Scheduled in two weeks, and still no name!

[name_m]Hi[/name_m] berries, we are on the struggle bus over here. We have DS named [name_u]Owen[/name_u], and a DD named [name_f]Annabel[/name_f]. Our last name is pronounced Eye-oh. We always take a small list to the hospital and officially name them from that, so it’s not unusual that we aren’t ‘set’ on a name. But this time around we seem to have very different favorites, and it looks like one of us will be doing some major compromising, which makes me sad. And we really don’t have a middle name picked at all, so that is making it even harder. Here’s what we’ve come up with:

[name_u]Everett[/name_u]: my favorite, DH hates it.
[name_u]Emmett[/name_u]: both are just ok with this one
[name_m]Ethan[/name_m]: DH’s favorite, I’m a hard no, too popular
[name_u]Alex[/name_u]: We both like how this sounds with our last name, but again, super popular so I’m just meh
[name_u]Elliot[/name_u]: I like it, DH doesn’t
[name_m]Beckett[/name_m]: I like it, DH doesn’t
[name_m]Bennett[/name_m]: I like [name_m]Beckett[/name_m] better, DH likes this one better, but neither of us love it

Names that we can’t use: [name_m]Oliver[/name_m], [name_m]Miles[/name_m], [name_m]Asher[/name_m], [name_u]Finn[/name_u], [name_m]Liam[/name_m], [name_m]Graham[/name_m], [name_m]Grant[/name_m], [name_u]Jude[/name_u], [name_u]Evan[/name_u], [name_m]Jack[/name_m], [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]

I don’t know where to go from here. My sister gave me some hope. She told me that her DH hated the name the ended up choosing for their DD all through her pregnancy, but then when they were in the hospital he suddenly changed his mind. But DH is adamant that he’s never going to be on board with [name_u]Everett[/name_u]. Insert crying emoji.

I really think that both parents have to love the name they choose for their child or at least like it so I would keep looking. You seem to like names ending in ett so being you like [name_u]Everett[/name_u], a common nickname is [name_m]Rhett[/name_m] so maybe DH would like that? Or…

[name_u]Barrett[/name_u]
[name_u]Merritt[/name_u]
[name_m]Truett[/name_m]
[name_u]Easton[/name_u]
[name_m]Benson[/name_m]

I really don’t think [name_u]Alex[/name_u] is nearly as popular now as it was 20 or so years ago. And if you go with [name_m]Alexander[/name_m], you have several nickname choices you could call him by, too.
Is [name_m]Ethan[/name_m] that popular? I have a 2 yr old son with that name and in the last ten years I’ve only personally met two other people with it, one is 9 years old and the other is like 14.

A couple other ideas based on your list could maybe be [name_u]Owen[/name_u], [name_u]Hunter[/name_u], [name_m]Colton[/name_m]/[name_m]Cole[/name_m], [name_m]Weston[/name_m], [name_m]Lincoln[/name_m]

[name_m]Jett[/name_m]
[name_u]Emerson[/name_u]
[name_m]Caleb[/name_m]
[name_m]Alec[/name_m]
[name_m]Jasper[/name_m]
[name_m]Archer[/name_m]
[name_u]Sullivan[/name_u]
[name_m]Aaron[/name_m]
[name_u]Dylan[/name_u]
[name_u]Spencer[/name_u]

[name_m]Alexander[/name_m] and [name_m]Ethan[/name_m] were ranked 13 & 14 last year, so i guess they are more popular than most people think.

We have an [name_u]Owen[/name_u], and I think [name_m]Ethan[/name_m] and [name_u]Owen[/name_u] are a little too similar.

All good suggestions, we just don’t love any of them. We also know a [name_m]Rhett[/name_m] and a [name_u]Barrett[/name_u].

Would you consider [name_m]Alec[/name_m] rather than [name_u]Alex[/name_u]? I think it’s very cool and not nearly as popular.

[name_m]Benedict[/name_m]
[name_m]Ivor[/name_m]
[name_u]Campbell[/name_u]
[name_m]Cormac[/name_m]
[name_u]August[/name_u]
[name_m]Garrett[/name_m]
[name_m]Gareth[/name_m]
[name_m]Garrick[/name_m]
[name_u]Alcott[/name_u]
[name_m]Clement[/name_m]
[name_m]Hammet[/name_m]
[name_m]Dashiell[/name_m]
[name_m]Hewitt[/name_m]
[name_m]Prescott[/name_m]

[name_u]Owen[/name_u], [name_f]Annabel[/name_f], &…

[name_m]Garrett[/name_m]
[name_m]Otis[/name_m]/[name_m]Ottis[/name_m]
[name_m]Wyatt[/name_m]

[name_m]Matthew[/name_m]
[name_m]Jerrett[/name_m]/[name_m]Jered[/name_m]
[name_m]Scott[/name_m]

[name_m]Jett[/name_m]
[name_u]Brett[/name_u]/[name_m]Bretton[/name_m]
[name_m]Otto[/name_m]

[name_m]Peter[/name_m]
[name_m]Nathan[/name_m]/[name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m]
[name_m]Colton[/name_m]

[name_u]Seth[/name_u]
[name_m]Emmanuel[/name_m]
[name_u]Emerson[/name_u]

[name_m]Timothy[/name_m]
[name_u]Remy[/name_u]
[name_m]Connor[/name_m]

[name_u]Quinn[/name_u]
[name_m]Quinton[/name_m]
[name_u]Lennox[/name_u]

[name_u]Danny[/name_u]
[name_u]Bennie[/name_u]
[name_m]Dennis[/name_m]

[name_m]Donnie[/name_m]
[name_m]Lenny[/name_m]
[name_u]Lonnie[/name_u]

[name_m]Johann[/name_m] (Pronounced [name_f]Yo[/name_f]-han it’s the [name_m]German[/name_m] version of [name_m]John[/name_m]).
[name_u]Brennan[/name_u]
[name_u]Dylan[/name_u]

[name_m]Connell[/name_m]
[name_m]Cordell[/name_m]
[name_m]Donovan[/name_m]

[name_m]Allen[/name_m]
[name_m]Ivan[/name_m]
[name_m]Jonathan[/name_m]

[name_u]Mason[/name_u]
[name_u]Devin[/name_u]
[name_m]Evander[/name_m]

[name_m]William[/name_m]/[name_m]Will[/name_m]
[name_m]Maxwell[/name_m]
[name_u]Ellis[/name_u]/[name_u]Ellison[/name_u]

[name_m]Collin[/name_m]
[name_m]Russell[/name_m]
[name_m]Kellan[/name_m]

[name_m]Callum[/name_m]
[name_u]Wallace[/name_u]
[name_u]Ollie[/name_u]

[name_u]Wendell[/name_u]
[name_m]Alistair[/name_m]
[name_m]Donnell[/name_m]

[name_m]Axel[/name_m]
[name_m]Roland[/name_m]
[name_m]Joshua[/name_m]

[name_m]Gabriel[/name_m]
[name_u]Bentley[/name_u]
[name_m]Declan[/name_m]

[name_m]Jeremy[/name_m]
[name_u]Bradley[/name_u]
[name_u]Reid[/name_u]

[name_m]Kane[/name_m]/[name_m]Kaine[/name_m]
[name_m]Trevor[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u]

[name_u]Cade[/name_u]
[name_m]Benson[/name_m]
[name_m]Benton[/name_m]

[name_m]Ben[/name_m] / [name_m]Benjamin[/name_m]
[name_u]Bellamy[/name_u]
[name_u]Barry[/name_u]

[name_u]Jerry[/name_u]
[name_u]Jericho[/name_u]
[name_m]Jeremiah[/name_m]

[name_u]Darren[/name_u]
[name_m]Breccan[/name_m]
[name_m]Calvin[/name_m]

[name_m]Jeffery[/name_m]
[name_u]Emery[/name_u]
[name_m]Isaac[/name_m]

[name_m]Alexander[/name_m]’s lovely and you could use [name_u]Alex[/name_u], [name_u]Lex[/name_u], Xand/er, [name_m]Ander[/name_m], [name_u]Andy[/name_u]…
Maybe DH will come round to [name_u]Everett[/name_u]?

Some possibilities (take repeats as endorsements):

[name_u]Dylan[/name_u]
[name_m]Liam[/name_m]
[name_m]Patrick[/name_m]
[name_m]Xander[/name_m]
[name_m]Zachary[/name_m]
[name_u]Toby[/name_u]/[name_m]Tobias[/name_m]
[name_m]Lachlan[/name_m]
[name_u]Cameron[/name_u]
[name_m]Dominic[/name_m]
[name_u]Rhys[/name_u]
[name_m]Colin[/name_m]
[name_m]Gavin[/name_m]
[name_m]Declan[/name_m]
[name_m]Rupert[/name_m]
[name_m]Harvey[/name_m]
[name_m]Ross[/name_m]
[name_m]Christopher[/name_m] “[name_u]Kit[/name_u]”
[name_u]Tristan[/name_u]
[name_m]Conor[/name_m]

What about [name_m]Alec[/name_m] instead of [name_u]Alex[/name_u], [name_u]Eden[/name_u] instead of [name_m]Ethan[/name_m]?
Names you might like:
[name_u]August[/name_u]
[name_u]Barrett[/name_u]
[name_u]Beau[/name_u]
[name_m]Clyde[/name_m]
[name_m]Clay[/name_m]
[name_m]Clayton[/name_m]
[name_m]Callum[/name_m]
[name_m]Calvin[/name_m]
[name_m]Conrad[/name_m]
[name_m]Clark[/name_m]
[name_u]Dallas[/name_u]
[name_m]Dashiell[/name_m]
[name_m]Duncan[/name_m]
[name_u]Finn[/name_u]
[name_u]Flynn[/name_u]
[name_m]Felix[/name_m]
[name_m]Frederick[/name_m]
[name_m]Fraser[/name_m]
[name_m]Ford[/name_m]
[name_m]Foster[/name_m]
[name_m]Gideon[/name_m]
[name_m]Garrett[/name_m]
[name_u]Gus[/name_u]
[name_m]Hank[/name_m]
[name_m]Harvey[/name_m]
[name_m]Harrison[/name_m]
[name_m]Joel[/name_m]
[name_m]Jasper[/name_m]
[name_u]Kai[/name_u]
[name_u]Luca[/name_u]
[name_m]Lachlan[/name_m]
[name_u]Lawrence[/name_u]
[name_u]Lennon[/name_u]
[name_m]Marcus[/name_m]
[name_m]Miles[/name_m]
[name_m]Maximilian[/name_m]/[name_m]Maxwell[/name_m]/[name_m]Maximus[/name_m]/[name_m]Maxfield[/name_m]
[name_u]Orion[/name_u]
[name_u]Percy[/name_u]
[name_m]Phillip[/name_m]
[name_m]Ronan[/name_m]
[name_m]Ralph[/name_m]
[name_u]Remy[/name_u]
[name_u]Rory[/name_u]
[name_u]Sawyer[/name_u]
[name_u]Sullivan[/name_u]
[name_m]Solomon[/name_m]
[name_m]Tobias[/name_m]
[name_m]Victor[/name_m]
[name_m]Wilder[/name_m]

how about gideon? it means “great warrior” which im sure your lil boy will be!!! i’m sure you and your DH will love it!! best wishes!!

xoxo,
gideon

Names that come to mind for you:
[name_m]Wesley[/name_m] ([name_m]Wes[/name_m]) - [name_f]Annabel[/name_f], [name_u]Owen[/name_u] & [name_m]Wesley[/name_m]
[name_u]Sawyer[/name_u] - [name_f]Annabel[/name_f], [name_u]Owen[/name_u] & [name_u]Sawyer[/name_u]
[name_m]Evander[/name_m] - [name_f]Annabel[/name_f], [name_u]Owen[/name_u] & [name_m]Evander[/name_m]

What about…
[name_u]Lex[/name_u]
[name_u]August[/name_u]
[name_m]Fletcher[/name_m]
Evren
[name_m]Ephraim[/name_m]
[name_m]Gideon[/name_m]
[name_m]Victor[/name_m]
[name_m]Edmund[/name_m]
[name_u]Ellis[/name_u]
[name_u]Hollis[/name_u]
[name_m]Harrison[/name_m]
[name_m]Heath[/name_m]
[name_m]Holden[/name_m]
[name_m]Preston[/name_m]
[name_m]Ezra[/name_m]
[name_m]Quade[/name_m]
[name_m]Calvin[/name_m]
Beniah
[name_u]Beau[/name_u]
[name_m]Noam[/name_m]
Good luck!!

OK, thanks to all for the suggestions! We’re still looking, and nothing is jumping out at us. If we go with [name_u]Alex[/name_u], I don’t think we will use [name_m]Alexander[/name_m], as we don’t really like any of the other nicknames. Plus DH goes by a shortened version of his name, so part of me is thinking, what’s the point of using the longer name if we have no intention of calling him that?

As of right now, I think it’s down to [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] or [name_u]Alex[/name_u]. [name_u]Ellis[/name_u] is on the table, but it feels very feminine to me for some reason.

Loved some of the suggestions, but can’t use them, like [name_m]Archer[/name_m], [name_u]Hollis[/name_u], [name_u]Sawyer[/name_u]. We also had previously tossed around both [name_m]Ford[/name_m] and [name_m]Foster[/name_m], they just didn’t seem to go with our sibset very well.

As name lovers, we get pretty caught up in the details - one letter different in the spelling, a change in vowel sound, the origin, the meaning, the coolness factor, popularity … All of this is important to us, more or less, and that’s fine.

As individuals, we have favorites; this is also fine.

What we sometimes lose sight of is that it all doesn’t matter to quite the degree we feel like it does in the moment. Before you dismiss me, let me say that I let my husband choose a name I hated for our 6th baby, and it took me years to get over my regret. That baby is now almost 11 and I like her name as much as our other kids’ names - because I love the kid. I wish I’d been able to have that peace right away. You can, if you choose to.

[name_u]Alex[/name_u], [name_m]Ethan[/name_m], [name_u]Everett[/name_u], [name_u]Elliot[/name_u], [name_u]Emmett[/name_u], [name_m]Bennett[/name_m], [name_m]Beckett[/name_m] - these names are a variation on a theme. They are, in practical terms, sort of interchangeable. You and your husband have the same taste! [name_u]Flip[/name_u] a coin, you and baby and husband will be fine!

I have to admit I can’t remember all the dozens of names that have been thrown at you in this thread, but here are a few that I thought of to go with your set, some similar to yours and some different plus a few that are a bit more out there, just in case it’s helpful:

[name_m]Ezra[/name_m]
[name_m]Beckham[/name_m]
[name_m]Rhett[/name_m]
[name_m]Bauer[/name_m]
[name_u]Porter[/name_u]
[name_u]Calder[/name_u]
[name_m]Lincoln[/name_m]
[name_m]Dalton[/name_m]
[name_m]Gavin[/name_m]
[name_m]Stellan[/name_m]
[name_m]Weston[/name_m]
[name_m]Malcolm[/name_m]
[name_u]Rory[/name_u]
[name_m]Calvin[/name_m]
[name_m]Rivers[/name_m]
[name_u]Indigo[/name_u]
[name_m]Thatcher[/name_m]
[name_m]Langston[/name_m]
[name_u]Dash[/name_u]
[name_m]Prescott[/name_m]
Revere
[name_m]Drake[/name_m]
[name_m]Brigham[/name_m]

Good luck!

i like [name_m]Benji[/name_m]
Becquerel*
[name_u]Blakely[/name_u]
And maybe [name_m]Jasper[/name_m]

I really love [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] for you! I think it sounds wonderful with the sibling names.

Congratulations on your upcoming arrival!

Looking at all of your favorite names, they have the “eh” sound (as do your children [name_u]Owen[/name_u] and [name_f]Annabel[/name_f]). Your husband is drawn to names with a softer sound ([name_m]Ethan[/name_m], [name_m]Bennett[/name_m]—“th” and “n”), and you to names with more hard sounds ([name_u]Everett[/name_u], [name_m]Beckett[/name_m]—“v”, “k”, and “t”). So, your third baby’s name should have the “eh” sound in there somewhere, and compromise between hard and soft sounds.

[name_u]Emmett[/name_u] strikes the perfect balance between the two (“m” for your husband, “t” for you), and has two “eh” sounds. A close second may be [name_u]Everest[/name_u], as the “s” softens the “t.” But it depends on how both of you feel about it compared to [name_u]Emmett[/name_u]. Finally, a third consideration, since you both looked at [name_m]Ford[/name_m] and [name_m]Foster[/name_m], is [name_m]Forrest[/name_m].

For these reasons, my top pick for you is [name_u]Emmett[/name_u], followed closely by [name_m]Forrest[/name_m].

Wow thanks ladies so much! The explanation on the sounds we like and the similarity of all the names has been so so helpful. I think we are going to go with [name_u]Emmett[/name_u], and keep [name_u]Alex[/name_u] as a backup in case [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] doesn’t feel right in the hospital.
Now we just have to come up with a middle name ”