Our OBGYN declared our baby a little girl at our 16 week sonogram. Because it was a little early (and because I’m the type who prepares for everything), we have a boy name picked out as well. Hey, you never know!
We’ve actually had a name picked out for a boy for a couple of years - Macsen [name_m]Oliver[/name_m]. Macsen is the Welsh variant of [name_m]Maximus[/name_m], meaning “greatest”. The spelling is what has us a bit troubled!
Macsen … The upside? It’s the traditional Welsh spelling, which is a nice nod to my heritage. The downside? I [name_f]DO[/name_f] NOT like ‘[name_m]Mac[/name_m]’, and worry that it would be the intuitive nickname. Also, a couple of people over forums have mistaken it for a ‘unique’ spelling of the popular [name_u]Mason[/name_u].
Maxson … Upside: This is the traditional American surname spelling. I like that it has history as a surname. Also, it would literally translate into “greatest son” - how perfect? Downside: Well, the downside is clear - it looks made up, if you haven’t heard the surname especially. The ‘s’ is redundant.
[name_m]Maxen[/name_m]/[name_m]Maxon[/name_m] … Upside: [name_m]Maxen[/name_m] seems to be the most accepted spelling around the internet, although I prefer the way the ‘o’ looks on paper. Downside: It’s very trendy-looking, like [name_m]Jaxon[/name_m]. I much prefer the other two options…even with the ‘s’, having some grounded history to it.
Looking for your expert opinions!
(Oh! Also, we were thinking of changing his middle name to ‘[name_m]Jack[/name_m]’ to honor DH’s father a bit more directly. Is Macsen [name_m]Jack[/name_m] too choppy? Especially with our surname, [name_u]Gray[/name_u]?)
I think I prefer the Macsen spelling. Nicknames are avoidable. Macsen [name_m]Jack[/name_m] [name_u]Gray[/name_u] does not have the best flow but it is not that bad either. I feel honoring is more important than flow. [name_m]Jack[/name_m] Macsen [name_u]Gray[/name_u] is very nice also.
The Macsen spelling looks weird to me, but if I were you I think I would avoid the [name_m]Maxon[/name_m] spelling because you have a step son named [name_m]Maddox[/name_m]. They aren’t the same, but visually they are similar with the M the o and the x. If I were you, I would hope the tech was right and you won’t have to worry about it right now!
spell it how ever you like it best. My aunt had this fear when she named my cousin [name_m]Alexander[/name_m] but didn’t want him called [name_u]Alex[/name_u]. She wanted him to be called [name_m]Alec[/name_m] for short. Anyways she just made it clear that wasn’t expectable and corrected everyone when they tried to call him [name_u]Alex[/name_u]. Now he only goes by [name_m]Alec[/name_m]. [name_f]Hope[/name_f] this helps!
I say stick with the “real” spelling since the Welsh origin is one big reason for your picking the name. Here’s [name_u]Abby[/name_u]'s story about Macsen from Appellation Mountain: Name of the Day: Macsen - Appellation Mountain
Honestly, I did think Macsen was a weird spelling of [name_u]Macon[/name_u] or [name_u]Mason[/name_u]. However, people aren’t often looking at your name so they just hear how it’s said, so I wouldn’t worry too much about it.
I think that I like Macsen best for you. It’s Welsh and that’s part of why you love it. And as I said, not many people will be looking at his name when they want to make a nickname, they’ll just listen to the sound of his name and pick one from that. Macs makes the same sound as [name_u]Max[/name_u], so I think you’re pretty likely to get [name_u]Max[/name_u]. If not, just insist on it. I’m not letting anyone call [name_f]Persephone[/name_f] Persy even though people keep trying and now no one tries anymore.
If you didn’t have a stepson named [name_m]Maddox[/name_m] I’d have voted for [name_m]Maxon[/name_m]. It looks the most streamlined to me. However that being the case my vote goes to Macsen.
I say stick with [name_m]Macsen[/name_m]. The name is only two syllables, so I don’t think nicknames are unavoidable. Additionally, [name_m]Macsen[/name_m]'s Welsh roots are a reason for you choosing the name. Changing the spelling takes away from the name’s Welsh history.
Thank you for your replies! I am very happy to see that my first choice, [name_m]Macsen[/name_m], is the most popular.
I wasn’t too worried about the closeness of [name_m]Maddox[/name_m] and [name_m]Maxon[/name_m], although I definitely took notice of it. [name_m]Macsen[/name_m] (any spelling) is just the name. [name_m]Both[/name_m] DH and I are sure of that! Their age difference ([name_m]Maddox[/name_m] is already 8, and we are only just pregnant with a little girl) especially makes that issue…well, less of an issue!
But yes, the Welsh history was a large part of my love for the name, so keeping it traditional is important to me.
Also, to PP who commented about the importance of honoring his father - [name_m]Oliver[/name_m] does do this…just not as directly as [name_m]Jack[/name_m]. I’m really not a fan of two middle names at all. I’ve tried!
