Anonymous wrote:I like Parker and Brooks.

Blake was a red neck name when I was growing up, as was Blain.

Yes, my part of the country too.

Anonymous wrote:The all sound like the name of the jerky male character in an 80s teen movie.

Hahaha. So true!

Parker sounds like porker.

I like Penn quite a bit but don't care for the others.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for all the responses - some of them quite funny! We are N.E. WASPs, so maybe that's why we like the "WASPy names". Also, several on the list are family names. Anyway, the perspective is interesting!

Seriously, you are one tough cookie. If I had received responses like this, I'd be sobbing (pregnancy hormones or no). I admit I agree with the consensus, too trendy for my tastes, but I really admire the hell out of you for handling the feedback with such class. Way classier than some of the responses, that could have said the same thing without being cruel.

I had to name two boys, and it was ROUGH. Seems like we had to choose from either had classic names (John, David, etc., which made me want to snore) or super-trendy ones. It took us MONTHS to decide. Our first is Nathaniel, we call him Nate. It has been a really good name - everyone understands it and it's un-offensive but there aren't any other Nate's around (well, almost none). I like the upbeat sound of it, and how Nate could be a baseball player and he could use Nathaniel if he's a serious lawyer-type. Or a beat poet.

Our second is Jack River. River was my choice, but people kept saying things like "Are you going to buy him a bong for his first birthday?" so I decided to give him something more traditional. We absolutely couldn't decide on a name we both loved, so we compromised with Jack - it was my grandfather's name and my DH's father's name (well, John is). We don't regret it, but I do wish we'd found something we loved more that was a bit less common than Jack is these days.

Blah, blah. Sorry to ramble. I'm just recalling how rough it was choosing names! I hope you find a name you both love.

Anonymous wrote:The all sound like the name of the jerky male character in an 80s teen movie.

Yup!

Anonymous wrote:Parker is the name of the town I grew up in. Don't like it as a name. Also sounds like "park the car.."

I know 3 Blakes. 1 is a girl. I like the name because I actually know people with the name that are nice people.

Penn sounds too close to Pennsylvania, or Penn State.

Parker, CO?

OP here. Thanks for all the responses - some of them quite funny! We are N.E. WASPs, so maybe that's why we like the "WASPy names". Also, several on the list are family names. Anyway, the perspective is interesting!

Sorry, OP, the consensus seems to be that the names are pretentious and WASPy. I have to agree, with the exception of Bode which seems rednecky to me. But if you and your husband like these names go for it. Don't let anyone discourage you. If you were coming here for perspective, you now have it.

what about something simple like Joseph? Alexander? Patrick? I love those names. lol

Blake Carrington from Dallas!!! lOL!!

I like Blake.

Or "Penn and Teller"

Brooks is simply awful. Why not buy him a cocaine habit now?

And the only Bode anyone knows is Bode Miller, who is a prep school pothead. Yes, an Olympic skiier but, also, a pothead. Please don't do that to your little one!

Parker is the name of the town I grew up in. Don't like it as a name. Also sounds like "park the car.."

I know 3 Blakes. 1 is a girl. I like the name because I actually know people with the name that are nice people.

Penn sounds too close to Pennsylvania, or Penn State.

Blake was on my short list, but my sister said it was "douchey."

Then a couple of days ago, to illustrate her point, she texted me a photo of an ad for new jeans at Express Men called "Blake" jeans.

That pretty much put the nail in that coffin.