Hi everyone, I’d appreciate your ideas! [name_u]Baby[/name_u] boy coming in a few months and I really want to get a solid shortlist going. [name_f]My[/name_f] name is the Gaelic form of [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] and my partner has a common Biblical name starting with M.
My favourite boys names are [name_m]Alexander[/name_m] and [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] - problem is I don’t think [name_m]Alexander[/name_m] goes with our surname (Ferber). I’m in Australia so Ferber is generally pronounced like Ferba.
[name_m]Theodore[/name_m] has been on my list for years, it’s personally meaningful (first name of favourite author Dostoevsky) but my partner’s friend from high school used it for their baby about a year ago. We have only seen them once since we moved back to his home state, but he feels it’s too weird. Devastated!
Recent likes have been [name_m]Elijah[/name_m] - however I also think this doesn’t sound too great with the surname - repeating ‘a’ ending sounds…
I’m set on [name_m]William[/name_m] for the middle to honour my dad. Since [name_m]William[/name_m] is so common, ideally the first name will be a little more lively.
As much as I want a name that’s distinctive, I’ve realised my style is classic and quite mainstream. Not a fan of surname names. I like handsome, friendly vibe to boy names.
Other names I sort of like but am not sold on/very popular:
[name_m]Charles[/name_m] ([name_u]Charlie[/name_u])
[name_u]Maxwell[/name_u]/Maximus ([name_u]Max[/name_u])
[name_m]Joseph[/name_m] ([name_m]Joe[/name_m])
[name_m]Raphael[/name_m] (love the full name, hate [name_m]Raf[/name_m]/Rafa nicknames)
[name_m]Leo[/name_m] (no2 name in my state!)
[name_u]Harry[/name_u] (too royal fam with [name_m]William[/name_m])
[name_u]Milo[/name_u] (partner vetoed)
[name_m]William[/name_m] (could swap to the first spot but it’s no3 in my state…)
I assume you’ve thought about it but how about [name_m]Sebastian[/name_m] or [name_m]Bastian[/name_m]? I feel like these would fit your style. It’s a shame you can’t use [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] - it’s a brilliant name! [name_m]Elijah[/name_m] is a nice name too and I actually think it’s totally fine with Ferber (I’m also Australian). [name_u]Milo[/name_u], [name_m]Raphael[/name_m] and [name_m]Maximus[/name_m] are fantastic.
Hi! Congratulations! It’s a shame that you aren’t considering [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] anymore, it’s one of my favourites so I see why you love it and the connection to your favourite author is so sweet! If you really love it I don’t see why you shouldn’t use it just because close friends of yours have, especially if you haven’t been seeing them often! I understand how it can be a bit of a turn off but it’s just a name at the end of the day and even though they used it on their child, it’s not their name only! I think [name_m]Alexander[/name_m] is such a sweet name that has been quite overlooked lately and I personally think it goes well with your last name.
Elias is similar to [name_m]Elijah[/name_m] but also feels a little more trendy and lively to me, I think [name_u]Elias[/name_u] [name_m]William[/name_m] sounds so sweet!
Benjamin is a classic name I think goes with other names in your list
Tobias is similar to [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] but still different enough if you’re worried about it being too close to it!
Declan is another classic yet slightly underused name that I feel is a wonderful balance between modern and classic and could go with [name_m]William[/name_m] very nicely!
Emmett is a sweet name that feels very fresh to me and I think would compliment [name_m]William[/name_m] so well!
Nicholas is a name I think is overlooked and even though I don’t care for the nickname [name_u]Nick[/name_u] I think [name_m]Nicholas[/name_m] [name_m]William[/name_m] is a nice pairing but if you like [name_u]Nick[/name_u] go for it!
Other names I think you may like are
[name_m]Oscar[/name_m]
[name_u]Timothy[/name_u]
Lijah
[name_u]Brooks[/name_u]
[name_m]Oliver[/name_m]
[name_u]Emilis[/name_u]
[name_m]Atticus[/name_m]
[name_m]Barnaby[/name_m]
Nathaniel nn Nate
Lawrence/Laurence, possible nns Wren/Lawrie/Laurie
Edward nns Ned or Eddie
Elliot
Eli
Levi
Patrick
Tristan
Jago
Silas
Jeremy nns Remy or Jem
Emmett
Bennett nns Ben, Benji
Malachi
Jonathan
Wesley
Rhys
I agree with the pps, [name_m]Alexander[/name_m] sounds fine with your last name (I’m an Aussie too, and I don’t think it sounds weird). What about [name_m]Alexander[/name_m] [name_m]William[/name_m] [name_m]Theodore[/name_m]? Handsome, charming, and you get to use all your favourite names.
I also think [name_m]Maximus[/name_m] [name_m]William[/name_m] would be a fabulous combination!
Thanks everyone for your very thoughtful suggestions! knew I could count on some great ideas.
[name_f]My[/name_f] partner has now ruled out [name_m]Alexander[/name_m] saying he has too many clients with the name
I think I will keep [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] on the shortlist in case he budges on that at the last minute!! Or yes I could use it as a second middle.
I like [name_m]Sebastian[/name_m] in full but not the nickname [name_m]Seb[/name_m] which i think they’d get…
We like [name_m]Maximus[/name_m] but think it’s too similar a sound to my partners name ([name_m]Matt[/name_m]). I’ve read all the names you kindly suggested out to him and he only liked [name_m]Dashiell[/name_m], [name_m]Felix[/name_m], and [name_u]Elliot[/name_u] I like a whole lot of them ([name_u]Elias[/name_u]!) but he doesn’t/or I can’t use cause of an association.
Only one we both like is [name_m]Elijah[/name_m]… I will keep trying!
Does anyone have any tips on working through different naming styles/preferences with a partner? I feel like I am quite picky already as it is!
My tip is make sure you’re not the only one making suggestions. The reason being it is so disheartening when you get your opinions repeatedly shot down.
I would suggest you agree on a timeframe- eg a week- and individually write down a list of all the names you like/would consider then, after the time is up, go over them together and see if you can find some common ground. [name_m]Even[/name_m] if you don’t immediately come up with a name you both like, it can be a helpful exercise in gaging each other’s styles which you can work with going forward.
Good luck- try not to get discouraged and know that by the time baby arrives you will have found the PERFECT name for him!
I hope you do keep [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] on your list! And I agree with the pp, it would be great if your SO also went thru nameberry and wrote down names he likes. I also really like the namehunter feature.
Theodore is lovely, I’m glad you’re keeping it on your shortlist. I would think about how large a presence your husband’s old friend is likely to have in your future life. [name_m]Will[/name_m] your son and his be around each other frequently? Perhaps choosing a different nickname for him to go by would make your husband feel less weird. [name_u]Teddy[/name_u] is my personal favorite, but I’m sure there are others.
I completely agree. Hubby and ai try to start off this way we have a long list that we try to revisit every couple weeks and see what no longer has interest. You have time to decide also so don’t feel like you have to have to name picked out instantly.
I think [name_m]Alexander[/name_m] is fine with your surname and I think its quite nice, although my favourite has to be [name_m]Raphael[/name_m]. I prefer [name_m]Rafael[/name_m], though.
Some suggestions
Joseph nn Joe, [name_u]Seth[/name_u]
[name_u]Lawrence[/name_u] nn Law, [name_m]Lawrie[/name_m], [name_u]Ren[/name_u]
[name_m]Nate[/name_m]/ [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] nn Nate
[name_u]Levi[/name_u]
[name_m]Nicholas[/name_m] nn Nick
[name_u]Dylan[/name_u]
[name_u]James[/name_u] nn Jem
Sebastian is great! Good nickname alternatives would be [name_m]Bastian[/name_m], [name_m]Tian[/name_m] & [name_m]Baz[/name_m] although you could just use the full name