J. writes
We’re expecting our first child in July which we’re expecting to be a boy. Even if the ultrasound is wrong, we’ll be covered as we’ve a few girls names we both like (Abigail, Isabel, Emily, Annabel). We may use these if we have a girl when we (hopefully) have a second child.
Our last name is like Hefner, but with a Hay sound instead of a Heh sound. We both like traditional sounding names and my husband would like something with a ‘bit of history’ – though naming after a close relative (such as a grandparent) is out because (1) choosing one side over the other may lead to undue discord and (2) neither of us were overly close to our grandfathers. We’re both J’s so thinking we’ll avoid that as a first initial. I also don’t think I can handle an alliterative names (e.g. Henry, Harry…certainly avoiding Hugh!). I also worry about anything ending with a -er, -a or -ar due to the rhyming sound… e.g. Oscar Hefner.
Names on the current shortlist include:
– Benedict (nn Ben): worried it’s too ‘out there’ in its full version
– Benjamin: quite like this, husband lukewarm.
– Edmund (nn Eddie): husband doesn’t like Eddie.
– Humphrey: I’ve got issues with alliteration and lack of a suitable nickname; my husband thinks it’s brilliant!
– Jacob: like the sound but never met a Jacob who wasn’t the ‘naughty kid’; also don’t like nickname Jake
– Leonard (nn Leo): don’t like Lenny and in Australia this name is pronounced Len-ard
– Sebastian: husband doesn’t like nickname Seb
– Solomon: worried a bit weighty cf. Tobias & Benedict
– Tobias: I keep going hot and cold on this one. Love nickname Toby but worried Tobias is a bit weighty.
– William: is a family name in several ways on my side. Don’t mind Billy, hate Willy and not in love with Will.Other ones that take my fancy but don’t quite work include Miles, Atticus, Theodore (used by close friend recently), Rufus, Oscar, Oliver, Lewis, Joshua, Joseph, Jasper, and Elliot (close friend used recently). I love, but can’t use as already belong to my siblings, Lachlan, Malachi and Reuben.
Husband has Ghanian (West African) heritage and traditionally his family use a Ghanian name with the format Nii Something as a second middle name. So we will use a format of first name, second name, Ghanian name, surname… e.g. Humphrey Miles Nii BlahBlah Hefner.
Would love some fresh suggestions! Feel like I’ve read every boy’s name in the history of the world and coming up with nothing we both love.
Thank you!!
Name update!
Hello,
Just an update on our little one. He arrived safely in mid-July and we settled on ‘William James Nii Lantei’.
Thank you for all the suggestions from the Swistlers!!
J.
Humphrey Hefner? All I can imagine is high school kids calling him Hump Hefner or Humping Hefner. Which is even worse than Hugh IMO.
Tobias and Benedict don’t seem weighty to me. I know an Edmund who has always insisted on his full name w no nickname and he’s always liked his name a lot.
I just wanted to chime in and say that I’m Canadian (I notice OP is Australian) and while I’m definitely aware of Hugh Hefner, the mild association just isn’t a deal breaker for me. Humph and Hump as potential nicknames for Humphrey do bother me a little, but I think Humphrey Bogart before I think alliterative similarity to Hugh Hefner (especially if it’s pronounced Hay-fner). My suggestion would be Harvey. I think it has a lot of the appeal of Humphrey without the lack of good nicknames. Harvey Hefner sounds strikingly alliterative. He could go by Harv or Vee.
I know a Benedict nn Ben (he’s 21) and everyone thinks his name is so cool! (I’m in Australia too, by the way!)
I also love Edmund: does your husband like Ned, Ed, Ted, Teddy…?
William is also a brilliant name. What about Wills? Of the Williams I know, one is a Bill and the other a Will. I like Wills the best though! You could also use Liam as a nickname, which is really lovely.
Here are some suggestions for you:
Felix “Hefner”
Gabriel “Hefner”
August “Hefner” (I love Gus “Hefner”!)
Finn “Hefner”/ Flynn “Hefner”
Jonathan “Hefner” (Jonty “Hefner” is so sweet)
Zachary “Hefner”/Zacharias “Hefner”/Zachariah “Hefner” (my personal favourite is Zacharias)
Everett “Hefner”
Tristan “Hefner”
George “Hefner”
Isaac “Hefner”
Julian “Hefner”
Calvin “Hefner” (I love Cal “Hefner”!)
Best of luck!
If you like the nn Toby I wonder if you’d like the name Tobin instead of Tobias? Maybe not as weighty?
I agree about Humphrey Hefner. In addition to somthing like Humping Hefner, it can also be shortened to Hu, which would sound like Hugh.
FWIW, I love Benedict. It’s a name I wish got more use here in the U.S. FWIW, I don’t think it seems too “out there” or weighty at all. If it’s not quite right, and your husband is only lukewarm on Benjamin, maybe you’d both like Bennett?
I think Edmund is out if your husband doesn’t like Eddie, though perhaps he’d like Ned better? Teddy could also work. Former Senator Ted Kennedy’s given name was Edward.
Jacob is so very common here in the U.S. It’s a nice name, but I am a little meh about it due to overuse.
Don’t care for Leonard at all. For me, Lenny works as a nickname but Leo seems like a bit of a stretch. Maybe just Leo? Or Leonidas, Leon or Leopold instead?
Sebastian is OK, but not one of my favorites.
I love both Solomon and Tobias & I don’t think they are weighty at all.
I have a William who never uses a nickname, so that is always an option. You could also do Liam as the nickname.
Some other ideas, Cormac, Callum, Rory, Rowan, Graham, Emmett, Samuel, Ezra, Abram, Barnaby, Simon, Lucian, Arthur & Declan
What about Bennett instead of Benedict? Or nn Baz for Sebastian instead of Seb?
You could use Bastian for Sebastian. A lovely Neverending Story reference.
Bast could be a nickname for Sebastian too.
Since you’ve asked for fresh suggestions:
Ernest
Dominick
Carl
Conrad
Frank
Magnus
On your list, I’m finding myself most drawn to the one’s you’re calling “weighty”: Benedict, Solomon, & Tobias. Really gutsy would be Ebenezer, called Eben, Ben, or Nez.
Sorry, just caught that Ebenezer ends in “er”. Probably too out there anyway. I noted it in a birth announcement from Bern, Switzerland in the last week.
What about Lionel? I think it ticks all the boxes in terms of being cute, but substantial, and has a great nickname– Leo. I think it is a much better route to Leo than Leonard.
In your context, I also like:
Nicholas
Milo
Lucian
James
Julian
Clyde
Roland
Aaron
Good luck! Keep us posted!
If you like the sounds of Jacob, what about Caleb? The name has a history (Biblical in origins) and has two great nn possibilities Cale or Cal.
I noticed a number of names in your like but can’t use list ending in s. Have you considered Silas (nn Si)? It has a long history and is not so weighty as Solomon and Sebastian.
Atticus made me think of Angus with the nickname Gus. And Malachi made me think of Levi.
I liked the suggestion of Bennet instead of Benedict or Benjamin, and Caleb instead of Jacob.
How about Aaron, Isaiah, Matthew, Micah, Nathaniel, Samuel or Sterling?
I had many of your favorites on my list, so here are some others I loved (sorry if repeats). I also wanted a name with a strong history of use and my tastes tended toward weightier names. We ended up with a Conrad, and if our second had been a boy, I was set on using Leo or Harvey.
Eben
Oren/Orrin
Anders
Gordon
Amos
Emil
Ambrose
Vincent
Gideon
Clark(e)
Stuart/Stewart
Bruno
Lewis/Louis (I prefer the loo-is pronunciation with your surname than loo-ee)
Cassius
Ezekiel
Cosmo
Samson
Gilbert
Nelson
Linus
Barnabas
Nathaniel
Solomon! Underused and fantastic!!!
A few thoughts that probably overlap what has already been said:
“Baz” for Sebastian is very commonly accepted nickname
Harvey makes a classically underused H name
Solomon with the nickname of Solo might be youthful and easy-going
Geoffery is quietly perched for a comeback… it would give you a ‘J’ sound without it being a ‘J’ name
Baxter is a solid man’s name
Howard could make an alliteration that isn’t a ‘Hugh’
Best wishes as you welcome your little guy!
I know a 23 year old Tobias with the nn Tobes and I love it! It sounds great with your surname too, not too “heavy” at all!
Benedict nn Ben is fabulous by the way! I really like the suggestion of Nathaniel too and the nn Nate is great.
You obviously like names that have a few syllables to them. What about:
Maximilian nn Max
Abraham nn Abe or Bram
Christopher nn Kit
Dominic nn Nico
Finnegan nn Finn
Elijah nn Eli
Gregory nn Grey
Joshua nn Josh
Matthias nn Matt
Rafferty nn Rafe
Theodore nn Theo
Zachary nn Zac
Good luck!
I was also going to suggest Tobin nn Toby! If you like Solomon, how about Saul?
Congrats!!! Here’s a list of names that I hope you like… Some are the same as others had listed while some are new!
Ezekiel. Zeke for short! Super cute!
I love the suggestion of Saul! Or even Solomon using Saul as a nn.
I personally don’t think Tobias or Solomon are too heavy. I happen to really like Tobias and think that Toby or Tobes is really cute on a little guy.
What about Sullivan nn Sully??
Emil (eh-meel). Underused and yet a strong classic name!
Arlo. If Oscar and Oliver aren’t quite right, this would maybe work?? This is by far one of my favourites!!
What about Oswald?? Nn Oz or Ozzy. Sooo cute!! Eeee ok this is also one of my faves for you!!
Maguire. You could use Mac or Gus for nicknames.
Fitzpatrick or Fitzgerald. Nn Fitz. A little boy with the name Fitz is so perfect to me! Another great classic with a funky and fresh nickname.
What about:
Raphael
Walter
Fergus
Finnegan
Simon
Charlie
Otto
Ottis
Jude or Judah
Good luck and keep us posted!!
Is your maiden name something you could use as a first name for him?
– Benedict (nn Ben): Love this! Also like Bennett or Benson as an alternative
– Edmund (nn Eddie): Also like Eddison or Edward (nn Ted)
– Humphrey: Pretty weighty name when said with your surname
– Leonard (nn Leo): If you don’t like Lenny then why not just Leo on its own? Or Leopold
– Solomon: Love this name so much! Also like the suggestion of Sullivan a lot
– Tobias: I don’t think it’s too weighty. Although I do know a grown up Toby who hates his name because he thinks it’s not weighty enough!
– William: I have two Williams on my side that go by Bill and Billy exclusively. Very cute. Wilson also popped into my mind
Other suggestions would be Patterson, Lawson, George, Patrick, Anderson, Finn, Samson, and Clark.
What about Elias? I also really love Benedict and the the suggestion of Judah (nickname Jude) is genious!
I will also suggest..
Eliseo (nickname Cheo or Eli)
Elijah
Antonio (nickname Tony)
Enrique (the spanish form of Henry so you don’t have the Alliteration) nickname ricky!
Ricardo (nickname Ricky)
David
Levi
Domenic (nickname Dom or Nico)
With the former pope & Benedict Cumberbatch the name feels less uncommon than it did a couple of years ago– I don’t think it is too out there, plus you are planning to use a very common and simple nickname.
Sebastian is a gorgeous name. Baz, Bash, Ash etc. are all nicknames you could use if you don’t like Seb. When you say the name the emphasis isn’t on Seb but on Bas so it’s not likely that people won’t be able to see past Seb as a nickname.