I am expecting a baby boy in June as a solo mom by choice and I live in the US. This puts me in the (potentially) enviable position of having full control over the baby’s name but all of the pressure, as well.
The most complicated factor is that I find my last name a bit tricky. It rhymes with Weary but begins with an L, not a W. I tend to find that rules out most, if not all, names beginning with an L and/or containing an L. Alliteration can be commanding, but a double L just feels hard to say.
As my own first name is rather long and formal, I’ve gone by a nickname almost my entire life. This actually steers me away from repeating the same pattern. I’d prefer a short and classic (but not overly popular) name. This baby will most likely be my only child, so I am not concerned with how the name could potentially go with a sibling’s name.
Girl Names I love:
Jane
Joan
Maya
Hannah
Maeve
NoraBoy Names I like, but am not 100% sold on:
Finn
Max
Dylan (but does it work with my last name?)
Nolan (same as above)
Everett
Barrett (but I despise Barry)Boy names I like, but can’t use:
Daniel
Jack
John
James
Jude
Mateo/Matthew
Luke/Luca/LukaThank you so much for your consideration!
Meg
I think Dylan and Nolan both work with the surname; I find Nolan a little harder to say with the surname, but not in a way that would rule it out.
I don’t think people will be inclined to use the nickname Barry for a Barrett, though it will depend on things such as your own particular circle, and on how naming trends develop: I have been seeing what looks like a return to Old School Nicknames (Marty and Mickey, to use two examples from my own circle), and it will be interesting to see if that grows/spreads or not.
On another post, commenter R mentioned that the name Barrett has been ruined by politics, and it took me a beat to remember the connection to the Supreme Court Justice—but, once I did, it was hard to forget. It is not the sort of connection I think has to ruin the name overall (that is, if I encountered the name Barrett on a baby, I would not think the name had been given as a political statement), but it definitely falls into the category of being the sort of thing I like to think of ahead of time.
My own hands-down favorite from your list is Everett. I think it’s great with the surname. And although I don’t normally put the child’s name with the parent’s name, and in fact discourage parents from doing so, I am breaking my own rule to say I like it with YOUR name, both with what I presume to be the full name and also with the nickname. Not as if it were a sibling set, which is what I object to when parents seem to be doing that, but just as a family. Margaret and Everett! Meg and Everett! Very pleasing combinations, both of them.
When I look at the names you like but are not 100% sold on, I see surname names and short snappy names. But when I look at the list of names you like but can’t use, I see more classic/traditional names, plus the short snappy names. I’m going to make a list that includes all three of those those categories, but also I’m going to include names that DO have nicknames, but to less of a degree than your own name: it feels to me like there’s a difference between Margaret/Meg and, say, Calvin-with-the-possibility-of-Cal.
Adam
Beckett
Bennett
Calvin
Dane
Dean
Declan
Drew
Elliot
Ezra
George
Grant
Griffin
Ian
Kellan
Malcolm
Merritt
Micah
Oliver
Quinn
Reid
Simon
Warren
Wilson
I went back and forth on possibilities such as Dean and Reid: are those smashing with the surname, or is the repeated vowel sound Too Much?
Especially since this will be your only child and you have full naming control, I wondered if you might like to look at your family tree for a name or surname to use as the first name; I’d look especially at the side of the family that didn’t contribute your own surname. Or this would be the perfect opportunity for any other honor name: an artist, a poet, an author, a scientist, or, yes, a politician.
I think the perfect name for someone who likes Everett & Barrett is Beckett!
Your list of “like but can’t use” names made me think of Joseph. It’s one of those names that sometimes gets overlooked because it feels so common, but I have a 4-year-old nephew named Joseph and it wears adorably on him! Joseph Weary-with-an-L.
I also quite like Calvin, Declan, and Micah from Swistle’s list. With the first two, I don’t think the repeating L is too much — in fact, to me it’s a pleasing tie-in from first to last name.
Two of my son’s names are in the like but can’t use list. The third son is Joseph. I think it’s a great name and sounds good with the surname.
My hesitation is Joe Weary, I found that a little hard to say (Joel Eary?) My son has self designated as a Joe.
My favorite for a girl is Hannah L… eary
If you like Barrett but don’t want Barry, I suggest Garrett.
But, with your surname, I would want to avoid names with R sounds, so I prefer Emmett L… eary or Simon L… eary.
From your list I like:
Dylan
Everett
Max
From Swistle’s suggestions I especially like:
Beckett
Griffin
Malcom
You might like:
Davis
Thomas
Best wishes to you!
I agree it’s easier to say Dylan with the surname than Nolan and now I’m wondering why.
From Swistle’s suggestions I like Simon best (I was going to suggest it myself before I saw it on her list), but also Dane, Declan, Ezra, Ian, Micah, and Oliver.
How about Casper? Or if you don’t mind names with common nicknames, I think Nicholas, Theodore, or Samuel would fit your style.
One of swistle’s suggestions that really caught my eye was Elliott. Yes, it has an L sound in it but honestly, Elliott Weary with an L feels snappy and cool and *almost* alliterative but not tongue twistery at all. It’s quite memorable and I really like it!
Some other suggestions
Grant
Isaac
Malcolm
Davis
Ronan instead of Nolan?
Morgan instead of Nolan or Dylan? It has a similar meaning to Dylan
Forgot to add Ryan as a suggestion. I think of Ryan as a modern classic and he would be a nice alternative to Dylan or Nolan.
Ryan Everett
Ryan Barrett
Ryan Maxwell
Ryan Weary with an L is great!
Swistle’s suggestion of Ian would be smashing as well. I feel like I never meet any Ians anymore.
Ian Everett
Ian Barrett
Ian Maxwell
Ian Weary with an L
Everett is my imaginary 4th child’s boy name of choice! I just love it! It doesn’t need a nickname, but if you want one, Ev is nice and soft. I’ve imagined calling “my” Everett “Evvy” and I just think that is too cute!! It’s a very handsome name, and I love it with your last name.
I can’t add anything to Swistle’s wonderful list. Though I will say that I’m finding the name Grant more and more handsome lately…
Good luck with the baby!!
Emmett
Desmond
Dermot
Gavin
Nathan
Owen
Graham
Peter
Shane
Ha, I am also a solo mom by choice, also named Meg (ok, technically Megan), and Everett was my boy name of choice until I found out I was having a girl! I love love LOVE Everett and while I was delighted to have a girl, I was sad to give up Everett.
I will say, however, that at least in my community (DC) it turns out everyone else loves Everett too: there are no less than five Everetts my daughter’s age (she’s almost four) in her preschool.
That said, I do NOT want to steer you away from it, since I think that’s just a fluke-y weird demographic thing. Elliott does not seem nearly as popular. Nor does Evan, which is Everett-adjacent, and could also have yielded “Ev” as a nickname, which I adore.
I also love Grant, Emmett, and Owen. Ditto for Oliver–I might have ruled it out for popularity reasons but I’ve yet to meet an Oliver my daughter’s age.
Also–congratulations!
So, your comment made me look up the number of baby boys named Everett born in DC in 2019 and 2020, and it turns out that REALLY is a crazy fluke, because Everett was not in the top 100 names used in DC in either of those years, meaning it was given to less then 12 boys per year. Just goes to show that we really can’t predict these things. (Just to be through I did look it up for those years in Virginia and Maryland as well. Everett was 89 (110 babies) in Virginia in 2019, It was 85 (75 babies) in Maryland in 2019. It was not in the top 100 for either state in 2020.)
K, this is absolutely fascinating!! Thank you so much for running the numbers… I had no idea that the popularity of Everett was so hyperlocal! It’s a little bananas to think that out of 12 Everetts born in 2020, a significant percentage attend my daughter’s school.
This should be reassuring to Meg, at least. Unless you live in NW DC in which case, hi! Let’s be friends!
I can probably count on one hand all the Susans AND Suzettes I know under 50, and 2 of them are 2nd graders in the same town. It’s kind of wild. Good thing only one of them goes by Suzy!
Just sharing I think Jane Weary with an L is such a fantastic name. She could be a news anchor with those sounds. I also would not have expected this (though I have heard others describe this experience including Swistle) but I met a little girl (3ish?) named Joan and it THRILLED me.
I was so hyped to see Jane and Joan on your list. Joan “Weary” sounds like an absolute boss when she’s grown and a spirited little girl when she’s tiny. Joni! Great list. Paul feels like a logical male equivalent of Jane/Joan. I’d totally suggest John if it wasn’t on the no-fly list. Or Reese/Rhys? As a future, possible, single mom by choice I’ve loved a peek into what it’s like deciding on a name.
Do you like Adrian? Adrian Weary-with-an-L strikes me as such a handsome name. There’s that repeated “ee” sound, but I think that because it’s broken up by strong consonants, it just adds to the appeal.
Everett is also very charming, and I love Beckett. Or Bennett? It’s a nice one from that ‘has a nickname, but doesn’t NEED a nickname’ category.
I would add Walter and Harvey as suggestions. I also love Simon!
I’m here to give a vote for Everett! It is my son’s name, who is 8 and we have only met one other Everett. We get lovely compliments on his name, and have enjoyed his name so much.
Good luck and congratulations!