My name style advice

Boy Names
1

hi all, I came on with help to name my last daughter. We ultimately named her [name]Scarlett[/name]. Our first child is named [name]Sadie[/name]. We did not necessarily intend to do an S theme, it just so happened to be the names we liked. So I’m pregnant again and hoping for a boy. I’m all over the place with boy names and would like some suggestions.

For the longest time, I was sure I’d name our son, [name]Penn[/name], named after UPenn where my hubby and I met. of course, there is the obvious reference to a writing pen. our oldest daughter (she’s 4) said we couldn’t name him [name]Penn[/name] because he’d be all marked up. Of course, there is now the whole Sandusky/[name]Penn[/name] reference. We did name our daughter [name]Scarlett[/name] so it’s like we cant’ get over obvious references to colors, scarlet fever, or the scarlet letter, etc. [name]Penn[/name] is still up there but want to entertain other names.

[name]LOVE[/name], love, love [name]Rhett[/name]. however, it’s out due to [name]Scarlett[/name]. But just to give you an idea of what I like.

Other names that interest me:
[name]Dashiell[/name] (nn [name]Dash[/name]): Does it remind you of a dog? I’ve only met one [name]Dashiell[/name] and he was a dog. What about a reindeer (Dasher)?
[name]Sawyer[/name]: Too trendy? Unisex?
[name]Silas[/name]: Too feminine? Reminds me of Sila/[name]Sela[/name] as in [name]Sela[/name] [name]Ward[/name]. Does this name even mean something?
[name]Stellan[/name]
[name]Everett[/name]
[name]Asher[/name]: Too jewish. Nothing jewish people/faith/culture, but we are not Jewish and I get asked a lot why we used [name]Sadie[/name] since it’s a jewish name. I think it’s a classic nn for [name]Sarah[/name] which is also a biblical name and pretty classic. But I don’t know I guess I’d be concerned about using overly Russian or whatever type names like oskana and tatiana.
[name]Gable[/name]: interesting but this part of the name of a well known town in our area.
[name]Cruz[/name]: [name]Don[/name]'t know about this one.
Bode: Like it, but will it be mispronounced all the time.
Beau: Dog name? The first dog? Also, with Scarlett, does it just seem too deep South.
Thathcer: Like this a lot, but can you see a little 3 year old Thatcher. Seems very grown up. NN Thatch isn’t too appealin either.

Our last name is Irish. Sounds like Locklin.

2

It sounds to me as though you really like strong, masculine names that could also pass as a surname. Here are a few suggestions based on that observation:
[name]Sadie[/name], [name]Scarlett[/name], and brother–
[name]Grant[/name]
[name]Clark[/name]
[name]Davis[/name]
[name]Blake[/name]
[name]Brett[/name]
[name]Calvin[/name]
[name]Austin[/name]
[name]Evan[/name]
[name]Seth[/name]

Good luck!

3

My favorite from your list is [name]Penn[/name]. Such a strong and handsome name, and it’s not overly popular.

Here’s my input on the rest of your picks:

[name]Dashiell[/name] (nn [name]Dash[/name]) - This doesn’t remind me of a dog at all and I find it very handsome. And any boy would love the nn [name]Dash[/name].
[name]Sawyer[/name] - [name]Way[/name] too trendy, [name]IMO[/name]. I know about 10 little Sawyers born within the last few years among my friends alone. I actually think it would be better on a girl.
[name]Silas[/name] - I don’t find this feminine at all. I find it all boy. I think it’s a great name, but it’s quickly rising up the charts and that popularity concerns me.
[name]Stellan[/name] - I like this. I find it very handsome and soft. I think it’d be a great, unique choice and go well with your other S names. Although if you name a third child with an S name, I think at that point it’s definitely a theme you’d have to stick with.
[name]Everett[/name] - Great name. This way you could also have the nn Rett in there since you love that name so much. But it make clash with [name]Scarlett[/name] a bit.
[name]Asher[/name] - [name]Asher[/name] may be handsome, but I don’t care for it at all. It’s [name]WAY[/name] too popular and overused. I’d never consider it due to that.
[name]Gable[/name] - Very cool name. [name]Unique[/name], but still easy to pronounce and well-known. I think I may prefer it in the middle though.
[name]Cruz[/name] - I don’t like this unless it’s for someone with a Hispanic background. I may be in the minority with that opinion, but it just seems…wrong on a child without Spanish heritage. What about [name]Cross[/name] instead? I much prefer [name]Cross[/name] to [name]Cruz[/name].

[name]Silas[/name] [name]Penn[/name] is a pretty cool combo out of all the names on your list. We seem to share some favorites on our name lists, so here are some others you may like:

[name]Sutton[/name]
Hutton
[name]Soren[/name]
[name]Hayes[/name]
[name]Finn[/name]
Vigo
[name]Hugo[/name]
[name]Brandt[/name]
[name]Cassian[/name] / [name]Cassius[/name]
[name]Cael[/name]
[name]Thatcher[/name]
[name]Thane[/name]
[name]Easton[/name]
[name]West[/name]
Truett
[name]Foster[/name]
[name]Fisher[/name]
[name]Crewe[/name] / [name]Crew[/name]
[name]Sage[/name]
[name]Sailor[/name]
[name]Spencer[/name] / [name]Spence[/name]
[name]Dempsey[/name]
[name]Park[/name] / [name]Parke[/name]
[name]York[/name]
[name]Sayer[/name] - alternative to the over popular [name]Sawyer[/name]
[name]Thayer[/name]
[name]Calder[/name]
[name]Auden[/name]
[name]Callan[/name]
[name]Callum[/name]
[name]Cort[/name]
Chord
[name]Bowen[/name]
[name]Tobiah[/name] / [name]Tobias[/name]

Good luck!

4

Thanks so much for your feedback. We actually do share a lot of common name loves. I actually forgot to put [name]Thatcher[/name] on my list, but I do like that name. I also am drawn to your Truett (how is that pronounced) and [name]Noble[/name]. I actually came this close to naming [name]Scarlett[/name] [name]Piper[/name].

I am of Hispanic background but my husband is not. So it might weird to have [name]Cruz[/name] Irish last name!

I also like [name]Beau[/name] and [name]Bode[/name]. My concern about [name]Beau[/name] is the dog name again, since the Obamas have a dog named [name]Bo[/name]. [name]Bode[/name] is less dog but I know it will get mispronounced all the time. I can’t tell you how many people want to call me daughter SAhd-eee

5

I think I picked a bad thread title, because I wasn’t getting any more love. Please help. Is my taste that bad?

6

No! I don’t think you have bad taste. I think that your doubts about names are mostly in the right places. I do think [name]Bode[/name] will be mispronounced ([name]Bodhi[/name] might do better, but it feels like a very different style from [name]Scarlett[/name] and [name]Sadie[/name]). I do think [name]Cruz[/name] IrishLastName seems a tad jarring; [name]Cruz[/name] also seems rather trendy, ubercool against your vintage girls’ names. I don’t find [name]Asher[/name] particularly Jewish now that it has gotten so much universal use in the US (similarly, [name]Sadie[/name] doesn’t feel particularly Jewish to me, though [name]Sarah[/name] has Hebrew roots…), but if you’re getting asked that kind of question, then I understand the hesitation. My concern would be its popularity. If it were me, I would strike names that start with S ([name]Sawyer[/name], [name]Stellan[/name], [name]Silas[/name]). I really like them, esp. [name]Silas[/name] (which is a great name meaning “wood” like sylvan), but I fear all those S names sound hissy said out loud (once again, esp. [name]Silas[/name] because it has an S at the beginning and end!). But maybe the alliterative theme doesn’t bother you. And once again, personally, I would scratch [name]Everett[/name] (love it, though) because it shares the same distinctive ending as [name]Scarlett[/name], and even nn [name]Rhett[/name] and [name]Scarlett[/name] in one family seems like too much. And I love [name]Thatcher[/name], but am having trouble thinking of a better nickname if you dislike [name]Thatch[/name]. So maybe that’s enough to knock it off.

I hope that doesn’t sound too critical, because I like all the names–I just would pick different ones, like…[name]Penn[/name]! I love [name]Penn[/name]. I think kids will get over the whole “pen” thing before he’s midway through elementary school (school supplies just aren’t that funny…). I think it’s great! On another note, I think the only concern of yours I wouldn’t worry about are things sounding like dog names. Pets get people names now; a quick web search shows that the most popular names for dogs are all normal people names: [name]Max[/name], [name]Jake[/name], [name]Bailey[/name], [name]Charlie[/name], [name]Cooper[/name], [name]Oliver[/name], [name]Jackson[/name], [name]Oscar[/name], [name]Winston[/name], [name]Hunter[/name], [name]Milo[/name]… (ditto for girl dogs: [name]Bella[/name], [name]Molly[/name], [name]Lucy[/name], and [name]Maggie[/name] top the list!). Odds are high that the kids he goes to school with will have pets with any of their classmates’ names, but that doesn’t make them dogs’ names. So I really, really don’t think that [name]Dashiell[/name] or [name]Beau[/name] are dogs’ names (or reindeer names). I think that [name]Dashiell[/name] would be a superb option: [name]Scarlett[/name], [name]Sadie[/name], and [name]Dashiell[/name] (I love how the S, D, and L connect them, but they don’t sound alike!). And [name]Scarlett[/name], [name]Sadie[/name], and [name]Beau[/name] sound sweet together, too (though there is a distinct Southern air about them…doesn’t bother me, though). Finally, I think both [name]Gable[/name] works great. Not sure I can reconcile the town thing as far as [name]Gable[/name] goes (I think of [name]Clark[/name] [name]Gable[/name]), but you might consider [name]Gabriel[/name] nn [name]Gable[/name] if it really bugs you.

Lot of great suggestions already. Sorry if I repeat any! What about [name]Scarlett[/name], [name]Sadie[/name], and…

[name]Winslow[/name] (nn [name]Win[/name])
[name]Hopper[/name]
[name]Tierney[/name]
[name]Tatum[/name] (nn [name]Tate[/name])
[name]Roman[/name]
[name]Hudson[/name]
[name]Brady[/name], [name]Grady[/name], or [name]Brody[/name]
[name]Channing[/name] or [name]Banning[/name]
[name]Brent[/name]
[name]Colin[/name] nn [name]Cole[/name] (or just [name]Cole[/name])
[name]Kit[/name]
[name]Ronan[/name]
[name]Granger[/name]
[name]Crew/name - great alternative to [name]Cruz[/name]!
[name]Alcott[/name]
[name]Evan[/name]
[name]Davis[/name]
[name]Gage[/name]
[name]Gray[/name]
[name]Gannon[/name]
[name]Tobin[/name] (nn [name]Toby[/name]?)

Best wishes!

7

Thanks so much. This kind of reply is exactly what I was looking for.

I appreciate your reassurance on [name]Penn[/name]. So funny about writing instruments not being that funny! Made me chuckle.

I think I’ll keep [name]Everett[/name] and [name]Thatcher[/name]. Nicknames are not really a must in my house. I never had one. Also, [name]Scarlett[/name] doesn’t seem like she will have any formal/consistent nickname. We do find ourselves calling her Scarly and Escarletica (as a joke) from time to time. Shh…but overall, she’s [name]Scarlett[/name]. [name]Sadie[/name] too is mostly [name]Sadie[/name].

Funny you mention [name]Brady[/name], because if [name]Sadie[/name] were a boy, we were also set on [name]Brady[/name], but now I can’t use it because it rhymes with [name]Sadie[/name].

I’m losing interest in [name]Sawyer[/name] and [name]Asher[/name]. [name]Cruz[/name] is just too jarring with the girls’ name and our last name.

Thanks so much. It’s been helpful. Now I actually have to find out what I’m having…it’s probably a girl!

8

Truett is my current favorite. It’s pronounced just like it’s spelled [name]TRUE[/name]-et. [name]True[/name] is a guilty pleasure name for me, so Truett is a way to get there for me :slight_smile: Truett [name]North[/name] is my current top fave for a boy.

9

From your list, my favorites are [name]Penn[/name], [name]Stellan[/name], [name]Everett[/name] and [name]Asher[/name].

10

Whoops, forgot [name]Brady[/name], [name]Grady[/name], and [name]Sadie[/name] rhyme! Wasn’t thinking, haha. [name]Glad[/name] to have helped a little. [name]Penn[/name] is still my fave!