Dazed and Confused: Boys Edition

Boy Names
1

I’m back with our boys list, which is longer and much more confusing. Our kids are called [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f] “[name_f]Nell[/name_f]” and [name_m]Endymion[/name_m] “[name_u]Teddy[/name_u]”, so we want something equally unusual but not crazy…or crazy but not ugly. We don’t want to repeat initials so no C or E names.

Names on our list:

Galahad/Galador/[name_m]Galileo[/name_m] - I’m a lifelong Galahad lover, hubby prefers [name_m]Galileo[/name_m], Galador is our compromise name…

[name_m]Amadeus[/name_m] - I know it’s too much but [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m] is simply awesome! We’re both huge music geeks, and [name_m]Milos[/name_m] Forman’s [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m] is one of my favorite movies, too.

[name_m]Lancelot[/name_m] - [name_m]Lancelot[/name_m]'s technically Galahad’s father, so we can’t use both. I much admit I find [name_m]Lance[/name_m] slightly boring, but I do love [name_m]Lenny[/name_m].

Laertes - okay, so I loooove [name_m]Hamlet[/name_m]. It’s one of my favorite things on [name_f]Earth[/name_f], and I don’t want to miss the opportunity to honor it. I’d use [name_m]Hamlet[/name_m] in a heartbeat, but I don’t want to sentence my kiddo to endless “to be or not to be” jokes, and Laertes is more subtle. I love the delicate sound of it, too.

[name_m]Lysander[/name_m] - I adore this name but I know of two boys with this name…Hubby says [name_m]Lysander[/name_m] is great but not his favorite.

Scamander - as in the river god, not J.K. Rowling’s character I know nothing about. I love Scamander as much as I love Lysander, but is he too salamander?

[name_m]Inigo[/name_m] - belive it or not, it’s my husband’s idea, not mine! [name_m]How[/name_m] does it sit next to [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f] and [name_m]Endymion[/name_m]?

Ziegfried - [name_m]Ziggy[/name_m] for short, we’re [name_m]Bowie[/name_m] fans… Ziegfried ([name_m]Sigurd[/name_m]) is the Nibelungenlied/Poetic [name_f]Edda[/name_f] guy. Is the name itself too harsh?

Some names we aren’t using to give you an idea of our style: Siderion, [name_m]Isidore[/name_m], [name_u]Oberon[/name_u], Gratian, [name_m]Sirius[/name_m], [name_m]Orlando[/name_m], [name_m]Balthazar[/name_m]…

I’d like help to narrow our list down to 3-5. Same task: comment, rank, eliminate, have fun! You can find our girls list here.

UPDATE PAGE 3

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[name_m]Amadeus[/name_m] is wonderful! I love this name, and i think its a great match with [name_f]Nell[/name_f] and [name_u]Teddy[/name_u].
Too bad that [name_m]Balthazar[/name_m] is not an option.
Scamander is too weird imo.
My second favourite is the lovely [name_m]Inigo[/name_m]. I also like [name_m]Galileo[/name_m]. Laertes is handsome but i cant think of any cute nns for it.

3

Your collection names is evoking “Bohemian [name_f]Rhapsody[/name_f]” to me…in the best possible way. :slight_smile:

I’m gonna go ahead and eliminate Scamander because I don’t like the first four letters being “scam”. It could be a very cool mn though.

I’m go eliminate [name_m]Lysander[/name_m] because I don’t like the first syllable sounding like “lice”. I like it visually, and I think it’s pretty wearable, but that’s what keeps it off my list.

I think your love of [name_m]Hamlet[/name_m] is enough of a reason to use Laertes. That said, I do not find the pronunciation intuitive, and it’s hard for me to say. I wouldn’t knock if it really means a lot to you, but on the merit of the literal name itself, I’m dropping it.

[name_m]Inigo[/name_m] I like but I just see as “[name_u]Indigo[/name_u]”. It is a little awkward on my tongue. It is shorter than the other kids, but packs enough of a punch it can stand up to them. Throw in the maybe pile.

I’m surprised I like Ziegfried much as I do. It’s clunky for sure, but it’s also fun. Makes me think of the circus. While I’m not the biggest fan of “fried”, [name_m]Ziggy[/name_m] is irresistibly cute. Another maybe.

Oh [name_m]Lancelot[/name_m] you are going to be one polarizing name. I’m envisioning like, the alpha nerd. The king of the renaissance faire. It’s daring and bold and people will love it instantly or chuckle. Personally, I like bold. But it’s also one of those “high risk, high reward” names. It could go beautifully…or not.

I like all of the [name_u]Gal[/name_u] names. [name_m]Galileo[/name_m] is a lot of name, see [name_m]Lancelot[/name_m], albeit very pleasant sounding.Galahad is another I find a little difficult to say, probably due to its lack of hard vowels. Galador however, I love this. Similar to [name_m]Isidore[/name_m], which I’m a fan of as well, and sounds very “fantastical” without being too crazy over the top. [name_f]Addy[/name_f] is a possible nn I like.

[name_m]Amadeus[/name_m] you are so fabulous. I love me a heavy [name_m]German[/name_m] name and a lyrical Latin one, and [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m] brings the feel of both. He’s cerebral but he’s also a little edgy. I like how it’s not terribly long for otherwise being a lot of name.

So there it is, my favorites are [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m] and Galador. I think they fit in the the family and have just the right amount of clunk to be interesting and suit your style, without becoming overkill.

ETA: I just thought of Mads as a cute nn for Amadeus.

4

So I just wanna say that I don’t think [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m] is too much at all. I [name_f]Adore[/name_f] it, particularly with [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f] and [name_m]Endymion[/name_m], the only struggle I have with it is finding a great nickname like what you have in [name_f]Nell[/name_f] and [name_u]Teddy[/name_u].

As a first name, I lean with your husband toward [name_m]Galileo[/name_m], though I could see Galahad being a great middle name option! I’m not sure if I’m sold on compromise name Galador, it sounds a bit like an RPG villain (though I do love a -dor ending on a name.)

Laertes is beautiful but feels less accessible compared to [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f] and [name_m]Endymion[/name_m] due to phonetic issues some might have. Even so, a strong contender. I love it’s sound, I love that it’s a less on-the-nose nod to Hamlet, I love how it sounds with your other children’s names.

I love love love [name_m]Inigo[/name_m]! I think it works so well with [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f] and [name_m]Endymion[/name_m] and feels more adventurous/less stuffy than it’s counterpart [name_m]Ignatius[/name_m]. And while it’s not [name_m]Ziggy[/name_m], [name_m]Iggy[/name_m] would be a very fun nickname.

[name_m]Lysander[/name_m] is dashing but I have to admit feels almost too mainstream for you? Especially if there’s already a couple of [name_m]Lysander[/name_m]'s in your circle. Unless this is your absolute favorite, I’d cut it from the list. The same feels true of [name_m]Lancelot[/name_m] (between [name_m]Lancelot[/name_m] and Galahad I’d lean Galahad.)

Scamander is cool but sort of has the opposite issue of [name_m]Lysander[/name_m]. I think this works as a bold middle but may be too much in the first spot. It also reminds me a bit of the word commander and I don’t love that.

Ziegfried is so cool, albeit a bit out of left field even for your list. I like that’s it’s a little bit zippy, a little bit clunky. And while it’s stylistically quite different from [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f] and [name_m]Endymion[/name_m] I actually think it could work in your set as a first name. (Full disclosure, I have some difficult to reconcile feelings about [name_m]Bowie[/name_m] [as well as a number of other rock icons] being myself a victim of CSA, but I can’t deny the profound impact his music has had on fans and musicians alike, that as far as homage to a music icon is conscerned this is pretty innoffensive, and that I love the Bauhaus cover of [name_m]Ziggy[/name_m] Stardust.)

For first names on your list, [name_m]Inigo[/name_m], [name_m]Galileo[/name_m], and [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m] really take the cake for me, and Ziegfried and Laertes seem to be worth keeping on the shortlist as well.

6

[name_m]Amadeus[/name_m], Galahad, [name_m]Lysander[/name_m] and [name_m]Inigo[/name_m] gmv!

I don’t think [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m] is too much! It’s so easy to say and I think it feels familiar become of the sounds. [name_f]Addy[/name_f], Ads, or [name_u]Ade[/name_u] feel like usable nicknames - maybe even [name_u]Dash[/name_u] or [name_u]Max[/name_u]/[name_m]Mac[/name_m]

Galahad has been a name I’ve liked since you considered it before. It just has a great sound and adventurous feel.

[name_m]Lysander[/name_m] - probably my favourite - I love the gentle, mystical yet rugged feel of it. The drawback is of course your husband doesn’t love it so much

[name_m]Inigo[/name_m] feels very much fitted to [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f] and [name_m]Endymion[/name_m] - it feels quirky and distinguished but also down to earth.

7

Thank you so so much lovelies! I don’t want my replies to be half-hearted, so I will come back a bit later and comment properly.

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Galahad/Galador/[name_m]Galileo[/name_m] - I would cut Galador since neither of you love it, and it sounds sort of villainy/dinosaur-y to me. Galahad and [name_m]Galileo[/name_m] are both cool. These options would be near the top of my shortlist for you, but I am pulling hard for [name_f]Galilea[/name_f] so I can’t fully endorse [name_u]Gal[/name_u] for the boys!

[name_m]Amadeus[/name_m] - I don’t think [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m] is too much at all! Especially compared to some of your other options. [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m] sounds great with [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f] and [name_m]Endymion[/name_m], too. I like the idea of [name_f]Maddy[/name_f] or [name_m]Mads[/name_m] as a nickname.

[name_m]Lancelot[/name_m] - Too obvious, too controversial a character, [name_m]Lance[/name_m] doesn’t seem like your style. I would cut.

Laertes - Your love for Laertes has swayed me that it should a be a part of your boy’s name. BUT I really can’t get behind Laertes as a first name. The pronunciation will be confusing and I’m not seeing any nickname options. This is a strong, strong contender for middle name in my opinion.

[name_m]Lysander[/name_m] - I like [name_m]Lysander[/name_m] but you both seem sort of lukewarm on it, so might be best to let it go.

Scamander - Yes, he is too salamander.

[name_m]Inigo[/name_m] - I love this one! And I love it with [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f] and [name_m]Endymion[/name_m]! pp’s suggestion of [name_m]Iggy[/name_m] as a nickname is also great.

Ziegfried - I’m on the fence here. Ziegfried is a little over the top, but I do like [name_m]Ziggy[/name_m]. I like that [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f], [name_m]Endymion[/name_m] and Ziegfried would all have distinct etymological roots.

tl;dr:

  1. [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m] and [name_m]Inigo[/name_m] – Either of these is my favorite for you by far!
  2. Galahad/[name_m]Galileo[/name_m]
  3. Ziegfried
  4. [name_m]Lysander[/name_m] (if you decide you like it enough to keep)
    *** Laertes as a middle
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Keep: [name_m]Inigo[/name_m], [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m]
Maybe: Ziegfried, [name_m]Lysander[/name_m]
Cut: [name_m]Lancelot[/name_m], Galahad/Galador/[name_m]Galileo[/name_m], Scamander

A special note on Laertes: I love the sentiment of sneaking in another subtle nod to [name_m]Shakespeare[/name_m] amongst your childrens’ names (assuming [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] is possibly a nod to The [name_u]Winter[/name_u]'s Tale as well as Harry Potter). If you used Laertes as a middle here, would it create an imbalance for you since neither of [name_u]Teddy[/name_u]'s middles seem to be Shakespearean references?

Going out on a limb here, but what about [name_m]Benvolio[/name_m]? [name_f]Nell[/name_f], [name_u]Teddy[/name_u], and [name_m]Ben[/name_m]/[name_m]Benji[/name_m]?

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My favourites for you are Galahad, [name_m]Galileo[/name_m], [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m], and [name_m]Inigo[/name_m].

[name_m]Lysander[/name_m] and Ziegried are fine too, but don’t seem to “click” with your sibset so much.

I would cut:

Scamander - Too salamander (as adorable as they are!), too scam, too J. K. Rowling.
Laertes - Why name a child after [name_m]Hamlet[/name_m]'s killer?! I actually think Elsinore could work nicely as a poetic middle name for a boy, if you want to honour [name_m]Hamlet[/name_m].
[name_m]Lancelot[/name_m] - You seem to prefer Galahad.

11

I’m back with some more thoughts…Thanks again guys!

[name_f]Belle[/name_f]; Thanks for all you comments! I’m glad you love [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m], do you have any nickname ideas for him? Laertes would be [name_m]Lad[/name_m], [name_f]Lottie[/name_f], [name_m]Leo[/name_m], [name_m]Lion[/name_m]…

justthinkin; Bohemian [name_f]Rhapsody[/name_f], I love that! (Who doesn’t, though) Oh, this “scam” part…I can’t unsee it now! I’m not that put off by the “lice” thing, as I speak Russian and lys (lees/ли”) means fox in Russian…You’re right, I can’t quit Laertes so easily! And [name_m]Mads[/name_m]?! [name_m]Mads[/name_m] for [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m]?! You are a genius! Thank you thank you thank you!

brittanyanitarose; I’m so glad you love [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m]! It looks like it’s slowly becoming our top choice, it’s just so handsome and musical and cool. I had no idea for nicknames either, but @justthinkin suggested [name_m]Mads[/name_m] and I love it! Also [name_f]Dee[/name_f], Madeo, Mouse…
I must admit I’m with you on Galador - I do like it, but it sort of makes me think of goblins…I don’t know how to feel about goblins, to be honest - they’re cool and mischievous but probably not the best association anyway? I don’t know.
I’m also glad to see [name_m]Inigo[/name_m] and Laertes getting some love! As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a diehard [name_m]Hamlet[/name_m] fan, and Laertes is not a bad character at all. He loves his family so much, he is loyal and brave and smart, and even though he did kill [name_m]Hamlet[/name_m], he asked him for fogiveness before dying. Besides, this name actually originates from The Odyssey, Laёrtes was an Argonaut and [name_m]Odysseus[/name_m]'s father. I do agree it’s a bit difficult to pronounce, though.
And I’m definitely not using Ziegfried or [name_m]Ziggy[/name_m] after reading your comment. There’s no way I’m naming my baby after a child molester. I’m so so sorry you had to bring it up, stupid me should have done some googling in advance. I really am sorry! I will be showing this thread to my husband, too, and I’m not letting him add any names to our list without me doing some research first.
I agree with your sentiments regarding [name_m]Lysander[/name_m]/Scamander, too; in fact, reading your comments about our lists is a lot like reading my own thoughts, only smarter and better written down. :slight_smile:
Thank you so much, I always appreciate your input!

jonquils; Aww, you’re very kind! I’m really glad you find our lists entertaining, I really am!
Can I just say I loooooove your imagery? The Galahad one is so spot-on I have a sneaking suspicion that you can read my mind! (you can find my own imagery for him here, it’s so so similar!) You’re making me fall in love with it once again - who doesn’t want a name that makes you think of stone churches? If I may ask: have you seen [name_m]Monty[/name_m] Python and the Holy Grail? I’m just head over heels with [name_u]Michael[/name_u] [name_u]Palin[/name_u]'s Sir Galahad, he’s so cute and handsome and funny and makes me love the name even more. And I totally agree that [name_m]Galileo[/name_m] is an expectation, that’s exactly what is bothering me.
I must admit I have never heard this [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m] song, I should look it up. I’m more of a [name_m]Milos[/name_m] Forman’s [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m] girl, and he based it on Pushkin’s amazing short play that I adore.
And I just love your description of [name_m]Lancelot[/name_m] (and that of Scamander, [name_m]Inigo[/name_m] and so on)! Your awesome comments prevent me from narrowing down my lists, so this baby is probably going to have ten middle names! :wink: I was almost sure about crossing Scamander off the list but now I’m not. I think I’m going to get that Fantastic Beasts book now…Also, I don’t think my group of friend is cooler than yours - most of the kids I know are either [name_m]Sebastian[/name_m] or [name_u]Noah[/name_u], and the [name_m]Lysander[/name_m]'s I know are my friend’s nephew and my husband’s classmate’s son respectively. I know I’m making mountains out of molehills, but it somehow makes [name_m]Lysander[/name_m] seem less special.
I’m guessing you’re a fellow The [name_f]Princess[/name_f] [name_f]Bride[/name_f] fan? I first heard about it, of all things, here on NB, and I love it! I also happen to share your concern about [name_m]Inigo[/name_m]'s similarity to [name_u]Indigo[/name_u], which is oh so sad.
Unfortunately, I’m eliminating Ziegfried due to the whole [name_m]David[/name_m] [name_m]Bowie[/name_m] aka [name_m]Ziggy[/name_m] Stardust being a pedophile thing, but I appreciate your thoughts anyway.
I’m also super glad you like Siderion so much - a fancy version of [name_u]Sidney[/name_u] is exactly how I imagine it to be! I’d use it for this baby if we didn’t have an [name_m]Endymion[/name_m] already. [name_m]Endymion[/name_m] and Siderion just sound like evil twins…
I just love your [name_m]Lancelot[/name_m] [name_m]Hawthorne[/name_m] [name_u]Rey[/name_u] combo! I so agree [name_m]Lancelot[/name_m] needs to be paired with a nature middle. And how wonderful is Scamander Theoden [name_m]Calix[/name_m]? Thanks for reminding me of Theoden, I forgot how much I like it!
Thank you so so much, words can’t express how grateful I am. Please feel free to write a thesis on my list, that would be so helpful! :slight_smile:

greyblue; Thank you so much! I really like [name_u]Dash[/name_u] for [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m], and so does my husband. [name_u]Max[/name_u] would be a very smart nickname, too, but I just can’t take it on board because I had a nasty classmate with this name.

quirkflower; Thanks a lot! I agree that [name_f]Galilea[/name_f] is slightly more interesting than [name_m]Galileo[/name_m]. And do you consider [name_m]Lancelot[/name_m] too controversial a character because he betrayed [name_m]Arthur[/name_m]? This makes perfect sense, and now that I think about it, I’m always taking [name_m]Lancelot[/name_m]'s side for some reason. I guess I just keep thinking about T. H. White’s [name_m]Arthur[/name_m], who is a bit of a doormat, really, but I should reconsider my choices.

jrave656; Thank you! You’re absolutely right, [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] (and [name_u]Winter[/name_u]!) is a nod to The [name_u]Winter[/name_u]'s Tale. So [name_u]Nelly[/name_u]'s name is [name_m]Roman[/name_m] + Shakespearean, and [name_u]Teddy[/name_u]'s name is Greek + Tolkien. I do think that Laertes would create an imbalance, but that’s just too much for me to handle at the moment. Pregnancy brain is real…I do love [name_m]Benvolio[/name_m], but I’m afraid [name_m]Romeo[/name_m] and [name_f]Juliet[/name_f] isn’t my very favorite play. Thanks for suggesting in, though!

kew; Thanks a bunch! I see what you mean about Laertes, but after all, [name_m]Hamlet[/name_m] himself caused the deaths of Polonius, Laertes, [name_m]Claudius[/name_m], as well as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern…I don’t know, I understand that Laertes is not perfect but I can’t help but to like him. I also love Elsinore on a boy, but only as a middle because we already have an [name_m]Endymion[/name_m]. :slight_smile:

So this whole thing took me four hours…I guess I should take a nap first and then try to make a Top 5. Thanks again!

13

I think the only name that isn’t “too much” is [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m]. It’s a great name and works with the other sibs.

14

jonquils; You totally made me laugh with your Galahad story! I have a cold and a stuffy nose (took a nice long walk in the rain while being 27 weeks pregnant), but laughing that hard made me feel better - you’re a star storyteller! :slight_smile: You’re right, I must be overthinking our lists…Oh, and please feel free to call me Victoria or just Vix!

susette; I’m glad you like [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m]! We’re totally picking something more “normal” this time, I think, as husband has vetoed names like [name_m]Michelangelo[/name_m] and Gwenonwen. He’s completely random, though - one day he likes [name_m]Lucifer[/name_m] and next he’s into [name_u]Noah[/name_u]…

Okay, so my Top 5 in no particular order is:
[name_m]Amadeus[/name_m]
Laertes
Galahad
[name_m]Lancelot[/name_m]
[name_m]Inigo[/name_m]

Husband’s:
[name_m]Inigo[/name_m]
[name_m]Amadeus[/name_m]
[name_m]Galileo[/name_m]
Laertes
Galahad

So we’re eliminating Ziegfried, Scamander, [name_m]Lysander[/name_m] and Galador. I’m thinking of adding [name_m]Hamlet[/name_m] to the list, though…

15

At least you have it down to your short lists nearly matching! And I want to say I’m sorry for throwing all of that on you at once but I just thought about how unpleasant it would be if you found out later.

Also revising my favorites here to [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m], Laertes, and [name_m]Inigo[/name_m].

16

Aww, don’t be, it’s me who should be sorry! But I’ve learned my lesson, I should do more googling before putting a name on the table.

And yes, I’m so glad our lists are that similar. I guess it’s combo time now…

17

That’s true - as much as I love the sentiment of honouring such a fascinating piece of literature, I guess I would find any [name_m]Hamlet[/name_m] character a fairly heavy namesake to live with. Elsinore would make a stunning middle name to honour the play, though! Have you considered [name_m]Hamnet[/name_m] as another more subtle nod to it?

Good luck! :slight_smile: Your children’s names are stunning.

18

I agree with you completely; come to think of it, most Shakespearean characters would be heavy namesakes, even minor ones. That being said, my husband and his siblings have sorta meaningless names, and I don’t want the same for my kiddos. :slight_smile:

And no, we haven’t considered [name_m]Hamnet[/name_m] before! That would be so clever, though, I love this idea! Thank you so much!

19

I love a lot of these but I really think [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m] is perfect for you. Next to [name_m]Endymion[/name_m] it’s definitely not too much, and it sounds like you both love it & the connections. Nickname could maybe be [name_u]Day[/name_u]? I’m not sure. [name_u]Love[/name_u] your current kids’ names and I’m sure I’ll love the next one too!

20

I think that [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m] would be just perfect for you, based on your style, as well as both of your children’s names – brothers [name_m]Endymion[/name_m] & [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m], just, wow! :heart: As for potential nicknames, [name_u]Asa[/name_u] would be my favourite though I like the idea of [name_m]Mads[/name_m], too.

I also like [name_m]Inigo[/name_m], [name_m]Galileo[/name_m], Laertes & Galahad, but [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m] is the clear standout.

21

Thank you both, I appreciate your input so much! Closing this thread now since it’s served its purpose.