Name This Baby
August 1, 2010 6:25 AM Subscribe
We're having (another) boy. We have no boy names we like. Help.
My husband and I are expecting our second son on Christmas day. I had the inkling it was a girl all along, and it also just happened that every name I saw that I liked was a girl named. I was wrong (but I really am thrilled we're having another boy because ours is so awesome).
Neither of us have come up with a name. I know we have a lot of time, but my husband is really, really picky. Our 18 month old is named Nathan, which was the only name he liked and I happened to like it too. Every name I throw out, he doesn't like. He's said "maybe" to Drew and Jacob and Christopher. But dammit, Jacob's now super popular because of Twilight.
We want something Nathan-ish. Popular but not ubertrendy, unnassuming, and classic-ish. Nothing like Aiden or Grayson or Wyatt, no offense but that's way, way not my style. But on the flip side, I also want to shy away from TOO classic names that sound like he's got a dad or grandfather with the same name, like Robert or Richard or Charles. His dad is named Michael, or that would've been my choice (but having a JR would be too confusing).
He's said no to Ryan, Sam, Alex, Andrew, Jackson, Jameson (but c'mon it's WHISKEY and you LOVE WHISKEY), and a slew of other names.
Bonus points if there's a decent hockey player with the same name. That's the only way I can get him to even consider a name. We're Irish/Italian, with the last name Rogers.
Help.
My husband and I are expecting our second son on Christmas day. I had the inkling it was a girl all along, and it also just happened that every name I saw that I liked was a girl named. I was wrong (but I really am thrilled we're having another boy because ours is so awesome).
Neither of us have come up with a name. I know we have a lot of time, but my husband is really, really picky. Our 18 month old is named Nathan, which was the only name he liked and I happened to like it too. Every name I throw out, he doesn't like. He's said "maybe" to Drew and Jacob and Christopher. But dammit, Jacob's now super popular because of Twilight.
We want something Nathan-ish. Popular but not ubertrendy, unnassuming, and classic-ish. Nothing like Aiden or Grayson or Wyatt, no offense but that's way, way not my style. But on the flip side, I also want to shy away from TOO classic names that sound like he's got a dad or grandfather with the same name, like Robert or Richard or Charles. His dad is named Michael, or that would've been my choice (but having a JR would be too confusing).
He's said no to Ryan, Sam, Alex, Andrew, Jackson, Jameson (but c'mon it's WHISKEY and you LOVE WHISKEY), and a slew of other names.
Bonus points if there's a decent hockey player with the same name. That's the only way I can get him to even consider a name. We're Irish/Italian, with the last name Rogers.
Help.
Matthew.
posted by mdonley at 6:31 AM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by mdonley at 6:31 AM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
Marcus!
posted by WinnipegDragon at 6:35 AM on August 1, 2010
posted by WinnipegDragon at 6:35 AM on August 1, 2010
My friend with a son named Nathan had another boy and named him Noah.
I like Jason. On the classic end of the spectrum without being old fashioned.
posted by wwartorff at 6:38 AM on August 1, 2010
I like Jason. On the classic end of the spectrum without being old fashioned.
posted by wwartorff at 6:38 AM on August 1, 2010
Theodore and Matthew both mean "Gift of God" which are great names for a Christmas baby!
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:42 AM on August 1, 2010
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:42 AM on August 1, 2010
Frederick
John
James
Matthew
Mark
Luke
Phillip
Thomas
Simon
posted by buka at 6:44 AM on August 1, 2010
John
James
Matthew
Mark
Luke
Phillip
Thomas
Simon
posted by buka at 6:44 AM on August 1, 2010
Hockey players, eh?
Dominick
Peter
Frank
Stephan
Graham
Bryce
Warren
Froggy ( just kidding)
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 6:53 AM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
Dominick
Peter
Frank
Stephan
Graham
Bryce
Warren
Froggy ( just kidding)
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 6:53 AM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Seth
Joel
Caleb
Silas (maybe a little too odd, but I've always liked it)
For me, the problem was picking a name that would be easy for my son to say, write and spell, and not one that would get a lot of "what the heck kind of name is that" attention. It was important to me that it couldn't be diminished into a nickname easily either. Then throw in the usual need not to pick a name that would mean he was one of three or four in his kindergarten class, as well as wanting it to have some significance and meaning - without naming him "after" anyone specifically. It's a tricky thing. We ended up finding a great name we both loved in the name of the county where my husband and I were married that filled all those requirements; maybe you should look at things like that?
posted by lemniskate at 6:57 AM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
Joel
Caleb
Silas (maybe a little too odd, but I've always liked it)
For me, the problem was picking a name that would be easy for my son to say, write and spell, and not one that would get a lot of "what the heck kind of name is that" attention. It was important to me that it couldn't be diminished into a nickname easily either. Then throw in the usual need not to pick a name that would mean he was one of three or four in his kindergarten class, as well as wanting it to have some significance and meaning - without naming him "after" anyone specifically. It's a tricky thing. We ended up finding a great name we both loved in the name of the county where my husband and I were married that filled all those requirements; maybe you should look at things like that?
posted by lemniskate at 6:57 AM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
Douglas? Gordon? (Loads of Doug[las]es and Gordons in the NHL...)
posted by kmennie at 7:02 AM on August 1, 2010
posted by kmennie at 7:02 AM on August 1, 2010
Phillip and Christian have a classic, French-ish vibe to them, which is what I think of when I think "hockey" names.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 7:05 AM on August 1, 2010
posted by SuperSquirrel at 7:05 AM on August 1, 2010
(FYI, Jacob's been popular for several years, before Twilight hit it big. Can't say the same for the rising popularity of "Cullen"...)
James
Jamie
Jordan
Morgan - frequently a girl's name; then again, Jordan can be, too
Kyle
Brendan
Zachary, Zack
Westley, Wesley (but I prefer the "t" - not sure why)
Paul
Scott
William (maybe it's too grandpa-ish, but I love the name "Will")
Good luck!
posted by pecanpies at 7:10 AM on August 1, 2010
James
Jamie
Jordan
Morgan - frequently a girl's name; then again, Jordan can be, too
Kyle
Brendan
Zachary, Zack
Westley, Wesley (but I prefer the "t" - not sure why)
Paul
Scott
William (maybe it's too grandpa-ish, but I love the name "Will")
Good luck!
posted by pecanpies at 7:10 AM on August 1, 2010
I have loved the name Sean since I was a kid. For easy spelling, you could pick the alternate spelling Shawn or Shaun. I think It sounds nice, and I was going to suggest it even before I saw your heritage.
Or how about Fred! As an homage to the late great Fred Rogers.
posted by Night_owl at 7:15 AM on August 1, 2010
Or how about Fred! As an homage to the late great Fred Rogers.
posted by Night_owl at 7:15 AM on August 1, 2010
Jerome (or Jarome, if you want to make the hockey connection obvious.)
posted by Johnny Assay at 7:16 AM on August 1, 2010
posted by Johnny Assay at 7:16 AM on August 1, 2010
OK, scratch my recommendation for William. Just realized Will Rogers is probably not a good idea, unless you're into that sort of homage, which I don't think is the case.
posted by pecanpies at 7:17 AM on August 1, 2010
posted by pecanpies at 7:17 AM on August 1, 2010
I used to babysit for a Nathan. He has two brothers: Cole and Jack.
posted by phunniemee at 7:17 AM on August 1, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by phunniemee at 7:17 AM on August 1, 2010 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: I like Matthew! I know about 8 Matthews and only one of them is sort of a jerk (not you mkb). The rest are sweet guys.
Philip's out because Phil Kessel's a moneygrubbing jerk. Christian is one I really like but husband thinks it has a little too much religious connotation for his liking, which I totally disagree on.
A few are out because we know total jerks with the same name, or have been names of dudes I slept with and well, that'd just be really weird. If I'd only stuck to sleeping with people named Ebeneezer prior to my marriage, I'd have a few more good names. Shucks.
These are all really good suggestions! And most are totally right in line with the kind of name we want. Husband suggested Kelly after Kelly Hrudy, which I like - but the whole "haha, you have a GIRLS NAME" thing that would happen in elementary/middle/the rest of his life is a turnoff.
posted by kpht at 7:20 AM on August 1, 2010
Philip's out because Phil Kessel's a moneygrubbing jerk. Christian is one I really like but husband thinks it has a little too much religious connotation for his liking, which I totally disagree on.
A few are out because we know total jerks with the same name, or have been names of dudes I slept with and well, that'd just be really weird. If I'd only stuck to sleeping with people named Ebeneezer prior to my marriage, I'd have a few more good names. Shucks.
These are all really good suggestions! And most are totally right in line with the kind of name we want. Husband suggested Kelly after Kelly Hrudy, which I like - but the whole "haha, you have a GIRLS NAME" thing that would happen in elementary/middle/the rest of his life is a turnoff.
posted by kpht at 7:20 AM on August 1, 2010
Response by poster: pecanpies: my poor husband got that all the time and his name's not even Will, it's Mike. He gets the douchechills to this day just even hearing "Will Rogers".
posted by kpht at 7:21 AM on August 1, 2010
posted by kpht at 7:21 AM on August 1, 2010
When I think of baby names, I think, how would it sound with the title "President" or "Supreme Court Justice" before it? :) I don't know from hockey, but boy names I like are:
Nathaniel. (Nathan, with spice.)
Joshua
Henry
Isaac
Daniel
Peter
Aaron
Calvin
Caleb
Paul
James
Jeremy
posted by thinkingwoman at 7:22 AM on August 1, 2010
Nathaniel. (Nathan, with spice.)
Joshua
Henry
Isaac
Daniel
Peter
Aaron
Calvin
Caleb
Paul
James
Jeremy
posted by thinkingwoman at 7:22 AM on August 1, 2010
Nymbler is a website where you can type in names you like and similar names pop up. It is excellent.
posted by k8t at 7:23 AM on August 1, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by k8t at 7:23 AM on August 1, 2010 [4 favorites]
Jacob has actually been popular for a long time as mentioned again - in Freaknomics it's listed as one of the "whitest white names" in their California data. But yeah I'd stay away from Jacob and Edward.
I would discourage another "N" name - especially when you have two boys, it will make it easier for people to mix them up.
I like Eyebrows McGee's idea of Theodore if he is actually born on Christmas, that's very cute. Also it's sortof a classic name with cute nicknames - Theo or Ted or Teddy. Actually it would probably be at the top of my list of boy names except it's my Grandpa's name and I am not into naming kids after close relatives.
Stay away from anything that ends in "r" cuz it's hard to say with your last name.
posted by radioamy at 7:27 AM on August 1, 2010
I would discourage another "N" name - especially when you have two boys, it will make it easier for people to mix them up.
I like Eyebrows McGee's idea of Theodore if he is actually born on Christmas, that's very cute. Also it's sortof a classic name with cute nicknames - Theo or Ted or Teddy. Actually it would probably be at the top of my list of boy names except it's my Grandpa's name and I am not into naming kids after close relatives.
Stay away from anything that ends in "r" cuz it's hard to say with your last name.
posted by radioamy at 7:27 AM on August 1, 2010
Ian! I've got an 11 year old Ian and he's the only one in town. His sisters Emily and Olivia are not as lucky.
posted by dzaz at 7:31 AM on August 1, 2010
posted by dzaz at 7:31 AM on August 1, 2010
Best answer: oh, hurr; I missed the last name Rogers. I withdraw Carter; it's not very euphonic. I'm throwing my vote to Zachary, unless it's overused. The somewhat more exotic nature of it works very well with the more plain last name (as does Nathan), and the three syllables with a two-syllable last name is nice. My imaginary impossible children could never have a first name beginning with Z because our last names begins with Z, which is a shame, because I really love Zoe for our imaginary impossible girl, and Zachary for our imaginary impossible boy.
posted by taz at 7:32 AM on August 1, 2010
posted by taz at 7:32 AM on August 1, 2010
***sorry, I just saw you're in Gloucester, MA, which makes Ian especially cool because with the NE accent, almost everyone pronounces Ian "Anne," which I find hilarious.
posted by dzaz at 7:33 AM on August 1, 2010
posted by dzaz at 7:33 AM on August 1, 2010
Response by poster: MikeWarot: Sean's out because of "jerk or guy I dated" connotations. I won't say which, but it's right out. Which sucks, because I like it.
posted by kpht at 7:34 AM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by kpht at 7:34 AM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
Zachary, Sean, Simon, and Stephen are all good choices.
posted by punchdrunkhistory at 7:34 AM on August 1, 2010
posted by punchdrunkhistory at 7:34 AM on August 1, 2010
If I'd only stuck to sleeping with people named Ebeneezer prior to my marriage, I'd have a few more good names. Shucks.
Funny you say that, because when I saw this on the front page the first name that came to mind was Eben. Which, btw, is not a nickname for Ebenezer, though they are related names.
posted by Sara C. at 7:41 AM on August 1, 2010
Funny you say that, because when I saw this on the front page the first name that came to mind was Eben. Which, btw, is not a nickname for Ebenezer, though they are related names.
posted by Sara C. at 7:41 AM on August 1, 2010
Response by poster: Sara C: I really, really like Evan, but husband doesn't share my love, so Eben's out too.
Also Joshua's out, he has a cousin with that name and our family has a rocky/nonexistant relationship with his parents (Scott's out too, same issue). Sucks, because prior to meeting my husband Joshua was at the top of my list!
posted by kpht at 7:56 AM on August 1, 2010
Also Joshua's out, he has a cousin with that name and our family has a rocky/nonexistant relationship with his parents (Scott's out too, same issue). Sucks, because prior to meeting my husband Joshua was at the top of my list!
posted by kpht at 7:56 AM on August 1, 2010
Arthur
posted by amtho at 7:59 AM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by amtho at 7:59 AM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
I always think John-Paul is a good strong masculine name, has good nickname/football pitch potential ("JP") and it's definitely fallen out of favour since the last pope was a rock star in the 70s. John-Paul Rogers is nice.
posted by jamesonandwater at 8:06 AM on August 1, 2010
posted by jamesonandwater at 8:06 AM on August 1, 2010
If you're up for something clever, I'm a big fan of names that hide a famous person's name inside them: George Washington Carver, Andrew Jackson Smith ... maybe doing this with the name of a favorite hockey player, statesman, or other hero would be fun?
posted by msittig at 8:13 AM on August 1, 2010
posted by msittig at 8:13 AM on August 1, 2010
Jonathan
Jeremy
Gregory
Thomas
Daniel
It's going to be hard to find a classic name that you don't already know someone by. If a name is common enough, hopefully you have connotations with the name that are both good and bad and can cancel each other out.
posted by elpea at 8:19 AM on August 1, 2010
Jeremy
Gregory
Thomas
Daniel
It's going to be hard to find a classic name that you don't already know someone by. If a name is common enough, hopefully you have connotations with the name that are both good and bad and can cancel each other out.
posted by elpea at 8:19 AM on August 1, 2010
Dennis (or Dennes)
posted by ryanshepard at 8:23 AM on August 1, 2010
posted by ryanshepard at 8:23 AM on August 1, 2010
OK, 3 more and then I promise not to post anymore (well, I promise to try):
Ethan
Owen
Bruce (Most people turn up their nose, but it's an awesome name and it needs to make a comeback.)
Also, I love Kelly for a boy, but I'm in the South and much more likely to get away with it.
posted by pecanpies at 8:25 AM on August 1, 2010
Ethan
Owen
Bruce (Most people turn up their nose, but it's an awesome name and it needs to make a comeback.)
Also, I love Kelly for a boy, but I'm in the South and much more likely to get away with it.
posted by pecanpies at 8:25 AM on August 1, 2010
Sara C: I really, really like Evan, but husband doesn't share my love, so Eben's out too.
Would Ethan fly? It doesn't nickname, it's fairly classic, and it sounds good with your last name.
Hockey names: my husband suggests Sidney, and wants to know what team your husband likes.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 8:28 AM on August 1, 2010
Would Ethan fly? It doesn't nickname, it's fairly classic, and it sounds good with your last name.
Hockey names: my husband suggests Sidney, and wants to know what team your husband likes.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 8:28 AM on August 1, 2010
I like Laura Wattenberg's "The Baby Name Wizard" for this kind of thing. It's a little different from traditional name books where 10000+ names and their meanings are listed; it more goes after trends in popularity, sociocultural references, and naming categories for individual names, as well as listing brother or sister names that may be congruent. I'd say it's worth a perusal if you're stuck.
The entry for Nathan, for example, lists Benjamin, Logan, Ethan, Owen, and Noah as potential brother names. It also classifies Nathan as a "timeless" name, and in the back of the book are a whole swath of similarly classified names.
posted by flying kumquat at 8:34 AM on August 1, 2010 [2 favorites]
The entry for Nathan, for example, lists Benjamin, Logan, Ethan, Owen, and Noah as potential brother names. It also classifies Nathan as a "timeless" name, and in the back of the book are a whole swath of similarly classified names.
posted by flying kumquat at 8:34 AM on August 1, 2010 [2 favorites]
Social Security Administration keeps a yearly tally of the most popular baby names. Check it if you want to make sure you don't choose the name that every other baby that year has, if you want to see the trend in popularity of a certain name, or to just browse to find some new names.
posted by scrambles at 8:39 AM on August 1, 2010
posted by scrambles at 8:39 AM on August 1, 2010
D'Brickashaw Rogers
posted by L'OM at 8:39 AM on August 1, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by L'OM at 8:39 AM on August 1, 2010 [2 favorites]
As a Bruins hockey fan, the first ones that come to mind are:
Ray
Robert / Bobby
Cameron/ Cam
Philip/ Phil
Looking at the list of the 100 greatest hockey players, here's a few that jump out:
Wayne
Gordon
Patrick
Ken
Grant
And just for fun, names from that list you might want to say away from:
Dit
Newsy
Toe
Elmer
King
Babe
posted by platinum at 8:41 AM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
Ray
Robert / Bobby
Cameron/ Cam
Philip/ Phil
Looking at the list of the 100 greatest hockey players, here's a few that jump out:
Wayne
Gordon
Patrick
Ken
Grant
And just for fun, names from that list you might want to say away from:
Dit
Newsy
Toe
Elmer
King
Babe
posted by platinum at 8:41 AM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
And here's the "Nathan" page on the Baby Name Wizard website. Potential sibling names that people have used/suggested are shown.
posted by worldswalker at 8:43 AM on August 1, 2010
posted by worldswalker at 8:43 AM on August 1, 2010
I know a Caleb, and he is awesomeness itself. So I vote for Caleb.
posted by rtha at 8:56 AM on August 1, 2010
posted by rtha at 8:56 AM on August 1, 2010
I have a friend that just named a son Derek.
posted by RikiTikiTavi at 8:58 AM on August 1, 2010
posted by RikiTikiTavi at 8:58 AM on August 1, 2010
My friends' boys are named Nathan (which you already have covered), Max, Xander and Zachary (in some cases, the boys have the longer forms of the names, but these are what everyone calls them -- so yeah, these are the "nicknames" that I'm giving you). They're all good names -- different and distinctive without being too out there or trendy (Zachary's middle name is Glen, which I also think is a good one).
posted by darksong at 9:00 AM on August 1, 2010
posted by darksong at 9:00 AM on August 1, 2010
How about "Guy" for the great Guy LaFleur? The last NHL player to go helmet-free.
Please, whatever you choose, no last names. i.e., Conner, Logan, Dean, Hunter, Cooper, Campbell, or any other tired-trend notion.
posted by BostonTerrier at 9:08 AM on August 1, 2010
Please, whatever you choose, no last names. i.e., Conner, Logan, Dean, Hunter, Cooper, Campbell, or any other tired-trend notion.
posted by BostonTerrier at 9:08 AM on August 1, 2010
Response by poster: PhoB: Bruins. And a couple other teams. But no one from the Flyers or Canadiens will fly :)
I like Jonathan as well, a lot, but I was shying away because it contains "nathan" right inside the name, and well, we've already used that.
and Zach! I like that one.
posted by kpht at 9:09 AM on August 1, 2010
I like Jonathan as well, a lot, but I was shying away because it contains "nathan" right inside the name, and well, we've already used that.
and Zach! I like that one.
posted by kpht at 9:09 AM on August 1, 2010
Oh, and throw out "Caleb" and "Silas" immediately. In my area, those two names are a glut on the kiddie landscape.
posted by BostonTerrier at 9:09 AM on August 1, 2010
posted by BostonTerrier at 9:09 AM on August 1, 2010
You could always mine your ethnic heritage for good "classic" names. Here's some I pulled off an Irish baby site: Grady, Finn, Malcolm, Sheridan, Tiernan, Desmond.
posted by fiercekitten at 9:14 AM on August 1, 2010
posted by fiercekitten at 9:14 AM on August 1, 2010
There's Irish and there's "Irish" though. If you want a name actually used in Ireland avoid almost all of those.
posted by jamesonandwater at 9:21 AM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by jamesonandwater at 9:21 AM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
Thierry Henry Rogers.
posted by L'OM at 9:41 AM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by L'OM at 9:41 AM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
I like Adam, Owen, Zach and... wow, it's a pity about Evan because that seems like a lovely fit.
My go-to boy names are Zeb for Zebediah and Zeke for Ezekiel, but I am one with the old school biblical names so that's probably no help.
For the record, I despise the name Seth.
posted by DarlingBri at 9:42 AM on August 1, 2010
My go-to boy names are Zeb for Zebediah and Zeke for Ezekiel, but I am one with the old school biblical names so that's probably no help.
For the record, I despise the name Seth.
posted by DarlingBri at 9:42 AM on August 1, 2010
I've always liked the name Toby. Bonus points because it can be pronounced in pretty much any language.
Seconding the suggestion for Ian as well.
posted by mekily at 9:42 AM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
Seconding the suggestion for Ian as well.
posted by mekily at 9:42 AM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
Alec, Adrian, Dominic, Florian, Julian.
posted by astrochimp at 9:50 AM on August 1, 2010
posted by astrochimp at 9:50 AM on August 1, 2010
Well, I'd go with Bobby Orr Rogers (and calling him "Bobby Orr", like Jim Bob or Sue Ellen), or maybe Ray Bourque Rogers but then I'm a traditionalist.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 9:53 AM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by TWinbrook8 at 9:53 AM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: BostonTerrier: I thought Craig McTavish was the last helmetless NHL player?
In other random unrelatedness, I had a coworker named Guy LaFleur, he was a chauffeur at my last job. This was in Boston, mind you. He pronounced it Guy and not Gee, and he was totally from here and not French Canadian. It's one of the weirdest names I've ever come across. He really wasn't a hockey fan, either. Shame!
Platinum: Cameron's on the list, certainly top 10.
posted by kpht at 10:07 AM on August 1, 2010
In other random unrelatedness, I had a coworker named Guy LaFleur, he was a chauffeur at my last job. This was in Boston, mind you. He pronounced it Guy and not Gee, and he was totally from here and not French Canadian. It's one of the weirdest names I've ever come across. He really wasn't a hockey fan, either. Shame!
Platinum: Cameron's on the list, certainly top 10.
posted by kpht at 10:07 AM on August 1, 2010
Killian is similar to Kelly without the female connotation as much.
Hunter?
I like Russell, too. Can be shortened to "Russ" if he wants.
Alexander?
Also, Quentin.
posted by Dukat at 10:21 AM on August 1, 2010
Hunter?
I like Russell, too. Can be shortened to "Russ" if he wants.
Alexander?
Also, Quentin.
posted by Dukat at 10:21 AM on August 1, 2010
Husband suggested Kelly after Kelly Hrudy, which I like - but the whole "haha, you have a GIRLS NAME" thing that would happen in elementary/middle/the rest of his life is a turnoff.
My father's name is Kelvin, which he frequently shortens to Kelly. So he could be Kelly to you and Kelvin to his school chums. (Of course, it's not always possible to keep those two spheres separate, but it's a thought.)
posted by Johnny Assay at 10:34 AM on August 1, 2010
My father's name is Kelvin, which he frequently shortens to Kelly. So he could be Kelly to you and Kelvin to his school chums. (Of course, it's not always possible to keep those two spheres separate, but it's a thought.)
posted by Johnny Assay at 10:34 AM on August 1, 2010
Oh, and I agree that Glen is a great name, I named one of my vespas "Glen" just because gosh darnit I liked it and had no kids.
posted by dabitch at 10:56 AM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by dabitch at 10:56 AM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Johnny Assay: What a neat name! With the added bonus of having YOUR OWN TEMPERATURE SCALE!
posted by kpht at 11:22 AM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by kpht at 11:22 AM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Oh, Stephen and Robert are out because they're our cat and dog's names, respectively. Yeah, we're weird.
posted by kpht at 11:23 AM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by kpht at 11:23 AM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
Our older son is Colin Jeremy. Other boys in his preschool class: Tristan, Carter, John, Logan, Parker, Sean, Erik, Zachary.
posted by justonegirl at 11:24 AM on August 1, 2010
posted by justonegirl at 11:24 AM on August 1, 2010
You could still name him Michael by call him Mike.
Otherwise, Brett or Aaron are nice.
posted by Bonzai at 11:50 AM on August 1, 2010
Otherwise, Brett or Aaron are nice.
posted by Bonzai at 11:50 AM on August 1, 2010
I'm quite partial to Saul, Nicholas, and Eli. Not really hockey names, but if that's really important I would suggest searching the google for "flyers goalie badass". As names go not so special, but if this kid is going to grow up with a stick in his hand, you're better off avoiding something as obvious (and cringeworthy) as Wayne. Plus, mustache!
posted by Chichibio at 11:56 AM on August 1, 2010
posted by Chichibio at 11:56 AM on August 1, 2010
I've always been fond of:
Peter
Quinn
Liam
Benjamin
Allen
Lance
Levi
David
Gregor/Gregory
Sean
Andrew
Hope you find something you love, and congrats on the baby boy. :)
posted by ninjakins at 12:08 PM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
Peter
Quinn
Liam
Benjamin
Allen
Lance
Levi
David
Gregor/Gregory
Sean
Andrew
Hope you find something you love, and congrats on the baby boy. :)
posted by ninjakins at 12:08 PM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
I have a friend whose parents thought for sure she was going to be a boy. They didn't have a sonogram apparently because they went in to give birth still believing she'd be a boy. Well out pops a girl and they were unprepared so what did they do? They flipped through a magazine and picked the first girl name they saw. This has bothered my friend her whole life because while her sisters were named after family members her name was just an afterthought.
So you might wanna think of your own name so your boy won't have to hear the story about how much you thought he was going to be a girl and had to ask a community of strangers to figure out his name for you because you couldn't think of his name yourself. Better yet, why not ask your older son to name his baby brother. He might come up with some good ones at 18 months old.
posted by wherever, whatever at 12:08 PM on August 1, 2010
So you might wanna think of your own name so your boy won't have to hear the story about how much you thought he was going to be a girl and had to ask a community of strangers to figure out his name for you because you couldn't think of his name yourself. Better yet, why not ask your older son to name his baby brother. He might come up with some good ones at 18 months old.
posted by wherever, whatever at 12:08 PM on August 1, 2010
Best answer: Brendan.
It's Irish, it's got an excellent hockey pedigree, it's not overly trendy nor overly rare, goes well with your last name, and it also sounds nice with Nathan without being too matchy-matchy.
posted by padraigin at 12:17 PM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
It's Irish, it's got an excellent hockey pedigree, it's not overly trendy nor overly rare, goes well with your last name, and it also sounds nice with Nathan without being too matchy-matchy.
posted by padraigin at 12:17 PM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: It's too bad you're not a baseball fan, because Youk would be an awesome name.
posted by MegoSteve at 12:21 PM on August 1, 2010
posted by MegoSteve at 12:21 PM on August 1, 2010
Best answer: Nthing Thomas. Works well with the brother's name and the last name, can be shortened to Tom.
When coming up with character names, I like to look at the names near the first chosen name in the year it was most popular or the year it suddenly jumped in popularity, to come up with "matching" names. I figure, you know, the wisdom (or collective misjudgment, depending on the name) of crowds. This has helped me deal with the fact that my older brother has laid claim to every last kid name I liked. Also, you almost always get "familiar" names, in the sense that they're not new or have strange spellings (by the time you have the data, the names aren't new or strange anymore.)
With this method, I picked 1972; Nathan jumped 30 places and his neighbors were:
Brandon, Benjamin,
Rodney,
Samuel, Derek
Tony, Russell, Randy
Marcus
Jamie, Juan, Johnny
Brent
Roger
Joel, Phillip
Nathan
Brett, Chris,
Billy, Marc, Carlos, Carl
Erik
Danny
Jesse
Jon
I italicized the ones I thought worked well with your last name and "go" with Nathan. Nathan peaked in 2004/5; have you considered Dylan? It peaked at the same time, though it first broke the top 100 in the year Beverly Hills, 90210 premiered...
posted by SMPA at 12:23 PM on August 1, 2010
When coming up with character names, I like to look at the names near the first chosen name in the year it was most popular or the year it suddenly jumped in popularity, to come up with "matching" names. I figure, you know, the wisdom (or collective misjudgment, depending on the name) of crowds. This has helped me deal with the fact that my older brother has laid claim to every last kid name I liked. Also, you almost always get "familiar" names, in the sense that they're not new or have strange spellings (by the time you have the data, the names aren't new or strange anymore.)
With this method, I picked 1972; Nathan jumped 30 places and his neighbors were:
Brandon, Benjamin,
Rodney,
Samuel, Derek
Tony, Russell, Randy
Marcus
Jamie, Juan, Johnny
Brent
Roger
Joel, Phillip
Nathan
Brett, Chris,
Billy, Marc, Carlos, Carl
Erik
Danny
Jesse
Jon
I italicized the ones I thought worked well with your last name and "go" with Nathan. Nathan peaked in 2004/5; have you considered Dylan? It peaked at the same time, though it first broke the top 100 in the year Beverly Hills, 90210 premiered...
posted by SMPA at 12:23 PM on August 1, 2010
I like Kelly a lot myself but I know what you mean.
Kenneth, Kent, Kendall, Keith, Kieran, Kellen/Kellan, Kean?
Adam, Timothy, Max, Lee?
posted by flex at 12:26 PM on August 1, 2010
Kenneth, Kent, Kendall, Keith, Kieran, Kellen/Kellan, Kean?
Adam, Timothy, Max, Lee?
posted by flex at 12:26 PM on August 1, 2010
So you might wanna think of your own name so your boy won't have to hear the story about how much you thought he was going to be a girl and had to ask a community of strangers to figure out his name for you because you couldn't think of his name yourself.
Meh, I dunno. I'm the eldest and recently got my mom to admit that she named me after "Sarah Smiles", the Hall & Oates song. Meanwhile, all my younger siblings have names with deep personal/familial meanings.
I got over it.
posted by Sara C. at 12:32 PM on August 1, 2010
Meh, I dunno. I'm the eldest and recently got my mom to admit that she named me after "Sarah Smiles", the Hall & Oates song. Meanwhile, all my younger siblings have names with deep personal/familial meanings.
I got over it.
posted by Sara C. at 12:32 PM on August 1, 2010
Neil
posted by trip and a half at 12:36 PM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by trip and a half at 12:36 PM on August 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: wherever, whatever: I'm not super worried about him thinking we couldn't come up with a name - I mean, we've been searching for hours but nothing's jumped out at us yet. We really secretly wanted another boy, but the lack of names was more circumstantial than anything - we had a leftover name from first pregnancy for a girl, but hadn't really come up with anything new. And there's PLENTY of stuff on the internet he can hate us for later, anyway :)
Also our 18 month old is pretty much still not talking, one of his only words is "kitty", but it comes out sounding like "titty", and I'm sure the school system at large would have much to say about Titty Rogers. But what a hockey name that would be!
posted by kpht at 12:53 PM on August 1, 2010
Also our 18 month old is pretty much still not talking, one of his only words is "kitty", but it comes out sounding like "titty", and I'm sure the school system at large would have much to say about Titty Rogers. But what a hockey name that would be!
posted by kpht at 12:53 PM on August 1, 2010
What a neat name! With the added bonus of having YOUR OWN TEMPERATURE SCALE!
That's how he got the name. His middle name is Lee, after Lee De Forest. He, of course, rebelled against his parents and went into educational psychology instead.
posted by Johnny Assay at 12:53 PM on August 1, 2010
That's how he got the name. His middle name is Lee, after Lee De Forest. He, of course, rebelled against his parents and went into educational psychology instead.
posted by Johnny Assay at 12:53 PM on August 1, 2010
have you perchance tried the Utah Baby Namer yet? it's how i settled on Southern Justice as the name of my firstborn daughter. (now i just need to find a man who will agree to that)
if Jameson has been rejected, Johnnie Walker perhaps? Walker would make for a fine middle name. or John Daniel?
posted by custard heart at 1:03 PM on August 1, 2010
if Jameson has been rejected, Johnnie Walker perhaps? Walker would make for a fine middle name. or John Daniel?
posted by custard heart at 1:03 PM on August 1, 2010
Platinum: Cameron's on the list, certainly top 10.
When I posted that list I hesitated on highlighting my personal favorites, but Cameron was definitely my top pick too! :)
posted by platinum at 1:19 PM on August 1, 2010
When I posted that list I hesitated on highlighting my personal favorites, but Cameron was definitely my top pick too! :)
posted by platinum at 1:19 PM on August 1, 2010
You could name him Hanson after the hockey-playing brothers in Slap Shot. Or, if you're afraid of the band connotations, you could go with Carlson, which is the real last name of two of the guys.
posted by MegoSteve at 1:24 PM on August 1, 2010
posted by MegoSteve at 1:24 PM on August 1, 2010
Funny what the considerations are when choosing a name. Me?
Something I could easily yell out the back door.
"Zane !"
meets all of your other requirements as well.
Frank Zane won Strongest Man contest that year.
posted by will wait 4 tanjents at 1:44 PM on August 1, 2010
Something I could easily yell out the back door.
"Zane !"
meets all of your other requirements as well.
Frank Zane won Strongest Man contest that year.
posted by will wait 4 tanjents at 1:44 PM on August 1, 2010
Repeating the No "R" at the end of the first name. PeteR Rogers, ArthuR Rogers, etc. This is a "rule" I heard a long time ago, and it makes sense to not do this because the two sounds run together and you end up with Peter Ogers, Arthur Ogers.
Beyond this I have no other suggestions, but I wish you luck!
posted by SoftSummerBreeze at 2:07 PM on August 1, 2010
Beyond this I have no other suggestions, but I wish you luck!
posted by SoftSummerBreeze at 2:07 PM on August 1, 2010
Best answer: Gabriel and Eli are my favorite boys' names. But you've given me the chance to tell the story about overhearing a pregnant woman at the hairdressers' saying "Well, if it's a girl, we'll name her Mattingly, after Don Mattingly. But if it's a boy we don't know what we'll name him."
Good luck to you!
posted by Betsy Vane at 2:25 PM on August 1, 2010
Good luck to you!
posted by Betsy Vane at 2:25 PM on August 1, 2010
please please please pick a first and middle name such that he can spell a word with his initials!
eg, BAR, MAR, SIR, FIR, etc..
posted by j at 2:44 PM on August 1, 2010
eg, BAR, MAR, SIR, FIR, etc..
posted by j at 2:44 PM on August 1, 2010
Geoffrey (Geoff)
Philip (Phil or Pip)
Walter (Wally)
Cameron (Cam)
Douglas (Doug)
David (Dave)
Andrew (Andy)
Edward (Ed)
Charlies (Charlie)
Nicholas (Nick)
Daniel (Dan)
Aaron
Rex
Patrick (Pat, Paddy)
Simon
Brett
Dario
Stephen (Steve)
Jonathon (Jon)
Peter (Pete)
Dane
Vincent (Vince)
Raymond (Ray - oh wait, scratch that, too close to Roy)
posted by b33j at 2:54 PM on August 1, 2010
Philip (Phil or Pip)
Walter (Wally)
Cameron (Cam)
Douglas (Doug)
David (Dave)
Andrew (Andy)
Edward (Ed)
Charlies (Charlie)
Nicholas (Nick)
Daniel (Dan)
Aaron
Rex
Patrick (Pat, Paddy)
Simon
Brett
Dario
Stephen (Steve)
Jonathon (Jon)
Peter (Pete)
Dane
Vincent (Vince)
Raymond (Ray - oh wait, scratch that, too close to Roy)
posted by b33j at 2:54 PM on August 1, 2010
Tristan!
I think it goes well with Nathan and with Rogers. It's my 18-year old's name and I've always loved it (and never regretted it!) and he promises he doesn't hate it. Not too trendy, not too odd, it's a great name!
posted by theotheramy at 3:04 PM on August 1, 2010
I think it goes well with Nathan and with Rogers. It's my 18-year old's name and I've always loved it (and never regretted it!) and he promises he doesn't hate it. Not too trendy, not too odd, it's a great name!
posted by theotheramy at 3:04 PM on August 1, 2010
In addition to being easy to spell, think about whether the name is easy to say. My seven year old just started saying his name correctly six months ago. Yes, that was after 4 years of speech therapy, but it was frustrating to him to have to spell his name to adults whenever they asked. His name is Chase.
posted by Sukey Says at 3:45 PM on August 1, 2010
posted by Sukey Says at 3:45 PM on August 1, 2010
Response by poster: Oh, and it actually worked: my husband said "Zach's cool", and it's one of the ones I really didn't think of at first to suggest to him- but I like it a lot, so Zachary may end up being the winner. Thanks, guys!
posted by kpht at 4:16 PM on August 1, 2010
posted by kpht at 4:16 PM on August 1, 2010
Nick
posted by jasondigitized at 5:00 PM on August 1, 2010
posted by jasondigitized at 5:00 PM on August 1, 2010
Or you can steal my 3 week old son's name: Kai
posted by jasondigitized at 5:00 PM on August 1, 2010
posted by jasondigitized at 5:00 PM on August 1, 2010
Oh we have a hard time with boy names too. I have a Liam Bennett, so I'm partial to that. If my three girls had been boys they would have been Riley Bennett (don't like Riley anymore, since it's been taken over by girls), Jack Douglas, or Finnian Douglas.
posted by Abbril at 5:20 PM on August 1, 2010
posted by Abbril at 5:20 PM on August 1, 2010
I'll second Kellen. It's my name, and almost every time I meet new people, I'm told it's interesting/unique/etc (for what that's worth).
posted by HerArchitectLover at 6:36 AM on August 2, 2010
posted by HerArchitectLover at 6:36 AM on August 2, 2010
I think Ted really goes well with your last name (as an aside, your last name scans a lot like my last name, and I was rooting for Ted if we had a boy. Now, though, our daughter's name is too similar and precludes our ever using Ted). There are a few different ways to get to Ted: Theodore, Edward, Edmund, Edwin, I once knew a Thomas Edward who went by Ted.
Kevin and Gavin both work with your last name too.
Brian, Stephen.
It's a shame about Philip. That would have been a really good fit (fwiw, you could name the kid after Philip Esposito, if that would elevate Phil in your estimation). Is there another sports name that's dear to you? Derek is a good name, and the Bruins website does describe Derek Sanderson as a folk hero. Might be before your time, though.
posted by willpie at 1:51 PM on August 3, 2010
Kevin and Gavin both work with your last name too.
Brian, Stephen.
It's a shame about Philip. That would have been a really good fit (fwiw, you could name the kid after Philip Esposito, if that would elevate Phil in your estimation). Is there another sports name that's dear to you? Derek is a good name, and the Bruins website does describe Derek Sanderson as a folk hero. Might be before your time, though.
posted by willpie at 1:51 PM on August 3, 2010
choosing Zach (overplayed) over Zane?
huh.
posted by will wait 4 tanjents at 10:15 PM on August 4, 2010
huh.
posted by will wait 4 tanjents at 10:15 PM on August 4, 2010
What about Tyler? That's actually my brother's name, but I've always loved that name. I also like Brendan as a suggestion. Garrett is ok too.
posted by floweredfish at 11:10 AM on August 9, 2010
posted by floweredfish at 11:10 AM on August 9, 2010
Haven't read the whole thread but - George.
While their birth orders will be reversed, then you can have a George and a Nathan - when calling for them you'll be reminded of the American Drama Critic.
posted by randomkeystrike at 8:36 PM on August 14, 2010
While their birth orders will be reversed, then you can have a George and a Nathan - when calling for them you'll be reminded of the American Drama Critic.
posted by randomkeystrike at 8:36 PM on August 14, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by tetralix at 6:30 AM on August 1, 2010 [2 favorites]