So for months now [name_m]Leopold[/name_m] had been my top middle name choice for first name [name_m]Viridian[/name_m], one of only 2 names on our short list for another boy.
But I just learned about the horrific legacy of [name_m]Leopold[/name_m] II of Belgium (seriously why did I not learn about this guy in school?) And it has totally ruined the name for me. I know some folks can separate a name from a negative association but this is one I definitely can’t shake. (If feels on par with Adolf for me at this point.)
We still have Meadowlark as a possibility, which is my partner’s favorite and I love it as well, but I wonder if a color name and bird name together is a bit too hippy-ish?
Also considering:
Ambrose
Winslow
Isidore (Isadora is my top pick for a girl right now but if we have another boy I won’t get to use it, so this is a strong contender despite it’s matchiness with my first son’s middle, Theodore.)
Anyone else ever have an otherwise lovely name ruined by an ugly association?
Any ideas for a middle for [name_m]Viridian[/name_m]? Ideally 3 syllables but can work with two.
Names that are great but won’t work for us:
Leonidas
Marius (most -as and -us endings, though there are a few that are workable.)
Archibald (really any name that starts with Ar-)
Olivier (love but there’s already some pretty heavy use of Olivia among his cousins as both a first and middle.)
I’ve had this problem alot with names! Mainly because my own name has a horrible meaning, and I want to choose names for my future children that they’ll love.
[name_m]Leopold[/name_m] is a nice name. I know it is easier said than done, but I would try not to have a name be spoiled by a negative association, unless it is a too obvious one (e.g. [name_m]Adolf[/name_m] or Osama). I don’t think many people are aware of [name_m]Leopold[/name_m] II. You can probably find negative things about most names. For example, the name [name_m]Adrian[/name_m] goes back to the [name_m]Roman[/name_m] empire [name_m]Hadrian[/name_m], who had planned a genocide to wipe out the Jews because they were giving the [name_m]Roman[/name_m] occupiers a very hard time. Nevertheless, [name_m]Adrian[/name_m] is a nice name and hardly anybody thinks of genocide or antisemitism when they hear the name.
Thanks for your suggestions! [name_m]Leonidas[/name_m] sadly doesn’t work well with our surname, but it’s a great name! [name_m]Marius[/name_m] and [name_m]Lazarus[/name_m] don’t work either. Technically [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m] and [name_m]Ignatius[/name_m] are a little repetitive with our surname too , but I would consider them more workable!
Our son’s nickname is Achie so that eliminates [name_m]Archibald[/name_m] as a middle name too.
[name_m]Ambrose[/name_m] is one I’ve toyed with so much! I’ll have to consider it again and see if I fall in love this time.
In case you like to keep the “[name_m]Leo[/name_m]” part, there are a few nice names other than Leopld:
[name_u]Lionel[/name_u] or [name_m]Leonel[/name_m] (a name we are currently considering for our boy)
[name_m]Leonhard[/name_m] ([name_m]German[/name_m] version of [name_m]Leonard[/name_m])
And of course the more common [name_m]Leo[/name_m] and [name_m]Leon[/name_m].
Sometimes you just cannot shake an association - it’s even more disappointing when it’s an all-time favourite. Sorry you have to let go of [name_m]Leopold[/name_m].
I am a beg fan of [name_m]Ambrose[/name_m] myself, so I’m definitely loving the idea of [name_f]Veridian[/name_f] [name_m]Ambrose[/name_m], but other ideas (many of these on my own long list)…
