We are approaching the end of our pregnancy and have endlessly deliberated about names for our baby boy!
We think we have picked our final name but are having some last minute jitters and would love some opinions. His middle name is set as [name_m]Patrick[/name_m] as this is a family tradition and he will have an [name_f]English[/name_f] Mummy and an Australian Daddy with Irish heritage.
Our topic picks are:
[name_u]Rory[/name_u] [name_m]Patrick[/name_m] [name_u]Farrell[/name_u]
[name_u]Alfie[/name_u] [name_m]Patrick[/name_m] [name_u]Farrell[/name_u]
[name_u]Frankie[/name_u] [name_m]Patrick[/name_m] [name_u]Farrell[/name_u]
[name_u]Darcy[/name_u] [name_m]Patrick[/name_m] [name_u]Farrell[/name_u]
Our concerns around [name_u]Rory[/name_u] (currently our top pick) is that if not pronounced properly it can sound like ‘[name_u]Roy[/name_u]’. [name_f]My[/name_f] concerns around [name_u]Alfie[/name_u] are that whilst it is relatively uncommon in Australia it is quite an overused name in the UK (from what I remember), and this puts me off. We also don’t like ‘[name_m]Alf[/name_m]’ or ‘[name_m]Al[/name_m]’ as shortenings. [name_u]Frankie[/name_u] is based on his Great Grandpa [name_u]Francis[/name_u] and his Grandma [name_f]Frances[/name_f] but we worry it could be a little cutesy with the alliteration. [name_u]Darcy[/name_u] is our curveball!
We’ve perhaps overcooked this but it’s our first baby and we are a bit paralysed by the final decision!
[name_u]Rory[/name_u] - [name_u]Love[/name_u], but yeah the pronunciation can be a tad difficult for some people.
[name_u]Alfie[/name_u] - Since it’s already a nickname, it probably wouldn’t get shortened further. If people do try to do that, it’s a simple correction
[name_u]Frankie[/name_u] - I don’t find the alliteration cutesy.
[name_u]Darcy[/name_u] - [name_u]Love[/name_u] this for a boy!
Not sure how helpful that was, lol, but you really can’t go wrong here!
I see why you’re having a tough time: they’re all great names! With [name_u]Farrell[/name_u], I think [name_u]Rory[/name_u] or [name_u]Darcy[/name_u] go best. I adore the name [name_u]Rory[/name_u] and [name_u]Darcy[/name_u] has been growing on me a lot of late.
I also love [name_u]Frankie[/name_u] (for a boy or girl) and think the alliteration is sweet, although I do understand your concern that it’s perhaps a little too sweet…
I like the name [name_u]Alfie[/name_u] quite a bit but it’s probably my least favourite of the four. I also think it flows with [name_u]Farrell[/name_u] the worst because of the ‘f’ in [name_u]Alfie[/name_u] running into the beginning of [name_u]Farrell[/name_u]. It isn’t enough of an issue for you to not use it if you decide it’s your favourite though.
It’s a hard one for me but ultimately I think [name_u]Rory[/name_u] is my favourite for you. It sounds great with [name_u]Farrell[/name_u] and I personally don’t think, even when said quickly, it sounds like [name_u]Roy[/name_u] (and i’m also Australian).
But really, I don’t think you can go wrong either way. Good luck!
Alfie is still pretty highly used in [name_f]England[/name_f] and [name_m]Wales[/name_m] at number 15, with longer form [name_m]Alfred[/name_m] at 106. So if that is a concern, I’d take it into account. Personally, I’ve not taught any or met any over the last few years, but there are obviously lots of little Alfies.
Of your others, if popularity in [name_f]England[/name_f] is a concern, [name_u]Rory[/name_u] is at 47 (and I haven’t heard any pronunciation issues with it so far), [name_u]Frankie[/name_u] is at 63 and [name_u]Darcy[/name_u] doesn’t chart for boys but is pretty common for girls when you combine all the spellings.
I think my favourite of your options is [name_u]Darcy[/name_u] but I do like all of them, and none of them would be going wrong. From my knowledge of Australian charts, I know [name_u]Darcy[/name_u] is much better used for boys there, so should escape any ‘but that’s a girl’s name’ you’d get elsewhere!
[name_u]Rory[/name_u] is such a lovely name. I’m in the UK and whilst it’s a familiar name, it’s not overly common. When I pronounce it, it doesn’t sound at all like [name_u]Roy[/name_u]. But perhaps other accents do.
[name_u]Alfie[/name_u] is very sweet but I agree, it is very popular over here in [name_f]England[/name_f]. Perhaps the longer for [name_m]Alfred[/name_m] with nn [name_u]Alfie[/name_u] would be better?
I’m not a massive fan of [name_u]Frankie[/name_u] (maybe because it’s my cat’s name ) It just feels a little incomplete. [name_u]Francis[/name_u] or [name_m]Franklin[/name_m] with nn [name_u]Frankie[/name_u] would be my preferred choice.
I love [name_u]Darcy[/name_u] for boys, it’s very common for girls in the Uk but I believe it’s more heard on boys in Australia and I love that!!
I prefer [name_u]Rory[/name_u] and [name_u]Darcy[/name_u]. [name_u]Frankie[/name_u] and [name_u]Alfie[/name_u] are just too nickname-y for me. They’re cute on a child, but less so on an adult. I think most people would get the pronunciation of [name_u]Rory[/name_u] pretty quickly, so I don’t see it causing too many issues. [name_u]Darcy[/name_u] is a name I only seen on girls, but I don’t really follow Aussie naming trends!
I think [name_u]Alfie[/name_u] is adorable but I don’t think it would age well. I just cant see a grown man going by [name_u]Alfie[/name_u], but if you feel like its the right name for your son then definitely go for it!
[name_u]Rory[/name_u] on the other hand is super cute and ages well, one of my favs
Rory [name_m]Patrick[/name_m] sounds amazing with the surname! It’s a very charming choice. [name_u]Darcy[/name_u] [name_m]Patrick[/name_m] is my second favorite!
It’s completely normal to struggle to commit to the one name, especially with the first child since it tends to set a precedent for how you name future children. It’s clear you have given this decision a lot of thought. You’ve narrowed down your list to four terrific options so you’re already doing a great job at this. Be assured all the names on your list are handsome names that will serve him well. Here are some thoughts on your list and an Australian perspective at that:
Rory: I see what you mean about [name_u]Rory[/name_u]’s similarity to [name_u]Roy[/name_u]. The second ‘r’ is pronounced differently than the first because the of the vowel sound that follows it. It has a more relaxed jaw and tongue shape which makes the second ‘r’ much softer or even disappear. So it’s more likely to be pronounced RAWR-ee where the second ‘r’ blends into the first syllable. I don’t think this is something you’ll be able to control since we’re talking about the feature of an accent or learned speaking habit as opposed to an incorrect pronunciation. So is this a strong negative or something you could get use to?
Alfie: Nicknames can be can be avoided with quick correction, but your son may later choose to go by ‘[name_m]Al[/name_m]’ or ‘[name_m]Alf[/name_m]’ when he gets older. You are also right about the name’s popularity in the UK. It’s been inside the top 20 since the mid 2000’s. Based on your comments alone, this name has the most negatives listed so perhaps it can be taken off the list.
Frankie: I think the similarities between [name_u]Frankie[/name_u] and his surname stretch a bit future than the first letter. There’s also the two syllables and ‘r’ sounds. If [name_u]Frankie[/name_u] wasn’t also a diminuative, it may not have the same affect. I think it depends whether you feel these similarities ultimately add or subtract from your enjoyment of the name. This name is rising in popularity on the girls chart in Australia. It’s currently ranked #36 based on usage in 2019, up from #44 in 2018. It doesn’t rank in the top 100 on the boys chart at all, so something you might want to take into consideration. I personally enjoy the significance of family names but I like to be mindful that they aren’t all from one side of the family.
Darcy: You haven’t mentioned anything negative about this name, so I take that as a good sign. It sounds like it might be a recent addition, one you’re excited by but feel cautious about using in case the feeling doesn’t last. If that’s the case, I will just say that sometimes the curveball does win out. Parents often have a favourite name going in, and then find a name that wasn’t even on their radar is the right name for their baby.
Some final suggestions for narrowing down your list: Consider how many children you’re likely to have and what names you’d like to use if you had a girl or another boy. [name_m]How[/name_m] do they work with each name on your short list? [name_f]Do[/name_f] you notice what your naming style leans toward, or if you have any preferences such no repeating initials or matching endings? If you give this child two family names, will you feel compelled to give your other children family names? You could try out each name for a day and see if one seems to fit more than the others. You could pretend you had to eliminate a name. Observe your internal reactions. Which one would you most regret not using?
All the best with your decision! We’d love to hear what name you’ve chosen once the baby arrives.
Thank you everyone for your kind advice. One month on and we’re still deliberating but [name_u]Rory[/name_u] is the front runner. [name_f]My[/name_f] concerns around the pronunciation still remain as I’ve seen it described a few times as a ‘peanut butter name’ (which I assume means a name which is difficult to say!). However, I think this is primarily an opinion of those in the US.
It ticks all other boxes in that it is not too unusual but not too common, has links to Daddy’s Irish heritage-linking well with ‘[name_m]Patrick[/name_m]’ and ‘[name_u]Farrell[/name_u]’, has the cute ‘ie’ sound at the end without being a nickname as a full name and is quite nickname proof (important in Australia!) with ‘Roars’ the most obvious and pretty cute shortening.
Still a couple of weeks to over analyse whilst we wait for his arrival!
Rory [name_m]Patrick[/name_m] [name_u]Farrell[/name_u] - [name_f]My[/name_f] favorite name. All of the r’s make it flow without being mouthy. I’m not familiar with British or Australian accents, but a quick correction should resolve any issues.
[name_u]Alfie[/name_u] [name_m]Patrick[/name_m] [name_u]Farrell[/name_u] - I do not like the nicknames either.
[name_u]Frankie[/name_u] [name_m]Patrick[/name_m] [name_u]Farrell[/name_u] - If you plan on having additional children and this one is being named [name_m]Patrick[/name_m] out of family tradition, I would suggest leaving the [name_f]Franci[/name_f]/es namesake for a sibling. But even then if you are worried this sounds too old, you can use [name_m]Franklin[/name_m] which still sounds cute on a kid, but ages well.
[name_u]Darcy[/name_u] [name_m]Patrick[/name_m] [name_u]Farrell[/name_u] - Not my taste, but it has a similar flow to [name_u]Rory[/name_u] without the pronunciation issues. Maybe a wolf in sheeps clothing??