So, I just [name]LOVE[/name] the name [name]Henry[/name] and no amount of searching outside the top 100 (as well as everywhere else on earth) has convinced me that there is a better name out there for our baby!
So, assuming we do go for it, we’d like a fresh sounding, upbeat middle name to balance the old man charm of [name]Henry[/name]. By “fresh” I don’t necessarily mean modern and I don’t want a surname-type name as my maiden name will be the second middle name so that’s enough surnames for one baby I think!
We went with a Welsh middle name with literary heritage for our daughter to both honour DH’s side of the family and represent our love of literature. Trouble is, with a few notable exceptions (see below), I’m not so keen on Welsh names for boys.
L names are out (sadly) as my DH doesn’t like them with our L surname.
Here are the middle names that we have been considering to give you an idea of our taste:
[name]Evan[/name] (love it but it REALLY honours DH’s family and he doesn’t want to do that this time)
[name]Austin[/name] (see above)
[name]Alexander[/name]
[name]Gabriel[/name] (our other first name contender)
[name]Owen[/name]
[name]Vaughan[/name] (I love this, DH does not - boo!)
Some other suggestions would be very gratefully received, thank you!
I’m a little confused. A fresh middle for [name]Henry[/name] and a Welsh middle for a girl? Or a boy? I’ll go with boys names since we’re in the boy forum. So a fresh, potentially Welsh name for [name]Henry[/name].
[name]Dylan[/name] [name]Thomas[/name] comes to mind as a person who is both Welsh and literary. He evan has two first names!
[name]Henry[/name] [name]Dylan[/name]
[name]Henry[/name] [name]Thomas[/name] (Like this one better, but not as distinctively Welsh)
[name]Henry[/name] [name]Ellis[/name] (Very fresh, Welsh, and literary: i.e. [name]Bret[/name] [name]Easton[/name] [name]Ellis[/name] [who I hate, but whatever], [name]Ralph[/name] [name]Ellis[/name][on], and apparently there are Ellises who are writers by the names [name]Mark[/name], [name]Walter[/name], and [name]Royston[/name])
[name]Henry[/name] [name]Morgan[/name]
[name]Henry[/name] [name]Davies[/name] (pronounced [name]Davis[/name] and ubiquitous in [name]Wales[/name])
[name]Henry[/name] [name]Gareth[/name] (of legend)
[name]Henry[/name] [name]Gawaine[/name]
I am only looking for boys’ middle names, I just mentioned our daughter’s Welsh middle name to show what we have already done as some Berries find it useful to know the family naming style. Though as I mentioned Welshness isn’t such an important part of the criteria this time around.
We were just discussing [name]Dylan[/name] funnily enough as I love [name]Dylan[/name] [name]Thomas[/name].
Thanks for your other suggestions. I think [name]Thomas[/name] lacks the freshness we are looking for and [name]Davies[/name] is predominantly a surname so that’s out. [name]Morgan[/name], [name]Gareth[/name] and [name]Gawain[/name] aren’t our style but [name]Ellis[/name] has potential!
I went with shorter names since I know you are planning a second middle. My cousin has [name]Margaret[/name] and [name]Elizabeth[/name] as her two middles and her name just goes on forever. I also like [name]Henry[/name] [name]Lloyd[/name] or [name]Sebastian[/name] from PP’s list. (note: [name]Harry[/name] [name]Lloyd[/name] is an up and coming British Actor)
Emmabobemma I really like [name]Emmanuel[/name] and [name]Lloyd[/name] from your list but DH is funny about L names unfortunately and I probably wouldn’t get [name]Emmanuel[/name] past him either.
Aha Sparrowfinch, now it makes sense! As [name]Lori[/name] mentioned below our little girl is [name]Agatha[/name] [name]Arwen[/name] I like [name]Henry[/name] [name]Silas[/name] from your list but I’m not sure about two “old man” names together.
[name]Lori[/name] I was wondering about a double H name to go with [name]Agatha[/name]’s double A name. I really like [name]Henry[/name] [name]Hugo[/name] but DH does not. Well actually, he said he didn’t like [name]Hugo[/name] when I just suggested it then but three weeks ago when we were discussing first names he put it on his list!! Fickle pickle.
He likes [name]Patrick[/name] as both a first and mn and since I’m due in [name]March[/name] I thought we could go with [name]Patrick[/name] if the baby is born on 17th but otherwise I’m not 100% about it.
I’m quite tempted to go with literary initials (as with A.A. which is a little nod to A.A. Milne) so was thinking that H.G. (a nod to H.G. [name]Wells[/name]) might be good. It’s not a requirement of course, just a nice way to link our children’s names and our love of literature.
Oh and I forgot to mention that Henry Cy is also a possibility to honour my Dad
Emmabobemma I really like [name]Emmanuel[/name] and [name]Lloyd[/name] from your list but DH is funny about L names unfortunately and I probably wouldn’t get [name]Emmanuel[/name] past him either.
Aha Sparrowfinch, now it makes sense! As [name]Lori[/name] mentioned below our little girl is [name]Agatha[/name] [name]Arwen[/name] I like [name]Henry[/name] [name]Silas[/name] from your list but I’m not sure about two “old man” names together.
[name]Lori[/name] I was wondering about a double H name to go with [name]Agatha[/name]’s double A name. I really like [name]Henry[/name] [name]Hugo[/name] but DH does not. Well actually, he said he didn’t like [name]Hugo[/name] when I just suggested it then but three weeks ago when we were discussing first names he put it on his list!! Fickle pickle.
He likes [name]Patrick[/name] as both a first and mn and since I’m due in [name]March[/name] I thought we could go with [name]Patrick[/name] if the baby is born on 17th but otherwise I’m not 100% about it.
I’m quite tempted to go with literary initials (as with A.A. which is a little nod to A.A. Milne) so was thinking that H.G. (a nod to H.G. [name]Wells[/name]) might be good. It’s not a requirement of course, just a nice way to link our children’s names and our love of literature.
Oh and I forgot to mention that [name]Henry[/name] [name]Cy[/name] is also a possibility to honour my Dad
Oh ClaireLondon I’m glad to hear you say that, I do love [name]Gabriel[/name] so much.
I love [name]Benedict[/name] and [name]Ferdinand[/name] from your list. [name]Benedict[/name] has been on our first name list and I wanted to consider [name]Ferdinand[/name] as a fn but DH wasn’t keen, he might consider it for a mn though.
What do Berries think of [name]Henry[/name] [name]Augustus[/name]?
[name]Henry[/name] [name]Augustus[/name] is amazing.
I think the assonance in [name]Henry[/name] [name]Benedict[/name] and [name]Henry[/name] [name]Ferdinand[/name] appeals to me because of how great it sounds in [name]Agatha[/name] [name]Arwen[/name].
I’m 100% confident your boy is going to be beautifully named whatever you choose.
I think [name]Henry[/name] with [name]Agatha[/name] is absolute perfection! They sound so amazing together I can’t even think of a better name to go with your daughter’s.
With [name]Agatha[/name] [name]Arwen[/name], I think [name]Henry[/name] [name]Augustus[/name] is superb. I like the opposite yet matching syllable count in these names.
If not [name]Augustus[/name], I think some 4 syllable middles would also work well - [name]Alexander[/name], [name]Sebastian[/name], [name]Nathaniel[/name]. Good [name]Luck[/name]!
Here are some fun, fresh, double Hs which I think match your taste:
[name]Henry[/name] [name]Hadrian[/name]
[name]Henry[/name] [name]Holden[/name]
[name]Henry[/name] [name]Hamish[/name]
[name]Henry[/name] [name]Harlan[/name]
[name]Henry[/name] [name]Hawthorne[/name] (literary via [name]Nathaniel[/name])
[name]Henry[/name] [name]Heath[/name] (as in [name]Cliff[/name])
[name]Henry[/name] [name]Horatio[/name]
[name]Henry[/name] [name]Hugh[/name]
[name]Henry[/name] [name]Hughes[/name] (as in [name]Ted[/name] [name]Hughes[/name]-- this is a surname, but just barely!)
Thanks so much for the compliment avesnames, I really feel [name]Henry[/name] is right for us and its reassuring to know others think it’s a good fit.
And thank you everyone for your excellent feedback and suggestions. I took my phone out over lunch and read all your opinions to DH.
He really likes the idea of [name]Cy[/name] to honour my Dad (they have a great relationship) but is wondering whether a three or four syllable name would be better to balance two syllable [name]Henry[/name] and our one syllable last name. I wonder about the same thing.
He is keen on [name]Alexander[/name] as it’s a name we have always both really liked but it doesn’t have significance for me in the way [name]Cy[/name] or [name]Gabriel[/name] do (or indeed our DD’s middle name does). That said, neither does [name]Augustus[/name] but its really cool
The H.H. combo is pretty cool, I like [name]Henry[/name] [name]Hawthorne[/name] best but it means he’ll have three surnames and I just can’t do it. [name]Henry[/name] [name]Hadrian[/name] would be fitting as the place I am from has [name]Hadrian[/name]'s ([name]Roman[/name]) wall running through it but it doesn’t flow as well as I’d like unfortunately.
Though as I mentioned Welshness isn’t such an important part of the criteria this time around.