[name_m]Hi[/name_m]! Our top boy names are [name_m]Benjamin[/name_m], [name_m]Theodore[/name_m], and [name_m]Maxwell[/name_m]. We don’t want a very popular/trendy name. I like [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] the most cuz it’s very traditional, not super common, and I think [name_u]Theo[/name_u] is cute as a nickname, and it’s Greek (I’m Greek) without being TOO Greek. The problem is every time I turn around there’s a baby being born called [name_u]Theo[/name_u]! Is this name becoming super popular or am I just noticing it a lot because I like it? I know [name_m]Ben[/name_m] and [name_u]Max[/name_u] aren’t particularly unusual either… I don’t want a trendy modern name but I don’t want little [name_u]Theo[/name_u] to be one of 5 in his class either!!
The middle name will probably be [name_u]Wallace[/name_u]. We don’t have a girl yet but if we did she would probably be named [name_u]Eloise[/name_u].
[name_m]Benjamin[/name_m] is the most popular of your choices, just outside the top 10 in the US. [name_m]Maxwell[/name_m] and [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] are just outside the top 100 and are still trending up. Personally, I am not a fan of [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] as all I think about when I hear that name are [name_u]Teddy[/name_u] bears, [name_m]Roosevelt[/name_m], the Cosby show and the Chipmunks. I like [name_m]Maxwell[/name_m] the most, but don’t think that it goes well [name_u]Wallace[/name_u]. -well [name_m]Wall[/name_m]- is hard for me to get out and sounds like I’m stuttering. So in the end I’d chose [name_m]Ben[/name_m].
I love [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] even though it’s more popular than most names I would consider as firsts. I would use [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] despite its popularity because it’s such a strong, interesting, classic name with great history, meaning and associations (for me) and two lovely nicknames: cute [name_u]Teddy[/name_u] and cool [name_u]Theo[/name_u].
I agree that it’s trending up and there are a lot more little Theos around suddenly, but I don’t think it’s a name which will appeal to everyone so I doubt it’ll ever reach the very top of the charts. It’s too weighty to appeal to a lot of people who want lighter, cuter names for their kids: [name_u]Charlie[/name_u], [name_u]Alfie[/name_u], [name_m]Oliver[/name_m], [name_m]Jacob[/name_m], etc. I also think that lots of the little Theos you’re noticing recently are just [name_u]Theo[/name_u], not [name_m]Theodore[/name_m].
[name_m]Theodore[/name_m] is definitely my favourite of the three you’re considering. Second would be [name_m]Benjamin[/name_m] (but it feels a bit weak by comparison), then [name_m]Maxwell[/name_m]. I love [name_m]Maximilian[/name_m], but [name_m]Maxwell[/name_m] is just too surnamey for me.
[name_m]Just[/name_m] a thought: if you like [name_m]Theodore[/name_m], might you like [name_m]Tobias[/name_m]? I love both and see them as being quite similar in terms of style. [name_m]Tobias[/name_m] has all the gravity of [name_m]Theodore[/name_m], but also the nn [name_u]Toby[/name_u]/[name_u]Tobey[/name_u], which is just as cute as [name_u]Teddy[/name_u]. Both [name_m]Tobias[/name_m] and [name_u]Toby[/name_u] have the added benefit of being less popular than [name_m]Theodore[/name_m]/[name_u]Theo[/name_u] and would work beautifully with [name_u]Eloise[/name_u].