29 weeks and having a really hard time deciding on a baby name from our top 3! Some days I love them all, and other days I’m not sure any of them are right:
[name_u]Henry[/name_u] - I love how classic and timeless it is, but worry about popularity. I’m an [name_f]Amanda[/name_f] born in the 80s, so I was never the only [name_f]Amanda[/name_f] in my class and I hated it.
[name_u]Everett[/name_u] - I love the meaning and how old it is, but we live in Massachusetts and I worry that people will associate the name with the town name.
[name_m]Oscar[/name_m] - again, love the meaning and how classic it is, along with the international appeal. [name_m]Even[/name_m] though it’s not all that unpopular in the US, I do worry about it being too “out there.”
Middle name is likely going to be [name_u]Duke[/name_u] (a nod to my maiden name), and last name begins with [name_m]Way[/name_m].
[name_m]Can[/name_m] you tell me your favorite and if I’m overthinking?! If you have any other suggestions, feel free to put them here as well!
congrats! your options are lovely, you can’t go wrong. here are some thoughts anyway:
henry - gorgeous timeless classic. i’d like to say “oh it’s not that popular”, but i can’t be that certain. from what you can tell, have you been hearing about many henrys around your area? at the doctors, at the park, parents yelling for their kids… for now, i still feel it’s not amanda level popular, that’d be caden and co.
everett - handsome guy. is the town a bad association? too annoying of a connection? because otherwise, it’s great
oscar - international strong classic. not too out there at all??? oscar way is very cool.
other ideas:
duke - as a first name
beckett
bennett
remy
emery - emery duke way
evander
evan
eden
casper
roscoe
I love the combos [name_u]Henry[/name_u] [name_u]Duke[/name_u] & [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] [name_u]Duke[/name_u]! So classic but still fun thanks to the more rugged [name_u]Duke[/name_u]! You really can’t go wrong with either one of them
As for [name_u]Everett[/name_u], I personally think the town association might not be as big as a problem as you think. (then again, I’m not from the US so I don’t know if this is a well-known town or not). I think the name [name_u]Everett[/name_u] [name_u]Duke[/name_u] is a very ‘modern’ name, much more so than [name_u]Henry[/name_u] and [name_m]Oscar[/name_m]. For that reason I wouldn’t go for it, as it’s got a very different vibe to it than [name_u]Henry[/name_u] and [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] (imo!!)
Can’t speak to a US perspective but to me it seems like [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] is the best bet! [name_u]Henry[/name_u] is certainly popular and likely to stay that way for a while. Obviously I don’t know the context for [name_u]Everett[/name_u], I don’t imagine the association would be too much of a problem, but [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] avoids that issue whilst retaining the classic, raffish charm of [name_u]Henry[/name_u]. [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] [name_u]Duke[/name_u] W___ sounds great!
They’re each solid, handsome and fun names. Can’t lose!
Which goes best with your (full) last name?
Which nicknames do you like?
[name_f]Do[/name_f] any flow better to middle?
I would ask these to pull them apart. I wouldn’t worry about the town or being too out there - someone has to pave the way (but I’m not from/in US). Popularity would bug me - that’s a def factor, it’s worth reviewing the stats for last few years.
I think [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] is the best bet and [name_u]Everett[/name_u] is second (although it was 81 in [name_u]America[/name_u] last year) and keeping out of the top 100 is usually best for not getting names that are too popular IMO.
Here are a few more suggestions to pair with [name_u]Duke[/name_u] that are much rarer but still somewhat classic/doable:
I generally don’t tend to like overly popular names (also have a very common one, and I’m never the only one in a group with my name), but [name_u]Henry[/name_u] has really been growing on me lately. I agree that it’s quite timeless. I also don’t know if overuse would be too much of an issue with your son; it’s an older name and I don’t know any young Henrys. One other thing to consider with this name is that it’s common with royalty. That could work along with the noble connotations of [name_u]Duke[/name_u], or perhaps you would like to vary the “theme” of the name a bit.
I adore the name [name_u]Everett[/name_u] and would choose that out of the three. Not from Massachusetts, but I live in the states and don’t associate it with any towns.
As for Oscar…I see a lot of responses favoring it, but it’s honestly not my favorite. I don’t think it’s necessarily “out there,” but it’s certainly distinctive and feels old in a less favorable way to me. Also, I’m so sorry, but I grew up on PBS kids, and [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] will always recall [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] the Grouch for me. This would be something to keep in mind for most people growing up in the states, I think.
For suggestions, names that have a similar feel to them as [name_u]Everett[/name_u] would be [name_u]Everest[/name_u], [name_u]Everly[/name_u] or perhaps Everyn. I’m really loving the “Ever” sound right now if you can’t tell! For something closer to [name_m]Oscar[/name_m], maybe [name_m]Orland[/name_m] (nickname Orly) or [name_u]Oakley[/name_u]?
Congratulations on your baby and I’m sure you’ll find a name you love!
[name_u]Henry[/name_u] - a gentle, classic, timeless name but if you don’t want a super popular name, [name_u]Henry[/name_u] probably isn’t the one.
[name_u]Everett[/name_u] - hard to comment on the town since I’ve never heard of it (being in the UK), but [name_u]Everett[/name_u] is a gorgeous name - warm, rugged and surnamey-cool
[name_m]Oscar[/name_m] - beautiful, literary and lovely - being in the UK where [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] is in the top 10, it’s funny to hear it being perceived as too out there! I think it’s similar enough to popular names like [name_m]Oliver[/name_m], [name_m]Lucas[/name_m], [name_u]Owen[/name_u], [name_u]Luca[/name_u], [name_u]Walker[/name_u], [name_u]Carter[/name_u] that it doesn’t sound out there where you are either
[name_m]Oscar[/name_m] and [name_u]Everett[/name_u] are my faves
I really don’t think boys are likely to mind all that much if a few of their mates are also called the same name as them. I have a brother called [name_u]David[/name_u] and his best friend is also a [name_m]Dave[/name_m]. So, I think it will bother you more than him. Personally, I love [name_u]Henry[/name_u] and [name_m]Oscar[/name_m]. Out of the two, I would choose [name_m]Oscar[/name_m]. I think [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] [name_u]Duke[/name_u] sounds pretty cool, but so does [name_u]Henry[/name_u] [name_u]Duke[/name_u]. I doubt a little [name_u]Henry[/name_u] is likely to come across another [name_u]Henry[/name_u] in his class all the time. I wouldn’t let popularity of a name stop me from using it, if I loved it enough.
I vote for [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] [name_u]Duke[/name_u]! I think [name_u]Henry[/name_u] is lovely but I know so many. Honestly same with [name_u]Everett[/name_u] - I know quite a few in recent years and I just think there are so many Ev names popular right now.
[name_m]Oscar[/name_m] is a well known but not commonly used name. I had the same concerns about my daughter’s name as [name_f]Felicity[/name_f] had not been heard in my circles. But everyone loves her name and I love that it’s familiar yet she’s the only one we know!
Lol from [name_u]New[/name_u] England… I wasn’t thinking town but more like turnpike for [name_u]Everett[/name_u]. The likelihood of your son being born and and living forever in Mass is likely slim to none so I’m not sure if I’d allow the associations to be a dealbreaker.
it’s the best option out of your three given the popularity of [name_u]Henry[/name_u] and town name connotations associated with [name_u]Everett[/name_u]. I wouldn’t say [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] is too out there, as it ranks #201 in the states currently. in the UK, it’s in the top 10!
All three are great!
[name_m]Oscar[/name_m] is definitely not out there at all.
[name_u]Henry[/name_u] is very popular but there are less kids being named the top names each year than in the past so repeats are a little less likely. A trick I try to use is to select the option on the SSA data to see the % of total births of the name you like and then search the year you were born with the same information and find the name with the same % and try to think of how many of that name you knew growing up.
[name_u]Everett[/name_u] is a very nice name but it being the name of a local town would give me pause. I’m not familiar enough with Massachusetts geography to know if it’s a particularly well known or infamous location or just nearby your location but either of those things would be unfortunate.
I like [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] or [name_u]Everett[/name_u] best. I am also in MA, I don’t think people would associate the town-but I definitely understand the concern there
[name_u]Henry[/name_u] [name_u]Duke[/name_u] - So handsome and warm, I love it! But definitely a popular first name and as a fellow [name_f]Amanda[/name_f] (of the 90’s) I understand not wanting your child to face the same struggles you did. [name_u]Henry[/name_u] doesn’t come with any intuitive nicknames either, so he wouldn’t even have that to fall back on. For this reason I vote against it though I do adore it.
[name_u]Everett[/name_u] [name_u]Duke[/name_u] - [name_f]My[/name_f] absolute favorite from your list! Such a fun, rough and tumble, rugged name! Can’t say anything about the town as I don’t live in MA, but if it’s not a huge or popular town I don’t think you’d have anything to worry about - it probably wouldn’t be people’s first thought, especially with [name_u]Everett[/name_u] being a well known and established name in its own right! It’d be different if it was a name unique to the town specifically, or if the town was some huge tourist attraction! Definitely my personal choice for you!
[name_m]Oscar[/name_m] [name_u]Duke[/name_u] - Probably my least favorite of the 3, but probably because my first 2 associations with the name [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] are “Oscar the Grouch” and the hot dog brand [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] [name_m]Mayer[/name_m]. Neither of those associations make the name unusable by any means, they just make me favor the name less personally! [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] [name_u]Duke[/name_u] has a strong sound to it and a great flow, and it avoids both the popularity concern and the town name concern, so if that makes him a clear winner to you - go for it!
I really like [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] for you! I am also in the US and I have met several—it definitely doesn’t feel out there! It feels handsome and refined, classic but not at all overused. Plus, [name_u]Ozzy[/name_u] as a nickname!? I mean… so sweet.
