Baby Boy Carman-with-a-J, Brother to Hadley, Emmerson, Brinley, and Huxton; Unusual Surname Names

Hi Swistle,

My husband and I are expecting our fifth (and we are pretty sure, final) baby in July.  Our names are Gordy & Megan, last name sounds like Carman, but with a J.

We had a girl name all picked out: Montgomery Adell, we just loved Montgomery and Adell is a family name.  We just found out last week we are having a boy and I’m going crazy trying to find a name that fits with ours and is unique enough for me.  As a Megan, I’ve met hundreds of other Megan’s, and I never wanted to have my kids to have the same thing happen to them.

We have 3 daughters and a son; Hadley Jo, Emmerson Paige & Brinley Jean and Huxton Louis. We’ve got a Surname thing going and would like to keep that going. Plus Huxton isn’t not on the SS list at all, so using a name that isn’t on it or very high at all, is important to us.  Even Hadley and Emmerson have moved up on the SS list quite a bit since we named our girls.
Another thing that is important to me is nicknames, we’ve got Emmy, Brinny and Huck. And I want to be able to fall in love with our babies name and nickname.

This baby’s middle name will be Gibb, my father’s middle name.

Our list as of now is:
Decker
Deacon
MaCalister
Macklen
Monroe (my husband doesn’t love this one)
I also love Beckham, but it’s more popular.

I am very open to suggestions, as none of these names have made me very excited.  I love our kids names and when we decided on Huxton, I just knew that was it.  So any help you can give us would be very welcomed.

Thanks so much!

Megan

 

My suggestion is to use Montgomery. Although it’s traditionally a boy name, it’s currently extremely unusual for boys as well as for girls—unlike, say, Jacob, which would be extremely unusual for a girl but extremely common for a boy. In 2013, the Social Security Administration reports the name Montgomery was used for 82 new baby boys and 19 new baby girls. This makes it somewhat more common than the name Huxton (10 new baby boys in 2013), but still significantly less common than the names Hadley, Emmerson/Emerson/Emersyn/etc., and Brinley/Brinlee/Brinleigh/etc. (hundreds/thousands of each in 2013). Montgomery Gibb seems like an excellent choice for the sibling group.

More suggestions:

Abbott
Banks
Baxter
Becker
Conway
Crawford
Crockett
Crosby
Fielding
Fletcher
Gates
Gibson
Keller
Lawson
McCormick
McNeil
Mercer
Merritt
Meyer
Meyers/Myers
Miller
Morris
Murphy
Nicholson
Nickerson
Perkins
Redford
Reeves
Shepard/Shepherd
Smith
Turner
Wagner
Walsh
Watkins
Whitaker
Wilder
Wilkins

I included names even if I couldn’t think of a nickname right away; I am not always quick to see nickname potential. I took out Hathaway and Holloway after realizing that might be too much H with Hadley and Huxton. I took out Gibson and Lawson and Nicholson and Nickerson after realizing they repeated the ending of Emerson, but especially with five children I think it would be fine to repeat an ending, so I put them back in. Names such as Perkins and Watkins might be too much -in- with Brinley, but I wasn’t sure I thought so, so I left them in.

I took out Gibson again because it doesn’t work with the middle name Gibb, but it’s possible you’d want to use Gibson as the honor name instead, so then I put it back in. I left in other names I didn’t think worked well with the middle name Gibb, because one person’s “doesn’t work well” is another person’s “works great/fine,” and because sometimes parents change the middle name choice if they find a first name they love that doesn’t work with it.

47 thoughts on “Baby Boy Carman-with-a-J, Brother to Hadley, Emmerson, Brinley, and Huxton; Unusual Surname Names

  1. Megslin

    I agree with Montgomery! It reminds me of Montgomery Cliff! I can’t see that as a girl’s name at all, while the others are more last names that skew female, Montgomery is so masculine to me.

    From the short list, I would have to say Decker always reminds me of “Deck Her” and Monroe is too pooch or Marilyn. I like Deacon!

    Reply
  2. Ashley

    Deacon (nn Deak)! I’ve loved it since the name appeared on a minor character in 2 Broke Girls. It’s great!

    Reply
  3. Angela

    Looking at the sib group I guess all the name’s genders correctly, and then you threw me for a loop when you said you wanted Montgomery for a girl–it just sounds so masculine to me! I also vote that you use Montgomery for your boy.

    Reply
  4. Ash

    My last name is Montgomery by marriage and Montgomery was my first thought as well. I have never seen Montgomery used for a girl and associate it with a boy name 100%. My husband’s coworkers call him Monty so that can be used as a nickname. I will say this, since becoming a Montgomery, I have to spell our last name ALL.THE.TIME. I figured people would know how to spell it since it’s the capital of Alabama but apparently they do not. Just wanted you to be aware of that. I plan on naming our future boy if we have one (we currently only have a daughter) Lawson and I saw that on Swistle’s list of suggestions. An acquaintance just named their baby Banks (also on Swistle’s list) so while it’s uncommon, it’s not unheard of.

    I keep a list of unusual baby names once I see or hear them so here is the list I have kept:

    Anvy
    Dmitri
    Cortlund
    Bradford
    Bevin
    Dougrey
    Fenric
    Irwin
    Hadrian
    Gareth
    Japeth
    Furian
    Talon
    Randon
    Barrington

    What about Thompson Gibb Carman and call him Tommy? I like this!

    Reply
    1. Ashley H.

      What about Jacoby? Sutton? I really like Montgomery for a boy (but for a girl it sounds great too)! More ideas: Sullivan (Sully), Callahan (Cal), Miller, Erikson/Ericson, Jacobson, Colby, Cartwright, Tobias, Quincy, Prescott, Xavier, Porter, Lennon, Wells, Rocco.

      Reply
  5. Cam

    You have excellent taste in names. I really like Swistle’s suggestion of Montgomery Gibb, it goes great with your other kids names. Montgomery comes across as very masculine to me, I would never use it for a girl. I also like the suggestions of Lawson and Deacon. But Montgomery Gibb gets my vote for sure!

    Reply
  6. Kelsey d

    Another for using Montgomery for your boy.

    I love the idea of using Gibson and Gibb for short.

    I met a little Smith a while back and it was different and refreshing and I really like it although it doesn’t really lend itself to a shortened name.

    What about Raphael?

    Fitzpatrick is one of my favorites. As if Fitz isn’t the most cutest nn ever. Huck and Fitz. Love it!!!! My favourite by far!

    What about Maguire? Nn Mac?

    Good luck!! I think swistle gave you a really great list to find a good name!

    Reply
  7. Sarah

    I’ll add:

    Sawyer. No good nicknames, but great name.

    Spencer nn Spence. I think Spencer Gibb is dashing. Hadley, Emmy, Brinny, Huck and Spence. Has a nice final sound…

    Reply
  8. Leah

    I liked the suggestion of Crawford; Crawford Gibb Carmen w/ a J; or how about Fisher? Fisher Gibb Carmen w/ a J; Hadley, Emmerson, Brinley, Huxton, and Fisher/Crawford? Given your existing sibset and surname, I would avoid a ‘son’ ending, and an ‘ie/ey’ ending… Good luck finding one just right!

    Reply
  9. StephLove

    I like Deacon best from your list. Montgomery reads male to me, too, so I think you could use it. Is Jackson too common? You have a mix of popularity levels (Emmerson to Huxton) so I think it could fit into your family.

    Reply
  10. Gail

    You could always go with Montague rather than Montgomery–you’d still get the nn Monty but with a more decidedly masculine name.

    Another suggestion is McLeod, also quite masculine. Then you could have Huck & Cloud.

    Other surnames:
    Lowell
    Parkman
    Caldwell
    Durham
    McFarland
    Auburn
    Remick
    Salem

    Good luck!

    Reply
  11. Britni

    Well, I agree with everyone about using Montgomery, so I’ll just throw out that Montgomery Gibb flows to a nice nickname of “Monty G” :)

    Reply
  12. Kim C

    So many to choose from! I really like both Deacon and Decker from your list and I think the nn Duke would be awesome for either one!

    More suggestions:

    Graydon nn Grady
    Braydon nn Brady
    Grayson nn Gray
    Kitson nn Kit
    Kingston nn King or Kit
    Langdon or Langley nn Lang
    Gilbert or Gibson nn Gibbs
    Sullivan nn Sully
    Callahan nn Cal
    Davis nn Davey

    I agree that Montgomery Gibbs nn Monty is great too!

    All the best!

    Reply
  13. LaNell

    Montgomery works. My niece had a baby last year. When asked what they were naming the baby she’d smile and say, “if it was a boy we were going to name him Cooper, but we are having a girl and her name is Cooper.” Hey, I guess Cooper works in your subset too, but I prefer Montgomery.

    Reply
  14. elizabeth

    I think Montgomery is cute too, but for best nickname potential I would vote for Shepherd (nn Shep) or Fletcher (nn Fletch). I think those are both really cool and unique but not TOO far-out.

    Reply
  15. Reagan

    Montgomery would be my choice. I also like Deacon.

    What about:

    Bogart (Bo)
    Drexel (Drex)
    Whittier (Whit)
    Thatcher (Thatch)
    Chandler (Chance)

    Reply
  16. Erica Jean

    I love Montgomery for a boy as well as a girl and could see it working very nicely with your other kiddos’ names. I’ve always loved the name Lincoln (nn Link) and will be our boy’s name if we ever have one…so I’ll throw that suggestion out there:

    Emmy, Brinny, Huck and Link (I really like how the girls endings match and the boys endings match too!)

    Best wishes!

    Reply
  17. Megz

    I like Montgomery for a boy or a girl. I think Gibson is a good suggestion too.

    Looking at your existing names I can’t help reading Brixton and Huxley instead of Brinley and Huxton. As Brixton is a major suburb & market in London, it reminds me of the other well known market, Camden Market. I wonder if that would make a good name…

    Camden Gibb Carman (with a J ), with Cam as a nickname.

    Reply
  18. Stephanie

    Some names I thought of you might like (might be done repeats):

    Prescott
    Curtis
    Anderson
    Paschal
    Lachlan
    Gregor
    Trenton – love this for you!
    Carter
    Carver
    Booker
    Ferguson
    Thaddeus nn Tad

    Reply
  19. Lonna

    MEGAN!!! So fun to see your question pop up here!!! I’m so excited to meet this new little guy! For fun I’ll throw a few out:
    Atwell, Wells
    Atlas
    Adler, Adster
    Hawken/Hawkins, Hawk
    West
    Lennox, Nox/Knox
    Chapman, Chap
    Dexten, Dex
    Kipling, Kip
    Nixon, Nix
    Ridley
    Sutton

    Reply
  20. Natalie

    Oooh, this is a fun one! Great naming style!
    I like also like Sullivan (nn Sully/Van), Wells, and I’ve always like Keaton (nn Keats).

    Good luck – keep us posted!

    Reply
  21. manday

    My #1 thought is also Montgomery. It reads more boy than girl for me. Other ideas that popped into my head:

    Fitzwilliam/Fitzgerald nn Fitz
    Kingsley
    Knightley
    Bingley
    Hertford
    Treelore
    Everard
    Adelore
    Wallace
    Verdell
    Hewney

    Reply
  22. Kas

    I also love Montgomery for a boy! Love the suggestion of Lennox nn Lenny!

    We are also expecting a baby boy soon our list is Bennett, Lawson and Lincoln three names you might like too!

    Congratulations and good luck!

    Reply
  23. Elby

    Some of my favorites for you suggested so far:
    Miller (Mills)
    Becker (Beck)
    Graydon (Grady)
    Keaton (Keats)
    Kipling (Kip)
    Shepherd (Shep)

    A few more ideas for you:
    Oakley (Oak or Oakie)
    Pierson (Pierce)
    Whitfield (Whit or Field)
    Rhodes (Ro or Rhody)
    Marston (Mars)
    Roscoe (Ross or Rock)
    Murphy (Murph)
    Campbell (Cam or Camp)
    Bowen (Bo or Bowie)
    Kemp (?)

    Reply
  24. Lisa Flewellen

    Here are a few from when my daughter was expecting her 3rd boy,
    Walker = Wally
    Duncan = Dunc
    Bridger = ?
    Judson = Jud
    Davis = Davy
    Good Luck!

    Reply
  25. Kacie

    I love the name Crusoe (yep, like Robinson!) nn Cru for a little guy.

    Or what about Cohen (Co)?

    I also love the name Caffrey for a boy, but I’m not sure what his nickname would be.
    (Full disclosure, this name is totally from a TV show – White Collar. It doesn’t bother me that the character with this last name is technically a criminal, but I would recommend checking out the show and making sure you’re cool with it/him before using this one!)

    Or how about Desmond? The nickname Dez or Desi is adorable.

    Reply
  26. The Mrs.

    How do you like Patton?

    It’s a surname, has the same two syllables as Huxton, and comes with the nickname of Pax.

    That makes a nice ‘x’ link between your boys… especially since Huxton has the nickname of Huck! Huck and Pax sound great together (just like Huxton and Patton).

    Otherwise, I agree that Montgomery for a son is dy-no-MITE! Very charming and classic while being completely underused.

    Congrats and best wishes as you welcome your fifth blessing!

    Reply
    1. Carly

      I’ve never seen anyone suggest Patton before. It’s my mom’s maiden name, and if we have another boy will probably be his middle name. Love it!

      Reply
  27. Rachel

    I think my favorite is Montgomery, especially because you already love the name.

    Another name that came to mind was Truman nn True. Its a surname thats familiar yet isnt used much as a first name, plus it has a cute nickname. Hadley, Emmy, Brinny, Huck and True sound super cute to me!

    Reply
  28. Jd

    Love Montgomery (I’d call him Mo!). If not that would you consider Fordham? Nickname Ford? I also like any name that gets you “Mack” as a nickname.

    Reply
  29. Bonnie Jo

    Another vote for Montgomery for a boy nn Monty

    Other suggestions:
    Whitfield
    Murphy
    Griffin
    Johnathan nn Jonty sounds like Monty
    Cormac nn mac
    Macalister
    Waverley
    Jones
    Fitzpatrick
    Cassidy
    Sullivan nn Sully or Van

    Reply
  30. Bonnie Jo

    Elkington
    Hunter
    Kingston
    Osbourne
    Whittaker
    Ballantine nn Bally
    Wilson
    Walker
    Beauregard
    Kelso
    Macintyre
    I’m going to be thinking about this for days!

    Reply

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