# Naming the unborn. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 26, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-the-unborn/171406 "2003-04-26T23:59:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![hedra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/779978/32.png) [@hedra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hedra)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-the-unborn/171406/41 "2003-04-28T14:37:32Z")
We use a nickname before birth. And we pick from a list of names after birth. We had 2 boy names and 5 girl names for Gabriel, and 5 and 5 for Brendan. We figured we’d know what his name was after we met him face to face, not before. It seems odd to me to pick out a name beforehand, when you haven’t actually ‘met’. Gabe was definitely not a Nicholas. Not a chance (Nick had been our first choice, but it didn’t fit at all). And while I really wanted to use the name Colin, when Bren was born, he just wasn’t a Colin, either. Definitely a Brendan. It was too early to name the ‘baby’ when I miscarried the first time. The second, while also early, had a ‘feel’, so I nicknamed her (gender also unknown, but dreamed of one particular girl). The nickname helped. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-the-unborn/171406/42 "2003-04-28T15:44:25Z")
Specifically, my brother was Junior before he was born. We didn’t know if he was going to be a boy or a girl. So while names had been picked out, nobody used either of them before he showed up on the scene. I’m assuming the names were open for revision post-birth if the picked one didn’t click, though we didn’t. Do you know how many Davids there are??? Ack! ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-the-unborn/171406/43 "2003-04-28T23:48:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SanibelMan \* > \*\*Natalie and I didn’t name our son until after he was born. We’d narrowed it down to either Michael or Scott, then decided on Michael after holding him for a few hours. > > Then a week or so ago I turn on the news and find that Michael was the most common boy’s name of 2002. :rolleyes: \*\* Most popular name for many years. Might as well sign him up [early](http://www.mikesofamerica.org/). 😉 Still, it’s one of those good names. ---
**Author:** ![T.Slothrop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@T.Slothrop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T.Slothrop)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-the-unborn/171406/44 "2003-04-29T01:26:56Z")
We did get an ultrasound but told the doctor not to tell us the sex of the baby. We called him “tumor” before he was born. ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-the-unborn/171406/45 "2003-04-29T01:30:04Z")
My parents chose not to find out their children’s genders before birth, so I was Spooner and my brother was Rollo. Thankfully, we’re just Linz (short for Lindsay) and Peter now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-the-unborn/171406.md?page=2)