Jack or Rhys?

[name_m]Ive[/name_m] posted a couple of times and everyone has been so helpful. we’ve finally gotten it narrowed down to two names if we have a boy and just can’t decide. I’m not sure if we will feel more clearly in the hospital in a couple of weeks :slight_smile:

[name_u]Rhys[/name_u] or jack?

With [name_u]Rhys[/name_u] we struggle with it being unfamiliar in the US and jack we aren’t sure if it is too common…

We have a [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] and [name_m]Graham[/name_m] already.

Any thoughts?

I think both are nice. [name_u]Rhys[/name_u] might be a little challenging because of the non-phonetic spelling, but I have met at least one in the US so it’s not totally unknown. It will be easy for people to pronounce once you explain it anyway. I guess he might get “[name_u]Reese[/name_u]” on his starbucks cup. [name_m]Jack[/name_m] is nice and a classic. It’s popular but probably not much worse than [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] and all her spellings. I lean towards [name_m]Jack[/name_m] slightly but either is a good choice.

[name_u]Rhys[/name_u] is well-known in the US. It has jumped almost 500 spots in 12 years and is the most popular spelling variation of the name in the US. I prefer it to [name_m]Jack[/name_m], which is wayyy too popular with all the [name_m]Jackson[/name_m]'s.

I prefer [name_u]Rhys[/name_u] with your other children’s names! You could use an alternate spelling but I would go with [name_u]Rhys[/name_u] myself :slight_smile: To me it feels just as strong and handsome as [name_m]Graham[/name_m], whereas I think [name_m]Jack[/name_m] seems to fall short next to [name_m]Graham[/name_m]! But whichever you both like best, you’re the parents!

I think the names are differ greatly in popularity and style, yet both sound good with [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] and [name_m]Graham[/name_m]. Have no fear! Whichever you choose, you choose well.

Although [name_u]Rhys[/name_u] is himself lesser-known, he fits in well with the trendy Gaelic names like [name_m]Nolan[/name_m], [name_m]Declan[/name_m], [name_u]Finn[/name_u]…I know a little [name_u]Rhys[/name_u] and his parents have not complained about trouble with mispronunciation/misspelling/rude comments any more than other parents. If you go with [name_u]Rhys[/name_u], you’ll occasionally have to tell someone who says “Riss” or “R-hiss?” or “[name_u]Rice[/name_u]” that it’s a silent H and a long E sound; some people will spell it phonetically like [name_u]Reese[/name_u] or [name_u]Reece[/name_u], and, again, a quick correction is all it should take. I don’t see it being much more bother than your other children’s names. Is [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] pronounced [name_f]MadeLINE[/name_f], MadeLANE, or MadeLIN? This name has so many spelling variations, too. Is [name_m]Graham[/name_m] GRAYum or [name_m]GRAM[/name_m]? Has anyone ever spelled it [name_m]Graeme[/name_m]? If these mistakes bother you, [name_m]Jack[/name_m] might be a better choice because it is so well-known and so straightforward.

If you hesitate to use [name_m]Jack[/name_m] only because there are lots of little Jacks running around nowadays, you could use a long form with more than one nickname option. I know one adult [name_m]Jack[/name_m] whose full name is [name_m]Jonathan[/name_m]. He could have just as reasonably gone by [name_m]Jon[/name_m], [name_m]Jonny[/name_m], [name_u]Jay[/name_u], [name_m]Nate[/name_m]/[name_u]Nat[/name_u], [name_m]Nathan[/name_m] or Than.

Best of luck! Like I said, both fit well with the “sib set” and both are good names! I think it’s totally ok to wait to pick until your son is born and you can see his face, get to know him a smidge, and see which suits him best.

I think [name_u]Rhys[/name_u] works best with your other kids