So, I’m in the home stretch now. 19 days and counting until my little bugger is due to arrive. But, frustratingly enough, I can’t decide on a name. With my first, I used family names and it was easy but this time I’m just overwhelmed with all the choices. That’s where you, hopefully, can help me out. I’m going to list the names I like and I need some objective opinions on first impressions of them.
If anyone wants to throw in some new suggestions, I’m all ears. I do NOT like the trendy yuppie names much (hint, if it sounds like a last name and ends in “er” I’m not interested), and ideally would like something uncommon but still traditional. My first son’s name is Philip Malcolm and the last name starts with P and has three syllables. The middle name will either be “James” (for his godfather) or else I need to come up with a combination of two of them listed below. Okay–I think that’s all so without further ado…
Names I’m Considering:
Jasper
Quinn
Simon
Zane
Sebastian
Augustus (Gus)
Oscar
Baxter
Gideon
Atticus
Duncan
Wolfgang
Xaden
Otto
Malachi
Maxwell
So, any opinions? Good or bad–let me have it!
Atticus!
Oh, please name the kid Atticus!
~Raven (who had an English Lit exam yesterday, and wrote 2000 words about the character of Atticus Finch in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird)
My favorites - Quinn, Simon, Sebastian, and Duncan. Baxter is also interesting; though I wouldn’t name my kid that, it does have a nice sound. Malachi is an awesome adult name, but it’d be weird (to me) seeing a four-year-old called Malachi. I suppose that would pass, though.
FWIW…
Oscar makes me think of the Grouch. Or the weiner.
Gideon makes me think of the Bibles.
Atticus…well, I’d never get Gregory Peck out of my head.
Wolfgang makes me think of Mozart.
Otto makes me think of the bus driver on the Simpsons.
Great job picking out some interesting non-trendy names, though. And congrats!
I like most of your names (very unique), I am not too fond of Gus however. I don’t know it just reminds me of a little chunky kid, LOL, but hey ya never know:) Have you considered:
Ethan
Colin
Jerimaiah
I love those names! Good luck with the baby and with the whole naming thing:)
I know an eight year old Gus. August. Cute name. Kind of thought they were nuts eight years ago, but its grown on me.
I like Atticus, being a huge TKAM fan - but does it nickname? You really don’t want him to have to be Atticus his whole life ('course, you could call him Scout).
Vote #2 for Atticus - love the name and is it so bad to think of Gregory Peck?
Quinn - becoming a boys and girls name - I tend to like boys-only names for boys…
I guess the question I would ask is - if the kid is strong, will he carry the name? If the kid is having a weak period, how big of a burden would the name be? Based on that, I would axe names like Otto and Wolfgang…
Wanted to name a son Atticus, but my last name is so mundane that unusual first names sound too peculiar with it, so went with Andrew. (Ditched Archangelo for the same reason.)
Simon is a wonderful name. Like you,belladonna, I dislike yuppie names and unisex names. The names you’re considering are all classic.
My mom would love you guys! She’s pushing for Atticus too. I, obviously, got it from TKAM which is one of my absolute favorite books but Dangerosa hit my main concern with it dead on. What the heck do you shorten it to? That’s also an issue with Sebastian, because “Seb” just kind of grates on me. My extended family already has quite a few initialed nicknames (AJ, KC, TJ, etc) so I really don’t want to go down that road. Keep the input coming!
Sebastian shortens to Bastian, I’ve heard. Which could have dire consequences, considering what he might be called with a slip of the tongue.
WordMan: Not so bad thinking of Gregory Peck, but it was my first impression (which belladonna wanted). I think I’m going to be a lone voice of dissent, but I’d rather have a name I could make my own instead of hearing “Oh, like the guy in TKAM, right?” my whole life.
Quinn-Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman! Bahahaha!
Simon-They’re going to think you named him for that American Idol Guy
Zane-“The Sex Chronicles”
Sebastian -Getting beat up for your lunch money. The NeverEnding Story. (Yes, I know, shut up)
Augustus (Gus)-Augustus Gloop from Willy Wonka
Oscar-A Russian Sub. And a garbage can dude.
Baxter-I can’t decide. Makes me snicker, though.
Gideon-Bibles
Atticus-
Duncan-McCloud! There can be only one!
Wolfgang-Oh, god no. Please don’t.
Xaden-Is this some kinda EverQuest name?
Otto-A fat German kid, or the bus driver from “The Simpsons”
Malachi-A mariachi band
Maxwell-Coffee
I don’t play EverQuest, so I’m not sure where Xaden comes from but I saw it in a list of “uncommon names” and it caught my ear. And you skipped Atticus, what’s up with that?
Before I go on, I’m assuming the name “Atticus” is as uncommon as I think it is, that is, very uncommon.
Something that just occurred to me - Atticus Finch was one of three children, right? Jack, Alexandra and Atticus. I just wondered, seeingas his siblings had very conventional names, was there ever any reason given for his having such an unusual name?
Hi belladonna!
Please no Gus or Wolfgang, no no!!!
I like Quinn although, my husband’s cousin is named Quinn and she is a female, I didn’t know it could be a boy’s name. But I like it.
Atticus… I didn’t know how to take that one at first, it makes me thing of Spartacus, or Greek mythology (I know I am wrong).
Congrats for the baby, he will be here soon, it is so exciting!
Jasper–my friend’s dog is named Jasper, so I can’t think about it objectively.
Quinn-I like well enough…
Simon-a classic, can’t go wrong with that
Zane-Not my favorite…
Sebastian-I like Sebastian, but like you, I find the shortening to Seb to be a little irritating
Augustus (Gus)-it makes me think of the fat kid from Charlie and the Chocolate Facotry…
Oscar-mmm, hot dogs…
Baxter-Have you ever seen the French film Baxter? It’s about a dog named Baxter, but it’s very sick and dark and I didn’t like it…because of that, I can’t judge objectively because the name reminds me of the movie.
Gideon-NO NO NO! My boyfriend’s Aunt was going use this name and the whole family hated it (though we didn’t do more than suggest that we didn’t like it in front of her). She ended up going with Ethan. Yea!
Atticus-it’s okay…but it will always remind people of the movie/book
Duncan-I like this name! Doughnuts are yummy.
Wolfgang-Wolfgang Puck comes to mind…he’s scary
Xaden-very ‘gamer’
Otto-the bus driver from The Simpsons…but that’s not all bad!
Malachi-
Maxwell-I like this name…every guy I know wished he were named Max
Jasper - a rock, or my best friend’s horse, or the friendly ghost.
Quinn - Possible. No nickname. Does it yell well with your last name?
Simon - The guy on American Idol, and a lot of ‘Simon says’ jokes on the playground.
Zane - Hard to really yell it with authority.
Sebastian - my mom’s old siamese cat. Like the name, though. Know one other mom who has a Seb/Sebbie, and it works.
Augustus (Gus) - Too big a name for a boy (Augustus) and too young a name for a man (if he’s gone to Gus).
Oscar - A large fish, a grouch who eats trash, and a lot of ‘weiner’ jokes on the playground.
Baxter - Bax for short? Ick.
Gideon - I like it, even with the bible reference. Most kids will not get the reference, and by adulthood, most grownups won’t kid him about it. But Gid is a kind of awkward nickname. (“Kid?” “No, GID.”)
Atticus - Too big a name for a kid, and can’t think of a man who could wear it well. Atti for a nickname? Hmmm. So-so.
Duncan - One off my own list, but hard on the nickname end, too.
Wolfgang - NO. Unless you’ve got a very German last name, in which case he might just pull it off. But again, what’s the nickname?
Xaden - X-names are hard to pronounce, people don’t know where to start.
Otto - NO. (unless your last name sounds swedish.)
Malachi - I’ve known one, and it worked for kid, and will work for adult. Don’t like ‘Mal’ as a nickname much, but that’s the French class talking (“did you know your name means ‘bad’?”)
Maxwell - I love Max as a nickname. Maxwell and Maximillian are both possibles, IMHO.
I like Colin, but it is rising in popularity (especially when you combine the alternate spellings).
Gabriel. Becoming more popular, but maybe still far enough down the list to be useful (my older son’s name). Definitely yells well enough.
Alexander?
Remember, no matter how much you can’t nickname some name, someone will try to do it. It is better to have one you can live with than have someone invent one you detest. I never thought Gabriel would go to Gabe, but he did. His choice.
Another source of interesting names is Kabalarians.com - ignore the name analysis, but the list of names is one of the most extensive on the Internet.
I vote for Gus. Of course, that’s my SO’s name, so I’m biased:). But as far as it not fitting him as an adult? It works perfectly - his real name is August.
