Octavian - too problematic for real life?

[adelaide_pearl]

[name_m]Hi[/name_m] Berries,

I’d love to hear your thoughts on [name_m]Octavian[/name_m]

Our son has already been here for 8 weeks and we still can’t decide.

[name_m]Octavian[/name_m] is the front runner. And although I’d love to just go ahead and name him this, I have days where I love it and other days where it feels a bit too much/heavy. I guess I’m starting to wonder if giving this name will be somewhat of a burden?

Although I do like all the nicknames you can get out of this name (especially [name_f]Tavi[/name_f] and Tavian), I’d prefer to use his full name while he’s still little. Of course when he’s older it’s up to him to go by whatever shortened version he chooses

I suppose I’m looking for either some encouragement to finally fill out the paperwork, or some good reasons as to why I shouldn’t go ahead with this rarely used name!

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this.

Thank you x

[aylacoggins]

First of all Octavian is a beauty, underused and strong! I do also love the nicknames associated with it. However, it doesn’t sound like you’re much of a nickname person and will prefer to use all 4 syllables of his name regularly. It depends on your patience and i’d also say it depends on how posh & proper for lack of a better word your family is. For me, my son has a 2 syllable name and sometimes i’m too lazy to even say that fully in day to day life and call him by a 1 syllable nickname. I’m a stay at home mom though and use his name countless times throughout the day. You’d be surprised how often! Especially when he is doing something dangerous and destructive, I need a quick 1 syllable name to get his attention FAST! I think maybe since you don’t want to use nicknames and intuitively worry that the name is too heavy that you may LOVE the name but it might not be right for your family specifically? I feel that way about a lot of names like I love them but they feel like too much for my family so I choose to love them from afar.
I could be wrong though!! And if you are bold and don’t mind saying the proper 4 syllables over and over again every day then I say go for it!! It’s a handsome name!

[rosajune]

I absolutely love [name_m]Octavian[/name_m]! It does have a bit of grandness to it, perhaps because of its length? while I do see what you mean, I truly believe you can keep growing into this one. it has everything you’re looking for, plus the nicknames you mentioned. It’s long, but it’s not clunky, complicated or over the top. On the contrary, it’s handsome, charming, and autumnal with just the right dash of grand. I would go full speed ahead and trust that his name will continue to grow on you and feel more natural!

[Greyblue]

[name_m]Octavian[/name_m] is bold and charming - enough like [name_m]Otto[/name_m], [name_f]Octavia[/name_f], [name_m]Adrian[/name_m], [name_m]Cassian[/name_m], [name_m]Maximus[/name_m], [name_m]Maximo[/name_m], [name_m]Lucian[/name_m], [name_m]Dorian[/name_m] etc that it works to me

[heartwings]

No I think it is not problematic at all. Heck if I was named [name_m]Octavian[/name_m] I would feel like so happy to have a name worthy of being called a name and such historical, grand, melodic.
[name_m]Octavian[/name_m], a name like a river, smooth yet relentless, carving through the centuries with the quiet force of time itself. It is a name both heavy and light—imbued with the solemnity of ages past, yet carrying within it the strange, almost melancholic beauty of what endures. In its syllables, there lies a quiet grandeur, like a shadow stretching long over an ancient city as the sun dips below the horizon. It does not shout; it whispers, and in that whisper, all the empire’s splendor is contained.
To bear such a name is not a mere inheritance; it is a kind of slow unfolding, a slow descent into history’s great, unraveled tapestry. It is the twilight that never quite fades, the eternal dusk where the fading stars linger just a little longer. There is a poetic sadness in it—a beauty steeped in the awareness of time’s passing. For what is power if not a brief and fleeting flame that must eventually flicker into the night? And yet, the name [name_m]Octavian[/name_m] stands not in the shadow of this loss, but in its light.
It isthe name of an Emperor, a ruler not of nations but of memory. It is not the burden of achievement, but the lightness of legacy, a story told in whispers carried on the wind. The name clings to the soul like ivy to an old stone wall—silent, constant, and enduring.
To be [name_m]Octavian[/name_m] is to know that one’s essence has mingled with the breath of a thousand dreams, each echoing in the corridors of time, too elusive to grasp fully, yet too profound to forget. It is not the noise of a king’s triumph that calls forth respect, but the quiet dignity of a life lived in the midst of history’s endless ebb. It is a name that speaks not of conquest, but of contemplation—the stillness that follows the storm, the beauty found in the ruins.
There is essentially no difference in length or feel between [name_m]Alexander[/name_m] or I don’t know [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] and [name_m]Octavian[/name_m]. They are all names from [name_m]Greco[/name_m] [name_m]Roman[/name_m] tradition and personally I find [name_m]Octavian[/name_m] even rarer and pleasing so I would love to be named like that if I was your child. [name_f]Hope[/name_f] this helps

[Casea33]

[name_m]Octavian[/name_m] won’t be a problem, all the other long name kids are doing fine! [name_m]Benjamin[/name_m], [name_m]Sebastian[/name_m], [name_m]Alexander[/name_m], [name_m]Santiago[/name_m], [name_m]Jeremiah[/name_m], Christopher…

[EloiseT]

I don’t think it’s problematic, let alone too problematic. I must admit I was a little unsure on first reading - but now I’ve said it a few time in my mind, it’s clicked as a handsome and commanding name. Also, once it’s on him and in use, it won’t have the salience it has now in the abstract (its novelty will fade into the background a little and just be his name).

As for the heaviness of a longer name, my (21 year old) nephew is Sebastian and we all still call him his full name almost half the time. But when I say it, I don’t notice that I’m saying a longer name, it’s just his name (that also happens to be my fave boys’ name but that’s a separate point).

I think if you keep coming back to the name - and accept that no name truly is perfect - you should go for it! Nicer to be over this hurdle, I’m sure.

[Ehrob1]

Aww I think [name_m]Octavian[/name_m] is such a perfect name for you ! I don’t see it being problematic at all !!
If you love it go for it !

[adelaide_pearl]

[name_f]My[/name_f] goodness - I can’t thank you all enough for your beautifully thoughtful responses
It’s been such a relief to read all of the positive associations you have with the name, and most importantly that you don’t see it as being a cause for concern. It’s true that there are a lot of other boys’ names out there on the longer side, that people don’t even bat an eyelid at.
Thank you for boosting my confidence to go ahead and name him already! I must admit - it’s an exciting thought to stop questioning the suitability of the name so much and finally call him [name_m]Octavian[/name_m]

[adelaide_pearl]

@rosajune

it’s handsome, charming, and autumnal with just the right dash of grand.

Thank you @rosajune
These are such lovely connotations
I love how you’ve described the name as ‘autumnal.’ Such wonderful imagery

[rosajune]

Yes! it’s perfect for your fall baby. Please let us know when you make it official! Excited for you to have a wonderfully named little boy

[daisydarcy]

[name_m]Octavian[/name_m] is such a gorgeous name, and would fit beautifully with your other sons! [name_m]Four[/name_m] syllables isn’t a problem at all, especially seeing as [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] (one of the most popular names in the U.S.) has four syllables and that hasn’t been cause for hesitation.
I say go for it!

[whatchamacallit]

Go for it! [name_f]Gorgeous[/name_f] name. So happy to see it being used!

[adelaide_pearl]

@heartwings Thank you!

Your eloquent words mean everything
Thank you for taking the time to share your honest thoughts with me about [name_m]Octavian[/name_m]. You’ve said so many beautiful things about the name and I’m especially loving this:

@heartwings

The name clings to the soul like ivy to an old stone wall—silent, constant, and enduring.

Your response has warmed my heart

[adelaide_pearl]

@EloiseT This is exactly what I’m hoping for when we start actually saying his name out loud:

@EloiseT

Also, once it’s on him and in use, it won’t have the salience it has now in the abstract (its novelty will fade into the background a little and just be his name).

And you’re right - it will feel so much nicer to settle on this name once and for all and get over this hurdle! x

[adelaide_pearl]

Today I’m having doubts again

Would [name_m]Atticus[/name_m] be better, safer and more accepted by society? Really worrying about how he’s going to feel having to introduce himself as [name_m]Octavian[/name_m] when he’s older

[justagirlwholovesnam]

[name_m]Octavian[/name_m] is an amazing name, and if he doesn’t like it he can go by [name_m]Ian[/name_m]

[love.endures]

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what other people think. Which name do you like most? Which name warms your heart when you say it out loud and feels right when you look at your sweet little boy? Which name do you want to hear on a daily basis for the rest of your life? No matter what you choose some people are going to like it and others won’t. As long as you love his name that’s what matters. If he gets older and decides he doesn’t want to go by [name_m]Octavian[/name_m] (if that’s the name you end up choosing) he has plenty of nicknames to choose from I hope this helps!

[EloiseT]

I think Atticus is a little too close to Ambrose especially right after (next child). Also, Octavian’s great - plus he’ll have nn Tavian, Tavi, Tave, Avi, & Otto up his sleeve. I would stick to the vision! (But I get it’s easier for me to say that).

Am still Team Octavian, but for names in between Octavian & Atticus:

Caius
Cassius / Cassian
Lucius / Lucian (sh’n) / Lucien (see-un)
Julius/ Julian

[rosajune]

Don’t let anyones opinions stop you mama - you’ll never please everyone. as long as it’s not complicated or offensive, you are free to use it! I broke every single one of my own rules when I named my son. I didn’t want a third, I didn’t want a long name with a shorter nickname, and I wanted a Spanish first name and [name_f]English[/name_f] middle or vice versa for balance. guess what? [name_f]My[/name_f] son is a third, he goes almost exclusively by a nickname, and he has two Spanish names. It’s not “perfect” in the vision I had for my children’s names, but I chose it because I felt the most pull to it, and it made me the happiest to say, and it meant the most to our little family. Talk about it with hubby- do any of your names stand out in terms of the joy they bring you? Good luck my dear! The naming finish line is near!