Just had our first baby today and somehow we’ve narrowed our original list of 265 names down to 25, then 10, and now to 2!
I’d love to get people’s thoughts on which one they prefer. I’m leaning towards the more unusual and untraditional option while my husband is leaning towards the somewhat more familiar option. That said, I do love both, so I’d love to see what other people think to guide us during our final decision. So vote below on your favorite!
Lewis Callum
Vale Callum
0voters
I’d also love your reasoning for your vote and/or thoughts on either or both names. Just trying to get a feel for the imagery and such that each name gives.
Also, I have one other request I’d love help with! My husband’s family are hardcore nicknamers, even if the name is not traditionally nicknameable (think short, one syllable names that turn into longer nicknames; for example, a baby named Wade would be regularly called “Wadey”). It’s not my favorite, so any name we pick, I’d like to already have a nickname in mind that I like for us to steer people towards.
For Lewis, we both like Lew. But for Vale, we’re struggling with options that both make sense AND sound good. So Val is a no-go for us, and we don’t like what his family would likely default to, which would be Vale-y.
So I’d love any nickname ideas. Stretchy is fine, but I’d love for it to still make sense and tie in some way. Thanks, all!
Personally I prefer [name_m]Lewis[/name_m] [name_m]Callum[/name_m], but I don’t think you can go wrong with either!
Maybe instead of [name_m]Val[/name_m] or Vale-y, you would like [name_m]Vick[/name_m] (getting the “ck” sound from the start of Callum), [name_f]Valley[/name_f], Vee, VC, or [name_m]Al[/name_m]? [name_m]Or[/name_m] even [name_m]Cal[/name_m] from [name_m]Callum[/name_m]?
If you want something more traditional and timeless, go with [name_m]Lewis[/name_m].
If you want something more unique but still very much fits in with current trends, go with [name_f]Vale[/name_f]. I voted for [name_f]Vale[/name_f] because I really like that name!
You can’t go wrong either way, I voted for [name_f]Vale[/name_f], I think it sounds really cool and I really like it.
Like your husband’s family, my family is BIG on nicknames which luckily for most of us grandkids, our names lend well to nicknames but two of my cousins we weren’t sure about but we now have a [name_f]Bailey[/name_f] who is almost universally ‘B’ and an [name_m]Alec[/name_m] who mostly gets called ‘Baby A’ (none of us were a big fan of Al). You’ve got some great suggestions from a previous poster about nicknames so I’ll just suggest V or Vay (which was my first thought)
Congratulations on your baby boy and wishing you and your family well x
I voted for [name_m]Lewis[/name_m] [name_m]Callum[/name_m] because my son’s name is [name_m]Lewis[/name_m]! He’s 11 now and he loves his name, and I still love it and am so glad we chose it because it suits him so well.
It’s relatively common where we are so there’s always a couple of other Lewises around (he’s never had another in his class, though). [name_f]My[/name_f] [name_m]Lewis[/name_m] loves this! It’s not such a common name that it’s everywhere, but it’s familiar enough that he never has to explain his name beyond spelling it out, or just saying “Lewis with a W” (because a lot of people will spell it Louis).
It fits in with current trends as it’s a surname name, and also with the more timeless classics like [name_m]Henry[/name_m] or [name_m]William[/name_m]. It’s a friendly and approachable name, it’s got historical and literary connections, and there’s really nothing objectionable about it.
[name_f]My[/name_f] boy doesn’t use a nickname related to his name (I do have lots of unrelated terms of endearment for him), he’s always just [name_m]Lewis[/name_m]. There is one teacher at his school who calls him [name_m]Luigi[/name_m] (as in the [name_m]Mario[/name_m] Brothers character) which he finds hilarious. I do sometimes call him “Wis”, because when he started to talk as a toddler that’s how he said his name for a long time.
There’s nothing wrong with [name_f]Vale[/name_f] and by all means choose that if it speaks to you, but I just want to convey how awesome a name [name_m]Lewis[/name_m] is and hope that sways you, as there should always be more Lewises in the world!
I also think [name_m]Lewis[/name_m] [name_m]Callum[/name_m] is a great, solid combination and I especially like how Scottish it feels. It would be a great choice!
Anyhow, congratulations I like the solidity of [name_m]Lewis[/name_m] and how it sounds with [name_m]Callum[/name_m] - cheerful, energetic and outdoorsy but with something storybook and gentle about it too (maybe because it sounds similar to [name_m]Lewis[/name_m] Carroll?) [name_m]Lew[/name_m] is cute too - kind of earthy and arty.
[name_f]Vale[/name_f] is very cool too - and is a great, nature-y option, unique but familiar in sound!
I voted for [name_m]Lewis[/name_m] but honestly it was a tough choice for me! Typically I try to steer away from names that a multiple spellings [name_m]Louis[/name_m] / [name_m]Lewis[/name_m] is stunning . I picked this one for the flow and it gives you the [name_m]Nick[/name_m] name [name_m]Lewie[/name_m] [name_m]Lew[/name_m] / [name_m]Lee[/name_m]
I think that you should pick [name_m]Lewis[/name_m]. [name_m]Lewis[/name_m] [name_m]Callum[/name_m] just flows better than [name_f]Vale[/name_f] [name_m]Callum[/name_m]. Also, the nickname is less likely to be a problem - it’s better when the nickname you like is an intuitive, easy one, people are more likely to go along with it. And [name_m]Lewis[/name_m] [name_m]Callum[/name_m] is a great name!
[name_m]Just[/name_m] wanted to thank everyone again for all of your votes and feedback. You definitely all helped us make our final decision, which is [name_m]Lewis[/name_m] [name_m]Callum[/name_m]! We are so in love with him and his name. I love saying it to him all the time now.
I especially want to thank @Chococat again for sharing her story. Heading home your [name_m]Lewis[/name_m] started starting his name really clinched the decision for me. I pictured my own little guy doing that in a few years and I about died of cuteness!
Yes, these are the exact vibes we get from [name_m]Lewis[/name_m]! Outdoorsy yet storybook/literary with a dash of artsy thrown in! I’m glad those are the vibes it gives you, too!
I’m a writer, and I love nature names, so this really is the perfect name mix for us.
I am so thrilled you made your decision and that I was able to help! I told my [name_m]Lewis[/name_m] that there is a new baby in the world named [name_m]Lewis[/name_m] and he was very happy.
