Hello Swistle,
You helped us name our daughter two years ago and now I am even more desperate for your help naming our son, whom we are expecting in early April.
Our daughter’s name is Maren Luna. We love that her first name is not very popular and we chose it based on it’s meaning, which is Latin for sea. Luna we love as a combination of the sea and the moon, and we were inspired to name her that from Luna Lovegood (we are both avid Harry Potter fans).
Anyways, our biggest priority with names is something that is meaningful to us. The less popular, the better. But we would choose a very popular name that means something to us over something obscure. We love nature names, ocean-related names, or others that have a great meaning.
The only two names we are considering right now are Ezra Kai and Rhys Raymond.
Ezra – helper
Kai – seaRhys – ardor
Raymond – wise protectorWe also like Shai, but are struggling with a good middle name to go with it.
Ezra has been a favorite of ours for a long time. If Maren had been a boy, we would’ve named her Ezra. I’ve always liked the name Rhys and Raymond is a family name (although we would not have considered it if we didn’t also like what it means).
My husband loves Ezra Kai, but there is something about it that I’m not super sold on. Ezra with another middle name might work for us, but I have seriously struggled to figure out another one we like. My husband likes Rhys but doesn’t love the spelling, although he also doesn’t want to spell it like Reece. I like the name Ezra better than Rhys but I love the sound of Rhys Raymond way more than Ezra Kai. Boy names we had considered but rejected for one reason or another are: Oliver, Rowan, Ash,and Silas.
If this baby had been a girl, my list included names such as Indigo, Elowyn Jade, Elowyn Sage, Daphne Flora, and Daphne Laurel.
At this point we have accepted that we may not manage to name him until he’s here. And we feel like we have two decent options. We’d love to have a couple more options to choose from though and thought that’s where your genius may come in handy!
Thank you so much,
Lauren
A quick one this evening! Here is my Fast-and-Could-Be-Wrong Take: I think that of these two options, the obvious choice is Ezra; and that the main issue is that you need a different middle name. I think you WANT to like Kai because it can be said to mean “sea,” like your daughter’s name, but that it’s not working for you—possibly BECAUSE it can be said to mean the same as your daughter’s name. (Also, the name Ezra Kai is reminding me of something I can’t put my finger on: something about the rhythm/sound of it is reminding me of, like, the name of a special kind of battle in Star Trek/Wars. Like, an “I challenge you to ______!” context/)
The most important issue to you is that the name have personal meaning, so obviously I can’t help with that—but I can pull from your email and suggest Ezra Raymond or Ezra Rhys or Ezra Shai or Ezra Indigo or Ezra Sage; or Ezra with any of your other rejected first names (Oliver, Rowan, Ash, Silas); or looking for a middle name with special meaning to you that also has alliteration similar to Rhys Raymond.
You may be thinking of Uruk-Hai, monsters from Lord of the Rings?
If we’re mixing up the middles, I like Ezra Rhys (the spelling wouldn’t be as much of an issue for a middle presumably), Ezra Raymond, Ezra Rowan, and Ezra Oliver
Is there a Harry Potter related name you could use with Ezra? Neville would be a CHOICE. But I sort of don’t hate it. Or James? Or Wesley as a nod to the Weasley’s?
Cedric!
Could it be that it has the “__ra Kai” of Cobra Kai?
Cobra Kai was my first though as well. I love Ezra Rhys!
Yep, that was my immediate thought
Me too. Cobra Kai
How about repeating the “z” sound? Ezra Zachary, Ezra Ezekiel
Or the “E” Ezra Edward, Ezra Elliot, Ezra Emmett
Or Ezra Ray?
Also thought of Cobra Kai. I love Ezra Shai (Shai means gift – one of my fave meaningful names!) and I would also throw in Amos as a very subtle HP-related option.
I don’t know how committed you are to “The more unusual, the better,” but you’re taking it all the way to where you’d find it disappointing to find other kids with the same name, it seems like Ezra might not be for you. Have you considered Asa? Asa means healer (according to Google), which seems in keeping with your taste, and has a similar sound. Asa Raymond sounds nice to me (but maybe not if you care a lot about the initials not spelling anything – I don’t). I also like how it subverts expectations to have a girl name that’s nature themed – which makes me think about independence and freedom – and a boy name focused on caring virtues.
Is Ezra Adair off the table, mentioned as your top choice if your daughter had been a boy? That combo is great!
Yes, I was wondering this, too. Love Ezra Adair!
To me the flow of Ezra Rhys (or any other R middle name) is a bit to heavy on the R sounds. All I hear is -ra Ruh.
I wonder if the name Stellan might appeal to you for the middle? It may mean calm or peaceful (precise meaning seems to be unknown) but it phonetically brings to mind Stella/star, and I think there’s something pleasing about pairing it with your daughter’s name – Maren Luna and Ezra Stellan – the moon and the stars.
Love this suggestion!! Ezra Stellen
Ah Ezra Stellan is lovely!
Ezra Kai reminded me of Cobra Kai as well, although Swistle is right, there is an Ezra in Star Wars Rebels.
I think Ezra Adair (your choice when you had your daughter), Ezra Rhys (spelling won’t be as much of an issue in the middle name spot), and Ezra Raymond are all great. Which name is the most meaningful to you?
Just an aside to Rhys, there’s a VEEEERY popular romance/fantasy/fae porn series out right now called A Court of Thorns and Roses. The main guy character’s name is Rhysand, nickname Rhys, and if I met a baby named Rhys I would 100% think it’s from that series.
Just want to make sure it’s something you’re okay being associated with!
For another data point, my main association is Rhys Hoskins, a professional baseball player 🤷♀️ but I may be in the minority haha
I am familiar with this series but I definitely wouldn’t assume a baby with the name Rhys was named for it.
My associations are with actors like Rhys Ifans, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Matthew Rhys.
I love Ezra Rhys. Or Rhys Ezra even better. There are repeated sounds there but in a way that’s pleasing to me. Good luck!
I’d think John Rhys Davies or a major character in the Camber of Culdi series by Katherine Kurtz first, but then, I’m not interested in books like Court of Thorns or 50 Shades
Rhys is a favorite of mine, so that is what I would pick. It is also much rarer where I live. I also think Ezra is great, but Ezra Kai kind of sounds like one name (Malachi as an example). I feel like Ezra Ocean actually is a pretty fun name, for what it is worth. I also like Ezra Oberon (Oberon meaning “noble, bear-like” which feels like a great sibling name for Maren Luna).
I actually like Ezra Malachi as Maren Luna’s brother. (Personally, I like Rhys Raymond better here—I think Rhys &ilbert is very handsome.)
I’m trying to brainstorm other ocean themed names.
Ezra Bay
Ezra Firth
Ezra Harbor
Ezra Wade
Ezra Wells
Ezra Cove
Ezra Moray
Ezra Hudson
Ezra Lawrence
Ezra Sydney
Ezra Muir
Ezra Haven
Ezra Sound
Ezra Lake
(I was just free associating here!)
I was coming to the comment section to suggest Ezra Wade.
What about Brooks? It might be unusual but ny brother in law is named that (after a baseball player, I think?) He has always seemed to like his name. You get the water in there, but in a different way.
Have you considered Ronan– it means little seal? Ronan Rhys, Ezra Ronan? Ronan Kai? Or Sage for a boy Shai Sage, Sage Ezra, Ezra Sage, Sage Kai?
I also really like Raymond Kai
My son Ronan is 18, and I have grown to love the name even more than the day we picked it! Even if people have never heard of it, they pronounce it correctly. So I concur with Laura — it’s a great choice!
Morgan means great circling sea so what about Ezra Morgan? Ezra Morgan and Maren Luna sound great! I love that both have a 2 syllable ending in A name and a 2 syllable ending in -an name; some symmetry in a very subtle way
I also love the suggestion of Ezra Stellan
Yeah, Ezra Kai reminds me of something from Star Trek too, and then there’s Uruk Hai. I’m unfamiliar with Cobra Kai. Apparently a rather popular family of names in sci-fi/fantasy
Ezra Raymond. Wise protector and helper sounds like a lovely combination.
Ezra Stellen
Ezra Luka (One of the Lucius “light” family without being either pretty common or an HP villain)
Ezra Sirius
Ezra Samson or Ezra Aelius (both mean “sun”)
Ezra Ray (Short form of Raymond, but also the wordplay)
Ezra Sage
Raymond’s actually a lot less popular than Ezra these days. What about Raymond Ezra or Raymond Sirius, or something like that?
It sounds like you are a bit too caught up in the sound of the first + middle name being pleasing. For me personally I almost never use my kids’ middle names when referring to them. I would ask yourself how often you use your daughters full name, and if anyone else refers to her regularly as first + middle. If the answer is that you and everyone else always refer to her a first + middle, then I totally get your hang up and you can disregard this comment. But if it was on her birth announcement and now you occasionally say it when disciplining her I would just go with Ezra (the first name you say you prefer) + whatever middle name has the best meaning regardless of how it sounds.
I also think Swistle may be thinking of Uruk Hai. Although I wouldn’t have come to that association if Swistle hadn’t said anything.
I would be wary choosing the name Kai because it means “sea” unless you live in Hawaii. It has other meanings around the world too, for example in my country it means “food”.
Have you considered two middle names, or a double barrelled middle name? It sounds from your letter that you love Ezra the most but you also love Rhys Raymond together. Well what about using all three names? Ezra Rhys-Raymond “Dilbert”
Ezra Makai (toward or by the sea)
I am drawn to Elowyn in your girls list. What about Ezra Wynn? One of the meanings for Wynn is “friend”, which is a lovely link to his sister. ( I don’t know about you, but it’s important to me that my kids are friends.) I also love the flow of Ezra Wynn, and it’s fun that his name would have a z and a y!
Ezra Fox
Ezra Archer
Ezra Asher
Ezra Briggs
Ezra Atlas
Ezra Sol
Ezra Sage
Ezra Forrest
Ezra Marshall
Second Ezra Ezekiel if you like alliteration.
Harry Potter references: Ezra Alastor
Haven’t googled but I believe Murray means ‘of the sea’. I like Ezra Murray or Murray Ezra.
I wouldn’t change your favourite name just to get a combo you like. Middles are rarely used after preschool whereas our first names are used multiple times a day for our whole lives.
Love that everyone nailed Cobra Kai! I’m definitely here for a new middle for Ezra. So many great suggestions. I think Ezra Makai is brilliant for taking it away from that sound / association. Ezra Murray is really beautiful too. Ezra Oberon would be super cool!
The Rhys spelling thing – I think people would figure it out pretty quickly. Especially given it’s rising in use. The first one I met was an adult and I totally googled how to pronounce before we met in person. The second one is a child and his parents are from the UK and would never consider the alternate spellings. If I heard Maren & Reese aloud, I might assume they’re sisters. That’s neither here nor there, but Ms Witherspoon has definitely made an impression for the name for me.
How about Griffin (first or middle) as a nod to HP?
In terms of a special kind of battle – are you thinking of Agni Kai, the firebender duel in Avatar: The Last Airbender? That’s what came to mind for me. Agree that Ezra with another middle name is a winner!
THAT’S IT
Emrys!
If you like Rhys and Ezra and Rowan and Elowyn, maybe you will like Emrys! Emrys Raymond, Emrys Kai, Emrys Oliver. Maren & Emrys.