Name Help: A Brother for Eloise

 

Lauren is expecting her second baby -- a brother for Eloise Daisy. 

Lauren writes: "I already have a girl called Eloise Daisy, and I found her name quite easily as I had a long list of girl's names that I liked. However, we have found out that we are expecting a little boy, and we are both finding it a bit harder to decide on a boy's name. There are a few names that we like, but I am struggling to find something that I really love. I tend to like names that are classic, and easy to understand, but still slightly unusual/less common. If we had been expecting another girl, our choice would have been Juliet Catherine (Catherine is a family name). 

Both my husband and I prefer names that are easy to spell, with no unique spellings. We don't like nicknames as names, so names like Archie are off limits, but names that can be shortened to nicknames are fine. Both my husband and I are Scottish, and we like the idea of a Scots name, but lots of names we would consider have been used by people we know. The name doesn't have to be Scottish, however, as long as it fits our family. Our surname ends in 'n' and we have found that certain names ending in 'n' just don't sound right with it.

 

Names we like:

Tobias/Toby

Nathaniel/Nate

Otis (I like this better than my husband does)

Wesley (this is the main one that we both agree on)

Jonah (I don't love this but husband likes it a lot)

Hamish (husband likes this more than I do)

 

I also like Otto, but husband has vetoed it.

 

Names we can't use:

Finlay

Ruaridh (I would love to use this but we have a friend who has just used it!)

Lachlan

Blair

Harry 

Sam

Ben

Lewis

 

Family names we have considered as middle names:

Campbell

Thomas

David

George

Too popular for us would probably be anything within the top 100 in Scotland, and the really well-used names like Oliver, Jamie etc are definitely out. We’d prefer something recognisable but outside of the top 100 names. "

 

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The illusive sweet-spot! Trying to find a name that is easy to spell and pronounce, familiar that people will recognise, not considered "weird" and yet still feel fresh and uncommon so that it stands out from the crowd. Fortunately, your current list is full of names which fit that bill. Here are a few others to consider that work as well. 

Declan – A traditional Gaelic name meaning "full of goodness". It peaked at #35 in 1999 in Scotland but currently ranks #208 making it a familiar but not too common.

Dominic – A friendly and familiar name that feels stylish and debonair. Dominic has the same tailored style as Tobias and Nathaniel and ranks at #156 in Scotland. 

Douglas – A solid Scottish old-timer with an affable charm. This traditional clan-name currently ranks at #310. 

Fergus – Another Scottish charmer meaning "man of vigour." Familiar Fergus ranks at #146 in Scotland currently.

Fletcher – Much like Fraser (which at #64 is perhaps too popular for you), similar sounding Fletcher is an appealing traditional Scottish surname borne by Clan Fletcher. With its meaning of "arrow maker", it feels like a modern heirloom from the Middle Ages. 

Flynn – Dashing and Gaelic, lovable rogue Flynn—made famous by swashbuckling movie hero Errol Flynn—ranked comfortably at #162 in Scotland in 2018. 

Gabriel – With Tobias and Nathaniel on your list, Gabriel seems like a perfect fit, especially with the built-in nickname Gabe. It ranks at #97 in Scotland. 

Jesse – Sound-wise, Biblical Jesse sits between Jonah, Wesley and Ruaridh and, although familiar, only ranks at #433 in Scotland.

Maxwell – A traditional Scottish surname which feels tailored and polished like Nathaniel and Tobias and similar is sound to Wesley. It ranked #247 in 2018.

Murray – If you are lamenting the loss of Ruaridh, equally traditionally Scottish and friendly Murray might fit the bill. The downside is that it ranks at #77, but it hasn't been in the top 50 since 1988 so it isn't as common 

Myles / Miles – A stylish Norman name which could derive from the Slavic element mil "gracious, dear, beloved". Myles ranked at #134 in 2018 and Miles was #288.

Roderick – A handsome Norman name meaning "famous ruler" and used by Scotland's favourite son, Sir Walter Scott in The Vision of Don Roderick (1811). It ranked at #595 in 2018. 

Rowan – Not only is rowan a nature name (from the rowan tree), it is also an anglicised form of the Old Gaelic name Ruadhan and also a Scottish surname derived from places named Roan in Ayr, Berwick and Roxburgh. It ranked at #156 for boys in 2018; the only downside is that it is currently more common for girls in Scotland. 

Sebastian – A twice used Shakespearean name meaning "venerable." Like its meaning, Sebastian is a sophisticated and warm choice. It ranked at #103 in 2018. 

Theodore – At #130, Theodore is a classically refined choice that is familiar but not too common with built-in nicknames Theo and Teddy. 

Tristan – A literary hero which has ancient Celtic roots and links to Scotland. It is a handsome and heroic name that stands out from the crowd. 

Zachary – A happy Biblical name in the vein of Nathaniel and Jonah which ranks at #130 in Scotland. 

 

I hope this has been of use. Best wishes for finding the perfect name.