We’re having a hard time choosing a boy’s name. Our last name is Darling and I love the idea of a 3 syllable first name, but could change my mind if the right 1 or 2 syllable name came along. These are my faves so far:
[name]Alistair[/name]
[name]Oliver[/name]
[name]Everett[/name]
[name]August[/name]
[name]Oscar[/name]
Thoughts, votes and comments greatly appreciated!
I like [name]Alistair[/name] but only if the nickname [name]Ali[/name] is going to be used. [name]Oliver[/name] I also like with or without a nickname. The others I don’t particular care for. Some ideas for you: [name]Sebastian[/name], [name]Edmund[/name], [name]Albert[/name], [name]Vincent[/name], [name]Jeremy[/name], [name]Quinn[/name], [name]Xander[/name], [name]Isaac[/name], [name]Isaiah[/name], [name]Hamilton[/name], [name]George[/name], [name]Finnegan[/name], [name]Cassidy[/name], [name]Sidney[/name], [name]Theodore[/name], [name]Tobias[/name], [name]Elijah[/name], [name]Bennett[/name]? 
I wouldn’t go with [name]Alistair[/name] because [name]Alistair[/name] Darling is an MP. He’s the guy with the white hair and black eyebrows. I really like all the other choices on your list.
I know, those eyebrows! I’m in [name]North[/name] [name]America[/name], so it isn’t as big of a deal, but I have heard of him … I do love the nickname [name]Ali[/name], though.
I like [name]Everett[/name] Darling. [name]Oliver[/name], [name]August[/name], and [name]Oscar[/name], though, too.
I like [name]Alister[/name] and [name]Everett[/name]. I don’t like [name]Ali[/name] on a boy (it’s my nickname). I’d go with something fairly masculine.
I think we’ve narrowed it down to [name]Oscar[/name]. Thoughts on the name [name]Oscar[/name] Darling?
I don’t want to put a damper on your choice because I like [name]Oscar[/name] but I am not convinced that it is the best match with Darling (sorry).
In case you are still open to suggestions I will post a few for you. Firstly, I think that [name]Oliver[/name] Darling fits like a glove but do you like the nn of [name]Ollie[/name]?
I think that a strong, classic name would fit really well and here are a few:
[name]Henry[/name]/[name]Harry[/name]
[name]Maxwell[/name]
[name]Samuel[/name]
[name]Arthur[/name]
[name]Jonathan[/name]
[name]Jasper[/name]
[name]Campbell[/name]/[name]Cameron[/name]
[name]Broderick[/name] (reminds me of [name]Oscar[/name])
[name]Hugo[/name]
[name]Hamish[/name]
[name]Angus[/name]
[name]James[/name]
[name]William[/name]
[name]Isaac[/name]
or
[name]Graeme[/name]
[name]Blair[/name]
[name]Eric[/name]
My favorite is [name]Everett[/name]!
[name]Alistair[/name], [name]Oliver[/name] and [name]August[/name] are my favorites.
Thanks for your replies!
I love [name]Oliver[/name] and I’m fine with the nickname [name]Ollie[/name], but it’s extremely popular where I am, so that’s why we started leaning towards [name]Oscar[/name]. [name]Hugo[/name] would be our first pick, but it rhymes with my name, and I think that might be irritating for everyone. Today my husband joked that we should use a new (awful) nickname for me, so that we can use [name]Hugo[/name]!
I also love [name]Simon[/name], [name]Winston[/name] and [name]Graham[/name], but my daughter’s name ends in an -an sound, and I would strongly prefer to avoid matchy sounding names. I know, so picky.
[name]Harry[/name] is great, and it’s a family name, but paired with Darling it sounds like Hairy Darling. Much too descriptive!
Can’t use [name]William[/name], [name]Henry[/name], [name]James[/name], [name]John[/name], [name]Samuel[/name] or [name]Angus[/name] – I love them, but they’re taken by close friends or family members.
As for [name]Everett[/name], I think I prefer the way it looks written to the actual sound of it, if that makes any sense. And I’m not sure if it’s a classic or more of a trendy, last-name name. A bit torn on this one.
I’m just happy that my husband is on board with [name]Oliver[/name] and [name]Oscar[/name]. He shoots down most of my names.
Any other suggestions or opinions are greatly appreciated!
What a lovely surname! I love [name]Oliver[/name] Darling, [name]Everett[/name] Darling, and [name]Oscar[/name] Darling.
Oh gosh, totally crushing on [name]Oliver[/name] Darling. It sounds like a little fairy-tale boy! I love it!
These are all fantastic choices, and I’m totally jealous of your awesome last name. I was going to recommend several names that you just nixed, so back to the drawing board!
From your list, [name]Oscar[/name] is my least favorite, but that’s just me. It’s a great name. [name]Hugo[/name] is also great and does sound perfect with Darling … shame about your name rhyming.
[name]Everett[/name] made me think of: [name]Emmett[/name], [name]Lyle[/name], [name]Westley[/name], [name]Weston[/name]
[name]Oliver[/name] made me think of: [name]Grant[/name], [name]Nicholas[/name], [name]Andrew[/name]
[name]Alistair[/name] made me think of: [name]Atticus[/name], [name]Maxwell[/name], [name]Preston[/name], [name]Victor[/name]
[name]Oscar[/name] made me think of: [name]Charles[/name], [name]Ennis[/name], [name]Thomas[/name]
[name]Hugo[/name] made me think of: [name]Gage[/name], [name]Wade[/name], [name]Milo[/name]
Not sure these are at all your style, but sometimes it helps to look elsewhere to find the perfect one! Good luck!
[name]Alistair[/name]- I don’t really like it. It sounds a bit feminine to me.
[name]Oliver[/name]- Seems a bit overdone, I feel like I see it everywhere, especially on Nameberry.
[name]Everett[/name]- Sounds a bit harsh with the strong r’s in the first and last name. [name]Do[/name] you like [name]Emmett[/name]?
[name]August[/name]- My 2nd favorite of your list- especially with the nickname [name]Gus[/name].
[name]Oscar[/name]- My favorite of your list. So underused and so strong. [name]Love[/name] it!!
Thanks so much for the responses!
[name]Emmett[/name] - I much prefer [name]Everett[/name] to this, which seems silly, but [name]Everett[/name] is strong and friendly and there’s a green association in my mind. [name]Emmett[/name] doesn’t have any of these associations for me.
Nothing else is really jumping out at me, so I’m going back and forth between [name]Oscar[/name] and [name]Oliver[/name].
Daughter’s name is [name]Rowan[/name]. Anyone have opinions on whether [name]Oscar[/name] or [name]Oliver[/name] makes a better sibset with [name]Rowan[/name]?
Between [name]Oliver[/name] and [name]Oscar[/name], I personally prefer [name]Oliver[/name] by quite a large margin. Maybe [name]Oscar[/name] could grow on me, but it’s grouchy ([name]Oscar[/name] the Grouch), movie star connection (the Oscars) only make me only think of things I don’t like. And, for some reason, to my ear it just doesn’t sound like a friendly name. Though I do recognize that it could grow on me, especially if I knew a little one with the name. From your list [name]Oscar[/name] is the only one I don’t like, and oddly enough [name]Oliver[/name] is probably my second least favorite (though I do actually quite like it). My favorite would be [name]Everett[/name], think that’s a stellar name, but I also really like [name]Alastair[/name], [name]Hugo[/name] and [name]August[/name] a great deal. You seem to be leaning towards the ‘O’ names though, and I think [name]Oliver[/name] Darling would be a very nice choice.