HELP - boy's name (due SOON!)

Ok, well our baby boy will be here in the next week or two (or maybe sooner who knows!!!!)... and we are still up and down with the naming. Our ds didn't have his name till a week after he was born and we hope to do better this time, but it is getting close!!

We both LOVE Zachary, (and it is rare for us to be in such agreement), but dh's brother has a son 'Isaac' who gets Zac sometimes, so we just don't know that we can go there. I was getting used to giving up on Zachary, but then today dh said maybe we should put it back on the list.... arggh!

My other favourite was Xander, but that has negative connotations in dh's family so not an option.

Other names I liked that dh vetoed include: Joel, Jasper, Judah, Dashiell, Auden

What I think we are down to now are:

Oliver (Ollie), worried it might be too common atm
Gabriel (Gabe)
Wilder (Wil)

Completely brutal comments on the above appreciated, and also what you think of the Zachary/Isaac question.

If you LOVE Zachary then use it. My brother and cousin have the same name, we saw them a lot growing up and it was never a big deal. If you're worried maybe chat to you BIL/SIL about it.

Oliver is very popular atm.
Gabriel is a bit femine for me.
Love Wilder, very cool, bit differnt.

Also Love Dashiel (Dash).

What is your DS's name?

Zachary/Isaac - I agree with Junglemum, if you love Zachary, then use it. If Isaac gets called Zac, maybe call Zachary "Zacky" (IYKWIM?)

Oliver - I looove this name :)
Gabriel - This was one of the names on our list for a little bit when I was pregnant, but looking at it again I don't really like it anymore.
Wilder - Nope. You asked for brutal, so I don't feel too bad at saying that I hate this name. Wil, yes, that's nice, but not Wilder. Sorry :redface:

If you love Zachary, then use it. I don't see a problem.
Out of the other names you mention I only like Oliver.

Nothing wrong at all with using the name Zachary.. How close do they live to you guys? How often do you see each other? Just make a rule when with each other then call the boys by thier full names..

My neighbours son is Zakk and I have an Isaac and they are both in the same class.. When we are all together we call them the Zakks.. lol.. (just a funny for you)

You said be brutal don't forget....

Oliver - I don't love it. It's ok. Ollie - I really don't like. It is becoming more popular but that wouldn't stop me if I loved the name.
Gabriel - I'm with Junglemum - Sounds very feminine to me.
Wilder - Different. A bit out there. I don't mind it but it's not a name I'd put on my list.

You said you like Xander but can't use it - what about Xavier?

Or just go with Zachery :lol:

I love Gabriel. I couldn't convince DH though. Gabe is a nice nn

If you love Zachary use it I say!!!

Oliver (Ollie), love it, I dont think too common
Gabriel (Gabe) I have 2 friends with baby Gabe's that are both under a year old, its cute.
Wilder (Wil) Don't like wilder but like Wil

Good luck

I agree with the Zac situation if you really love it maybe speak to them and get their thoughts, they may have no problem with it at all.

Oliver: I know quite a few and sorry I'm not a fan as I don't really like Ollie for a nickname.
Gabriel: I know of a couple of boys with this name and it has really grown on me, I really like Gabe for a nn.
Wilder: Neither her nor their on that one really.

Are you wanting other name suggestions, or are you just wanting opinions on what you have narrrowed it down too?

If you love Zachary, then definitely use it - don't worry bout the other name as Isaac is kinda completely different to Zachary :)
Out of the other names, I personally them all, but my favourite is Gabriel (I only know one and he's a top guy) - I saw how many J names your DH vetoed, how bout Joseph?

Smamfa - I love love love ALL of your names! I would personally not use Zachary, I know if you love it you should use it but I think I would want my child to have its own identity and not have people possibly confused when talking about the cousins. Sorry, I know I am going against what most people have said - please take my thoughts and opinions with a pinch of salt!

Out of the other 3, my faves are in this order: Ollie, Wil, Gabe.

But seriously - all awesome names, your little boy is going to be soooo lucky whatever you decide on :)

like the others have said, if you love Zachary, then use it. I'd talk to the other parents first and tell them to be honest about how they would feel. For me it would depend on how often the kids were to be together and how close you were to the family as to whether I would use it or not.
Of your other names I only like Oliver. I havn't heard it all that often. i have a cousin named Olivier (o-liv-e-ay). French version of Oliver (his mums french). i like the name, but people get confused at the spelling so when they read it they say Olivia, like a girl.
Gabriel is a bit girly, but I know girls named Gabrielle, so thats why I think girl. And Wilder is a bit out there for me. I love Wil as a name though.
Good luck

Thanks for the responses (and the brutality :lol:), oh this is so hard!!!

I know what you mean about using Zachary anyway - part of me goes - well Isaac and Zachary are two very different names, and they can be called by their full-names when they are together... BUT it is dh's brother's son - that is close family, and in no way do we want the "big Zac / little Zach" scenario. Plus we don't want to announce the name and have family members think 'hmm, why did they do that?' I just don't want to have any reservations about it. But it is the name that speaks to me the most!

The others are not really standing out for me...

I think we are going to cross Wilder off the list - we like it but don't love it, and I think if we are going to go with something different like that we should have real faith in it. Also, it is dh that really likes Wil/Will, I am more ambivalent about it, I just didn't like William and thought Wilder might be an option.

My ds's name is Max.

I am not that into Xavier (although I like the whole beginning with an X thing), and don't have strong feelings about Joseph (and yes, I do like J names! :D there were more, like Jed and Jovan too). I have run some of the biblical type names past dh before (Noah, Jonah etc) and he doesn't like them (Gabriel is the exception.)

I actually don't like 'Ollie' all that much either, but I like Oliver, whereas Dh really likes Ollie.

Other name suggestions are welcome, but I do feel like we have considered and discarded pretty much every name that is out there already....

Can I say again: AAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHH!

Boys names are tough aren't they. It's a pity that our DH's just don't agree with us. And bugger those people that ruin perfectly good names for us.

Some more suggestions:
on the Wil/Will path: Have you considered Wilson, Willem, Willard or Willis?
Do you like names that start with Z? Maybe Zeke or Zane.
My personal favourites ATM are Cooper, Hayden, Reuben, Rowan, Archer, Carter
I always think Sam goes well with Max for some reason.
Ummmm. Tyson, Owen, Nathan, Lucas.

That's all I can think of ATM. Good luck.

Nate?
;)

Gee you are in a dilema.

Trying to this of things that go with Max.

Lewis
Willis
Zeke
Eli

I like Oliver! Its super cute! Ollie :)
Oliver Zachary.
To be honest, in my opinion, i would not use Isaac and a Zachary, as they sound too similar. I would use Zachary for a middle name instead.
Im not too fond of Gabriel.
I am not a fan of Wilder, Will is cute though!

Some more names I like :
Cohen
Riley
Max
Fynn
Flynn
Bailey
Tate
Fletcher
Brodee

Goodluck!!

Friends have a Willoughby?

Hi smamfa,

I agree with the others, and Zachary seems to be the one you both love the most, so go with it! My cousin and my Dad are both called Christopher - one got called Chris, and the other Christopher. No one thought it was strange when my cousin was born either. And I have a friend who deliberately named her son Michael after her brother - he loved it :)

Otherwise I really like Oliver and think it goes well with Max.

Hope you come to something you like :)

I too would agree that you should use Zachary if you love it. I have two cousins who both have the same first name, and one gets called by a nickname, the other firstname middle name, so they have always been completely different and separate. Never been a problem.

Out of the names you suggested, I love Oliver (am considering it if I ever have a boy), but the others, not so much.

Someone suggested Sam, which I think is a beautiful name.

Hey Smamfa, how are you travelling with this now? If you don't go with any of thos great names, what about Xander? (Zander) Obviously I like the X but it's a great boys name IMO :)

Why don't you just ask his brother how they feel about you using Zachary? You could say it's on your list but not final and you just need to know if it would bother him.

Also, what about the name Solomon, great nickname Sol or Soli

Our baby is 7 weeks old and still has not been named!

Goodluck!

I agree with those who say just use the name you love - Isaac and Zachary are two different names, but it's what you feel comfortable with I suppose.

Also I really like Gabriel, but you don't have to use the full name, you just name him 'Gabe'.

Thanks again for all of the responses and suggestions - we still have not come to a decision but I am feeling a bit better about it now...

A couple of people have mentioned 'sam', but as *I* am a sam it won't really work :lol: although I think it is cute for a little boy, and we might use it for one of the middle names.

My dh did ask his brother about how they felt about us potentially using Zachary - and he doesn't mind and asked his son who would be happy with it too. So that is nice to know, we still may or may not use it but it takes a bit of the pressure off because we know that we *can* use it and it should be ok!

starangelk - I just LOVE Xander, it is pretty much one of my fav boys names - but can't use it (bad associations in dh's family) - drat it!!! I don't know how keen dh would have been on the name despite that, but yeah, I totally agree with you (ahhh, names that start with X are just way cool :D )

Besides that, I am still quite liking both Oliver and Gabriel, so I am feeling like we have some options on the table. I am thinking of Jude atm as well (although I know dh won't let me use the full 'Judah'.) People have suggested some nice names, I really like Finn, but dh doesn't. I like 'Zane' too, but it is another name in dh's family!!!

Rowellen - I know what you mean about people ruining perfectly good names for us :lol: DH's family have a lot to answer for!!!!! Also, I have couple of ex-boyfriends whose names I really quite like, but of course that is a no-go zone haha.

We'll get there!

With the whole Isaac / Zachary thing - Go for it! My sister's dd is Gabriella, and on the list of girls names for #2 (if and when we decide!) is Abigail. Gabbi and Abbie? lol

I say go with Zachary, but the only other name on short list I liked was Wilder! :)