I am really loving the name [name_m]Galloway[/name_m] [name_u]Marion[/name_u] right now for baby boy, mostly because [name_m]Louis[/name_m] L’Amour has played such an important role in our family culture. I have two nephews with [name_m]Louis[/name_m] L’Amour character names, [name_m]Lando[/name_m] and [name_m]Orrin[/name_m]. It makes my dad so happy when we pick L’Amour names. Besides the L’Amour significance, [name_m]Galloway[/name_m] just sounds playful and fun to me.
All my kids have family middles. [name_u]Marion[/name_u] is my grandfather’s middle name. It is also the name of my husband’s ancestor, [name_u]Francis[/name_u] [name_u]Marion[/name_u]–better known as the Swamp [name_m]Fox[/name_m]. He was a famous Revolutionary War hero. It doesn’t hurt that [name_u]Marion[/name_u] is [name_m]John[/name_m] [name_m]Wayne[/name_m]'s real name. 
Yes, I do come from a farming family. I think most boys would find all those connections worth the girlish tint to the name.
The only other name I’m really liking right now is [name_m]Noble[/name_m] [name_u]Marion[/name_u]. I like [name_m]Noble[/name_m] because it is the last name of a really awesome ancestor of mine. However, I love really fun, mischievous sounding boy names and [name_m]Noble[/name_m] doesn’t really match that image.
[name_f]My[/name_f] other boys are Cowen [name_m]Timothy[/name_m], [name_m]Eli[/name_m] [name_m]Wilford[/name_m], and [name_m]Oskar[/name_m] [name_m]John[/name_m]. ([name_m]Oskar[/name_m] with a ‘k’ to honor our [name_m]German[/name_m] heritage.)
I just can’t find any boy names that evoke the feeling I like my boy names to have. Oh, except [name_u]Roscoe[/name_u]. [name_u]LOVE[/name_u] [name_u]ROSCOE[/name_u], but I think it is too close to [name_m]Oskar[/name_m].
Is [name_m]Galloway[/name_m] too far out there?
Hmm… It’s far too place-namey for me and I don’t think it fits with your other boy’s names.
If [name_m]Galloway[/name_m] doesn’t fit my boy names or is too far out there (although I like it with Cowen because they are both Irish), than what about [name_m]Whitman[/name_m]? I like the shortened [name_u]Whit[/name_u]. However, we never, ever, ever call our kids by nicknames so having a nickname I plan on using seems a little weird.
[name_m]Whitman[/name_m], nn [name_u]Whit[/name_u], is nice and miles better than [name_m]Galloway[/name_m] (which is only a place and a sort of cattle for me - if I met brothers Cowen and [name_m]Galloway[/name_m] I’d be wondering if the parents were cow fanatics or something). [name_u]Whitney[/name_u] is also nice.
Definitely don’t go with [name_u]Whitney[/name_u] [name_u]Marion[/name_u], though [name_u]Whitney[/name_u] with another middle might work. [name_m]Whitman[/name_m] has the poetry connection, which is cool. I’m not a huge fan of [name_m]Galloway[/name_m]. It just doesn’t sound like a first name to me.
There are several other [name_m]Louis[/name_m] L’Amour names, though some are more oridinary, like [name_m]William[/name_m]. That said, [name_m]William[/name_m] has a lot of great, boyish nicknames.
jackal–I looked up the [name_m]Galloway[/name_m] cows because I didn’t realize it was a breed and they are the oreo cows! Have to admit, that kind of adds to the coolness factor for me. It reminds me of all the 12 hour drives from [name_u]Utah[/name_u] to [name_f]Canada[/name_f] (where I am from) with Dad pointing out all the different cows and telling us their breeds.
There are tons of awesome [name_m]Louis[/name_m] L’Amour names but I’d like to stay within the Sackett family. I think a lot of the Sackett names should be more popular.
Jublain (goes by [name_m]Jubal[/name_m])–I had a student named [name_m]Jubal[/name_m] and he was NOT cowboy inclined and didn’t like that he was named after a western novel
Tell (full name is [name_m]William[/name_m] Tell)–my favorite character, but our one syllable last name rules it out
Parmalee–just plain cool
[name_m]Nolan[/name_m]–another name we’ve tossed around that is actually in use now
[name_u]Logan[/name_u]–great name, but not for us
[name_m]Barnabas[/name_m]–nms
[name_m]Ivo[/name_m]–the original Sackett, [name_m]Barnabas[/name_m]'s dad
Yance–I actually really like this one, but my husband does not
[name_m]Tyrel[/name_m]–nms
[name_m]Orrin[/name_m]–my sister used it
[name_m]Lando[/name_m] (full name is [name_m]Orlando[/name_m])–a different sister used it
Kin-[name_m]Ring[/name_m]–cool, but a pain to have a dash in a name
[name_m]Brian[/name_m]–a little boring
[name_u]Falcon[/name_u]–nms
Flagan–reminds me of alcohol
[name_m]Mordecai[/name_m]–another of my favorite characters although there isn’t a whole book devoted to him; I’ve tried for years to get my hubby to agree to this one and he will not get on board.
sparrowfinch, I have a nephew named [name_m]Will[/name_m], so that is out.