We just found out we are having a little boy and are totally stumped for names. Our daughters are [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] [name_f]Susan[/name_f] and [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] and we have a million other girls names we like. However, we have basically no boy names. We like something classic and strong that doesn’t seem like we’re trying too hard but also is not too popular. We loved [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] but then felt it was too popular on Nameberry. Then we liked [name_m]Ernest[/name_m] ([name_m]Ernie[/name_m]) but now that feels like too much of a stretch. Some others we’ve floated around are [name_m]Bernard[/name_m] ([name_u]Bernie[/name_u]), [name_m]Smith[/name_m], [name_m]William[/name_m], and [name_m]Harris[/name_m]. Help! We have no ideas!
I like [name_m]Bernard[/name_m] and [name_m]William[/name_m] from your list with siblings [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] and [name_f]Jane[/name_f]. Here are my other suggestions although I am afraid some will be too popular for your taste but I will just list what I think works with big sisters [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] and [name_f]Jane[/name_f].
I definitely share your taste in names and understand perfectly what you mean by wanting a neglected traditional that isn’t trying too hard. Here’s a list of names we have considered throughout our two pregnancies with boys (many repeats included):
I’ll divide this into 2 categories - the slightly neglected but still very timeless names and the less well used but maybe a bit ambitious category:
Category #1:
[name_m]Peter[/name_m] (obviously won our first round)
[name_m]Robert[/name_m]
[name_m]Charles[/name_m]
[name_m]Edward[/name_m]
[name_m]Philip[/name_m]
[name_m]Arthur[/name_m]
[name_m]Thomas[/name_m]
[name_m]Albert[/name_m]
[name_m]Frederick[/name_m]
Category #2:
[name_m]Bernard[/name_m] (good pick, it’s on our shortlist for boy #2)
[name_m]Edmund[/name_m]
[name_m]Bartholomew[/name_m]
[name_m]Roger[/name_m]
[name_m]Ambrose[/name_m]
[name_m]Gilbert[/name_m]
[name_m]Thaddeus[/name_m]
[name_m]Augustine[/name_m]
[name_m]Ralph[/name_m]
[name_m]Walter[/name_m]
[name_m]Ernest[/name_m]
I think [name_m]Thomas[/name_m], [name_m]Peter[/name_m], [name_m]Walter[/name_m], [name_m]Albert[/name_m], and [name_m]Philip[/name_m] would fit in quite nicely.
I like [name_m]Walter[/name_m]! [name_m]Walt[/name_m] is an adorable nickname. I burned any chance of using it myself by naming my mother’s chihuahua [name_m]Walter[/name_m] back in 2002. I think I prefer [name_m]Bernard[/name_m], but you really can’t go wrong with either one.
It’s almost like the stylistic male equivalents of [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] and [name_f]Jane[/name_f]–[name_m]Theodore[/name_m], [name_m]Henry[/name_m], [name_m]William[/name_m] et al–have made their comebacks, but [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] and [name_f]Jane[/name_f] (and [name_f]Anne[/name_f], [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f], [name_f]Ellen[/name_f], [name_f]Harriet[/name_f], etc) are still biding their time as neglected gems!
That said: brothers to [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] and [name_f]Jane[/name_f] that are understated, neglected classics (I’m making the assumption you’re in the USA, the rankings are from USA data in 2017).
[name_m]Louis[/name_m] (#277), [name_m]Lewis[/name_m] (#541)
[name_m]Martin[/name_m] (#281)
[name_m]Raymond[/name_m] (#293)
[name_m]Desmond[/name_m] (#326)
[name_m]Frederick[/name_m] (#494)
[name_u]Lawrence[/name_u] (#496)
[name_m]Roger[/name_m] (#625)
[name_m]Carl[/name_m] (#627) ([name_m]Karl[/name_m] isn’t in the top 1000)
[name_m]Gordon[/name_m] (#818)
[name_m]Hugh[/name_m] (#836)
[name_m]Terrence[/name_m] (#844) ([name_m]Terence[/name_m] isn’t in the top 1000)
[name_m]Alistair[/name_m] (#927)
[name_u]Robin[/name_u] (not in top 1000)
[name_m]Gilbert[/name_m] (not in top 1000)
[name_m]Norman[/name_m] (not in top 1000)
[name_m]Edmund[/name_m] (not in top 1000)
[name_m]Gerard[/name_m] (not in top 1000)
[name_m]Morris[/name_m] (not in top 1000)
[name_m]Cecil[/name_m] (not in top 1000)
[name_m]Chester[/name_m] (not in top 1000)
I like [name_m]William[/name_m] the best with his sisters.
You could instead use [name_m]Willem[/name_m]?
Otherwise [name_m]Ernest[/name_m] and [name_m]Bernard[/name_m] are also good. I would put them as equal on amount of “stretch” (which isn’t much)
