See the results of this poll: Please pick name with best flow/sound to your ear.
Respondents: 46 (This poll is closed)
- Caleb Paul: 6 (13%)
- Caleb James: 40 (87%)
I see what you mean about the long A sounds but I still somewhat prefer [name]Caleb[/name] [name]James[/name], not sure why (I know I’m the expert, but sometimes you just have to go with your gut!). However, I do like both choices and think that, in the end, if you just chose the name that had most meaning in your family or was connected to the person most deserving of honor, that would be good. Or you could always go with [name]Caleb[/name] [name]Paul[/name] [name]James[/name]!
I immediately thought that [name]Caleb[/name] [name]James[/name] sounded the best, even before reading that you wanted to use [name]James[/name] but had reservations. I see what you’re saying about the ‘a’ in both names, but it still sounds great to my ear.
[name]James[/name] is so overused as a mn, I love [name]Paul[/name]. 
Thanks so much, everyone, that is very helpful! It actually surprised me that [name]James[/name] was most popular, but I am pleasantly surprised!! If anyone else has thoughts, would love to hear them!
[name]Caleb[/name] [name]Paul[/name] because [name]Caleb[/name] [name]James[/name] doesn’t flow well. Can’t you hear the rhyming [name]CAY[/name]-lub [name]JAy[/name]-MES.
thats weird b/c i feel like you lose the paul whereas the james you hear. i think it has a better flow with the james.
but it could be due to accents too.
interesting! lv51sfan91 and wagnerem, where are each of you from (to figure out if it is an accent thing)?
One other question: our last name rhymes with “Dansen.” Does either one of those middle names flow better with that? Thanks!
wagnerem is from [name]Boston[/name], USA
I like [name]James[/name] best with last name. 
wagnerem is from [name]Boston[/name], USA[/quote]
Thanks!! That is helpful!
Some people seem to be saying that the [name]Paul[/name] doesn’t really stand out after [name]Caleb[/name], or that it doesn’t flow quite as well, and I just wanted to offer a possible explanation for that: the sounds b and p are pretty much the same (pronounced in the same place and in the same way) except that b is voiced and p is not. So the b and p run together somewhat in [name]Caleb[/name] [name]Paul[/name]. The same goes for the sounds d and t, g and k, z and s, in case anyone is interested!
Hoodie, you must be trained in speech and language! That is very helpful information for analyzing flow of names. You hit the nail on the head on this! Thank you for enlightening us all.
Thanks so much everybody for their insights and opinions!
I prefer [name]Paul[/name] because [name]Caleb[/name] [name]James[/name] rhymes. cAYlub jAYmes this similar sound in the first syllable drives me nuts. I much prefer [name]Paul[/name] myself over [name]James[/name]. It’s not that common, cute on all ages and is very handesome on a grown man.
I totally know what you are saying, and that’s pretty much what prompted my post (the double “long a” sound). It is interesting, though, that [name]James[/name] pretty much is a landslide with other people compared to [name]Paul[/name]. I am still not sure what we will pick. Maybe we’ll wait until he is born and see what seems to fit? That’s so not like me, though! I’m a planner!