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!