Boy Names Like Everett: Strong, Different But Not

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NAMING EVERETT’S BROTHER

Jordan writes:

We named our 3-year-old Everett Corey LastName and are now struggling to name his brother. At the time, we agreed on Everett pretty easily but realized it was partly because we really didn’t like that many boys’ names.

Why we like Everett: it seems like a strong, traditional kind of name, but it’s also different from the names we grew up with. Neither of us knew any Everetts, though of course we’ve heard of some since.

His middle name is my husband’s name. We both have unisex names, and it can be a hassle. We want our boys to have boy names, more for simplicity than anything.

The names we both/one of us like but also don’t think are the name:

• Rowan, probably our favorite but we realized we know two girls (one a little older, one a newborn) with this name so that sort of put us off.
• Beckett, which we both really like, but Everett and Beckett seem maybe too alike.
• Dean, husband loves I think is just okay.
• Graham, I really like, husband thinks is just okay.
• Harrison, don’t want him to be called Harry and our last name starts with an H which sounds kind of like a cartoon character.
• Hudson, same problem with the H.H. initials
• August, we both really like but is it weird for a winter baby to have a summer name.
• David, my husband’s dad’s name and husband’s middle. We’re considering it for a middle name but maybe we should think about it for a first?

Our last name is very short, like ball with an H.

We still have some time but no names are really standing out for either of us and I’m worried we’ll still feel that way when I go into labor and it’s starting to stress me out!

Please read on for my response and share your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.

FINDING NAMES LIKE EVERETT

Abby replies:

Congratulations on your second!

It sounds like you have a general sense of what you like, and I think there might be some options on your original list that could work.

Here’s what leaps out at me:

• You both like masculine names that feel traditional(ish) but are quite current in terms of use. Yes, you might’ve met an Everett in 1956 or 1886, but it’s very much a 21st century favorite.
• It seems like the right name is probably two syllables, which makes sense with a shorter surname. Though I wouldn’t rule out three syllables, like Everett.
• Alliterative initials are not for you. They can be great, of course – but for every family eager to name their child Chloe Clark, there are plenty who would rather avoid them.
• Family names appeal to you as middles only, which is true for so many families.
• A clearly gendered name matters, even if it rules out a name you might otherwise like.

All of that means that Rowan, Dean, Graham, Harrison, Hudson, and David aren’t satisfying first name choices.

But it leaves Beckett and August. So let’s address the questions around those names.

Is a repeating ending an issue?

It depends. Do you hope to welcome a minivan’s worth of children, or do you imagine that your family will be complete after this child? Brothers named Everett and Beckett are well-matched. Siblings called Everett, Beckett, Juliette, Scarlett, Bennett, and Colette feels like a maybe little too much.

But … nothing says two names ending with T automatically require a third. If you love Beckett for this baby, but could imagine naming a third child Isla or Hazel or Archer or Enzo, then it still potentially works.

Can a winter baby have a summer name?

This questions come up often, but here’s the funny part: some parents worry a November or April baby can’t be named August. But other parents fret that a baby called August born in August would be too on-the-nose.

August has plenty of independent history as a given name, separate from the summery month. That makes me think the answer is straightforward, especially for this name: August works perfectly for a child born at any time of year, and I think it belongs back on your list.

FRESH SUGGESTIONS FOR EVERETT’S BROTHER

If not August or Beckett, what other names like Everett might work?

BECKHAM

Beckham seems like an obvious alternative to Beckett. And yet, maybe it also sort of says soccer fan. Maybe? Which makes it feel slightly trendier and less traditional. But I still think it’s a solid alternative to Beckett without repeating the -ett ending.

CALLUM

I suggest Callum all the time, but that’s because it’s so perfect. A cousin to Malcolm with a British Isles energy, Callum is familiar to Americans, but fresh and different, too.

CAMERON

If Callum is a little new and Beckham celebrity-influenced, Cameron is neither. It’s a solidly established surname name for boys, familiar from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off to the present moment. Like Everett, it’s technically three syllables, but pronounced in a pleasant rush that makes it more like two-point-five.

GRAYSON

Like Cameron, Grayson is a solidly established name for boys with a polished style and a strong history of use.

JULIAN

You’ve ruled out classics like David, but I wonder if Julian is fresh enough to appeal? It ranks in the current US Top 25, boasts centuries of history, but it’s very 21st century.

OWEN

Rowan is unisex, it’s true. But drop the R, and you’ll arrive at Owen. It’s a more solidly masculine option.

WALKER

Do you like R-ending names? Walker splits the difference between William and River.

WESTON

My first thought was Wesley, and I still think that’s an option. But I wonder if you’d like the surname appeal of Weston even more?

Overall, it’s tough to pick a favorite. I’m drawn to Julian as a brother for Everett. Except I keep thinking about middle names. Julian David is fine. But I really love the idea of Walker Jordan, giving your son your middle name instead.

Except I’m not sure either of those names beats Beckett or August, and when I think about Jordan as a middle name? August Jordan would be my top choice of them all.

Readers, over to you! Can you suggest more names like Everett for his new brother?