Theresa writes:
Hello! I’m hoping you can help. My baby boy is scheduled for delivery march 12 and my husband and I are having the hardest time with a name! Our last name is like mouse but with an h. This makes it difficult because of any connotations or imagery involved. (Dustin could be shortened to Dusty _ouse)
Our daughters name is Norah. We fell in love with it right away. We love that it is not too popular and has a charming traditional yet modern appeal. I thought this baby boys name would be loved the same way, but it’s just not clicking. I’ve scoured the internet and baby books, but I’m just not falling in love.
We are looking for a name with at least two syllables. I don’t want anything too popular or trendy. We are hoping for something unique and meaningful but not weird. We are both very inspired by nature, art, and music. We also don’t want something with a nickname. We want his name to be what we all call him. (Ex. Leo not Leonard just to call him Leo)
Our top runner and back up name is Evan. I like how it sounds with Norah. But I feel like it could be more interesting and stand out more.
My name is Theresa, my husband is David. We don’t have a desire to work in a family name or have a religious connection.Some of our choices in the process have been:
Everett: I like this one, husband doesn’t. This is how we evolved to Evan.
Wren: love this name for many reasons. But can’t use it with the last name association. Probably will be the middle name. Evan Wren
Forrest: similar to wren
Leo: we like this one but feel like it seems more appropriate for a young boy, not an older man
Micah: another family member just used it
Miles: friend just used it
Cyrus: not sure about the double s sounds
Sawyer: s sound
Harrison: don’t really like the h and h
Other names we kind of like but have ruled out for various reasons:
Hunter
Asher
Heron
Ryder
Sterling
Ranger
Turner
Tyler
Flint
Cypress
Oscar
OliverIf you have a moment to reflect in the next couple weeks, we would love to hear some outside advice. Thanks for your time!
You know, I’ve always felt the same about Evan! It’s always been on our list but never made it to the top.
Leo is my favorite. I love the connection to Tolstoy and our favorite books as a family are the Chronicles of Narnia. And I thought Leo McGarry in the West Wing wore it as an adult well. :)
I like Miles too but prefer Milo. Maybe you’d also like Jasper or Theo?
Oh, I’m in love with Norah! Norah’s little brother could be called…
Elliot Mouse (does your husband like this any better than Everett?)
Archer Mouse
Eli Mouse/Elijah Mouse
Ivan Mouse (do you like this any better than Evan?)
Lachlan Mouse
Lucas Mouse
Oscar Mouse
Milo Mouse
Toby Mouse
Benjamin Mouse
Isaac Mouse
Daniel Mouse
Good luck!
Oooh, I like Oscar! And I also quite like Cyrus, from your original list.
I second Isaac- it means laughter, and has a connection with Newton, who contributed so much to our understanding of the natural world.
For a nature connection, have you considered Sylvester (from the forest)?
If Evan is not quite right, how about Evander? Evander Mouse is wonderful, and it means ‘good man’.
I vote for Leo. It is a very good match with Norah and with your last name. Also, I *do* think it suits a grown man quite well – it’s a name I can imagine calling a baby boy, a teenage boy, and an adult.
I going to suggest David, but then re-read your question and saw that it is your husband’s name!
Even though there are some little Leos running around now, of course a grown man can wear it well. Leo McGarry is an excellent example. I also had a great-uncle Leo.
Evan is also perfectly fine (though I don’t love the middle name Wren with your last name either, sorry), but I have to admit I’ve kind of fallen in love with Leo for you!
I also like Leo best from your list. The only Leo I know IRL is a man in his early 60s, so I don’t have any problems seeing it on an adult. Maybe this list of famous Leos would help you envision it on ad adult? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_(given_name)
I second the previous suggestions of Jasper, Milo & Archer. I’ll add Graham, Fletcher, Alistair, Felix & Garrett.
My favorite is actually Forrest. Forrest _ouse sounds like a house in the forest….but so what? There’s nothing negative or overly cutesy about the connotation, Forrest is well established as a first name (and your last name is pretty familiar as well due to the TV show), and the sound/flow is great. It’s seems like something that would become a non-issue really quickly.
I do like Leo a lot too though, and agree that it doesn’t need to be short for Leonard.
I was going to add Toby or Tobias, Malcolm, Adam, Ian, and Simon as options, I think Jasper is nice as others have mentioned
What about Nolan? Nehem? Nathan?
Second the suggestion of Nolan
If you like Evan but it’s not quite what you want, how about Ethan, Aaron, Ian, or Owen?
Other ideas: Carter, Christopher, Dominic, Gabriel, Gideon, Elias, Jacob, Lucas, Peter, Randall, Ryan, Theodore, or Tobias.
I’ll add Sawyer! It’s a gentle near-rhyme with Norah without being too similar!
One more: Henry.
Oohhh… Norah and Henry! LIKE!
My husband and I adore the name Norah! To go with Norah we like:
Miles
Travis
Lucas
Ryder
Jeremiah
Xavier
Eli
Brady
Dylan
Devin
Gavin
I was also going to suggest Ivan instead of Evan. I like the suggestions of Felix, Gavin, & Simon. Names that are similar in popularity to Norah: Jonah, Joel, or Seth.
I LOVE EVAN! I have a nephew named Evan and I just love it. Not boring AT ALL! I think it sounds fab with Norah to. Leo is pretty great too. My vote is Evan first Leo second but I think whichever gets first should be put in second. Evan Leo, or Leo Evan
I don’t know why, but I keep thinking WINSTON. Probably because you like Wren… but I think Wren is a bit effeminate for a boy, so I was focusing on W names. Walter is also cute, but I don’t think it suits your style.
Winston -ouse,
Winston and Norah.
I second the suggestions of Ivan and Isaac.
I also wanted to say how much I like Wren as a middle name for a boy. It might be a somewhat tricky first name (the surname problems, and also that the name is mostly used for girls), but it is very sweet as a middle name.
I think Leo is the name for you.
I haven’t checked the popularity figures but my guess would be that, similar to Norah, it was popular early in the last century then dropped off dramatically to the point where you may never have met a grown up Leo in your life. Hence you’re not sure it works on a grown man. But now it has increased in popularity and all the little Leo’s will be growing up together and by the time they’re adults it will once again seem like a perfectly normal name for an adult man.
If Leo’s still not right, you might like Louie or Louis although you may also find it hard to imagine on a grownup.
If Evan’s not quite right you could try Euan (like Euan McGregor).
I love the suggestion of Henry, but just not with your surname. And I’d definitely rule Sawyer out as it sounds like “saw your mouse” to me.
Good luck with your new little babe.
Yayaya… congrats!! I just wanted to say that I love Norah! It is a great name :) We were in the same boat with our son – when we came across our daughters name we instantly fell in love and never looked back. With my son, we went back and forth practically everyday until he was born. If he had been born a week earlier, he likely would have had a different name. We went with Oliver (initially were concerned that it was becoming too popular but for some reason came back to it) and we love it. We’ve received so many comments on it. We haven’t come across the name yet and if you read Swistle’s previous posts on how names aren’t as common any more even though the number shows that they are (eg. even though the name is #75 it only holds about 1% of the population instead of 5% back in the 70-80’s…so when you think about where you live, the chances are there are tons of other names running around instead of the 5 Ryan’s and 5 Mike’s like it was when we were growing up). Hope that makes sense?? ANYWAYS – just putting a dig out there for Oliver because we love it and it is perfect. It could be shortened to Ollie but we call him Oliver.
HENRY!! HENRY AND NORAH. Soooooo cute. This would be my number one pick for you guys. LOVE LOVE LOVE it. Henry could be shortened to Hank or Harry but not intuitively (not like Chelsey is to Chels… people won’t just randomly call him that unless he chooses to go by that). But seriously, Henry and Norah are solo cute. Love that they are similar feel stylistically and that they have the same number of letters. OMG. Swooning. I would stop here.
I know you were wanting a two syllable name, but what about Jack? Norah and Jack. That is pretty cute sib set. They both feel so fresh yet classic at the same time. I can totally picture this sib set. Hmmm… Not sure if I like this even more then Henry. Eekkk… so many good options!
Jack makes me think of Charlie… has the same feel to it. Really love this option too. Norah and Charlie.
What about Louis? (lou-ie). Norah and Louis. That’s pretty cute too.
What about Winston or Walter or Walker. Hmmm… I think I prefer Norah and Winston the best. Winston is another name that you would just use the whole name rather than a nickname (I guess it lends itself to Win, but unlikely to use it). I LOVE “W” names and love Winston :) When I see the name Wren, I automatically assume that it is girl. I’m not sure what the numbers are, but I would imagine it is used more for girls then boys??
This might be a far stretch… but what about Fitzpatrick or Fitzgerald? Norah and Fitzgerald??
Other names that I like (but not nearly as much as Henry or Jack):
Elliot
Archer
Simon
Theo
Gideon
Marshall
Griffin
I really like Tobias and Atticus but don’t like the sound of the double -s with the first and last name
I have to say, that although I like Evan, I just feel that it doesn’t have the same feel as Norah.
Good luck and keep us posted!!!
Most of the names on your list seem quite trendy/modern next to Norah. The exceptions are Leo, Oscar, Oliver, Forrest & Everett. Any of these would complement Norah quite well.
I’d suggest Calvin, Julian, Arthur, Adrian, Tristan, or Ian. I also like other commenter’s suggestions of Peter, Malcolm, Winston, Griffin, Jacob, or Gavin. Henry goes really well with Norah, but not so well with your last name.
Norah has a classic feel that seems very different to me than surname names such as Sawyer, Turner, Hunter, Ryder, Asher or Ranger. Actually, you have a lot of “er” names on your maybe list. If you like the “er” ending sound & want to complement Norah, I’d give real consideration to Arthur, Oliver, Evander, Jasper, or Alistair. All of these have a more classic rather than trendy feel.
Evan sounds like too much of a compromise name for you to stay happy with it long term….However, it does work with both Norah & your surname. Good luck!
If Leo doesn’t quite suit you, how about Leon? It still means lion, is two syllables, gives you the nickname of Leo when he’s a tike, and works nicely with your surname.
Or… similar in sound (but not as popular) is Theo. Theo “M”ouse has a strong sound and is complimentary to Norah.
If you like Wren, do you care for Robin? Peregrine? Rook?
Best wishes as you welcome your son!
I see a lot of Toby suggestions… what about Tobin?
I also really like Ivan. I have a Felix, so I’m naturally inclined that way… it’s a great name, and we’ve had lots of positive comments!
If you like Evan but want something more unique, what about Eamon or Ivan? I also wondered if you’d like Liam or Nico, if you like Leo but think it’s too juvenile or nicknamey. Or perhaps Nathan, Gilbert, Desmond or Gabriel?
With a surname like yours, I’d be very careful to use a name that isn’t a word that means anything… I’d use a name that is that is JUST a name, and somewhat established already (i.e. not made up or rarely used in the context of a name. Although that wouldn’t stop me from using something uncommon, if it’s still recognizable as an established name). The surname adds a lot of uniqueness to his name already. I would avoid using names like Cypress & Jasper for these reasons. But that’s just me :)
One of my friends has the same last name as you, her brother’s name is Kevin. Similiar to Evan and also he does not go by any nickname.
My suggestions are Sylvester and Aaron. Both underused classics IMO. Also Aaron gives you the sound of Wren within the name. I also think of Wren as a name used primarily for girls.
I wonder if you would like Larkin? Larkin -ouse.
I also recently heard of Lion as a boy’s name, and kind of like it, although Lion -ouse might sound too much like a compound noun.
Larkin -ouse gets my vote!
I personally LOVE the name Leo. It might seem young to you because it’s been rising in popularity over the past few years, so there are a lot of babies and little boys out there named Leo. But a few years down the road it will seem like an older boy’s name, then a teenager’s name, then a man’s name. I also don’t think the double “s” sound issue you mentioned will end up being much of an issue…as a matter of fact, I think it ties the first and last names together well without using alliteration. I especially like the name Sawyer…Norah and Sawyer makes such a cute pair of siblings!
Other names not on your list:
Theo
Arlo
John
James
Lucas
Archer
Sullivan
Weston
Darren
Ian
Carter
Beckett
Ryan
Some or all of these may have been suggested already, but I’ll second these:
Gavin Mouse. Norah and Gavin.
Theo Mouse. Norah and Theo.
Ewan Mouse. Norah and Ewan.
Elliot Mouse. Norah and Elliot.
I also like Leo!
How about Walter? Nn Walt if you go for a nn. I also love
Isaac,
Ivan,
Tyler and
Archer,
…Gibson (Gibb or Sonny? Nice in full though- thought I had a great potential name for a bsby until my best friend who had no idea – and no idea what to name a boy chose Gibbs so Gibson is out for me now but I think it is very handsome and different but not unusual)
Malcolm
Axel
Sebastian
Samuel
Forrester
Lachlan
Xavier
Simon
Loving all the Ivan suggestions! It’s my FIL’s name and it’s very distinctive. Evan was on our short list for our son, and Leo is one of my all-time favorite names. Other names we considered: Owen, Sullivan, Calvin, Corbin, Levi, Austin, Tristan, Wyatt
Leo. It’s just perfect with Norah. It’s perfect with your last name. I also really like Ivan. Very classy. Norah is a beautiful name so I have no doubt that you will settle on another great name and there have been so many great suggestions here. Best wishes and I hope you will update us!
What about the name Rowan?? It’s nature themed, different but not to stand outish, and it sounds great with Norah. Norah Mouse and Rowan Mouse. Or just drop the R and go with Owen. Norah and Owen. Adorable.
Really like the suggestion of Norah and Owen together. Love Leo too.
My Grandfather was named Eric and his sister was Norah. Norah and Eric. I think they sound pretty good together!
Liam, Ryan, Connor and Eli all sound great with Norah.
All the best!
Random- but I am totally feeling Thomas for you. Norah and Thomas. Evan, Leo and Henry are great suggestions too!
What about Marcus or Ronan?
I have a Leo with a March 12th birthday (turning 8 this year) so I’m biased towards that. Both my older boys would have been variations of Norah had they been female, too. It’s pretty rare that people ask if Leo is short for something – it’s a pretty accepted full name in its own right. No one seems to know anyone between the ages of 10-60 named Leo, but at first, a lot of people told me it was their grandpa/uncle/favorite old guy’s name. I think it’s going to age well with the current cohort. It’s the most trendy of my kids’ names, but there are never enough to need a last initial or anything.
I like Evan for you. And my son has a name that was also the top runner and back up name. I was never sure about it, but we went in circles for months and we ended up back with that one. As soon as he was born, we knew it was perfect for him. So maybe you just have to wait to know if this is the one?
I also like Forrest, Leo, and Sawyer for you. I especially like Sawyer, and I actually like the S sound in Sawyer and Mouse together. Norah and Sawyer. They are different styles, as someone pointed out, but I don’t think they’re mismatched. Also like the suggestion of Henry a lot, except for the problem of the double H.
Other names we kind of like but have ruled out for various reasons:
Hunter
Asher
Heron
Ryder
Sterling
Ranger
Turner
Tyler
Flint
Cypress
Oscar
Oliver
If I had had a girl, her name would have been Norah. Instead, we have a Graham…which means “grey house or manor.” A fun association.
I do find Evan pretty dull. I really love Leo. Also consider Arlo, Milo, Elliott, Archer, and Cormac. I am not wild about Wren on a boy.
Love Evan! Boy names are hard, they aren’t as easy to go to wild with. If you think it is a contender you will likely be happy with it in the long term! Also love Sawyer— it is a bit more on trend and likely to date you kid, which definitely isn’t bad but something to take into consideration.
I like the above suggestions of Leo, Henry, Jack, and Charlie. All sound great with big sister Norah.
What about Maxwell/nn Max? Or Malcolm nn Mac? I like both with Norah.
Bug if you you love Everett or Evan I say go with that. Evan is one of my favorite names and it’s not boring at all and sounds great with Norah.