Critique my boys list!

Boy Names
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Like my girls list (Nameberry - Welcome to the Nameberry Forums), I’ve decided to do a boys list as well. Again, I am not pregnant and I am not trying anytime soon, just planning. Here are a few of my favorite boys names which run from classics to nature names to biblical choices.

[name_m]Elijah[/name_m]- I’ve always leaned toward vowel-heavy names and I think that’s one of the things that attracts me to [name_m]Elijah[/name_m]. I like the way it rolls off of your tongue. The meaning is great and so is [name_m]Eli[/name_m].

[name_m]Jack[/name_m]- I’ve always loved this name, I think it works for all ages and most personalities. It’s so classic and just one of my all time favorites.

[name_m]Grant[/name_m]- He’s so handsome and gives me some of the same feelings as [name_m]Jack[/name_m], just not as widely used. I feel like he’s still somewhat undiscovered which makes me love him even more.

[name_m]Gabriel[/name_m]- I love this and the nickname [name_m]Gabe[/name_m]. It’s soft and somewhat sensitive but still clearly masculine.

Other names I like but don’t love for certain reasons-
[name_m]Bear[/name_m]- Too strange for a real human, and I don’t particularly like [name_m]Orson[/name_m]/[name_u]Teddy[/name_u],etc.
[name_m]Boden[/name_m]- I actually got this from the fashion magazine, but it does sound a little too feminine.

Thanks for any feedback!

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[name_m]Elijah[/name_m] - has a bit of an awkward, jerky way of saying things, but it’s more of a taste thing. In my opinion, there are cooler names on here.
[name_m]Jack[/name_m] - I love this name a lot, particularly since one of my favorite literary figures bears this name, but it does have some similarities to unfortunate slang words.
[name_m]Grant[/name_m] - has always reminded me of the word “grunt.”
[name_m]Gabriel[/name_m] - I love the name [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m]! It’s been a favorite of mine for years. I’m not as big a fan of the nickname [name_m]Gabe[/name_m], though.
[name_m]Bear[/name_m] - It seems odd to me to name a human child an animal name. It’d be like naming a pet dog Squirrel.
[name_m]Boden[/name_m] - Not sure how to pronounce this one. Baw-din? Boh-den?

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[name_f]Love[/name_f] [name_m]Elijah[/name_m], [name_m]Jack[/name_m] and [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m]…just adopted a cat that looks like a black bear cub and named him [name_m]Bear[/name_m].

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[name_m]Boden[/name_m] is said [bow (as in bow-tie)- den]

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[name_m]Elijah[/name_m], [name_m]Jack[/name_m] and [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m] are handsome and classic, I love them all though [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m] is my favorite.

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[name_m]Elijah[/name_m]- I’m not a massive fan of it, but I do almost like [name_m]Eli[/name_m]. Would never use [name_m]Eli[/name_m] alone, though, but maybe as a nn for [name_u]Elliott[/name_u] (the obvious [name_f]Elly[/name_f] sounds too girly).

[name_m]Gabriel[/name_m]- I am not a fan. As much as I try, I tend to not like names like [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m], [name_m]Raphael[/name_m], [name_m]Patrick[/name_m] and [name_m]Christian[/name_m]. I file them under “classics with unattractive sounds”. Yet, I do know a little [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m] nicknamed [name_u]Gabby[/name_u] and it suits him adorably.

[name_m]Jack[/name_m]- this has been growing on me lately! It really is a great classic, very simple but with a lot of character. Still, it’s so overused.

[name_m]Grant[/name_m]- so incredibly handsome! I completely agree with you on this one.

[name_m]Bear[/name_m]- extremely cute… On pets.

[name_m]Boden[/name_m]- it’s on my list, but… I suppose I’d like to see it as a second name on other people’s children.

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[name_m]Elijah[/name_m]- I prefer [name_m]Eli[/name_m] (yeah, it IS a full name not just a nickname).
[name_m]Jack[/name_m]- An perfectly spunky boy-next-door. [name_m]How[/name_m] can anyone not like [name_m]Jack[/name_m]?
[name_m]Grant[/name_m]- I have a doctor cousin with this name so I’m biased.
[name_m]Gabriel[/name_m]- one of my favourite Biblical names.

Other names I like but don’t love for certain reasons-
[name_m]Bear[/name_m]- I don’t like this name for a human being. What if he’s skinny geek of a guy named [name_m]Bear[/name_m]?
[name_m]Boden[/name_m]- better in the middle spot. [name_m]Jack[/name_m] [name_m]Boden[/name_m] would be a cool combo!

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[name_m]Elijah[/name_m] - I quite adore [name_m]Elijah[/name_m], although it’s crazy popular in my area (I’ve counted, and over the past five or so years, I’ve come across approximately 25 of them! I am not even kidding, it’s everywhere in my county!), and I love the Biblical [name_m]Elijah[/name_m], but I don’t really “get” [name_m]Eli[/name_m]. He was a glutton and a terrible father and a terrible judge of character, and the only thing he did right was to lead [name_m]Samuel[/name_m] to listen to God’s voice. I sort of get that [name_m]Eli[/name_m] has a preppy, fun sound/image with the Hebrew/Biblical quirk that is in style (I think it fits really well with the style of [name_m]Asher[/name_m], [name_m]Ezra[/name_m], [name_m]Ezekiel[/name_m], [name_m]Josiah[/name_m], etc.), but ugh. The Biblical [name_m]Eli[/name_m] was awful. I would love to use [name_m]Elijah[/name_m], but I don’t know how to avoid [name_m]Eli[/name_m], which seems rather inevitable. :frowning:

[name_m]Jack[/name_m] - [name_f]LOVE[/name_f] [name_m]Jack[/name_m]! There are so many great namesakes (my two favorites are C.S. [name_m]Lewis[/name_m], who went by [name_m]Jack[/name_m], and [name_m]Jack[/name_m] Worthing from The Importance of Being [name_m]Earnest[/name_m]! [name_m]Jack[/name_m] Worthing isn’t really someone to aspire after, but the play is hilarious and I love it. :)). It has a preppy sort of sound while being laid-back and cool and smart. I keep hearing it’s overdone and everyone knows a million Jacks, but I would be happy just to know one! I love it.

[name_m]Grant[/name_m] - le sigh. :slight_smile: I love [name_m]Grant[/name_m]! I had a crush on one in high school, and I’ve been smitten with the name ever since. It helped that the [name_m]Grant[/name_m] I knew was a really great guy. I’m thinking about adding it to my own list. I’m not sure about as a first or a middle, but I do really love it.

[name_m]Gabriel[/name_m] - meh, I like Biblical names, but [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m] is just meh for me. I love the tie to an angel (I think angels are super cool), but I like [name_m]Samuel[/name_m] and [name_m]Daniel[/name_m] much more, personally. I feel like [name_m]Grant[/name_m] and [name_m]Gabe[/name_m]/[name_m]Grant[/name_m] and [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m] are a bit close for brothers (I quite love the thought of a little [name_m]Grant[/name_m] [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m] running around, though!), though.

[name_m]Bear[/name_m] - I adore [name_m]Bear[/name_m]–I think it’s so cute. The lead singer of one of my favorite bands (NeedtoBREATHE) is named [name_m]Bear[/name_m], and I always thought that was so cool. It’s got this naturey, laid-back vibe, and while it may not be very professional, I would be really, really happy to meet a [name_m]Bear[/name_m]! I think [name_u]Oberon[/name_u] nn [name_m]Bear[/name_m] would be fun. My mom started this tradition that she gave each one of us an animal nn, and I want to “name” my first son “[name_m]Little[/name_m] [name_m]Bear[/name_m]”. I’m sure I’ll call him [name_m]Bear[/name_m] all the time–I adore it.

[name_m]Boden[/name_m] - it doesn’t sound girly to me, but idk. I don’t love it. I do love [name_m]Beau[/name_m]/[name_m]Bo[/name_m] as a nn, though! [name_m]Bodhi[/name_m], maybe?

[name_m]Grant[/name_m], [name_m]Elijah[/name_m], and [name_m]Jack[/name_m] are my favorites!

Good luck!

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[name_m]Grant[/name_m] and [name_m]Jack[/name_m] are my favorites.