Need baby name advice

mrstgermain

We have settled on "Archer" for our baby boy due in June. Sometimes I still feel like it's not the right name. I was hoping I'd feel certain but I find myself hesitating to call him that when I talk about him. Maybe I just feel this way because it's our first and picking his name is a huge responsibility. I think we have decided on his middle name as Nathaniel but afraid it's too long or may not flow well. Another reason I'm apprehensive about "Archer Nathaniel" as his name is our parents have not been receptive to it. We get weird comments and not ones I was hoping for. Any advice or reassurance on this situation?

Frogger5

Sounds like you really aren't sure, regardless of what your family has said. Keep your eyes and mind open and see if something else doesn't click. Certainly no reason you have to have it nailed down right now! It is a big responsibility, I totally get it. If, however, you decide it is the right name, don't worry about what anyone else says. It's certainly not an "out there" name, and everyone will get used to it.

btm013

Well shoot, what's the name? haha I don't have any butterflies when I think about boys names we've chosen? That's why I feel like it's not the right name and I'm settling. I think my husband and I need to keep searching...

HoosOnFirst

FWIW before we found out we were having a girl, Archer was on our list. We knew we wanted the baby to be named Archie, but could not decide on the full version of the name - Archer, Archibald or Archimedes. I really don't know which one we would have ended up with, to be honest. I worried that Archer wouldn't stand the test of time, being a pop culture reference (albeit one that DH and I both love!)

I think if it's the right name, you'll know it. We had several girl names on our list that we both like, but somehow don't feel like it's our daughter when we say it out loud. Funny how it works... Good luck!

kales0719

We knew before we even got pregnant that if we ever had a son his name would be Oliver. I had this feeling from the beginning it was a boy, and that his name was Oliver. We had picked out a few girls names but I couldn't settle on anything and kept changing my mind. Once we found out it was a boy it was a done deal. His name is Oliver David and as much as I love it and am certain with it, I have a hard time calling him Oliver yet. He's still baby to me. I think it's just because he isn't here yet . I LOVE the name Archer, so don't let your parents be a reason to have second guesses. It's your child, not theirs

KaLikeAWind

DH and struggled with a boy name too (we're Team Green). We had known for years and years what to name a girl, but when it came to boy names he had a favorite, I had a favorite, we both agreed each others name was a perfectly fine name, and neither of us would budge toward the others name at all. So we scrapped those names and went back to the drawing board. We finally found one we both like and will probably use that should we have a boy.
Since it sounds like you aren't really feeling your name choice (fwiw - I'm not full of butterflies at our name choice, either, but it makes me smile and I'm certainly not apprehensive about it), I'd do what other PP have suggested. Keep your mind open and have a secondary list. Go to the baby names board and lurk over there for ideas, you'll find whole posts just full of boy names, maybe one will click. And, lastly, DH and I made the most progress towards our name once we made a list, and then stepped back from naming for a week and took the pressure to choose away. I tried not to think about it at all, and we didn't discuss it. Our minds worked on the problem in the background of life and we both kinda came around to the same name without actually *thinking* about it.

rrcameron21

The name we picked out gives me butterflies and I get overwhelmingly happy every time I say it! I don't know if it's like that for everyone but I think only you can decide if it's the name for your baby!! Keep your options open. Keep that name at the top of your list but be open to other ones. I thought we had our name picked out but one day my fiancé just started blurting out names like a crazy man and one of them just made my heart skip a beat. You never know when you could find the perfect one

lola2bee

rrcameron21 said:

The name we picked out gives me butterflies and I get overwhelmingly happy every time I say it! I don't know if it's like that for everyone but I think only you can decide if it's the name for your baby!! Keep your options open. Keep that name at the top of your list but be open to other ones. I thought we had our name picked out but one day my fiancé just started blurting out names like a crazy man and one of them just made my heart skip a beat. You never know when you could find the perfect one

Ditto this! Once we picked her name there couldn't be another name. It was IT!

karaelaine1991

My DH and I are having a girl but before we found out we were also really struggling to find a boy's name that was The One. We knew what middle name we wanted (Joseph, after his brother) but we were going back and forth between 3 different first names. We finally decided the week of our anatomy scan that if we had a boy, we'd wait to make a decision until baby arrived and then we'd pick the one that fit the most. This was a really hard decision for me to agree to at the time because I am a HUGE planner and I like knowing what's going to happen, so basically agreeing to put that decision off was hard for me to do. But I think in our case, it would've been a good one - even people who think they know what they're naming their baby can change their minds at the last minute when baby arrives - my MIL was set on Rebecca Lynn, had planned on it for a girl through 4 pregnancies (2 boys and 2 miscarriages), and when she finally had her girl, she took one look at her and decided Theresa Marie was a better fit, which was a complete whim.

The point of all that is this: I totally and completely understand the desire to have the name lined up before baby's arrival. But try not to stress too much. The right name will come and you would be far from the first parent to be undecided on one when baby arrives.

alcrimmins

Archer makes me think of the TV show Archer. Also, if you find a name and love it, don't tell anyone. I know that's hard, but your parents and everyone will love this baby no matter what you name him. Don't give everyone a chance to talk you out of a name you've been thinking about. I'm all about surprises though.

Emilywooddesign

I like Archer! I think it's cool. We learned early on not to share our name choices with people because you will always get opinions. Once you've named your baby after he is born- everyone will keep their opinions to themselves.

atc40

this is my 4th baby and my advice is - everyone will have an opinion no matter what it is -good, bad or indifferent - it's your son, Noone else has to like it, love it - hes not theirs- and screw it -if you decide to change his name in the coming weeks or when he's born----you can, don't worry or be upset by others feelings about the name, & your snd your husband have every right in feeling the way you feel, - ) whatever his name will be is going to be perfect

balderasmama

I had butterflies with my first and third babies names, the second took time to grow on me (which I feel bad about, but love now!) I think because it was my husband's favorite name and I just agreed to it. This time around we are team green and have a boy name I have butterflies about and cannot settle on a girls name. The only one we can agree on has a very unique nickname that is what she will be called by most people and I just can't decide if I'm ready for that. I think we will wait to see if it's a girl and then make the call at that point. Lots of people wait to see the baby before they set the name in stone (or embroidery or whatever.)

And for the record, I LOVE the name Archer nn Archie. It has been on our list more than once. Try to see if you don't love the names because of the negative comments or if you don't love the name just from your own feelings. If it's because of others comments, screw them and use the name.

lalamomma

We opted for something else but Archer was our #2 so I think it's a great name and DH championed for it for a long time. I wouldn't let your family decide the name based on comments and if they continue to make them politely remind them he is your child and you don't want their opinion. If its just that you aren't in love with the name, work on a second option (without telling everyone) and wait until you meet him

MIL told me the other day she was sad we aren't having a girl because she liked our girl name so much, then proceeded to mispronounce it anyway.  She is a little crazy sometimes so I just roll my eyes but I'm also not taking advice from her on names given her suggestions in the past LOL.