Unusual middle names for Nikolas

Luminen · June 8, 2023, 2:14pm

I like the idea of [name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] if we have another boy one day (it has a few things going for it; I love the soft -as ending, it’s straightforward to pronounce in all the languages I need it to work in; its name day is on the 6th of [name_u]December[/name_u] which is Finland’s Independence [name_u]Day[/name_u] and I honestly never know what to do for Independence [name_u]Day[/name_u] since I don’t enjoy any of the traditional festivities so it’d be fun to have a name day to celebrate…)

But, but. Despite being sweet, it is definitely a little normal/common (boring?) compared to many of the other names we like, so I’d like to zhuzh it up with something exciting in the middle.

We’d probably do two middle names, and one would probably be [name_m]Otso[/name_m] since it’s a name we both love dearly.

So, what would you add to either [name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] ___ [name_m]Otso[/name_m] or [name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] Otso____?

It can honestly veer into GP territory, and I like the idea of unusual nature names, mythological names, connections to space, esoteric literature, obscure historical figures (bonus points for history of science), etc., etc. Made up fantasy/sci-fi names are also welcome (esp [name_m]Tolkien[/name_m] and [name_f]Star[/name_f] Trek )

Lilyflower97 · June 8, 2023, 4:19pm

I really enjoy unusual nature and fantasy names as well!

If you want to go the [name_m]Tolkien[/name_m] route, Eomer and [name_m]Theoden[/name_m] immediately spring to mind. I like the ring of [name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] Eomer [name_m]Otso[/name_m] myself. Another name I really like from the series is Imrahil (Nikolas [name_m]Otso[/name_m] Imrahil), or [name_f]Estel[/name_f] (Nikolas [name_m]Otso[/name_m] [name_f]Estel[/name_f], this is also the name of a star in series so it has the space connection) might be a nice option. You could also think of using place names from the series. I’m crushing on Osgiliath right now, and I think that could be great with the two names you’ve already chosen. Erebor is another good one. I’m currently loving this series if you can’t tell!

As for nature names here are a few: [name_u]Rowan[/name_u], [name_m]Carnelian[/name_m], [name_u]Jasper[/name_u], [name_u]Aster[/name_u] (which means “star” but is also the name of a flower).

[name_f]Star[/name_f] names: [name_m]Calix[/name_m], [name_u]Polaris[/name_u] (although keep in mind that the initials could then end up NOP), [name_u]Orion[/name_u] (also mythical)

Maybe this is too many options, but I got a bit carried away! [name_f]Hope[/name_f] this sparks some inspiration!

persephonescrown · June 8, 2023, 4:32pm

This is THE most fun prompt

Obvs middles can be swapped around, I just went with what felt the flow-iest in the moment…

Nikolas Otso Marinell
Nikolas Bramble Otso
Nikolas Otso Emrys
Nikolas Otso Fleetwood
Nikolas Otso Hart
Nikolas Otso Griffin
Nikolas Meridian Otso
Nikolas Otso Vesper
Nikolas Archimedes Otso
Nikolas Otso Linnaeus
Nikolas Otso Faraday
Nikolas Lysander Otso
Nikolas Cymbeline Otso
Nikolas Caspian Otso
Nikolas Parsifal Otso
Nikolas Otso Arcturus
Nikolas Otso Astrophel
Nikolas Leander Otso
Nikolas Otso Antares
Nikolas Otso Bonaventure
Nikolas Rigel Otso
Nikolas Otso Hawthorn
Nikolas Elveryn Otso
Nikolas Endymion Otso
Nikolas Perseus Otso
Nikolas Otso Florizel
Nikolas Otso Wilder
Nikolas Otso Faramond
Nikolas Otso Merle
Nikolas Otso Jupiter
Nikolas Otso Zenith

my faves too!

Nikolas Otso Anduin
Nikolas Beren Otso
Nikolas Otso Eldarion
Nikolas Peregrin Otso
Nikolas Thorin Otso
Nikolas Lórien Otso
Nikolas Theoden Otso
Nikolas Tiberius Otso
Nikolas Otso Dax
Nikolas Archer Otso
Nikolas Zefram Otso (does this get a point for being science future rather than science history? )
Nikolas Otso Montgomery
Nikolas Forrest Otso
Nikolas Otso Romulus
Nikolas Otso Endeavour (as in the starship)
Nikolas Otso Alpha (as in the quadrant)

Greyblue · June 8, 2023, 4:34pm

[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_m]Otso[/name_m] [name_m]Aramis[/name_m]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_u]Zennor[/name_u] [name_m]Otso[/name_m]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_m]Fortitude[/name_m] [name_m]Otso[/name_m]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_m]Otso[/name_m] [name_m]Herschel[/name_m]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_m]Otso[/name_m] [name_u]Galen[/name_u]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_m]Otso[/name_m] [name_m]Prosper[/name_m]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_m]Otso[/name_m] [name_u]Comet[/name_u]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] d’Artagnan [name_m]Otso[/name_m]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_m]Otso[/name_m] [name_u]Agrippa[/name_u]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_m]Otso[/name_m] [name_m]Magnus[/name_m]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_m]Otso[/name_m] [name_m]Talcott[/name_m]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_u]Nightingale[/name_u] [name_m]Otso[/name_m]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_m]Otso[/name_m] Asimov
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_m]Altair[/name_m] Otso/Otso [name_m]Altair[/name_m]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_f]Rilian[/name_f] [name_m]Otso[/name_m]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_m]Endymion[/name_m] [name_m]Otso[/name_m]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_m]Otso[/name_m] [name_m]Boone[/name_m]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_m]Emeth[/name_m] [name_m]Otso[/name_m]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_m]Otso[/name_m] [name_m]Torquil[/name_m]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] Midwinter [name_m]Otso[/name_m]

EagleEyes · June 8, 2023, 4:46pm

[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] is lovely!

How about…
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_u]Vivian[/name_u] [name_m]Otso[/name_m]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_m]Kuiper[/name_m] [name_m]Otso[/name_m]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_m]Otso[/name_m] [name_u]Mars[/name_u]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_u]Elliott[/name_u] [name_m]Otso[/name_m]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_u]Meridian[/name_u] [name_m]Otso[/name_m]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_m]Otso[/name_m] [name_u]June[/name_u]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] Curie [name_m]Otso[/name_m]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_m]Otso[/name_m] [name_u]Aquila[/name_u]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_m]Otso[/name_m] [name_u]Orion[/name_u]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_u]Franklin[/name_u] [name_m]Otso[/name_m]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_u]Faraday[/name_u] [name_m]Otso[/name_m]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_m]Newton[/name_m] [name_m]Otso[/name_m]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_m]Otso[/name_m] [name_u]Rain[/name_u]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_m]Otso[/name_m] [name_u]René[/name_u]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_m]Otso[/name_m] [name_m]Heath[/name_m]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_u]Canyon[/name_u] [name_m]Otso[/name_m]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_m]Otso[/name_m] [name_u]Blue[/name_u]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_m]Otso[/name_m] [name_u]Moon[/name_u]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] D’artagnan [name_m]Otso[/name_m]
[name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] [name_m]Walden[/name_m] [name_m]Otso[/name_m]

Johannaa · June 8, 2023, 5:25pm

Nikolas Arendt Otso
Nikolas Bernoulli Otso
Nikolas Eise Otso
Nikolas Eukleides Otso
Nikolas Faramir Otso
Nikolas Galileo Otso
Nikolas Mercury Otso
Nikolas Morgenstern Otso
Nikolas Otso Aristoteles
Nikolas Otso Arrhenius
Nikolas Otso Berzelius
Nikolas Otso Dalton
Nikolas Otso Egidius
Nikolas Otso Faraday
Nikolas Otso Philidor
Nikolas Otso Rembrandt
Nikolas Otso Thales

Victory55 · June 8, 2023, 9:14pm

[name_u]Polaris[/name_u]
[name_m]Stellan[/name_m]
Fievel
[name_m]Michelangelo[/name_m]
[name_m]Gilligan[/name_m]
[name_m]Valentin[/name_m]
[name_u]Justice[/name_u]
[name_u]Dexter[/name_u]
[name_m]Hermes[/name_m]
[name_u]Zephyr[/name_u]

AStudyIn_Scarlet · June 9, 2023, 8:25am

[name_u]Atlas[/name_u] - “bearer of the heavens” (Or would there many similar sounds with [name_m]Nikolas[/name_m] & Otso?)
[name_u]Yarrow[/name_u] - “rough stream”
[name_u]Peregrine[/name_u]
[name_m]Hemlock[/name_m] - (my favourite!)
[name_m]Newton[/name_m]
[name_u]August[/name_u]
[name_u]Rune[/name_u]
[name_m]Edmond[/name_m] - “wealthy protection” (After [name_m]Edmond[/name_m] Halley)
[name_m]Percival[/name_m]
[name_m]Magnus[/name_m]
[name_m]Havelock[/name_m]
[name_m]Regulus[/name_m]
[name_u]Dandelion[/name_u] - “tooth of the lion” (GP, but goes excellently)
[name_m]Cymbeline[/name_m]
[name_m]Beowulf[/name_m]
[name_m]Cygnus[/name_m] - “swan” (Also the name of a constellation)
Lir/Llyr - “the sea” (If you wish to go for a nature name that is not a plant name)
[name_m]Heliodor[/name_m] - “gift of the sun” (yellow gemstone that is part of the [name_f]Beryl[/name_f] family)
Leonotis - “lion’s ear” (Same as Dandelion)
[name_u]Thistle[/name_u]
[name_m]Cadfael[/name_m] - “battle prince”
[name_m]Orville[/name_m] - “golden city” (invented by [name_f]Fanny[/name_f] [name_m]Burney[/name_m], also the name of [name_m]Orville[/name_m] [name_m]Wright[/name_m] who built the first successful airplane)
Mundilfari - “the one moving according to particular times” (moon of [name_u]Saturn[/name_u] as well as the father of Sól & Máni)
[name_m]Fenrir[/name_m] - “fen-dweller” (moon of [name_u]Saturn[/name_u] as well as wolf in Norse mythology)
[name_m]Galileo[/name_m]

Luminen · June 9, 2023, 10:04am

Not at all, these are wonderful suggestions - thank you. I was immediately drawn to Imharil and then realised it’s probably because it’s similar to my son’s middle name, Ilmari. I do just love those sounds!

I’m also loving Eomer and Theoden because Riders of Rohan were always my favourite, and my family are horse people, you could say (I grew up in town so was never involved but my grandparents and cousins have always kept horses) which makes them honour names, almost! Using place names is a great idea too - Erebor especially has such a strong and intriguing sound. Loads for me to ponder here!

@persephonescrown Haha, thank you, I’m glad you had fun with this one! Gosh, listing all my favourites would take a lot of space here but I am giving special shout outs to Marinell (), Linnaeus (the feminine Linnea is such a popular girl name in Finland & Sweden but Linnaeus for a boy is inspired and so cool ), Anduin, Beren, and Endeavour (love the idea of using the name of a ship, we nerd out over the ship designs weekly). Also Zefram absolutely gets bonus points.

@Greyblue I gasped at Nikolas Midwinter Otso, how perfectly romantic and magical. Also these are feeling particularly perfect: Fortitude, Galen, Prosper, Comet, Agrippa, Nightingale (a lovely nature name that also makes me think of The Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch, which I am a huge fan of!), and Asimov (has such a cool sound and I like his work too).

Thank you! Curie and Franklin jumped out at me immediately - love the idea of using the names of female scientists. I’ve also never heard of Kuiper before and I’m instantly liking it! I’ve always found Vivian so refreshing on a boy, and my other immediate favourites are June (also wonderful on a boy and especially with such a traditionally masculine first - I was also born in June!), Aquila, Rain, René, Heath, and Walden.

Luminen · June 9, 2023, 11:10am

@Johannaa You know, a couple of years back I was browsing Scotland’s baby name data (might have been the 2020 stats) and saw that there was 1 boy called Rembrandt and I wanted to either befriend his parents or steal the name. I’d forgotten about it until now and I am loving the idea of Rembrandt as a middle! Also, you can’t ask for a better namesake than Hannah Arendt so I love your very first suggestion too, as well as Eukleides, Galileo (could see it as a cool twist on the ubiquitous Leo, even), Mercury (makes me think of alchemy as well as the planet so it’s ticking a lot of boxes), Dalton, Philidor, and Thales.

@Victory55 Loving Polaris (love the meaning), Michelangelo (wonderfully maximalist and extravagant), and Hermes (honestly my least problematic fave of the Greek gods and I love that he’s the protector of travellers). Thanks so much!

Ah, I know, Atlas is one of my long term favourites and I so want it to work as a middle for Nikolas… maybe if I switched Otso to something longer that doesn’t have an S or T sound! But then again, we love Otso. Meaning generally trumps flow for me so it’s the kind of combo I might go for regardless. Thank you for all the other wonderful suggestions too (and for taking the time to include meanings and other comments!) - I’m especially drawn to Yarrow, Hemlock (I’m with you on this one, it’s so cool ), Edmond, Havelock, Dandelion (yes, a little more whimsical and out there but I do love it!), Beowulf (!!), Cygnus, Helidor (this is a new one to me and I love the meaning), Leonotis, Thistle (love the connection to Scotland), and Fenrir.