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[Opinions] Campbell/Macaulay or ?
Having my baby in August. I'm thinking I might call him Campbell. It's a family name. I'm Scottish. Surname is one syllable and begins with N. (So that rules out a lot of decent boys names which end in N unfortunately like Finn). I loved Macaulay but now preferring Campbell. What are people's thoughts? I have an Alexander and a Sylvie already so would Campbell work? Any other suggestions welcomed also. Thanks
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Alexander and Sylvie are both lovely and very different from the names you’ve considered. How about…August
Barnaby
Bastian
Christopher
Felix
Finnick
Frank
Harvey
Hugo
Jonah
Julian
Laurence / Lawrence
Leon
Levi
Maxim
Miles (surname as first name)
Oscar
Reuben
Rupert
Sebastian
Tristan

This message was edited 5/15/2023, 8:49 AM

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Since Campbell breaks down to Camp + bell, it comes across as wordy as well as surnamey even if ringing a bell to alert campers has nothing to do with the etymology. Campbell has less teasing potential than a surname like Cockburn, but Campy might not be great to hear a lot especially if the kid doesn't want to be shoehorned. A boy with the name Campbell would probably go by Cam to his friends. Do you like Cam?
Campbell does stick out as very different from your other two children's names but so does Macaulay.
Other names you might like:Arlo
Brodie
Callum
Conall
Connor
Caleb
Desmond
Dominic
Evander
Lewis - popular is Scotland
Malcolm
Maxwell
Miles
Roland
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I have four male family members with a Scottish ln: Gary, Stuart, Alexander and Benjamin James. Campbell has two major disadvantages: camp, as in showily homosexual (public prejudice, not my own!) and the -bell element, with hundreds of little Isabelle and Arabella girls running around and answering to Belle or Bella. It would be fine as a mn, but not for daily use.On this site, if you click on Names (top line), Popularity and scroll down, you'll find the most popular names currently in use in Scotland. Rory and Archie jumped out at me; so did Finlay, since you enjoy Finn. Perhaps that list might give you some ideas.
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Thanks for replying! I used to love Archie and it was my grampas name. Unfortunately there are just too many Archie's around at the moment and my husband is not keen. Rory is nice and is under consideration. Its also very popular though (and what if he's a bad baby and roars and screams all the time?!)I hadn't thought about the Camp being an issue so that is interesting. I wonder if the younger generation are less worried about campness given all the trans stuff happening. Gender and sexuality being more fluid maybe being a bit gay seeming would not be an insult. Maybe that is wishful thinking.Been going passed Finlay a lot. Its weird but I love Finn but not Finlay. I am weird!
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I don't really like Macaulay or Campbell, I don't think they go well with the siblings names eitherOther names Callum, Malcolm, Maxwell, Ross, Hamish, Finlay, Marcus, Michael, Ross, Craig, Todd, Grant, Graham, Elliott, Daniel, George, Jonathan, Nathaniel, Nicholas, Oliver, Joshua, Lachlan, Robert, Thomas, William

This message was edited 5/14/2023, 11:47 PM

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Thanks for replying. Of your list we like Ross and Joshua.
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I met a girl with the first name Campbell recently. Before that, I would have said "that doesn't sound namey at all", but it didn't take me any time to get used to the idea of Campbell as a first name. He could be called Cam for short. Macaulay is okay, but as an American I just think of Macaulay Culkin and without knowing about that one actor, I wouldn't know how to spell it from hearing it or pronounce it from reading it. With Alexander and Sylvie, Campbell is better than Macaulay (Macaulay goes with Alexander but not Sylvie). But I would still prefer a more namey first name with the family surnames as middle names. Some things I think would go with Alexander and Sylvie that don't end with N:
Corvus
Elias
Conor
Micah
William
Peter
Leo
Emrys
Emery
Vincent
Llyr
Terence
Casimir
Cassiel
Calix
Seoras
Jasper
James
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Thanks for taking the time to reply. Campbell is fairly common around here though never heard it on a girl. Sounds very masculine to my ear.Yes I agree I think the Culkin connection is too strong.I like James, William and Micah from your list.
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Honestly, so very tired of the surname as given name fad, you at least have a connection to the name, many don't, but even so, family name in the middle is better, and something less harsh than a surname in first place.
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Thanks for replying. I quite like surnames as first names on boys sometimes but feel the same way as you about surnames on girls weirdly. Maybe it's because in sport boys often get called by their surnames so it feels masculine to me. I know what you mean re harshness. Campbell is a serious grown up name and might be strange on a baby. I might just call him a completely unrelated nickname when he's a baby. Lots to consider!
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