PEOPLE! We have an EMERGENCY here! Look at this letter!
Dear Swistle,
I just heard about your website and really need some advice! I am being induced in 24 hours and still haven’t decided on a name. My first son is Owen Keats and our last name sounds like this: are-naw-dee. We are thinking about these names:
Alec Whitman
Callum JackHowever, my husband is British and there is a chance we could move to the UK at some point. Apparently, Callum is really popular in the UK and I am worried he will be one of several Callums. (It is #13 overall in the UK and #3 and #5 in Ireland and Scotland respectively). Ironically, it is the opposite problem in the US in that whenever I mention this name people give me funny looks! Alec is a much “safer” choice but because it is less unique I have a harder time getting as excited about it. A friend suggested that we name him Alistair Jack and then call him Alec as a nickname but I wasn’t sure if that was a bit of a stretch for a nickname. Also as an American, the name Alistair sounds a little pretentious to me for some reason.
Please help! Thank you—
Kate
And it is more than twelve hours since that landed in my inbox last night, so TODAY IS THE DAY. This baby is coming TODAY. We need name opinions, and we need them fast. Here are mine:
1) I like the name Alec a lot. It’s been on our boy name list throughout our naming years. I know what you mean about finding it difficult to get excited about, but I think the name would sit well with time. I think Owen and Alec are good together.
2) I think Alec is not a nickname for Alistair. But then, I am a conservative old bag about nicknames.
3) It’s too bad that Alistair sounds pretentious in the U.S., because it’s a GREAT name. Think of Allison, and then say Alistair. I think it’s a great name, and I think everyone would get used to it. And if they didn’t get used to it, they’d just say, “Well, the father is British.” I don’t think it’s as good with Owen as your other choices, though. Owen and Alistair.
4) I like the name Callum even better than Alec and Alistair, and I think it’s TERRIFIC with Owen: Owen and Callum. I think it WILL get more familiar in the U.S., and for me it would be a selling point that it was popular in the country you might move to some day. “Thirteenth most popular” sounds scary, but the thirteenth most popular boy name in the U.S. for 2000 was Ryan, and neither my 1999 baby nor my 2001 baby have ever had a single Ryan in any of their preschool/kindergarten/elementary school classes—let alone several. It won’t be strictly comparable, of course, but still: thirteenth is okay.
5) The Baby Name Wizard mentions that Callum can be a nickname for Malcolm. I consider this Cheating, but it gives me the idea of the name Malcolm, which I love. Owen and Malcolm.
6) Jack in the middle name position makes the first name sound like an adjective to me: Fightin’ Jack, Alligator Jack, Jumpin’ Jack.
In short, I think the names you came up with are terrific, and I don’t think you’re going to go wrong whatever you choose. I lean more toward Callum for the first name; I would change the middle name, but I don’t think it would be wrong to leave it the way you’ve got it. BE SURE TO LET US KNOW WHAT YOU CHOOSE!
Okay, everybody! Time is of the essence here, so vote fast in the poll over to the right [poll closed: see below]—but feel free to leave more possibilities in the comment section if you think of a good one.
Poll results:
Alec: 20 votes, roughly 24%
Alistair: 10 votes, roughly 12%
Callum: 43 votes, roughly 51%
Malcolm: 11 votes, roughly 13%
Name update!
Thanks for your blog. We decided on the name Callum Jack and really appreciated everyone’s feedback. It was such a hard decision. Jack is a family name my husband wanted to use so that is the reason for it as the middle name. We have had some funny looks from my American friends and family who aren’t sure how to pronounce it (so far, a few people saying Column). But hopefully they will get used to it. I still like the name Alec and think it goes great with our last name but just before going to the hospital my husband’s assistant weighed in on the decision and she said “you mean, Alex?” and I was worried I would spend a lifetime of having to say “no, it’s Alec with a ‘c'” Anyway, thanks again!
I voted for Callum.
Here is the silly reason:
Owen is the name that I like best for my future son. I picture my Owen as a blondie-bear because of my boyfriend (I just picture him when I look into my crystal ball as this little version of my man).
There was an ADORABLE toddler named Callum at the daycare centre I used to work at, and I had never heard that name before in my life.
Callum almost had the same look as what I pictured for my future Owen (seriously, I said aloud to one of the other staff members one day, “You know? Callum seriously looks like he could be my boyfriend’s child”).
SO! In a round-about way… I LOVE your idea of putting Owen and Callum together because I picture them as brothers in my head.
hahahaha. Isn’t that crazy? It’s probably that type of logic that’s only logical to me.
The other name I like is Alistair only because it’s one of my favourite British names. But Owen & Callum sound super good together, IMO.
And I’ve still only ever in my life met one Callum… and I work with a lot of kids (I’m in Canada, but names are fairly comparable US to Canada, I find).
:-) Can’t wait to find out what you chose!!! Congrats on the new baby!!!
What about Cather as a middle name, since they seem to be going literary with the middles.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willa_Cather
My nephew’s name is Calum Alec. He was born in the US and there it was a unique name. Now that he’s back here in Canada, he is one of 3 Calum/Callum’s in his class. I still love the name, though, and I think it sounds great with Owen.
I’m not as fond of Alistair – it’s a little soft for me.
Of the two, I like Alec.
As an alternative to Callum, how about Caleb? It’s a slightly different sound, but it’s probably more familiar to Americans and is similar enough not to stick out too much if you move to England.
Other A/C/L sounds:
Calvin/Alvin
Kyle (sort of)
Luc/Luke/Lucas
I think Owen and Caleb, or Owen and Lucas is cute, although Calvin and Owen might be two matchy with the ‘n’ sound.
Oh, and congrats on the new baby!
I love Callum. Choose Callum!
ooh, I really like Callum! I also like Malcolm, depending on how mom and dad feel about it.
Callum is a lovely name (very popular in Australia too). I also like Luke or Lucas.
The only thing that would worry me? Uncommon names are more likely to be pronounced and/or spelt incorrectly, and this could happen if Callum isn’t very common in the US. That would bother me more than having two Callums in one class at school
Devan- I love Callum for your group! Dane, Owen, and Callum. LOVE IT.
devan, I totally agree with Swistle! Dane, Owen and Callum! All THREE sound great together!
I must be a freak or something because Callum sounds like a bodily fluid to me. I really like Allistair–it’s unusual, but not out-there. I wouldn’t worry about sounding pretenious or whatever. If you like it, go with it.
Alec Whitman. Good name, familiar but not overdone, works on a kid and a grown man. That’s my vote.
Congrats, and wonderful name choice in “Callum Jack”! Enjoy your new little one!
Hello! It is the first of January 2010, so how is this for a late comment?
First – congrats on you baby! (from 2 years ago) Callum is a lovely name.
Im an american married to a scottish guy and I live in Scotland. We have 2 sons, Alexander (almost 5) and Arran (almost 3). Alexander was named for his granddad, and we call him “Alec” for short. It seems more original than Alex, and it just seems to fit him! My only “umph” concern is an article I read from america that said boys named Alec are “trouble”?
Arran was named for the scottish island Arran!
I love discussing names!
Tamara Zaida