My son is 4, but I’ve regretted his name since he was a few weeks old. He was born a few weeks premature and a few days before the first anniversary of my dad’s death, so between that and a lot of pressure from my family he is named after my dad.
The thing is I never liked my dad or his name. His name is [name_m]John[/name_m] [name_u]Zephyr[/name_u], but we’ve called him [name_u]Teddy[/name_u] since he was a few days old, and exclusivley for the past three years. I don’t think he actually knows his name is [name_m]John[/name_m]. Everytime I hear someone call him [name_m]John[/name_m] it makes me want to cry, because all I think about is my dad and not my little boy.
He starts school next [name_f]September[/name_f], and we are moving fairly far away in [name_u]July[/name_u] so I feel like I want him to have his new name before that, and it takes several months to process so we need to decide sooner rather than later.
We’re going to name him something [name_u]Teddy[/name_u] could be a legitimate nickname for. Our options so far are;
[name_m]Theodore[/name_m] (most obvious, don’t love it but still 1000x better than [name_m]John[/name_m])
[name_m]Edward[/name_m] (second most obvious, sounds better with [name_u]Zephyr[/name_u], still don’t love it)
[name_m]Edmund[/name_m] (A lot less obvious, sounds okay with [name_u]Zephyr[/name_u], we love it)
[name_m]Edwin[/name_m] (same as [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] really, its my favourite name)
We haven’t decided whether or not to drop [name_m]John[/name_m] completely, but I think we might. Any and all suggestions will be great. He has a little sister named [name_f]Iris[/name_f] [name_f]Isobel[/name_f] [name_f]Xanthe[/name_f].
I like all the options you’ve listed, but it looks like you’re leaning towards [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] or [name_m]Edwin[/name_m]. They are both great names and go well with sister [name_f]Iris[/name_f]. If you want to keep the two middles theme, you could keep [name_m]John[/name_m] as one of his middle names along with [name_u]Zephyr[/name_u].
I don’t think [name_m]Edwin[/name_m] or [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] are necessarily more of a stretch to the nn [name_u]Teddy[/name_u] than [name_m]Edward[/name_m] is - it’s just that the names themselves are more uncommon. Go with what you love, I think [name_m]Edwin[/name_m] and [name_f]Iris[/name_f] or [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] and [name_f]Iris[/name_f] make a great pair, and both work really well with [name_u]Zephyr[/name_u]. If you think it would be a big deal, you can always make [name_m]John[/name_m] a second middle name as has already been suggested, but I don’t think you should feel obliged to even if your family might make a fuss. I think [name_m]Edwin[/name_m] [name_u]Zephyr[/name_u] is my favourite, [name_m]Edwin[/name_m] and [name_f]Iris[/name_f] just sound so wonderful together.
I’d vote for yes, if you’re seeking feedback on changing it. If you have that negative of a reaction/association with [name_m]John[/name_m], and he goes by [name_u]Teddy[/name_u] anyway, go for it. I think [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] and [name_f]Iris[/name_f] sound perfect together!
What about [name_m]Edwin[/name_m] [name_m]Ian[/name_m] [name_u]Zephyr[/name_u]? That combo matches your daughter’s name really well; it has the cute nn [name_u]Teddy[/name_u]; and [name_m]Ian[/name_m] is a form of [name_m]John[/name_m], so it’s like a compromise between keeping it and nixing it…it makes the name uniquely your son’s own while still paying a subtle homage to your dad as your son’s first namesake. Good luck!
Go with [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] or [name_m]Edwin[/name_m] if they’re the ones you love! [name_u]Teddy[/name_u] is completely legit for either and both sound great with [name_f]Iris[/name_f].
I think [name_m]Edwin[/name_m] [name_m]John[/name_m] [name_u]Zephyr[/name_u] sounds pretty amazing, I love the name [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] but I think [name_m]Edwin[/name_m] sounds like the one for you
I agree that [name_u]Teddy[/name_u] for [name_m]Edwin[/name_m] or [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] is no more of a stretch than [name_m]Edward[/name_m].
This seems like a no-brainer to me. Go with either [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] or [name_m]Edwin[/name_m]. You love them, and both are totally legitimate origins for the nickname [name_u]Teddy[/name_u].
What about Ted? It’s obvious yes but Ted [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] [name_u]Zephyr[/name_u] would sound lovely and he could still have [name_u]Teddy[/name_u].
[name_m]Edwin[/name_m] [name_u]Zephyr[/name_u] [name_m]Jon[/name_m] would go great with little sisters name! Sounds so spunky. Also, I think dropping the H from [name_m]John[/name_m] makes it newer/trendier.
Love Edwin Zephyr, its my favourite off your list and nn Teddy works sell with it. If you’re unsure about keeping John but don’t want to upset the family maybe you could switch to a John-diminuitive like Jack? Or a variation a la Ian, Ivan, Bevan, Evan or Sean? Edwin Jack Zephyr or Edwin Zephyr Sean is nice I think
I love [name_m]Edmund[/name_m], so that’s what I’d choose, but it sounds like [name_m]Edwin[/name_m] is the name for you. [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] and [name_m]Edward[/name_m] are nice names, but it would be a shame to exchange one compromise name for another.
[name_m]Edwin[/name_m] and [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] work just as well as [name_m]Edward[/name_m] for long forms of Ted. You might get a few people assuming he’s a [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] or an [name_m]Edward[/name_m], because those names are much more popular, but I don’t think it will be a problem.
I think all of your options work well with [name_u]Zephyr[/name_u] as a middle (with or without [name_m]John[/name_m] as a second middle), so Isay choose the name you (and his other parent, if relevant) love best. I think [name_f]Iris[/name_f] [name_f]Xanthe[/name_f] and [name_m]Edwin[/name_m] [name_u]Zephyr[/name_u] (or [name_f]Iris[/name_f] [name_f]Xanthe[/name_f] and [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] [name_u]Zephyr[/name_u]) make a lovely pair.
If you want advice on how to introduce him to his new name and/or how to manage the issue of your family’s feelings about the change, I’m sure plenty of Berries will be happy to offer suggestions.
If [name_m]Edwin[/name_m] is your favorite name then that is the name you should use. I would suggest [name_m]Edwin[/name_m] [name_m]John[/name_m] [name_u]Zephyr[/name_u] or [name_m]Edwin[/name_m] [name_u]Zephyr[/name_u] [name_m]John[/name_m].
My personal favourite from your list is [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] - he’s my top name! - but since you don’t seem to love him, I’d go with [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] or [name_m]Edwin[/name_m], though I personally prefer the former. Also, like @maerad said, [name_m]Edmund[/name_m]/[name_m]Edwin[/name_m] nn [name_u]Teddy[/name_u] isn’t much more of a stretch than [name_m]Edward[/name_m] nn [name_u]Teddy[/name_u].
Go with your favorite name. You already regret the name you gave him at birth, you don’t want to regret this name too. [name_u]Teddy[/name_u] is only a better known nickname for [name_m]Edward[/name_m] because [name_m]Edward[/name_m] is a better known name. It works just as much with [name_m]Edwin[/name_m]. Which I love, by the way.
I think that if you both [name_u]LOVE[/name_u] [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] than that’s the one, I personally think [name_u]Teddy[/name_u] as a nickname for [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] isn’t much of a stretch at all. Also, [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] and [name_f]Iris[/name_f] are absolutely stunning together for siblings, all the heart eyes!
An idea: Perhaps you could keep [name_m]John[/name_m] as a middle name instead so that he’ll have two like his sister. [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] [name_u]Zephyr[/name_u] [name_m]John[/name_m] sounds very nice.
My second choice of name would be [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] but I think it’s most important that you and your husband agree on and both love a name, otherwise changing your son’s name will turn out to not have been all that worth it.
I would personally pick [name_m]Edwin[/name_m]. But that name has caught my eye for years, so I’m a lil biased, hehe.
If you are leading towards one, I’d say that’s a good sign that it’s meant to be
Choose the name you truly love. It would be a shame to change a compromise name for another compromise name, so even if you think [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] and [name_m]Edward[/name_m] are more “obvious” names for the nickname [name_u]Teddy[/name_u], if you don’t love them, don’t use them. I’ve met tons of people with nicknames that have no relation at all with their name, and they rocked them. I would use [name_m]Edwin[/name_m], because you seem to really love it, and nickname [name_u]Teddy[/name_u] is not too much of a stretch. Good luck!
