— new ideas for a son 🌞

[emeraldsea]

hi friends

with all the wonderful advice i was given in my last post, hubs and i have decided to take off the pressure- both of family preference and of our own creation. naming should be fun, and i don’t want to look back at this wonderful journey and only remember how stressed i was.

so, with the help of ms. alix brown (the name mentor)’s baby name book, trending and timeless baby names, which i highly recommend. my husband and i have made a ten name list that we’re particularly enjoying right now.

so without further ado, let me introduce you to…

our future cowboys

oakes

an ode to the trail that lead to this baby, all the grief and joy, and the strength too. i love the symbolism of endurance, wisdom, growth, stability, and the connection to nature. when we were trying to conceive, i would do reiki on myself each night, and i distinctly remember a vision of an oak tree growing when i was clearing my sacral chakra. there is also the biblical connection of isaiah 61:3. my husband particularly enjoys this spelling, though we’re considering oak, oaks, oakley, and oakland as well.

shepherd

he’s back! the other night before bed, my husband turned to me and said “shepherd has been on my mind all day.” we love the biblical and spiritual connection, as well as the pastoral image, and the nickname “shep”. it is also a family name for me. far back in my father’s lineage!

ruskin

okay, okay. i might still be convincing my husband of this. i just love it. along with this, one of the meanings i had found was “little red one”, and that honors my favorite uncle.

thatcher

my hubs’ second favorite, after oakes. i think it’s got such a cottagecore, gentle feel, and who doesn’t love “thatch”?

judah

another that my husband has decided he’s coming around to! on both sides of my family, we kind of have a trend of boys having j names, especially biblical ones! judah hasn’t been used yet, and i’ve always thought it was so gentle and sweet.

now i’m going to pass the mic, or well, keyboard to you. what are your thoughts on these names? what do you envision when you hear them? would they make a nice brotherset? what middle names would you suggest that fit the pastoral/cowboy style? i’ll attach our long list below for more ideas…

our long list

abner acre amos aquila arrow audie avett banks banning boaz boone brave braven bray brogan brooks callahill canaan carver copeland coy deacon denver destry elwood enoch ephraim everson ezri fielding fitz fletcher ford forrester fox gates gentry gideon given halston harlan hendricks herschel hiker hollis howl huck huxley indy ira jensen jessop judah kipton knox kohen leverett levi loyal loxley maccoy nash noam oakes oakland oakley omri oren pace pierson prine quaid rafe ransom rhettlan ridge riggins rise roam roarke rockwell roscoe rowen rylo sawyer schofield shepherd shiloh smith sonny stone summit swayze swift taft thatcher tillman townes trail twain uriah waylon wells wilder wilkie winslow wrestling wyatt zane zebedee zimri zion

and an extra note, a couple things that are important to us, is that they are at least cohesive with big sister in heaven’s name, willa, and that they sound nice with our last name, $chr0eder.

thank you all!

[love.endures]

I’m glad you’re having more fun with the naming process I love all 5 names! They would make a fantastic set of brothers!! Also, pastoral cowboy is a great way to describe this style
[name_m]Oakes[/name_m] ~ rustic & strong (feels a little trendy to me but I’m not sure why). [name_m]Oakes[/name_m] is probably my favorite spelling too, although I do like [name_m]Oak[/name_m] as well.
[name_m]Shepherd[/name_m] ~ I adore this name for all of the same reasons you mentioned. He’s my personal favorite
[name_m]Ruskin[/name_m] ~ what a cool name (although the word “skin” being in it is throwing me off a bit). It’s not my top choice, but I also would love to meet someone named [name_m]Ruskin[/name_m]. For a similar meaning, I love the name [name_m]Roan[/name_m]
[name_m]Thatcher[/name_m] ~ very sweet. I like him a lot! He definitely has a down to earth feel.
[name_m]Judah[/name_m] ~ love the biblical ties, sound, & meaning of [name_m]Judah[/name_m].
Middle ideas:
[name_m]Oakes[/name_m] [name_m]Zebedee[/name_m]
[name_m]Shepherd[/name_m] [name_f]Loxley[/name_f]
[name_m]Ruskin[/name_m] [name_f]Shiloh[/name_f]
[name_m]Thatcher[/name_m] [name_m]Canaan[/name_m]
[name_m]Judah[/name_m] [name_m]Elwood[/name_m]

[tori101]

Ahhh yay I’m glad you’re feeling happier!!!

Firstly I just want to say this list definitely feels more you in comparison to Harlan Jesse. Of course Harlan Jesse is fabulous very cowboy but this list feels more you

Oakes ~ lovely nature choice that feels very stylish. Currently where I am Oakley is everywhere so for me Oakes feels like a more fashionable Oakley. Oakes evokes gorgeous imagery and symbolism of the oak tree whilst also feeling very cowboy. Middle name wise I like the idea of Oakes Gideon, Oakes Jessop & Oakes Winslow. I think he works with your surname. Finally Willa & Oakes together are very sweet.

Shepherd ~ ahhh gosh I absolutely love Shepherd!! Honestly Shepherd is gorgeous such a spiritual, warm, earthy and wise name. Shepherd is just wonderful. I also love Shep. This name is a favourite of mine I just adore. I also love that Shepherd is in your family tree such a cool name to have in your family tree. Shepherd sounds great with your surname I’m a sucker for alliteration. I think Willa & Shepherd are such a peaceful sibling set as well. Shepherd Roscoe, Shepherd Knox & Shepherd Amos are all lovely.

Ruskin ~ I’m not sure part of me thinks adorable love the meaning and connection to your uncle. However another part of me hears rough skin which immediately makes me think they need moisturiser.
So I’m just not sure. I think Ruskin feels very cowboy paired with Willa and works with your surname. I like the idea of a middle name having an elongated more melodic sound such as Zebedee & Indy.

Thatcher ~ absolutely gorgeous! Thatcher is warm, wholesome, has lovely cottagecore imagery and feels very inviting. I think Thatcher is a lovely choice. This is my second favourite from your list after Shepherd. I love Thatch too! Thatcher works with your surname and is sweet with Willa. Thatcher Rowen, Thatcher Brooks & Thatcher Hollis are all choices I’d choose.

Judah ~ Finally onto Judah. I think Judah is a lovely biblical choice that works with your surname along with having the connection to your family theme of j bible names for boys which is lovely. Willa & Judah feel natural together. I like the idea of Judah Deacon, Judah Elwood & Judah Fox.

My personal shortlist would be

Shepherd Amos
Thatcher Rowen
Judah Elwood

Hope this helps

[moonlion]

What a fantastic list!

Right away, I’m sold on [name_m]Oakes[/name_m], and secondly, [name_m]Shepherd[/name_m]. I think those are extremely special within your own stories and personally I think that’d be the most meaningful. Not that honor names aren’t, but these are your “originals”, if you know what I mean.

If you plan on having more than one boy, [name_m]Oakes[/name_m] and [name_m]Shepherd[/name_m] would be super handsome brothers.

I can definitely also feel the vibe you’re going for, though some names are more obvious than others. [name_m]Judah[/name_m], for example, fits in the context, but wouldn’t immediately make one think cottagecore by itself.

I don’t know what names I’m allowed to mix, but I’ll list what clicked for me.

[name_m]Ruskin[/name_m] [name_m]Oakes[/name_m]
[name_m]Shepherd[/name_m] Roam
[name_m]Zimri[/name_m] [name_m]Oakland[/name_m]
[name_m]Sonny[/name_m] [name_m]Ransom[/name_m]
[name_m]Shepherd[/name_m] [name_m]Knox[/name_m]
[name_m]Oakland[/name_m] [name_m]Howl[/name_m]
[name_m]Thatcher[/name_m] [name_m]Summit[/name_m]

[Greyblue]

Aw, this was lovely to read

Thoughts:

[name_m]Oakes[/name_m] → handsome and strong but gentle too; I like how it feels solid and resilient without needing to be a ‘macho’ feeling name. [name_f]Love[/name_f] [name_m]Oakland[/name_m] too

[name_m]Shepherd[/name_m] → rugged but soft, outdoorsy and charming. I’m glad that your husband is liking it again

[name_m]Ruskin[/name_m] → distinctive and interesting, with that strong but gentle feel. Grounded by its similarity to Russell/Russ, [name_m]Finn[/name_m] etc.

[name_m]Thatcher[/name_m] → trying to shake the association this has in the UK, I can see it matches that cottagecore, cosy feel, while also being playful and confident

[name_m]Judah[/name_m] → sweet, with a hint of cowboy

I think they’d make a great brother set and fit with Willa’s name! Thinking about your surname, [name_m]Judah[/name_m] and [name_m]Thatcher[/name_m] don’t flow quite so well as the others, but not in any unusable, terrible way. In fact, it might just be me in my accent.

Some middle ideas, using yours and my suggestions:

[name_m]Oakes[/name_m] [name_m]Gideon[/name_m]
[name_m]Oakes[/name_m] Callahil
[name_m]Oakes[/name_m] [name_m]Malachi[/name_m]
[name_m]Oakes[/name_m] [name_m]Leverett[/name_m]
[name_m]Oakes[/name_m] [name_m]Rafferty[/name_m]
[name_m]Oakes[/name_m] [name_m]Jessop[/name_m]
[name_m]Oakes[/name_m] [name_m]Zebulun[/name_m]
[name_m]Oakes[/name_m] [name_m]Willoughby[/name_m]
[name_m]Oakes[/name_m] [name_m]Griffin[/name_m]

[name_m]Shepherd[/name_m] [name_m]Winslow[/name_m]
[name_m]Shepherd[/name_m] [name_f]Marlo[/name_f]
[name_m]Shepherd[/name_m] [name_m]Rafe[/name_m]
[name_m]Shepherd[/name_m] [name_m]Azariah[/name_m]
[name_m]Shepherd[/name_m] [name_m]Boaz[/name_m]
[name_m]Shepherd[/name_m] [name_m]Hendrix[/name_m]
[name_m]Shepherd[/name_m] McCall
[name_m]Shepherd[/name_m] [name_m]Wyeth[/name_m]

[name_m]Ruskin[/name_m] [name_m]Oakley[/name_m]
[name_m]Ruskin[/name_m] [name_m]Trail[/name_m]
[name_m]Ruskin[/name_m] [name_m]Hartley[/name_m]
[name_m]Ruskin[/name_m] [name_m]Fletcher[/name_m]
[name_m]Ruskin[/name_m] [name_m]Zimri[/name_m]
[name_m]Ruskin[/name_m] [name_m]Ozias[/name_m]
[name_m]Ruskin[/name_m] [name_m]Quaid[/name_m]
[name_m]Ruskin[/name_m] [name_m]Westley[/name_m]
[name_m]Ruskin[/name_m] [name_m]Ferris[/name_m]

[name_m]Thatcher[/name_m] [name_m]Eliam[/name_m]
[name_m]Thatcher[/name_m] [name_m]Roscoe[/name_m]
[name_m]Thatcher[/name_m] [name_m]Auden[/name_m]
[name_m]Thatcher[/name_m] [name_m]Noam[/name_m]
[name_m]Thatcher[/name_m] [name_m]Arlo[/name_m]
[name_m]Thatcher[/name_m] [name_m]Zebedee[/name_m]
[name_m]Thatcher[/name_m] [name_m]Ernest[/name_m]
[name_m]Thatcher[/name_m] [name_m]Canaan[/name_m]

[name_m]Judah[/name_m] [name_m]Rockwell[/name_m]
[name_m]Judah[/name_m] [name_m]Kipton[/name_m]
[name_m]Judah[/name_m] [name_m]Laszlo[/name_m]
[name_m]Judah[/name_m] [name_m]Huxley[/name_m]
[name_m]Judah[/name_m] [name_m]Ansel[/name_m]
[name_m]Judah[/name_m] [name_m]Kyffin[/name_m]
[name_m]Judah[/name_m] [name_m]Waylon[/name_m]

[emeraldsea]

i totally get what you’re saying with ruskin. i think if we did end up using it, my husband would probably push for ruston instead, which i actually quite like, as well. roan is such a sweet suggestion! I’ve always liked the nickname “ro”.

your combination ideas are definitely getting some wheels turning for us— i love ruskin shiloh, thatcher canaan, and oakes zebedee. especially as a brother set.

thank you for your help!

[emeraldsea]

thank you for all your kindness, tori!

i’m definitely agreeing with you that shepherd is my first choice. oakes is trailing closely behind, along with thatcher!

i’m absolutely agreeing with your feedback on ruskin— and it really isn’t t’s favorite, either. he suggested ruston, which i quite like as well! i think it would sound nicely with indy and zebedee, as you suggested!

my husband adores your suggestions of shepherd knox and thatcher brooks— those middle names are just his style! i’m really loving thatcher rowen, shepherd amos, and judah deacon! thank you, again for all your help!

[emeraldsea]

oh, thank you for your kind words on our choices! i absolutely agree that shepherd and oakes are so so meaningful, especially for this baby. and as you mentioned, i adore them as brothers. we are wanting as many children as the universe will bless us with— so it isn’t bad to have a few extras we love!

i adore your suggestion of ruskin oakes— that is just incredibly dreamy! shepherd roam and thatcher summit are totally up our alley too, as we love to hike and travel!

thank you for your help!

[emeraldsea]

thank you for your response, grace, and all your wonderful ideas!

your descriptions for these sweet boys are exactly how i feel about them— though i do understand that thatcher has some different connotations over in the uk than it does in the us!

i adore your suggestions of oakes gideon, shepherd wyeth, ruskin trail, ruskin hartley, ruskin fletcher, thatcher noam, thatcher canaan, and judah huxley! t is loving your ideas of oakes jessop, shepherd mccall, ruskin quaid, thatcher roscoe, and judah waylon!

[EloiseT]

As another approach, these are the names from your (amazing) list that flow the best to your last name (for my ear and admittedly non-rhotic accent):

Oakes/ Oakland
Roscoe
Knox
Rowen/Roan
Wilkie
Everson
Waylon
Huxley
Deacon
Banning (so handsome with your last name!)
Wyatt

I love Shepherd but I’m finding it a little tricky with the double Sh. It would be my second fave though after Oakes/Oakland. It’s a wonderful name and Shep is a fab nn. Jude sounds much easier to me that Judah with your last name. And it might be the accent difference here, but Thatcher S-er isn’t as flowy for me. I also prefer when names aren’t the repeat syllable plus same endings - so here, two syllables plus ER. Edit: forgot Ruskin - it gives me autumnal & academic/scholarly vibes. I like it but not sure I could use it just with the rust/skin proximity.

[love.endures]

Oh I really like [name_m]Ruston[/name_m] + the nickname [name_m]Rusty[/name_m] is adorable! Our boy was almost named [name_m]Roan[/name_m] (unfortunately it doesn’t pair well with our last name or I definitely would’ve used it). I’m so excited to see which names you all end up choosing! Prayers for your family

[Ruthvd]

From your short list:
[name_m]Oakes[/name_m]: I like it, very nature-y… also love how much this names means to you!
[name_m]Shepherd[/name_m]: also like this one, feels very strong and wise.
[name_m]Ruskin[/name_m]: my least favorite one, for me it feels a little bit too “made up” in a way.
[name_m]Thatcher[/name_m]: this one I’m 50/50 one, I like it but don’t love it.
[name_m]Judah[/name_m]: I love biblical names and this one is no different!

From your long list these are the ones I like best:
[name_m]Gideon[/name_m]
[name_m]Ira[/name_m]
[name_m]Oren[/name_m]
[name_m]Rowen[/name_m]
[name_f]Shiloh[/name_f]
[name_m]Wilder[/name_m]
[name_m]Winslow[/name_m]

From your short list I think [name_m]Shepherd[/name_m] & [name_m]Judah[/name_m] make a cute brother set, both are biblical and gentle names with a lovely meaning. From your long list I adore [name_m]Gideon[/name_m] & [name_m]Rowen[/name_m] together, both “soft midwestern” names that also go great with [name_f]Willa[/name_f].

Some middle name ideas:
[name_m]William[/name_m]
[name_m]Theodore[/name_m]
[name_m]Simon[/name_m]
[name_m]Jacob[/name_m] / [name_m]Jakob[/name_m]
[name_m]Cohen[/name_m]
[name_m]Solomon[/name_m]
[name_m]Malakai[/name_m] / [name_m]Malachi[/name_m]
[name_m]Tobias[/name_m]
[name_m]Jeremiah[/name_m]
[name_m]Vincent[/name_m]
[name_m]Jude[/name_m]
[name_m]Elliot[/name_m] / [name_m]Eliot[/name_m]

[tori101]

@emeraldsea you are welcome! I think [name_m]Shepherd[/name_m], [name_m]Oakes[/name_m] & [name_m]Thatcher[/name_m] are a lovely very you top 3! I’m glad he likes [name_m]Shepherd[/name_m] [name_m]Knox[/name_m] & [name_m]Thatcher[/name_m] [name_m]Brooks[/name_m] it’s always nice to hear that your ideas please both parties 🩵 I’m with you though I love [name_m]Thatcher[/name_m] [name_m]Rowen[/name_m], [name_m]Shepherd[/name_m] [name_m]Amos[/name_m] & [name_m]Judah[/name_m] [name_m]Deacon[/name_m]. Concerning Ruskin/Ruston I agree with your DH I strongly prefer [name_m]Ruston[/name_m] feels similar to the likes of [name_m]Ashton[/name_m] etc which I think gives more familiarity and ditches any odd associations. I think [name_m]Ruston[/name_m] works with [name_f]Indy[/name_f] & [name_m]Zebedee[/name_m]. Looking forward to continue following your naming journey and helping along the way

[emeraldsea]

i love that you made a list of your favorites with our surname! sometimes it can sound a little clunky, so it’s good to have a running list!

i adore oakes (obviously!), knox, wilkie, everson, huxley and deacon. i’ve always thought banning was so cool- and we even considered banning john, “banjo”, years ago!

i agree, that at first, $hepherd $chr0eder does sound like a lot. i’ve really come to love it, though! i think the alliteration is pretty sweet. i do agree with you that thatcher with our last name isn’t the best! these darn german surnames

thank you for all your suggestions!

[EloiseT]

I love the sound of your last name, it’s handsome/romantic to me! And I’m glad Shepherd has clicked with it. It would for me too after saying it for a bit, def a front runner. I wound keep Banning John in the back pocket, it’s a superb name.

[melia22]

i’m glad you’re beginning to enjoy the naming process again, i wish the two of you the best of luck with it

i’m not really a hundred percent sure what your asking so excuse me if my answer is miles off

oakes

i think this is the sweetest name! it sounds very sweet with your last name. it feels very rustic, strong and gives me a fun, carefree, cowboy vibes. i have to agree with your husband that oakes is also my favourite spelling but i also enjoy oak and oakley. it’s such a sweet name and everytime i type it out it makes me smile.

shepherd

i agree! i also love this name, i think shep is the sweetest nickname and the family connections are an awesome bonus! i’ve always loved this name and think it’s the coolest name (it’s on my list as a middle name for arlo), and i’ll always associate this name with you. it just makes me think of you so vividly! my only small problem with shepherd is that i do find the double sh- sound with your last name a lot to say.

ruskin

i’ve never heard it before but this is such a cool name! my only small issue with this name is it makes me think of rusks which is a food you eat with your coffee in the morning where i live. though i’m ninety nine percent that won’t effect you therefor won’t make any difference to you.

thatcher

love, love, love thatch!! super duper sweet name and i think it’s one of those really, really sweet names that just sounds so lovely when you say it. i do find it a bit difficult to say with your last name (though i’m not a hundred percent sure that i’ve saying your last name right) but that might be my very british accent!

judah

again super sweet name! it sounds so sweet with your last name as well as being kind of fun to keep going with your family ‘trend’. i think it sounds nice with your last name and it also has lots of fun nickname ideas. i love this name for you!

some middle name ideas:

oakes:

oakes levi
oakes harlan
oakes fletcher
oakes herschel
oakes hollis
oakes indy
oakes kohen
oakes uriah
oakes winslow

oak wyatt
oak shiloh
oak shepherd
oakley elwood
oakley ford
oakley callahill
oakland huxley
oakland knox
oakland nash

shepherd:

shepherd jensen
shepherd indy
shepherd harlan
shepherd levi
shepherd knox
shepherd oakes
shepherd hollis
shepherd robert
shepherd ransom
shepherd rowen
shepherd sawyer

ruskin:

ruskin john
ruskin kohen
ruskin brooks
ruskin noam
ruskin rockwell
ruskin halston
ruskin hendricks
ruskin zane
ruskin zion
ruskin audie
ruskin arrow

thatcher:

thatcher abner
thatcher arce
thatcher amos
thatcher banks
thatcher brogen
thatcher copeland
thatcher ezri
thatcher roscoe
thatcher rockwell
thatcher riggs
thatcher uriah
thatcher stone
thatcher wells

judah:

judah avett
judah banning
judah shepherd
judah fielding
judah ford
judah smith
judah stone
judah sonny
judah rowen
judah shiloh
judah ridge

one thing i love about your list is names is how cohesive it all is! i think most (if not all) of your names are very cohesive and work very well together either through first and middle names or as brothers!

hope you enjoy!

[emeraldsea]

oh, melia, this is all so beautiful— where do i even begin

thank you for your thoughts and kind words on each of the names we’ve chosen. dh is out working in the garage this morning, but i am so excited to share them with him when he comes inside! it made my heart so happy that you smile each time you type out oakes, and that you associate shepherd with me. that is just the biggest compliment! (and i have to say, your arlo shepherd is darling!)

i absolutely love all of the combinations you have listed, and a few that really stand out to me are oakes uriah, oakley ford, shepherd levi, shepherd hollis, ruskin audie, ruskin brooks, thatcher roscoe, judah avett, and judah ridge!

thank you so much

[highhippogriff]

[name_m]Oakes[/name_m] - makes me think of autumn and red leafs, it’s nice but not my favourite on your list (but that’s just personal taste becayse I LOVE the meaning behind it!!)

[name_m]Shepherd[/name_m] - definitely feels like your style! makes me think of dark green cable knit sweaters and leather boots . I think this is my favourite!

[name_m]Ruskin[/name_m] - similar vibes to [name_m]Oakes[/name_m] for me. I’ve never heard of this name before but it does fit in with your other names!

[name_m]Thatcher[/name_m] - adorable, love the nickname, makes me think of a house grown with ivy with loads of books in it!

[name_m]Judah[/name_m] - I personally prefer [name_m]Jude[/name_m], but [name_m]Judah[/name_m] does feel right up your alley (and he’s very cozy as well!)

[name_f]My[/name_f] two favourites are [name_m]Shepherd[/name_m] & [name_m]Thatcher[/name_m]! They both feel very cozy whilst still feeling ‘strong’. I think [name_m]Thatcher[/name_m] would go especially well with big sis [name_f]Willa[/name_f] <3

some combos…

[name_m]Shepherd[/name_m] [name_m]Gideon[/name_m]
[name_m]Shepherd[/name_m] [name_m]Wyatt[/name_m]
[name_m]Shepherd[/name_m] [name_m]Boone[/name_m]
[name_m]Shepherd[/name_m] [name_f]Aquila[/name_f]
[name_m]Shepherd[/name_m] [name_m]Boaz[/name_m]
[name_m]Thatcher[/name_m] [name_m]Amos[/name_m]
[name_m]Thatcher[/name_m] [name_m]Deacon[/name_m]
[name_m]Thatcher[/name_m] [name_m]Fitz[/name_m]
[name_m]Thatcher[/name_m] [name_m]Fox[/name_m]
[name_m]Thatcher[/name_m] [name_m]Ransom[/name_m]

hope this helps in some way!