First baby is a boy! Can’t decide on a name…

Boy Names
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First baby is a boy! Struggling with a First name…

We’re having our first in September & recently found out it’s a boy! :blue_heart: We are super excited, but we had a TON of girl names we loved but boy names have been hard :confused:

Our last name is hard because it’s very short & starts with D (think Dahl) so we’ve ruled out some names that we like because we feel like they don’t flow. I’m torn between a classic name that will stand the test of time but also don’t want it to be super boring/popular… Our current short list is below:

• James (we like it but worried it’s too common/boring, & we don’t like Jim, Jimmy, or Jamie)

• Jaxon, called Jax or Jack (worried that Jack Dahl doesn’t flow great, also worried about all the Jacks and Jacksons running around)

• Luke (Luke Dahl… doesn’t flow?)

• William, called Will (Will Dahl… too many L sounds?)

• Harrison (worried about being called Harry or Har, & we don’t LOVE it)

As you can see, we are really struggling over here… luckily we have til September to come up with a name! Curious what you guys think of these names here & if there’s any other names you think might fit what we’re looking for!

Edit: our top girl name is Charlotte, & I think we will use it for our first girl whenever she comes :slight_smile:

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Congratulations! You have a lot of great choices.

[name_m]James[/name_m] - is very common. Maybe [name_m]Jameson[/name_m] - nn [name_m]Sonny[/name_m].

[name_m]Jaxon[/name_m]. I prefer [name_m]Jackson[/name_m]. I think [name_m]Jack[/name_m] [name_m]Dahl[/name_m] is a handsome name.

[name_m]Luke[/name_m] - s strong short name. I love [name_m]Luke[/name_m], my son’s name. I don’t think there is a problem with the flow but you will add a middle that will change the flow.

[name_m]William[/name_m] and [name_m]Harrison[/name_m] my least favorite but I feel would make great middle names.
Other suggestions:
[name_m]Beckham[/name_m]
[name_m]Callum[/name_m]
[name_m]Camden[/name_m]
[name_m]Max[/name_m]
[name_m]Oliver[/name_m]
[name_m]Parker[/name_m]
[name_m]Rowan[/name_m]

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Congrats! [name_m]Boy[/name_m] names are hard. It might take some pressure off to remember that a name is just something we identify people with. And going timeless is a great way to ensure the moniker you choose will be serviceable.

Sometimes it also helps to just go with the name that you can’t-think-of-anything-better-than. For example: “I don’t LOVE ______, but I can’t think of anything I like better.” That is enough.

As far as finding something timeless, try to find a name that hasn’t left the US (or your country’s) Top 1000 since records began to be kept. I imagine there’s a list of these somewhere. Maybe another [name_f]Berry[/name_f] can help. Those are the time-tested, perfectly good names that your boy can be proud to wear.

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congrats! you have a lovely list

james - it’s a classic and popular to us, but is it as popular for kids being born today? he can always have an unexpected nickname. jem, ames, jess, jazz, m

jaxon - now this is more worrisome than james, definitely everywhere english speaking. jack dahl sounds fine to me though. you can always go extreme to the side and do jacques

luke - love. not the best flow, but not the worst. should it be your one favorite name, it could do fine.

william - agree, will dahl is a bit much.

harrison - nn sonny? ari? if he introduces himself by the nickname it should stick, or correcting teachers until he can correct folks himself. but if you don’t love it, don’t stress it.

if you’d like to share your favorite girl names, it could help?

jameson
amos
paxton
exton
daxton
dalton
whittaker
wyatt
hudson
huxley
harris
davis
lincoln
milo
jacob
jaka
caleb

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Congratulations! You seem to prefer short names and they are my favourites too. I feel like names with a long vowel sound can be short but still flow well with a short last name. Think Blake, Reed… Or maybe a longer name with a nickname like Maxwell/Max. I think Blake Dahl and Max Dahl are lovely.

Suggesting….

Euan/Ewen
Torin
Jasper
Griffin
Soren
Marcus
Felix
Reuben

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[name_m]James[/name_m] is my favorite with [name_m]Dahl[/name_m], and I think most Jameses these days don’t go by a nickname, so you wouldn’t have to worry about that. It’s very handsome!

Other ideas, if you’re looking for suggestions:

[name_m]Cameron[/name_m]
[name_m]Christopher[/name_m]
[name_m]Clark[/name_m]
Clarkson
[name_m]Daniel[/name_m]
[name_m]Dillon[/name_m]
[name_m]Elias[/name_m]
[name_m]Elliott[/name_m]
[name_m]Jacob[/name_m]
[name_m]Jake[/name_m]
[name_m]Jay[/name_m]
[name_m]Mitchell[/name_m]
[name_m]Oliver[/name_m]
[name_m]Ryan[/name_m]
[name_m]Tanner[/name_m]
[name_f]Taylor[/name_f]
[name_m]Thomas[/name_m]
[name_m]Trent[/name_m]

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Thanks so much for your response! Our favorite girl name is [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] if that helps :slight_smile:

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There’s absolutely nothing wrong with choosing a classic, timeless name. They’re perennially popular for a reason, which is that they’re great names.

From your list my favourite is [name_m]Luke[/name_m], and I think that it does work with a one-syllable last name. You can always do [name_m]Lucas[/name_m] nn [name_m]Luke[/name_m] if you’re worried about the flow. [name_m]Or[/name_m] perhaps [name_m]Louis[/name_m] or [name_m]Lewis[/name_m] as alternatives?

[name_m]William[/name_m] and [name_m]James[/name_m] are solid, faultless choices. You can get a little creative with nicknames if you like - I like [name_m]Jem[/name_m] for [name_m]James[/name_m] and [name_m]Bill[/name_m] for [name_m]William[/name_m].

I’d probably cross [name_m]Harrison[/name_m] off your list, because I think [name_m]Harry[/name_m] is pretty inevitable.

[name_m]Jaxon[/name_m] is the trendiest of your list (thanks to that “x” spelling). If you decide to go with it, I’d recommend spelling it [name_m]Jackson[/name_m], which I think is likely to age a lot better.

Your list made me think of these names as suggestions:

[name_m]Benjamin[/name_m]
[name_m]Timothy[/name_m]
[name_m]Vincent[/name_m]
[name_m]Jonathan[/name_m]
[name_m]George[/name_m]
[name_m]Anthony[/name_m]
[name_m]Maximilian[/name_m]
[name_m]Robert[/name_m]
[name_m]Julian[/name_m]
[name_m]Simon[/name_m]
[name_m]Victor[/name_m]
[name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Sebastian[/name_m]
[name_m]Hugh[/name_m]
[name_m]Michael[/name_m]
[name_m]Frederick[/name_m]
[name_m]Isaac[/name_m]
[name_m]Peter[/name_m]
[name_m]Gregory[/name_m]
[name_m]Oscar[/name_m]
[name_m]Laurence[/name_m]

These names strike me as being classic and traditional, but perhaps a bit more unexpected than [name_m]James[/name_m] or [name_m]William[/name_m].

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I like [name_m]James[/name_m]. I feel like the youngest Jim/Jimmy I’ve met is 30. The nickname is our of style. There are a lot of Jacks right now!

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[name_f]Love[/name_f] [name_m]Luke[/name_m], I’ve always loved the version [name_m]Lucian[/name_m].

Maybe:
[name_m]Jason[/name_m]
Jacob/Jake
[name_m]Jordan[/name_m]
[name_m]Aaron[/name_m]
[name_m]Justin[/name_m]
[name_m]Emerson[/name_m]
[name_m]Miles[/name_m]
[name_m]Jasper[/name_m]

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[name_m]James[/name_m] is my favorite for you! It’s a timeless and very handsome name. I love @Aren 's nickname ideas.

[name_m]Jaxon[/name_m] is not an intuitive spelling. I believe you will have some troubles with it. You have so many beautiful and classic ideas on your list! I don’t think [name_m]Jaxon[/name_m] shares their vibe or style.

Unfortunately, [name_m]Jack[/name_m] and [name_m]Luke[/name_m] don’t flow well with the surname. They’re great names though…

[name_m]William[/name_m] is a magnificent idea. It sound distintc with D@hl. I agree that [name_m]Will[/name_m] doesn’t go that well, but he can go by [name_m]Will[/name_m] as a nickname and [name_m]William[/name_m] in more formal situations, when his last name is mentioned. [name_f]An[/name_f] alternative is [name_m]Liam[/name_m] as a nickname or full name!

[name_m]Harrison[/name_m] sounds modern yet so traditional at the same time. It’s a very charming name. However, if you dislike [name_m]Harry[/name_m], I won’t incentive you to [name_m]Harrison[/name_m]. Maybe you can keep it as a middle name? Some nickname that you haven’t mentioned are Haz, H, Ari/Ary and [name_m]Sonny[/name_m].

Suggestions:
[name_m]Jared[/name_m]
[name_m]Eric[/name_m]
[name_m]Patrick[/name_m]
[name_m]Emmett[/name_m]
[name_m]Quentin[/name_m]
[name_m]Henry[/name_m]
[name_m]Benedict[/name_m]
[name_m]Edward[/name_m]
[name_m]Jonas[/name_m]
[name_m]Wesley[/name_m]
[name_f]Tatum[/name_f]
[name_m]Percy[/name_m]
[name_m]Cedric[/name_m]
[name_f]Avery[/name_f]
[name_m]Damien[/name_m]
[name_m]Elias[/name_m]
[name_m]Spencer[/name_m]
[name_m]Phineas[/name_m]
[name_m]Xavier[/name_m]
[name_m]Philip[/name_m]
[name_m]Zachary[/name_m]
[name_m]Christian[/name_m]
[name_m]Rafferty[/name_m]
[name_m]Alexander[/name_m], [name_f]Alexis[/name_f] or [name_m]Alec[/name_m]
[name_m]Edgar[/name_m]
[name_m]Maverick[/name_m]
[name_m]Stuart[/name_m]
[name_m]Francis[/name_m]
[name_m]Joshua[/name_m]
[name_m]Bennett[/name_m]
[name_m]Moses[/name_m]
[name_m]David[/name_m]
[name_m]Forest[/name_m]
[name_m]Louis[/name_m]
[name_m]Cooper[/name_m]
[name_m]Stephen[/name_m]

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It can be hard to settle on a style because the style we choose can feel like a statement about us. I usually describe my style as vintage and retro yet when I was expecting our son, I was drawn to traditional names that had never been on my list before.

[name_m]James[/name_m], [name_m]Luke[/name_m] and [name_m]William[/name_m] ‘Will’ are my favourites from your list and feel like natural brothers to [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f]. [name_m]Luke[/name_m] was on my own list so that would be my pick. I also had [name_m]Adam[/name_m], [name_m]John[/name_m] and [name_m]Sam[/name_m] on my list which may appeal to you.

I don’t think [name_m]James[/name_m] will be given nicknames automatically but it’s reasonable to expect the he might choose a nickname when he’s older. I also like the sound of [name_m]Will[/name_m] [name_m]Dahl[/name_m]. I think the flow of names improve once we’re familiar with them and use them a lot. I certainly wouldn’t question it if I heard the name.

I would probably strike [name_m]Jaxon[/name_m] and [name_m]Harrison[/name_m] from your list. [name_m]Jaxon[/name_m] because it sounds like you have more issues with the name than love for it. [name_m]Harrison[/name_m] because [name_m]Harry[/name_m] feels more likely to come up and you’re not really feeling it anyway.

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[name_m]Luke[/name_m] is great - I think it flows fine! [name_m]Lucas[/name_m] D- or [name_m]Luka[/name_m] D- might be alternatives - or [name_m]Lucian[/name_m] D- for something with flair

You might like:

[name_m]Jonah[/name_m] D-
[name_m]Wesley[/name_m] D-
[name_m]Maddox[/name_m] D- ‘Max’
[name_m]Sullivan[/name_m] D- ‘Sully’
[name_m]Caleb[/name_m] D-
[name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] D- ‘Nate’
[name_m]Oscar[/name_m] D-
[name_m]Jacob[/name_m] D- ‘Jake’
[name_m]Isaac[/name_m] D-
[name_m]Thomas[/name_m] D- ‘Tommy’ ‘Tom’
[name_m]Cassian[/name_m] D-
[name_m]Nicholas[/name_m] D- ‘Nick’ ‘Nico’
[name_m]Zachary[/name_m] D- ‘Zac’

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charlotte “dahl” sounds great!

i assume you’re not into charles or charlie?
lachlan comes to mind. harlan, hart, chester, arlo, benjamin?

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[name_m]William[/name_m]. [name_m]Or[/name_m] [name_m]Oliver[/name_m] or [name_m]Xavier[/name_m].

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I love the name [name_m]James[/name_m], it’s classic, timeless and I don’t think boring at all. I’d be tempted if your first choice for a girl is [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], to stick with a classic first name for your boy and maybe something more fun for the middle to give balance / options. I also think [name_m]William[/name_m] and [name_m]Luke[/name_m] pair well, don’t worry about the additional ‘Ls’. You could always go for [name_m]Lucas[/name_m] / [name_m]Luca[/name_m] if you want a spin on [name_m]Luke[/name_m]. [name_m]Or[/name_m] [name_m]Liam[/name_m] as a nn for [name_m]William[/name_m] if [name_m]Will[/name_m] is not your cup of tea.

[name_m]Boy[/name_m] names that I think go well with [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] outside of [name_m]James[/name_m], [name_m]William[/name_m] and [name_m]Luke[/name_m]:

[name_m]Oliver[/name_m] (my first thought)
[name_m]Oscar[/name_m]
[name_m]Henry[/name_m]
[name_m]Maxwell[/name_m]
[name_m]Sebastian[/name_m]
[name_m]Alexander[/name_m]
[name_m]Thomas[/name_m]

I’d be tempted to stick with [name_m]James[/name_m] though - I also wouldn’t worry about the nns as I think [name_m]James[/name_m] isn’t intuitively shortened, so you’ll be fine :slight_smile:

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I’m back, and we’re in luck! Nameberry does have an article for the list of boy names always in the Top 1000!

Here are some that stood out to me:

[name_m]Ellis[/name_m]

[name_m]Franklin[/name_m]

[name_m]Dean[/name_m]

[name_m]Adrian[/name_m]

[name_m]Austin[/name_m]

[name_f]Avery[/name_f]

[name_m]Cyrus[/name_m]

[name_m]Dallas[/name_m]

[name_m]Davis[/name_m]

[name_m]Elliott[/name_m]

[name_m]Emmett[/name_m]

[name_m]Everett[/name_m]

[name_m]Evan[/name_m]

[name_m]Garrett[/name_m]

[name_f]Harley[/name_f]

[name_m]Jasper[/name_m]

[name_m]Jesse[/name_m]

[name_m]Julian[/name_m]

[name_m]Levi[/name_m]

[name_m]Oliver[/name_m]

[name_m]Philip[/name_m]

[name_m]Preston[/name_m]

[name_m]Spencer[/name_m]

[name_m]Sterling[/name_m]

[name_m]Wade[/name_m]

[name_m]Warren[/name_m]

[name_m]Wesley[/name_m]

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Congratulations on your baby boy!

Gosh naming is hard full stop I found naming my daughter so hard. I think going with a name that you can envision either yourself or your partner being called helps. For example I love [name_f]Meadow[/name_f] could I personally pull of being called Meadow…no so I’ve moved on from this choice. Going with a classic name works wonders they are so transitional, universal and strong. I also find classics really underused nowadays. At my daughter’s nursery you’re more likely to be called [name_m]Maverick[/name_m] than [name_m]Robert[/name_m]! You’ve got a great list try not to doubt your style :two_hearts:

[name_m]James[/name_m] is a lovely choice, well rounded and strong. He will stand the test of time. In all honestly I’ve never met a [name_m]James[/name_m] with the nickname Jim/Jimmy/Jamie they are all either just named [name_m]Jamie[/name_m] or [name_m]Jimmy[/name_m] or alternatively just called [name_m]James[/name_m]. A cooler nickname could be [name_m]Jem[/name_m].
Suggestions: [name_m]Jacob[/name_m], [name_m]Jameson[/name_m], [name_m]Joshua[/name_m], [name_m]Josiah[/name_m] + [name_m]Joseph[/name_m]

[name_m]Jaxon[/name_m] feels very [name_f]Americana[/name_f] very cowboy very modern but I do strongly prefer [name_m]Jackson[/name_m]. I find the X a little try hard here. [name_m]Jack[/name_m] [name_m]Dahl[/name_m] sounds handsome. I actually prefer just [name_m]Jack[/name_m].
Suggestions: [name_m]Paxton[/name_m], [name_m]Maddox[/name_m], [name_m]Phoenix[/name_m] + [name_m]Jacques[/name_m]

[name_m]Luke[/name_m] is a handsome biblical classic that is tailored and down to earth. You really can’t go wrong with [name_m]Luke[/name_m]. I also think he sounds good with [name_m]Dahl[/name_m].
Suggestions: [name_m]Luca[/name_m], [name_m]Elliott[/name_m], [name_m]Oliver[/name_m], [name_m]Lucas[/name_m], [name_m]Nathan[/name_m] + [name_m]Ethan[/name_m]

[name_m]William[/name_m] is such a lovely classic that feels handsome, down to earth and sophisticated all the same time. [name_m]William[/name_m] [name_m]Dahl[/name_m] feels very gentlemanly. I think [name_m]Will[/name_m] [name_m]Dahl[/name_m] feels a little L heavy would you consider [name_m]Liam[/name_m] as a nickname I think having the L at the start breaks up the sounds and [name_m]Liam[/name_m] is a lovely nickname.
Suggestions: [name_m]Nathanael[/name_m], [name_m]Alexander[/name_m], [name_m]Christopher[/name_m] + [name_m]Sebastian[/name_m]

[name_m]Harrison[/name_m] is a lovely name very boyish and handsome. [name_f]Every[/name_f] [name_m]Harrison[/name_m] I know has just been called [name_m]Harrison[/name_m] so I wouldn’t worry too much about the nicknames you could also push for [name_m]Sonny[/name_m] which again feels intuitive just like [name_m]Harry[/name_m]. However you don’t love the name so I would probably scrap as this is the only name you’ve openly said you don’t love.
Suggestions: [name_m]Hudson[/name_m], [name_m]Holden[/name_m], [name_m]Beckett[/name_m], [name_m]Harvey[/name_m], [name_m]Judson[/name_m], [name_m]Mason[/name_m] + [name_m]Logan[/name_m]

[name_f]Hope[/name_f] this helps

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I love [name_m]Harrison[/name_m]. While I think [name_m]Harry[/name_m] is an adorable nn- if you dont- I think you can avoid [name_m]Harry[/name_m] just as easily as you can [name_m]Jimmy[/name_m]!

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I think we’ve decided to use either [name_m]James[/name_m] or [name_m]Luke[/name_m]. We absolutely love both of these names, & if we ever have another son, we will probably use whichever one we don’t use this time!

In your opinion, if you think of both as siblings, which name goes better as the older one?