Our precious baby boy arrived two weeks ago. [name_m]Just[/name_m] as I dreaded, we still don’t have a name for him I just can’t seem to make my mind up and am trying desperately to find a name that suits him as well as matching the naming style of his big sister, [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f]. It seems to be an impossible feat and being a perfectionist isn’t helping.
I REALLY need your help with this. I’ve been really down about not being able to call my sweet boy by his name. Nothing feels right.
Our shortlist:
[name_m]Harrison[/name_m] (our surname starts with H so I’m not sure about this. I’m also not really a fan of surname names as first names)
[name_m]Oscar[/name_m] - I’ve managed to get hubby on board! But now I’m second guessing myself. Is it too ‘harsh’ sounding?
Maybe [name_m]Oliver[/name_m] but I worry about its popularity
•I fell madly in love with [name_m]Hugo[/name_m] just before he was born but my husband has a serious aversion to it.
• Archer was a front runner leading up to the birth, but when I say this name out loud I’m realising that I really don’t like its sound. Maybe it’s the strong ‘ch’ sound. It also feels too trendy for what I’m searching for.
I love offbeat, vintage/old fashioned, retro, hipster names that aren’t too overused. Another problem I’m finding is that I’m not readily fond of many boys names. If this baby was a girl I could have named her in a heartbeat.
I don’t care much for [name_m]Harrison[/name_m] or [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] but I do think either [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] or [name_m]Oliver[/name_m] works great with [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f].
Boy names are tough for me, too. Take a deep breath. You’ll find the right name.
This is a super personal question that you do not have to share on the internet… it’s more of a question to ruminate over in your own mind. What was his birth story? My daughter’s birth was… insane. I tell people that it felt like I had to rip open the universe to make space for her. Her name means, “Mighty in battle.” It was/ is the right name for her. The way they’re born says so much about them.
Our lists are similar (my husband is obsessed with the name [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f]). He liked [name_m]Archer[/name_m], but I shot it down. I love [name_m]Hugo[/name_m], but husband won’t cooperate. Other names we’ve talked about are [name_u]Arlo[/name_u] (top contender), [name_m]Atlas[/name_m], [name_m]Wilder[/name_m], [name_m]Orson[/name_m], [name_m]Felix[/name_m], [name_m]Cassius[/name_m]/ [name_m]Casper[/name_m], [name_u]Alden[/name_u], and [name_u]August[/name_u]. With [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f], I think [name_m]Orson[/name_m] would be a sweet match.
[name_f]Hope[/name_f] you’re healing and resting. Soak up those intoxicating newborn vibes… You know him better than anyone else in the world, even if you don’t know his name yet.
Oh no, you poor thing!! Hopefully you find a name soon!! I’m sticking my original I helped and voted on,
[name_m]Harrison[/name_m]. Unless you really dislike aliterate names then don’t but I think it’s cool. It goes really well with [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] and is kind of offbeat, vintage (the style you prefer), to me at least. It also matches syllables, something you might not care about, but something I love!! With what you are saying as the last name as first name thing, I, personally, have never met someone with the last name [name_m]Harrison[/name_m], so it wouldn’t be a problem. If you have, and speak/see the person often but don’t particularly want to honor them, then don’t. [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] is cute but just doesn’t work [name_f]IMO[/name_f]. [name_m]Oliver[/name_m] isn’t the style you’re looking for.
[name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] & [name_m]Harrison[/name_m] make a great sibset!!!
I can’t thank you enough! I really needed to read your response Your words have calmed me and reminded me that his name will come if I just relax. I’ve got to stop being consumed by this. What you said about reflecting on his birth story makes so much sense. I’m going to focus on that and see what I come up with…
Thank you for sharing your list with me & for coming up with suggestions. I really like [name_m]Atlas[/name_m] but my husband is much more conservative in his taste for names so he would never okay this one. Although I thought that [name_u]Arlo[/name_u] was the perfect substitute for [name_m]Archer[/name_m], when I brought up the name just days ago he vetoed it. [name_m]Orson[/name_m] was also suggested to me in a previous thread but I can’t stop hearing ‘awesome’ when I say it. I love [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] but my husband says it’s too much of a fairy tale name. He grew up playing football and he’s all for what he considers to be ‘masculine’ names. I’m finding it difficult & frustrating trying to reach some kind of middle ground with him!
Thank you again for your kind words, your calmness and reassurance. Congratulations on your beautiful girl!
When we look at this little baby it is often difficult to imagine a “grownup” name for him but rest assured, he will grow into it and own his name. I really like [name_m]Harrison[/name_m] and depending on your last name, alliteration can make a name memorable in a good way. If you love [name_m]Oliver[/name_m] go for it as it is a lovely name. Maybe you would like [name_m]Otto[/name_m] as it reminds me of [name_m]Oscar[/name_m].
I think [name_m]Harrison[/name_m] & [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] are both handsome names that sound & look great with [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f]! As for [name_m]Harrison[/name_m] being a last name, if you use it, it’ll just become your precious boy’s name & you’ll likely forget that was even a hold back.
Other suggestions:
[name_m]Henry[/name_m], [name_m]Jonathan[/name_m], [name_m]Simon[/name_m], [name_u]Everett[/name_u], [name_u]Emmett[/name_u], [name_m]Milo[/name_m].
From your list, I love [name_m]Oliver[/name_m] and [name_m]Harrison[/name_m]. I think both fit neatly with [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] with sweet vintage charm, but still sound masculine. They also both have multiple syllables, like [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f], and no hard sounds, like [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f]. Either would be a great fit in about as many ways as I can think of.
I wouldn’t worry too much about popularity or alliteration. Try to let that go. No matter what you name your baby, someone else will do it, too. For example: My nephew’s name is [name_m]Teague[/name_m] [name_m]Aaron[/name_m] W, what I thought would be an absolute one of a kind. Well, he went to 1st grade with a little [name_m]Teague[/name_m] [name_f]Erin[/name_f] W. My daughter is [name_f]Alyssa[/name_f] [name_f]Nicole[/name_f] B, and she met a little [name_f]Alyssa[/name_f] [name_f]Nicole[/name_f] B in her 2nd grade class. My cousin named her son [name_m]Griffin[/name_m], thinking it was unique and singular for her son, then got mad when she met another little [name_m]Griffin[/name_m] before her son turned 1. My sister in law named her son [name_m]Arthur[/name_m], after the king, then got her feathers ruffled when a hipster at her church named her boy [name_m]Arthur[/name_m]. Unless you invent a name, one way or another there will be another. As for the alliteration, I think it could go one of two ways: if the name doesn’t sound like a nursery rhyme or comic book, ([name_f]Scarlet[/name_f] Swallow, [name_m]Jimmy[/name_m] [name_u]James[/name_u]), then it can lend harmony and rhythm ([name_f]Sara[/name_f] Swallow, [name_m]Jack[/name_m] [name_u]Jameson[/name_u]).
Good luck! Choosing a great name isn’t always easy, but you’ve got a great list and I’m confident you’ll make a great choice.
Oh wow, [name_m]Reuben[/name_m] and [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] is also really kicky! In terms of popularity [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] is right in line with [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f], but stylistically you can’t go wrong with either [name_m]Reuben[/name_m] or [name_m]Oscar[/name_m].
First of all: congratulations! ”
Second, out of the names you chose, I like [name_m]Harrison[/name_m] the best! It’s a personal favorite of mine, but I think it goes well with [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f].
[name_m]Oscar[/name_m] does not sound too harsh at all. [name_m]Oliver[/name_m] is a cute name, but it is incredibly overused.
[name_m]Rueben[/name_m] isn’t a favorite of mine, but if it’s a name your and your husband are on board with, its worth considering!
[name_m]Hugo[/name_m] is also a name I’m drawn to, but maybe as a middle name?
It should be a name that you like, so even if it is a very popular name, you can still use it. My all time favorite girls name is [name_f]Isabella[/name_f], and I probably won’t use it because every other girl is named [name_f]Isabella[/name_f], it seems! But I say use what you want! Good luck!
[name_u]Love[/name_u] [name_m]Reuben[/name_m]…it’s my first borns name. 11 years ago when I named him it had just creeped inside the top 100 names in the UK which surprised me because as a teacher I’d never met one! We picked it out of a name book, we liked the sound and the meaning “behold a son” and we’ve never met another one…yet. Being from the UK we didn’t have the sandwich connotion either.
My son loves his name. We shorten it to Roo…we thought it would shorten to [name_m]Ben[/name_m] but it didn’t stick. Everyone we’ve met makes positive comments on his name (and his cute British accent now we’re in Australia). The only bugbear is spelling. People tend to either leave out the inial “e” or swap the “eu” around so you get [name_m]Ruben[/name_m] or [name_m]Rueben[/name_m]…but it’s minor.
Good luck choosing a name.
A big thank you to everyone who has put forward their suggestions At the moment it’s out of [name_m]Harrison[/name_m] and [name_m]Oscar[/name_m]. Hubby just shot down [name_m]Rueben[/name_m]. I don’t know why I’m so torn between [name_m]Harrison[/name_m] and [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] when they’re so different.
I just can’t seem to make my mind up and am trying desperately to find a name that suits him as well as matching the naming style of his big sister, [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f]. It seems to be an impossible feat and being a perfectionist isn’t helping.
Your words have calmed me and reminded me that his name will come if I just relax. I’ve got to stop being consumed by this. What you said about reflecting on his birth story makes so much sense. I’m going to focus on that and see what I come up with…