[name_m]Hi[/name_m] there!
We are due in two weeks and second guessing everything. For most of the pregnancy, we were set on [name_m]Arthur[/name_m], but then realized we didn’t love nickname options ([name_m]Art[/name_m], [name_m]Artie[/name_m]). So we moved onto [name_m]Frederik[/name_m] for a while ([name_u]Freddie[/name_u]) and I think that’s still our top choice, but having trouble feeling settled on it.
Middle name will be [name_m]Wells[/name_m] (family connection), and last name is a two-syllable name ending in “en” — which eliminates most first names with the same pattern.
Names we both like but can’t get to love:
[name_m]Calvin[/name_m]
[name_m]Felix[/name_m]
[name_m]Edmund[/name_m]
[name_m]Winston[/name_m]
[name_m]Casper[/name_m]
[name_m]Crispin[/name_m] (will everyone just call him [name_u]Chris[/name_u]?)
Names I like but DH doesn’t:
[name_m]Silas[/name_m]
[name_m]Ethan[/name_m]
[name_m]Tobias[/name_m]
Names DH likes but I don’t:
[name_m]Rufus[/name_m]
[name_m]Malcolm[/name_m]
[name_m]Cormac[/name_m]
I prefer [name_m]Frederik[/name_m] over [name_m]Arthur[/name_m] but adore [name_m]Bear[/name_m] as a nickname for [name_m]Arthur[/name_m]. All four names are handsome. Considering the full names, I think [name_m]Felix[/name_m] would be my favorite. I also love the nickname [name_m]Fox[/name_m] for [name_m]Felix[/name_m].
[name_m]Arthur[/name_m] - [name_u]Love[/name_u] it, can’t use it myself. [name_m]Bear[/name_m] could be another nickname, as people have suggested. Or [name_u]Ari[/name_u]?
[name_m]Frederik[/name_m] - Cute, very Euro chic with this spelling, and sounds good with [name_m]Wells[/name_m].
[name_m]Calvin[/name_m] - I like the quirkiness and nickname [name_u]Cal[/name_u] is sweet.
[name_m]Felix[/name_m] - [name_u]LOVE[/name_u] this name personally, I couldn’t say enough good things about it. [name_m]Felix[/name_m] [name_m]Wells[/name_m] sounds good together too!
[name_m]Edmund[/name_m] - Another love, haha my [name_m]Felix[/name_m] combo is [name_m]Felix[/name_m] [name_m]Edmund[/name_m]. [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] is so good and strong, and I like the nn [name_m]Ned[/name_m] for it.
[name_m]Winston[/name_m] - I like the historical connection a lot. This name is very dignified but a little cheeky too.
[name_m]Casper[/name_m] - One that’s growing on me but I don’t love it yet.
[name_m]Crispin[/name_m] - [name_u]Love[/name_u] it, but I keep coming back to [name_u]Chris[/name_u] (which I don’t like) or Crispy being a possible tease.
[name_m]Silas[/name_m] - seems a little grim to me.
[name_m]Ethan[/name_m] - Not a bad name but popular, quite popular.
[name_m]Tobias[/name_m] - I love it but I don’t love that it looks like “to bias”
[name_m]Rufus[/name_m] - Still feels more of a dog name to me
[name_m]Malcolm[/name_m] - Like it a lot! It feels adventurous.
[name_m]Cormac[/name_m] - [name_u]Love[/name_u]! It has the friendly nickname [name_m]Mac[/name_m] and again, an adventurous spirit to it.
The reason we were questioning [name_m]Art[/name_m]/[name_m]Artie[/name_m] is because we told my mother-in-law that we were going to name him [name_m]Arthur[/name_m] and she defaulted to calling him [name_m]Art[/name_m]/[name_m]Artie[/name_m], and we realized others would do the same, even if we try for another nickname, like [name_m]Bear[/name_m].
You have some great names on that list! My personal favourite is [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] (which I love) with [name_m]Frederik[/name_m] my favourite of your short list. They’re all good names, though - you really can’t go wrong.
I wouldn’t worry too much about getting [name_m]Art[/name_m]/[name_m]Artie[/name_m] - I think family take privileges that others won’t. If you can convince your [name_f]MIL[/name_f] that he is [name_m]Arthur[/name_m] or [name_m]Bear[/name_m] or whatever else you decide, I think you will have the worst of the nickname struggle behind you. That said, he might decide he’d like to be [name_m]Art[/name_m] when he’s older, so it is worth considering how you’d feel if that happens.
[name_m]Arthur[/name_m] went on and off my name list a lot because of my extreme dislike of the nicknames [name_m]Art[/name_m] and [name_m]Artie[/name_m]. You know best how stubborn your family can be, but my husband and I have been very successful in communicating that our son is [name_m]Arthur[/name_m], not [name_m]Art[/name_m] or [name_m]Artie[/name_m] (until he decides otherwise, of course).
[name_m]Felix[/name_m] is my son’s middle name and I love it. It means lucky/fortunate. My husband has a whole explanation for why he loves it, about the [name_m]Roman[/name_m] who was given the name.
[name_m]Arthur[/name_m] is lovely, but it’s so hard to avoid nicknames!
Well, I’m going to cheat and offer some names from my signature, since some of our tastes overlap.
I loooove the name [name_m]Felix[/name_m] ([name_m]Felix[/name_m] Odilon in my signature = there’s a famous, amazing painter named Odilon Redon which made me love the name). I also really love [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] (esp when paired with [name_m]Thoreau[/name_m] for a middle name). But what about [name_m]Thoreau[/name_m] for a first name? It’s pretty unique but not too “out there.”
I also like the name [name_m]Rainer[/name_m] (inspired by the poet [name_m]Rainer[/name_m] [name_f]Maria[/name_f] Rilke).
The only one on your lists I really dislike is [name_m]Calvin[/name_m]. It doesn’t sound like it will be great with your surname either.
I adore [name_m]Felix[/name_m], [name_m]Rufus[/name_m], [name_m]Casper[/name_m], [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] and [name_m]Cormac[/name_m]. All these would work with [name_m]Wells[/name_m] in the middle.
I went off [name_m]Arthur[/name_m] too because of [name_m]Art[/name_m]/[name_m]Artie[/name_m].
I really like [name_m]Frederik[/name_m]/[name_m]Frederick[/name_m] but it’s hard to say when followed by [name_m]Wells[/name_m] (would prob just use [name_u]Freddie[/name_u] [name_m]Wells[/name_m] or [name_m]Alfred[/name_m] [name_m]Wells[/name_m]) or [name_m]Edmund[/name_m].
I like [name_m]Rufus[/name_m] but if it matters, I don’t think it flows well to [name_m]Wells[/name_m] (swells).
Other names: [name_m]Alexander[/name_m] ([name_m]Alec[/name_m], [name_m]Xander[/name_m]); [name_m]Alasdair[/name_m], [name_m]Alfred[/name_m] (as above), [name_m]Albert[/name_m], [name_m]Jasper[/name_m], [name_m]Sebastian[/name_m] or [name_m]Gideon[/name_m].
Thanks everyone for your thoughts! It seems like a tie between [name_m]Arthur[/name_m] and [name_m]Frederik[/name_m] and this is how we are feeling too! I love the long form [name_m]Arthur[/name_m] [name_m]Wells[/name_m], but when I think about day-to-day way we’ll use the name ([name_u]Freddie[/name_u] versus [name_m]Artie[/name_m]) I am pulled toward [name_u]Freddie[/name_u]! Any ideas for how to make the final cut? I did not have this issue with our daughter!
I’d keep both till you meet him. Then something will catch you as meaningful - eg (in Caucasian context) I think of [name_m]Arthur[/name_m] with dark hair (not the type that drops off at a few weeks old, of course) and [name_u]Freddie[/name_u] with light brown or blonde. [name_u]Red[/name_u] head could use either! I also think nickname is important - just makes life easier - so take them both till you meet him - but 1. [name_m]Frederik[/name_m] and 2. [name_m]Arthur[/name_m]. Then like all of us, you can only make the best guess you can!
That’s funny because I picture [name_m]Arthur[/name_m] with blonde hair and [name_u]Freddie[/name_u] with dark brown/black hair! Both are possible in our family!
You have great taste in names! I like all the ones you and your S.O. have agreed on. As a side note, I work with a [name_m]Crispin[/name_m] (a very kind physician) and I’ve never heard anyone call him anything other than [name_m]Crispin[/name_m]. That being said, if your mom defaulted to [name_m]Art[/name_m], she may also default to [name_u]Chris[/name_u].
Here are some more ideas (hopefully these don’t muddy the waters further!)
[name_m]Walter[/name_m]
[name_m]Albert[/name_m] (nickname [name_m]Alby[/name_m] is adorable)
[name_m]Louis[/name_m]
[name_m]Basil[/name_m]
[name_m]Clifford[/name_m]
[name_m]Hugo[/name_m]
