We are a little stumped. We fell in love with the name [name_m]Lachlan[/name_m] while looking at baby name books, and we actually loved it so much and felt so certain that we agreed on the spot, shook on it, high fived!
Our last name is [name_m]Smith[/name_m], and it didn’t take us long to figure out that we’d just decided to name our kid Lach [name_m]Smith[/name_m].
Help! I really can’t get this name out of my head. Please help us think of alternatives. Husband is pretty set on incorporating the name [name_m]Henry[/name_m].
Eh, I don’t think it’s too much of a problem. [name_f]Do[/name_f] you plan on pretty much exclusively Lach, or more often [name_m]Lachlan[/name_m]? A locksmith isn’t an awful career to be associated with. Also, when I say Lach [name_m]Smith[/name_m], and locksmith I say them a little differently. I think if you like it, it’s not enough to toss it. It could be kind of cool.
This is coming from a girl whose peers realized in 9th grade if you say J. Y e r k very quickly, it sounds like jerk.
What about [name_m]Henry[/name_m] [name_m]Lachlan[/name_m]? You could still sometimes call him Lach, but you’d (probably) bypass taking the nickname outside the family. Thus, “Lach [name_m]Smith[/name_m]” isn’t really a feasible issue.
Honestly, I think it’s kind of cute. It’s an association that isn’t bad; plus his formal name on school rosters, resumes, lists etc. will be [name_m]Lachlan[/name_m] [name_m]Smith[/name_m] not Lach [name_m]Smith[/name_m]. So probably the only times you’ll be calling him Lach are informal times when his last name won’t be used also. I think if people notice, they’ll laugh about it and not mock or sneer at him. Because [name_m]Lachlan[/name_m] is only two syllables you don’t really need a nickname. If you and your husband are “nickname people” (as I am) you could get away with some other ones like Lachy, [name_m]Lenny[/name_m], [name_u]Lanny[/name_u], Lochness Monster You get my drift! In my opinion, it’s completely usable and actually kind of an adorable coincidence!
I love the name [name_m]Lachlan[/name_m] [name_m]Henry[/name_m] [name_m]Smith[/name_m]! Great choice! I wouldn’t worry about Lach [name_m]Smith[/name_m].
[name_m]Lachlan[/name_m] isn’t a name that needs shortening, so unless you want to call him Lach (or later in life he wants to be called Lach) then you won’t get too many people calling him Lach. And even if they do, they are more likely to say [name_m]Lachlan[/name_m] [name_m]Smith[/name_m] than Lach [name_m]Smith[/name_m], if you aren’t calling him Lach.
Lach looks like “latch” not “lock” to my eyes. I really don’t think it’s that intuitive a nickname.
My brother’s name is something similar, a proper FN with a shorter NN (one that goes more hand in hand with the name ie. calling [name_m]Alexander[/name_m] “[name_u]Alex[/name_u]” is more intuitive than [name_m]Lachlan[/name_m] “Lach”). Anyways, the nickname with the last name becomes a word / short phrase. He gets a little gentle teasing about it, but it’s Not a Big [name_f]Deal[/name_f]. He still loves his name.
A locksmith isn’t a very common job anymore, in fact, they are pretty rare. Most younger kids wouldn’t know what a locksmith was, so they wouldn’t make the connection until an older age, if they made it at all.
For all the reasons above, I think you should go with what you love!
[name_m]Lock[/name_m] and Lach sound different to me, so I don’t think it’s that much of a problem. And it’s not such an awful association, if people would make it at all. [name_m]Lachlan[/name_m] [name_m]Henry[/name_m] [name_m]Smith[/name_m] is perfectly fine.
You get my drift! In my opinion, it’s completely usable and actually kind of an adorable coincidence!