Hi Swistle,
My boyfriend and I are expecting our baby boy within a couple weeks here! Due date is feb. 4th, but are most likely going to be induced before. And are still hesitant on a name. Last name “Grayler” but spelled a little differently.
So far we really like “C” names. Our top three are Chase, Crosby, and Carter. I really would like the middle name to be Maxwell, but am open for other suggestions that fit! Other names I have considered are Nolan and Gavin. For Nolan, I wasn’t sure if it was too “baby-like” and may not fit an older adult. As for Gavin, I wasn’t sure about two G’s- “Gavin Grayler”. We are a huge hockey family, both sides.
What do you think? Does the middle name Maxwell fit better for certain names? Does “Gavin Grayler” sound a little off with the two G’s?
Thank you!!!
Alliteration is a matter of taste: some people do it deliberately, and some people avoid it, and everyone else is somewhere in between. I don’t see anything wrong with Gavin Grayler if you like it.
Nolan doesn’t strike me as being baby-like at all. I haven’t known any adult Nolans yet, but I’d expect the name to work very well.
Of the names on your list, Nolan is my favorite with Maxwell. However, I think all of the names work fine with it: none of them strike me as NOT working with Maxwell.
My least favorite with your surname is Carter: the repeated -er with your surname sounds a little off to me. But this is another matter of taste: some people will like the way the repeated sound ties the two names together. I think I would prefer Carson: Carson Maxwell Grayler.
I also find I have a little trouble saying Crosby Grayler. I wonder if it’s the Cr/Gr? I think I would prefer Colby: Colby Maxwell Grayler. I also like Corbin Maxwell Grayler.
My top favorite of all the options is Nolan Maxwell Grayler.
Nolan doesn’t sound babyish. It strikes me as a name that will age very well. I also really like the way it sounds with Maxwell & the last name.
I agree with Swistle that Carter Graylor sounds repetitive. I also find the Cr/Gr of Crosby Graylor to be a bit tongue twisterish.
Carter & Nolan combined made me think of Carlin, which might be an option you’d like.
I really like Gavin and think Gavin Maxwell Grayler sounds great. But I also like Nolan Maxwell Grayler so you can’t go wrong with either of those choices.
I agree with Swistle regarding Carter and Crosby with your last name. Chase sounds fine with your last name but it is not one of favorite names. Have you considered Calvin Maxwell. I starts with c that you like and is similar to Gavin. It also allows for the cool nickname Cal.
I’d have to agree with Swistle. Out of the options given is say Nolan Maxwell sounds the best. I’m personally not a huge fan of alliteration with certain letters but with GG I think it’s softer and not so harsh.
I’m also a big fan of C names right now. Suggestions:
Clyde Maxwell
Chauncey Maxwell
Conrad Maxwell
Also I feel like a couple of these are similarly tied in origin with Maxwell without sounding too matchy.
I’d**
Hello from one hockey family to another! Crosby has made our shortlist, too – partly because of Sidney, partly because it’s just a great name.
Interesting that Swistle finds the Cr/Gr discordant – I find it really appealing. (Though I agree that Gavin Grayler might be a bit too much.)
That might be my hockey brain talking, but then, if that’s your world, you might find that everyone else reacts the way I am: GREAT name!
I wouldn’t call it discordant; it’s that my mouth has trouble saying the name, and I’m wondering if it’s the “similar but not quite the same” Cr/Gr combination that’s doing it. It could be instead another element of the name that’s making it difficult, such as switching from -sby to Gr-.
My father in law is Nolan, and so I’ve got the benefit of having seen it on an adult, and I think it works really well. As a result, I have the reverse problem and have a harder time seeing on a baby :) My brother in law and his wife named their baby Maxwell Nolan, and I like it in both orders. I’d choose Nolan Maxwell or Crosby Maxwell from your list!
Interesting! I have trouble seeing Nolan in a baby, because all the Nolans (and a Noland) that I know are my age (born in the 80s). So to me it feels a bit dated, but it’s still a fine name.
And double interesting, because I like Carter Grayler the best of the names listed. Especially with Maxwell as a middle name. I also like Cameron Maxwell Grayler. Good luck! All the names you listed are strong options, so whatever you pick will be perfect.
Ooh, what about Caleb?
I’m also on team Nolan Maxwell. Nolan Ryan was a big deal back with my brother was collecting baseball cards, so the name is 100% works-for-an-adult to me. The association also makes me think its a great name for a little boy who might be into sports…but of course baseball is not hockey. I don’t know what the cool hockey names are.
Maybe practice yelling “Go ______!!!” as if you’re cheering from the sidelines? I always wanted to name a kid Joe for this reason…but I think “Go Nolan!!!” also sounds pretty natural.
I feel the same way as Swistle (like always!) about the Carter and Crosby names sounding a little difficult to say. I like Chase, as well as Nolan and Gavin. I wonder if you’d like Coulter or Grant? But then you’d have to be ok with both alliteration and the double-Gr on Grant Grayler, so maybe not. The suggestion of Cameron above is fantastic, though! Cam Grayler is awesome.
I think Nolan totally works on all ages and have always loved the name. (I always think of Braves player Nolan Ryan). I think Maxwell works with any of those names. All great options. Good luck!
Oh, I really like Crosby Grayler. That would be my choice. I personally avoided -er names with my -er last name, so I would avoid Carter, but that’s a matter of taste. I also like Gavin and Nolan.
I think all 5 of the names on the list could work. I’m iffy on Carter because I’m not too keen on the double -er ending, but the Cr/Gr beginnings don’t bother me for Crosby, and the fact that the surname starts with a consonant blend makes Gavin seems like only partial alliteration. My favorite is Gavin, but I like Crosby, Chase, & Nolan, too.
Aw, I’m mom to a two year old Gavin, so my vote is for that. We usually call him either Gav or Gavi (Gav-ee) for short. I’m actually not a big fan of the Cr/Gr of Crosby Graylor, nor the double L in Nolan Graylor. I like Maxwell as a first with your surname!
What about Cash or Cole (the double L doesn’t seem as pronounced with that one) to consider?
What about Chance? Chance Maxwell Grayler. I really like your top contender of Chase. I think it goes well with Grayler. Crosby makes me think of the show Parenthood, which I love, but I’ve never met a real Crosby before. Other suggestions are Camden, Clayton, Cassius, Cyrus, or Cole.
Just chiming in to give a little love to Chase. Or Colin……a “C” name pretty close to Nolan. I love the clean sounds of both Chase and Colin, & think they sound good with your surname. I also like the way that Chase, having just one syllable, breaks up the 2-2 rhythm of Maxwell Grayler, creating a 1-2-2 name. I also really like Swistle’s suggestion of Carson.
I definitely think Crosby is a no-go. I like Carson, Carter, Colton, Chase, Christopher, Charles/Charlie…
I LOVE Gavin. I think the alliteration is nice!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nolan to me is more adult but works for a baby!
My godson (3 mos old tomorrow) is Crosby and it is still growing on me. It gets a definite reaction when you tell people his name. Not all good or all bad, but an “oh, well that is different” kind of reaction. At least around here (Chicago subrubs).
From a fellow hockey player and fan, I wonder if you would like Cameron? This is such a hockey name to me because I of Cam Neely, Cam Ward, Cam Barker and a few other players named Cameron (nickname Cam).
Cameron Maxwell Grayler. Cam Grayler has a great ring to it! Another C name related to hockey would be Calder. Or if you’re a Penguins fan you could go with Penn :)
Getting back to your list, I love Nolan. It means “champion”. Nolan Maxwell sounds great on both a child and a grown man. It’s a very sturdy name; not the least bit babyish. I once had a Nolan on a hockey team I coached and he was a great kid and a great player so this name has a hockey vibe to me as well :)
I love the sound of Cameron with your last name as a few different people have suggested here. I also really like Nolan as an option. I think both of those work really well with the middle name Maxwell and your last name.
Nolan Maxwell feels very familiar to me, like a celebrity. Can’t remember who.
Norman Rockwell?
Colin Powell?
I like all of your choices. Cam is also a great suggestion.
The only Nolan I know is in his late 40s, general contractor, and exceptionally intelligent. The name grows up well.
On the “babyness” of Nolan: the first Nolan I knew was a friend of my dad’s, who was probably 10-15 years older than my dad, so when I knew him he was in his fifties. It seemed totally appropriate on him. I now work with a Nolan who is probably in his early thirties. Again, it seems normal on him.
I think Swistle is exactly right that neither Carter nor Crosby work with Graylor. Nolan, Chase, and Gavin all sound nice to me. I do like the alliteration of Gavin.
I think Gavin, Nolan and Chase are all fantastic.
I don’t like Carter because of the double -er ending
I don’t like Crosby for a lot of reasons – the Cr/Gr; it makes me think of Bill Cosby before Sidney Crosby since the sound is similar; I think it’s a risk to name your kid after a living celebrity since you can’t predict what trouble they may get into. Think of all those poor kids whose parents thought Miley was a great name just a few years ago.
I also like the suggestions of Colin and Cameron.
I’m glad someone else here was bothered by the Crosby/Cosby overlap. I would steer clear of anything resembling Cosby these days, and that’s coming from a Sidney Crosby fan! I think my favourite option is Nolan! There’s Christopher Nolan the director, but the association isn’t as obvious, and I’d say it’s a positive one.
I like Gavin Grayler – it has a superhero sound to it.
I don’t like the repeated -er ending with Carter Grayler.
Crosby Grayler is also a tongue twister for me.
I do like the suggestion of Cameron (Cam) Grayler.
Other ideas I liked:
Carson
Colby
Colin/Collin
Cole
Camden (if you don’t mind the New Jersey association)
I’d avoid names with a long A sound: Caleb Grayler and Clayton Grayler is too much AAAAA.
What about Cory/Corey, or Coby?
(same issue with Chase Grayler re: the long A sound.)
If you’re a hard-core hockey family I would avoid Crosby. To me, it would be like naming your kid “Gretzky”- in my opinion, the name is just way too tied to Sidney Crosby if you’re already in a hockey context.
I completely agree with Katie above on the Crosby thing. I don’t like the idea of naming a kid after a specific and unique celebrity; you never know what shenanigans they could get up to later in life (the celebrity, not your child).
I absolutely LOVE the name Nolan. It’s been on my list forever and one of the things I love about it is how well it ages. I know a two-year-old Nolan and a thirty-five-year-old Nolan and neither seem weird to me. My vote absolutely goes to that name.
Of your list, Crosby is my favorite. I quite like Crosby Maxwell Grayler. But it’s also the outlier on your list. Nolan is also nice. Not a fan of Carter or Chase with the last name.
I also suggest Clyde.
Clarence or Curtis as well. Clarence maxwell grayler.
Other names Pierre. .. Stanley. . Ervin