Completely torn between names
At the moment me and the hubby are completely torn between Max and Mark.
Max - I really like the sound its got that short sharp sound like Jack. It means 'greatest'. Its quite mordern & youthful. Saying that i think its pretty popular atm. And our last names Dexter, some people hate the double X's in, maX deXter, but then thers people like my bro who thinks sounds cool and has a bit of a superhero feel.
Mark - I think its a really solid strong name for a boy and would age well whatever he goes on to do. You dont meet many young lads called Mark anymore and im not sure wether that makes it quite cool in a bit of a retro way like Freddy/Fred or just outdated? Also a few people havent liked the whole "a mark on the wall" thing though that hasnt really bothered me?
I'm genuinely completely 50/50 one second its Max and the next its Mark, and the opinions we've got of friends & family are all so split its hard to make a decision?
Someone said you could use Max as a nickname for Mark but although thats two in one my gut is that thats a stretch to far, and if we're going to give him the nickname max we might asa well of just called him that!
What do you think guys Max Dexter or Mark Dexter??
Thu, 08/02/2012 - 1:27pm
Replies
Max Dexter does sound a little like a cartoon super hero, or maybe a video game hero. I'm not a huge fan of the overall sound, but I don't think it would be a deal breaker for me if Max was the name I loved best. However, I agree that Max is very now and I think it has more of a potential to sound dated in a few years.
I like Mark and consider it to be more of a new classic. It is a name I don't hear often on little ones, but I think it sounds enough like some trending names that it won't stand out in a bad way. Mark, Max, Micah, Myles, etc. Or- Mark, Jack, Nick, Jake. If you are concerned about it sounding retro in a bad way, you might like Marcus as a more current version.
So, though I don't think Max is a bad choice, I would vote for Mark.
Really I think it's a matter of style. What do you picture for your boy in the future?
For me the 2 Xs in Max Dexter are too aggressive, and I picture a guy with big muscles doing motocross. But I know someone else will think the name rocks.
Mark Dexter I could picture as a hiker, a historian, an auto mechanic, a stay at home dad.... To me it's more versatile, so it gets my vote.
Yeah see thats what my mother in law says, obviously you dont know what your sons going to be like when he grows up, but certain names suit certain upbringings.
So if it helps my hubbys a farmer so we live on a farm, he's a really keen sportsman and ex-soldier. I, god I dont know what to say about me, haha, I'm a barmaid, I used to play beach volleyball.
I much prefer Mark Dexter. Max Dexter sounds like you are trying to hard to sound trendy. Plus MAx is so much more popular now than Mark. If you loved Max much more I'd say use it anyway, but since you are torn I say go for Mark.
Oh wait, I thought Dexter was chosen as a middle name. For some reaosn I like Max better knowing Dexter is the last name. Still prefer Mark though.
Oh, I think Max Dexter is cool and adorable.
I'm in my early 40s, so I grew up with a lot of Marks and know several about my age.
This makes it hard for me to picture on a little one, and too middle-aged (gah-did I just call myself middle aged??) to have vintage charm.
But, I do like that it has a nice, crisp sound, and that it's less popular, clearly masculine, and easy to say and spell. It's most certainly much less popular than Max at the moment.
Have you tried shouting it out the door?
How about writing it down?
Does the middle name sound better with one or the other?
If it helps, I do think they're totally different syle wise.
I'd put Max with Sam, Charlie, or Spencer
I'd put Mark with David, Kevin, or Paul
Maxs I know have sibs called Anna, Sophie, Luke, Johnny, Zachary I can't think of any young Marks at the moment.
I agree with this post.
I would make a decision based on what other names you like (should you have another baby down the track) and what feel you want the name to have.
I personally prefer Max, but both are good choices.
Well, Mark is my FIL's name, so I'm biased to like it. I agree that it's in the "new classic" category rather than the "outdated" category. I also like the suggestion of Marcus if you feel Mark needs "freshening up".
Max, to me, seems like more of a nickname than a full name (which, again, I just have a personal bias against).
You may not want to use Max as a nickname for Mark since you may have another son in the future and still wish to use Max. I don't think they're too similar that you couldn't have siblings named Max and Mark.
I get what you mean about Marcus but my hubbys dead against that he's a big fan of not making names longer than they need to be on the birth certificate. Although saying that he's already starting to say Marky & Maxie.
As for our "style" of names the other names we liked but for one reason or another cant use, at least not as a first name were Jack, Freddy, Joel, Shane.
Honestly, I think with that last name you can't go wrong. Max Dexter sounds like the coolest kid on the block, and Mark Dexter sounds like the smartest one. I'd say if you REALLY like them both the same, pick Mark. As you mentioned, it won't feel dated, and you don't run the same risk of little Max becoming friends with another little Max. Mark is timeless, Max is trendy. I really do love the sound of Max Dexter though. It's a total superhero name.
Well, I'm completely biased as I have a Mark! So nice to come across someone else considering it. My dh and I really love his name. I had the name picked out several years before I got to use it and would you believe my sister-in-law nearly used it for her son in the meantime. We've overheard a few little Marks over the years but it does tend to be more of a dad's name. To me it's solid and manly while Max for me has something of the Where the Wild Things Grow vibe to it.
I don't think a family can have a Mark and a Max. I thought of it for like half-a-second once and ended up merging them in my mind to Mac.
Looking at the other names you like, I think Max is similar to Jack and Mark is like Joel and Shane.
Since someone brought up sibling names for Mark I'll say my other kids are Paul, Clare, Katharine, and James.
Since your hubby is already using Marky and Maxie I'd have to say I prefer Marky!
I agree with many others that you can't go wrong here, both are nice in different ways. Max Dexter reminds me a bit of the episode where Homer Simpson changed his name to Max Power (chosen after seeing that setting on a hairdryer), and became very hip and successful. It's definitely a name with some flair, but not in an overbearing or bad way. I don't know any young Maxes now, and I can think of lots of distinguished old men named Max, so it doesn't feel terribly trendy to me despite the numbers. But my tastes run more towards Mark, which I agree is an underused classic today, and does have a friendly and smart and sporty sound. I also like Mark better than Marcus--it seems cleaner and sharper to me. And I also agree that Marky is a much better nn than Maxi(e), thanks to the feminine hygiene products.
I can see why you're torn, and as others have said you can't really go wrong! Both names have their charms, and either is flexible enough that your son can make it his own. I do think they have slightly different vibes, but take the following impressions with a grain of salt: neither a Mark with the Max persona I'm about to describe nor a Max with the Mark persona would seem at all out of place to me. That said, Max sounds a bit more like a rebel to me, I'm sure due in part to the reference to Where the Wild Things Are, but I think the superhero effect with your surname sort of plays it up. Max Dexter = sporty, fun, popular, mischievous, a bit of a daredevil. Mark seems a bit more conservative, but not in a bad way; it suggests someone who dependable, studious, honest, no-nonsense, generous and capable. Both names have a pleasing confidence to them. I'd lean toward Mark, myself, but they're both fine options.
If you're looking for tie-breakers, maybe look for a Max or Mark namesake (historical or fictional) who speaks to you, or consider how each name fits with the middle name. And if you think your husband's nicknames would stick, I'd definitely go with Marky over Maxie!
I definitely prefer Mark Dexter as well. I agree the double "X" of Max Dexter makes the name sound childish or super-hero-ish. I think Max is a pretty youthful name as well-- If I imagine my heart surgeon for life-saving surgery or the pastor at my local church or the prominent local business owner who invests in his community, his name would be Mark Dexter in my mind, before Max Dexter. Mark is an awesome name -- classic but not overused, masculine, easy to spell and say. Run with it! =) Also, Max Dexter runs together in a tounge-twister awkward way: It sounds like "Macksdecks / Ter" as opposed to "Mark-Dex-ter" (which is what you want!)
playing devil's advocate. how about Marx, or is that too daring? i love Mark from your two choices. the youngest Mark i know is in his early 20's. i know a Mark L@wrence and a Mark Allen as far as middle names go.