Thoughts on Reuben and Yves please.

[MrsPretoria]

DH loves Reuben. I am very meh about it. I am not offended by it but don't love it either. What is the general opinion on it ?

In my mind it's the name of a harder natured person (I think I get this from my childhood dislike of Reuben Smith in Black Beauty as I don't know any other Reubens.. Mad. I know.)

Another problem is I really dislike Ben as a nn (sorry to all Ben's out there). What would the nn for Reuben be ? Roo ?

I currently love Yves which is DH's middle name. I would like to use this as a middle name if not first. Reuben Yves ?

[TheGirlOnTheLanding]

I like Reuben, personally, but I agree nicknames (Roo, Ben) not that great. Roo is too cutesy in anyone over the age of 5 and Ben a bit dated.

I don't like Yves as a first name but do like a middle name with a family connection, so I think it would be fine as a MN.

What sort of names do you like?

[Barbarasmum]

Isn't it a sandwich? (And - obviously - Yves sounds like Eve....).

I couldn't face naming a child with something I didn't really like - you have to say it so many, many times.....

[NigellasPeeler]

I love Yves when attached to Jean or John - Jean Yves sounds great - on its own I am not sure it might sounds too much like Eve?.
Reuben is classic and you cannot go wrong.

[MrsPretoria]

LOL Barbarasmum it is also a (delicious!) sandwich en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reuben_sandwich .. DH thinks this is ok mind..

And yes, I agree, you have to say the name you choose so very many many times.. you would need to like it more than 'meh' levels but I just cannot find a name that I really like that DH does too.

DH has vetoed Yves on the grounds that it's too much like Eve on it's own and I see the problem so am happy to go with Yves as a middle name.

GirlOnTheLanding - Bit varied in my taste. I like (but DH says no to both) Hector and Felix best.

Is Blaise a bit feminine ?

[TheGirlOnTheLanding]

Blaise to me is a bit too feminine, and completely Mills and Boon.

Love Hector, shame your DH doesn't agree!

Your choices have been so eclectic I'm finding it very hard to come up with suggestions. But I think with Yves as a middle name, a two or three syllable first name works really well. How about Xander, Anton, Leon, Jasper, or Marcus?

[ACM88]

I know what you mean about Reuben, I don't at all dislike, but don't like either. I have a friend who is Rudi, short for Reuben...how do you feel about that?

Reuben Yves is very cool sounding, I think it's a strong name, but you have to love the name too!

[Middleagedmotheroftwo]

I love Reuben. Yves would be OK if you're French, and OK as a middle name otherwise to keep it in the family, but DS would get teased with Yves as a main name I think.

[Yika]

Adam Yves?

:)

[AlleyCat11]

I've heard the name Reuben being called out twice this week already. It's in the same catagory as Oscar. It's hip now, but will be everywhere soon. Hip = pretentious, btw.

[MrsPretoria]

Thanks for the replies.

TheGirl - I love Hector. It's a family name too so would love to use it but DH just won't entertain it

And yes - eclectic is the best description for what our likes are! We have no pattern really bar we are not fond of American-type names or names like Kai/Skyler etc and don't like names that are surnames IYKWIM - like Tyler etc. No hyphens either please!

I know people (closely) with all the names you suggested bar Xander but it is too close to Alex (BiL!)

NigellasPeeler/ Middleaged - We are pretty international as a family with a healthy dose of Belgian so we can get away with a more continental name but not too much so as we live in a small rural community - Jean-Yves might not fly here much as I would love something like that (I love Etienne!) so we will have leave Yves as a middle name.

Yika -

Alley - I really don't like Oscar. Am surprised Reuben is in the same group as it. I know quite a few Oscars, no Reuben's at all! Tbh, I am not really concerned about hip or pretentious or fashionable really. It's about names we like.

If we liked something like Oscar or Amelie (legions of them!) we would use it, legions of them or not. Most of the names we like are not in the top 50 names, purely because that's not us. Not because we are looking for an unusual or out-there name

[MrsPretoria]

Anyway - I asked DH about Reuben Yves last night.. He has to think about it apparently... FFS. Now he doesn't like Reuben!? I can't keep up..