Naming your first child and your input?

[Itsallicanafford]

kept in mind the playground test

In a few years you will be standing there shouting out their name, don't want to look like a wally.

IMO it is good to have names which shorten well, you use the full version when they are naughty for full effect

Sam often becomes SAMUEL!

[exitwound]

Our surname was Baird, so the first born I wanted to call Rupert as he was a boy, but I was vociferously shouted down.. Life can be so unfair!

[SilverSixer]

PurpleTurtle said:

We knew we were having a boy, and my wife wanted to call him Frank, after her Dad. It's not a name I particularly like, I had visions of people thinking we'd named him after Lampard (I loathe Chelsea, take note I did this for you, SilverSixer) but most importantly I don't think it flows well with our unusual surname.

Noted.

Another mixed nationality couple here, our rule was that whatever name we chose had to be pronounced the same in both languages, and should not be too faddy nor fusty in either country. We had a short list of three boys' names and only one girl's name. A boy came first, so he got one of those names, the bonus was that it was also my Grandad's name, the one who fought in WWII. We only ever intended to have two nippers, so the girl's shortlist of one didn't cause a problem, and a girl duly arrived second and got that name. Two girls would have been a major issue!

Alexander and Anna were the chosen names, in case you're interested OP. Peter and Victor were the back up boys' names.

[Antony Moxey]

My wife chose our daughter's name and said it was a name she really liked. I had no objections and so she was named thus. When our second was due bizarrely we were both utterly convinced it would be a boy and only had boys' names picked, but I couldn't abide the name SWMBO had picked so we went for my choice. I was going to say it took a while for Dave to get used to her name but we had a boy so it all worked out in the end.

[GOG440]

BrabusMog said:

Sam and Ella

My wife thought she had a stomach bug before she realised she was pregnant, if it was twins we were very tempted to call them sam and ella.
We actually ended up calling our daughter Eleanor so she gets called Ella anyway.

My other kids with my ex, my sons name started as a joke whilst watching Rob Andrew play very well for england against the aussies, He is Robert Andrew (my real name is Andrew so it worked from that point of view).
My daughter is Katherine Sarah because my ex is called Sarah and we both like Katherine/katie as a name.

My only advice here is that you have to pick a compromise name that works here and in Sweden

[FredClogs]

It was a collaborative process, I did take the step of marrying someone who I largely share a sensibility with though, so it didn't cause any real problems, our first daughter did have a late name change at the last minute though.

[Jimmy Recard]

RaptureJames said:

We are expecting our first in January and also don't know if its going to be a boy or a girl. Wife very strongly leaning to a name that i repeatedly veto (Arthur for reference) and we might be heading into a "see what he/she looks like when they come out". Of course its going to look like and Arthur if a boy pops out.....

Its been pretty tough coming up with names so far - perhaps knowing the sex before hand would have made this process a little easier!

Deliver him yourself and name him Excalibur

[Spitfire2]

GOG440 said:

BrabusMog said:

Sam and Ella

My only advice here is that you have to pick a compromise name that works here and in Sweden

Second that advice. Our boy is half Scottish half Spanish. We weren't fussed if the name was Spanish/British but wanted to ensure it was something that sounded the same when said by either nationality.

[XB70]

I am Irish and my wife is Australian.

At her insistence, my girl and boy have first names that are Irish. They are the more common ones since the more traditional names, very unique and beautiful though they are, fail the schoolyard/workplace test.

This sums it up nicely:

http://ireland-calling.com/blog/brilliant-routine-...

[Jasandjules]

Of course I have an input. We each looked at names we liked then discussed and now have a name which everyone says will change "when you see him".....

[PugwasHDJ80]

We went through a list of 10,000 girls names with full veto on each others lists and then 4 "jokers" that the other didn't like.

We were left with 7 names.

The baby was born and my wife came up with a name that was totally off list. I liked it and that's what we went with.

Months of wasted effort

[uncinquesei]

SilverSixer said:

Noted.

Another mixed nationality couple here, our rule was that whatever name we chose had to be pronounced the same in both languages, and should not be too faddy nor fusty in either country. We had a short list of three boys' names and only one girl's name. A boy came first, so he got one of those names, the bonus was that it was also my Grandad's name, the one who fought in WWII. We only ever intended to have two nippers, so the girl's shortlist of one didn't cause a problem, and a girl duly arrived second and got that name. Two girls would have been a major issue!

Adolf?

[exitwound]

We have three children and upon deciding the names, we stood at the back door and tested them by shouting them out loudly..

That's how its done, after all, you don't want to sound like a dick shouting out some inept name to the amusement of the neighbours and general public..

[antspants]

My son's name, Harlan, was the authors name of a book I was reading while my wife was pregnant. She didn't appreciate being woken up to ask her opinion, but she did like it

[dazwalsh]

Was quite diplomatic with our two, the mrs and i both wrote down 10 names in order of preference and then compared lists. Any duplicates were then on the shortlist and she could pick the final name from them if it was a girl, and i would pick if it was a boy.