# Baby names... such a big decision **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 19, 2010, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-names-such-a-big-decision/554310 "2010-09-19T18:41:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-names-such-a-big-decision/554310/41 "2010-09-20T15:23:13Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > My new neighbor is from Zimbabwe. His name is Wellington. I have never known anyone else with the same name but I think it is pretty cool. Well..Well..Wellington!! Call Now!! (Sorry, just reminds me of an ad jingle of a local window company.) ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-names-such-a-big-decision/554310/42 "2010-09-20T15:23:14Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Abe! Come on, I bring it out in every baby name thread and nobody uses it! ABE! Abraham called Abe is surely classic and cute… but… it just sounds like ‘babe’ to me. And everyone I know calls their SO ‘babe’. I adore the name Emil, myself. Classic in many languages, uncommon in America (quite common in much of Europe), and doesn’t lend itself to dumb nicknames. Edmund is a cool name too, with no Rs. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-names-such-a-big-decision/554310/43 "2010-09-20T15:28:11Z")
> [@NetTrekker](#): > > I’ve recently thought it would be very cool to just assign a somewhat generic middle name (Ann, Lynn, Alan, etc.) at birth and then let the kid choose his/her own official first name at an appropriate age, say 12-13. It would be fun to see what they choose and then they couldn’t be unhappy about their name throughout life. My grandmother, aunt, and second to youngest cousin all changed their first names before they turned 20. It goes more smoothly than you’d think. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-names-such-a-big-decision/554310/44 "2010-09-20T15:50:55Z")
What’s the girl’s name you have picked out? ---
**Author:** ![sherrylynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3be4f8/32.png) [@sherrylynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sherrylynn)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-names-such-a-big-decision/554310/45 "2010-09-20T16:51:45Z")
How about my personal favorite - Mathias? He can be a Matt, or, if that’s too common - Mathias. This is an old fashioned German/Catholic name - ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-names-such-a-big-decision/554310/46 "2010-09-20T17:01:05Z")
> [@Serenata67](#): > > Also, I don’t want it to be super-common (no John, Thomas, etc.) Nowadays, those would be the unique choices. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-names-such-a-big-decision/554310/47 "2010-09-20T17:08:06Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > … > > Also - you know if you obsess too much over the boy name this pretty much guarantees you’re going to have a girl, right? Well, we have a girl’s name we love (well, I love it, he thinks it’s alright. And that’s good enough. He’s not obsessed with names the way I am, as a writer.) > [@Wilbo523](#): > > What’s the girl’s name you have picked out? Guinevere Cecilia Ann J\*\*\*\* I plan on calling her Ginny when she’s young, but if she wants to go by Gwen, Eve, Evie or whatever when she’s older, she has the flexibility to chose her own nickname that suits her personality. Cecilia and Ann are both family names; Ann is found on both sides (as in his and mine) and Cecilia is very important to me and my sister. We plan on having one naturally (if my PCOS works with me … but that’s another thread) and adopting one. We believe very strongly in adoption (his father was adopted and my cousin/my parents’ godson–same person–were adopted). Hopefully we’ll be able to have “one of each” then. ---
**Author:** ![RadicalPi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/radicalpi/32/9806_2.png) [@RadicalPi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadicalPi)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-names-such-a-big-decision/554310/48 "2010-09-20T21:17:40Z")
I went through the past few years of class lists, and here are the boys’ names that I found that don’t have r’s in them. Some of them I think go well with Raymond, especially Owen, but my opinion is obviously worth very little here. Adam Allan Anthony Benjamin Daniel David Dominic Donald James Jason Joel John Jonathan Joseph Joshua Julian Justin Kevin Lee Louis Luke Matthew Michael Nicolas Noel Owen Paul Quentin Samuel Scott Sean Simon Stanley Stephen Timothy Todd Vincent ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-names-such-a-big-decision/554310/49 "2010-09-20T23:05:04Z")
Gilgamesh ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-names-such-a-big-decision/554310/50 "2010-09-21T01:02:35Z")
> [@RadicalPi](#): > > I went through the past few years of class lists, and here are the boys’ names that I found that don’t have r’s in them. Some of them I think go well with Raymond, especially Owen, but my opinion is obviously worth very little here. > … Why do you seem to think your opinion matters so little? I value all opinions; I came here asking for opinions. However, I did want uncommon names, and a good portion of your list consists of rather common names (Adam, Allan, Anthony, Benjamin, Daniel, David, James, Jason, John, Jonathan, Joseph, Joshua, Justin, Kevin, Luke, Matthew, Michael, Nicolas, Paul, Samuel, Sean). I am looking for something older, so names like Stanley, Vincent, and Julian work. Thank you for your input. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-names-such-a-big-decision/554310/51 "2010-09-21T01:55:03Z")
> [@rhubarbarin](#): > > I adore the name Emil, myself. Classic in many languages, uncommon in America (quite common in much of Europe), and doesn’t lend itself to dumb nicknames. All his classmates will call him Emily. In fact, he’ll go through life with people seeing his name and thinking he’s a girl whose name was misspelled. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-names-such-a-big-decision/554310/52 "2010-09-21T02:19:46Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > > [@rhubarbarin](#): > > > > I adore the name Emil, myself. Classic in many languages, uncommon in America (quite common in much of Europe), and doesn’t lend itself to dumb nicknames. > > All his classmates will call him Emily. In fact, he’ll go through life with people seeing his name and thinking he’s a girl whose name was misspelled. And this is why you don’t discuss names before the baby’s born! ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-names-such-a-big-decision/554310/53 "2010-09-21T04:06:29Z")
This is why I am discussing names before I’m pregnant or have any intention of getting pregnant. I do love ‘Emil’ but if I have a son he is going to be named good, old, boring, common ‘William’ - after my dead brother, as has been the plan since I was 6 or so. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-names-such-a-big-decision/554310/54 "2010-09-22T04:14:15Z")
> [@rhubarbarin](#): > > This is why I am discussing names before I’m pregnant or have any intention of getting pregnant. > > I do love ‘Emil’ but if I have a son he is going to be named good, old, boring, common ‘William’ - after my dead brother, as has been the plan since I was 6 or so. I love William. I’ve wanted to name my kid William for a while (after Shakespeare), but I really, really, _really_, hate the idea of Billy Ray. Hate it. And Raymond is non-negotiable. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-names-such-a-big-decision/554310/55 "2010-09-22T04:54:19Z")
> [@Serenata67](#): > > I love William. I’ve wanted to name my kid William for a while (after Shakespeare), but I really, really, _really_, hate the idea of Billy Ray. Hate it. And Raymond is non-negotiable. Nobody uses the nick name Billy these days, it’s Will or William. The only Billys I know are over 40. And no one calls a kid by both his first and middle names any more either. As parents, you set the nickname your kid goes by. So if you like, William Raymond, then use it. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-names-such-a-big-decision/554310/56 "2010-09-22T04:57:50Z")
> [@Girl\_From\_Mars](#): > > And this is why you don’t discuss names before the baby’s born! At least not with people that are going to interact with your kid once its here. People are really blunt and open about criticizing baby names if the kids not around. But if the baby’s right there where they can see it, they’ll just accept the name and it will soon become the name for that kid. Parents have the right to pick the name they believe is best for the kid…no one else has that right. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-names-such-a-big-decision/554310/57 "2010-09-22T06:29:32Z")
> [@Wilbo523](#): > > As parents, you set the nickname your kid goes by. Only until the kid’s first day in kindergarten. The mother of one of my classmates (6th-12th grades) got terribly angry whenever one of us called their house and forgot to ask for him by firstname, using his class-given nickname instead. It’s not our fault that she’d given him the name that’s been the most common one in our area for the last 3 centuries! ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-names-such-a-big-decision/554310/58 "2010-09-22T09:48:05Z")
> [@Serenata67](#): > > > [@rhubarbarin](#): > > > > This is why I am discussing names before I’m pregnant or have any intention of getting pregnant. > > > > I do love ‘Emil’ but if I have a son he is going to be named good, old, boring, common ‘William’ - after my dead brother, as has been the plan since I was 6 or so. > > I love William. I’ve wanted to name my kid William for a while (after Shakespeare), but I really, really, _really_, hate the idea of Billy Ray. Hate it. And Raymond is non-negotiable. Why not call him Raymond William then? I think that sounds great, and you get both names you like. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-names-such-a-big-decision/554310/59 "2010-09-22T16:18:29Z")
> [@Serenata67](#): > > > [@rhubarbarin](#): > > > > This is why I am discussing names before I’m pregnant or have any intention of getting pregnant. > > > > I do love ‘Emil’ but if I have a son he is going to be named good, old, boring, common ‘William’ - after my dead brother, as has been the plan since I was 6 or so. > > I love William. I’ve wanted to name my kid William for a while (after Shakespeare), but I really, really, _really_, hate the idea of Billy Ray. Hate it. And Raymond is non-negotiable. I think William is one of those names where every nickname is so well-known and widely used that people will respect whatever he is usually called - but I would choose a nickname ahead of time rather than expecting everyone to call him ‘William’. Elizabeth is another one of these names - people are lazy, call her Beth or Ellie to be proactive if you hate ‘Liz’! I know several Williams under age 10 and no one ever calls Billy, Liam or Will one of the other nicknames (or William, unless it’s their mom). I also don’t think you’ll have to worry about anyone ever knowing your kid’s middle name, much less incorporating it into a nickname. Unless you live in a mountain village in West Virginia. My future son will be called Will as I believe Shakespeare himself was. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2010, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-names-such-a-big-decision/554310/60 "2010-09-22T16:37:44Z")
> [@Serenata67](#): > > I love William. I’ve wanted to name my kid William for a while (after Shakespeare), but I really, really, _really_, hate the idea of Billy Ray. Hate it. And Raymond is non-negotiable. If you’re a big Shakespeare fan, why not use the name of a character from Shakespeare’s plays? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-names-such-a-big-decision/554310.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-names-such-a-big-decision/554310.md?page=4)