Okay, thanks to those who have helped me through our short listing! I have a hopefully fun request:
At long last we have a final choice - we just want to field test it a little bit on people who aren’t family and friends, because we’re relatively sure this is going to get some eyebrows from them but they will all grow to love the baby. Our last name is
Name: [name]Drago[/name] [name]Donal[/name] H.
It has won because it fits our goals on several fronts. It’s unusual but easy to say, understand and spell. My maiden name had O and a hard G sound in it so it is reminiscent of those sounds. My father’s name is [name]Doug[/name] and the D–g is a bit of a nod to that. And my husband especially wanted harder sounds for a masculine, strong sounding name. I do see how there could be a sort of Dungeons and Dragons image brought to mind for this name, but it’s not overwhelming to me and I could also see it coming off solid and almost preppy, like [name]Drake[/name].
Question: What do people think? Does a certain type of person come to mind strongly when you read this? Describe who you’d expect to meet if you ran into a [name]Drago[/name] [name]Donal[/name] one day…
[name]Drago[/name] [name]Donal[/name] Hendren is certainly an interesting choice. I’m not sure I like [name]Drago[/name] to be honest; I love the thought behind it though. It sounds like you’re saying [name]Draco[/name] with food in your mouth. Another thing that stood out to me was that people might pronounce it “drag-oh” which could bring about potential “drag queen” or “you’re such a drag” or “Drag the Fag” teasing. I could be over thinking it but I’m sure some crude thirteen-year-old could think of it too. I wouldn’t know what to expect if I met a [name]Drago[/name]. It sounds so sci-fi/fantasy that I’d probably assume it was his World of Warcraft name and not his actual name.
I do love [name]Donal[/name] though. Would you consider swapping the two names and doing [name]Donal[/name] [name]Drago[/name]?
Honestly, if I ran into a [name]Drago[/name] [name]Donal[/name], I would feel sorry for him. I immediately think of [name]Draco[/name] Malfoy from [name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name], which is not a good association considering the character is essentially evil. [name]Drago[/name] sounds foolish and evil to me, and I have no clue how to say it.
I agree with the other posters. It is quite odd and not in an appealing way. I immediately think of [name]Draco[/name] Malfoy from [name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name] + Slur it together to make O’[name]Donnell[/name] + and kind of gag when trying to separate the two D names. Basically it sounds like you all were trying really really hard to fit a lot of criteria and came up with something very strange that isn’t a real name at all! I would change my name the second I reached 18.
I immediately thought of [name]Draco[/name] Malfoy, even though it’s not the same name. Then I thought of [name]Ivan[/name] [name]Drago[/name], [name]Rocky[/name]'s opponent in [name]Rocky[/name] IV. I recall a past post when you had [name]Drago[/name] as a middle name and I thought it was fun/quirky. Putting it in the front seems like a harsh sentence for a little boy. As an adult, I just don’t know how it will come across. It strikes me as very Cold War/[name]East[/name] European. I think I would be hesitant to do business with a [name]Drago[/name]. He sounds like a cold-hearted kind of guy.
I think dragons, [name]Draco[/name], and Khal Drogo (Game of Thrones) in that order. I think of someone with black hair. It feels like a dark fantasy name to me.
Other then feeling sorry for the poor kid who gets the name [name]Drago[/name] my first thought was “You think te name [name]Drake[/name] is preppy?!” I find [name]Drake[/name], much better then [name]Drago[/name], but dark and the exact opposite of preppy. Look up [name]Aubrey[/name] [name]Drake[/name] [name]Graham[/name], AKA Drizzy [name]Drake[/name] the rapper, I doubt you will find the name [name]Drake[/name] preppy after listening to his music…
And I really don’t mind [name]Draco[/name]. I love [name]Draco[/name] Malfoy even if he is evil! I say go [name]Draco[/name] or [name]Drake[/name], those are much better then [name]Drago[/name].
… I still can’t believe someone would think the name [name]Drake[/name] is preppy, it seems so sinister…
Preppy or sinister? Actually [name]Drake[/name] is a male duck. I don’t think preppy or sinister. [name]Just[/name] duck. You could name one [name]Drake[/name] and the other son [name]Hunter[/name].
It’s a nice story how you got to [name]Drago[/name] but it’s a no for me. What a drag…oh.
I have made sure not to read the other comments before I posted my impression, because I dont want their thoughts to mix up mine so straight away I thought the word was going to be dragon. When I finished the whole name it made me think of that blonde draco character from the harry potter movies.
Overall I have to say that if you like it go for it, but both drago and dunel sound like incomplete names to me.
Okay this is super helpful actually - it’s hard to imagine what the world at large is going to think when you and your husband are just putting names together. Thanks for everyone’s honest opinions!
We have no idea what we’re going to do - my favorite is [name]River[/name] and 0% of men like that for a boy’s name, but maybe 15% of women do. [name]Cyrus[/name] is lovely but the husband’s ex (and stepson’s mom’s) name is [name]Iris[/name] and I’m not entirely sure I can handle saying her name essentially every time I say my child’s name. I like [name]Oslo[/name] but we don’t have any ties to Norway which seems weird, and I’m not sure about the pretty much guaranteed nickname [name]Oz[/name]. [name]Dante[/name] is great, but in a pp someone said it was ghetto and I can’t shake that now…
Alright, ideas anyone?
Previous names I’ve loved but as of now we aren’t using are:
[name]Sawyer[/name] (everyone seems to think of Lost and it’s getting very popular)
[name]Otis[/name] (want to loove it but just doesn’t feel like my kid)
Faraday (for the scientist but everyone thinks of Lost)
Townes (love it but a friend said he would get teased with “townes syndrome” which is too mean, and also Townes [name]Van[/name] Zandt was a bipolar alcoholic)
[name]Foster[/name] (a surname from my family, but maybe too Pottery [name]Barn[/name]?)
[name]Nels[/name] (my grandfather’s name, but would maybe hurt my dad’s feelings?)
First, I agree with most of the previously stated thoughts on [name]Drago[/name]. Great story, but it leaves me very cold. But, I can see how drake could be peppy, as I associate it with [name]Drake[/name] University in Iowa. But anyway.
As for the other names you listed,
I like [name]Foster[/name]. It doesn’t strike me as too “Pottery [name]Barn[/name]”. it’s more “tough Australian” to me.
[name]Nels[/name] - This is great! Different but easy to spell and say. Why would honoring your grandfather offend your dad? Mine would be thrilled I honored a grandparent.
Other ideas…
[name]Fletcher[/name]
[name]Mac[/name]/k
[name]Rocco[/name]
[name]Sawyer[/name] - I like this and I don’t think it’s popular.
Townes - This is cool and different & feels like an old surname to me. I really like it and don’t have any of the negative associations you mentioned. He could use the nn [name]Owen[/name] if he felt like it.
[name]Foster[/name] - Very cool, not [name]Potter[/name] [name]Barn[/name]. I think of the beer but that’s overshadowed by the family tie. I love this
[name]Nels[/name] - I think [name]Nels[/name] is great! Different but not weird. I think loving the name in the long run is important to you. [name]Don[/name]'t worry as much about other people’s feelings because your opinion will be the one that matters most to your son.
I like all of these better than [name]Drago[/name]. I think [name]Drago[/name] has a cool story but should maybe be in the middle spot.
I’m going to second (or third) other who said [name]Drake[/name] isn’t preppy. If anything, I think it has a hard edge to it.
Here are my thoughts on the other names:
[name]Sawyer[/name] - It’s definitely seen a jump in popularity and has an association with ‘Lost’ for many people.
[name]Otis[/name] - I like it, though it makes me think of animal, not a person.
Faraday - Really like, though maybe it has a feminine vibe from the the long vowel sound ending?
Townes - I love this! And I think sometimes we give kids too much credit for the kind of nicknames they’ll come up. (A friend had someone try to talk her out of [name]Megan[/name] because he said that kids would call her [name]Megan[/name] the Maggot. Yeah - in 30 years that never happened once.) MAYBE they would come up with Townes Syndrome, but somehow I doubt it. Oh, and I’ve never in my life heard of Townes [name]Van[/name] Zandt.
[name]Foster[/name] - Like it. [name]Don[/name]'t love it. It has the same vibe to me as [name]Sawyer[/name], so if you like [name]Sawyer[/name] but were worried about trendiness, I think this name would totally be the way to go.
[name]Nels[/name] - I really like this one! But I don’t understand how your dad would be offended. You can’t name your son after every single male family member. You could always go [name]Nels[/name] [name]Douglas[/name] [name]Drago[/name].
[name]How[/name] about [name]Olin[/name] or [name]Otto[/name]? They remind me of both [name]Oslo[/name] and [name]Drago[/name], but are maybe a bit more accessible.
[name]Don[/name]'t worry as much about other people’s feelings because your opinion will be the one that matters most to your son.