This post is for Nicole Balch, of the beautious blog Making It Lovely. She’s due next month with her second child, first boy. Her blog is a huge inspiration to mothers like me everywhere as she makes improvements on her “so-so Bungalow.” Oh how I long to have any kind of Bungalow.
Nicole’s business is called “Pink Loves Brown”, so we’re working with a kind pink-loves-brown-loves-boys kind of name. Her daughter is Eleanor. Wouldn’t you know it? We both had the same first thought for a boy: Henry. She loves it, I love it for her, but its rising popularity bothers her. So Henry, but not.
Nicole’s taste is mid-century modern. She strikes me as very creative, but also very tidy about her creativity (which I could never seem to manage!) She and her hubby love to read, so a literary bent would be nice.
I would love to see Nicole use any of these. Please do chime in with suggestions, and vote for your favorite!
1) Frederick. An underused classic with the adorable nickname Freddy. I could totally see your son rocking Freddy.
2) Edward, nickname Ned. This mid-century nickname seem to come off with such charm when I think of them in a not-so so-so Bungalow.
3) Barnaby. Not everyone can get away with Barnaby, but it’s so jovial and bouncy. Please have a Barnaby!
4) George. Another vastly under appreciated old king’s name, George is firmly where it’s at and would be so cute on a little boy.
5) Gideon. I do get giddy when I say this name.
6) Oscar. While Oscar may have had his day on the Upper West Side, my sources tell me that they are still scant in Oak Park, Illinois. Plus, you get your literary reference with Mr. Wilde.
7) Linus. Just as Oscar is shedding his grouchy associations, so too is Linus shedding the blanket. Funny and noble in one, just like most people.
8 ) Otto. Otto does a lot for me personally. I like its immense history, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Plus, the perfectly symmetrical anagram should appeal to the designer in you, yes?
9) Malcolm- Stately but with a sense of humor as we’ve been seeing in so many of these names. The nickname Mac does wonders if you don’t want to use it in full all the time.
10) Peter- Is Peter a lost cause? Pete and Petey are such amiable nicknames, and the name in full has power.
11) Hugo- Heft + buoyancy, Hugo literally means “smart” and it comes across as so. Or you could pull back a little with the more subtle Hugh.
12) Clive- Your house just seems like a Clive should live there.
13) August- Something about August feels more pastoral than the others, but it’s less of a beat-me-up-on-the-playground kind of name. Gus and Auggie are too tempting.
14) Arthur- Imperfect as a brother to Eleanor with the double R endings, but perfectly perfect for the Balch clan, methinks.
15) Ike- Another one with the mid-century vibe going for it. Traditionally a nickname for Isaac, but if it works for Dwight, I suppose it could work for anything! Think Mike and Ike’s.
16) Calvin- Everybody likes Cal, right? Calvin sets both a presidential tone and brings to mind mischief from a comic book.
17) Ulysses- Another presidential gem, Uly works if it gets to be a mouthful.
18) Simon- The other side of Peter, Simon still has British undertones in this country, but works on a child in a way it may not overseas.
19) Tobias- Like Gideon, Tobias shows strong signs of becoming the next frontier in Bible names.
20) Ambrose- Ambrose takes a lot of courage, and if ever there was a boy’s name that equaled “Pink Loves Brown”, it would be this (Amber and Rose?). Still, I’m serious. Someone’s got to use it.
[polldaddy poll=4447985]
P.S. A little off topic but if you’re currently designing a nursery or a child’s room, check out this giveaway with adorable alphabet prints over at my other new blog, The Itsy Factor!
{ 120 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m surprised by all the votes for Gideon! I love the name but *always* get negative reactions. Viz. Giddy-up, GigglyGid, and my personal favorite: “sounds like a weird space age cult member.”
For a lovely, Midwestern, Mid-century feel I like Peter, George, Ike or Issac, James, Ned and Toby. Tobias Henry, Simon Henry, George Henry, etc. Congrats to them!
Tobias is cool. George is my second suggestion.
So so so many great names and suggestions, but I think Frederick is the winner here! Oh man, though, all are really great!
I voted for August. It isn’t my favourite independent name of the bunch, but I like it best with Eleanor. I do really like Ulysses ‘Uly’ with Eleanor, too. Elisabeth, do you happen to know Eleanor’s middle name?
My suggestions would be Emil(e) [combo Emil August or August Emil if initial-repetition isn't Nicole's thing] or James ‘Jem’. Also Milo, maybe?
I’m surprised by the amount of Simon votes, it seems fairly dated to me. Is it still ‘fresh’ in America?
Lots of good names — voted for Tobias. Toby Balch is adorable. I like Hugo but Hugo Balch might be a bit too close to Hugo Boss. Runners-up are Oscar and Simon.
If I got a surge of adrenaline I might just scrap all of the above and go for Barnaby. Barnaby Balch is too cute!
I’m loving this list of names. It looks a lot like my own list, as we’re also looking for a “Henry, but not” name. We have a 3 year old Henry & are having a new baby in March – gender unknown. (Also have a 5 year old daughter.) If we have a boy, we’ve already picked a name from this list!
I do think Henry is a great name and it is more popular than I’d like. Though that personally bothers me less with boy names than it does with girl names. Plus Henry is such a classic name with a long history, so it’s not the same as a popular ‘trendy’ up-and-coming name. So if you don’t know any little Henrys in your circle of friends, I wouldn’t rule it out altogether. That beings said, we ruled out Lily in 2005 because of increasing popularity (close friends went on to have a Lily of their own in 2007) so I totally understand doing that.
There’s an Eleanor in my daughter’s Kindergarten class & she has an older brother called Peter. Another friend is expecting and they’re going to have a Peter, if their baby is a boy.
Our Henry was almost an Oliver, though that may be a bit too similar in rhythm to Eleanor. Especially Ellie and Ollie.
I personally voted for Frederick for you. Oh and Barnaby would be fun too – not actually on our list, as it doesn’t work with our last name.
Look forward to hearing what you do choose!
Winston Henry Balch …. I think Eleanor and Winston are adorable together. It seams familiar yet fresh.
So many of my favorite names on this list…Arthur! Hugo! Ulysses!! But I like Arthur best with Eleanor and with Balch. I don’t think the fact that both names end in R sounds awkward or diminishes it at all. I really like Henry too. Best wishes!
I voted Simon… a strong name that is still hip, doesn’t compete with ‘Eleanor’ and also doesn’t scream trendy parent.
Can’t wait to see what you pick, we had such a hard time coming up with boy names we liked, so thankfully we’re having a girl!
My vote was for Oscar. So cute and offbeat. I also like (not on list): Milo, Owen, and James.
We have an 19 month old Henry Roscoe, and we don’t know any other Henry’s (adult or kids). But I do hear that it’s growing in popularity. We just had a boy 4 weeks ago and named him Oliver Mason. When I was first pregnant I wasn’t sure I could possibly find another boy name I liked as much as Henry, but Oliver fits right in.
Of the list above George is my pick. I wanted George for our second but hubbie wasn’t on board.
I voted for Hugo because it is somewhat similar to Henry, both beginning with H, 2 syllable, no usual nickname, traditional. Also I’ve noticed Henry and Hugo paired as brother names in several Telegraph announcements when I was looking specifically at those names at a time when both Henry and Hugo were being considered by two couples in my family. Henry was chosen over Hugo; the other couple had a girl (Jane). So I think Hugo is close to Henry in some ways, but it doesn’t have the regal history of Henry nor the association with many accomplished men by that name.
I would advise sticking with Henry. It’s not that popular, and I don’t think it’s for everyone. I think it’s unlikely to ever be a really top name.
i love the names that you chose on your list. when i found out nicole was pregnant, and then that she was expecting a boy, i just couldn’t wait to hear what name she would choose. i love the name augie, so naturally august wins on your list. my second favorite is oscar (i have a friend we call oscie, and it just “fits” the right wearer). BUT, i would also love to suggest a few that didn’t make the cut that i think would go with eleanor’s name and the balch family “vibe.” here goes: miles, silas (or sylas), reed or (reid), oliver, and harcourt (which can be harry, hart, or courtie for that special little boy charm). regardless, we’re all on the edge of our seats waiting to hear which name nicole and brandon choose! -mfd
What about OLIVER?
Just recalled a young family with daughter Eleanor and brother Max (Maxwell). I think those names fit together well — sound early 20th century to me, but I haven’t checked SSA to see if that’s accurate.
Eleanor and Oliver, Elee and Olee
I love Barnaby! What a fun post. Thanks for letting us vote.
Henry? Popular? I have yet to meet a (young) Henry. Eleanor is much more popular than Henry, especially since so many people chose it so they could use the nickname Ella.
My first choice is Henry,for sure. It sounds great with Eleanor. My second choice from the list is George.
This must be regional. Every other baby boy in the South right now is Henry or William.
Ha ha! I have nephews Henry and William (brothers, ages 4 and 2) awaiting the arrival of Edward next month. They’re in California.
What about Oliver (Oliver Twist) or Finn (Huckleberry Finn)?
I love Ambrose (on my list!, except I live near St. Ambrose University) and Calvin. I could also be down with Simon, Malcom and Oscar
I love your blog and, though a habitual lurker, I just cannot resist joining in here! Of the list I’m most drawn to Hugo – or how about Wilfrid/Wilfred (Owen) , Stanley (Stan), Nathaniel (Hawthorne) or Dashiell (Hammett)?
How about Quinn? Love it for a boy or girl. Gave my second son a modified Quinlen for a middle name.
OT, but I’m doing my first GIVEAWAY over at The Itsy Factor!
Very cute alphabet prints:
http://itsyfactor.com/2011/01/26/itsy-etsy-evapaul-petite-giveaway/
Love all the new suggestions coming in.
I see that Frederick has got plenty of votes but no one has commented on it!
I voted for Frederick!!!! I love love love it with Eleanor! Eleanor and Frederick is lovely. If you use Nicknames you could call him Fred, Freddy, Red or Rick! I think its versatile and it’s Henry, but not.
I also like Edward, Barnaby, Arthur, and Oscar with Eleanor.
Good Luck!
I voted for Oscar. I’d also suggest Harrison – Harry for short, or Maximillian – Max for short. My stepsons’ names! I had no part in picking them but I think they are great names.
I was definitely thinking Harrison also!
I’m with you on the name Henry. I love it and it’s been my name for years (I don’t even have a kid yet), but now it’s way to popular.
I worry about Edward becoming all too popular now because of Twilight.
I love Clive (but not sure if that’s just b/c I think Clive Owen is so hot).
Out of the names listed, I like Edward the best but I hate it’s connection with that book (although, I did enjoy reading the series). Just for fun, here are some names that I think would go with Eleanor…
Atticus
Xavier
Cormac
Rowan
and some of the names already mentioned that I really like are:
Milo
Oliver
Nathaniel (acually, this one might be my favorite)
Have fun deciding!
I popped into my head before I even read the suggestions. I think Eleanor and George would be so perfect together. George is my own Henry-but-not name.
The beginning of my post went wonky. It should read…
George! It popped
I posted a comment on the poll page, didn’t know the discussion was here! I voted for Calvin-my son’s middle name, but I really love the pairing of Henry and Eleanor! My husband’s name is Henry, he’s always had good reactions and it seems to stay familiar, but not overly popular. I love Frederick(my dad’s name) also, I’ve heard it is coming back around.
I’d like to add Phillip to the list-it also sounds great with Eleanor and love it with the last name, makes me think of an author. You can’t really go wrong with this list, they are all great. Can’t wait to hear the choice!
I hear you on Henry…we’re due to have our third child (first boy) on 3/15 and my husband is dead-set on Henry. Don’t get me wrong, I love the name and we’ll probably use it…but the popularity does bother me a bit. Of course, as another respondent mentioned, this bothers me less on boys than girls for some reason.
It was hard to select one from the list Elisabeth provided…they’re all spot on, in my opinion. My top choices for you would be: George, Barnaby, Clive and Ned. Oh, and August (nn Gus or Auggie), Otto and Gideon are excellent as well. And Peter is pretty smart-sounding with Eleanor. See what I mean? So many great choices!
A few to add:
Dorian
Burke
Fritz
Jasper
Silas
Cyrus (Cy)
Callum (Cal)
Barrett
Vaughn
Arlo
Remington (Remy)
Merritt
Milo
Rufus
Ooh I totally second Arlo! Eleanor and Arlo. So gorgeous.
Arlo is quite popular over here right now (as are Ivo and Milo and anything else ending in an O), but I don’t know if its a trend that will be travelling or not…
Malcolm got my vote because I love the way it looks with Balch — Malcolm Balch. Those repetitive As and Ls are great, plus Mac is a super nn.
However, I love almost every name on this list and think any of them (along with loads of the suggestions in the comments) would work with Eleanor’s name. I know a few Henrys, but they all live in different places so I’m not in a Henry hot spot. If you love it, go for it. It sounds great with Eleanor.
I love Freddy or Auggie. So cute. Any way you slice it, this kid is going to be hip and cool- just like his parents and older sis.
I love Gideon, Fredrick and Ambrose. I’ve read MIL it for a while now and Nicole could definitely pull off an Ambrose. Just think, male version of the adorable Eleanor, with all the creativity of his parents? Totally an Ambrose.
So funny to read all the Henry feedback. I’ve always loved Nicole’s taste and so I’m not surprised to hear she likes that name! We picked it for our son 2 years ago. The funny thing is we researched it at the time and it wasn’t too popular yet. Now we know 3 since he was born – the popularity totally bugs me!
I voted for Simon, but there are so many cute ones on the list. I may have to steal one if Henry’s sibling on the way is a boy! Congrats Nicole!
I vote Harrison (Harry for short and also my Henry-but-not name), Silas, Maxwell (Max) and Barrett.
I also love Silas, Harrison (Harry), Max and my own son’s name-Asa
I voted for Oscar (on our list should we ever have a boy) but I also like Felix, Miles, Sebastian and Winston.
Love George, love Peter. I’m going to let you in on my cool, mid-century, hip to be square ‘secret’ name, though. Roger.
I don’t know if this suggestion would be considered cheating, but I really like Henrik. It’s got the wholesome appeal of Henry but with sturdy, Scandinavian flair. I’ve always liked ‘Henry,’ but when I found ‘Henrik,’ I LOVED it!
… and there’s Henrik Ibsen, of course.
I’d also like to throw in some votes for James and Ulysses. I also think that ‘Samuel’ is always a solid choice. It’s never really disappeared, but I don’t know any Sams under twenty-years-old, and I’ve never met a Sam who was anything less than delightful.
I think that’s a great suggestion! I thought about Henrique (same sound) but it’s too latin…
This is SO MUCH FUN! Elisabeth, you came up with an excellent list (all of our front-runners are on it, plus a few we hadn’t thought of). And everyone else has such good ideas too!
A quick note on Oscar… there was an Oscar Balch (no relation to us) from Oak Park, known for commissioning the Balch House from Frank Lloyd Wright.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_B._Balch_House
I did have a lot of fun with it Nicole! Can’t wait to see what you choose.
Note on Mr. Oscar Balch: I did not google any of these names with your surname, but *always Google* people! You never know who you might be naming your child after!
Great suggestions! I voted for Otto – think it sounds great with sibling name, Eleanor too… May I also propose Abbot? I had a professor with this first name and we all called him ‘Bot.
My 3 month old is Simon and we love the name! His older brother is Arlo, so I third on that suggestion. That being said, we had Ike, Linus and Barnaby on our list and I love them too. We weren’t brave enough for Barnaby. =)
August is very popular right now, something to consider, but it is cute. I, too, heard that Edward is getting really popular because of “Twilight.”
Good luck! Whatever you pick it will be perfect!
I remembered another one that I had on my list for Henry:
Walter (nickname: Walt)
Alfred hasn’t been mentioned either. I do prefer Arthur, but Alfred does have the fun Fred syllable, plus the popular-in-England nickname of Alfie.
I was thinking Harry, James or Maximus.
Harry is a cute alternative to Henry, and can stand well on it’s own (No need for it to be a nickname of Harrison).
I’m just going to throw out there the option of Harris (instead of Harrison) with the nn Harry. One of my friends used that, and I think it seems a little more classic than Harrison. All of these options are fabulous! I voted for Calvin, because it’s unique but recognizable with a fabulous nn of Cal. But you really can’t go wrong with all of these. Happy naming!
Simon was my first pick, then I remembered that Eleanor was a chipmunk, as was Simon.
Ooh, I forgot about the girlie chipmunks. Still, not enough of an association that I’d be too worried, particularly since they’re such classics.
Edward (Ned) has been a favourite of mine for a long time, although in this case I think Frederick is a winner!
My other suggestion is James (Jamie). I just think “Eleanor and Jamie” sounds so cute!
I have a Frederick!! Named after his great grandfather, and we have yet to meet any other baby Fredericks. Nicknames are Mr. Fred, Fredders, FAZ (his initials), but never Freddie. And we just had his first birthday on Tuesday!!
I would love to have another boy someday and name him Felix – which is also a family name.
Ooooo your suggestions are spot on as always. I don’t think she’ll have any trouble. Funny how most of these names belonged to classmates of mine growing up and I thought of them as boring. Shows you that tastes mature. As for me, you hinted at one of my top names as well as having one on there my bf just can’t seem to fall for the way I have- Ambrose. *sigh*
Looking forward to seeing what she chooses.
I wasn’t sure which one to pick but I just picked Hugo
_
I voted for George. Eleanor and George were my number one sibset for the longest time. Since then my tastes have changed, but I still think both names are perfect for eachother. I also like Simon and Peter. May I suggest Martin. It has the same seriousness as Eleanor, but with the cute nickname Marty.
Woops. I just suggested this before reading yours. Should’ve commented here only.
just today i heard a nice name…henrik
it’s sounds like henry and fredrick combined, and i like it! such a great list of names here!
I love Ambrose and George. I’d also love Albert (Bertie) and Roy.
Love your daughter’s name (if our second had been a girl, she’d have been Eleanor or Beatrix – as it turned out, he’s Oliver). But this list is fabulous (maybe because it resembles the one we had?)… I voted for Malcolm, but I also love so many others… George is probably my #2 for you. Not that you need *more* suggestions, but just in case… Marvin, Arlo, Walter, and Charles.
Great list, it was really hard to choose! I ended up picking Arthur. I adore Arthur, and paired with big sis Eleanor I picture them running around the backyard slaying dragons and capturing castles together!
I will say that had the last name been different, I probably would’ve chosen Ambrose. The combo just tripped me up quite a bit. But I absolutely LOVE Ambrose and would consider divorcing my husband if I could find a man who would agree to use Ambrose. LOL!
And not that you need more options, but another “Henry but not” name for me is Wesley.
Another nickname of Frederick is Fritz which I think is an adorable name for a little brother. I also like the Ned nickname.
I think this is a great list but that’s probably because I have a couple of kids with names on the list. I have a Mac but it’s short for McClellan and I have an Auggie but it’s short for Augustine (pronounced Aw-gus-tin. I like Henry too but I know about being afraid something will be too common. I have a Wyatt and thought that was different but now I hear about them all the time.
I have 2 weeks to narrow down a 5th boys name. I think it gets harder the more you have.
Good luck to Nicole
I was so excited to see the name Henry at the beginning of this post, only to be disappointed that it was not on the list of choices. With that in mind, my first choice would be HENRY.
Here’s my list:
1) Henry (Alexander) Balch
2) Harrison . . .
3) Anderson . . .
4) Winston (Alexander) Balch
5) Peter . . .
6) Tristan (Alexander) Balch
And . . . I do like the name Oliver . . .
It all depends on the choice for middle name and how it sounds with the last name, as well as alongside Eleanor. Consideration should be given to whether the selected name will subject a child to ridicule by other kids (and adults)
Whatever Nicole names her little boy, he is blessed to have her as his mommy! She is amazing.
Over from “Making it Lovely”. strange. Henry was my first thought as well.
Has MARTIN been considered? It’s my father’s name; born in ’47. Love it, but we had a girl.
Martin Balch looks and sounds very nice. I think.
I was thinking Peter as I was reading your post so that was my pick for sure!
I also like Gilbert.
I surprised myself by voting for Peter. It just sounds the best with Balch I think, and it’s an unexpected name nowadays without sounding like you’re trying too hard to be offbeat. I also like Julian.
I think we have similar taste. We are having a boy and we’re thinking of Everett. We have a little girl about Eleanor’s age (and we love Eleanor as a name!!) and her name is Adele.
I chose Ambrose but I also thought, what about Winston?
I voted “George” Was just saying to my husband last week it’s a great boy’s name you never hear. I also like Jack (as in nickname for John).
So many great choices! I like Winston and Remington… they seem very majestic and a little retro =)
A friend of mine gave her new baby the middle name Riegel (a family name passed down) – I thought it was cool and unique!
Julian makes me think of Julius. There’s a Julius in my daughter’s Kindergarten class. Eleanor & Julius sound good together with the 3 syllables each.
I think on Facebook someone suggested Oliver Danger Balch and thats still my favorite but here I voted for Simon.
We just had our first baby and his name is Henry (family name for us) so maybe some of our other picks will be a similar choice: Ephraim Alexander, Theodore, James, Lucas, Milo, Max, Warren, Charlie, Quentin, Felix, and Paul.
Atticus, Ptolemy or Seneca- You won’t run into many of these. My daughter has 3- yes, 3 Henrys in her class.
ummm……….not really any of these rock my world. but then, I’m not Nicole and Brandon and all they have to do is love one of them! My choices are Wyatt, Graham, Jeben (Jeb), Joshua, Patrick, and Tucker.
I keep looking at Linus thinking how TERRIBLE that child is going to feel in college or let’s say at a very professional job and having to tell people his first name is Linus! I think what’s cute for a child doesn’t apply to how many years an adult will carry a name. Cute for a child isn’t cute for an adult in all cases. But that’s JMO!!
These are wonderful names – love the old fashioned. I’m incredibly partial to Gabriel/Gabe for a boy – that’s our son’s name. Many of these same ones were on our list too, but Gabriel won out because the full name is so nice, and Gabe is short but sweet without being cutesy (Joey, Freddy, etc – fine as a little tot, but not so good as a preteen/teen). Plus, it seemed like everyone we talked to knew a Gabe, but only one. It’s a well known and liked name, without being a popular one.
Our daughter Lily though, insanely popular name… but it was a family name and my husband adored it.
at least half the names on that list our my family members, including Arthur which was my vote. i think eleanor and arthur has a nice ring!
Visiting from Making it Lovely…
My daughter would have been Henry if she was a boy. I would put in a vote for Sam (my son’s name). We have a couple of Henrys around here (PA) as well as a couple of Sams. I don’t think Henry will be sooo popular that you can’t use it, especially since it such a classic name. We actually have a couple of Eleanors here too. Of the names at the top I would vote for Peter. My daughter’s name is Maisie and now I have found out that there are 2 others that will be in her elementary school (when the time comes).
My favorite “unique but classic” name for a boy is Lowell, but I live near the town so I’m biased. I also love Eamon, which is the first name of a fairly famous Irish musician. Arlo is cute too.
James is my favorite classic name and one I’ll probably end up using in the future.
Did anyone else notice that the entire list above is names from the musical “Hello Dolly?
I love Simon and Peter!
Also – did you think of “Clyde”? A little like Clive but slightly different!
I love Oscar – but will “Oscar Balch” be a little too close to “Oscar the Grouch”?
I went with Malcolm on this one. Then your children initials would be “ME”, get it? Haha. Okay that’s not a reason to choose a name.
Choose one that you’ll love to say day in and day out, and one that you’ll love to hear as well.
Whatever it is, he’ll grow to love it if he doesn’t from the start. I think every child at some point “doesn’t like” their name, but then it grows on them as they get older.
And whatever it is, it will represent him. And it’ll go with Eleanor if that’s what you’re looking for.
picked Gideon on the list but really like Elias…Elias and Eleanor…the E Team
The old fashioned classics are popular over here in the uk too. If I had to place a bet it would be on Henry or Oscar, but my suggestion would be Lucas.
Oliver may not lead to an Ellie & Ollie situation. I have two nephews named Matthew & Patrick, but no one in 25 years has ever referred to them as Matt & Pat.
Henry may turn out to be a Lucy name. My friend named her daughter Lucy. Despite its classic beauty that might attract those thinking of having a little Lily, Olivia or Ava, Lucy hasn’t cracked the top 50 names in the last 10 years.
We must have similar taste in names – a lot of yours were on our list for our boy. Calvin, Linus, August and Simon were all on our list. And then we realized we must have a thing for cartoon character names. (Calvin, Simon & Linus!) I still love August, just couldn’t convince my hubby.
Emmett & Eleanor
I like Henry too but voted for Peter.
Here’s a few more:
Elija …Eli for short
Jordan
Levi
Am I the only one who thinks that HUGH is the perfect name for the son of “Pink Loves Brown”?!?!?
No, you’re not.
There are so many great boy names on this list. That being said, our boys are Hugo Simon and Malcolm Patrick…oh, and our dog is Fred. But I voted for Clive because that was on our very short list of names for baby boy #2 (who turned out to be Malcolm aka Mac – and it suits him perfectly). I can’t wait to see what you decide.
Great names! Makes me wanna see your house. ;-D
Thanks. Our 100 year old Victorian twin is quite a work in progress!
What about Graham? Classic but cute and not very common
I’m voting for Henry in spite of popularity. It really is perfect for them.
I like Oliver too, but it’s also rising in popularity. Anderson appeals to me too.
If I had to pick off the list, I’d go with Simon.
I saw where somebody suggested Finn. I think Finley would be cute. I know a little boy named Finley, called Finn, and his little brother’s name is Whitman. Another good literary name.
So many good ones! I like Calvin to go with both Eleanor and the last name Balch. We just named our baby son Everett.
Linus? Please, no. I love all the other suggestions, especially Edwards and Frederick. Ike is also very cute. I didn’t like Arthur until I met a child who is a cutie pie and has that name. Wanted to add Felix, Leo, and Hal.
I love Henry ! My sons name is Aaris, you don’t hear it much and I have to say everyone that meets him for the first time loves it. I always have to shorten a name so I call him Ari. Good luck with the baby names.
I love Henry. Just do it! Who cares if it’s getting too popular… if it fits it fits.
Barnaby,Barnaby, Barnaby. Eleanor (& the rest of you) will have such fun calling to him.
Two of my favorite boys names Noah Alexander (one of my sons name is Noah Alexander, to be honest)
Dorian!
I have a cousin named Eleanor who has a younger brother named Dorian.
Good call. Was on my extended list of suggestions along with Desmond.
So many of the names on the list are so “old English” and old fashioned and in my opinion boring. I like August the best…it is fresh, not over used, sounds good in any language etc. How about Aspen? My 20 month old is Aspen and I love that when he goes to school he will most likely be the only one (unique and original) and not one of dozens requiring that his last name initial be used all the time!
Best boy name ever: Callum.
Oscar is a fine name, but (depending on the pronunciation of Balch) sounds too much like Oscar the Grouch when put with the last name, ie Oscar the Balch.
Nicole has a great list . . .but what about Edmund?
The list is not Nicoles, but names I suggested for her. Who knows what Nicole is actually thinking. We’ll find out soon.
I like Earnest, too. Eleanor and Earnest. Nice.
Harley.
What about Graham? Awesome name.
Or, did you consider Theodore. The name Teddy is also amazing.
My thoughts.
What about a design-inspired name: Eames Balch?
Goes well with Eleanor.
I truly feel you shouldn’t let popularity affect your decision on naming–you’ll regret it. Choose the name you love best, period. Henry is a beautiful, wonderful, incredible, strong classic, and no matter what will not appear trendy. It’s my son’s middle name : ) Also, Eleanor is just as popular right now. And they go so nicely together! In fact I know someone who has an Eleanor and a Henry (the kids are teens, though–see? Timeless!). Finally, if you really are opposed, what about Leo? It has a similar feel. Or Theo. I also like Edward and James…but Linus, Ambrose and the Ike just seem different for the sake of it. Go with a name you adore! Who cares if it’s popular??
Elisabeth, your list of suggestions is fantastic! I feel like you could have been writing that list for me personally, as I love almost all of them! It gives me hope of finding a boy’s name that I really truly love.
At the moment, I am enamoured with Frank, nickname Frankie when he’s small. I wasn’t immediately drawn to it, but my husband suggested it and it has grown on me, especially since Frank has been used a few times in my family tree. And I adore “Frankie”.
Now I’m going to read over all your suggestions again and muse on them
I just saw on Nicole’s blog that baby boy arrived and is named August, which is on the list above. Nice work
It’s a great name for her little guy!