Rebecca and her husband are expecting their second child soon, a brother for their son William Thomas.
They are looking for a traditional name which can be shortened and would suit a tall, well built man. They want to avoid a name ending in an 'ee' sound or a modern coinage.
Names they have considered but rejected:
George - too royal with William
Henry / Harry - as above
Ben - put off by Bill and Ben
Leo - already in use in their social circle
Jonah - Rebecca likes but husband feels is 'too unlucky'
Their List:
Edward "Ted"
Noah
Isaac
Josiah
※ ※ ※ ※
William is such a versatile, classic name with so much wonderful history, it's understandable that you would want something that can stand up next to it. Personally, I think Edward is a great choice as it reflects William's accessible, gentlemanly quality and long regal history of use.
The Classics
In names, "classic" is a subjective term, mostly because it's definition [something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality] applies to only a small handful of appellations. Fashions come and fashions go -- especially with names -- and very few weather the storm and remain strong favourites for every generation. Both William and Thomas (which have never been out of the top 50) most certainly do apply. The names below have never been out of the top 100 since 1900 and can truly be considered as 'classic'.
James – Equally as royal as William yet not overtly so given that the only current royal James is young Viscount Severn who lives his life outside of media attention. Jamie, Jim, Jimmy and even medieval Jem make for excellent nicknames.
Alexander – Once borne by Scottish kings, Alexander is a stately ancient Greek name, meaning "defender of men," made famous by Alexander the Great. Alex, Alec, Lex, Xander and Anders would all make great nicknames.
Joseph – Friendly Joseph is your strong silent type, that shortens to solid Joe, cheeky Joey or even hipster Zeph.
Daniel – A a biblical classic and favourite in Britain since the Middle Ages. Danny works for a boy; Dan is for a teen/adult.
David – Another biblical classic, borne by a British patron saint and never out of popularity since the Middle Ages.
Michael – An archangel responsible for the army of heaven, Michael is found in many forms all over the world. Mike, Mikey, Mick, Mickey or Kai can all be used as nicknames.
The Nearly Classics
Next there are longstanding, ancient names, that, like girls’ names Emma, Louise and Amelia, have fluctuated in and out of the top one hundred over the centuries yet still feel like classics. Some of them are recently back in fashion; others have spent a century in the top 100 and are now sitting below.
Oliver – The king in all but name, Oliver is a stylish choice with friendly nickname Ollie.
Jacob – Another solid biblical choice which has been in moderate use for centuries and is now a fashionable favourite. Jake, Jay and Coby have all been used as diminutives.
Joshua – Like Jacob, Joshua has ancient biblical charm yet feels thoroughly modern.
Frederick – Stately Frederick, meaning "peaceful ruler," was king we never had. Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales was the eldest son and heir of George II but predeceased his father. Fred, Freddie and even Rick work as nicknames.
Arthur – Ancient Arthur, related to bears, is one of Britain's greatest legendary heroes. The name is both heroic and sweetly vintage at the same time. Artie or Art is the standard nickname, but some have even used Bear as a nickname.
Matthew – A solid and charming name which feels very down to earth, especially with nickname Matt.
Samuel – Only out of the top 100 in the 1950s and 1960s, Samuel is a solid dependable classic with friendly nickname Sam.
Louis / Lewis – Louis is the French form of an ancient royal Germanic meaning "famous in battle." Louis is loo-ee in the French pronounciation, but was once pronounced loo-iss in Britain. This is where the spelling Lewis comes from [Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales was also spelled Frederick Lewis in his lifetime] and is also the name of a Scottish island.
Patrick – A Roman name, meaning noble, which became notable in Britain thanks to the British saint who converted the Irish. Paddy makes for a friendly nickname, while Rick or Trick would be edgier.
Nicholas – Yet another stately ancient Greek name which has been a favourite since the Middle Ages. Nick is the go-to diminutive, but others perfer Cole.
Edmund – Like Edward, Edmund is also a royal Anglo-Saxon heritage choice which gives the nicknames Ted or Ned.
Peter – A staple for milennia, Peter has fairly recently fallen out of the top 100 making it well known but underused. Siblings William and Peter have a classic war time era vibe.
Never Out-of-Styles
The following are ancient appellations that have been around in good use for centuries, but never made it into the top ranks, though always moderately and consistently used.
Dominic – Classic Dominic is suave and sophisticated. Dom is the standard nickname, but Nick also works.
Nathaniel – A smooth and stylish biblical name with cool in-built nickname Nate.
Maxwell – A Scottish surname long used as a sleek given name thanks to nicknames Max and Mac.
Hugo – An ancient Germanic name with the oh-so-stylish -o ending.
Theodore – A great underused yet familiar staple with charm and class. Nicknames range from Theo to Teddy.
Jasper – A stately and stylish biblical choice which sits just beneath the top 100.
Tobias – A gentlemanly Hellenised form of a biblical choice with friendly in-built nickname Toby.
Gabriel – An ancient name that spans through millennia and continents, but has always remained relatively uncommon.
Sebastian – A solid Roman staple now back in fashion. Seb and Baz are both found as nicknames.
The Biblicals
Biblical names have always been a staple of British nomenclature, from John and James to current favourites Noah and Ethan.
Lucas – The Latin form of of the Biblical Greek Loukas. Luke is the English form, but works equally well as a shortform for Lucas.
Elijah – An intriguing Biblical staple with the fashionable long 'i' and 'ah' ending. Eli or Lij are the most common nicknames.
Elias – The Greek form of Elijah, which, in Britain, became Ellis with the diminutive form Elliot. All great traditional choices with William.
Caleb – A stylish Old Testament choice which can be shortened to Cale, Cabe or Cal.
Reuben – An affable gentleman with Biblical routes and straightforward sound.
I hope this has been of use. Please keep us updated.
UPDATE: Welcome Joseph Edward!
