The results are in...

[rj_anderson]

So "Nathan" seems to be the majority favourite, currently with 39.7% of the vote. Which fits in with its being #20 on the Most Popular Names list this year, I guess -- everything old is new again. "Paul" comes in with 33.8%, and "Joel" is running last at 26.5%.

However, I note with fascination that of the six males to vote on this poll, every single one voted for "Paul". Is it a Guy Thing?

Anyway, we still haven't made a firm decision yet, but it was fun doing the poll, and thanks to everyone who participated.

Comments

[jcobleigh.livejournal.com]

I picked Paul because I liked the meaning of the name best.

[friede.livejournal.com]

Nathan: gift of God
Paul: Little one
Joel: God is willing, Jehova is the Lord

Popularity (in the US):
Nathan: currently #20, has been climbing from #40 since 1990
Paul: currently #128, has been declining in popularity from #49 in 1990
Joel: currently #125, declining in popularity from #95 in 1990

Popularity (in Canada in 2004):
Nathan: 6
Paul: 81
Joel: 72

[pameladean]

In case you care (8-) ) I didn't pick Nathan because you have a child with a name beginning with N already. And you've got a three-syllable and a two-syllable name already; Joel is kind of one and a half, while Paul is more tidily one.

Yes, I know, if I were allowed to keep this trend up, the fourth child, should there be one, would have no syllables in the name at all.

It's probably all for the best that nobody has let me name any children outside the pages of a novel.

P.

[jadekitten01.livejournal.com]

If the popularity thing really bugs you (I know that is one of my pet peeves and my poor future children would be getting the weirdest names if it wasn't for my husband and his wanting to name at least one son after his grandfathers, Walter James), then Paul is a really good name too. Well, so is Joel, but my brother is a Joseph, so I like Paul better :).

Just reread the above, and, for the record, I'm not pregnant now, not planning to for at least 4-5 years. :)

[pgoodman13.livejournal.com]

Just reread the above, and, for the record, I'm not pregnant now, not planning to for at least 4-5 years. :)

It is my experience that planning has very little to do with it. God frequently has different plans than we do.

[sannalim.livejournal.com]

Had I voted in the poll, I would have voted for Nathan, but that's because I had two good friends in high school who were named Nathan. That, and when I had a crush on a guy named Jonathan a few years ago, I used to refer to him as "Nathan" when I wrote about him online. :P

[tonicollins.livejournal.com]

Had I voted I would've chosen Nathan as I find that I know enough Paul's and I knew a Joel who was a jerk. So, it's kinda Nathan by default.

[pbristow.livejournal.com]

I was going to vote for Nathan, but then I disqualified myself on the grounds that I'd already given that name to a teddy bear.

[ambyr.livejournal.com]

Like others, I used the time-tested "well, I know a Paul who's a jerk and a Nathan who's quite nice" strategy for name-picking. Joel strikes me as an awkward name for a young child, though I guess it's easily shortened to Joe or Joey.

[sannalim.livejournal.com]

And at least none of your choices was "David."

When my sisters and I were in high school, they liked to say that we knew "a ton of Davids" and mean it absolutely literally: we knew, personally, among our various classmates, enough Davids that their combined weights would have been over a standard ton.

[pgoodman13.livejournal.com]

My youngest step-brother is called Paul, and I've always liked the name. I also find myself attracted to the story of his Biblical namesake, probably for reasons both of us are familiar with. :)

[dr-c.livejournal.com]

Actually, if it hadn't been for "loyalty to my own RL name," I would probably have voted for Joel.

[pharnabazus.livejournal.com]

How odd. Because I was going to vote for Paul as well! :-)