Help me pick a new middle name.

I am seriously thinking about changing my middle name.

It is “Wayne”. I’ve never really liked it, and it has a bad reputation. I don’t think it flows well with the rest of my name, either.

The only rules for a new name are:

  1. No names that start with “A”. That would give me the same 3 initials as my wife, so she has requested I avoid them.

  2. No ludicrous names. Sorry, I’m not going to pick, say, “Voltron” or “Fido”, no matter how funny you think it is.

Otherwise, let’s hear them!

This seems like an odd game or request, when no one knows what your first or last names are, to figure out what would be euponious with them.

But a couple fairly serious suggestions.

a, a family name - a deceased grandfather’s or your mother’s or a grandmother’s maiden name. Unless Wayne already is that, in which case it’d seem odd.

b, Warren. Warren has a similar sound to Wayne (so presumably goes with the rest of your name), you’d have the same initials (no need to re-monogram everything), but Warren has a better reputation. My sister changed her middle name from one she hated because of its associations to one that was similar but didn’t have those associations. The change made her very happy. If you like the idea but not the specific name, you could go with something else more or less similar sounding: Wilson, Waylon, Owain, Owen, Wayland, Walt, Dwayne, Dane, Ephraim, Trey, Gray. There are probably more.

Wilkes?

I’d go with “Foxworth”-sounds like classy, “old money” name.
If not that, how about “Branford”?

Milhouse
Quincy
Delano
S

Yep… PM me if you absolutely must know.

W.

Just “W.”

I don’t know if these count as ridiculous names, but have you considered “Theodore” or “Cornelius”?

:smiley:

At least you didn’t say “Harvey”.

It’s kind of hard to suggest something without knowing what you’re looking for, other than not starting with ‘A’ and not ludicrous. How about printing out the top 100 male baby names and tossing darts at it until it lands on a name you like?

Ah, the old stand-bys.
If there is an old family name that is euphonious, I would suggest it.
Bradford is nice. Bennington. Branson.
If you want a single word name (like Wayne) perhaps West might meet the need.

As an aside, I have been thinking about changing my middle name. It was my mother’s maiden name, but it is rather clumsy in English. Gagundathar The Inexplicable. Yes, the ‘The’ really jumps out at you, now doesn’t it? I am thinking about ‘An’ instead. What do you think?

An old family surname? What was your mother’s maiden name? Does it work there?

Or Sirhan.

I suppose that means “Danger” is off the table.

I’ll add to the list of those suggesting a family name. Is there an uncle or grandfather whom you admire and whose name you like?

Temperance.

Sorry, not really. My dad’s middle name started with A. My late brother-in-law’s name started with A, and he had my first name. My late uncle’s name started with A. I didn’t like my other uncle. My grandfathers both had very dated names like “Ignatz”.

I wouldn’t use my mother’s maiden name as it doesn’t work as a middle name, and because of all the forms that require the use of it for security.

Suggestions about the above are fine, but I have considered them. They aren’t viable for me.

What’s the point in changing a name no one uses or hears?
(Or do you plan on assassinating someone?)

Something that starts with J, because the best sounding male names are FirstName J. LastName. How about James?

What about your grandmothers’ maiden names?

Or Fletcher. My great grandfather was named Fletcher Walton <my last name>. I think it’s a pretty cool name.

Or Jay?

Can’t recommend without knowing your first name, sorry. It has to be mellifluous.

Shmartholomew Shmimpson.