Rachel writes:
I’m just realizing now that I asked for name help back in July 2010 and forgot to send you an update. It may have been because our little boy was born 3 1/2 weeks early, only four days after you responded with your post! This is the original link to my letter and your response: https://www.swistle.com/babynames/2010/07/23/baby-boy-greenfield/
We ended up naming our son Evan Maxwell Greenfield. He was going to be Max right up until the eve of my scheduled emergency c-section, but somehow Evan started to feel much more “right”. We didn’t settle on his full name until he was born. Several hours after his birth and (my parents begging to know the baby’s name!), we decided to risk it and use both favorite boys names we loved in one fell swoop. I let my husband “win” by using the more formal Maxwell instead of Max. Now, I obviously regret that just a little but can’t imagine him with any other name.
So now I’m due with baby boy #2 in October and it’s back to the drawing board. I do still really like Alexander (Alex for short). We have very close friend named Alex and his full name is Alejandro, so I feel like if we used Alexander it would somehow distinguish our boy’s name a little bit. Though I would really plan to use Alex down the line. What are your thoughts on Evan and Alex for brother names?
Also, we’d like to use either the initials J or S for a middle name. My grandfather was named Julius and we have multiple grandmothers with S names to honor. These are the (very) few names that are in the running.
Alexander Jacob Greenfield
Alexander Jules Greenfield
Jacob Alexander Greenfield
Alexander Samuel GreenfieldThere seem to be so few good S names. And I actually really like Jacob as a middle or first name, but I hate the nickname Jake (so thought maybe a middle name would eliminate that). It makes me think of the book “Jacob Have I Loved” from my childhood. Though it seems incredibly popular right now and I don’t love the Twilight association. We could also still use the name Cooper as a middle name. I would have loved to use something kind of offbeat for a middle name like Sky or Blue (though it sounds corny to write type that out) but our last name doesn’t really lend itself to that style. I also like Reid.
Are there any other names that come to mind that have a similar look/feel to the names I listed? Would love to hear your suggestions.
Thank you!!
I think Evan and Alex make very compatible brother names (I think Alex is even more compatible than Alexander), and it’s nice that the name has some of the sound of Max.
I’d also suggest Alec again.
If you love the name Jacob, but it’s too popular and you hate the nickname Jake, I’m definitely in favor of your idea of using it as the middle name. The nice thing about a name being popular is that the associations become very diluted: I don’t think of Twilight particularly.
Or Caleb is a nice Jacob alternative for either the first or middle name.
I also think Scott would make a handsome middle name: Alexander Scott Greenfield.
Or Stephen: Alexander Stephen Greenfield.
And I like your idea of Samuel; that seems very compatible with Maxwell.
More first-name suggestions:
Andrew
Asher
Daniel
Derek
Jackson
Jared
Jasper
Jeremy
Joel
Joshua
Kyle
Rhys
Spencer
Sawyer might make a nice S middle name along the lines of Cooper.
It seems like you sort of mentioned it in passing, but the name Reid really stands out to me. I like Reid Alexander best but it works with all of your middle choices. Evan and Reid sound like great brother names! Alexi is style specific, but if you want to further distinguish from the Alex you know it is an option. Based on your other preferences I’d also suggest Blake. It so much nicer than Jake in my opinion. Blake Samuel gets you S as a middle initial (I’m not picky about first and middle initials spelling anything since you never see the two alone, but if you want to avoid BS then that’s out). Good luck, you have some nice solid name choices to pick from!
I like all four of your top contenders, but Alexander Jules appeals for its similarity to Julius. An S name I like is Simon. Alexander Simon Greenfield. Evan & Alex.
I love Evan & Alex as a sib set! I wonder how you feel about Julian as a middle? It’s so close to Julius and Jules, and I like the flow of the name Alexander Julian.
I really like Evan & Alex together.
Sawyer is a great middle along the lines of Cooper. Spencer could also work. Along the lines of Sky & Blue I thought of Sage. I wouldn’t suggest it as a first name with your surname, but I think it would be fine as a middle.
My favorite from your list is Alexander Jacob.
I think Alexander Jules is a great name.
If you want something offbeat, but not as offbeat as Sky or Blue in the middle spot, what about Stone?
I REALLY like Reid for you, for the first or middle name.
I know a pair of brothers named Evan and Alex(ander)! In that order, too. They also have a younger sister named Maria. I think it’s a very handsome pairing. Alexander Jacob is lovely, although I don’t think you could go wrong with any of your first name/middle name pairings.
Evan and Alex are GREAT sibling names!
May I suggest Alexander Jude? I think it’s really handsome and fun at the same time.
Best of luck!
I love Alexander Sage. Alexander Julian and Reid Alexander are nice too. I think Alexander Samuel is kind of a mouthful.
Would you ever consider the name Julian as an update on Julius? Evan and Julian make great brothers!
Julian Samuel Greenfield
Julian Alexander Greenfield
Julian Samson Greenfield
Julian Jacob Greenfield
Julian Sawyer Greenfield
Julian Simon Greenfield
Julian Alex Greenfield
Julian Joshua Greenfield
I think Alexander and Evan sound great together. I would go with something less popular than Jacob for the middle name. Julian sounds great.
Another vote for Reid! Although I do prefer Reed. Evan and Alex sound great, but Evan and Alexander seem off balanced. However if you do go with Alexander, I love the suggestion of Jude as the middle name.
What about using Jacoby? Evan and Jacoby sound good together, and I love the nicknames Jack and Coby.
Another vote for Reid/Reed from me too. Love it!
Reed Alexander is great! I like Reed Julius too.
Alexander is one of my all time favorites though and I love the sound of Alexander Samuel from your list of names in the running.
What about Zander/Xander nn Zan. Zander Samuel or Zander Jacob are great too. I also like the sound of Ryan or Dylan with Evan.
Evan and Zander
Evan and Ryan
Evan and Dylan
All the best!
I like the way both Maxwell and Alexander have x’s in them, and other similarities, and think Alexander in the middle name slot would give some symmetry to the boys’ names. I think visually it would work best with a shorter first name.
Evan Maxwell and Jacob Alexander
Evan Maxwell and Sean Alexander
Evan Maxwell and Simon Alexander
Evan Maxwell and Reid Alexander
I was going to suggest “Reid” before I got to the part where the writer mentioned she likes it (and I don’t care for the “Reed” spelling)! I think it goes well with Evan. Other brother names I like with Evan:
Colin
Benjamin/Ben
Patrick
Alec
Jude
Tanner
Landon
If you liked Jacob Have I Loved, what about Truitt? This was the name of the father in the novel, and the character Wheeze named her son Truitt at the end. I also liked Call in the story, but that seems better as a character name, not so much for real life.
I don’t know where you live, but in Atlanta, there is a Jewish Day School named the Katherine and Jacob Greenfield Hebrew Academy. If you live there (or might in the future), you might take that into consideration before choosing Jacob for a first name.
If that’s not an issue (and I realize it probably isn’t), then as for the nickname thing: If you name your child and someone starts using a nickname that you don’t use/like, then it’s easy to say something along the lines of, “We call him ___.” I’ve had to do that with our oldest and youngest daughters (Rebecca and Margaret). When I say it with a smile, people never seem to flinch. Even better is when one of THEM says it! You can’t control whether the child will choose a nickname later, but you can always continue to call him the name on his birth certificate.
A and S were two of the primary initials we were working with each time I was pregnant. I’m going to repeat suggestions here, but our short list included the following names: Andrew, Alexander, Aaron, Abraham {as a middle name}, Sam(uel), Scott, Sidney, Simon, & Saul {also as a middle name}. J names were a second-tier possibility for us: Jonathan, Joshua, Jacob, & Joseph. {No Julius/Julian for us because my name is Julie} As Jews, we stayed away from Jude given the strong association with St. Jude/Catholicism, even though I like the name a lot. Likewise for Patrick.
You have some great choices on your short list and really whatever name you choose will be perfect, especially given the connection your sweet boy will have to his great grandparents!