Popular name or name I don't like?

PenelopePond · September 2012

This may be a silly question, but with four days until my c-section there isn't much time left. DH is super picky about names. We don't agree on any. It's a miracle DS1 has a name. I have a list of about ten names I like. DH "hates" them all and only has three on his list. Two of which I don't like at all and one I just feel is blah and I can't get excited about. DH thinks he gets to pick the name since I fuc**d him(his words) last time and didn't name DS1 Francis V. Admittedly, I'd like him to get to pick the name since I got my way last time, but he just doesn't have enough for me to choose from and I don't like what he has. Well today he asked about another name. Aiden. I've liked this name for a long time, but once it started getting popular I put it aside. Clearly popularity isn't a huge issue with us since DS1 is Ethan, but I actually know an Aiden where I don't know any Ethan's. We also did not know how popular the name Ethan was until after we named DS. So now I'm not sure what to do. Let DH name DS2 what he likes to make up for ending the Francis tradition? Hope he likes Aiden the most since I like it too and ignore the popularity? DH isn't going to pick a name I like, so I need to accept that. I know that sounds crappy, but with only a few days left I need to face reality.

For the record, the two names he likes that I really dislike are John and Alexander (both nice names, I just don't like them). The name I feel blah about is Adam. The middle name will probably be David after my dad.

ETA: I just want to add for those that may not read my responses below that DH actually picked the name Ethan for DS1. He also never told me how he felt until recently. I had no idea he was so upset about the way things went.

princessjenney · September 2012

My name was number 1 the year I was born and I hated growing up with so many other people that had the same name as me. That said I did survive and I'm no worse for wear over it. It's actually some what of an ice breaker when I meet other Jennifers around my age. "Oh, I'm a Jennifer too! Born in the 80's huh?"

That said I LOVE the name Adam and would choose it over the name Aiden regardless of the popularity of either name. I also love Ian which has a similar vibe.

charlies-angel · September 2012

I like Adam

persephonerose · September 2012

I have no strong opinion about the name Aiden by its self, but if you are seriously considering using David as the middle name I have to say I do not like the combination at all. Aiden David does not flow very nicely. I think I would still work on finding a name you both like.

hgfmom · September 2012

I really like Adam. Its a classic.

Todd&Laura · September 2012

I like Adam a million times more than Aidan. I also think that Aidan is a little too close to Ethan.

That said, I love your first son's name Ethan!! So much better than Francis. And I would be seriously pissed if my husband said that I "fu*ked" him by choosing a name that I liked for my own child. Good luck with the next couple days leading up to csection!! I'm sure you will find something great that you both can agree on

LyndseylovesHugh · September 2012

Without giving my personal opinions on the names you have listed, I would MUCH rather pick a popular name I like over a name I don't like just because it is not popular.

PenelopePond · September 2012

Todd&Laura:
I like Adam a million times more than Aidan. I also think that Aidan is a little too close to Ethan.
That said, I love your first son's name Ethan!! So much better than Francis. And I would be seriously pissed if my husband said that I "fu*ked" him by choosing a name that I liked for my own child. Good luck with the next couple days leading up to csection!! I'm sure you will find something great that you both can agree on

Thank you

. DH never told me he had a big problem with naming DS until very recently. He admits he likes the name (he should, he picked it). I'm a little shocked and hurt that he's just now telling me how upset he is over the whole thing.

sweetpea2003 · September 2012

It isn't just Aiden that is popular. It is the Braden, Jaden, Kaden, Hayden, etc etc etc. trend that is popular. So while he might only be one of a few Aidens, a large percentage of his peers will have a very similar sounding name. My father's middle name and grandfather's first name is Aiden. I love it, and it means something to me, but in this "climate" I would never give my son the name Aiden as a first name.

That being said, if you love it and that is all you can compromise on, then go for it. It is perfectly respectable.

Of your choices, I prefer John, Alexander, and Adam to Aiden. I love John (it is my husband's name). I actually LOOOVE John David together as a first name or a first-middle that you say together a lot. JD isn't a bad nickname.

I'm sorry you are having trouble, but I do think your DH is giving you some reasonable choices. Usually in these posts we see things like "DH wants to name our son Danger or some other ridiculousness. At least your kid won't be laughed out of preschool.

TripMomma · September 2012

LyndseylovesHugh:
Without giving my personal opinions on the names you have listed, I would MUCH rather pick a popular name I like over a name I don't like just because it is not popular.

This.

PenelopePond · September 2012

sweetpea2003:

I'm sorry you are having trouble, but I do think your DH is giving you some reasonable choices. Usually in these posts we see things like "DH wants to name our son Danger or some other ridiculousness. At least your kid won't be laughed out of preschool.

I agree he is giving me reasonable names. I just wish there were more to choose from. He gets to veto names on my list because he doesn't like them and I don't get to do the same. The names I like aren't weird (Henry, Nolan, Matthew, Miles, Gavin, .....). He just doesn't like them. I feel like he's making me feel guilty so I just go with one of his names I don't like. Mostly I really thought we'd eventually find a name we both like, so I'm having a hard time accepting I probably won't like my sons name. Even if it is a perfectly good one.

MCRM22011 · September 2012

This is a tough situation. There's really nothing wrong with the names he likes. If it's going to be a battle or something that makes him hold resentment through the years, I'd honestly just let him use one of his names, whether you really love it or not. I'm sure it will grow on you after the baby is born. Alex is cute, John I'm not the hugest fan of, but at least they are not strange names nor are they spelled oddly, hahaha.

moonfaerie · September 2012

LyndseylovesHugh:
Without giving my personal opinions on the names you have listed, I would MUCH rather pick a popular name I like over a name I don't like just because it is not popular.

this, but I agree w/ PPs that Aiden David doesn't sound that nice together.

this decaf life · September 2012

I like Alexander most.

Then Adam, John & lastly Aiden.

PJpeppercorn · September 2012

Lurker here, but go with Aidan. It doesn't really matter what everyone is is saying they like better if you don't like those names. For what it's worth, I had the most popular name of my birth year and I loved meeting other girls with my same name. It gave us something to talk about and they often became my good friends.

Outdoorlovinmama4 · September 2012

I'd go with Aiden. I was worried about it being too popular for our DS, but he is actually the only one in his school and there's only a Cayden above him in 1st grade. Sometimes names are popular for a reason, because they are good names. My name was #1 the year I was born and have never really run into a problem with too many others with my same name and it has never bothered me. Don't pick a name you dislike just because you fear a name you do like is too popular, you may be surprised and maybe its not as popular in your area.

tcfreedom · September 2012

Go with the first name you like best, and popularity be damned.

1. Nobody is going to call out your kid by first and middle name unless it's you, when he's in trouble. Or at his graduation. Picking a meaningful middle name to honor someone has real meaning and value, whether it sounds good together or not.

2. Remember popularity is based on hundreds of thousands of births, all over a broad area. Different areas have different naming styles. I have five girls, and no Aidens in their classes this year. It might be popular overall and you will still run into only a handful of them if any.

LadyXaverian · September 2012

If you actually like Aiden and the only thing that worries you is popularity, I'd use it anyway. Even though Aiden David doesn't flow perfectly, it's not terrible either.

My top choices would be Adam David followed by John David.

I'm sorry your husband wasn't honest with you from the start about how much he wanted to use Francis with DS1. It sucks that he is now holding it over your head when you didn't know it was a real issue to begin with. That's really not cool.

kayjay10 · September 2012

LyndseylovesHugh:
Without giving my personal opinions on the names you have listed, I would MUCH rather pick a popular name I like over a name I don't like just because it is not popular.

This for me too. I really don't mind the name Aiden and populartity isn't a big thing for me. Could you ask your DH to come up with a list of 10 names for you to choose from? Maybe if he could give you more than 3, you would like another name that he "chose." If you both really like and agree on Aiden, I would go with it. As the mom, I wouldn't settle on a name for my LO.

saham07 · September 2012

Grace0609:

I think Aiden David would sound a little odd together, I don't know why, it is just similar to the reason we didn't use Caleb David... it just is too matchy or something.

I would go for Francis and come up with a cool nn, or go with Adam. Francis David and Adam David are very nice names.

This is exactly what I was thinking....Love Francis w/ nn Frank or Frankie! I also love John nn Jack and Alexander! You can't go wrong on these classics.

saham07 · September 2012

Grace0609:

I think Aiden David would sound a little odd together, I don't know why, it is just similar to the reason we didn't use Caleb David... it just is too matchy or something.

I would go for Francis and come up with a cool nn, or go with Adam. Francis David and Adam David are very nice names.

This is exactly what I was thinking....Love Francis w/ nn Frank or Frankie! I also love John nn Jack and Alexander! You can't go wrong on these classics.

PenelopePond · September 2012

saham07:
Grace0609:

I think Aiden David would sound a little odd together, I don't know why, it is just similar to the reason we didn't use Caleb David... it just is too matchy or something.

I would go for Francis and come up with a cool nn, or go with Adam.  Francis David and Adam David are very nice names.

This is exactly what I was thinking....Love Francis w/ nn Frank or Frankie!  I also love John nn Jack and Alexander! You can't go wrong on these classics.
 

DS1 is Ethan Francis. We can't really name DS2 Francis. I still don't like the name enough to use it, and giving it to our second born doesn't give it the same meaning.

saham07 · September 2012

AndreaR1983:
saham07:
Grace0609:

I think Aiden David would sound a little odd together, I don't know why, it is just similar to the reason we didn't use Caleb David... it just is too matchy or something.

I would go for Francis and come up with a cool nn, or go with Adam. Francis David and Adam David are very nice names.

This is exactly what I was thinking....Love Francis w/ nn Frank or Frankie! I also love John nn Jack and Alexander! You can't go wrong on these classics.

DS1 is Ethan Francis. We can't really name DS2 Francis. I still don't like the name enough to use it, and giving it to our second born doesn't give it the same meaning.

I didn't know it was your son's middle name, that does change things......although I do think it has the very same meaning on son #2.

joyfullyfound · September 2012

I like Adam more, but Aiden is really nice as well! They both sound good with Ethan too, actually. To me, Adam somehow manages to be strong and gentle at the same time... it is a classic name that has managed to avoid the crazy popularity that other classic boys names have. Big thumbs up! Aiden just doesn't have the same lovely history that Adam does.

queenbone · September 2012

We have a top ten LN, so for me, popularity does matter so I'm more inclined to go for names I'm not as excited about to save my child from two overused names. I love the name Aidan, but I took it off my list. My DH wanted to name our son Francis and I agreed to it.

For me personally I think Aidan and Ethan are too similar for a sibset, I'd be constantly mixing them up.

I like nearly all the other names that both of you have listed. Henry and Alexander are my favorites.

PenelopePond · September 2012

saham07:
AndreaR1983:
saham07:
Grace0609:

I think Aiden David would sound a little odd together, I don't know why, it is just similar to the reason we didn't use Caleb David... it just is too matchy or something.

I would go for Francis and come up with a cool nn, or go with Adam.  Francis David and Adam David are very nice names.

This is exactly what I was thinking....Love Francis w/ nn Frank or Frankie!  I also love John nn Jack and Alexander! You can't go wrong on these classics.
 
DS1 is Ethan Francis. We can't really name DS2 Francis. I still don't like the name enough to use it, and giving it to our second born doesn't give it the same meaning.
I didn't know it was your son's middle name, that does change things......although I do think it has the very same meaning on son #2. 

Oops! Sorry. Thought I had that in the OP.

kerribear1717 · September 2012

I'd say if you really can't agree on a name you like (vs. one you really don't like) then screw the popularity aspect. I don't think guys really care as much if they were Mike S. or Mike D. as much as the Jen/Jennifer/Jenny's did. If you like Aiden then go with it.

Moxie27 · September 2012

i'd go with aiden francis.

Moxie27 · September 2012

LyndseylovesHugh:
I would MUCH rather pick a popular name I like over a name I don't like just because it is not popular.

totally agree.

Zimger · September 2012

I would choose the name that I liked even if it was popular as oppsed to one I didn't like. I hope your DH knows what he wants this time. Speaking to you like that and holding it over your head when you had no idea is irrational.

Ladymouse · September 2012

You did not screw your DH out of the name Francis - it's right there as a middle name. Our first will have a name I'm not crazy about (Alexander), but it was the least objectionable alternative.

With David as a MN, I think John or Alexander would be better options.

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