MN for Emrys: Håkon or Somerled?

Boy Names
1

I’ve had a lot of [name_m]Emrys[/name_m] combos over the years, and it’s essentially come down to two of my favorites. [name_u]James[/name_u] is my husband’s middle name and it’s literally the only thing he wants! In exchange I get to pick the rest of every part of our children’s names. So here are the two combos:

[name_m]Emrys[/name_m] Håkon [name_u]James[/name_u]

[name_m]Emrys[/name_m] Somerled [name_u]James[/name_u]

Håkon (pronounced like ho-koon): My family is Norwegian and I love that the name is historically important to Norway. I have always been bummed that my first and/or middle name don’t reflect my Norwegian heritage because my grandma didn’t pass down the language, and I’ve always craved feeling more obviously connected to my family who still live in Norway. This feeling has gotten stronger since getting married and adopting my husband’s [name_m]German[/name_m] last name in lieu of my own Norwegian surname (I kept it as a second middle name). I really like Håkon, it’s my favorite male Scandinavian name, but I don’t adore it. I think the flow is best.

Somerled (pronounced summer-led): I’ve loved it for a long time. The imagery it gives me makes my heart sing. It feels like dusk on a hot summer day while frogs sing. It feels like the adventure of summer as a child. It feels like the joy of exploring a new place. I just love it so much. While it has Old Norse roots, it’s not an obvious connection to my family. That feels like a big drawback. I also love don’t that the first name ends in an S and the middle name begins in an S. I don’t think it flows nearly as well.

We’re still a few years away from having our first baby, but this question plagues me! So I figured I’d get your guys’ opinions on what you would do in this situation: choose a name you like that’s culturally important to you or choose a name you love?

Thanks in advance for your input!

2

I like Somerled. I feel like it has the better flow in spite of the S ending/beginning, whereas [name_m]Hakon[/name_m] just strikes me as okay by comparison in between [name_m]Emrys[/name_m] and [name_u]James[/name_u].

Obviously it’s your choice to decide what matters most to you in this instance, but I’d go with the name I loved if I was in your position. Culture can be honoured in dozens more ways than just in a name.

3

I’d go for Somerled. It sounds Nordic to me (although anglicised)! The pronunciation and spelling is more intuitive for an English-speaking audience, so it appeals to the practical side in me.

I love it too, though I know it best in the form Sumarliði. I think it would be the perfect name for a summer baby, especially (even though it doesn’t really matter when the baby is born, still a great name). I totally agree with your imagery. I also love that the anglicised version doesn’t lose that obvious connection to summer.

4

I prefer Somerled of the the two. Honestly, I would look for other Nordic options.

5

I dont like how Somerled starts with an s as well, so I’d say Håkon, but I think there are other beautiful Nordic names you could choose instead