Dear Swistle,
My husband and I are due in one month (April 6th) with our second son and most likely our last child.
Our first son is Everett James (Ev). My husband’s name is James, and my name is Katelyn (Katie). Our last name sounds like Giant but with a W.
We plan on using David for the middle name, but we are stuck on the first name. We would love for our son to have a strong first name with a great short nickname like his brother.
Initially we loved Theodore (Teddy) because our baby looked like a teddy bear in his first sonogram, but after some more thought, we felt that it was a little old-fashioned for us and the nicknames of Theo and Teddy didn’t feel like the right fit.
After looking at many baby name books, we settled on Griffin for most of the pregnancy, but in the last couple of weeks, we’ve started to question that choice because we don’t like the nicknames Griff or Finn. We still love the name, but we just aren’t completely sure about it.
In the past couple of weeks, we landed on Max. It is a strong name, and we love it. The only issue is that we don’t like any of the long forms of the name – Maxwell, Maximus, etc., so it would just be Max. We’re not sure if that’s too short of a name for a birth certificate.
Some other names that we’ve considered and rejected are: Henry, Peter, Thomas, Sidney, Ethan, Mitchell, Jackson, William, Jonah, Maddox, and Bradley.
If the baby was a girl, the top names would be Posey, Eleanora, or Anna.
We could really use your help!
Thanks and best wishes,
Katie
There are types/categories of nicknames, and I’m not clear on the lines between all of them (and I don’t think there ARE clear lines between them), but there are some I consider Nickname Nicknames (such as Max for Maxwell, or Will for William), and some I think of more as…abbreviations, or short forms, or something that is a nickname but not in the same way. I think one way to help find the line is whether or not the child would write the nickname on a school paper. I would say generally yes for Max, but generally no for Ev—though of course it would vary from person to person. Still, in general I would think an Everett would not typically write Ev on a school paper, even if it were common for his parents to say “Hey Ev, time for dinner.”
In fact, I would generally think of Everett as a name that didn’t have a natural nickname: if parents said a nickname was important to them, I would not suggest the name Everett. So when you ask me to find another name with a great short nickname like Everett/Ev, I’m not sure what to search for. I’m not sure if I should look for names that DO have what I consider great short nicknames (the Maxwell/Max, Benjamin/Ben, Samuel/Sam category), or if I should look for names similar to Everett/Ev (the Simon/Si, Emmett/Em, Keegan/Keeg category). My plan, then, is to look for names I think go well with Everett, and then just see what is available for nicknames and short forms.
I suggest Oliver, nickname Ollie. Everett and Oliver, Ev and Ollie.
Or Frederick, nickname Freddie. Everett and Frederick, Ev and Freddie.
Or Louis, nickname Louie. Everett and Louis, Ev and Louie.
Or Nolan, though I’m not sure about a nickname. Nole? Lannie? Perhaps one would emerge on its own. Everett and Nolan.
Or Charles, nickname Charlie. Everett and Charles, Ev and Charlie.
Or Malcolm, nickname Mal. Everett and Malcolm, Ev and Mal.
Or Franklin, nickname Frankie. Everett and Franklin, Ev and Frankie.
Or Calvin, nickname Cal. Everett and Calvin, Ev and Cal.
Or George, nickname Georgie. Everett and George, Ev and Georgie.
Or August, nickname Gus. Everett and August, Ev and Gus.
The name Max feels to me as if it goes with brothers named Jack and Sam, while Everett feels as if it goes with somewhat dressier names such as Jasper and Simon. And I don’t like the way the -x of Max blends into the Wy- of the surname: I get an unpleasant “kswy” sound. And it doesn’t meet your preference for another name/nickname combination. But both Everett and Max are vintage-revival names, so their styles overlap; and I don’t think the name Max is too short for a birth certificate if you don’t like the longer forms.
Name update:
Dear Swistle,
Thank you so much for your thoughtful naming advice and the wonderful input from your readers! Our baby boy arrived a month ago, and we ended up naming him Max. We are so happy and grateful for your help!
Best wishes,
Katie
I immediately went to Samuel/Sam or Jacob/Jake. But I feel the same as you do about Max and would not use any of the long forms. I agree with Swistle on Ev not being a commonly written nickname for Everett; we have one in our family and his name is never written Ev by anyone ever. But of course we say it, and have said it since he was a wee thing.
I like Wesley, but then the initials would be WDW and that’s also Walt Disney World so maybe W names of all stripes are off the table.
Max David works for me.
How about Orson nickname O?
As a surname – name, Orson seems more similar to Everett to me than Theodore. And it means bear! Which gives you a good story with the sonogram.
Or following the bear theme….maybe Arthur nickname Art? Or Arthur nickname Bear?
Yes! This was my thought, too!
What about Charles, nickname Chip?
I like all the one-syllable nicknames that don’t end in -y or -ie with Everett/Ev. I’d be more likely to think Mal was a girl (which for a more casual nickname might not matter much at all), but I really like Ev with Cal or Gus! And if you would prefer a non-Calvin Cal, maybe Callum?
I have a Maxwell who goes by Max 99% of the time. He write Max on his school papers, etc. Sometimes I wish we had just named him Max, and I think that Max holds up as a full name on its own just fine.
We also had Theodore on our list, so maybe you’ll like some of the other names my husband and I agreed on. Note: it’s a short list, as we didn’t agree on a lot.
Felix
Hugo
Leo (but we couldn’t find a long form we liked, and for some reason Leo didn’t feel like a full name to me, even though Max does)
I also like really like Griffin a lot, and I think it sounds great with Everett; for what it’s worth, I know four Griffins, and none of them regularly use a nickname. And I love Swistle’s suggestions of Calvin and August. August might be my favorite–Everett and August.
I find the perceptions we have of names endlessly fascinating. That’s why I keep reading this blog even when I intend no more babies to name.
I agree with Swistle’s assessment of nicknames vs shortenings of names. This is good news because you can probably use any name you really like and a natural shortening will follow… or you will call him ‘Boo’ or ‘Tiger’ or something else .
I don’t see Everett as vintage. I get more of a cowboy vibe so I would pair it with Colt or Colby or Wilder or something like that. Or possibly a surfer boy/beach boy/rat pack name like Dean or Roy or Frank?
Is Gus too much of a stretch from Griffin? Do you like Gruff? Ev and Gus, Ev and Gruff? I think it is cute :) You would have to be prepared for him to come home at 14 and demand to be called ‘griff/Finn’ though because it could always happen.
I think Max can stand alone. I know two max/jack sibsets. I don’t see it as a natural sibling for Everett but so what? More and more I am coming down to just saying ‘name them whatever you like’ the older my kids get the less important all the stuff about patterns and sibsets and nicknames becomes because as they get older they go their own way with all of these things. This is good news because it means the pressure is off you to get it exactly right. I think we can Maree Kondo it and only keep the rules that spark joy :) .
We chose Griffin for our son because there wasn’t a clear nickname. We prefer not to have them. That being said, he does occasionally get called just “G”. To me, Ev & G are cute “nicknames” that go well together, but like Swistle said, not really something you’d write on your school work. Good luck! We’re due any day with baby #2 as well.
A few more options:
Alexander (Lex), Alexander David Giant, Everett & Alexander, Ev & Lex
Asher (Ash), Asher David Giant, Everett & Asher, Ev & Ash
Bentley (Ben), Bentley David Giant, Everett & Bentley, Ev & Ben
Bowen (Bo), Bowen David Giant, Everett & Bowen, Ev & Bo
Carlton (Carl), Carlton David Giant, Everett & Carlton, Ev & Carl
Casper (Cas), Casper David Giant, Everett & Casper, Ev & Cas
Dashiell (Dash), Dashiell David Giant, Everett & Dashiell, Ev & Dash
Dominic (Dom), Dominic David Giant, Everett & Dominic, Ev & Dom
Ezekiel (Zeke), Ezekiel David Giant, Everett & Ezekiel, Ev & Zeke
Gabriel (Gabe), Gabriel David Giant, Everett & Gabriel, Ev & Gabe
Jethro (Jett), Jethro David Giant, Everett & Jethro, Ev & Jett
Julian (Jules), Julian David Giant, Everett & Julian, Ev & Jules
Keaton (Kit), Keaton David Giant, Everett & Keaton, Ev & Kit
Lincoln (Cole), Lincoln David Giant, Everett & Lincoln, Ev & Cole
Montgomery (Mo), Montgomery David Giant, Everett & Montgomery, Ev & Mo
Parker (Park), Parker David Giant, Everett & Parker, Ev & Park
Spencer (Spence), Spencer David Giant, Everett & Spencer, Ev & Spence
I know you said you considered and rejected Maddox but Max could easily be a nickname for it.
Great suggestion!
Here to suggest Grayson nn Gray.
I like Swistle’s suggestion of Malcolm, but rather than Mal as the nickname, I’d suggest Mac! Ev and Mac! Or even Max as a nickname for Malcolm.
Agree!
Malcolm to Mac or Max is my vote.
What about Maxwell called Wells instead of Max?
Malcolm called Mac, Mac and Ev
I like Nolan and Everett, Nole and Ev. I feel like both the full names and nicknames are of the same style
Gavin. Everett and Gavin. Ev and Gav
August called Gus
Zane. Everett and Zane. Ev and Z.
Zeke. Everett and Zeke. Ev and Z.
Arthur called Bear (based off Arthur’s meaning) Ev and Bear
Rowan called Ro. Ev and Ro
Owen. Ev and O
Nathaniel called Nate. Ev and Nate
Silas. Ev and Si
I think Rett is a more intuitive Nickname Name for Everett. Eve isn’t one I would think of,but it does seem natural as a familiar short form. By familiar, I mean I agree with Swistle that it doesn’t seem like the type of name he’d write on school homework, even though it could be the name family and close friends often use.
Other names in that same familiar nickname category (for me) are Sebastian/Bas, Jeremy/Jer, Allen/Alexander/Al, Brian/Bri, Jasper/Jas. Of those, I think Sebastian and Jasper are the best fits with Everett.
However, all this is totally subjective and I would not think much of a kid who decided to use any of these nicknames as their Nickname Name on their homework.
I think Rett is a more intuitive Nickname Name for Everett. Ev isn’t one I would think of,but it does seem natural as a familiar short form. By familiar, I mean I agree with Swistle that it doesn’t seem like the type of name he’d write on school homework, even though it could be the name family and close friends often use.
Other names in that same familiar nickname category (for me) are Sebastian/Bas, Jeremy/Jer, Allen/Alexander/Al, Brian/Bri, Jasper/Jas. Of those, I think Sebastian and Jasper are the best fits with Everett.
However, all this is totally subjective and I would not think much of a kid who decided to use any of these nicknames as their Nickname Name on their homework.
Love Everett James! How handsome! I really like Swistle’s suggestions of August and Calvin. I also think the prior suggestion of Bowen is pretty perfect.
I wanted to suggest Keith nn Kit. Keith David Giant. Ev and Kit; Everett and Keith. Or Phillip nn Pip! Phillip David Giant, Ev and Pip, Everett and Phillip. Or lastly Swistle’s suggestion of Malcom but with the nn Max.
One last thought. Would you consider switching David to the first slot? David Keith? Ev’s middle name is one syllable and honors your husband. How about a one syllable middle that honors you? Keith for Katelyn?
Congrats!
Tyler, nickname Ty! Everett & Tyler! Ev & Ty! Tyler David! I love this for you!
I had to comment because I feel we have such an overlap in our style!
Our son is Everett (Ev) as well. I’ll share our other boys choices in case they help you come to a decision: Malcolm (Mac), Jacob (Jake) Oliver (Ollie), Charles (Charlie), William (Will), Henry, Theodore (Theo), August (Gus), Atticus.
Love your boy names and girls name and I think you can’t go wrong with any of your options. Max, Griffin, Theodore are all great names, which will serve him well, and go well with Everett.
Good luck!
I have a 6 year old Everett. Ev is definitely the nickname we’d run to (over Rhett). I know a 30+ man who goes by Ev and yes writes it down as his name just like Tom, Mike or Dave.
I also have a 2 year old named Tobin (Toby would be the obvious nick name).
Some other favourite names of ours:
Walter – Walt
Callum/Callahan – Cal
Whitman – Whit
Kinnick – Kin
Dexter – Dex
Kellen – Kel
Leonard – Leo
Fitzroy – Fitz
Mitchell – Mitch
Of the names Swistle, mentioned, I think Simon/Si fits best, but I also like Oliver, Charles, Louis, & Franklin. Silas/Si could also work. Or how about Jackson/Jax?
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I know three families that have a Max and a Sam. In all cases, Max is the oldest brother and Sam is the middle or youngest. One family also has a Nick, which is pretty similar to Jack. Another one also has a Sheldon, which is an outlier. I think it’s a family name.
What about an older name like Robert? You have plenty of nickname possibilities there (Bob, Rob, Bert) and a good sibling match (Everett and Robert, Ev and Rob)
Alternately, if you like Griffin, maybe something like Orion (Ori) or Samson (Sam). I like Orion best with Everett (Everett and Orion, Ev and Ori)
Good luck
I agree that this is a tough call. Ev does seem like a family name of endearment more than a true nickname. But my daughter who is close to 30 now goes by Jess short for Jessica. It was not common at the time for a nickname. Ther are many people who go by initials. J for j names. E for e names and z for z names. Ev seems to be perfect for a nickname that when he grows up no one will think the name is as uncommon as an an initial nickname. I love the suggestion of Arthur and Orson and the nickname bear. I also saw the name Matheson. (Son of bear) I really like this name. Matheson David Giant. Nick name bear. Other nicknames seem to be there for this name
I definitely think Max can be a standalone name.
Maybe Cy for Cypress or Cyrus.
Lou for Lucas or Lucian
Beck for Beckham
Rex , just Rex?
Jess for Jesse
Gray for Graham
Zac for Zachary or Isaac
Cade, Caedmon,Cain, Caleb to reference Katelyn
Here I am to offer up my son’s name again, Fordon, nn Ford. Though as soon as he hit 13, he insisted on the full name, not the nn.
I have an Everett (no nickname) and his little brother is Leo (just Leo). Would you like Leopold or Leonard nn. Leo? Leo’s middle name is Sullivan. Would you like Sullivan nn. Sully?
I also liked Hugh while pregnant with Leo. Hugo nn. Hugh or Hugh nn. Hewey?
Good luck! You have great style, you can’t go wrong :)
Thank you Swistle and thank you all for your help and great suggestions! We are going to take the last few weeks to think about all of the names and make our final decision :)
August David (Gus)
Cyrus David (Cy)
Simon David (Sy)
Silas David (Sy)
Griffin David (Riff or G)
I just had to comment, it hit me when Swistle suggested Noland with the nn Nole, I think it would be super cute to have Everett James and Nolan David nn Ev and No. Probably not names they would use at school or as adults but for family use it would be sweet. That being said I have brothers James and David and growing up Mom called David Doodle Bug which got shortened to Do bug which was again shortened to Do. We called him Do until he was an adult. Along the same lines my sister Anita was called Dee because Jim couldn’t say her name when he was little. Maybe Everett will have a fun nn for Nolan and boom there is your nickname.