Hi Swistle!
Long time reader, and like many who frequent this website, I never thought I would need your help, but oh.my.word could I use some help from you and your amazing readers.
We are currently about three weeks out from meeting our baby, gender unknown, due the first week of October. We want to go in with two fantastic girl names and two equally fantastic boy names. Our girl’s names are:
Josephine Rose nn Posey (we love this for so many reasons, middle name is after both our grandmothers, first name is a nod to her dad)
Eleanor Patricia nn Nora (I had a dream this was her name, middle name is after my mom, not sure how it sounds with our last name)And our boy’s names are:
Montgomery Christian nn Mo or Monty (is this too “big” of a name for a little baby? Too many syllables and law-firm sounding?)
Cosmo Christian nn Mo or Cos (Seinfeld connection too strong?)It’s the boy’s names that are tripping me up the most. My husband and I kind of trapped ourselves into a corner when deciding we wanted his nickname to be Mo, after my sister, who has the nickname of Mo (full name Maureen). We like the namesake, but is it worth it if I don’t love the names as much as I love our girl’s names? We haven’t even made a list of any other names we like outside of the “Mo” realm. My husband loves Cosmo, and some days I like it and others I feel it is too “out there” (get it?). We toyed with Milo for a bit, but it doesn’t feel like it even needs a nickname, plus it seems a bit “trendy” next to other names we like. We do not like Morris, Maurice, Moses, etc. I do like Amos, but husband said absolutely not.
I sometimes even find myself hoping this is a girl SOLELY because I like our girl options better. Eek!
We don’t want anything ending in “n”, as our last name ends in “n” and those particular names sound too rhym-ey to me. We tend to like British names, older names with a history, and surname names.
Which of our two boy’s names sounds better with Josephine Rose nn Posey, as this will most likely be our girl’s name we use down the road? Are there any full names for “Mo” that we are missing? Should his name just be Mo or Moe?
Also, a bigger questions, are we overcomplicating this whole name thing with giving our kiddos nicknames before they are even born?
Thank you SO MUCH, I appreciate any insight from you and your readers, and I can promise an update (with photo), as those are my most favorite thing to read!
xo Kim + Joe Lauren-with-a-D
Here is my first question: Who if anyone has been told about your intention to honor your sister? It does sound to me as if you’ve trapped yourself unnecessarily, and so if no one knows about the idea to use Mo, I suggest releasing yourself from that restriction and see how that feels. Throw out the boy-name list and start over. Perhaps another way can be found to honor your sister, or perhaps a future daughter could have the middle name Maureen, or perhaps Mo/Moe could be used as a boy’s middle name.
Cosmo-called-Mo and Josephine-Rose-called-Posey feels like a lot of long-O and S-as-Z sounds. Mo and Posey is either adorable or too matchy (particularly with a father named Joe), depending on your own preferences. I think the worst would be to use a name you don’t love just to get an honor nickname, and then find that for you it rules out your favorite girl name.
If your sister has already been told of your intentions and so it would be very difficult to change course at this point, my favorite would be to use Mo/Moe as the middle name. It’s cute, and no one will think it’s odd that you didn’t give a boy the middle name Maureen. You could then either call him Mo(e) or not, as you prefer.
Another way to get the nickname is with the initials M.O.: Malcolm Oliver, nickname Mo; Miles Oliver, nickname Mo. This is getting very reachy, honor-wise (initials spelling the nickname of the honoree), but sometimes what parents need is a way out of the corner.
Or could you instead honor your sister by matching her first two initials? Again, this is a reach, but sometimes we take what we can get.
Or you could name him whatever you want and then call him Mo. People do this all the time. It isn’t an idea that comes to my mind often, but I think of it every time I hear a very reachy explanation for a child’s nickname: “Her name is Louisa but we’re calling her Zoe: the Z-sound in Louisa plus the O of Louisa plus the E from her middle name Elizabeth!” I’d be so much quicker to adjust to “Her given name is Louisa, but we call her Zoe.” Or just “This is Zoe.”
Name update:
Hi Swistle!
After all the angst over the boy name, we had Josephine Rose, or Posey, on October 4th. We’ve had great feedback on her name, with a few confused looks mixed in, but once we tell them Posey is a nickname for Josephine, they seem to get it. :)
Thanks all of you for your help and suggestions, I relished each and every one!
Morgan?
Solomon? Simon? Ramon? Pretty out there but you like Cosmo so–Mozart?
You’re not looking for a girl’s name for Mo, but I think Molly or Imogen would be cute.
The nickname Mo is really cute on a boy!
I think the nickname Mo can be used for any name starting with an ‘M’ really. I like Swistle’s suggestions of using the initials to get to Mo too!
Roman (I think this could work!)
Monroe
Montague
Matteo
Good luck!
A friend of a friend at university was called Mo, which came from his initials Michael O (I’ve forgotten his last name). I think he picked the nickname up from friends, but I don’t see why you couldn’t plan it. Good luck!
Another option is to choose a masculine Mary-variant like Marius, Mario, Marion, etc. (I love Marius.) Derived from the same source as Maureen.
I honestly think Mo could be short for almost any M-starting name. Malcolm is stellar, Matthew or Matthias, Malachi, Marcus, Marcel, Martin (love Martin!)… no justification, just “This is Mo!”
Moses nicknamed Mo?
oops, don’t like that one. nm!
What about…
Morton
Molloy
Monaghan
Morrison
Morrissey
I also love Montgomery and Monty…
go with your gut Mumma xxx
First of all, Josephine Rose and Eleanor Patricia are lovely so I can see why you are set for girls.
If you really want a boys name that can easily be nicknamed Mo, Cosmo is fine. If I was in your shoes and set on Mo as nickname, though, I would go with Marco. It is more mainstream but not common and Mo is not that much of stretch. Marco Patrick (D) ……. flows nicely if you would like to honor your Mom as well.
However, you could save honoring your sister for a second daughter…. perhaps with the middle name Maura. Eleanor Maura (D) is lovely. This also honors your sister and avoids having to close family members with the same nickname. Also, f you throw out the constraint of looking for a Mo name, you could always still use your mother’s name as middle name for a son. Patrick would work well with many boys names that you may love as the first name.
Based on the style of names you listed for girls and Cosmo, I really like:
Anthony Patrick
Vincent Patrick
Henry Patrick
Raymond Patrick
Lorenzo Patrick
Since your are honoring a daughter with a variation of your husbands name, perhaps you would want to honor a son by having him share a first initial with you
Kenneth Patrick
Keller Patrick
Kenton Patrick
a note of caution: a boy with the nickname Mo might be at risk of teasing along the lines of “hoMo.” You can’t pick names solely based on what kids might tease about down the line, because goodness knows kids will find something to tease everyone about. But make sure you pick a name you like in its non-nn version in case your kid winds up not wanting to go by Mo.
Jumping in to say I have had two close friends over the years named Mo, and another Moe. Two were from Morgan (a man and a woman), the third from Maureen. I’m 95% sure none of them were ever teased that way. Ever. All three chose to go by Mo(e) almost exclusively (including professionally) instead of their longer given names. It’s true most any name has a teasing potential, but most of the teases are just intellectual exercises– they usually don’t get much day-to-day use. (The exception being names with a really strong first syllable association with a bodily function or “bad word”– Astrid and Analise I have both heard used for bad puns.)
I am also a loose nicknamer, not a strict one, so for me the MOST FUN “Mo” names would be where the Mo is hidden elsewhere in the name: Amos, Timothy, Whitmore. You may simply not like the starts with Mo ends with Mo formal name options.
Re: the hoMo comment above-I really really don’t think that’s a concern in 2016 and forward but perhaps if you live in a particularly bigoted community it might be. Not to mention that people have being going by Mo this whole time. I think more of Motion, Mover, Motivation. I could see teachers and coaches coining these endearments.
Nobody has commented on the Cosmo thing yet, so I will say that for me, the Seinfeld association is overwhelmingly strong. I haven’t heard that name in any other context, so it immediately makes me think of Cosmo Kramer. I guess Cosmo is also a magazine, but that doesn’t dilute the association for me. So it’s not a negative association, necessarily, but it’s striking. However, this may fade a bit as Seinfeld continues to lose cultural relevance.
You don’t mention whether you plan to have more children, but I think this is something to consider. How important is it for your children’s names to coordinate in terms of style? Josephine (or some other classic first name) is not in the same style category as Cosmo.
I would also encourage you to consider whether trendiness/popularity actually matter to you. If you’re in the US, maybe check out the Social Security Administration’s baby name data. Nora and Eleanor have both shot up the charts in the last 15 years and haven’t peaked yet. For 2015, Eleanor is #60 and Nora is #41. If we lump those two names together, that is 9703 baby girls and falls at about #15, between Amelia and Elizabeth. Milo is also on an upward swing for boys over the last 15 years, but the trajectory isn’t nearly as dramatic. Milo was chosen for 1271 baby boys in 2015 and ranks at #288. This varies from state to state and even from city to city, but it makes me think that you should reconsider Milo if Eleanor passes the test for you.
If i had to pick one of your boy names, i STRONGLY prefer Montgomery Christian. I think its a good name with plenty of nickname options.
I LOVE swistle’s idea of M.O. initials. this widens your options significantly!
On another note Josephine Rose – Posey is perfection!
For me, the Cosmo association is first and overwhelmingly Seinfeld, and secondarily the magazine. I don’t think it matches well with the rest of your naming style, and it’s such an unusual name that the associations I have with it are VERY strong (as opposed to, say, George or Elaine, which are Seinfeld names, but also the names of many, many other people, and not the first place that my mind travels).
I love the nickname Mo. I think you can get there with any M-name for a boy. Go for it! I love the idea of Malcolm, Martin, or Malachy
I love Montgomery and suggestion Marco and Matteo above. My husband’s mother was named Maureen and went by Mo and his (our) last name starts with Mo—– and the men in the family go by Monty (sometimes spelled Monte) or Mo. Monte could work too.
I’m not a huge Cosmo fan, but I think if I met a little boy with that name I would find it adorable. I do like Milo, but understand your concerns.
Love Josephine Rose nn Posey, perfect!
Here are some boy names (in a wide range of styles!) that have “Mo” somewhere in them:
Simon
Morgan
Desmond
Beaumont
Eamon
Timothy
Damon
Montague or Monte
Monroe
Richmond
Raymond
Cadmon
Cosimo (to avoid the Seinfeld feel?)
Maximo
Esmond
Lamont
Morrison
Hammond
Gilmore
Elmore
Solomon
Emory
Ammon
Good luck!
I’m confused — why is it important to you that your son be given a first (nick)name honoring your sister, yet it’s not important to you that your daughter have a first or middle name after her? Because it would make much more sense to give a daughter the middle name Maureen: Josephine Maureen, nn Posey, Eleanor Maureen, nn Nora.
The Mo plan is cute, but if it’s driving you to the point that you haven’t even considered other names and you want a girl just to avoid giving him one of the Mo names… I think it’s time to shelve that plan under “Nice idea, didn’t work out.”
Oh, and if you think Milo is too trendy, I’m not sure Nora is great for you either (as someone has already pointed out).
Thanks ALL OF YOU for the insight so far!
I forgot to mention that middle name is set, it has to be Christian if this a boy, as it is a tradition on husband’s mom’s side (and she would be real bummed if we didn’t continue). So the M.O. becomes more complicated.
Also, we got stuck on the MO thing when we decided if she is a she, her name will be an opposite gender namesake, so if he is a he, it would be same and named after his aunt, just in the nickname.
I love all the additional names that come to mind for you all, so keep them coming, please! However, we aren’t huge fans of the ending of “n” with our last name, but can try to look past it if you all think it works.
Since Christian is from your husband’s side of the family, doesn’t he already have a same-gender namesake? Not trying to split hairs but rather free you from self-imposed constraints! I like your girl names very much! Joe and Mo in the same family might be too much but I think a boy named Marco would be perfect! Not sure if it would sound too ethnic in your family. I also like suggestions of Malcolm and Emory. Is Moby too out there? I haven’t met anyone with the name, but I wonder if it would work as Toby is more popular.
Out of left field, but I have a cousin named Remo (pronounced Ray-mo)
I have a relative that is nicknamed Mo, and his given name is Austin. I also have a son that is named Aaron and his nickname is Chuck. Neither nicknames have anything to do with their given names at all, but were given out of love from beloved relatives. Just a thought there. And don’t forget, just because you give him that nickname doesn’t mean he will like it later and keep it forever. I would strongly suggest you love the name you give him, just in case he decides down the road that the nickname needs to go.
Good advice.
I love your girl names :) Although the question of why not make Maureen the middle name for a girl is a good one to consider as well.
Onwards to boy names! For your existing names, yes Cosmo is overwhelmingly a Seinfeld reference and although the character is not a negative association, it does not pass my “Starbucks” test or the “would I want this name for myself?” test. And honestly yes the name Montgomery Christian is a bit too much of a stuffy mouthful, in my opinion. But I do think that Christian with a different first name is GREAT, with the nickname Mo, so you’re onto something! Alternate suggestions for a first name to derive the nickname Mo:
Munro (I like this better than Monroe, which is leaning girl for me now.)
Dominic
Mario
Martino
Mortimer!!!! OMG please use this. I love it so much.
Murdock
maybe even Thomas?
Oops sorry I see you replied to the question of using Maureen if it’s a girl!
I met a Cosmo at my last job and he was awesome, so that’s my first association with the name. I’m 30 and watched Seinfeld, but still have no idea what reference people are talking about, so I don’t think everyone would go that way. I think there should be more Cosmo’s in the world.
I also LOVE Montgomery as a first name. It’s a strong name for an adult, but the Mo nickname makes him approachable and works great for a kid. I also thought of Morrison when I read your letter, but I think my fave by far is Montgomery.
I think Cosmo would be a great name…I was going to say particularly if you have Jewish heritage but then I looked it up and apparently it’s an English name? So shows what I know. The Seinfeld association won’t be one kids his age will have, and adults will get over when they meet a real person with the name. Cosmo will fit right in with little Otto, Milo, Arlo, and Hugo.
I love the name Monroe, recommended in a previous comment. I think Monroe Christian Lauren (with a d) sounds lovely and hits on all your desired points.
Having said that, I think Montgomery is a good, strong choice and your girl names are both great.
Montgomery is great. I like Morrisey a lot, though.
Oh, oh, oh!!!
I have been waiting for this question for almost two years!! Seriously!
We went to a marathon, and the winner was a college dude named… Mojave.
Mojave!
He was cool, fast, humble, and handsome. Wow!
Thanks to the desert, everyone from teachers to employers should reasonably know how to pronounce it. He’s memorable, rad, and distinctive.
Mojave!!
I feel like if you don’t like any of the obvious choices – Morris, Maurice (I like Morris)- or using just Moe, that you should move on to other names. If Montgomery or Cosmo (too Seinfeld for me too) don’t feel right, it doesn’t seem worth it to get to Moe. I love Josephine Rose. The boy names that fit with this and Eleanor, and seem to match your style in my mind are names like Frederick, Theodore, August or Louis. They are old fashioned but modern and have lots of nickname potential.
I was about to write a persuasive argument for Moe, and of course, another reader put it beautifully. Thanks, Juniperjones. Moe is a real name, with a spike in the 1910’s according to Baby Name Wizard. So it seems like a great name to bring back into common use. I knew a guy named Rick Moe in HS and everybody called him Moe because it was so easy to say.
So, I say, use it as a name, because it is a real name. Or just use the nickname regardless of the birth certificate. Best of luck!!! So sweet to honor your sister.
Oh, and I like Moe Christian a lot more than Montgomery Christian.
Yep, Cosmo = Cosmo Kramer for me too (I’m 31 and am not necessarily sure I even saw the particular episode that revealed his first name, but consider it well-known pop culture at this point). I am a relatively regular reader of the magazine, but I still think first of Kramer (and from there it’s only a short half-step to the terrible N-word meltdown). I would avoid this name at all costs, I think.
I think Montgomery Christian is really cool! However, I don’t think I’d use it in hopes of his sticking with the nickname Mo. Not unless you love the name for other reasons. It lends itself to so many other daily use names that there’s absolutely no telling whether he’ll still be a Mo by the time he finishes his first year of school! Inertia might be a strong enough force to keep him using the name forever, but he might also be the type of kid who takes charge and announces he wants to be called Monty or Chris or Gogo.
In my social circle, “Mo” hasn’t been referenced as a homophobic slur pretty much ever, but we all know that it used to be used that way among many hateful people. However, some of my gay friends have used it as a term of endearment for each other, but it’s pretty passé now (I haven’t heard it that way in 8+ years). I think in at least some parts of the country, this nickname might not wear as well on a boy as it does on a girl. Unfortunately, there are still bigots alive in 2016; and even among non-bigots, the association might still pop up!
Ah. I love your girl names. Which leads me to this… Both girl names are super classic with spunky nn. You can say the same for Montgomery. Whereas Cosmo seems sooo different style-wise. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I wonder if you guys are just reaching to hit that Mo? Stylistically, it’s not a big deal if boys in the family and the girls in the family are different, so if you both do love Cosmo, then go for it.
I’m throwing out a I LOVE Montgomery. It’s so different but not made-up. Plus Monte or Mo. So cute. Like totally awesome.
I instantly thought of Monroe… I see others have as well! Love it!
Omg. (Yes, I just said omg) Whoever recommended Beaumont is a genius. Seriously. Love love love this. Still gets your Monte and your Mo. Beaumont Christian. Yes. Plus it actually has a similar feel as Josephine to me. Sigh. Love it.
Keep us posted!! Good luck!
I want to speak up regarding Montgomery as that is the last name I inherited when I married my husband. I have to say I’m not a fan of Montgomery- #1 reason- NO ONE KNOWS HOW TO SPELL IT! Believe it or not, 98% of the time I have to spell my last name for people. Even when I do spell it for them they wind up spelling it wrong anyway. #2- pronunciation- PEOPLE WILL SAY IT INCORRECTLY! I pronounce it like they do in the south since my husband is from the south and they pronounce is MUNT-GUM-REE whereas other say MONT-GAHM-ER-REE. Another note- it’s a VERY long name to write and I would very much dislike having to write out a very long first name if I were a child. I honestly do not like Montgomery as a first name and strongly urge you to reconsider the first name. There are plenty of better suited first names that can get you the “Mo” nickname you’re looking for. Some guys at my husband’s work call him “Monty”, by the way, so not even Mo has been derived from Montgomery.
I do like others suggestion of Monroe Christian and Beaumont Christian (BoMo)!!!
Other suggestions for a boy:
I meant to give you other suggestions but hit enter to fast. I see where you’ve posted your question on other naming boards and they seem to be giving you the same kind of responses as here!
I would say that MONT-GAHM-ER-REE is a perfectly legitimate way to pronounce Montgomery and MUNT-GUM-REE would be a regional variation. Obviously others would reverse these labels but neither could be accused of being wrong.
For my ear though 4 syllables is a lot of name for a boy. I like Cosmo myself or Malcolm.
I agree… depending on where you live, words and names are pronounced differently.
I live in Canada, and I would pronounce it MONT-GUM-ER-REE. So a variation of the two you presented above.
You have the potential to end up with a Posey, Joe, and 2 Moes in the same family. Personally, I would constantly be tripping up over so many rhyming names. I would encourage you to consider a way to honor your sister without replicating her actual call name.
Montgomery isn’t too much name (even if it was, he won’t be a baby forever). The honor to Maureen/Mo is obvious and you could use Monty to avoid replication of the actual call name or rhyming anything. Malcolm and even Milo also seem like nice options.
Perhaps you could flip the name? For example, if your sister is Maureen Elizabeth called Mo, you could name him something like Montgomery Eliajh. Or, if you eliminate the need to duplicate the call name, you could simply do a direct initial match with something like Eli Milo.
I came in here to say the same thing. Mo and Posey sounds like a tongue twister. Add a Joe and a second Mo, oh no.
Also, I immediately heard “odor” when I tried out Mo Dauren. After a few seconds I also heard motorin’ – I hope the kid likes hearing Sister Christian sung to him frequently.
Your girls names are gorgeous, I especially love Josephine/Posey.
I LOVE the idea of a cross-gender namesake, particularly naming a male after a female relative. I don’t think Montgomery is “too much”, especially with the very accessible nicknames of Mo or Monty. I also like Montgomery better, both as a name on its own and also with potential sibling names. I don’t know the Cosmo association, but I don’t care for the name as much, nor do I think it coordinates as well.
However, as others have noted, you don’t want to choose a name you don’t care for just to get a particular nickname – you have no idea I’d they’ll want to go by that nickname when they get older. Are there any other relatives you may be able to honor if you’re having a hard time getting on board with a “Mo” name?
The additional information that the middle name is limited to Christian makes me want to echo Swistle’s point about releasing yourself from restrictions. I live the idea of cross gendering the namesakes, but it seems like you’ve almost set yourself an impossible task. And since Christian is coming from dad’s side, your son would already be named after a male in part. My suggestion would be to reframe the naming method: daughter is named after dad and relatives from mom and dad’s side. So son should be named after mom’s side and dad’s side.
Good luck!
Maurice jumped to mind first, and I see it did for others as well. Maury, Morris, Morgan…
I like Montgomery a lot. Re: Cosmo –>I forgot all about Seinfeld, and just thought of the magazine, which I’ve been liking a lot lately for it’s Pro-Choice content, but still associate with their “have mind-blowing sex” articles.
I vote for giving him Moe as his full first name.
I very much like Cosmo and I think Montgomery sounds handsome too, but if it isn’t quite right…
I would just love Romeo nn Mo!
As many people suggested I like Malcolm nn Mo, seems to fit the naming style.
Or how about just Monte nn Mo?
Or any M name really… Maguire, Magnus, Maximus, Macaulay… you can make it Mau! ;-)
Amory? Cormac? Maddock?
Good luck!!
My son is Emory. It’s been a great name.
Morris?
I have a cousin with a boy named Mosiah (Mo-z-eye-a) who went by Mo until he was four when he emphatically declared, “My name not Mo, it Mosiah!” and he’s been Mosiah ever since. So . . . if you want Mo, you might consider just going with Mo. On the other hand, I’m a huge fan of the name Morris, so I’m voting for that one.
*FYI, Mosiah is a gorgeous name but any Mormon you meet would automatically assume that you’re Mormon if you have that name.
I’ll admit that my first association with Cosmo is Seinfeld, but I really doubt it would be an issue for a baby born today. My older kids (16 and 12) have never seen an episode and couldn’t identify Kramer, let alone tell you his first name. I can’t imagine it being a well-known association for kids younger than them.
If you don’t really like any of the obvious Mo nicknames, I second Swistle’s suggestion to pick a name you love and just call him Mo. If I were the child in question, I’d rather have a name I knew my parents loved with an unusual nickname than a name they thought was just ok but which gave me the nickname.
Just my opinion, but I think you should allow yourself to think of other options now. You say you feel trapped and ask if it is worth it to use a name you don’t love to get the nickname. I don’t think it is. I think you should give yourself the freedom to find a boy’s name that lets you feel some of the same excitement you feel for the girls’ names. I’d at least take some time where you throw out the Mo idea and allow yourself to dream about a son and see what that feels like. You may come back to Mo, but you may find what you’ve been looking for all along instead. Do what makes you and your husband happiest.
Also, are there any other women in your family you could honor whose names have male versions you love?
But if you’re thrilled by Mo(e), just go there right away as his name.
The first Cosmo’s that come to my mind are one of the fairies in Fairly Odd Parents on Nickelodeon (and he’s a twit) and the adult beverage. 3rd is Cosimo De’Medici.
I would start from scratch and look for boys names you love without constraints. If you are able to back in to a namesake, great. If not, also great. Considering that the middle name is a family name, I think you are off the self-inflicted hook on the first name.
You can also consider other namesakes from your side of the family (both male and female namesakes) if you feel you need some constraints. Look at names that nod to your name as well, since Josephine would nod to dad’s name. Perhaps you have dad Joe with daughter Josephine/Posey and mom Kim with son Timothy/Tim. Completely different names, but they feel related. As a bonus, Tim can evolve to Tim-o and then Mo.
If all else fails, Montgomery is a solid choice.
On the one hand, I agree if getting to Mo is giving you so much trouble you’re hoping for a girl just not to have to deal with it, maybe it’s time to give up on the nickname,
But on the other hand, people had so many great ideas, maybe you’ll be inspired. I like the M.O. initial idea. Gives you a lot of flexibility. Micah Oliver? Malachi Owen? Or names with mo in them like Timothy or Simon of Ramon. Those are all great suggestions.
I also like the idea of Marius, because of its closeness to the name Maureen.
But circling back to your original choices, I can see a Cosmo with sisters Josephine and Eleanor. It’s quirky but it doesn’t clash,
On the one hand, I agree if getting to Mo is giving you so much trouble you’re hoping for a girl just not to have to deal with it, maybe it’s time to give up on the nickname,
But on the other hand, people had so many great ideas, maybe you’ll be inspired. I like the M.O. initial idea. Gives you a lot of flexibility. Micah Oliver? Malachi Owen? Or names with mo in them like Timothy or Simon or Ramon. Those are all great suggestions.
I also like the idea of Marius, because of its closeness to the name Maureen.
But circling back to your original choices, I can see a Cosmo with sisters Josephine and Eleanor. It’s quirky but it doesn’t clash,
First of all I want to say how much I love, love, love the name Josephine Rose.
I think Montgomery is fine. Just fine. I don’t think it’s too much paired with Christian. Middle names don’t get used that much. I think Monty is pretty cool. For me Cosmo will always be Kramer.
However I think I’m on the side of scrapping Mo and looking for other names.
If Josephine is named after her dad Joe, and you want to name a son after a female relative, why not yourself?
Kimber
Kimball
Campbell
Cameron
I think my favourite would be Campbell. Campbell Christian. Meets your requirements: British names, older names with a history, and surname names, and not ending in “n”. Joe & Kim, Posey & Cam. Sounds pretty good to me.
Good luck and I hope everything goes smoothly for you.
I think Cosmo is a really cool name! Short, familiar, but uncommon. The connection to the cosmos is really fun, especially for a little boy. I can see an astronomy themed bedroom, lol.
I also really like the suggestion of Timothy. I love the name Timothy but not the nicknames Tim or Timmy, so I think Mo also solves an inherent problem there (heading off the nickname Tim).
I seem to be the only one with this experience, but I’ve know several Mohammeds nicknamed Mo.
Love your girl names. The only Cosmos I’ve ever “known” were Kramer and a small puppy named after the character. I’m trying to decide if I would like the name if those associations didn’t exist for me… and I think I’d be stopped by the drink with the name. I think Montgomery is great, and Beaumont is wonderful. I definitely don’t think you need to commit to a Mo nickname… a baby boy would already have a family name with his middle after his dad.