The New Seawillow: Boys Edition

Boy Baby Names
#1

After a lot of consideration and storms of tears, I’ve decided that it wouldn’t be fair to give my children religious names, in case they grow up to not believe in that religion. Some of my favorites will still be on my list, but I’ve left them out of my beginning combos on this journey, because it’s still too painful to think of them in other combos. Here is where I’ve started:

Gilbert [name_f]Wildrose[/name_f]
[name_u]Ellis[/name_u] [name_m]Hawthorne[/name_m]
[name_m]Clarence[/name_m] Evermore
[name_m]Linus[/name_m] Bluebird
[name_u]Frankie[/name_u] [name_m]Meriwether[/name_m]
[name_m]Truman[/name_m] [name_m]Huckleberry[/name_m]

I’m really trying to focus on useable first names with no connotations or expectations wrapped up in them, with middle names that express specialness and lovely things, without burdening my children with an utterly unusual first name.

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#2

Such handsome combos!
I especially love [name_m]Truman[/name_m] [name_m]Huckleberry[/name_m] and [name_m]Linus[/name_m] Bluebird. [name_u]Frankie[/name_u] [name_m]Merriwether[/name_m] and [name_u]Ellis[/name_u] [name_m]Hawthorne[/name_m] are super sweet too! And I’ve always had a soft spot for [name_m]Gilbert[/name_m]. Plus, [name_f]Wildrose[/name_f] is a very fun middle!

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#3

I love them all (as always)! [name_f]My[/name_f] favourites are [name_u]Ellis[/name_u] [name_m]Hawthorne[/name_m], [name_m]Clarence[/name_m] Evermore, [name_m]Linus[/name_m] Bluebird and [name_u]Frankie[/name_u] [name_m]Meriwether[/name_m]! Your names are all so meaningful and gorgeous :yellow_heart:

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#4

Such handsome combos! I’m really loving [name_m]Gilbert[/name_m] [name_f]Wildrose[/name_f] (@leafygreens! [name_f]Wildrose[/name_f] on a boy!), [name_m]Linus[/name_m] Bluebird, and [name_u]Ellis[/name_u] [name_m]Hawthorne[/name_m]!!

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#5

This is so sad! [name_m]Don[/name_m]’t be bullied (by others? by yourself?) into giving up on choosing names you love that are inspired by your religion! Your children will hopefully understand your love regardless of what they end up believing!

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#6

I feel your pain on trying to find a way to balance giving the kids something dear to you and not leaving them feeling constrained by the name – been trying to train myself away from my usual faves towards more gender neutral picks for the same reasons.

As always I adore all of your names but [name_m]Gilbert[/name_m] [name_f]Wildrose[/name_f] is a standout, and I love [name_u]Ellis[/name_u] [name_m]Hawthorne[/name_m] too :raised_hands:t2:

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#7

I admire your desire to honor your children’s decisions and futures. I know the process of giving up beloved names must have been so painful. I can tell you will truly love your children (before they even exist yet) :heart:

I really love the combos you have come up with for your new list! They are really stunning. [name_f]My[/name_f] favorites are [name_u]Ellis[/name_u] [name_m]Hawthorne[/name_m] and [name_m]Truman[/name_m] [name_m]Huckleberry[/name_m]. :heart_eyes: I love the magical-esque nature names like [name_f]Wildrose[/name_f], Evermore, and Bluebird and I love that you have grounded them with some more common names.

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#8

Aw, girlie! Please don’t let today’s secular culture bog you down too much! I’m sure you can find the perfect balance in your names! Your children following your faith should be one of your greatest hopes and prayers, and I don’t think there is anything wrong with reflecting that hope in their names! Sending you so much love and prayers for peace! :yellow_heart:

All that aside, [name_m]Linus[/name_m] Bluebird, [name_u]Ellis[/name_u] [name_m]Hawthorne[/name_m] and [name_m]Gilbert[/name_m] [name_f]Wildrose[/name_f] are stunning!

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#9

I really respect your decision! It’s clear that a lot of thought and love went into it. You’re giving your children the space to choose their own way, and who knows? Maybe they’ll choose to be religious, because you gave them the option.

I like your idea of nature inspired names, like Bluebird and [name_f]Wildrose[/name_f]. [name_u]Nature[/name_u] doesn’t stir up a lot of controversy. More options you might like:

Jay
[name_u]River[/name_u]
[name_u]Everest[/name_u]
[name_u]Wilder[/name_u]
[name_u]Hickory[/name_u]
[name_m]Forrest[/name_m]
[name_u]Basil[/name_u]
[name_u]Evergreen[/name_u]
[name_u]Reed[/name_u]
[name_m]Woodrow[/name_m]

I hope I don’t ruin anything, but [name_m]Linus[/name_m] was a pope mentioned in the Bible. However, I don’t think everyone would think of that. They’d more likely associate it with [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] [name_m]Brown[/name_m]’s best friend, or have no association.

Ellis [name_m]Hawthorne[/name_m] is probably my favorite on your current list. It’s really cool! [name_m]Truman[/name_m] and Evermore are also hidden gems, I think.

If you’re still looking for meaningful-but-not-religious names, your family history (or your partner’s) might have something special and specific to your baby.

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#10

Oh my goodness, [name_m]Gilbert[/name_m] [name_f]Wildrose[/name_f] is absolute perfection!! :heart_eyes:

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#11

these are all so gorgeous!

i especially love ellis hawthorne, clarence evermore, linus bluebird & gilbert wildrose (i’m not normally a gilbert fan but it’s so stunning here)

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#12

Another [name_m]Gilbert[/name_m] [name_f]Wildrose[/name_f] fan here :raising_hand_woman:t3:

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#13

Gilbert Wildrose - literary and fresh
Ellis Hawthorne -handsome but gentle
Clarence Evermore -powerful and lovely
Linus Bluebird -beautiful and fresh
Frankie Meriwether -cheerful and sweet
Truman Huckleberry -charming and lovely

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#14

I feel like many names have hopes and expectations in them. I’m of 2 minds on this. I was raised in a very conservative religious community. Many of my friends had names that were tied to our religion. For some of them, it made them the target of discrimination. Many of them do not now follow the religion we were raised with, and hate having names that almost force them into that box. However, the names were given with love.

From your list, [name_m]Truman[/name_m] [name_m]Huckleberry[/name_m] and [name_m]Clarence[/name_m] Evermore would be my favs.

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#15

I have a [name_u]Christian[/name_u] family and I was given a name from [name_f]Indian[/name_f] culture (we’re not [name_f]Indian[/name_f]), which an [name_f]Indian[/name_f] woman told me this summer was the name of a Hindi goddess. That was definitely not my parents’ plan when naming me! Names can have religious meanings that aren’t easily seen if they are borrowed from another culture. :slight_smile:

Most religious names have been around for so long though that there are plenty of other connections that are not strictly religious, so a child growing up with the name isn’t tied to just one “interpretation” of it’s meaning. [name_u]Genesis[/name_u] could mean the first book of the Bible or just a new start. [name_m]Peter[/name_m], [name_u]James[/name_u], [name_m]John[/name_m], and [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] could be named after disciples or after relatives or book characters or entertainers. [name_f]Kali[/name_f] is a goddess of death in some parts of the world or a top name for non-violent toddlers elsewhere. I know someone whose middle name is [name_f]Eve[/name_f] who is a [name_u]Christian[/name_u] and disliked the Bible connotation … until she realized [name_f]Eve[/name_f] was a form of [name_f]Eva[/name_f], a family member she was named after from the family tree. I know a pastor and his wife who named their daughter [name_f]Sapphira[/name_f] even though she was a wicked woman in the Bible because the little girl had blue eyes and [name_f]Sapphira[/name_f] sounded prettier than [name_f]Sapphire[/name_f]. [name_u]Maria[/name_u] is tied to the mother of [name_m]Jesus[/name_m] as well as “Sound of [name_f]Music[/name_f]” and “[name_u]West[/name_u] Side [name_u]Story[/name_u]”.

Favourites are full of love and it’s my parents’ story of love in choosing my name that matters, not what god or goddess in a different culture shares it in a faith that I do not follow. Choose a name that you can tell a story of love about and that becomes the true meaning. :smiley: But also, you obviously put lots of thought into choosing NOT to, and your other name choices are BEAUTIFUL! Absolutely GORGEOUS! Whichever choices you make, I’m sure your children’s names will be stunning.

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#16

Ellis [name_m]Hawthorne[/name_m] is my favorite combo here, and I love [name_m]Meriwether[/name_m] and Evermore (:heart_eyes:) as middles.

As to the decision to move in a new direction, a few bits of food for thought that may or may not be helpful:
When I was single, I had my lists, and I chose favorites, obsessed over combos, and made Top Tens and Top Fives. I hoped to use some of them someday, but one thing I never let myself think was “I’m naming my children.” I tried to allow mental space for the fact that my future husband would be bringing opinions and family names to the table. It was useful, especially now that a couple names we’re considering were never on my lists, and that my husband wants to use his brother’s middle name in the middle if we have a boy. [name_m]Ransom[/name_m] has a family middle from my husband’s side.

There was and is a part of me that didn’t want to go the most obvious “This is a [name_u]Christian[/name_u] family” route with my children’s names. A bit of it was the constraint factor (how will they feel about the name?), a lot of it was wanting people to look a little deeper to find the story of a name and who my family is. That said, my names reflect who I am, and I’m trying to do my very best to prepare my children to make the choice to walk with God.

Many of your names, and mine, are versatile. Your old combos are all very “religious,” but not necessarily all the first names, and how many people are going to know the middles? I don’t think everyone picks up on [name_m]Ransom[/name_m]’s religious overtones; everyone knows a [name_m]Tobias[/name_m]. [name_m]Shepherd[/name_m] is not necessarily religious, nor is [name_f]Lucy[/name_f]. [name_f]Hallelujah[/name_f] could go by [name_f]Hallie[/name_f]. I could go on.

I loved your old list. Keep it around.

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#17

Wow, absolutely stunning! Ellis Hawthorne and Clarence Evermore are probably my favorites, but they are all so wonderful Theodosia!

I don’t think any of these names would be a burden on a child. They’re handcrafted with care, and the child will hopefully grow to appreciate that.

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#18

These are all so wonderful! [name_f]My[/name_f] favorites are [name_u]Ellis[/name_u] [name_m]Hawthorne[/name_m] and [name_m]Gilbert[/name_m] [name_f]Wildrose[/name_f]… and the rest too :sob::heart:

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#19

I love [name_m]Linus[/name_m] and how it has a very subtle nod to Scripture (2 [name_u]Timothy[/name_u]) and a more obvious nod to [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] [name_m]Brown[/name_m] and of all the characters he’s the only one who knew the true meaning of [name_u]Christmas[/name_u]. This is such a GP name to me (along with [name_m]Jairus[/name_m]) the names the hubby keeps vetoing. Because of the [name_u]Christmas[/name_u] move tie have a hard time seeing Bluebird with it as a middle. I would maybe opt for a more wintry/Christmas vibe middle

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#20

@auroradawn.I love pretty much everything you said but this is especially is pure gold advice.

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