Felicia writes:

We are due 4/26 with our third child, and we are not finding out the gender before the birth. Baby will join older siblings Owen and Aubrey. So our last name is one syllable, starting with B, and it’s the word for the make-up that you put on your cheeks.

Here is the pertinent information:
* If Baby is a girl, she will be named Leah Caroline, both names for a grandmother who is in failing health. But, we are stuck on a boy’s name!

* We choose middle names to honor family members who have passed away. Possible middle names for boys: Joseph, David, James, Emmett (with Joseph being first pick because it would actually honor two different people, one from each side).

* We would prefer a name that does not start or end with a B, to avoid the alliteration or running together.

* Owen is named partly for the soccer player Michael Owen, and partly because it’s the only boy name we ever found that we both agreed on. We did not find out his gender, but if he were a girl, he would have been Alannah Evelyn – Alannah for its Irish and Hawaiian origins.

* Aubrey is named because I just liked the sound of it (and my husband likes the baseball player Aubrey Huff). I actually started out liking Audrey, but got thrown off by the “odd” sound at the beginning. If she were a boy, she would have been Landon Joseph – Landon for the famous soccer player (Landon Donovan) and flyfisherman (Landon Mayer) of the same name. For some reason this time, it just does not seem right to re-use Landon.

* We want a boy’s name to be unequivocally masculine name, since we have such a feminine surname.

* We really do not have any contenders for a first name, since nothing feels right to either of us so far. My husband is really into soccer, flyfishing, and skiing, so I’m sure he would not be opposed to finding a name from there.

* Although we are both American (going back several generations), my husband’s heritage is Lithuanian and Irish, and mine is Irish and German. (We had the Hawaiian name in there because we spent two weeks there on our honeymoon and LOVED it, though neither of us is even remotely Hawaiian.)

* Last but not least (sorry so long!)… I suggested Adam, Eli, or Eric, but my husband was very “meh” about them. He suggested Travis, which I was “meh” about. I don’t know why we could both instantly agree on Owen (as well as girl names) but cannot seem to find a boy’s name this time that is a good fit.

I know you and your readers can help us though!

I urge you to reconsider Landon Joseph: you both agreed on it, you both loved it well enough to use it if Aubrey had been a boy, it’s completely masculine, and it’s good with Owen and Aubrey. Think of all your children in a little line, waiting to be born: you had a boy name and a girl name all set for your second baby because you didn’t know which child was coming next—and it was Aubrey, so Landon’s name is still available, unused, for when HE arrives.

But if it’s that you don’t feel like using the name anymore, I do understand that: we had a girl name in mind for both our first two boys, and by the time we actually had a girl we were tired of the name.

Lawson is similar: Lawson Joseph B___.

Would you like the name Milo? I love it with Owen because of the repeating long-O sound. Oh, and with Joseph too! Milo Joseph B___.

Or Jasper: a little of the sound of Travis, with more the style of Eli: Jasper Joseph B___ could also go by J.J. if you like double-initial nicknames. I like Jasper David B___, too. It niggles in the back of my mind that both Jasper and Emmett are Twilight characters? If that’s the case, I’d probably avoid Jasper Emmett B___, even though it has a very nice sound.

Or Jeremy Joseph B___ would give you the same J.J. if you wanted it.

Or Lucas: Lucas Joseph B____; Owen, Aubrey, and Lucas.

Would you use Emmett as the first name? It’s wonderful with Owen and Aubrey. Emmett Joseph B___. I think the rhythm of Everett works even better: Everett Joseph B____.

Name update! Felicia writes:

Leah Caroline was born three days before her due date. Newborn picture is attached. If she had been a boy, I was really pushing for Landon Joseph or Miller Joseph. My husband came out of nowhere with the dark horse contender of Vanek Joseph (after one of his favorite hockey players). But in the end, the decision was made for us since she was a she. :) Thanks for all the input from Swistle and readers. We have gotten a ton of compliments on the name choice.