Bridget and Travers are expecting their second child -- a little brother for their son Hector Michael Neptune, and Travers' older children Emily and Hamilton.
They chose Hector because they felt it was a strong, masculine name which counterbalances their surname which is also a traditionally female given name. Michael is after Bridget's father and Neptune was a family name on Bridget's family tree which tied in well with Travers' love of sailing.
They are looking for two things:
1. Brother names for Hector that "aren’t too whacky but are unusual."
2. Unusual middle names that have a nautical connection.
Bridget loves the name Paddy, after her grandfather, which she likes as a "warm, friendly but ‘cool’ name". Patrick would be his baptismal name, but they'd use Paddy mostly. Problem is, Travers isn't a fan of nicknames and hasn't yet got on board with Paddy.
Travers, on the other hand, loves Jasper, but Bridget is unconvinced.
For middle names, Travers would like to use Stuart after his father (as Hector has Bridget's father's name) and Bridget likes the idea of using Travers as well.
So far they are weighing up Patrick Travers Stuart and Jasper Stuart Travers.
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Jasper. Paddy, Paddy, Jasper. It's rather like comparing apples and oranges isn't it? I can easily see both working well as a brother for Hector, and both are well known but uncommon. I think Stuart is a great name to tie in, as it perfectly balances with Michael, gives weight to both sides of the family, and makes for a great family honour.
Brother for Hector:
Ralph – Adorable old-timer Ralph, is as solid as they come with just a hint of the shabby-aristocrat shared by Hector. It's strong sound and meaning -- connected to wolf -- is also a plus.
Finnian – A diminutive of the ancient Irish name Finn, borne by many a saint. It's very familiar, but is very underused -- it isn't even in the top 1000! A winning combination.
Phineas – An even rarer (though unrelated) "Finn" name is striking Phineas. It has both biblical and ancient Greek routes, tying in nicely with heroic Hector.
Magnus – A strong, striking and debonair name, with the same Classical-heritage-with-a-dash-of-Highland-hero vibe that Hector has.
Rufus – Friendly and refined Rufus is an undeniably cool name that has a rising profile yet still feels unexpected. It's a solid name, borne by saints and kings which stands tall next to Hector.
Josiah – A solid yet unexpected biblical choice with a healing meaning.
Monty – Paddy's friendly hipster-vintage vibe is also shared by Monty. Known yet uncommon and stands well on its own.
Torben – Torben is a modern form of the Old Norse name Thorbjorn (Þòrbjörn), composed from Thor "thunder," the ultimate Viking god, and bjorn "bear."
Lysander – I'm drawn to the British Grenadiers march: "SSome talk of Alexander, and some of Hercules, Of Hector and Lysander, and such great names as these." Lysander was a Spartan hero of the fifth century, and, like Hector, was also used by Shakespeare. The name derives from lusis "freeing, deliverance" and aner "man," therefore 'deliverer/freer of men'.
Nautical Names:
Aeolus / Aiolos – Aiolos (or Aeolus in Latin) was the mythological king of the winds, who sailors invoked to send them a favourable wind for a good voyage.
Horatio / Nelson – Both ancient Horatio and British Nelson have long been in use in honour of Britain's greatest naval hero Horatio Nelson.
Drake – Speaking of great naval heroes, Francis Drake is another daring seaman who brought victory in the Spanish Armada.
Vasco – Vasco da Gama was a notable Portuguese navigator; the first European to journey by sea to India.
Triton – In Greek mythology, Triton was a god of the sea, the son and herald of Poseidon.
Nereus – Another sea-god, Nereus, was known as the Old Man of the Sea to the ancient Greeks, and highly revered by fishermen and sailors alike.
Reef – Admittedly, its a noun, but Reef feels like the most usable of all sea-themed vocabulary.
Lir – Lir was the ancient Irish god and personification of the sea whose name, quite literally, meant "the sea."
Lautan – Lautan is a unisex Malay name meaning "ocean."
Best of Both:
When compiling a list of nautical-themed names, it struck me how many of them work perfectly as they are as a sibling name for Hector. These then, are all nautical inspired names which I think would work really well as a first name.
Argo – Argo came straight to mind when I knew you were looking for a nautical name, and I think it has all the key ingredients you are looking for. The Argo is the famous ship Jason and his Argonauts sailed in on their voyage to find the Golden Fleece. Similarly, the Argo Navis is the ship constellation in the southern sky. It is now dived into the constellations Carina (the keel), Puppis (the stern), and Vela (the sails).
With Arthur and Hugo in the top 100 and rising, and Arlo looking to potentially be "the next big thing," Argo is a rare and unusual given name that doesn't sound unusual. In fact, it fits in perfectly with the current name-landscape.
For me, Argo Stuart Travers has all the same bold, striking, nautical and family inspired charm that Hector Michael Neptune has.
Ernest – Sincere Ernest is a friendly and solid old-timer. It brings to mind polar explorer and renowned sailor Sir Ernest Shackleton.
Digby – Between friendly Paddy and refined Jasper sits quirky Digby. The Digby family are a long line of sailors, including diplomat and philosopher Sir Kenelm Digby (1603–1665) who was a privateer and adventurer of the High Seas; Admiral Robert Digby (1732–1815), Admiral of the Red; and Sir Henry Digby (1770–1842), Admiral of the Blue.
Morgan – Ancient Morgan is one of the few Welsh (or even British) names that has been in continual use for more than a millennium. It's nautical associations comes its meaning: mori "sea" + kantos "circle."
Otto – Like Hector, stylish Otto is bold and masculine with a crusty-cute vibe. As far as nautical associations go, Otto Sverdrup (1854-1930) was a Norwegian sailor and arctic explorer. It also brings to mind naval hero Ottokar "Otto" Prohaska, the protagonist of John Biggins' Otto Prohaska novels.
Caspian – Dapper Caspian is only a short step away from Jasper, with the built-in nautical association the Caspian Sea. Like Argo, Caspian Stuart Travers ticks all the right boxes, and perfectly balances Hector Michael Neptune.
Murray – If Paddy is too much of a diminutive, how about this equally friendly old-timer? Murray is a Scottish surname-turned-firstname taken from Moray in Scotland, and ultimately derived from the Gaelic muir "sea."
Thurstan – An anglicised form of the Old Norse name Thorsteinn (Thor + steinn "stone.") also found as Thorsten, Torsten and Dustin. Thorsteinn was borne by many a Viking hero (who were of course renowned sailors), including Thorstein the Red, who ruled half of Scotland in the 9th century, and Thorstein Eiriksson who set sail for North America in search of his brother.
I hope this will help you with the decision-making. Please keep us updated!
UPDATE: He's here! Welcome Digby Stuart Travers!
'Twas Ever Thus: Late Victorian Fashionable Girls' Names
Of particular interest in this article is the perceptions that many names had at that time: Ann is severe, Anne is lovable, Anna is pretentious, Hannah is low-class, Annie is fashionable but frivolous.
Harriet was once an aristocratic name, but gradually permeated the masses to become a byword for a working class Cockney woman. On the other hand, a servant given the highfalutin' name Gladys was incongruous.
Oh, and (much to my amusement) etymologists are "troublesome" folks.
To begin in alphabetical order. Ada strikes one as an essentially modern name, a names certainly much commoner now that fifty years ago ; it is suggestive of girls with golden curls, and seems altogether reminiscent of music-hall ditties ; yet clap an h on to its last letter, and it becomes one of the most ancient of names.
Except Eve, Adah is the first woman mentioned in the Bible. It is curious that her co-wife, Zillah, has not been nearly so popular as a name-giver. Here, however, we forsee that one of those troublesome folks, called etymologists, may assert, that the modern Ada is derived from Adelaide, Adelina and Adela — words in German signifying nobility — and that the resemblance between this Ada and the Scriptural Adah is merely accidental.
Let us return to a much commoner name. Ann, deprived for the final e, has a severe, almost forbidding aspect. Anne, somehow, seems much more loveable. It will be remembered that when Pope wished to clothe with additional dignity Her late Majesty of that name, he called her Anna—
Here again, if we prefix and add an aspirate, a marvellous metamorphosis takes place. Anna sounds aristocratic not to say pretentious, Hannah, despite her honourable status as the mother of the Prophet Samuel, to modern ears suggests a hard-working woman with muscular arms; who is "all there" at window-cleaning or the wash-tub.
As for Annie, it is all very well when conferred as a pet name by friends and kinsfolk, but life is too serious for a woman to use only a diminutive as her baptismal name. Yet fashion nowadays runs in that direction, and more babies probably are christened Annie than Anne.
Concerning Augusta, we will only say that there is something about the second syllable (still worse when shortened to Gussy or Gusta) which makes it an ugly sounding name. G makes an awkward consonant. It makes Agnes, despite its lamb-like derivation, sound harsh, especially when familiarised to Aggie.
The grand old name Elizabeth resembles the Indian banyan tree in the number of shoots and suckers which it sets forth. Bess, Bessie, Bet, Betty (once again fashionable), Betsy, Eliza and Lizzy, all sping from the parent tree. Ellen, Eleanor, and Isabella, too, belong to the same pedigree. How much depends on the association of ideas! Isabel both looks and sounds pretty ; Jezebel, a variant of the same, seems atrocious.
Catherine, spelt in four different ways, still holds its own as a favourite name, especially in its diminutive forms, Kate, Katie and Kitty ; but several other good old family appellatives are rarer than they were forty years ago. Among these may be mentioned Amelia, Charlotte, Caroline, Emma, Harriet, Julia and Matilda.
Emily is more in favour than Amelia, though both names have a common origin. Emma has possibly been vulgarised by its association with a song which a few years ago was in everybody's mouth.
In like manner Harriet has become a by-word, through its association with the 'Arry and 'Arriet of Bank Holiday notoriety. Time was when Henrietta and Harriet (especially when the latter was spelt with an o), had a savour of exclusive aristocracy. Lady Hariot and her yellow chariot seemed to be in as natural a position as a hand in a glove.
Another proof of the inconsistancy of fashion concerning names is afforded by Matilda and its diminutive Maud. While the former is decidedly out of date, the latter —both in novels and plays, as well as in real life — has been almost wearisomely popular for a good many years past.
When we see in the obituary the death of an old lady of seventy or eighty bearing the name of Ethel or Florence, we experience a sensation of surprise, and not without reason, for these names were rarely given in the earlier years of the century. They sprang into sudden popularity some 30 or 40 years ago, and are now so common that when the marriage list is tolerably long we are pretty sure to find an Ethel or a Florence figuring in it. The former name came into favour when Thackeray published "The Newcombes," there heroine of which story is an Ethel.
Jane and Jenny are still favourite names; so are Louisa and Lucy; so is Margaret with its variants, Madge, Maggie, Margery and Peggy; and so, we gladly records, is the simplest an sweetest of all names — Mary. When turned in Marie (that is, as an English name*) it loses its simplicity and becomes affected.
Any modern popularity which Martha possesses it gains through its diminutive, Patty, which bears little resemblance to its parent stem.
As a rule, it may be broadly stated that the poorer classes are gradually abandoning the good old traditional names, especially Scripture names, and are adopting all sorts of fine names, often borrowed from the sensational fiction which they peruse so eagerly. It is rare, nowadays, to find Sarahs and Susans among domestic servants, and the nobility will soon have a monopoly of those good old names; on the other hand, there is something incongruous about Yolande black-leading the parlour grate, or Gladys scrubbing the front steps. In actual facts, their highly refined names often cause these young ladies to "put up their backs" against such "menial" duties.
Lastly, let us call attention to the difference existing in the spelling of certain well-known names in this country and the United States. As a rule, the Americans use ie where we use y. They write Nellie, Lucie, Kittie, Sallie, Fannie, where we write Nelly, Lucy, Kitty, Sally and Fanny. But there is nothing more arbitrary than the spelling of the Anglo-American tongue, for our cousins write Katy and Jessy where we almost invariably write Katie and Jessie.— "The Globe."
The Newcastle Courant
24 September 1892
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The author was right. In 1890, many more babies were registered as Annie than Ann or Anne.
*French Marie = ma-REE, English Marie = MARRY.
Posted at 06:43 PM in Historical Name Commentary | Permalink | Comments (5)
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