Leigh and James are awaiting the arrival of a son: a brother to join their daughter Beatrice.
Leigh writes: "We have gone through so many names and the main problem is that we never seem to agree on one.
For around 4 months we were completely set on Edward, but we have now decided against this due to it being to much of a royal theme when paired with Beatrice. However we do feel Edward is a lovely name.
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I can see your predicament. You love classic, timeless and old-fashioned names, but many that fit this bill have already been bagged by royalty (it's part of the reason these names have become classics). Fortunately, there are plenty of names that are historic without being too royal:
Edmund – Between Anglo-Saxon staples Edward and Alfred is Edmund. It's still historic, vintage and classic without being too popular -- it's #691 to Edward's #23 rank. Edmund has been used by Saxon kings and was used for a few medieval royal princes, but it's royal credentials are much less prevalent than with Edmund.
Edwin (at #493) is another Anglo-Saxon gem to consider.
Felix – With the wonderfully upbeat meaning of happy, lucky, blessed," Felix is a quirky retro vintage choice which hearkens back to Ancient Rome and even features in the New Testament. It ticks all the boxes: hard to shorten, more then one syllable, historical/biblical/meaningful, strong and old fashioned and compliments the name Beatrice.
Theodore – Sharing Benedict's Late Roman saintly heritage, Theodore is a gentlemanly name which exudes strength and style.
Rufus – Quirky and retro, Rufus (just like Beatrice) is a name that hails back to ancient Rome with both a medieval and Victorian twist. King William II was known as William Rufus thanks to his red hair, but this link to royalty is a subtle one.
Jasper – A stylish vintage name with Biblical heritage. An anglicised form of Casper, the traditional name given to one of the three wise men of the Nativity, Jasper most likely derives from the Persian khazāndār meaning "treasurer".
Rupert – Like Edmund and Rufus, Rupert has a dash of royalty but it isn't overpowering. Rupert is a vintage form of classic Robert. Actors such as Rupert Penry-Jones and Rupert Friend give the name a refined quality.
Gabriel – A solid Biblical name meaning "strong man of God" which has been in use since the Middle Ages in Britain.
Ralph – Friendly Ralph has Viking heritage and links to the mighty and majestic wolf. It's use in Britain is truly ancient and only fell out of the top 100 after 1944 giving it a perfectly retro vibe.
Joel – A Biblical cousin to Jonas with a rugged and boyish charm.
Milo – Both a Latinised Greek and Old Germanic name which has been in use in this country since the Normans brought it over. Milo was used as the Latinised form -- but most would have answered to Miles. Milo however, ticks the box of being more than one syllable and hard to shorten.
Hugo – Much like Miles was Latinised as Milo, medieval Hugh was Latinised as Hugo. It has a cute vintage-retro vibe which compliments Beatrice well.
Ezra – Speaking of hard to shorten, Ezra is a stylish Biblical choice which ranked just below the top 100 for much of the 19th century.
Leon – The Ancient Greek name meaning "lion" which was used interchangeably with Leo in Britain in the Middle Ages. It is hard to shorten, historical, strong and old fashioned so it ticks a lot of boxes.
Reuben – A friendly and gentlemanly Biblical name which has Victorian credentials. It doesn't naturally shorten either which is a bonus.
Tristan – A truly ancient heroic Celtic name which dates back to at least the 4th century. It has a refined style while still retaining some of its warrior edge.
Wilfred – If Alfred is out because of Al, how about the equally vintage/retro choice of Wilfred? It dates back to the Anglo-Saxons so it's origins are ancient and was also a favourite with the Victorians.
David – David is a classic Biblical name that has never been out of the top 100. Despite this, it doesn't feel overused and a little David (like Michael and Robert) is actually quite refreshing. It wears very well (as I can attest from the few young Davids I have taught in my career as a teacher) and long gone are the days when Davids are automatically "Dave". In fact, all the young Davids I know are just David, and no-one ever thinks to shorten it.
Elias – The sleek and stylish Greek and Latin form of Biblical Elijah which was widely used in the Middle Ages and was a top 100 favourite up to the mid-19th century.
I hope this has been of use. Best wishes for finding the perfect name.
