This is hard. For years I've know that if I had a son, his name would be Finnegan. And while I wasn't 100% set on a name, I was pretty sure if I had a daughter she'd be either Katherine (Kate) or Alexandra (Alex) with the middle name Marget (which is a combination of my two grandmother's names). But I never considered what name I'd go with if I had two boys! And now I have a few names I like, but I've not yet been able to settle on one. It might be that I won't know his name for sure until he's born, but I'd really like to come up with one now - especially since there are some personalized things I'd like to buy for both boys this holiday season.
And so I'm looking for some suggestions, as I want to be sure there's not a name out there that I just haven't thought of yet. Maybe I haven't heard the right name yet and I'll know as soon as I hear it. Or maybe I've already decided on the right name and I just don't know it yet. And I'm open to suggestions for both first and middle names!
My last name is two syllables, and I think names that are either 1 or 3 syllables sound best with it. My top contender right now is Zachary - I like the way it sounds with my last name, and I like the sound of Finn and Zach (or Zack?) I was looking for a cool Irish name, but there's just nothing I love, at least not that I've heard yet. So Zachary is my top choice right now, though I like Nicholas, too.
I have no contenders at all for a middle name. None. I feel like the middle name should be the name that holds some significance for me, but I just haven't thought of anything. I'm just not feeling creative at all! Maybe that's what's holding me back from going with Zachary, as I can't figure out what goes with it.
Suggestions, please? Unusual, cool, funky or even run of the mill name ideas are all welcome!
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I like Zachary (Zach)! It sounds great with Finn. Sidekick's middle name was going to be Chance (because I took a chance in hopes of conceiving a child. Hope was the middle name if I had a girl). I changed his middle name last minute to honor my step dad who was diagnosed with throat cancer two weeks before Sidekick was born. Zachary Chance????
ReplyDeleteZach sounds great!
ReplyDeleteFunny story: a friend of a friend has two kids. The first is Sam. The second is Ella. She calls them to dinner and it becomes something like "salmonella"... so be sure to say both names aloud!!!!
Alexander? Oliver? Augustus/Augustin? ("Finn and Gus" would be so cute!).
ReplyDeleteEamon or Eoman is a great Irish name that goes well with Finnegan. Brennan or the traditional and perhaps too popular name of Connor. In my family, people get one name of their own and one that is a family name - either last or first name. Good luck. Your 2 girls names are my top choice as well which makes me worry they'll be one of 3 or 4 in the classroom :). It's difficult to be unique and yet not too weird. My brother chose Liam 6 yrs ago and now it's a number one name. I love zack, but I think the ck version is what most people will choose naturally.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it funny how we have those first sets of names chose long before? I've got a boy name and a girl name which have been chosen for years now. I like Zack also. Also, be sure to look at initials. :-)
ReplyDeleteHaha, Melissa, I was also thinking Oliver and Alexander. My cousin's name is Alexander so I didn't use it solely for that reason, though that same cousin goes by Augie instead. For some reason I picture Finn and Ollie running around outside together!
ReplyDeleteGood suggestions so far! I love love love Oliver! (And I think it makes a nice middle name too). One of my top boy names was August "Gus", even though I generally dislike nicknames. I posted on Nameberry asking for suggestions for a middle name right before Carys was born. She was going to be named Rose or Mira and I was looking for a middle name. Someone suggested Carys as a middle name and I LOVED it. It struck me like no name had ever before. So I changed her first name at the last minute. My friends were all "what the heck? Where did Carys come from?!!"
ReplyDeleteOoh, another favorite boy name is Ryan. Zachary Ryan is really nice!
ReplyDeleteI love that combo!!
DeleteMy two favorite boys' names, for a while now, have been Owen and Donovan, the latter in honor of my dad. And as a mom of a girl with an Irish name, Kiernan, I too love the name Eamonn (or Eamon). My girl's name was traditionally a boy's name, but I love it for a girl. I like Oliver and Zachary too! Great suggestions from everyone else too!!
ReplyDeleteGreetings from Ireland. I love the names Gavin, Conor, Brian, Oisin and Tiernan. We don't really name our children with surnames such as Reilly, Kiernan etc as happens in the States, so when I see that people call their children "Irish" names it is really Irish surnames that they are using not Christian names.
ReplyDeleteI'm very partial to Zachary which is what I named my son. I chose a one syllable middle name and it works great with my two syllable last name. So how about Chase, Charles
ReplyDelete( my original idea for a middle name), hmm I will have to look up a few more.
Zachary is nice! One of my aunts gave all three of her boys the same middle name, and I think they like that it's something they share (of course, they also have the same last name!).
ReplyDeleteKillian or Cillian is a lovely name if you want to stay with Irish names.
ReplyDeleteLaura always goes to school with a lot of Irish. There's Liam and Andrew. This year, she has a Connolly and Kieran and Connor.
ReplyDeleteWe had more trouble with a girl name and just used our boy name from last time so names were quite easy. We're going with Christopher Robert.
I really like Zach (I am partial to that, over Zack, but I do like both). I think it sounds good with Finn, too. As far as middle names, who do you want to name him after? I don't know what would sound good with your last name, of course, so that part is tricky.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to name Chet, Burton, which is my dad's middle name and my brothers middle name. I was told then he would be called Burt, which I don't mind, but we settled on Chet instead. Zachary Burton sounds good.
ReplyDeleteRheneas, Ollie and Finn were on my list for our son. We ended up with Lincoln and love it!
ReplyDeleteI love reading all of these names suggestions, you are getting good ones! I like Zach, good baby, child and adult name for sure. My first choice name for my son was Oliver, but since I am married this time around (and not single like when I had my first son), my husband got to weigh in -- and didn't like it. We went with his name choice - Carson... which of course I love too. Love Oliver though! Love Finn and Ollie for sure!
ReplyDeleteOh, surely Chimi would grow with him right?! Just kidding ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm probably jinxing my future self by saying this but having to come up with names for two boys is kind of my naming nightmare. I can't seem to come up with any boy names that work for me. But enough about me.
For some reason I'm thinking you have a nephew named Oliver? Maybe I'm thinking of someone else. But if you don't, I think it's cute. Anyway, I like Zachary (with the ch and not the ck). But in the spirit of giving you name suggestions you might not have considered I will randomly open to three different pages in my mother's ancient baby name book and give you the best name on each page that is either 1 or 3 syllables. Apologies in advance.
Lance (means: attendant or adherent), Nathaniel (gift of God), Graham (from the gray land or gray home).
Alright, I wish I could be of more help but boy names are tough for me.
Also, big huge congratulations on the new house!!! It already looks like it will be great.
I had a student named Zane a few years ago. Great kid and great name! Try doing online searches for the amount of syllables you like. It may open ideas more.
ReplyDeleteI also love Oliver and it was on my short list, but it's becoming more popular every year and will probably make the top 10 for 2013. So if you want a name that isn't really common, that might be worth considering.
ReplyDeleteI like Finn and Zach too. :)
Ok, I know it isn't 1 or 3 syllables, but what about Ronan? Nice Irish name (I think - this is coming from a Jewish girl!). Could be a middle name if it's not the right number of syllables for the first. I kind of like Zachary Ronan. And I like Zach as a name, good choice!
ReplyDeleteRory and Finn? Fiach and Finn? Sean and Finn?
ReplyDeleteOk, this one is kind of out there, but I've always liked the way it sounds...
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, I knew a couple who named one of their boys Chaunary (the 'ch' has a 'sh' sound). I think they told me that they just made it up themselves, but it sounds like it could be Irish. The spelling could be changed slightly and he could be called Shaun for short. If I were to have another boy, I'd be lobbying heavily to name him that. :)
I love the way Finn and Zack sound together!
ReplyDeleteLoving all these name selections. I like Zach as well. When we were about to adopt a little boy, we had planned on naming him Dalton Kane. Zachary Kane? I like Gracin too.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, the little boy that we didn't get to adopt ended up being named Risten by his birth mom. I had never heard of that before.
oh baby names are fun!!! But you're right--super hard! I love the name Zachary and I think it sounds great with Finn! My other favorite boy name is Carter, and I'm very partial to the name Logan :) One of my boys' middle names is Reid and I also love how that sounds with Finn. good luck….
ReplyDeleteShannon, Shane and Finn sounds good. Eoghan, Eoin or Owen are all pronounced the same, all are John. Darragh, Seamus or Conn are popular too.
ReplyDeleteOh so many choices. I LOVED researching and thinking about my 2nd boy names. I definitely thought about how they'd sound together. Probably more so since my first Gabriel John (middle after my grandfather) came so easy. My 2nd is Leo Mack (middle after same grandfather's middle name). So each holds a connection to one of my favorite (yet now gone) men in my life. I do like Zach(ary), but was trying to stay away from highly popular names. Kept them more in the 50-100 range. Though I think both are gaining popularity. My favorite name site is Nameberry which Claire mentioned above. I also found that being out here in California, many of the newer / popular names (Zane, Zander) had already taken hold and become quite popular.
ReplyDeleteHi Shannon, haven't posted in awhile. Just took some time to catch up on your story. Congrats on the new baby and Finn looks great. I like the name Zachary! And Declan is nice too. By the way, my boy is Xander. Though he's really Walker Alexander. Hope all is well and congrats on the house too!
ReplyDelete