Help with boy name!

[ameliabird]

Hey guys!

So we are due in August with a baby boy and I have my heart set on Samuel. DH doesn't like it because of the potential that he will be called Sam. I just don't get it. I told him that he can just not call him Sam but call him Samuel. His favorite is Owen and while I like it, its not up there for me as Samuel is. I would definitely use Owen as his middle name since it was my brother's last name who passed away in 2013. I haven't liked anything as much as I love Samuel....what do I do??

[dreadpiratebuttercup]

If one of you doesn't like a name, it has to come off the list. It sucks, and many of us have had to give up our favorites. But naming is a partnership, and he gets as much of a veto right as you do. It's time to set Samuel aside (and Owen as a fn if you don't want to use it in that spot) and find some names you both like. If he comes around to liking Samuel later, then great. But it sounds like it's vetoed until then.

[joy]

Apr 28, 2016 2:55:28 GMT -5 dreadpiratebuttercup said:

If one of you doesn't like a name, it has to come off the list. It sucks, and many of us have had to give up our favorites. But naming is a partnership, and he gets as much of a veto right as you do. It's time to set Samuel aside (and Owen as a fn if you don't want to use it in that spot) and find some names you both like. If he comes around to liking Samuel later, then great. But it sounds like it's vetoed until then.

Yes, all of this.

My favorite girl name ever is Anastasia. My husband laughed at it and said "not a chance." Zomg - meanie! But, it's his kid and he gets a vote.

I actually couldn't name my kid something my husband didn't like. It would make me sad.

Keep looking. Have an open mind. You also have time - no decisions need to be made today!

[valie]

Oswald?

That is my attempt at saying "Get an idea of what it is about Samuel that you really like, build on that, and see what suits YH's style."

[Deleted]

You can hope that your husband will change his mind, but I imagine he'll be hoping the same thing about you. So you're better off to move on. valie gave good advice on figuring out what you love about Samuel and find other names.

[ameliabird]

I've gone through every list imaginable and when I find something that has the same feeling as Samuel, DH vetos it. Ugh We did not have that issue naming DD. He picked the name and really liked it and I just got used to the idea eventually. I love DD's name but I kinda feel like I should be in love with name and not just get used to the idea of the name.

[dreadpiratebuttercup]

He shouldn't have to just get used to the idea of the name either, though.

[ameliabird]

alwayscheese we've done that :/

[ameliabird]

Apr 28, 2016 19:11:11 GMT -5 dreadpiratebuttercup said:

He shouldn't have to just get used to the idea of the name either, though.

I agree, just pointing out how his mind is working on naming.

[ameliabird]

What do you guys think of the combo of Rhys Owen?? Our last name is Irish (Mc). Does it flow well?

[purple]

Apr 28, 2016 19:17:00 GMT -5 ameliabird said:

What do you guys think of the combo of Rhys Owen?? Our last name is Irish (Mc). Does it flow well?

Both first names are Welsh. Does that bother you? It's a good combination and flows well.

[ameliabird]

purple Nope doesn't bother me.

[joy]

Apr 28, 2016 19:17:00 GMT -5 ameliabird said:

What do you guys think of the combo of Rhys Owen?? Our last name is Irish (Mc). Does it flow well?

Oooh! I like.

[purple]

Apr 28, 2016 20:31:16 GMT -5 ameliabird said:

purple Nope doesn't bother me.

Good! Then if your H loves it too, I think you have a winner :-)

[ameliabird]

purple He said "well I do love to eat Reese's" lol!

[purple]

Apr 28, 2016 20:41:26 GMT -5 ameliabird said:

purple He said "well I do love to eat Reese's" lol!

Well, every baby I've ever known loves it when grown-ups pretend to eat their tummies, so...

[dreadpiratebuttercup]

Apr 28, 2016 19:17:00 GMT -5 ameliabird said:

What do you guys think of the combo of Rhys Owen?? Our last name is Irish (Mc). Does it flow well?

Adore. 

[honeylemon]

Rhys Owen is awesome.

[cabbagecabbage]

Rhys Owen is a great name. I say keep talking about all new names (unless you both agree that Rhys is *the name*) and you may be surprised.

Last pregnancy my H and I had no boy names we both liked. Absolutely none. His top picks made me cry. Thankfully it was a girl. This time it's a boy and we started fresh and one of the first names he mentioned was awesome and we agreed easily. Plus I think it's a name I wouldn't have picked on my own but it is more special because both mom and dad chose it. It can happen.

[Stormtroopooper]

I love Rhys, Samuel, and Owen.

Does he not like Samuel only because of the nickname? I ask because I was hesitant to name my son Harrison because I disliked the nn Harry (for him--it sounds weird with our ln). Hardly anyone calls him Harry, and if they do they are immediately corrected. It's never been an issue.

Samuel and Owen are on our short list should we ever adopt a little boy, though I much prefer Eoin.

*eta one of my H's cousins is named Samuel. I've never heard anyone call him Sam.

[spicysalmonroll]

I think you can fall in love with something else (like you maybe already have with Rhys). I was dead set on a name for the last 6 months, even though my H kept saying that he wasn't sure, and it was just ok. In my mind I kept thinking but it's the ONLY choice I'll ever love that he hasn't completely vetoed. Then I came across a new one 2 weeks ago and I'm even more in love with it and have no interest in the original name lol. (H hasn't given the green light but he really likes the new one and is 90% there on approving it).

[ameliabird]

Stormtroopooper Ya his main hang up is the nickname Sam...I find it odd but it is what it is.

spicysalmonroll We decided no to Rhys after looking around online and talking to our families. I think too many people mispronounce it as Rice (my sister has a personal experience from grade school). We weren't in love with it anyways so back to square one!

We both agreed that it may come down to drawing sticks and whoever wins picks their favorite LOL!!

[k3am]

NN's are odd. Even if the two of you agree to only call him Samuel, other people might NN him Sam. Or he might do it himself as he gets older.

We have friends who were adamant that their son wouldn't be NN'ed - he'd be Alexander and never Alex. Which we respected. A few weeks ago, I noticed her calling him Alex and asked what had changed - her three year old wanted to be called Alex.

So if he doesn't want a son named Sam, and Sam is a reasonable NN you can anticipate for Sam, I would back off of the name.

[billyhorrible]

We had a really hard time with boy names the second time around. He didn't like any of my loves, but he couldn't think of a boy name he liked period. He was also insistent we were having a girl so it didn't matter. Finally at 37 weeks the SSN list came out and we were on a 7 hour road trip, so I read him every name on the list until we found one we could both live with.

With my first, I really felt like it was important that we both love the name. With my second I realized love wasn't necessary. I didn't love my youngest's name immediately and had doubts for a long while after he was born. But it was the only name DH liked that I was okay with. Today, I love the name because it embodies him.