Dear Swistle,
I’m just new to your blog but love the premise of a sounding board for baby names – brilliant!
I am expecting boy #2 November 3rd and we’re are stuck, in agreement, but stuck on what we consider to be an ‘okay’ name. We love every name on our girls list but have never fallen in love with a boy’s name. Our oldest is two years old now and we still feel that we named him an ‘okay’ name with Easton Henry. Not a great feeling two years later.
We like solid, no spell check needed, classic names that aren’t on the top 10 list. Our surname is classic and as a stand in we can safely say Stuart which I find almost everything sounds good with making the decision even more difficult.
We are keep going back to Clark Anderson for baby number two and it’s pretty much the only name on the list. Top of our girls list is Evelyn and I would love to be able to use it for our third and final round. We’ve toyed with other boy’s names such as Harrison, Miller, Arthur but keep going back to Clark. And like I said, we feel okay about it, but it would be nice to have confirmation or have other ideas for similar names and hopefully can fall in love with one with no name regrets.
Originally we did fall in love with the name Anderson however if shortened to Anders, it’s an S on S name…AndersssssStuart and I try to stay away from that. Also, if shortened to Andy, well it rhymes with my name, Mandy, and am not a fan of that either.
So there it is…not sure if I’m looking for other ideas or just need someone to say nailed it and feel confident that it’s the name for us but would appreciate any help you can offer.
Thanks for your help and again, brilliant idea for a blog!
I’d love to be able to use my family as a sounding board but really want to keep the name a surprise until his birth day.Mandy
I think that if you and your husband have never fallen in love with a boy name, that if you gave your first son a name you considered just okay and even after the name belonged to your son STILL haven’t fallen in love with it, and that if you’ve been trying this whole pregnancy to find a name to fall in love with and haven’t—that it is safe to say it’s unlikely you WILL fall in love with a boy name. You might! It’s true, you might. After 3+ years of looking at boy names, you might suddenly find one you love. But the odds are not stacked in favor of that. At this point I think I’d say, “Well, we just don’t love boy names,” and concentrate on finding “favorite” rather than “love.”
It sounds like Clark Anderson is your favorite: you might not love it, but if all the boy names in the world were put in order of your preference, that would be the top one. That makes it the winner. I think it’s a great choice: a surname name like Easton; fits nicely with Evelyn if you have a girl next time; and a good solid name that should serve him well in childhood and adulthood.
If, however, you DID fall in love with Anderson, I think it’s worth revisiting that. The issues you mention seem minor to me—or at least, not worth ditching the only name you’ve ever fallen in love with and going with one you’re just okay with. I agree it’s nice to avoid an -s name with an S- surname if possible, but I don’t hold nicknames (especially when they’re only potential nicknames) to the same standards as given names. I agree it wouldn’t be ideal to have an Andy and a Mandy in the family, but I also don’t think it means the name has to be eliminated from consideration: at worst, Andy/Mandy seems a little cutesy and has the potential for the occasional unimportant confusion (“Oh, I thought you said Mandy! Hang on, I’ll call Andy”). The fact that it does rhyme with your name makes the nickname less likely to be used, I’d think.
Clark has its own similar issues, such as turning into Clarks with your surname. Clark Anderson Stuart is also a lot of surname for one name. If it’s between Clark Anderson and Anderson _____, I’d say they’re both great names and that the issues with them are about equal; if you love one and find the other just okay, I’d say go with the one you love.
With Anderson, you could use Clark as the middle name. Or it might be fun to find something parallel to Henry. Anderson Arthur, Anderson Charles, Anderson Edward, Anderson Wesley.
I would also think back and see if there are any other names you fell in love with but then eliminated for reasons that might not have been enough to be worth crossing them off the list. Every name has its own set of issues, and finding one you love may be well worth accepting those issues.
If you want to expand your list, I’d start with the Last Names First section of The Baby Name Wizard and would add a few more:
Davison
Meyer
Robertson
Thompson
I agree with Swistle that you are unlikely to find a name you like better than Anderson if it’s the only one you’ve ever loved. So I’d go with it, despite the minor issues.
I like the name Clark and if that is your favorite, it may be the one your should go with. However, I love the brother set of Easton and Anderson.
If you are worried about nicknames, you could rely on a first name, middle name combo. Anderson Clark could be Ace. East and Ace.
Oh, I like the idea of Anderson Clark called Ace!
I agree you should use the name you love (or at least the one you like the best). Some kids don’t even use nicknames, so the potential (minor) problems with Anders and Andy might never come up.
I love your naming style! Clark and Anderson are both wonderful names. I don’t know what part of the country you’re in, but in Texas, “Arthur Andersen” is still closely associated with the Enron scandal. For me, that would nix “Anderson Arthur” from my list. Just a thought… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Andersen
I was coming here to say the same thing. Arthur Anderson (or Anderson Arthur) would immediately bring up those associations for me.
I like the sib set of Easton and Anderson best. Clark is one of my fav names, though, so it’s a great choice too. It sounds like you’d be happier with Anders or Anderson, so I think you should go for it! The issues you mention don’t seem like anything big enough to deter from Anderson.
For some reason, Easton and Anderson sound a bit sing songy and matchy as a sib set. I much prefer Easton and Clark.
Maybe you would like Grant? Easton, Grant and Evelyn (for future girl) sounds great.
Davis would sound great with Easton as well
I wonder if you would like Hatcher. Hatcher Clark, Hatcher Anderson, Easton, Hatcher, and Evelyn, East and Hatch.
Love Anderson and it sounds great with Easton too. Anderson James perhaps?
I don’t think Anderson nn Anders is a problem with your surname at all and if you’re worried about the nickname Andy, what about Sonny?
Other suggestions:
Hunter
Carson
Hudson
Lawson
Benson
Archer
Grayson
Brady
Nolan
Spencer
Parker
Holden
Dawson
Carter
Landon
Particularly like Easton and Hunter together!
All the best!
I love Clark. I think it is just so handsome. :)
Hm, well I will say after reading your son’s name was Easton Henry, I was surprised to then read you like “solid, no spell check needed, classic names that aren’t on the top 10 list” as Easton doesn’t really fit this to me.
I find Easton to not necessarily be “solid” as I could easily see it “going girl.” I also do not view it as classic at all — in fact I would have put it much more towards hipster-trendy with a mix of cowboy, than “classic.”
So.. I’m not sure if I’m the only one that thinks the above.. if NOT (as in other people agree with me) .. maybe this is where the disconnect in finding a name you love arises? I don’t know.
Also knowing that you have an Easton and hope to use an Evelyn for Baby#3 (potentially) would you want Baby #2 to have an E name? Or is it not worth worrying about since Baby#3 is only a potential at this point?
FWIW, I do think Anderson matches style wise with Easton — I’m not sure I would love the match “on” endings though. I might consider something like Corbin, Rhett, or Wylie.
I think Anderson Stuart is a bit confusing – Stuart is often a first name, and Anderson often a last name. I could see people often thinking that it was meant to be “Anderson, Stuart” and then calling him Stuart.
Also, agreeing with “Easton and Anderson” a bit sing-songy for a sibset…..
I much prefer Clark Anderson to Anderson Clark. I like Easton & Clark together, as brothers, as well. Easton & Anderson seem too matched with the same ending. I’m with Swistle when she notes that Clark Anderson Stuart will serve well throughout an entire life.
First off, I think Easton Henry is an adorable name, I enjoy Clark and Anderson, but neither of them seem like the right option to me. You seem to have a preference for surnames-as-first-names, so here are some ideas:
Brady
Jensen
Redmond
Smith
Walker
Kiernan
Miller
Logan
Carter
Sawyer
Cooper
Sutton
Sullivan
Carson
Dawson
I’m really digging Walker from that list. Walker Arthur Stuart. Easton and Walker.
Sorry, the comments about Arthur Anderson somehow convinced me that Arthur was a middle name choice, so scratch that part of the comment. But I still like Walker!
My son is named Easton, it was the only name I absolutely loved. I ended up getting pregnant with another boy and had the hardest time finding something else I liked equally. We finally decided on Everett, but Clark and Anderson were both on my short list. :) We also considered Campbell, Hudson, and Harrison.
When I saw the name Evelyn, I immediately thought of either Everett or Emmett – but that may be too many E’s for your liking.
In keeping with the ‘last names’ vein, I also like Holden and suggest Parker, Hudson, Clayton or Porter. Good luck! :)
It’s nice to hear someone admit that they don’t love their child’s name, even though it was their top choice at the time of naming… I’m in that same boat I suppose. And it’s okay!
As for the names, I *love* Clark, just love it. It is solid, smart, sharp, classic and associated with superman – that’s a lot of ticks! I would use it for sure.
However, other names you may like, that Clark brings to mind:
Kent
Clint
Clyde
Flint
Chester “Chess” or “Chet”
Calvin
Guy
Good luck!
I adore Clark. I hope you use it. It was on our list, but we ended up with a Lewis instead, so no Clark for us.
We also liked
Wesley
Zane
Calvin
Harrison
Peter
George
Bennett
Frank
Clark is a bit surnamey, but feels like a first name too, at least to me. Like Lewis, Wesley, Bennett, Calvin. Anderson might be too much of a surname with a last name like Stuart.
Clark goes better with Easton and Evelyn than Anderson, (too many N endings) and it would be adorable on a baby, and so sharp on a grown man.
I have to say that Easton is a fine choice and in my opinion I would, without a doubt, know that it was a boys name. I don’t see it turning “girl”.
I think that Clark Anderson is a good solid name. So if that is your favourite, then do it!!
But I agree with others that if the only name you love is Anderson then don’t let a potential nickname sway you. What we had planned on using for a nickname for my daughter has never once come up. It may in the future but hasn’t thus far. Plus, I don’t think the Anders Stuart is an issue really. Plus Anders?? OMG LOVE this. Swoon.
There are a ton of great suggestions above. Here are a few more:
Duncan
Ryker
Rhett
Maguire – love this
Guthrie
Malcolm
Callum
Fitzpatrick or Fitzgerald. Fitz is such a great nn.
Good luck and keep us all posted.
Any names from either family tree that either of you like?
I love Clark Wesley! Wesley reminds me of Westley which goes with Easton, but it’s not too matchy because it’s in the middle name spot. Of course, Clark Anderson is nice too :) I wouldn’t use Corbin as a first name, as there is a country singer named Easton Corbin. I really like the cowboy-themed suggestions fot other posters. Would you like Keller, Quinn, Monroe, or Grady (possible nn Gray)?
I love all your name options. Anderson and Clark are both really nice. Clark also made me think of Reid. It’s short like Clark and also a surname.
I really like Clark as well! It was a serious contender for our baby boy, due in September (but we didn’t go with it.) I also really like Anderson, nickname Anders. I don’t think “Anders S.” is too much of a problem, if you really love the name. Sometimes things seem like a huge deal before the baby’s born and named and then you find out it isn’t a big deal.
Other times you name the baby and then find an issue you never thought of, which is what happened with both of our girl names. Our firstborn’s name shares three sounds with her older half-sister’s name, something I literally never thought about until after she was born and people would get tripped up and almost call the baby her sister’s name. That rarely happens now, but it was like “Whoa, how did I not see that?” at the time. Our secondborn’s name is rare but very close in sound/spelling to two much more common names, so sometimes I have to correct people over the phone or on a written form. It doesn’t happen often enough to be annoying or cause any problems, it’s just something I have to be mindful of. Despite that, I love both of their names and am glad we chose them. So long story short, if you really like or love a name, sometimes the “problems” that could come with it just don’t matter enough not to use it. I think more people regret not using a name they loved but were worried about.