What About Wylie?

Ok, so my husband and I really like the name [name]Wylie[/name]/[name]Wiley[/name]. Is this name too weird, too cartoonish? We have a really close relative who named her son [name]Wyatt[/name], is [name]Wylie[/name] to close? Which spelling to you prefer? We also like [name]William[/name], but I know so many [name]Williams[/name], I don’t know if I want to use it. We also like the name Wakefield, which I guess isn’t really a name, but we like it anyway. But our families don’t like the name Wakefield. So, I guess I am wondering about your feelings and opinions on these names. What type of little boy, teenager, and man do you see with these names? Thanks so much for your help, I know this is alot of questions, but I just want some input from non-family memebers. Haha!

Hmm. I can see the charm of [name]Wylie[/name]. It sounds debonaire and cowboyish at the same time. But I’d have a ton of reservations personally about using it. It makes me think of [name]Wiley[/name] Post, the pilot (who died in a plane crash, though, so to me that’s a sad association). I think an issue with this is that it sounds like the word “wily” a la “wily coyote” - it seems it’s like naming the child trouble, kind of. I also wonder if people would think he was saying [name]Riley[/name] with a mispronounced R, since [name]Riley[/name] is so popular.

If all that doesn’t bother you, then it’s certainly worth considering. I don’t think it’s too close to [name]Wyatt[/name] if you and the relative are on board to be friendly with each other about it and explain it to the children if questions ever come up. I have cousins with my exact name (not that close, but…still) and it really didn’t matter, but we did have a day or two each where we peppered our moms with questions.

[name]William[/name] is a classic and I think it’s OK to use it even if you know a ton : D.

Wakefield is interesting but it seems challenging…wasn’t that the name of an apocalyptic movie recently?

What about these names:
[name]Walter[/name]
[name]Warren[/name]
[name]Weston[/name] (a friend used this recently and gets lots of positive feedback - plus it goes with the Western thing I think you have going on)
[name]Wilton[/name]
[name]Wesley[/name]
[name]West[/name]
[name]Wells[/name]

Good luck!

I like the way you described [name]Wylie[/name]. I get a cowboyish feeling too. I don’t know about the person you mentioned and none of the other things you said bother me either. I’m still considering [name]William[/name], I am just really unsure about it. Wakefield was a guilty pleasure for me, so I was thrilled when my husband said that he liked it too, and he seems to like it just as much as me. The other ‘W’ names aren’t names that I like. I think mt husband and I have been through all the ‘W’ names. If we have a little boy I want his name to start with ‘W’ because both of my girls start with ‘K’ like my husband and my name is [name]Whitney[/name], so I want to pass it on. I liek the name [name]Whit[/name] for a boy, but I feel its way too close to my name. Thanks for your input.

I get the cowbooyish feeling from [name]Wylie[/name] too, but I think a lot of Wily Coyote. That would bother me, but those cartoons are probably old enough now that other kids might not know it. Other than that, I think [name]Wylie[/name] is a fine name!

If you like Wakefield go for it. You could also just go with Wake. Or Wakefield nn Wake. I grew up near a family with 4 boys named(in this order) [name]Sky[/name], [name]Leaf[/name], Dapple, [name]Lake[/name]…With all the other unusual names and made up names and so on that are getting popular now then Wakefield shouldn’t be an issue at all. I actually don’t mind Wakefield.

To sum it up:

[name]Wylie[/name] is nice and western and
if people can name their kids [name]Branch[/name] and [name]Leaf[/name] then Wakefield is perfectly fine!

Passing on the initials is sweet! Yes, I agree [name]Wiley[/name] Coyote isn’t as fresh in people’s mind as it used to be. [name]Wiley[/name] Post is probably more well known in the midwest than elsewhere - but sure he wasn’t super famous and he’s been gone a long time.

Wakefield esp nn Wake is charming - I think Wake feels much more down to earth than Wakefield so that’s good. I just see a little teasing potential like wake up jokes, but that is still mild as things go.

If you want more info I think it might be good to have your husband go give these names the Starbucks test : D.

All best!

Thanks for your replies. I’m glad to see that other people like Wakefield, and yes, Wake would be the nickname we used. [name]Both[/name] of our families have given us negative feedback on Wakefield though. The Wily Coyote association doesn’t bother me, because its an older cartoon. To give you a better idea of our community, we live in the south, so the coyboy association is a good thing. I would want my son’s name to bring to mind a coyboy image.

Go with Wakefield! Wakefield and Wake will age much better than [name]Wylie[/name], [name]IMO[/name].

I like [name]Wylie[/name]. There is a professional bull rider named [name]Wiley[/name] [name]Petersen[/name] and there is a cowboy artist named [name]Paul[/name] [name]Wylie[/name]. Either spelling would work.

I would be more concerned with Wake as a name because of the funeral connotation that Wake has. But [name]Wylie[/name] Wakefield ____ might sound good.

I like [name]Wylie[/name]. I like Wake too but think it’s a bit funereal – how would you feel about [name]Field[/name] as a nn? I also like [name]Wade[/name] which combines that cowboy and the Wake. Also, how about [name]Walker[/name]? Of course [name]William[/name] is a classic but it’s been such a fashionable one for 30 years now, thanks to the [name]Prince[/name], that there are an awful lot of [name]Wills[/name] around. And I think [name]Wylie[/name] is better than [name]Wiley[/name] because it clarifies the pronunciation of the name – some would guess [name]Wiley[/name] is [name]Willie[/name].

Would it be totally weird to use [name]William[/name] as the name and [name]Wylie[/name] as the nn? [name]William[/name] would give him a more formal name to us when he’s older, and [name]Wylie[/name] would set him apart from all the other [name]Williams[/name] growing up. But hey I have a friend who put [name]Henry[/name] on her kid’s birth certificate and announced that his name is Sparky. She’s sort of shattered my concept of the rules of nicknames, so you’ll probably want to get some other opinions on this idea…

I also think Wake is too funeral, but [name]Wylie[/name] Wakefield is a good suggestion.

My husband’s name is [name]Wylie[/name] and I think its a great name. It suits him. His middle name is [name]Elton[/name], so he’s [name]Wylie[/name] E…like the coyote. My Wylie is very patient, smart, and kind. He loves to have a good time - loves sports and spending time outdoors. He was a little wild as a teenager, but he’s always been a sweet guy! The name doesn’t bring “cowboy” to mind, because my husband is soooo not a cowboy. I would love to see more little guys named Wylie in the world! Good luck to you!

I’m so intrigued by Wakefield! I came across the name Waker just the other day and I really like it. The wake=funeral connection scares me, but then again maybe it is counter-acted by the connection to “awake” and “wakefulness”, which gives me an image of alertness and even enlightenment. Anyways, [name]Wiley[/name] Wakefield is a great combo! I don’t mind [name]Wiley[/name], but it is a little bit “wily” - sly, tricky… Then again, paired with a conservative sounding name like Wakefield (or with the right last name), that image is offset for me. Great names, both.

[name]Happy[/name] naming!

We named our son [name_u]Wylie[/name_u]! [name_f]Love[/name_f] it! We chose the [name_u]Wylie[/name_u] over [name_m]Wiley[/name_m] by definition. [name_u]Wylie[/name_u] is clever and charming while [name_m]Wiley[/name_m] is mischievious (sp?) and cunning. The only regrettable part is that I find myself saying “No not [name_u]RILEY[/name_u], [name_u]Wylie[/name_u]!” a million times. To me it evokes an old school fisherman or farmer…hardworking, everyman with a little twinkle in his eyes. Best choice we made for our son so far!

I think [name_m]Wiley[/name_m] is a cool name. It’s definitely very cowboy/Western. I would avoid the [name_u]Wylie[/name_u] spelling because it looks very tryndie.