[name_m]Hi[/name_m] Berries! We’re expecting baby boy #3 in less than 4 weeks now, and I desperately need some help with a middle name.
Our two older boys are [name_m]Charles[/name_m] [name_m]Alasdair[/name_m] and [name_u]James[/name_u] [name_m]Lysander[/name_m], and we call them [name_u]Cal[/name_u] and [name_u]Jem[/name_u].
I’m like 95% certain this baby will be [name_u]August[/name_u], [name_u]Gus[/name_u] for short (and my husband’s like 70% sold, but I think he’s still looking for alternatives :-/ ).
The problem is that we can’t find a middle name that fits with [name_u]August[/name_u] that also happens to work well with his brothers’ names. I feel like we entrenched ourselves in a really specific pattern with the older two: a solid, traditional first name; a more lyrical middle name; and a short, punchy nickname. Both of their names have like 5 layers of meaning behind them too, so trying to recreate all of that a third time is proving tricky.
Some of the middle names we’ve considered include:
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[name_m]Johannes[/name_m] – honors my dad, [name_m]John[/name_m]…but my husband says it’s “too [name_m]German[/name_m],” which, yes it is, but we’re expats living in Germany so I feel like it works
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[name_m]Fitzwilliam[/name_m] or even possibly [name_u]Willoughby[/name_u] – honors hubby’s dad, [name_m]William[/name_m]…but hubby says [name_u]Willoughby[/name_u] sounds like a zoo animal
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[name_m]Marius[/name_m] – honors my grandmother, [name_f]Mary[/name_f] – husband says it’s “too [name_m]Roman[/name_m]”…[sigh]. My only problem with it is that it might be a little too rhyme-y with [name_u]August[/name_u]?
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[name_m]Ferdinand[/name_m] – the name of hubby’s ancestor who first settled in [name_u]America[/name_u] + we’re expats and travel a lot, so we like that [name_m]Ferdinand[/name_m] means “voyager.” But I don’t know; I’m just not crazy about the name itself…
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[name_m]Erasmus[/name_m] – I’ve always liked the name and the philosopher, and I like that St. [name_m]Erasmus[/name_m] is the patron saint of sailors. My problem again is that just about anything that ends in “us” feels too rhyme-y with [name_u]August[/name_u].
So my question is: does anyone have any recommendations for a “lyrical-sounding” (i.e. three syllables and a little off the beaten path but not completely unheard of) middle name that would work with [name_u]August[/name_u]??? Bonus points if it can be tied in a way so that it would honor a [name_m]John[/name_m], [name_m]William[/name_m], or [name_f]Mary[/name_f], or that has to do with traveling/voyaging/adventuring?
[name_u]Love[/name_u] your boys’ names!
I personally love the repetition of the “us” sound in [name_u]August[/name_u] with both [name_m]Johannes[/name_m] and [name_m]Erasmus[/name_m]. Those are my two top picks!
[name_u]August[/name_u] “[name_u]Gus[/name_u]” [name_m]Johannes[/name_m] - Yes!
As for “too [name_m]German[/name_m]” on [name_m]Johannes[/name_m] – only you can decide, but wouldn’t that be a cool story someday if you child grows up/settles elsewhere? My middle name is [name_m]German[/name_m] because I was born in Germany? I love it.
[name_u]August[/name_u] “[name_u]Gus[/name_u]” [name_m]Erasmus[/name_m] - Yes!
Again, personal opinion but I love this flow and the sound repetition.
Other ideas:
[name_m]Hawthorne[/name_m] - “lives where hawthorn hedges grow” [maybe implies he’ll ‘bloom where he’s planted’ as the saying goes. Also author name.]
Phileas - [Phileas Fogg was [name_u]Jules[/name_u] [name_u]Verne[/name_u]’s hero who circumnavigated the world in just 80 days. It’s also the name of a Greek saint. Phileas means ‘who loves’.]
[name_m]Fletcher[/name_m] - “arrow maker” - [reminds me of adventurousness]
[name_m]Ambrose[/name_m] - “immortal one”
[name_m]Humphrey[/name_m] - “peaceful warrior”
[name_m]Odysseus[/name_m] - “rathful one” [but related to [name_m]Homer[/name_m]'s Odyssey - about a journey]
[name_m]Ignatius[/name_m] - “fiery”
I too like [name_m]Johannes[/name_m] and [name_m]Erasmus[/name_m]—I don’t think [name_m]Erasmus[/name_m] is too matchy soundwise.
Other ideas…
[name_u]August[/name_u] [name_m]Peregrine[/name_m] – means “traveler” and brings to mind the peregrine falcon
Maybe something astronomical, since stars have long been used for navigation:
[name_u]August[/name_u] [name_f]Aquila[/name_f] – the eagle
[name_u]August[/name_u] [name_u]Orion[/name_u]
[name_u]August[/name_u] [name_m]Perseus[/name_m] – also the mythology connection
I was coming to suggest [name_u]August[/name_u] [name_m]Peregrine[/name_m], so please consider that seconded!
So many good recommendations here; you guys really came through!
My husband just officially vetoed [name_m]Johannes[/name_m] (I’m crying on the inside now), even though I showed him your responses, but my favorites from your lists are:
[name_m]Ambrose[/name_m]
[name_m]Ignatius[/name_m]
[name_m]Peregrine[/name_m]
[name_m]Perseus[/name_m]
The [name_m]Odysseus[/name_m] recommendation reminded me of [name_m]Leopold[/name_m] from [name_u]James[/name_u] [name_u]Joyce[/name_u]'s [name_m]Ulysses[/name_m], so that’s now a contender too 
But I think my new frontrunner has to be [name_u]August[/name_u] [name_m]Ignatius[/name_m]: It was on our shortlist for a middle name for [name_u]James[/name_u]. I had never made the connection that it meant “fiery” (I just liked the saints), but my maiden name means “bright strength” and my [name_f]MIL[/name_f]'s maiden name is Stokes (like stoking a fire!) so I feel like that could be such a great way to honor both sides of our families!
P.S. @willa_cather, [name_u]August[/name_u] [name_m]Hawthorne[/name_m] is soooo good and I love the thought behind it so much. I wish we could use it, but alas, it’s one of the cousins’ names. But the “bloom where you’re planted” concept has definitely given me a new path to go down in my brainstorming!
[name_m]How[/name_m] exciting! We’re expecting an [name_u]August[/name_u] in a few weeks too!
Ours will be [name_u]August[/name_u] [name_m]Charles[/name_m] ([name_m]Charles[/name_m] after his dad) but I see you already have a [name_m]Charles[/name_m]!
I like classic middle names. [name_m]How[/name_m] about just [name_u]August[/name_u] [name_m]William[/name_m]. I think that’s lovely.
We also have a girl called [name_f]Frances[/name_f]. But I think [name_u]August[/name_u] [name_u]Francis[/name_u] is beautiful.
Out of your list I do think that [name_u]August[/name_u] [name_m]Johannes[/name_m] is my favourite ”
Have you considered [name_m]Augustus[/name_m]?
If so I think [name_m]Ferdinand[/name_m] flows quite well or you could come up with other middle names you like better with that extra syllable added. I’m not saying change what you already love. I just thought that it could be close enough that you would love it too.
[name_u]August[/name_u] Somerled (summer traveler)
[LEFT][name_u]August[/name_u] Viator (voyager, traveler)
[name_u]August[/name_u] [name_m]Peregrine[/name_m] (traveler)
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