Below are my top 10 boy names, how I rank them and why. Please rate them in order of your preference or and feel free to comment on what you do or do not like about each one.
- [name]Emerson[/name]
- This is another one that my husband and I both like really well. I really like the [name]Em[/name]/[name]Emer[/name] sound as well as the -son ending and that it has three syllables. We are OK with using a Unisex name for a boy, especially as we see the -son ending to be a masculine signifier. I like that there is not obvious nn to [name]Emerson[/name], let alone one I do not like and would have to fight against. On the downside, We are rather indifferent to [name]Ralph[/name] [name]Waldo[/name] [name]Emerson[/name], nor is my husbands name something that begins with an [name]Em[/name]-, so the name is rather meaningless to us other than that we like it’s sound and style. I am not sure how the people in our circle would react to [name]Emerson[/name], but -son is a very popular ending for boys names where we live.
- [name]Archer[/name]
- My husband and I both like this a lot, although he prefers [name]Hunter[/name] and I prefer [name]Sawyer[/name]. I like that [name]Archer[/name] is a word name and that it sounds both primitive and survivalist as well as preppy. I worry that the hard ch sound makes it sound harsh and that it is getting popular/trendy. I would not want to use the nn [name]Archie[/name], but [name]Arch[/name] would be OK with me. I think this name would be universally well received by our friends and family.
- [name]Phoenix[/name]
- My husband came up with this one and I have gone back and forth between thinking that we should not consider it to thinking that it might actually suit us. We both like that [name]Phoenix[/name] is a mythical creature and are fans of [name]Joaquin[/name] [name]Phoenix[/name]. I strongly associate [name]Phoenix[/name] with [name]Arizona[/name], and the association bothers me…I wonder if I would get over it. Most of the time I think [name]Phoenix[/name] is a little too “out there” for my taste, but every time I see a little boy name [name]Phoenix[/name] (this has only happened twice it three years) I think how adorable the name is in person and admire the parents for being bold. I am certain we would get really mixed reactions from friends and family, and while pleasing other in not our primary concern, it is something to consider.
- [name]Caspian[/name]
- I like the connection to the [name]Narnia[/name] books and the the Sea, I also really like the possibility of the nn [name]Cass[/name]/Caz. I know a young man called [name]Cass[/name], and it really works better on a boy than I would have otherwise guessed had I not met one. I also like that it is three syllables. My husband initially did not care for this one, saying it sounded “too wispy”, he had the same complaint about [name]Sebastian[/name], so I think it it the -ian ending he dose not like. However, he has come around to it (it is still not his favorite). I thought of this one after trying, in vein, to sell him on [name]Casper[/name].
- [name]Sawyer[/name]
- I would rank this one higher on my own, but my husband is really luke warm about it (He basically says I can use it if I must), but I am keeping it in the running just in case I can sell him on it. I like it for all the reasons I like [name]Archer[/name], but also because of the adventurous [name]Tom[/name] [name]Sawyer[/name] is feel it has.
- [name]Tate[/name]
- I thought of this because it is simple, clean and southern sounding, like my husband’s favorite, [name]Cash[/name]. [name]Both[/name] my husband and I feel rather moderately about it, I would say I do not love it like I do most of the other names on this list, but it also the problems some of them, especially those lower on the list would come with.
- [name]Cash[/name]
- This is my husband’s #1 and, in many ways, it would be an excellent choice for us. We are huge [name]Johnny[/name] [name]Cash[/name] fans and his music has special meaning to our marriage. We both like the the bold, southern, musician sound of the name. It also rhymes with my name, which is kind of neat. The thing holding me back it that the [name]Cash[/name]+money meaning of the name/word sounds a bit vulgar to me. I hate it and I am not sure I can get over it.
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[name]Sebastian[/name]
I love the style of [name]Sebastian[/name], but there are at least 7 names I like better. My husband has the same problems with it as he has with [name]Caspian[/name]. -
[name]Xander[/name]
My husband and I both like the idea of using a name that features the letter X and he also likes the nn [name]Xan[/name] because it it the name of someone in a band he really likes and he thinks it sounds cool. I am a huge fan of the TV show [name]Buffy[/name], on which [name]Xander[/name] is a character with many good qualities. However both of my pets have names from the show, which might be reason enough for me not to use a [name]Buffy[/name] name for my child. Also, [name]Xander[/name] feels a bit incomplete to me, as a whole name. [name]Even[/name] on the show the character is named [name]Alexander[/name]. The obvious solution would be to use the name [name]Alexander[/name], but both my husband and I dislike it. -
[name]Josiah[/name]
My degree is in western religion and I love the idea of using a name biblical name, one that makes people think “what a biblical name” when they hear it (so, not one that is rather popular like [name]Jacob[/name], [name]Matthew[/name], …). [name]Josiah[/name] is one of my favorites, I also like [name]Moses[/name], [name]Abraham[/name], [name]Noah[/name] and [name]Elijah[/name] (were those two not too popular and unusable for me fro several other reasons as well). For the most part my husband always responds to these type of names as “too biblical”, but I keep hoping I will find one we can love.
