It’s been ages since I last visited the boards – long time no see! So [name_f]Bambi[/name_f] is almost here and well, I’m getting cold feet…
We have a Top 3, and we were originally planning to decide on a name once the baby is here, but I’m not loving our Laertes combo, I think. I just adore Laertes and I want his combo to be perfect – fun, meaningful, distinctive. I want it to highlight everything that I like about Laertes – soft sound, strong namesakes, brotherly love. Our current combo is Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_m]Prospero[/name_m] but I’m afraid it’s too [name_m]Shakespeare[/name_m]-heavy. Anyone willing to help?
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_m]Prospero[/name_m] is amazing but it is very Shakespearean. I think it’s [name_m]Prospero[/name_m] that does it - Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_m]Prosper[/name_m] maybe?
I think it’s perfect as is. I always seem to get cold feet and second guess our choice closer to the due date. It’s a lot of pressure to find the perfect name for our babes! I think you’ve put in a lot of thought and it really is beautiful. [name_f]Hope[/name_f] this helps!
I think Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_m]Prospero[/name_m] is magical! I love the literary references that bookend the sweet [name_u]Valentine[/name_u]. If you’re feeling unsure, I would create a list of 10 or so alternate combos to take to the delivery room with you, but keeping Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_m]Prospero[/name_m] at the top. Once you meet him, it will be so much easier to get a feel for which one is truly His Name.
I love [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] with Laertes, and I think it embodies all the qualities you listed, so I’m going to concentrate on alternatives to [name_m]Prospero[/name_m]. I feel like that’s where the combo gets a little heavy and serious, and it sounds like you want something that is endearing rather than grand. What about…
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_m]Evander[/name_m] - from Greek, meaning “good man”
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_m]Arthur[/name_m] - the beloved mythological king, a cuddly sound, and an oblique nature reference via the “bear” meaning
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] - [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] / [name_u]Theo[/name_u] / [name_u]Teddy[/name_u] gives me similar snuggly vibes to the warmth of [name_u]Valentine[/name_u]
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_u]Noah[/name_u] - a reference to The Notebook, and I love the soft open vowels to end the combo
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_u]Linden[/name_u] - beautiful, shady tree name
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] Amaedus - means “lover of God,” a [name_m]Mozart[/name_m] reference
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_u]Tristan[/name_u] - a knight of the Round Table, a character in Stardust, and a star-crossed lover
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_m]Caradoc[/name_m] - another knight of the Round Table and a Welsh king, means “affectionate, amiable”
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_m]Amias[/name_m] - from Latin and [name_m]French[/name_m], meaning “loved”
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_u]Everett[/name_u] - love the soft sound and the way it gentles the bold meaning of “brave as a wild boar”
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_u]Sawyer[/name_u] - sweet and spunky literary reference with a soft sound to temper the mischief
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_m]Beckett[/name_m] - “bee hive, little brook, and bee cottage” are such darling, whimsical meanings for an adventurous little boy!
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_m]Thoreau[/name_m] - a magical literary and nature reference!
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_m]Ansel[/name_m] - [name_m]German[/name_m] name invoking divine protection
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_m]Erasmus[/name_m] - a Dutch scholar and patron saint of sailors, means “beloved”
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_m]Sylvan[/name_m] - gentle, woodsy, and mythologically rich name meaning “of the forest”
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_m]Albion[/name_m] - an old poetic name for [name_m]Britain[/name_m]
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_m]Callum[/name_m] - a sweet and dreamy Scottish name that means “dove”
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_m]Griffin[/name_m] - Welsh variant of [name_m]Griffith[/name_m], as well as a mythological creature (and the Gryffindor reference doesn’t hurt!)
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_u]Beau[/name_u] - sweet and gentle Southern name meaning “handsome”
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] Amator - musical Latin name meaning “one who loves”
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_u]Destry[/name_u] - I almost didn’t suggest this one for the “war horse” meaning, but the sound is so soft and whimsical that I couldn’t resist
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_m]Bodhi[/name_m] - spiritual name from Sanskrit meaning “awakening, enlightenment”
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_m]Philemon[/name_m] - Greek name meaning “affectionate,” derived from the word for “kiss”
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_u]Arlo[/name_u] - soft Western vibes and a character in The Faerie Queene
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_m]Thayer[/name_m] - [name_m]French[/name_m] variant of the occupational name [name_u]Taylor[/name_u]
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] - a gentle-sounding name associated with truth and integrity
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] Caerwyn - Welsh name meaning “fair love”
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_m]Asher[/name_m] - love the soft sound of this Hebrew name, and the meaning of “fortunate, blessed, happy one” is a beautiful statement of well-wishing to bestow on a child
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_m]Leander[/name_m] - sweet little lion-man!
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_u]Meredith[/name_u] - I love the soft sounds and slight gender-bending (though it was originally a boys’ name) for this title of a Welsh chieftan
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_f]Sparrow[/name_f] - a gentle, offbeat nature name
Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] Pellinor - a Welsh king from Arthurian legend
greyblue; Thanks a lot and don’t worry, your suggestions are righ up our street! I especially love [name_m]Vincent[/name_m] - believe it or not, hubby mentioned it the other day and said it was “cool”! I also love [name_u]Orion[/name_u] a lot, and Laertes [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_m]Percival[/name_m] is just amazing!
cyoung325; Thank you so much, that does make me feel better. I have a tendency to second guess everything in my third trimester, I have no idea how people decide on a name early on! And hey, I remember us being in the same Momberries group last year, and I see you’re expecting #3 too, how funny! Congrats on your pregnancy!
lavenderwitch; Aww, you’re showering me with suggestions! I love so many of these (and your style in general - [name_m]Caspian[/name_m], [name_u]Taliesin[/name_u], [name_u]Oberon[/name_u], [name_m]Emrys[/name_m], [name_f]Morwenna[/name_f]…), but I’ve thought it over and decided it’s [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] that is the weak link in the combo, not [name_m]Prospero[/name_m]. I’m going to add [name_m]Thoreau[/name_m], [name_m]Sylvan[/name_m] and [name_u]Meredith[/name_u] to our ever-expanding list, and [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m] is actually one of our frontrunners! Hubby said he like [name_m]Bodhi[/name_m] but it’s getting so common here. Thank you so much!
jonquils; [name_m]Hi[/name_m] again sweetheart! I’m feeling more confident now that you’ve mentioned you don’t like [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] [name_m]Prospero[/name_m] either - I kept thinking it’s meh but I could not put my finger on what is wrong with it. I’m loving [name_m]Sirius[/name_m] with Laertes - it’s such a starry name, and with [name_m]Prospero[/name_m] being velvet and Laertes being dark blue, it just makes me think of an adorable boy spending long summer nights watching the Perseids. As for Galahad, I think I prefer it as a FN - it’s on our short list, after all…I guess what I’m looking for is some sort of a word name, like [name_f]Blythe[/name_f] or [name_m]Saint[/name_m] (but not quite [name_m]Saint[/name_m] since we already have it in our Galahad combo). Thank you and I’m looking forward to more suggestions, but do make sure to take a nap first. Naps are wonderful.
You’ve already gotten way better suggestions than I could ever offer; I just wanted to share that I had serious cold feet when it came to naming my son, and we waited a week or so before finally announcing anything. I was so nervous! - but it ended up fine. You could always wait until baby is born and sit with it for a few days until finally deciding. It really helped to hold my son in my arms and call him by his name - then it really solidified.
As for Galahad, I think I prefer it as a FN - it’s on our short list, after all…I guess what I’m looking for is some sort of a word name, like [name_f]Blythe[/name_f] or [name_m]Saint[/name_m] (but not quite [name_m]Saint[/name_m] since we already have it in our Galahad combo). Thank you and I’m looking forward to more suggestions, but do make sure to take a nap first. Naps are wonderful. 