We’re having a really hard time with a name for baby #2, due next month. Husband likes [name]Griffin[/name] [name]Maxwell[/name] and I like [name]Leo[/name] [name]Maxwell[/name]. We’re leaning towards [name]Leo[/name], because it’s a little more classic.
The problem is, when I tell our friends/family that we’re thinking of the name [name]Leo[/name], I get a collective shrug. A couple of people have said they like it, but I haven’t heard anything especially positive. I’m not looking for an overwhelming response or anything like that, but I’m wary of using [name]Leo[/name] now because it seems to generate almost no response at all…
Should I keep looking? Our last name is Sweet, so we aren’t able to use a lot of the names I like because the flow is off… [name]River[/name] Sweet reminds me of [name]Charlie[/name] and the Chocolate factory, [name]Spencer[/name] Sweet / [name]Sebastian[/name] Sweet / [name]Jasper[/name] Sweet all sound lispy, [name]Max[/name] Sweet sounds like a diet soda, [name]Campbell[/name] Sweet sounds like tomato soup.
Husband won’t use biblical names or anything in the top fifty. He likes [name]Malcolm[/name], [name]Grayson[/name], [name]Blake[/name], [name]Isaac[/name], and [name]Tobin[/name].
Could use suggestions for a new choice or some tips on coping with everyone thinking our cool baby name isn’t so cool!
They’re probably not giving much of a response because [name]Leo[/name] is kind of a nickname-name. Y’know? Like it should be short for [name]Leopold[/name] or [name]Leonard[/name]. I like it all by its lonesome because I just love things that end in “-o”, but most people don’t feel the same way I’m sure. 'Course, [name]Leopold[/name] is also nice, especially with Sweet. It’s something to think about.
We’re all hemmed in by our last names, honey!
BTW, [name]Isaac[/name] and [name]Tobin[/name] are both Biblical names. They’re technically variants, but their origins are definitely Biblical. I like [name]Isaac[/name], but not as much as [name]Leo[/name]/pold.
Personally, I’d rather people be indifferent than hate my name. [name]Trust[/name] me, they will love your little [name]Leo[/name] once he’s entered the world, and that’ll possibly even change their opinions on the name.
I love the name [name]Leo[/name], seriously. It’s beautiful, handsome and sophisticated. [name]Leo[/name] fits a baby, to a child, to a teen, adult, even an old man. I also love [name]Leopold[/name], [name]Leonidas[/name] and [name]Leonora[/name]
I don’t really like the name [name]Griffin[/name], so the name [name]Griffin[/name] [name]Maxwell[/name] isn’t very nice to me. [name]Leo[/name] [name]Maxwell[/name] is wonderful!! If you wanted to include a name off your husband’s list, I would recommend [name]Leo[/name] [name]Malcolm[/name], and possibly a second middle.
I think [name]Leo[/name] best suits longer names behind it. Here are my middle name suggestions:
[name]Leo[/name] [name]Nathaniel[/name] Sweet
[name]Leo[/name] [name]William[/name] Sweet
[name]Leo[/name] [name]Benjamin[/name] Sweet
[name]Leo[/name] [name]Joseph[/name] Sweet
[name]Leo[/name] [name]Nicholas[/name] Sweet
[name]Leo[/name] [name]Gabriel[/name] Sweet
My favourites are [name]Leo[/name] [name]Nathaniel[/name] and [name]Leo[/name] [name]Joseph[/name]. I also considered [name]Leo[/name] [name]David[/name] for myself
I love the name [name]Leo[/name] also…its a family name for us…my great great grandfather, great grandfather, grandfather, uncle, cousin and my cousin’s son are all [name]Leos[/name]!!! [name]Griffin[/name] is nice…love nn [name]Finn[/name] but I feel [name]Leo[/name] is fantastic.
Use [name]Leo[/name]. You love it, your husband likes it, and it’s a great name. I guaruntee that when little [name]Leo[/name] gets here and your family and friends meet him, they’ll love everything about him, including his name.
I’ve found when talking about names with people, the only names that elicit a big excited response are the really popular names, for obvious reasons. They are the names that the majority are obsessed with right now. Other than that, you can choose a beautiful name that most people will not disagree with and that a smaller group will be ecstatic about. That is the most that I would expect. Looks like you came to the right place looking for people who become ecstatic upon hearing about a baby [name]Leo[/name]! [name]Love[/name] it!
[name]Remember[/name], what is most important is that YOU love it!!
We were thinking of [name]Leo[/name] [name]Nathaniel[/name] as a second choice middle name, to honor my brother
[name]Maxwell[/name] as the middle name is a nod to my husband’s middle name, which starts with an M. My mother was also going to name me [name]Max[/name] if I was a boy. She always wished she had the chance to name a son [name]Max[/name], so it’s a tribute to her, as well.
I objectively know that [name]Leo[/name] is a lovely name, used for over a millennium in the Western world, and still popular for babies in many European countries. [name]Leo[/name] Tolstoy and [name]Leo[/name] Fender give the name some literary and musical cachet, too, which I really love. I know it’s a well liked classic by people who are into names, so that’s reassuring…
I keep worrying that there’s something about it that I’m not hearing or seeing, though, that turns the average person off. I was reading about the name [name]Beckett[/name] on a forum one time and a nanny mentioned that others often mishear the name as “bucket” and that it has a much harsher sound than you’d think it would. That made me start to analyze the sounds and connotations of names more closely than I was previously, you know?
[name]Leo[/name] makes me think of lions, popes, scientists, constellations, wise old Jewish men (part of my family is Jewish), [name]Leonardo[/name] DiCaprio and [name]Leonardo[/name] DaVinci, the month of [name]August[/name], and cute guys who play soccer. The O ending gives it a soft and friendly sound, but it’s a distinctly masculine name. I can’t figure out what it makes others think of, though, and when I ask nobody knows…
I love the name [name]Leo[/name]! I think it is fine on its own. It always surprises me what names certain people get excited about – they are usually uber popular names, or really trendy names that I would never use. [name]Leo[/name] is a fantastic name in every way; I like it much better than [name]Griffin[/name]. I also like [name]Leo[/name] [name]Maxwell[/name] Sweet more than [name]Griffin[/name] [name]Maxwell[/name] Sweet. If you were to use [name]Finn[/name] as a nn for [name]Griffin[/name], I am not a big fan of [name]Finn[/name] Sweet, anyway.
Ultimately you need to choose the name you love, and everyone will love [name]Leo[/name] once they have a face to the name. I know it is hard to ignore people’s reactions, though…but keep in mind that there isn’t a name out there that will please everyone!
Hm. This is tough for me. Objectively, there is absolutely nothing wrong with [name]Leo[/name] - it’s perky and fresh, yet classic and handsome. It’s a little on the nickname-y side, but I think [name]Leopold[/name] [name]Maxwell[/name] might be a bit over the top for you if the other names you’re considering include [name]Griffin[/name] and [name]Tobin[/name], right? [name]Leonard[/name] is a little, well, dusty in my opinion, but I definitely think [name]Leon[/name] [name]Maxwell[/name] Sweet could work - [name]Leon[/name] is vintage but it feels a little fresher than, say, [name]Leonard[/name] because of [name]Knox[/name] [name]Leon[/name] [name]Jolie[/name]-[name]Pitt[/name]. So, there’s that to consider…
I actually love the name [name]Griffin[/name], and it is certainly on trend right now with all of the [name]Finn[/name] love today! I slightly prefer the sound of [name]Griffin[/name] Sweet to [name]Leo[/name] Sweet, simply because [name]Leo[/name] and Sweet have identical vowel sounds [“ee”] - maybe not a huge deal, but something I picked up on. However, [name]Leo[/name] is a little quirkier, and it definitely has a more classic edge.
Alright, what else could you do? Maybe an [name]Alastair[/name] [name]Maxwell[/name] Sweet, [name]Benjamin[/name] [name]Maxwell[/name] Sweet - unless that’s too Biblical, [name]Donovan[/name] [name]Maxwell[/name] Sweet, [name]Everett[/name] [name]Maxwell[/name] Sweet, [name]Harrison[/name] [name]Maxwell[/name] Sweet, [name]Julian[/name] [name]Maxwell[/name] Sweet, or [name]Oliver[/name] [name]Maxwell[/name] Sweet? [name]Benjamin[/name] Sweet ([name]Ben[/name], [name]Benny[/name], [name]Benji[/name]) and [name]Oliver[/name] Sweet ([name]Ollie[/name]) are my favorites.
But, if you both love [name]Leo[/name], at least you aren’t getting negative reactions to the name. [name]Leo[/name] is a great, fun name, and if it’s the one for you, go for it!
I’ve read about names for a number of years and almost every book has said that it’s better not to disclose your name choice to family and friends until after you’ve signed the birth certificate. There are so many postings on Nameberry regarding loved ones not liking a name or just being lukewarm. Yours is not a unique situation, that’s for sure. It’s sad for me to hear that their reactions have made you think twice about [name]Leo[/name]. [name]Leo[/name] is a wonderful name with an offbeat style and a quirky cool vibe. And I do love both the sound and look of [name]Leo[/name] [name]Maxwell[/name] Sweet. I hope you won’t let their indifference dissuade you from choosing this antique gem. Whatever you choose, your loved ones will grow to like it as they get to know your son. I really love a lot of names ending in “o”: [name]Milo[/name], [name]Theo[/name], [name]Arlo[/name] etc…There’s something about an “o” ending that makes these names just full of fun and spunk! [name]Leo[/name] can stand on its own as a name. I say: go for it!
I would be elated if my family is indifferent to whatever names I choose. Whenever the day comes Im SURE they are going to have veeerrrryyyy strong opinions-which makes me not even want to say anything until the delivery.
I had to weigh in on this because my first son is [name]Leo[/name] [name]Abraham[/name], and we are considering [name]Max[/name] [name]David[/name] for our second!
Funny about the lukewarm response. People constantly comment to me about how much they love the name [name]Leo[/name]. I still haven’t come across any seriously negative connotations, and he’s five now. Obviously I’m biased because I absolutely love it, but I just wanted to throw in my support!
Also, an interesting side note: my dad told me about a year after [name]Leo[/name] was born that initially he wasn’t sure what he thought of it, but that he’s realized that it is a brilliant choice and he’s absolutely in love with it. I’d bet a similar transformation would happen in your family.
