I’m looking for some feedback on the name [name]Willoughby[/name] for a boy. My husband loves this name and it suits our unique tastes. We have a Wilhelmina and a [name]William[/name] in the family too. But…I am not sure what others will think about it or how it will be as our child ages (high school??) We definitely don’t want to call him [name]Will[/name] and I think that might be a natural nickname that others will call him. Thoughts? [name]Love[/name] it? Hate it?
Our other favorites for a boy are [name]Shiloh[/name], [name]Owen[/name], [name]Avery[/name], [name]Ezra[/name], and [name]Jeremiah[/name].
We like [name]Maizie[/name], [name]Hannah[/name], [name]Aviva[/name], and [name]Willa[/name] for a girl. Last name is [name]Luke[/name].
We’re due in [name]April[/name] and don’t know what we’re having.
Are [name]William[/name] and [name]Wilhelmina[/name] in the immediate family? If so, I would think [name]Willoughby[/name] and [name]Willa[/name] are too close to use. I do like both of those names though.
[name]Both[/name] are deceased, so there wouldn’t be a conflict but it would be a nice way to honor both. We are thinking [name]Willoughby[/name] [name]Douglas[/name] ([name]Douglas[/name] was my father’s name) or [name]Willa[/name] [name]Jane[/name] ([name]Jane[/name] was my great-grandmother)
Personally I am not a fan. It makes me think of Wallabies and I find that it sounds like a very doughy and soft name. I would picture a fat little spoiled brat from an uppity family named [name]Willoughby[/name]. It also follows the surnames as first names trend that I am not a huge fan of. Sorry.
It is a milquetoast kind of name, like [name]Percy[/name] or [name]Chauncey[/name] or Fauntleroy. If that’s the imagery you’re after, by all means go for it. I think it’s a little out-of-step with the style of your other favorites, particularly something biblical like [name]Shiloh[/name], [name]Ezra[/name] or [name]Jeremiah[/name], or solid like [name]Owen[/name]. Sweet, old-fashioned [name]Willa[/name] definitely seems like a more organic pick for you.
I absolutely love the sound of [name]Willoughby[/name]- it’s handsome, dashing and romantic. But I can only think of the rather knavish character [name]Willoughby[/name] from Sense and Sensibility… he did sort of redeem himself at the end, but he did cause a lot of hurt to the woman he loved. As a “Janeite” I totally couldn’t use it and wouldn’t like to see it on a person, sorry.