[name_m]Hi[/name_m] berries! Would really appreciate your help…
Husband and I can’t quite narrow down our name choice for baby due in a week - keeping gender a surprise! We have a girl name - [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] - and we thought we might have been set on a boy name, but we are having doubts!
[name_u]Early[/name_u] on, we both liked [name_m]Oliver[/name_m], who would go by [name_u]Ollie[/name_u], but the popularity of the name really didn’t sit well with me… We then thought we had chosen [name_u]Alfie[/name_u], but neither of us was ever really 100%. Now we’re back to [name_m]Oliver[/name_m] ([name_u]Ollie[/name_u]) but the popularity thing is still bugging me… Any suggestions for something similar? Middle names for boy would be [name_u]Michael[/name_u] [name_m]Jack[/name_m], with strong Irish last name.
I should mention - I am [name_m]French[/name_m]-Canadian and my husband is Irish, we currently live abroad in a non-English speaking country but plan to return to [name_f]Ireland[/name_f] to settle down, eventually. Also, I’m a teacher…
I’d recommend checking out the English top 200, [name_m]Oliver[/name_m] and [name_u]Alfie[/name_u] are both very fashionable there and I’m sure you’d find less common names you’ll like!
For example, [name_m]Albie[/name_m], [name_m]Oscar[/name_m], [name_m]Callum[/name_m], [name_m]Maxwell[/name_m], [name_m]Asher[/name_m], [name_u]Jamie[/name_u], [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m], [name_m]Eddie[/name_m] etc
I think you should use the name you love and don’t discard it because of popularity as you will probably regret it. One doesn’t know if he will actually end up with other Olivers in his class, etc. At my school we had two [name_f]Annika[/name_f] J@nsens (both first and last names) in one class which would be a rare occurrence but it can happen, so I wouldn’t choose a name that you don’t love as much purely to avoid popularity.
Popular isn’t always a dealbreaker. While I myself tend to like less common names, the truth of it is [name_m]Oliver[/name_m] is a gorgeous name and it’s why it’s a popular choice.
Because you keep coming back to it in spite of your preference for something less trendy, I wouldn’t discount it.
If you would really like to try and find something more in line with where [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] is on the charts, something you can try is the nameberry name generator. Type in names you’ve considered such as [name_m]Oliver[/name_m] and [name_u]Alfie[/name_u] and see if the list it generates offers any fresh ideas.
Lastly, it can be a good thing to have 2 or 3 names go with you into the delivery room. You won’t feel pigeon holed, and meeting you little one might just be what helps nudge you towards one name in particular.
holes, also just occurred to me if you like [name_u]Alfie[/name_u] but atrn’t completely sold on it as a given name you could consider [name_m]Alphonse[/name_m] nn [name_u]Alfie[/name_u]. Definitely has a similar vibe to [name_m]Oliver[/name_m] nn [name_u]Ollie[/name_u].
I agree that you should use [name_m]Oliver[/name_m] if you love it.
One consideration, though. Not sure if you use [name_f]Tilly[/name_f] as a nn for [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] (very commonly used in UK), but if you do, [name_f]Tilly[/name_f] and [name_u]Ollie[/name_u] might be too cutesy together.
[name_m]Oliver[/name_m] makes me think of [name_m]Sebastian[/name_m] and [name_u]Florian[/name_u]. I think the latter is underused in the English-speaking countries, but a no-brainer really On style and pronunciation… I wouldn’t be surprised though if it became one of the “next” names in a few years. [name_f]Flora[/name_f] is already on the rise for girls afaik.
[name_u]Alfie[/name_u] makes me think of [name_u]Alva[/name_u], [name_m]Albion[/name_m], [name_m]Albert[/name_m]… not sure if any of these are your style.
Wishing you a good birth! Should be happening right around now, no?
I say stick to [name_m]Oliver[/name_m] if popularity is the only thing that’s putting you off. It’s popular because it’s a great name! More important for him to stand out through his personality than through being the only kid with his first name that he knows.