We’ve been agonizing over a name for months. It doesn’t help that DH and I have very different name tastes! We do have a short list that we can both agree on. But to complicate matters, we were recently speaking with his family members who share our last name ([name]Blake[/name]), which seems to becoming more popular as a first name (it seems to be more common for boys but isn’t unheard of in girls). His cousin has a unisex first name that is also a rather common last name. She was saying how people would get confused as to which name was her first name vs last name, and even her gender was listed as male at her insurance company for years! She seemed to be quite annoyed by the amount of confusion surrounding her name and we’d like to avoid that for our little guy if possible.
One of the names we had both agreed on was [name]Elliott[/name], but we’ve realized it is also a rather common last name. In fact, our last name ranks around #90 and [name]Elliott[/name] (or [name]Elliot[/name]) ranks at #300/350 in terms of popularity. Since [name]Blake[/name] is a more common first name than [name]Elliot[/name], will people be thinking [name]Blake[/name] is his first name? Or is [name]Blake[/name] a more common last name than [name]Elliot[/name]? Argh.
Of course, we aren’t 100% on [name]Elliott[/name]. We also like [name]Oliver[/name]… which is also a last name! So frustrating.
We’ve also semi-agreed on [name]Ian[/name] and [name]Nathaniel[/name]/[name]Nathan[/name] but to be honest I don’t like those names as much as [name]Elliot[/name] or [name]Oliver[/name].
So, are we driving ourselves crazy over nothing? Does it really matter if people confuse the first and last names… or would that even be an issue with [name]Elliot[/name] or [name]Oliver[/name] [name]Blake[/name]?
In your case I would go with [name]Oliver[/name]; even though it’s also sometimes used as a surname I think most people would consider it a first name by default (like [name]James[/name] or [name]Thomas[/name], which I’ve heard of several people with those as surnames but are primarily thought of as first names).
Use [name]Elliott[/name] or [name]Oliver[/name]. You love those names, and they’re recognizable enough that I don’t think it would ever get too confusing. And people like [name]LeBron[/name] [name]James[/name] managed pretty well with first-names-last, so I don’t think it should stop you from using a name you love.
So both of the first names we like are significantly more popular as last names than our own last name! :shock:
I’m really loving “[name]Elliott[/name]” today, but I will probably change my mind again tomorrow. We will probably have 2 or 3 names picked and just wait to see what fits after he is born. :mrgreen:
Wow. I also love [name]Elliot[/name] and we were considering it for our boy’s name. ALSO, [name]Oliver[/name] was in our top first name choices, with [name]Blake[/name] as a mn!!! Our tastes must be very similar.
To me, [name]Blake[/name] sounds more “last-namey” than either [name]Elliot[/name] or [name]Oliver[/name], and I doubt many people will be confusing the first and last name of your boy. Like I said, I just love your name choices, and I think either one will work great. Good luck!
Thanks mommyberry! Seems we both have very good taste :lol:
I agree that [name]Blake[/name] “seems” like more of a last name than [name]Elliott[/name] or [name]Oliver[/name], but then my perception is a bit skewed since it is my last name and I don’t (personally) know any people with [name]Blake[/name] as a first name, despite its relative popularity. It’s good to know others feel the same
Ooo [name]Elliott[/name] [name]Blake[/name] is super handsome! I wouldnt be confused about which one in the fn, [name]Elliott[/name] [name]Blake[/name] has a natural flow to it. [name]Oliver[/name] [name]Blake[/name] sounds fantastic too, I say you cant go wrong with either name.
Thanks [name]Leah[/name]! I’m leaning towards [name]Elliot[/name] but definitely still open to [name]Oliver[/name] if he seems more [name]Oliver[/name]-ish when he comes out
