UPDATE: I totally forgot to come update this thread with the link to the new one. Sorry about that! Here it is now: Continuing Combo Confusion
Hello, dearest Berries! You may know me most recently from the epic saga of narrowing down my Monster List of femme names from 141 to 30 options to take to the hospital with us (the final version is here Final Monster List Wrap-Up!, if you’re interested!)
Now that we have that list finalized, I’m turning my attention to our backup names, in case little Nugget presents as AMAB after all. Rather than taking another list of thirty, I want to take a handful of complete combos - it’s unlikely we’ll need these, but I’ll feel better knowing we have some just in case.
For a little context, I am in a long-term polyamorous relationship with two live-in partners, and we will all be co-parenting together. I’ve called them T and S to avoid confusion. We’re also super pagan, hence all the witchy names!
Combo Guidelines
- We’re planning to use two middle names (which is part of why these combos are in such shambles).
- For each combo, we are looking for at least one masc name, at least one unisex word or nature name, and at least one name that has an easy femme nickname in case as Nugget gets older, they do not identify with their assumed gender. (T is intersex and non-binary, so having gender flexible options built into the combo is hugely important to them!)
- Our last name spelled phonetically is KAY-lahr.
Top Choice: [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] ____ [name_m]Atreyu[/name_m]
Summary
- [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] - M - “prince; of the sea.”
A nautical place name of the [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] [name_u]Sea[/name_u] used by C.S. [name_m]Lewis[/name_m] for a prince in his Chronicles of [name_f]Narnia[/name_f] series. This has been one of T’s and my top names for years and years and has lots of personal meaning to us. - [name_m]Atreyu[/name_m] - M - “fearless; son of all.”
A fictional name for an orphan in The Never-ending [name_u]Story[/name_u] who was adopted by his whole village - I love this concept and the associated “son of all” meaning, as Nugget will have three moms. [name_f]May[/name_f] have been derived from the Greek [name_m]Atreus[/name_m], meaning “fearless.”
This was originally [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] [name_u]Forest[/name_u] [name_m]Atreyu[/name_m], which I was madly in love with, but apparently T has a distant cousin named [name_m]Forrest[/name_m], and S only associates the name with [name_m]Forrest[/name_m] Gump, so I’ve been overruled 
For this combo, we have two masc names already, and the femme nickname option is [name_f]Cassie[/name_f]. We are just looking for a word or nature name to go in the first middle slot. (I consider almost all word and nature names to be inherently unisex). I lean towards nature for this one, because I really want something that brings in that lush green vibe I lost when [name_u]Forest[/name_u] was vetoed.
Runner-up: [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] [name_u]Taliesin[/name_u] _____
Summary
- [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] - U - “rowan tree, little redhead.”
A tree with distinctive red berries and loads of magical folklore attached. Rowans were called the “wayfarer’s tree,” and believed to offer powerful protection against malevolent entities. In modern druidic traditions, they are considered doorways between our world and the Otherworld. They are sacred to the fairies and used in weather divination. - [name_u]Taliesin[/name_u] - M - “shining brow.”
A famous Welsh poet and bard later fictionalized as a wizard, prophet, and adviser to [name_m]King[/name_m] [name_m]Arthur[/name_m], often associated with [name_m]Merlin[/name_m]. I have an extremely intense emotional connection to this name: in 2017, three men were stabbed, two of them fatally, while defending a pair of teenage girls from racial and Islamaphobic harassment by a white supremacist on public transit. This happened in my town, on the exact train that I used to ride to work every day. One of the young men, [name_u]Taliesin[/name_u] Myrddin Namkai-Meche, bled out on the scene, and his last words were, “Tell everyone on this train I love them.” This incident, and especially his words, powerfully impacted my life, and I cannot think of a more meaningful way to honor him. In turn, I hope his spirit watches over my child and inspires them to the same fearless compassion he showed that day.
So far the strongest option we have for this one is [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] [name_u]Taliesin[/name_u] Iroh. Iroh is a name the creators of Avatar: The Last Airbender invented for the series. The only accurate information I can find regarding meaning is that the Chinese characters used to spell it are pronounced phonetically. The first one refers to mugwort, which is used in moxibustion, while the second one is a river in [name_f]China[/name_f]. I love the flow of this name in the combo, but I have some reservations about using it. For one thing, none of us are Chinese, and this would be the only Chinese name anywhere on our list. For another, though I absolutely love the character, I still hesitate about the fact that it’s a “made-up” name. I’m interested in your opinions. If you think Iroh is problematic, I’d love to hear some alternatives! We already have one masc and one unisex name in the combo; [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] fits the nature/word requirement; and the femme nickname could be [name_u]Tally[/name_u]. So there are no particular restrictions about what we could use in the second middle slot.
Option Three: [name_m]Emrys[/name_m] [name_m]Valerian[/name_m] ____
Summary
- [name_m]Emrys[/name_m] - M - “immortal.”
A Welsh variant of [name_m]Ambrose[/name_m], chock full of folklore. [name_m]Emrys[/name_m] was the name of a famous warlord and uncle of [name_m]King[/name_m] [name_m]Arthur[/name_m], while Myrddin [name_m]Emrys[/name_m] was the Welsh name for legendary wizard [name_m]Merlin[/name_m]. In the BBC drama [name_m]Merlin[/name_m], [name_m]Emrys[/name_m] is the title character’s Druidic name. There is also a legend about a mysterious castle occupied by Vortigen called Dinas [name_m]Emrys[/name_m], which was inexplicably reduced to ruins every morning. [name_m]Merlin[/name_m] told Vortigen that there were a pair of dragons beneath the castle who warred every night, and that was the reason why new construction was always turned to rubble. Vortigen freed the dragons, and the red one prevailed in their resulting battle, becoming the dragon on the Welsh flag. - [name_m]Valerian[/name_m] - U - “strength, bravery.”
A powerful medicinal herb with a sedating effect, and one of my staples as an herbalist. It was the name of a [name_m]Roman[/name_m] Emperor, a badass swordsman in the Codex Alera series, as well as the main character in the magical comic-turned-space-opera [name_m]Valerian[/name_m] and the City of a Thousand Planets.
I can’t seem to find an option for the second middle that I love with this pairing. We have one masc name in the combo and one that is both masculine and unisex depending on whether we’re referring to the [name_m]Roman[/name_m] name or the herb. We also have the femme nickname options [name_f]Em[/name_f] or [name_u]Val[/name_u]. So you can have fun with this one!
Option [name_u]Four[/name_u]: [name_m]Solomon[/name_m] [name_u]Fable[/name_u] ____
Summary
- [name_m]Solomon[/name_m] - M - “peace.”
Common assumption is that this name means “wisdom” because of the famous Biblical king, but it’s actually a variant of the Hebrew word shalom, meaning “peace.” This is one of the few names that made the transition out of Christianity with me, because [name_m]Solomon[/name_m] is at least as big a figure in pagan tradition as he is in Judeo-[name_u]Christian[/name_u] mythology! He is purported to be the author of several famous grimoires, and one of them, The Lesser Key of [name_m]Solomon[/name_m], contains one of the most foundational texts on demonology, the Ars Goetia. The associated legend says that when [name_m]Solomon[/name_m] asked the OT God for wisdom, instead of granting it to him directly, God gave him the power to control 72 demons who were bound to lend him all their knowledge and abilities. He used them to build the [name_u]Temple[/name_u], and recorded instructions on how to summon and interact with them in the grimoires. It’s fascinating stuff! - [name_u]Fable[/name_u] - U - “a short tale, often with a moral lesson”
One of my absolute favorite word names, laden with a sense of magic, story, and mystery. Obliquely honors one of my closest friends who I met playing the eponymous video game series. Also a nod to S, who is a prolific writer, and even myself, a former children’s librarian. This is actually one of the 30 names on our femme list.
Again, I feel at a loss for what to use to round out this combo. We have one masc name and one unisex name, but I don’t see an obvious femme nickname here ([name_f]Faye[/name_f] as a nickname for [name_u]Fable[/name_u] is not an option, as S is holding this name in reserve for her first daughter). So the final name in the combo doesn’t have to be a word or nature name, but it would be ideal if it had an easy femme nickname.
Option [name_m]Five[/name_m]: [name_u]Julian[/name_u] [name_u]North[/name_u] ____ or [name_u]Julian[/name_u] ____ [name_u]North[/name_u] or [name_u]Julian[/name_u] ____ ____
Summary
- [name_u]Julian[/name_u] - M - “youthful, downy-bearded; sky father.”
[name_m]Roman[/name_m] emperor name possibly derived from [name_u]Jupiter[/name_u], and the name of several saints, including a patron saint of travelers. Nickname [name_u]Jules[/name_u] brings in some delicious science references via the homonym joules and sci-fi author [name_u]Jules[/name_u] [name_u]Verne[/name_u]. - [name_u]North[/name_u] - U - “northern direction.”
A wintry word name associated with the frozen arctic. I love it in part for the connection with the Norse gods, which is the pantheon I work with in my spiritual practices. The other part is an homage to [name_m]Philip[/name_m] Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy.
I’ve been all over the place with this combo. I love [name_u]Julian[/name_u] and have struggled to find middle names that feel like they belong. I love [name_u]North[/name_u] as well, but could just as easily use it with [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] or one of the other names. It doesn’t seem to be a cohesive pair with [name_u]Julian[/name_u] the way that [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] and [name_u]Taliesin[/name_u] go together, for example. So if you have suggestions that introduce two new middles instead of just the one, I will be open to those as well. [name_u]Julian[/name_u] gives us one masc name, and with [name_u]North[/name_u] there’s the unisex name taken care of. [name_u]Jules[/name_u] also provides a femme nickname, at least in my opinion. So if you’re doing one new middle, you don’t have any restrictions really. If you’re replacing [name_u]North[/name_u] as well, one of the middles will need to be unisex, and one will need to be a word or nature name.
Last, but Definitely Not Least: [name_u]Tristan[/name_u] [name_u]Nightingale[/name_u] ____ or ____ [name_u]Tristan[/name_u] [name_u]Nightingale[/name_u]
Summary
- [name_u]Tristan[/name_u] - U - “tumult, outcry; sorrowful.”
[name_u]Tristan[/name_u] is a character in medieval [name_u]French[/name_u] tales, probably inspired by older Celtic legends, and ultimately merged into Arthurian legend, in which he was a dragon-slaying hero and [name_m]Knight[/name_m] of the Round Table, as well as one of a pair of star-crossed lovers. [name_u]Tristan[/name_u] was sent to [name_f]Ireland[/name_f] in order to fetch [name_f]Isolde[/name_f], who was to be the bride of [name_m]King[/name_m] [name_m]Mark[/name_m] of Cornwall. On the way back, [name_u]Tristan[/name_u] and [name_f]Isolde[/name_f] accidentally drink a potion that made them fall in love. Their tragically doomed romance became the precursor to [name_m]Romeo[/name_m] and [name_f]Juliet[/name_f]. I have always found the sound of this name very beautiful, with a soft, romantic, sensitive vibe. - [name_u]Nightingale[/name_u] - U - “night singer”
A magical word name with connotations of beautiful song and deep velvety night. Nightingales are associated with love and loss, life and death, melancholy and joy, spiritual enlightenment and shadow work - their symbolism is always in pairs, illustrating the inherent duality of existence. As an herbalist, I also love the associations with healing via the famous nurse, [name_f]Florence[/name_f] [name_u]Nightingale[/name_u]. This name is also on our femme list, but I love it even more as a masc name, especially when paired with [name_u]Tristan[/name_u]!
I absolutely adore these two names together. I feel like they are so complementary and share a whimsical, romantic feeling while also being tinged with sorrow and shadow. They pair so well that finding a second middle to go with them has been extremely challenging. I would also consider finding another first name and using both [name_u]Tristan[/name_u] and [name_u]Nightingale[/name_u] as middles, since [name_u]Tristan[/name_u] is a little less unusual than most of my first name picks. This combo has one masc name, and one unisex name that also skews a little femme. There are also a couple of femme nickname options - [name_u]Tris[/name_u] and [name_u]Gale[/name_u] (though I realize [name_u]Gale[/name_u] has been used on boys as well.) So you should have free rein with picking the third name for this combo.
Here is the pool of names I’ve been pulling from to create combos - luckily for everyone, it’s much shorter than the Monster List was!
Name Pool
[name_m]Alaric[/name_m], [name_m]Albion[/name_m], [name_m]Alistair[/name_m], [name_u]Atlas[/name_u], Baelfire (middle only), [name_m]Balthazar[/name_m], [name_m]Bastian[/name_m], Beorn, Bensiabel, [name_u]Constantine[/name_u], [name_u]Cove[/name_u] (middle only), [name_u]Dorian[/name_u], [name_m]Faramir[/name_m], [name_m]Finbar[/name_m], [name_u]Frost[/name_u] (middle only), [name_m]Galileo[/name_m], [name_u]Griffin[/name_u] (middle only), [name_m]Gwydion[/name_m], [name_u]Hallow[/name_u] (middle only), [name_m]Hawthorn[/name_m] (middle only), [name_m]Herne[/name_m], [name_m]Llewellyn[/name_m], [name_m]Lucien[/name_m], [name_m]Melchior[/name_m], [name_m]Numair[/name_m], [name_u]Oberon[/name_u], [name_u]Orion[/name_u], [name_m]Orson[/name_m], [name_m]Osric[/name_m], [name_u]Peregrine[/name_u], [name_f]Polaris[/name_f], [name_m]Ragnar[/name_m], [name_m]Remiel[/name_m], Samael, [name_u]Sparrow[/name_u] (middle only), [name_m]Tiberius[/name_m], [name_u]Valentine[/name_u], and [name_u]Wolf[/name_u] (middle only).
I’m gonna go ahead and say you don’t need to adhere strictly to this list, but if you do include a name that isn’t on here in one of your suggestions, if you could say a few words about the meaning and why you chose it, that would be most appreciated!
Well, this ended up being another ridiculously long post, even after going back to add in those collapsible sections. I guess I’m just incapable of being concise! I’m sorry…?
Thank you in advance, my magical, amazing Berries! I just know you’ll dream up some absolutely breathtaking combos!
But I digress. I do love the meaning of [name_u]Ira[/name_u], but the sound does not appeal - I chose Iroh entirely for the association.
[name_u]Wolf[/name_u] is quite naturey and adventurous but also may not be “lush green”.
for this combo I love:
I also love that you gave me a little insight into why you offered the suggestions that fall outside the name pool, because seeing a name through someone else’s eyes always helps expand and inform my understanding of that name!
good luck and congrats on parenthood! Your little one will certainly know that their parents put heart & soul into their names