[name_u]Baby[/name_u] boy is due in [name_u]September[/name_u], I just feel stuck in the naming process and would appreciate some input! [name_m]Jacob[/name_m] was the early front runner, but I couldn’t quite commit and now we have several options I am torn between. Last name starts with a B. Middle name will likely be [name_u]Lee[/name_u] but is not set in stone. We have the name [name_u]June[/name_u] picked out if we ever have a girl in the future.
[name_m]Jacob[/name_m] - I love how it sounds, love that it is classic, has history, and easily recognizable. I have some reservations about it being a dime a dozen type of name, though I’m not convinced that’s a bad thing. I don’t love that it ends with a B and our last name starts with B so they sort of run together.
[name_u]Holden[/name_u] - a name I always liked but didn’t feel much connection to before. But, when my husband suggested it for this baby it really resonated and stuck with me. He usually only likes top 50 kind of names so I was pleasantly surprised. It feels soft and strong to me, kind of old-world. I like the peaceful meaning and how it sounds with [name_u]Lee[/name_u]. Worry that people will think he is named for [name_m]Catcher[/name_m] in the rye - we are not literature buffs by any means.
[name_u]Brooks[/name_u] - a name I have always loved and was also surprised that my husband liked too. The name itself doesn’t have any cons to me, but I’m aware that the plural surname thing is becoming a trend and this name is on the rise. I’m worried about it being considered a trendy name and overly tied to this decade if that makes sense. Like a [name_f]Linda[/name_f] or [name_f]Jennifer[/name_f] type of name. If we chose [name_u]Brooks[/name_u], we would not use [name_u]Lee[/name_u] in the middle.
Please help me sift through these options!! I’m open to other suggestions too, the trick is getting them past the husband Thank you!
I like [name_m]Jacob[/name_m] and [name_u]Brooks[/name_u] from your list! Jacob’s popularity is not an issue, although the be ending and starting may cause a problem. Perhaps you would like [name_u]James[/name_u], [name_m]Jake[/name_m], [name_u]Jude[/name_u] or [name_u]Jack[/name_u]? [name_m]Lucas[/name_m], [name_m]Isaac[/name_m] and [name_m]Felix[/name_m] are other options. I know they are popular, some more than [name_m]Jacob[/name_m], but I would advise you not to think much about it.
I think [name_u]Holden[/name_u] [name_u]Lee[/name_u] is great.
I also like [name_m]Jason[/name_m] in this case. Maybe,
[name_u]Jordan[/name_u]
[name_u]Rhys[/name_u]
[name_m]Raphael[/name_m]
[name_u]Connor[/name_u]
[name_u]Maddox[/name_u]
[name_m]Knox[/name_m]
[name_u]Bennett[/name_u]
[name_m]Oran[/name_m]
[name_u]Alden[/name_u]
[name_m]Talon[/name_m]
[name_u]Holden[/name_u] [name_u]Lee[/name_u] is stunning, I love it
[name_u]Brooks[/name_u] is also lovely… future [name_u]Brooks[/name_u] and [name_u]June[/name_u] would be amazing
[name_u]Holden[/name_u] is very [name_m]Catcher[/name_m] In The [name_u]Rye[/name_u] for me and it was required reading in school so maybe for a lot of others as well. I like it but the connection is strong. [name_f]My[/name_f] favorite from your list is [name_u]Brooks[/name_u] but I do think its a bit trendy…. [name_m]Jacob[/name_m] is great and I haven’t known many really.
Maybe you like [name_u]Roscoe[/name_u] or [name_u]Rhodes[/name_u]? Both share some sounds with your favorites.
[name_u]Holden[/name_u] [name_u]Lee[/name_u] is great. [name_m]Jacob[/name_m] is timeless, but there have been a lot of them in recent decades, and I would eliminate it since it runs into your surname. [name_u]Brooks[/name_u] does strike me as trendy, and with [name_u]Lee[/name_u] as a middle reads very unisex tipping over to the girl side to me.
I feel like I can speak to the [name_m]Catcher[/name_m] in the [name_u]Rye[/name_u] concern from the literature buff side of things (I used to be an editor at a literary journal ). [name_u]Holden[/name_u] is a character name from a familiar novel, but it’s one that many people have read that I think the “oooh, LITERARY” effect is diluted. It’s also a name that fits in with current naming trends. It’s not connected with a rabid fandom, and it doesn’t sound obscure or snobby. It’s like [name_u]Scout[/name_u] or [name_m]Atticus[/name_m] from To Kill a Mockingbird. I wouldn’t make a bunch of assumptions about the kind of family a [name_u]Scout[/name_u] or [name_m]Atticus[/name_m] is from, because everyone’s read To Kill a Mockingbird. (Hermione to me is different because there’s such a fandom around HP.)
You have three solid options, so I can see why this is hard.
[name_m]Jacob[/name_m] is solid, classic and versatile and I think it would sound fine with a B surname.
[name_u]Holden[/name_u] is gentle yet cool and I wouldn’t personally assume it came from [name_m]Catcher[/name_m] in the [name_u]Rye[/name_u].
[name_u]Brooks[/name_u] is so cool and handsome - modern yet it feels well-established. While not super popular, it has been used consistently in the US since the early 1900s.
I think [name_u]Holden[/name_u] [name_u]Lee[/name_u] is my fave, followed by [name_u]Brooks[/name_u]
Jacob-I agree that this is a beautiful name. It’s a great balance of gentle kindness and rugged outdoorsy. It is pretty popular, but a little less so now than ten years ago. The ‘b’ thing would bug me as well, but I maybe wouldn’t let it be a deal breaker if this was ‘the one’, you know?
Holden-I totally feel you with the [name_m]Catcher[/name_m] in the [name_u]Rye[/name_u] thing. It is a really lovely name. Similar vibe to [name_m]Jacob[/name_m], actually. Gentle yet masculine. But I would personally be nervous to use it because of the book association. I used to love the book as a teenager, but as an adult it feels really hipster-y to use the name [name_u]Holden[/name_u].
Brooks-I feel like you’re right on the money with this name being trendy. I really think that it is sort of a name of the decade situation. That doesn’t make it unusable though. It’s not unpleasant sounding. It’s simple & kind of cowboy-y & kind of sporty. Our neighbors named their baby this after the golfer specifically, which I found sort of weird…but if you just like the name, then go for it. There’s nothing inherently wrong about it. And I think that [name_u]Brooks[/name_u] with a ‘B’ last name might sound pretty cool.
I really love [name_u]Holden[/name_u]. I wouldn’t assume someone who named their child this was a literary buff, but as a fan of that novel, I do think [name_u]Holden[/name_u] is a nice character to share a name with. He’s not always great, but he tries to be a caring brother and has a wonderfully intricate outlook on his world (so far as I remember from reading the novel a few years back)!
[name_u]Holden[/name_u] is a solid, warm, and special name. Not too popular, but heard of and really cool. Kind of has an edge to it, ur only the littlest bit. I’d be over the moon to meet a [name_u]Holden[/name_u]! Feels like a sunny day in the forest, and a picnic on the hillside! That name just really sparkles to me.
Plus, [name_u]Holden[/name_u] [name_u]Lee[/name_u] is a brilliant combination.
I would eliminate Jacob based on how it sounds with you surname (and it is just so common). Of the other two, Brooks would be my personal favorite! I know a Brooks who is in his 30s, so it doesn’t seem overly modern or trendy to me!
I like [name_u]Brooks[/name_u] the best, cool but calm vibes. Maybe if you can find a middle you love with [name_u]Brooks[/name_u] it would help you decide?
I understand your concern about the Bs running together with [name_m]Jacob[/name_m]. For me, that would be a deal breaker, but that’s just me. A friend named her son [name_m]Gabe[/name_m], just [name_m]Gabe[/name_m], and their surname begins with B. It bothers me a little.
I like [name_u]Holden[/name_u]. It feels on-trend but also has history. I think it’s less likely to be associated with the 2020s than [name_u]Brooks[/name_u], which is a cool name, but does feel tied to now.
I appreciate the timeless quality of [name_m]Jacob[/name_m], and [name_m]Jacob[/name_m] [name_u]Lee[/name_u] sounds great, and I don’t think [name_m]Jacob[/name_m] B. is too big of a problem. [name_m]Jacob[/name_m] & [name_u]June[/name_u] would be a sweet sibset someday. But you’d have to ask yourself if you’d want all children’s names to start with J. In that case, I would, but you may not.
I love the name [name_u]Brooks[/name_u], but then you have [name_u]Brooks[/name_u] B., so you have to decide if that bugs you, and then you are planning to pick a different middle name, too. [name_f]Do[/name_f] you have a good runner-up in that area? Are you doing family/honor names in the middle?
[name_u]Holden[/name_u] [name_u]Lee[/name_u] B. sounds like a compromise, maybe. There isn’t really any flaw, and you don’t have to change any plans. I do think it has a trendy quality, but it’s been quietly around for awhile. I do think of [name_m]Catcher[/name_m] In The [name_u]Rye[/name_u], but the name itself is popular enough that I don’t think everyone would.
[name_f]My[/name_f] favorite is [name_m]Jacob[/name_m], but I think they all have pros.
Thank you for your thoughts on the popularity issue! I agree and generally advise people the same way, but was having trouble heeding my own advice You’ve also hit the nail on the head with your suggestions. Some really beautiful names, most of which we sadly cannot use for one reason or another
Thanks, I do love [name_u]Holden[/name_u] [name_u]Lee[/name_u]! As well as [name_u]Rhys[/name_u], [name_m]Raphael[/name_m], and [name_u]Alden[/name_u] from your list We did briefly discuss [name_m]Raphael[/name_m] but something about it feels too… luxurious? worldly? for us. It sure is lovely though.
Thank you for your thoughts on the literary connection! That makes a lot of sense and I agree. Although I do associate [name_u]Scout[/name_u] pretty strongly with TKAM, [name_m]Atticus[/name_m] feels more established as a name outside of the novel. I’m not sure where [name_u]Holden[/name_u] falls on that spectrum, but I’m hoping it’s the latter
Out of your top 3 I think [name_m]Jacob[/name_m] is the best one. [name_u]Brooks[/name_u] I think will end up a bit dated and the double b sound might be a bit much.
[name_u]Holden[/name_u] definitely makes me think catcher in the rye and I’ve never read it. There’s just this weird unpleasantness to it for me too but that’s a just a personal thing.
[name_m]Jacob[/name_m] is common but it likely won’t be super dated, everyone will know how to say and spell it and there’s a couple built in nicknames.
You also might like [name_m]Caleb[/name_m]? Similar sound to [name_m]Jacob[/name_m] but a little less common and is feels similarly soft but strong to me which you like.
[name_u]Brooks[/name_u] [name_u]William[/name_u] is actually what we had decided if we went with [name_u]Brooks[/name_u]! I should have mentioned that before. [name_u]William[/name_u] doesn’t have any special meaning or family connection for us like [name_u]Lee[/name_u] does, which feels like a slight drawback, but it just sounds so handsome with [name_u]Brooks[/name_u].
Yes the B thing bugs me. I just can’t decide if it is in fact a deal breaker. No one around me seems to think it matters, but then again they don’t obsess over names the way I do haha! For [name_m]Gabe[/name_m] it would definitely be a deal breaker, because it leaves just the one syllable.
Thank you!
). [name_u]Holden[/name_u] is a character name from a familiar novel, but it’s one that many people have read that I think the “oooh, LITERARY” effect is diluted. It’s also a name that fits in with current naming trends. It’s not connected with a rabid fandom, and it doesn’t sound obscure or snobby. It’s like [name_u]Scout[/name_u] or [name_m]Atticus[/name_m] from To Kill a Mockingbird. I wouldn’t make a bunch of assumptions about the kind of family a [name_u]Scout[/name_u] or [name_m]Atticus[/name_m] is from, because everyone’s read To Kill a Mockingbird. (Hermione to me is different because there’s such a fandom around HP.)