you were religious
Hector .. Dislike
Dashiell (nn Dash)..Dislike
Isaac (nn Ike or Zac)... like alot, and it's nowhere near as popular as charlie, Alfie etc.

Like Benjamin best of the middle names but both are OK.

Valentina (nn Nina)..like it
Marianne (nn Annie, ...Dislike
Constance (nn Connie)... Dislike Constance as it's too old ladyish, I know one and people are always shocked by her name, BUT I love Connie on it's own.

Lily is a great name.

Would it matter whether someone assumes you're religious or not? All names have to come from somewhere and there are a lot of Biblical names in general use, for example.

Wow! You are due really soon- hope all goes well!

A few suggestions just to confuse you! I like all of these names and love lots of them.

exotic and v feminine like Valentina:

Paloma
Isadora
Olympia (v Greek)
Julianna
Aurora
Natalia
Dahlia
Marianna (similar to Marianne)
Marguerite
Lucia

classic and sweet like Marianne:
Cecilia/ Celia
Cecily
Rosalind
Jane
Eleanor
Miranda
Louisa
Annabel
Eliza
Juliet/ Julia

Virtuous and a little serious sounding like Constance:
Clementine
Verity
Beatrice
Adelaide
Gwendoline

another that really reminds me of Penelope is Daphne which I also love!

Let me know what you think

Yep Boobz I am religious (Christian) - I'm really into the meaning of names - I think they're really important. The meaning of my kids names was a massive factor. But not everyone cares like me so it depends whether your big on meanings or not I guess.

Good luck deciding.

Am I the only MNer who DIDN'T consider nicknames when choosing names? Nicknames evolve - you can't force them. Choose a name you like and have done with it! Even if you name your child Rumplestiltskin he could still have Kit as a nickname!