I watched Sleepless in Seattle tonight and was reminded of a name that I have loved for a long time. [name]Jonah[/name]. I have ruled it out, thinking it was too similar to two of our other sons’s names… [name]Joshua[/name] and [name]Noah[/name]. Yet it seems like such an appealing name. And we are having such the difficult time coming up with a boy name that isn’t super common (despite the uber popularity of [name]Joshua[/name] and [name]Noah[/name], I do prefer names to not be in the top 50.) I have even tried to persuade the family to use [name]Jonas[/name], but dh said, “like the [name]Jonas[/name] brothers?” and my older children laughed when they heard the name. (They are definitely my biggest critics right now) Would you consider the name [name]Jonah[/name] to be too similar to our other kid’s names to use?
Yes. If it were me, I’d be tongue tied all the time, calling them by the wrong names in a pinch.
[name]How[/name] about [name]Josiah[/name] instead?
I personally think it is too close. I love [name]Jonas[/name] though or how about [name]Jude[/name]/[name]Judah[/name]?
That’s what I thought. It’s just so difficult to find a fourth boy name that my dh and I both like. (We also have another son named [name]Levi[/name]) We both like Bible names for boys, but I am much more adventurous in my choices. I also really like [name]Ezra[/name]. But I don’t think it will go over well with the rest of our family. My Dh hasn’t actually said “no” but my older kids say it sounds too much like a girl name. And for other names, they are either too common and/or used by people close to us. I’m also trying to stay away from names that start with J, N, L or A (our daughter’s name is [name]Autumn[/name]). Although, I’m getting a little desparate and thinking maybe the same initial thing isn’t such a big deal?
We’ve always liked [name]Jeremiah[/name] and I thought of [name]Matthias[/name] recently too. The problem with [name]Matthias[/name] is that it could be shortened to [name]Matt[/name], which I like the sound of but think it’s too common. I do think that [name]Josiah[/name] is much too similar to [name]Joshua[/name]. And [name]Jude[/name] is an appealing name (especially with the song “Hey [name]Jude[/name]”) but it seems a tad bit feminine.
I think [name]Jonah[/name] souds like a combo of [name]Joshua[/name] and [name]Noah[/name]… So i wouldn’t do it!
I agree with the suggestion of [name]Jude[/name]!
I like [name]Jonah[/name] but feel like it is too close to [name]Joshua[/name] and [name]Noah[/name]… [name]Do[/name] your older kids have any suggestions? That might be fun to see what they come up with 
I think [name]Elijah[/name], [name]Samuel[/name], [name]Silas[/name], [name]Timothy[/name], [name]Simon[/name], or [name]Peter[/name] would work well with your sibset!
Too close, too much for me. Sorry !
[name]Jonah[/name] looks and sounds like a combination of [name]Joshua[/name] and [name]Noah[/name], so I wouldn’t do it. [name]Ezra[/name] would be great though.
[name]Seth[/name], [name]Silas[/name], [name]Saul[/name], [name]Luke[/name], [name]Caleb[/name], [name]Elijah[/name], [name]Mark[/name], [name]Issac[/name]
Too close for me, sorry!
I second some of the suggestions here: [name]Elias[/name], [name]Caleb[/name], [name]Isaac[/name], how about [name]Gideon[/name] or [name]Aaron[/name]?
I know a great [name]Jeremiah[/name], now a grown man, so that one appeals to me. But in my own family, I have the same aversion to using the same initials.
I think it is too close.
[name]Jonah[/name] sounds too much like a combination of [name]Joshua[/name] and [name]Noah[/name] to me. Maybe [name]Tobias[/name]?
I do think [name]Jonah[/name] and [name]Noah[/name] are too similar, sorry. If you love it, I think you should go for it (provided your husband agrees, obviously) but if it were me, I’d be stumbling over getting the names right.
I [name]LOVE[/name] the suggestion of [name]Simon[/name]! It’s biblical like [name]Joshua[/name] and [name]Noah[/name], and it has the O sound that the other two have (I’m assuming you like that sound) but it isn’t rhymey or overly themey.
[name]Jonah[/name] is too close to [name]Joshua[/name] and [name]Noah[/name].
[name]Jonah[/name], while a name I love, sounds a little like a mashup of [name]Noah[/name] and [name]Joshua[/name].
The suggestions of [name]Isaac[/name], [name]Elias[/name] and [name]Simon[/name] are very nice.
[name]How[/name] about [name]Micah[/name], [name]Asher[/name], [name]Reuben[/name] or [name]Saul[/name]?
Thank you for the suggestions! [name]Simon[/name] is a name that I have always liked, but dh has said no to in the past. But that was eight years ago, so maybe he will have changed his mind. I’ll have to add that to my list in case this baby is a boy. [name]Elijah[/name] is also nice, but so overused in our social circles (my kids are quick to point out that they know five Elijahs), and I read recently that it is getting ready to be in the top ten. I also like [name]Asher[/name], and the nn [name]Toby[/name] but [name]Tobias[/name] sounds a bit formal and old fashioned, even when compared to similar names like [name]Jonas[/name] and [name]Elias[/name].
Maybe DH would like [name]Simeon[/name] instead of [name]Simon[/name]? It’s even less used than [name]Simon[/name] and would make a great alternative.
Or, how about:
[name]Isaiah[/name]
[name]Elijah[/name] (or a variation: [name]Elias[/name], [name]Eli[/name], [name]Ellis[/name] etc)
[name]Joel[/name] (since you have 4 children, I don’t think it would be a bad thing if 2 shared the first initial. It wouldn’t seem like a theme in this case).
[name]Titus[/name]
[name]Timothy[/name]
[name]Zachariah[/name] or [name]Zachary[/name]
[name]Jamin[/name]
[name]Bram[/name] or [name]Abraham[/name]
Have fun with the name hunt! I’m sure THE name will come to you soon.
Far too close! I love the suggestion of [name]Ezra[/name].
What about [name]Tobiah[/name] then? Does it sound better? I think it would go well with the others without being too matchy.