J. writes:
We need help deciding on a name for our baby boy expected to arrive in February. We have one daughter, Caroline Ellis and our last name is Keely.
We keep going in circles with names we like! I prefer traditional, strong names – but I also wouldn’t mind something that sounds fresh and a little unique. We want to use a family name for at least one of his names. Our daughters middle name is a family name. Family names we like are Lewis, John, William, Charles, Ross & George
Some of our favorite names so far are:
John David – and call him John David. I love this name, but my husband isn’t sold on calling him two names. My father in law and husband are both David, and my grandfather, father and brother are all John (my brother is the only one who goes by John)
Lewis Wells – and call him Wells. I really love Wells at the moment, so any other suggestions of combinations with Wells would be helpful. Lewis is one of our top family picks.
Harris – also really like this one, but not sure of the combination – maybe William Harris??
Charles Lewis – I have always loved Charlie, it is just so popular right now!!
Henry Lewis – Love this one too, but also so popular
George Lewis – Love but not sure if the new prince will increase this names popularity and my husband isn’t sold on this one
Please let us know your thoughts and also if you can think of any other names we should be considering?
Thanks for your help!!!
Have you considered Wells for the first name, especially if you’re going to call him Wells either way? One of my relatives babysits for a boy named Wells, and hearing her talk about him made me realize how well the name works. I think Caroline and Wells is charming. Then you could use a family middle name as you did with your first child. Wells Lewis Keely or Wells David Keely.
All the names on your list seem great, though—I can see why you’re stuck. I have Charles/Charlie on my own list, but I’m not sure about the repeated endings of Charlie Keely: I don’t mind Henry Keely as much because it’s just a repeating vowel sound, but Charlie Keely does the whole -lee. It matters less with a nickname, though, I think.
I notice you have a lot of name candidates ending in S, so I’d add:
Angus
Davis
Elias
James
Julius
Matthias
Miles
Nicholas
Thomas
Tobias
I also wonder if you’d like something like Wilson: similar to William and Wells. Wilson Keely; Caroline and Wilson.
Or you could name him William but nickname him Wills—very close to Wells.
I’d suggest Wesley, but it has that repeated -ley ending issue again.
Wells Lewis Keely:
Wow! What a fabulous name!! I realize that there are a lot of repetitive sounds, but I really think it works well. I can easily picture a grown man offering a firm handshake while introducing himself as Wells Keely. I also particularly like Wells Davis Keely. Davis offers a lot of the same benefits as Lewis, but without the repetition. Unfortunately, you’d lose the family connection, so I’m not sure it would be worth the positives gained. David is so similar and is a family name…
Lewis Wells Keely is also fantastic; you just have to decide if you’re okay with the whole calling him by his middle name thing. My husband goes by a nickname and has always been annoyed by the associated inconveniences, so we vowed that the we would call our children by their given first names. We stuck with that until the third child who goes by a double name comprised of a shortened version of her first name plus her middle name. It’s been fine and I don’t think we’ve scarred her for life.
Have fun deciding!
I do like the idea of Wells as a first name, since that’s what you want to call him anyway. I’m not a huge fan of Lewis Wells, don’t care for the repeated ending S sound and it has that “sounds like a law firm” affect you sometimes get with multiple surnames in a row. Lewis, Wells & Keely. For the same reason, I probably would not do Wells Lewis, though something like Wells David would be lovely.
I also really like the idea of William called Wills for you. It’s so close to Wells in sound that it seems almost too obvious!
I’ll also add if you love George, I think you should go for it. I have a George and nobody has ever commented about the Royal Family. I also don’t think it’ll increase the popularity, at least not here in the U.S. George has been in a steady decline for a number of years, I think it’ll take more than just 1 baby prince to change that.
I agree about George. I have a George too, except people do comment on the Royal family to me – probably because I’m a British expat. I have met other boys named George locally too.
If I saw ‘Keely, Wells’ on a list – as in ‘Jones, Jack; Keely, Wells; Smith, John’ – I would be 100% positive that the two names had been swapped accidentally and that the child was a girl named Keely Wells. Of the two names, it just seems so much more likely to me that ‘Wells’ would be the surname and ‘Keely’ would be the first name. Like I said, it seems so much more likely that I would be very confident indeed that the two names had been swapped if I saw ‘Keely, Wells’.
I think you could do William nicknamed Wells. Even if he was then known as Wells Keely his official name would be William Keely. Wells Keely appeals to me very much as a name spoken out loud, it’s just the written down issues that I wouldn’t want to deal with.
The fact that Keely is a not-uncommon first name for a girl is something to consider when thinking about using a surname first name. Not a deal-breaker, necessarily, but something to think about.
I see the concern about the potential for the names getting flipped and people thinking he’s a girl named Keely. This is tough because most of the names on your and Swistle’s lists have a long history of use as a first name as well as a surname. William isn’t, though, and if you like the idea of Wills or Wells as a nickname from William, I think you have a winner. William Lewis is so handsome, and the two kids’ names would have a traditional first name and a surnamey middle ending in s. Lovely! William Ross is another great option if you prefer the flow of a one-syllable middle.
Right now George Lewis feels a little too similar to Prince Cambridge because one of his middle names is Louis, but that association will fade and no one will remember what the prince’s middle names are. I named my son Conrad while Dr Conrad Murray was on trial for murdering Michael Jackson, confident that Conrad would not become a household name for murderer. And 2 years later, I have only gotten one comment about it. Pop culture changes so quickly that I wouldn’t let that association stop you.
Hm. I feel out of the loop here, because I am not as big a fan of Wells as everyone else. I vastly prefer your other options. John is probably my favorite…so strong, and so underused on little boys. I know one or two baby Johns and it is a breath of fresh air! My own contributions would be Ryan, Adam, or Eric. I never hear those names on baby boys anymore, but they’re such classics, and sound great with your last name.
Your name list looks shockingly similar to mine, since I have 4 boys I’ll share their names incase one interests you (obviously I’m biased)! Anders, Edison, John Henry (yes double first and I love it still) and josias.
I adore Wells! And I like the idea of Lewis Wells called Wells.
I like all of the names under consideration and suggested by Swistle. Couple other ideas: Theodore, Graydon, Allistair.
Wells Keely! Wow, I love this combination! Can’t tell you why but somehow it strikes me as very memorable. Sounds like a famous author or something.
Wells / Lewis combo is definitely the favorite pick.
Like other commenters, I don’t understand the reasoning for using Wells in the middle spot and not the first?
It seems it would be logical and fitting with the naming pattern of your daughter to have Wells in the first spot and the family name in the second spot.
As for the last name bit – I don’t see any sense in worrying about it, as with a last name like ‘Keely’ you could probably flip any name you chose.. even if it seems obvious someone will still say it the wrong way. Just pick the name you like, people will learn.
I like most of your list so it would be hard to go wrong, but I like the way the alliteration in Lewis Wells Keely (or Wells Lewis Keely, or William Lewis Keely) mirrors that in your daughter’s full name. But the double name John David is cute, too, and it brings in both sides of the family, so I’m not sure what my favorite it.
How about Jules? The sound is similar to Wells, but it fits your description of traditional (but unique), strong names better than Wells does in my opinion. Wells seems like an outlier on your list…the other surnames you have, Lewis and Harris, are much more name like. I also like Swistle’s suggestion of Miles.
I’m a little bit bothered that Caroline is a feminization of Charles, which might keep me from using Charles if I were you…but it’s one of those things that plenty of people probably wouldn’t notice. Charles definitely seems like your style, and I think ultimately it will feel less popular than the surname-name trend.
I noticed the Caroline/Charles similarities as well. For that reason I would keep Charles out of the first name spot.
Same issue here! It’s the same way I’ve wondered when I’ve heard Caroline and Charlotte used in the same sibling group. Another one is Elizabeth and Isabella. But, each to their own and I could see how maybe for some people this would actually be a plus? As in, it ties the siblings together quite strongly.
But the other thing that bothers me about Caroline and Charles together is that the parents might feel obliged to use a third C name if they have another child. Just a consideration.
I see Ross is one of your family names; have you considered using it as the first name? It has a similar sound to Wells without the surname problem that others are bringing up. Ross David Keely or Ross William Keely would be terrific. Ross has that nice balance of being familiar but underused.
I do like Wells Keely a lot, though, and I don’t think Keely is such a common first name that it would pose a frequent problem.
Whichever you choose, I do think it’s much easier on the child to give him the first name that you plan to call him by. I have friends who go by their middle names and it’s a huge hassle — it’s something they have to explain constantly, and sometimes they just give up and let people call them their given name instead of the one they prefer.
I am not a big fan of Wells, but to each there own. I like John David, what about nn JD?
I also really like George Lewis.
I also like Silas, Simon, and Harrison.
I really like William Lewis Kee1y, calling him Wells if it suits you and him. Congratulations, and good luck!
I love all of the names you are considering. Wells is a lovely name, however, I have only heard it used for a girl. I personally know of 2 Wells and 1 Welles under 4. One is named “first name Caldwell last name” and goes by wells.
I LOVE John David and how it’s a family name on both sides. Living in Georgia has made me a sucker for double names.
I like Wells a ton, but I agree that people might assume he is Keely Wells, female. William nicknamed Wells or Welton or Wellington or something ending in -well would be a great option with the nickname Wells.
I do like John David, but since it sounds like your brother is the third John, would he want to use the name for his own son possibly? ( this is the one situation where I think it is acceptable to reserve a name).
I agree with considering the brother’s wishes and clueing him in ahead of time, but not that he should be able claim the name John outright for a possibly-will-never-exist-future-son. Only a generation or two ago in America it was common for cousins to share first names.
Also, the letter writer is considering John David as a double barrel name. I think John David and John are different enough to be problem-free for cousins.
My brother is named after our dad, who is named after his dad, and on up for 5 generations. (They do have different middle names), and if I ever had a boy I would kind of want to name him after my dad, but felt like I couldn’t because my brother had claim to the name. (Even though he and his girlfriend never want children.) Obviously, that’s where my above opinion comes from. But your comment makes me rethink that maybe it would be possible to use brother/father name, if I ever produce a boy. huh, I’m going to have to chew on this. (although with an infant who does not sleep, another pregnancy is no where on my radar…) Thanks.
One thing that struck me is if you use John as the first name you’ll have the names of the two children of JFK – John and Caroline.
I didn’t even read the comments because as soon as I read Wells, I was done! Our next boy (assuming we have one) will be a Wells. LOVE THAT NAME! I second Swistle’s comment to why not use Wells as the first name?
Wells David or Wells Lewis sound the best to my ears, anyways.
If you are looking for something else, you could always go with Maxwell and call him Wells, although you may run into the problem of your son choosing to call himself Max rather than Wells, which is why we have decided we are going to just stick with Wells.
Keep us posted!
I meant to add in, you could also go with Wellington, Weldon or Welton to get nn Wells?
A distinguished name that I heard recently was Smith. I think it matches the theme you were searching for. I do however really like Wells.
My favorite on your short list is John David. I agree with the poster above that JD would be a good nickname if your husband doesn’t want to always call him by two names. The family connections and the fact that it goes well with Caroline are big plusses in my book.
If you loves Wells and want to call your son that, I would use it as a first name. I think Wells Lewis, Wells Henry, and Wells David all work.
I think I’m in the minority here, but I’m not a big fan of Wells. It’s mostly stylistic– I generally don’t like surnames for firsts– followed by finding Wells Keeley a little tough to say rhythmically.
Also, I agree with some earlier commentators who pointed out that Keeley is fairly common for girls (or at least it is a part of the whole super popular Kayley/Kylie family) so seeing Keeley, Wells on a class list, the first thought might be that the names are reversed. I guess sort of like being named Wells Lindsay or Wells Ashley might have frequently thrown people for a loop back in our generation (then again, I know Keeley is nowhere near as hugely popular as Ashley or Lindsay were).
Finally, I think Wells might seem a little dated down the line if surname names go out of fashion again in the near future (and who knows?). Caroline, on the other hand, is an unimpeachable classic. If you’re into that– and I think you might be because of the other boys names on your list, and because your first inclination was to stick Wells in the middle spot– then I don’t think Wells is your name.
Actually, I think it is maybe a little telling that your initial thought was to put Wells in the middle spot, even though the idea is to call him that full time. Do you feel attached to have something traditional in the first name spot? If so, maybe you should consider a traditional name (like William, say) with a more uncommon nickname (Wills?).
My favorite out of all your picks is John David, mostly because it seems to be the richest in family meaning. It also sounds great with Keeley.
The suggestion of Silas is great, too. I think Silas Keeley is actually my favorite of everything everyone has suggestion… and Swistle’s suggestion of Miles is also super.
Just wanted to say I thought this — “Actually, I think it is maybe a little telling that your initial thought was to put Wells in the middle spot, even though the idea is to call him that full time. Do you feel attached to have something traditional in the first name spot? If so, maybe you should consider a traditional name (like William, say) with a more uncommon nickname (Wills?).” — was really insightful!
I second the earlier suggestion on Ross David Keely. I love the sound of it.
Charles and Caroline were Laura Ingalls Wilder’s parents’ names, which could make it fun at bedtime reading!
I like all the names you’ve chosen.
John David as a double barrel name doesn’t sit well with me. “John David” just seems like too much name- I find its almost pretentious sounding, like a girl named “Mary Catherine”. I like the name John and I like the nickname JD (it worked for Zach Braff on Scrubs) so I think it could be a contender as a first name/middle name combo. I just don’t like it as one big first name.
However, I do really love the name Nicholas. It goes so well with Caroline and it has some great nick name options. It’s also pretty formal which seems to fit your style.
I also really like Harrison. Harrison Wells Keely is an awesome name (I’m not bothered by the repeating “s” sounds). You could still call him Wells if you wanted but there’s also Harry and maybe even Henry to fall back on too. Also Caroline and Harrison are cute together.
Good Luck with your choice!
Ooh… I love Harrison Wells Keely. So many options! Harry, Henry, Harris, Wells. If you are thinking of keeping Wells in the middle name position, I LOVE this combination!!!
I have a baby boy called Wells, which we found to be a distinguished name, rare as a first name but commonly understood (and its British heritage and the connection to our families & my related maiden name was important to us also). And while we have a traditional English surname, he has his father’s name as a middle name, a common & classic boy’s first name. His name has been very, very well received by others.
With a surname of Keely, perhaps it isn’t the right name here (a lot of ‘ell’ and ‘eel’ for my taste, wELLs kEELy) – as well as a sister with the middle name Ellis, more ‘ell’ – but it’s a name that’s not often considered, so I wanted to offer my thoughts on it.
I’ve never heard Wells as a given name before, but I think it’s just great! Especially with something as classic as Caroline. They are truly gorgeous together. It’s unfortunate that it doesn’t work so well with the family names, are there any variations or female namesakes you would consider? Lewis Wells is nice though, as are Wells John Keely or Wells George Keely. Maybe two middle names could break up the one syllable/repeat endings? Wells David Ross or Wells Henry John for example. Harris is also quite lovely and works with more of the family names.
I find John wonderful on its own as a first name, and can imagine John David quickly become JD Keely, which isn’t so nice.
Charles is essentially the same name as Caroline, so I’d probably scrap that.
Names with a similar vibe to Wells and Harris (paired with middles):
Lloyd William
Finnian George
Ames John
Bramwell Ross
Lowell Ross
Maxwell John (the last ones give you Wells as a nickname)
Dying for an update on this one! Love the names Wells and just wondering if you went for it?