Do you think Aloysius would be a burden of a name when it comes to spelling and pronouncing it? I was today years old when I learned it’s not “A-Loy-shus” but al-oh-ISH-us.
My dh just threw this name out as his #1 top contender for a boy. Baby due any day now with no boy names chosen.
He loves the nn potential but also the sound of it, uniqueness, and that it’s by family name, bonus that it’s a Catholic Saint name as well.
Would you like to meet a little Aloysius? Nn, Lou, Al, Wish? Is it totally wacky to consider this as a first name?
I love it, but I would say it’s an acquired taste! I do think it would require some correction of pronunciation/spelling, but it’s hard to forget once you hear it. Not totally wacky, but definitely brave!
I know one who exclusively goes by [name_u]Louie[/name_u], and I also like [name_u]Lou[/name_u] and Wish as nicknames.
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I think it would definitely get mispronounced on the first try by some (I personally instinctively pronounce is ah-LOY-see-uhs) but with a correction it should be a pretty easy thing to do and I don’t think it’s too crazy to pronounce it ah-LOY-shus if that’s what you prefer. It’s definitely brave but I love how it has a lot of history and it’s pretty rare while being recognizable. I would love to meet one! [name_f]My[/name_f] fav nn would be Wish out of the ones you listed but I also like [name_f]Ishi[/name_f] (though may be too feminine for your taste) and Alo/Aloe!
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Yes, he definitely caught me off guard with his proclaimed love for it and I’m feeling like I could possibly get on board but wow, it’s definitely a big name. Plus we have a hard to pronounce and spell last name already 
but that seems to not be an issue for dh to not use it.
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if it is too hard consider aloïs or aloïse or aloys !
they are all gender neutral so do not worry ^^
they are the french variant of aloysius!
aloïs is so elegant would go great on a boy
for original aloysius i would go with these nns: lou, al, loy, loys, alo, aloy, siou.
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I’d love to meet a little [name_m]Aloysius[/name_m]!
There’s definitely more than one correct way to say it so if you don’t like the pronunciation you learned today, you can totally just go with your preferred one. (I personally would say it like @leafygreens described too). It will need some explaining, both for how to say and how to write it. But I think it’s worth it if you love a name.
For a nickname I’d probably go with [name_m]Al[/name_m].
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I think it’s AWESOME. But definitely a bit brave. It would require a little more upkeep in terms of correcting pronunciation and spelling, but that’s just an occasional necessity, anyway. I’ve found that a breezy “It’s a family name!” helps dispel befuddled looks. 
And there are a lot of nickname possibilities!
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Oh, and I would pronounce it Al-oh-wish-us. I’m familiar with it because it’s a saint name and because of the teddy bear in Brideshead Revisited!
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Loving the comments. I agree that I naturally prefer the pronunciation see-us as well but we would likely go with the traditional route of saying it.
I’m so thankful that these forums always have such quick and insightful feedback!
I feel like a 1 syllable middle name would be preferred because we also have a 3 syllable last name that begins with an Er- sound and ends with Ban-check.
Feel free to list ideas, I’m coming up kind of short but possibly…
Jude
James
Bruce
Rhodes
Graham
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For background, we also have a MIria$m, AuGustine (Gus), Rom%an, and a [name_f]Vera[/name_f].
[name_u]Love[/name_u] [name_m]Aloysius[/name_m] [name_m]Graham[/name_m] and [name_m]Aloysius[/name_m] [name_u]Jude[/name_u]! [name_m]Bruce[/name_m] is great too though i stumble a bit in saying the two S endings.
[name_m]Aloysius[/name_m] [name_m]Cole[/name_m]
[name_m]Aloysius[/name_m] [name_u]Beau[/name_u]
[name_m]Aloysius[/name_m] [name_m]Luke[/name_m]
[name_m]Aloysius[/name_m] [name_u]Noel[/name_u]
[name_m]Aloysius[/name_m] [name_m]Paul[/name_m]
[name_m]Aloysius[/name_m] [name_m]Joel[/name_m]
[name_m]Aloysius[/name_m] [name_u]Dean[/name_u]
[name_m]Aloysius[/name_m] [name_m]Vaughan[/name_m]
Good point, I like the repeating B sound with our last name but agree on the ending s with [name_m]Bruce[/name_m].
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Well, neither of those pronunciations are how I thought it was pronounced haha. I think spelling and pronunciation are going to continually be a challenge and something that will just need to be accepted if you go with it. [name_m]Aloysius[/name_m] is definitely a brave and unique choice but if it feels right and you both love it then you should go with it.
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I do like the sound but it is one I struggle to get the pn to stick in my head if I’m totally honest. Maybe if i knew one it would be different as it is a lovely name
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Everything @LostMargaret said!
Brideshead makes this name feel cosy and nostalgic, with an edge 
And for a totally different pop culture connection, there was also an [name_m]Aloysius[/name_m] “Alo” in the British teen drama Skins. So it feels surprisingly versatile to me!
I think it’s bold but adaptable. [name_u]Ash[/name_u] could be an unexpected nickname. He might also like [name_m]Ignatius[/name_m]. [name_u]Iggy[/name_u]! 
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[name_f]My[/name_f] response to this is twofold.
[name_f]Do[/name_f] I think it would be a burden for a child/grown up to constantly have to spell out [name_m]Aloysius[/name_m] for people, and to constantly have to correct people who get its pronunciation wrong? Yes (unfortunately).
Would I love to meet a little [name_m]Aloysius[/name_m], especially if his nickname was ‘Wish’ (so bloody cute)? Yes!
[name_f]Edit[/name_f]: having just read @katinka ’s response, Alo is super cute too!
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Spelling and pronunciation may be tough, he’ll probably have to correct people a lot as he gets older, but I’d love to meet a little [name_m]Aloysius[/name_m]! Especially nn Wish!!! That is so endearing! I may have to steal that as a nn; it’s a family name for me too! I may be a bit biased in that case haha, but seriously - it’s a very handsome and charming name and it’s got a lot of nickname potential, which will help him out in the later years if he gets tired of people mispronouncing it.
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So we’re still going back and forth about this name and how to make it work so both of us are happy. 
I had to be honest that I just can’t do it as a first name. Maybe if I truly loved it but I don’t.
He doesn’t want to use a form of it like [name_u]Lou[/name_u] or [name_m]Louis[/name_m] for a fn, only the actual name.
I just can’t see it as a practical first name due to the obvious pronunciation/spelling challenges and our difficult last name.
I proposed keeping it as a mn and using something with a similar sound as our main nickname (Lou) like [name_m]Luke[/name_m] for a fn.
[name_m]Luke[/name_m] [name_m]Aloysius[/name_m], but still calling him Lou/Louie or even Wish, Alo, and yes [name_m]Aloysius[/name_m] whenever desired without the cons of having it as a first name. 
[name_f]My[/name_f] dh is thinking it over and seems open to it.
Does that sound like too much of a stretch to use [name_m]Luke[/name_m] and call him [name_u]Lou[/name_u]?
In 10 years of babynaming we’ve never had an issue like this time around in choosing a name. [name_f]Every[/name_f] name I like is vetoed and I have vetoed nearly all of his, each feeling more obscure than the last.
The struggle is real.
I would never would have thought I’d choose something as classic and traditional as [name_m]Luke[/name_m] for a first name but I’m so worn out from trying to find a name that I’m just happy to possibly come to an agreement. It will be funny if it’s a girl and we spent so much time debating this😂
P.s. thanks if you’re still reading this venting session
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You certainly could use [name_u]Lu[/name_u] for [name_m]Luke[/name_m], but I do wonder if you’d end up just calling him [name_m]Luke[/name_m] anyway, since it’s so short! It’s too bad your husband won’t consider [name_m]Louis[/name_m], if he wants the [name_u]Lou[/name_u] nickname, and maybe one of his other obscure favorites in the middle. Naming is hard!
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I would be very happy to meet a little [name_m]Aloysius[/name_m]! It’s a name that will likely need some explanation/correction from time to time, but that doesn’t make it unusable.
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