Hello! We are at a baby naming stand still! We are pregnant with our third and do not know the sex. We do know if it’s a girl, her name will be Maura Lotenia nn Lottie (first name is my MIL and second is my middle and is Cherokee for flower- so my family says). This has been our girl name every pregnancy. If we had more than one girl the other names would have been Roslyn Adele and Fiona Ruth- all honor names. My name is Azure and my husband’s name is Patrick J@hn.
We have two boys named Theodore and Edwin middle name Michael. Third boy will also have middle name Michael- honoring a friend who passed. Both go by their full first name the majority of the time.
My husband and I love the name Simon, but after naming Theodore we didn’t think we could do it.
Other names we have considered:
Franklin (my favorite, husband doesn’t like)
Thomas (family name on both sides and leader until- my Dad passed away this Sept. It was his middle name, but it would be awkward for it to be viewed as specifically honoring him as our relationship was complicated)
Phillip
Stanley
Lawrence
LouisI have been reading your blog for 4 years since trying to name my first! I’m hoping that you or a reader can suggest something old fashioned, but fresh, that will catch my husband’s interest!
Thanks! Oh and due date is Feb 19!
I particularly love Louis from your list; that’s on my own “sad I won’t get a chance to use it” list.
Another such name on my list is Harvey. Theodore, Edwin, and Harvey.
I’d also suggest Frederick, especially since you mostly use full names. Theodore, Edwin, and Fredrick.
The -bert names are starting to meet that “old-fashioned and fresh” mark for me: one of my kids had a Robert in class last year, and I’m a fan of the name Albert. Theodore, Edwin, and Robert. Theodore, Edwin, and Albert.
I also find the name Alfred very appealing. Theodore, Edwin, and Alfred.
I think Warren fits the bill perfectly, except I’m not sure how it sounds with Edwin; I think there may be too many sounds in common.
I’m fond of Gordon; not only do I like the name, but it taps into pleasant Sesame Street memories. Theodore, Edwin, and Gordon.
I had never much considered the name Roger until I saw somewhere that Hodge used to be a nickname for it. HODGE. That is so cute. Theodore, Edwin, and Roger.
I might be ready to hear Douglas again, especially in full form like that. Theodore, Edwin, and Douglas.
Howard once seemed impossibly old-mannish to me, but now it’s starting to budge back into view. Theodore, Edwin, and Howard.
Name update:
Baby name update!
Our Third baby BOY was born at the end of February… We decided on Franklin Michael for the name!
We were between that and Donal (which was not on my original list).
If we ever have another, I’ll be writing for an opinion on Donal as a name! Thanks for all your help and suggestions!
Azure
I have two boys. My oldest is Lawrence, (we call him Lawrence, tried the nn Lory for a while, but it didn’t stick) the baby is Theodore nn Tito. We’re done having kids now, but if I were to have another boy, I’d be advocating for Franklin. Love your list of names.
Walter!! I love this name and has that old fashioned yet fresh feel to me. Walter is great as a full name but Walt is a fabulous nn too.
I’m with Swistle. Louis is on my “wish we could have used” list. Love it.
What about Bruce?
Or Wells?
Does George peek your interest?
I also love Swistle’s suggestion of Frederick. I love the name in it’s full but am less keen on Fred or Freddy which is why we never ended up using it. It has the same feel as Franklin, which I also love!!
Do you like Hugh?
Good luck! (Ps. I love your girl names!)
Theodore, Edwin, and . .
Jasper
Reuben
Milo
Jerome
Henry
Gilbert
I love how your Edwin, as a second son’s name, spins Theodore from trendy (even though it’s hard to use that word to describe it–I feel like I’ve been hearing about it a lot lately, but I just checked the SSA data and it’s ALWAYS had solid usage!) to classic (both Theodore and Edwin were in the double digits at the beginning of the 20th century).
So…my vote is for my late grandfather’s first name, Stanley, which was right up there with Theodore and Edwin back in the early 1900s. I’ve always been fond of this name for sentimental reasons, and I rarely hear it around! Also, I like that it shares commonalities with Theodore and Edwin (origin, popularity height) but is, like the two of them already are, totally different in sound and feel. Stanley!
A cool “old man” name is Hugh. It wouldn’t be shortened and I like it with your others Theodore (3syllables), Edwin ( 2syllables) and Hugh (1 syllable).
I came on here because I have a Simon, and I also have a Robert. We exclusively use Robert’s full name (he is never Bob, Rob, Bert, ect). We love the name.
I also really loved Reuben as suggested by another commenter.
I wanted to add: Jerome, Malcolm, and Duncan as possible options.
Theodore, Edwin, and Jerome
Theodore, Edwin, and Malcolm
Theodore, Edwin, and Duncan.
Would you consider Samuel, Bertram, Calvin, or George?
I like Franklin, Louis, and Philip from your list (and Thomas but I can see why you don’t want to use it now).
How about Peter or Timothy?
My daughter has a friend in preschool named Lewis, and it’s surprisingly fresh. We certainly have not encountered any others so young. He has a sister named Sadie :)
I am so voting for Lawrence. It’s definitely on my list of future baby names and I love the nn Wren, but used in full it also sounds great!
From your list, I love Franklin and Stanley. I absolutely LOVE Swistle’s suggestion of Frederick, and I think that’s my favorite hands down.
Also, not that you would ever call them this, but the fact that the boys could be Teddy, Eddie, and Freddie makes me laugh in a “that’s adorable” way.
Oh my gosh, yes! That’s reason enough to use it for me :)
YES THIS
Brilliant! :D
Alistair / Alasdair
Murray
Fraser
My husband is Robert, and we have a Theodore (Theo), and August (Gus) and a Mabel (Maisie). Other boy names on our short list were Frederick (Fritz. FRITZZZZZZZ!!!!), George (but maybe not with Michael as mn), Jasper, Oscar. Loving Walter, Albert, Louis as suggestions already on your list.
Sounds like you’ve got your girl name all wrapped up. I immediately thought of Walter as a great brother name for Theodore and Edwin. Walt is such a darling nickname!
I also wanted to recommend: Cedric (although it shares a sound with Edwin), Calvin (nickname Cal is adorable), Oscar, Amos, Arthur, Winston, Seamus, Clarence, Abraham (Abe is so cute), Eugene (nickname Gene is definitely “grandpa chic:), Quentin (Quinn would be a workable nickname, and he is the fifth member of the family), Gerard.
Eugene has always been the absolute top of my sad could not use list. It is my absolute favorite
From your list I like Louise the best.
What about Sebastian or Merritt?
I was going to suggest Sebastian! Love it with this sibset.
These names are right up my alley. I have a Harvey (just turned 2), and if he ever has a brother, our list includes Theodore, Edward, Hamilton, Frederick (love the nickname Fritz!), and Stanley.
I wonder if you’d consider Silas since Simon is out (thanks a lot, Chipmunks!) For the record, we have a Simon (my Dad) an Alvin (cousin’s husband) and a Theodore (my husband) in our family. There were initial comments, but then we all moved on :)
Theodore Edwin and Silas Michael
I also love August for you or maybe Malcolm? Louis, Albert and Arthur are pretty great, too. Good luck and Congrats!!
How about Martin?? I feel like this name is overlooked.
Haven’t read the other comments but I think Winston would be so great in this sibling set! I also love Lawrence and Franklin (although if your husband doesnt’ like it, you probably need to take it off the list). What about Gabriel or Nathaniel?
On your list, my favorites are Philip and Lawrence. Of Swistle’s suggestions, I like Frederick and Robert best.
What about Earl? Charles? John or Jack? I love Harvey and Clarence.
Walter or Harvery
*Harvey
The name that came to my mind was Grant. I also thought of Hugo and Monroe.
Your style and mine are very similar. I have a Frederick, but Lawrence and Stanley were both on my short list. I love the suggestion of Hugh as well. But I’m writing to ask, are you into the BERT names at all? Because those would be aDORable and go well with a Michael middle name. I think my favorites from most to less most would be Gilbert, Bertram, Rupert (ok not a Bert but an -ert), and Albert. I really want someone to bring them back!
And now rereading Swistle she beat me to the class of names of course – as always! But Albert is just the tip of the ice-bert as my comment shows lol
LOVE Gilbert. Plus Giles is cute shortened version
You have so many good choices!
I like…
Frank (maybe instead of Franklin? I love Franklin too)
Silas
James
Maurice/Morris
Amory
Henry
Ernest
Lawrence
Nathaniel
I love the name Walter, and also Homer, but not with your last name.
Walter and Arthur both seem to fit well with Theodore and Edwin. I agree that Simon won’t work with a Theodore, perhaps Sebastian instead?
Oh I love Arthur!
The only Edwin I know has brothers, John and James. But he’s an Edwin Jr, so going back another generation were brothers Leonard, Charles, and Donald.
I personally love the name Phillip (or maybe Peter). Howard or Benjamin might also work for you.
Or with the -bert names, Gilbert. I have one and it seems classic and surprising.
Love George for you and then I remembered you want to use the middle name Michael!
How about Charles?
Other names I like are Alexander, Harrison and Wesley.
I’m not sure I would do Frederick, although I think it’s adorable, since then you’d have a Ted, Ed and Fred! Even though I know they go by their full names haha – it just stuck out to me.
Of your list, love Louis and Lawrence (my husband is a Lawrence). Other ideas:
Calvin
Arthur (a friend is naming her son-to-be and I love it!)
Walter (my grandfather’s name that I wished we could use!)
Oscar
Henry
Felix
Good luck! :)
Gregory came to mind!
How about Roland? I think it’s quite dashing, and like Theodore and Edwin, its an old name with centuries of use in the English speaking world. It just happens to be uncommon.
Other ideas: Oliver. I’m usually not a fan of the repeating -er -er sound in first and last name, but with Oliver’s three syllables the effect isn’t noticeable.
Julian
Lucian
Charles
Christopher
Anselm
Tobias/Tobin
Solomon
Arthur
Matthias
What about Clark?
Theodore, Edwin and Clark
Lots of great suggestions above. I don’t think I’ve noticed these above so I’ll add
Norman
Francis
Ralph
Raymond
Harold
Cecil
Cedric
Can’t wait for the update!
I love all these names! You can’t go wrong. A few more that II would use in a heartbeat:
Harold
Leonard
I also love Frederick, Louis, and Hugh.
What about Clarence or John?
From your list, I really like Lawrence and Louis. Off the top of my head, how about Leonard or Lance?