Thoughts on our boy list?

Boy Names
1

My husband and I have come up with the following boy list, but we can’t seem to narrow it down. I would love to hear thoughts on the names we have and maybe even possible other suggestions if you are able to catch our “vibe”

Raphael- we love that this name is classic but uncommon and also the name of an archangel. We would probably call him “Raph” for short. My fear though is that this name is kind of hard to wear in everyday life. Also, middle names that flow well are hard to find for this one

Thomas-we love that this name is also a classic and he could be called “Tommy” for short. Our fear is that it is too common.

Augustine-we love that this is a saint’s name and we could shorten it to “Auggie” or “Gus” but we fear that people would mispronounce the name because some people say Aw-GUS-tin and others say AUG-Gus-teen

Hugh-we like that it is short, classic, and uncommon, but we don’t love the association with Hugh Hefner

Ronan-we like that it would be a way to honor a family member named Ron, but we don’t like that this name has more of a “current” vibe, while we are going for a more vintage vibe for our kids’ names

Clifton-we love that this name is very uncommon and can be shortened to “Cliff” but we fear that it seems too much like a surname or a place name

Julius-we love that this name is fairly uncommon and it has that vintage vibe, but we fear it is too “Roman Empire” and is “Jules” too feminine of a nickname??

Warner- we love how unique this name is but we don’t love that it can’t easily be shortened. Would people automatically think of Warner Brothers??

Clarence-we love that this is a family name and that it is vintage. We would likely shorten it to “Ren.” We fear that people would find this name dated in a bad way

Lawrence- we love that this is a saint’s name and that we could also shorten it to “Ren” we don’t love that this is a fairly common surname in our area

Lionel-we love that this name is uncommon yet definitely not unheard of, but we fear it is too closely tied to Lionel Richie. It also doesn’t lend itself easily to a nickname

Please give me any thoughts you have on any of these names…favorites, least favorites, other suggestions?? Thanks!

2

[name_m]Raphael[/name_m] - this is so handsome, charming and beautiful! I love it!

[name_m]Thomas[/name_m] - sturdy and classic. [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] is okay but it lacks spark for me

[name_u]Augustine[/name_u] - handsome and elegant

[name_m]Hugh[/name_m] - [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] feels versatile enough that it’s not tied to one person. I quite like it

[name_m]Ronan[/name_m] - [name_m]Ronan[/name_m] does feel a little more modern than your other choices but it’s still an earthy warm name

[name_m]Clifton[/name_m] -Clifton is quite handsome

[name_m]Julius[/name_m] - [name_m]Julius[/name_m] has charm and I don’t think [name_u]Jules[/name_u] is too feminine

[name_m]Warner[/name_m] - I find it a bit harsh, sorry

[name_m]Clarence[/name_m] - love the sounds of this and the understated elegance

[name_u]Lawrence[/name_u]- this is strong and sturdy but [name_u]Ren[/name_u] brings something sweet

[name_u]Lionel[/name_u]- [name_u]Lionel[/name_u] is very handsome. [name_m]Lion[/name_m] or [name_m]Leo[/name_m] as nn maybe?

[name_m]Clifford[/name_m], [name_m]Warren[/name_m], [name_m]Marshall[/name_m], [name_m]Emmanuel[/name_m], [name_m]Graham[/name_m], [name_m]Alistair[/name_m] and [name_m]Albert[/name_m] came to mind

3

[name_m]Raphael[/name_m] - A very handsome name, but I agree not the best nn options. I could definitely see how middle names would be difficult

[name_m]Thomas[/name_m] - Definitely a classic and [name_m]Tommy[/name_m] is super cute! I definitely think it’s the most common one on your list, but I don’t think it’s as common as [name_u]Charlie[/name_u], [name_m]William[/name_m], [name_u]Wyatt[/name_u] or Henry.

[name_u]Augustine[/name_u] - I like this one a LOT! [name_u]August[/name_u] is becoming popular so this is a nice variation. [name_m]Auggie[/name_m] and [name_u]Gus[/name_u] are super cute. I would intuitively say “Aug-gus-teen”, like St. Augustine.

[name_m]Hugh[/name_m] - Hefner is not my association; I probably would think of [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] [name_m]Grant[/name_m] before Hefner. I think it’s a nice name, though I prefer [name_m]Hugo[/name_m] personally.

[name_m]Ronan[/name_m] - Definitely not as vintage; maybe [name_m]Roland[/name_m] instead?

[name_m]Clifton[/name_m] - This does seem more like a surname to me, and I wouldn’t have known it was a vintage name without looking it up. What about Clinton? It is still a surname but [name_m]Clint[/name_m] could be a nn option.

[name_m]Julius[/name_m] - [name_m]Julius[/name_m] is a nice name, and I don’t think [name_u]Jules[/name_u] is exclusively feminine (i.e. [name_u]Jules[/name_u] Verne). [name_u]Julian[/name_u] could be another option too!

[name_m]Warner[/name_m] -This is a name I want to like but haven’t been able to get behind. [name_m]Walter[/name_m] could be a good alternative with “Walt” or “Wally” as a nn

[name_m]Clarence[/name_m] - I’m neutral on this one. [name_u]Ren[/name_u] or [name_u]Renny[/name_u] is a cute nickname though.

[name_u]Lawrence[/name_u]- I really like the name [name_u]Lawrence[/name_u] and [name_u]Ren[/name_u] or [name_u]Renny[/name_u] would be a perfect nn!

[name_u]Lionel[/name_u]- I definitely think of [name_u]Lionel[/name_u] Richie. I could see [name_m]Leo[/name_m] being a nn but if you were going to call him that you could probably just name him Leo.

Other options: [name_m]Alfred[/name_m], [name_m]Frederick[/name_m], [name_u]George[/name_u], Lewis/Louis, [name_m]Harvey[/name_m], [name_m]Victor[/name_m], [name_m]Linus[/name_m], [name_m]Chester[/name_m], [name_m]Franklin[/name_m], [name_u]Howard[/name_u], [name_m]Martin[/name_m], [name_m]Marvin[/name_m], [name_m]Oswald[/name_m], and [name_m]Wilfred[/name_m] all seem very fitting with your style!

I hope that was helpful :slight_smile:

4

[name_m]Thomas[/name_m], [name_m]Rafael[/name_m], and [name_u]Lionel[/name_u] are my favorites on your list! I think this is a great group of names though. :slight_smile:

5

[name_m]Hi[/name_m] there.

Here are my thoughts on the list:

Raphael-I like it a lot, but for some reason I’m way more partial to Rafael. Does that ruin the archangel association? I too like the angel association; I’m just not sure about the spelling issue. I just feel like [name_m]Rafael[/name_m] looks sleeker, & I love the nn [name_u]Rafe[/name_u] more than Raph. I also feel you that it’s kind of a big name to wear in real life, but an everyday nn (Raph/Rafe or [name_m]Rafi[/name_m] even) would possibly fix that problem.

Thomas-It is a strong classic smart kind name. I don’t think that it’s too terribly common for little tykes, is it? At least not were I am in the U.S. It’s a super common name in general, but not at all trendy at least.

Augustine-Yeah, I agree that I’m not sure which way that this is supposed to be pronounced. I’d say August-een, but feel like it could go either way. Maybe you like [name_u]August[/name_u] or Augustus?

Hugh-I don’t think that the Hefner association is that strong, is it? I think that [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] is nice, but it does seem a bit lacking somehow.

Ronan-I love Ronan. It’s strong & rugged but gentle at the same time. It’s simple & not terribly common. I see what you mean by the modern vibe, but I guess it’s probably actually an older name. It’s not like it’s made up, you know?

Clifton-It does feel a bit last name-y, I agree. It’s not a terrible thing if you love it though. [name_m]Cliff[/name_m] is kind of cute & different.

Julius-I like it. It’s a tad [name_m]Roman[/name_m] Empire-y, but not too much. I like the nn Jude! I personally love the name [name_u]Julian[/name_u] more, but it’s also a lot more popular.

Warner-No, I think of [name_m]Warner[/name_m] Herzog! But yeah, I don’t love this one that much. I just feel like it sounds harsh & really the only nn is War.

Clarence-It’s okay. It’s not my personal favorite. I like [name_u]Clare[/name_u] & [name_f]Clara[/name_f] for girls, & they’re very common. So, [name_m]Clarence[/name_m], while it’s totally masculine, feels a little related to a girl name.

Lawrence-I like this okay. I like it nn Lad! But it’s a good solid interesting classic that’s at least not popular as a fn. I suppose it it’s really common as a ln in your area, that could get annoying.

Lionel-It’s sort of tied to Richie. Not a bad association. It’s not my personal style though. I love nerdy names, but it feels even too nerdy for me. I like [name_m]Linus[/name_m] a lot. [name_f]Do[/name_f] you like Linus?

Here are a few more suggestions that you may like:

[name_m]Arthur[/name_m]

[name_m]Aubin[/name_m]

[name_u]Alden[/name_u]

[name_u]Amos[/name_u]

[name_m]Bernard[/name_m]

[name_m]Barnaby[/name_m]

[name_m]Barnabas[/name_m]

[name_u]Claude[/name_u]

[name_m]Desmond[/name_m]

[name_m]Edgar[/name_m]

[name_m]Edwin[/name_m]

[name_m]Gilbert[/name_m]

[name_u]Ira[/name_u]

[name_m]Jerome[/name_m]

[name_m]Malcolm[/name_m]

[name_m]Niles[/name_m]

[name_m]Otis[/name_m]

[name_u]Roan[/name_u]

[name_m]Vincent[/name_m]

[name_m]Walter[/name_m]

[name_m]Winston[/name_m]

[name_f]Hope[/name_f] this helps. :slight_smile:

6

Your list is great :heart_eyes: :heart_eyes: :heart_eyes:
[name_f]My[/name_f] top three are [name_m]Raphael[/name_m], [name_m]Ronan[/name_m] and Lionel.

With [name_m]Raphael[/name_m] I’d go with a short 1 syllable name, something like [name_m]Raphael[/name_m] [name_u]Kit[/name_u], [name_m]Raphael[/name_m] [name_m]Jack[/name_m] or [name_m]Raphael[/name_m] Fox. I don’t think at all this is a hard name to wear. Raph/Raf, [name_u]Rafe[/name_u] and [name_m]Raffy[/name_m] are nice and cute nicknames if you think the name is “too much” for when he’s younger.

7

[name_m]Raphael[/name_m] - Super handsome, although there’s other Biblical -el names I like more, personally. I prefer [name_u]Rafa[/name_u] as a nn, but that’s my inner Brazilian coming out again. :wink:

[name_m]Thomas[/name_m] - aww, love Thomas. I don’t actually like any nns for him (I might tolerate Tommo or Masso, but am not keen on [name_m]Tom[/name_m] or Tommy, myself?), but I think he’s so sweet and unexpected these days. I nearly had [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] [name_m]Donovan[/name_m] [name_u]Grey[/name_u] on my list a while back; he just didn’t click completely, but I’ve been so in love with [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] for over a decade now.

[name_u]Augustine[/name_u] - YES, YES, YES!!! I adore [name_u]Augustine[/name_u] so very much. :heart: [name_u]Augustine[/name_u] [name_m]Peter[/name_m] Elliot’s on my own list; I adore him. I’d opt for Auggie, but [name_u]Gus[/name_u] is nice, too. I think it’d be easy to correct Augustine’s pronunciation to whatever you’re going for (your post wasn’t clear which you prefer?), and if he goes by a nn with any regularity, it may not be an issue.

[name_m]Hugh[/name_m] - prefer [name_m]Hugo[/name_m] myself (probably for the tie to [name_m]Victor[/name_m] Hugo… and the reminder of Brazil!), but [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] is not bad.

[name_m]Ronan[/name_m] - [name_m]Ronan[/name_m] is very sweet! It does feel sort of modern, but it’s not a name without history?

[name_m]Clifton[/name_m] - not my style personally, but not a bad name?

[name_m]Julius[/name_m] - I actually ADORE [name_u]Jules[/name_u] for a boy? I get why you’d be concerned, but I think [name_u]Julian[/name_u] nn [name_u]Jules[/name_u] is ridiculously cool for a boy. Plus, [name_u]Jules[/name_u] Verne? :heart: I prefer [name_u]Julian[/name_u] to Julius, but I can see the appeal of [name_m]Julius[/name_m] too. Plus, it seems like saint names have significance to you–I don’t know a ton about saints since my church doesn’t venerate them, but a quick google search gave me St. [name_u]Julian[/name_u] of Norwich; I have no clue his merit otherwise, but [name_u]Julian[/name_u] is very nice and might suit your desire for a saint name?

[name_m]Warner[/name_m] - not my style personally, but I can see the appeal?

[name_m]Clarence[/name_m] - seem [name_m]Clifton[/name_m] and Warner. :wink:

[name_u]Lawrence[/name_u] - he’s growing on me, but I prefer [name_u]Laurence[/name_u] to Lawrence. I like [name_u]Laurie[/name_u] more than Ren, but I think it may just be the [name_u]Ren[/name_u] spelling, because I think Lawrence/Laurence nn [name_u]Wren[/name_u] is super lovely.

[name_u]Lionel[/name_u] - actually love him! He might be my second favorite, if I’m being honest (tbh, it takes a LOT to top my love for Augustine, ha!), and I think you could easily use the nn [name_m]Leo[/name_m] (like [name_u]Lionel[/name_u] Messi!) or Lyle, or maybe even Nel(l) for something a bit more androgynous?

Augustine, Lionel, Thomas, Ronan, and [name_m]Raphael[/name_m] are my favorites, I think, although if [name_m]Julius[/name_m] was [name_u]Julian[/name_u] nn Jules, he’d replace Raphael. Might you like Caspar, Linus, Reeve, Asa, or Reuben?

Good luck!

8

Nice list of nice names!

[name_m]Raphael[/name_m] is beautiful. I live in an area with many Latinx people so it would fit in fine here, though the more common spelling would be [name_m]Rafael[/name_m] here. I like either. Romantic name.

[name_m]Thomas[/name_m] is very used (teacher here!).

[name_u]Augustine[/name_u] is a bit of a mouthful.

I love Hugh. Today’s little kids have no idea who [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] Hefner is. :slight_smile:

I agree that if you want a vintage vibe that [name_m]Ronan[/name_m] would not be the best choice.

[name_m]Julius[/name_m] is nice but there are a lot of [name_u]Jules[/name_u] and Julios out there.

[name_m]Warner[/name_m] is fine, but not nicknameable.

The ones I love best are Clifton, Clarence, Lawrence, and Lionel. All vintage, all classic, all amazing! Such riches to choose among. Good luck!

9

[name_m]Raphael[/name_m] is so beautiful, it’s also on my list.I tend to like more unusual names but there’s just something about this. It is popular for good reason.

[name_f]My[/name_f] other favourite is Ronan, it’s very handsome and sturdy.

Suggesting Hugo, [name_m]Herschel[/name_m] , [name_u]Jules[/name_u] and Warren.

11

Raphael - I love Raphael! Especially with the nn Rafa. It’s so handsome and strong. I don’t think it would be hard to wear since it is an established name, it’s not common but it is familiar enough that everybody has heard it before and it also ages really well. I do agree it’s harder to pair with a middle name so solely for that reason it would probably be easier to make it a middle name.

Thomas - very classic and handsome.

Augustine - I personally prefer August myself but Augustine is a really strong, distinguished, handsome name. I like it particularly as a middle name. And I also like that it’s a saints name.

**[Hugh](https://nameberry.com/babyname/Hugh- what puts me off this name is that I can only picture a 60 year old with this name and then my mind does automatically go to Hugh Hefner for that reason. I can’t envision a child, a teenager, or young adult with this name.

Ronan - Ronan is really cute and while I do agree it does have a more modern feel it still feels more solid and vintage too.

Clifton- I’m pretty neutral on this name but once again this is a name I can only picture on an elderly person.

Julius - this name has so much strength to it that it would almost be hard for someone to live up to but it’s a great choice. And I don’t think Jules is too feminine.

Warner - very handsome.

Clarence - I agree that this name feels dated.

Lawrence - I like Ren as a more modern nn option but this name also feels dated to me.

Lionel - cool and handsome.

12

I think Raphael is the perfect choice. It’s a beautiful, romantic classic and yet, to me at least, very wearable. I know a few Raphaels including my nephew, who we call Rafi (he’s Rafael), and it only ever gets compliments. Augustine seems much less wearable to me on account of its length, pronunciation ambiguity and grandeur, although the nicknames do help. How about August? This if one of my favourites and it’s much more wearable than Augustine. And you can still use the same nicknames! I also like Julius and Ronan. Other ideas:

Bastian
Hugo (I don’t personally like Hugh but I’m a big fan of Hugo, and this way you lose the Hugh Hefner association)
Otto
Lucian
Quinn
Orion
Apollo
Orlando
Remy
Valentine
Tallis
Jem
Maximus
Rupert
Quincy
Louis
Finbar
Ambrose
Felix
Caspian
Jude
Malachi
Chester
Elio
Dashiell
Rafferty
Idris
Hamish
Rory
Angus
Otis
Edmund
Quinton
Francis
Orson
Phineas
Winston
Tarquin
Wilbur
Atticus
Sullivan
Alastair
Jonty
Caspar
Balthazar
Monty
Flynn
Inigo
Jasper
Rex
Franklin
Miro
Wilfred

13

[name_m]Raphael[/name_m] - It really depends on what your last name is for this one, I think. This name can be very associated with certain ethnicities/cultures and some could think it was an odd choice for that reason. For example, some could find it odd to name your daughter [name_f]Esmerelda[/name_f] if you weren’t from a Latin American background. Not that it has to stop you from using it, but just a thought.

[name_m]Thomas[/name_m] - easy to say, easy to spell. It was ranked 47 in the year 2019 in the U.S., so it’s common but honestly I haven’t heard of a lot of people getting this name lately despite that. I think it’s a safe and classic choice. It was in the top 10 up through the 60’s, so it does seem kind of vintage to me which is what you’re going for.

[name_u]Augustine[/name_u] - if you’re U.S. based, I don’t think the mispronunciation would be an issue since St. [name_u]Augustine[/name_u] in [name_f]Florida[/name_f] is a very well known city, so easily recognizable. However, I do find names with this ending to feel feminine to me. There are several classically female names with the same/similar endings (Justine, Christine, Adaline, Angeline, etc.). I think the name [name_u]August[/name_u] would be a good alternative.

[name_m]Hugh[/name_m] - Yeah Hefner is unfortunately what comes to mind for me.

[name_m]Ronan[/name_m] - Names like this are getting more popular, but there are many names right now that are so popular and yet are still definitely vintage and classic names. Sophia, Charlotte, Ava, Oliver, William, James, [name_u]Benjamin[/name_u] are some examples and they definitely feel old Hollywood to me even though they are in the top slots. I think [name_m]Ronan[/name_m] won’t be quite as big as those, so I’d say go for it. It feels a little more standout.

[name_m]Clifton[/name_m] - It IS a place name for me, so I may be a little biased on that point.

[name_m]Julius[/name_m] - I personally would definitely think of the famous [name_m]Julius[/name_m] [name_m]Caesar[/name_m] when hearing this, and it doesn’t easily lend itself to many good nicknames, at least for me. [name_f]Julia[/name_f] and [name_f]Juliana[/name_f] are very hot names right now so [name_u]Jules[/name_u] could be a hard nickname for a boy to have right now. Perhaps [name_u]Julian[/name_u] could be an alternative to that.

[name_m]Warner[/name_m] - This just isn’t my style. I don’t love it due to the “warn” part of it. The word just isn’t a pleasant one so it’s for that reason rather than any association with [name_m]Warner[/name_m] Brothers.

[name_m]Clarence[/name_m] - It definitely has an older feel to it. The Clarences that come to mind for me are the guardian angel from It’s a Wonderful Life and [name_m]Clarence[/name_m] [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] from the Supreme Court, nobody from current times. It certainly won’t be too common if that’s your worry.

[name_u]Lawrence[/name_u] - Similar to [name_m]Clarence[/name_m] but a little more widely used. I think this one is more easily wearable today.

[name_u]Lionel[/name_u] - [name_u]Lionel[/name_u] [name_m]Richie[/name_m] does come to mind, but I don’t know that it’s exclusive to him. A similar name would be [name_m]Leo[/name_m] if you’re afraid about the association.

Out of all of your names, I think [name_m]Ronan[/name_m] and [name_u]Lawrence[/name_u] would be good choices.

14

Raphael- I love “Raph” for short! I don’t think this would be hard to wear in everyday life.

Thomas- Not a fan of this name or Tommy, simply because I know a lot of men with this name.

Augustine- Super cool name! A fun spin on August, and the nicknames are great.

Hugh- I love this name. It’s a good combination of soft but strong, and familiar but not common. I think of [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] Grant, for what it’s worth!

Ronan- I like the name itself, but I agree it’s a little trendy. The nickname “Ro” is really cool though!

Clifton- [name_m]Cliff[/name_m] is a great nickname, and it doesn’t come across as a surname name to me. I once had a patient with this name, and he always sticks out in my mind!

Julius- I like the [name_m]Roman[/name_m] Empire aspect of this name, but it makes me think of [name_u]Orange[/name_u] Julius.

Warner- If you’re wanting easy nicknames, I’d avoid this name. Our son doesn’t have a name that lends itself easily to nicknames, which bums us out a little, as our daughter has many sweet nicknames!

Clarence- It’s a nice vintage name, but I do get the feeling of it being too dated, even clunky.

Lawrence- I like it being shortened to Ren, but if it’s very common where you live that might always feel like a sticking point.

Lionel- I love this name! I think the nickname [name_m]Leo[/name_m] is pretty intuitive. I also envision calling a boy with this name “little lion” when he’s being wild.

15

[name_m]Clarence[/name_m] and [name_u]Lawrence[/name_u] are amazing. A great list.
I wouldn’t definitely remove Ronan. Now that RoMan is the fastest rising boy name, on course to enter top 30 soon, I think it’s ruined all those similar sounding names like RoNan. [name_m]Even[/name_m] though the specific name RoNan is itself quite unusual it’s so similar to RoMan, RoHan etc… as a group those names just all feel so trendy, overdone and ubiquitous and don’t think that’s the vibe you’re after.