[name_m]Hi[/name_m]!
We are looking for a name for our second boy, expected in about 7 weeks…
Our first born is named [name_u]Emery[/name_u] [name_m]Robert[/name_m] (boy).
Which names do you think would be fitting?
Some of the names on our list are:
[name_m]Aedan[/name_m]
Lorian
[name_u]Logan[/name_u]
[name_m]Silvan[/name_m]/[name_m]Sylvan[/name_m]
[name_m]Caeden[/name_m]
Elai
We also like [name_m]Fynn[/name_m] (or [name_u]Finn[/name_u]) but the name is VERY popular where we are (Netherlands; American/Dutch family); while [name_u]Emery[/name_u] is rather unique.
[name_m]New[/name_m] suggestions are VERY welcome!
Of those my favourites are [name_m]Aedan[/name_m] (alternate spelling of my partner’s name), [name_u]Logan[/name_u] (my surname -!- I think if it as very popular though, or would be in Anglo lands), [name_m]Silvan[/name_m] and [name_m]Caeden[/name_m] (especially [name_m]Aedan[/name_m] and [name_m]Silvan[/name_m]/ [name_m]Sylvan[/name_m], though the latter may go a bit less well with [name_u]Emery[/name_u], hmmm and [name_m]Aedan[/name_m]/ [name_u]Aidan[/name_u] is pretty popular in [name_u]America[/name_u] etc I believe). Admittedly I don’t know how to pronounce Elai though.
Thank you for your reply!
Our challenge is to find a name that will be pronounced properly by both English speaking people and Dutch people.
Names starting with a J are troublesome for that reason; and so are names starting with A or E when the vowel is pronounced as a single syllable (As in [name_m]Eli[/name_m] (E-li); in Dutch, this E would sound more like ‘A’).
Aeden is probably my favorite too; but I can’t quite convince my husband yet… With the more regular spelling it is also a bit more common in the Netherlands (though not as popular as in the USA); But somehow I am attracted to the ‘ae’ letter combination :-).
Oh, and Elai I would want to be pronounced as A-lai (with - ai as in ‘thai’, from an American perspective). But that is the one name on the list that doesn’t qualify because of the pronunciation issues :-?
I also think Lorian is the way to go: matches [name_u]Emery[/name_u], easy to know how to say, and very cool (but still smart and thoughtful-sounding)!
I hear you with the vowel pronunciation issues! I like the Ae start with [name_u]Aidan[/name_u] also. I also prefer the an ending to the en one. If it isn’t too popular for you I think it would be a good choice.
I totally get the pronunciation issue - [name_m]German[/name_m]/American family here. From your list I like Lorian the best for “matching” [name_u]Emery[/name_u] in style. Some of the other names feel a little tired to me from the American perspective and with the spellings you’ve offered, Americans won’t have a clue what to do with them. I don’t speak Dutch. The “R” in Lorian would be a pronunciation issue between [name_m]German[/name_m] and English. Is it also for Dutch? Otherwise I think that’s the way to go!
Thank you all for the replies!
I’m glad you like Lorian. I can’t find it anywhere as an ‘existing’ name, but I thought of it by getting rid of the F in the name [name_u]Florian[/name_u].
Somehow our list is full of names ending with -an.
I am so curious what the actual name is going to be… For our first born, his name was already at the top of our list by now. But now we don’t feel like we are as close to knowing what the name should be!
From your list, I like Elai and Lorian a lot! I even like [name_m]Aedan[/name_m] with that spelling, although I’m not usually a fan of [name_u]Aiden[/name_u].
I love ae and ea sounds! What do you think of [name_m]Aeneas[/name_m]??
I can speak Dutch so I thought i would just give my thoughts on pronunciation issues as it might be helpful:
[name_m]Aedan[/name_m]: [name_u]Aiden[/name_u]/[name_u]Aidan[/name_u] is way more popular than [name_m]Aedan[/name_m] in the Netherlands so I think people (except maybe for the older generations) would not have much trouble pronouncing [name_u]Aiden[/name_u]/[name_u]Aidan[/name_u]. For [name_m]Aedan[/name_m] however I for see pronunciation issues. Your son might have to explain to people it is pronounced the same way as [name_u]Aidan[/name_u].
Lorian: No trouble pronouncing this name although it will sound slightly different in Dutch (I think I prefer the English pronunciation so if this is also the case for you, you might want to prepare that Lorian sounds harsher in Dutch).
[name_u]Logan[/name_u]: I think this name will be foreign but familiar for a lot of people so they would pronounce it in the English way. Except for the older generation this name should not be too much of an issue. But if I am wrong [name_u]Logan[/name_u] would sound horrible in Dutch (the hars ‘g’ sound) so be ware.
[name_m]Silvan[/name_m]/[name_m]Sylvan[/name_m]: Uncommon in the Netherlands, I would go with the [name_m]Silvan[/name_m] spelling as the ‘y’ in Dutch is regarded as more feminine and the name [name_f]Sylvia[/name_f] is a bit an middle aged lady name. Again this name may sound more harsh in Dutch like Lorian.
[name_m]Caeden[/name_m]: Same like [name_m]Aedan[/name_m], this name might lead to pronunciation issues as people are just not familiar at all with such a foreign name. You might be able to get away with [name_m]Caden[/name_m] but I am not sure.
Elai - As you said the ‘E’ is pronounced more like the ‘A’ in some names. Elai would be pronounced as A-Lai by the Dutch.
I like [name_m]Sylvan[/name_m] and [name_u]Finn[/name_u] from your list. Also:
[name_u]Emery[/name_u] and [name_m]Manfred[/name_m]
[name_u]Emery[/name_u] and [name_m]Conrad[/name_m]
[name_u]Emery[/name_u] and [name_m]Cormac[/name_m]
[name_u]Emery[/name_u] and [name_m]Birch[/name_m]
[name_u]Emery[/name_u] and Enzer
[name_u]Emery[/name_u] and [name_m]Keller[/name_m]
[name_u]Emery[/name_u] and Hennessy
[name_u]Emery[/name_u] and [name_u]Tobin[/name_u]
[name_u]Emery[/name_u] and [name_m]Phineas[/name_m]
[name_u]Emery[/name_u] [name_m]Robert[/name_m] is a fantastic name!
I absolutely love [name_m]Silvan[/name_m]/[name_m]Sylvan[/name_m] from your list, and really like Lorian (it is a name — we had a birth announcement for one not long ago!) and [name_m]Fynn[/name_m] too. Would [name_u]Flynn[/name_u] be worth considering, if [name_m]Fynn[/name_m] feels too popular?
Thank you so much for your reply! It sums up the struggles and doubts we have about the names.
With [name_u]Emery[/name_u] we felt it was such a lucky find: [name_m]German[/name_m] orign of the name, making it sound familiar in the Netherlands; pretty much the same pronunciation in both languages (except for the sound of the R sometimes, but so far everyone has caught on pretty easily). He has a unique name here; and it suits him very well.
Now to find just as good a name for this little boy!
What’s your nameblog?
Thanks @katinka!
Cool to read that you recently saw a birth announcement for a boy with the name Lorian!
I really love the name [name_m]Silvan[/name_m] too; but my husband hasn’t warmed up to it (yet)…
I’ll suggest [name_u]Flynn[/name_u] too; and consider the other names you suggested!
I took another look at the Dutch name charts for boys (2017) and actually found both [name_u]Logan[/name_u] and [name_m]Silvan[/name_m] among the top 500 names. Other finds in the charts that I think that could work with [name_u]Emery[/name_u] are [name_u]Quinn[/name_u], [name_u]Mason[/name_u], [name_m]Morris[/name_m], [name_m]Brent[/name_m], [name_m]Damian[/name_m] (I think both Dutch and English pronuncation is used in the Netherlands for [name_m]Damian[/name_m]), [name_m]Scott[/name_m], [name_u]Finley[/name_u], [name_m]Boyd[/name_m] and [name_u]Flynn[/name_u]. Since all these names are among the top 500 names I think they should work overall as they should be familiar enough (minor pronuncation issues/differences aside as mentioned).
