Really struggling to fall in LOVE with a boys name

I’m writing on behalf of my sister, who has asked me to post here for thoughts and suggestions. She has a beautiful little girl called [name_f]Ottilie[/name_f] and is due in a couple of weeks with her second babe. She is struggling to find a boys name. (Contenders for a second girl include [name_f]Estelle[/name_f] and [name_f]Adeline[/name_f]).

Her surname is a very conservative english name.

Can you give feedback on her list and throw some other suggestions her way?

[name_u]Arlo[/name_u]
[name_m]Arthur[/name_m]
[name_m]Ernest[/name_m]
[name_m]Horace[/name_m] / [name_m]Horatio[/name_m]
[name_m]Jasper[/name_m]
[name_m]Leopold[/name_m]
[name_m]Quentin[/name_m]
[name_u]River[/name_u]
[name_m]Rye[/name_m]

And more likely to be used in the middle spot:
[name_m]Atlas[/name_m]
[name_u]Dash[/name_u]
[name_m]Denim[/name_m]
[name_m]Flint[/name_m]
[name_m]Grant[/name_m]
[name_m]Hart[/name_m]
[name_u]Matisse[/name_u]
Miro

Firstly, I adore the name [name_f]Ottilie[/name_f]! So beautiful and happy.

[name_u]Arlo[/name_u]- To me, this has a completely different style than the lovely [name_f]Ottilie[/name_f]. It is fresh and bold but has a soft side to it. [name_f]Billi[/name_f] Mucklow and [name_u]Andy[/name_u] [name_u]Carroll[/name_u] used the name for their little boy but [name_u]Leighton[/name_u] Meester chose it for a girl. This may not bother you but some of your other choices are more masculine which I think would work better.

[name_m]Arthur[/name_m]- classic and yet on trend. This is a very regal name that will age well. There are also nns [name_m]Art[/name_m] or [name_m]Arty[/name_m] if you wanted to give off a different vibe or he can have the choice to anyway. Bold, strong and grounded in history.

[name_m]Ernest[/name_m]- Where I live this is too old fashioned to be considered for a newborn so I already have negative associations, sorry. I mean, if you love it and you have different associations then go with your heart.

[name_m]Horace[/name_m] / [name_m]Horatio[/name_m]- I have to say that [name_m]Horace[/name_m] and [name_m]Jasper[/name_m] remind me of the characters from 101 dalmatians! [name_m]Horace[/name_m] is earthy, rich and masculine to me. Whereas, [name_m]Horatio[/name_m] is flamboyant, outgoing and cheeky. So, I suppose it depends on the vibe that you’re going for, personally [name_m]Horatio[/name_m] would be my front runner.

[name_m]Jasper[/name_m]- Despite Twilight associations, I think that this has really potential. It has a rustic charm but seems to be revamped for the modern day. A lovely choice that would be cool and age well.

[name_m]Leopold[/name_m]- Wonderful! I think that this is a hip name that is due a comeback. With the rise of [name_m]Leo[/name_m] I think that it definitely has a lot of potential. There’s a sense of bold regalia about it, amazing!

[name_m]Quentin[/name_m]- To me, this jars with your daughter’s name. I like the uniqueness of it but it isn’t my style, sorry.

[name_u]River[/name_u]- A very bold choice considering your other options. I love the natural imagery and how empowering it can be for a child to associate with that. However, I would keep it in the mn spot just because it hasn’t got the longevity of other names on your list. [name_m]Leopold[/name_m] [name_u]River[/name_u] or [name_m]Horatio[/name_m] [name_u]River[/name_u] are darling though.

[name_m]Rye[/name_m]- I’ve not considered this before! I really like it. There’s a casual vibe but one with substance which is very hard to find. It is relaxed and matches with [name_f]Ottilie[/name_f] in a wonderful way. Can’t go wrong with these lovely options.

And more likely to be used in the middle spot (I’ll comment on the ones that I like and then make some suggestions) :

[name_m]Atlas[/name_m]- Strong, masculine and distinctive, this is immeasurably cool for any boy. I am intrigued about which name this would be paired with? I don’t know why but [name_m]Barnaby[/name_m] [name_m]Atlas[/name_m] and [name_m]Ferdinand[/name_m] [name_m]Atlas[/name_m] just jumped into my head hahaha.

[name_u]Dash[/name_u]- Very Kardashian! It also reminds me of The Incredibles but these aren’t negative associations for me. I think it would work well with any of your name choices to be honest. Short, spunky and with lots of character to boot. [name_m]Magnus[/name_m] [name_u]Dash[/name_u] would be divine.

[name_m]Hart[/name_m]- [name_u]Love[/name_u] this! It is different and distinctive yet not unheard of. I like the punchy one syllable and the depth that such a short name can have.

Suggestions:
[name_m]Griffin[/name_m]
[name_u]Florian[/name_u]
[name_m]Hector[/name_m]
[name_u]Roscoe[/name_u]
[name_m]Gulliver[/name_m]
[name_m]Edgar[/name_m]
[name_m]Lysander[/name_m]
[name_m]Magnus[/name_m]
[name_m]Barnaby[/name_m]
[name_m]Digby[/name_m]
[name_u]Spencer[/name_u]
[name_m]Abraham[/name_m]
[name_m]Jacoby[/name_m]
[name_u]Sullivan[/name_u]

If these are not your sister’s style then just let me know and I’ll suggest again

[name_f]Ottilie[/name_f] is so off beat that many of her names don’t work. I think these fit best:

[name_m]Horace[/name_m]/[name_m]Horatio[/name_m]
[name_m]Rye[/name_m]
[name_m]Leopold[/name_m]

I love [name_u]Arlo[/name_u], [name_m]Ernest[/name_m] (outside the Top 1000 at the moment! But all I can think is [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] Wilde - I love this name), [name_m]Jasper[/name_m], [name_m]Leopold[/name_m], [name_m]Quentin[/name_m]. Honestly any of these names would be a wonderful choice!

She seems to have a style that isn’t dissimilar to mine so here are a few more suggestions:

[name_m]Arno[/name_m]
[name_u]Everett[/name_u]
[name_u]August[/name_u]
[name_m]Dominic[/name_m]
[name_u]Linden[/name_u]
[name_u]Quincy[/name_u]
[name_m]Henleigh[/name_m]
[name_m]Atticus[/name_m]
[name_m]Edmund[/name_m]
[name_m]Julius[/name_m]
[name_m]Hugo[/name_m]
[name_m]Hector[/name_m]
[name_u]Valentine[/name_u]
[name_m]Emilian[/name_m]
[name_m]Rupert[/name_m]
[name_m]Raphael[/name_m]

@hanbow, thank you for such wonderful feedback. [name_m]Arthur[/name_m] is definitely a frontunner so it is nice to see such a positive write-up. My sister was concerned that with her surname it’d be a bit boring, so was starting to lean to [name_u]Arlo[/name_u] instead. But I do like your description ‘bold, strong and grounded in history’. Great that you like [name_m]Leopold[/name_m] too! You completely nailed her current faves and bought up relevant points to think about with the others.

From your suggestions she has considered [name_m]Hector[/name_m], [name_m]Barnaby[/name_m], [name_m]Gulliver[/name_m] and [name_u]Sullivan[/name_u] but isn’t a huge fan of the obvious nns (Heck, [name_m]Barney[/name_m], [name_u]Gull[/name_u] and [name_u]Sully[/name_u]). She loves the idea of [name_m]Edgar[/name_m] nn [name_u]Teddy[/name_u], but likes [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] even more.

Again, thank you!

@boyandgirl - [name_f]Ottilie[/name_f] is offbeat, it is tricky to find something that matches. I’m surprised that you think [name_m]Rye[/name_m] goes well, although I suppose maybe in terms of popularity they may be similar.

My favorite name from the list on it’s own is Jasper. But I think Leopold sounds amazing with Ottilie! I also love Matisse and think it would be wonderful as a first name.

I think [name_m]Quentin[/name_m] would make a great sibling for [name_f]Ottilie[/name_f]! [name_m]Leopold[/name_m] would work, too. They’re the ones that have the same feel, both old-fashioned quirky.

@esita - Lol, to [name_m]Ernest[/name_m] reminding you of [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] Wilde! That’s not necessarily a bad thing though(?)

I think you’re right whichever she chooses, she won’t go wrong.

Thanks for the great suggestions, they are very much her style. I know she has considered [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] for a middle. And [name_m]Rupert[/name_m] is one of her faves (especially with Ru for a nn), but her husband isn’t a fan.

[name_m]Oscar[/name_m] Wilde is definitely NOT bad! :slight_smile: anything that reminds me of [name_m]Oscar[/name_m] Wilde is a win (probs why I also like [name_f]Cicely[/name_f], [name_f]Gertrude[/name_f], [name_f]Gwendoline[/name_f] and even [name_m]Algernon[/name_m]!)