Name Help is a series at Appellation Mountain. Every week, one reader’s name questions will be discussed. We’re relying on thoughtful comments from the community to help expectant parents narrow down their name decisions. Thank you in advance for sharing your insight! To have your question considered, email appmtn (at) gmail. Looking for your own private #namehelp post? Order one here.
FINALIZING OUR LIST
Paige writes:
Our son isn’t due until around Thanksgiving, but I like to have things settled in advance. I thought that choosing a name would be simple, but my husband and I can’t decide on one final name.
We agree that we want a name that:
- Doesn’t shorten/nickname
- Isn’t something we know anyone else (kid/adult) named
- Feels strong but not toxic, so no Striker or Crash
- Is cuddly and cute on a baby but grows up
- Something that has been around and people generally know how to spell and pronounce
His middle name will be Edward, which is a family name on both sides. He will have my husband’s last name, which is three syllables, starts with H and ends with son, and has a strong K sound in the middle.
The three names we have on our final list are:
- Archie – Would probably be my favorite but is it trendy
- Carl – I’ve loved this ever since Up
- Roy – My husband’s favorite
I’ve gotten some negative reactions to these names, but I really don’t want to be talked into Liam or Noah.
Please read on for my response and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.
KNOW THAT YOU WON’T MAKE A MISTAKE
Abby replies:
Congratulations on your son!
That last part really hit home for me. Choose a very common name and some people will rush to tell you you’ll regret it. But choose something different? And people – some of the Exact Same People – will also predict certain doom.
Instead, know that you will not make a mistake.
You’ve narrowed your list to three strong, traditional names for a son. There have been Archies, Carls, and Roys for generations. And there will be for generations to come.
Let’s look at all three names a little more closely, and I’ll rank them – and invite others to do the same.
(And to be clear – if you look at the name I’ve listed third and think what? But that’s the best name! then of course, you should use it. Sometimes that’s the feisty reaction that clarifies our choice.)
CHOOSING BETWEEN THREE NAMES
3. ARCHIE
I’m going to put Archie third out of three. To be clear, Archie is a great name. It’s cuddly and strong. And it can read as all-American … think of the comics that inspired Riverdale. But it’s also the name of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s high-profile firstborn. The couple welcomed their son in 2019, when the name was already on the rise. But it’s accelerated since then, currently ranking in the 300s in the US. (And the top 20 in England and Wales.) That’s still not especially common, but it might feel trendy, so that knocks it down a peg for me.
2. CARL
I love Up, too! And Pixar movies are great sources of naming inspiration. Somehow I’ve never considered Carl for a child, but it absolutely works. It’s teetering on the edge of obscurity today, but back in the 1920s, it was a Top 50 choice. That makes it traditional, rock-solid, and nicely trend resistant.
1. ROY
It’s almost a coin flip between Carl and Roy. But I’m putting Roy at the top of the list because I think it’s just slightly better on the can’t-be-nicknamed front. And I wonder if the one-two punch of music’s Roy Orbison and Ted Lasso’s Roy Kent makes it just a shade cooler? Also, the name Roy has ranked in the 500s on the US popularity charts for over a decade. That makes it a steady name, strong and resilient, not obscure or trending.
So that’s my vote: Roy Edward H—son.
I prefer Carl.
Also, like Miles (Myles) and Cole.
Carl is perfect! Roy would work too, but I don’t get that warm and cuddly feeling from it that I get from Carl.
Archie is very popular where I am (usually as a nickname for Archer, but not always) so that colours my view on it. It reads as very much a “now” name, where Carl and Roy seem to fit your criteria much better.
Oh goodness, cuddly and capable is definitely Carl! But of course my association is totally Up! (LOVE that movie) and Walking Dead. If you want something totally familiar yet probably unique for his generation, that’s my vote. Even Karl if that sways your husband at all?
Roy is also a great name, but I do see an uptick post-Ted Lasso. And H–son is kinda like Orbison, not that his generation will know who that is.
Archie is fun, but I agree it’s trendy and has too many associations already.
What a solid list though! I know you wrote that you want to lock down the name before he arrives, but if it’s between Carl and Roy, maybe you meet him and let him give you a hint? That worked for me.
I lean toward Roy as well. This genre makes me think of Otis which is adorable yet undeniably masculine. I also immediately thought of Clark and Rex. Can’t go wrong!
Both Carl and Roy are great and I think these fit nicely!
A few more to consider: Graham, Isaac, Adam, Brent, Cole, Heath, Hayes, Saul
From your list I think my pick would be Roy! Roy Edward is great.
Not sure if you are looking for more suggestions but Roy also made me think of Jay, another underused handsome choice that ages well. Jay Edward!
Smash Archie and Roy together and you get Rory. It checks all your boxes and is absolutely darling.
Rory Edward! Absolutely love this
From your list my pick would be Carl. It somehow feels cuddlier to me than Roy and more grown up than Archie.
Would you consider Curtis? I have a 16yo Curtis (never shortened) and find it very satisfying. My other thoughts are Rex and Hugh (but I enjoy alliteration). I also like the suggestion of Glen.
All the best!
Ok, I am very biased in this because my older brother is a Carl. He has pretty much never met another Carl unless they were geriatric for the past 35 years. I found that it has always suited him and it has served him well.
So Carl gets my first vote.
Roy is also a great choice and my runner up.
Archie hits third for me because I consider it a nickname name, when you said you did not want a nickname.
Other ideas:
Hal
Clark
Kurt
Clay
Todd
Many congratulations on your little boy
Ryan Edward H…k..son
Craig Edward
Scott Edward
Glen Edward
Finn Edward
Guy Edward
Gus Edward
Ray Edward
Cole Edward
Rhett Edward
Jules Edward
Miles Edward
Tate Edward
Seth Edward
Of these three, I think I like Roy best. You don’t hear it a lot, but it is spunky and easy to spell. Carl seems a little serious to me, but, of course, he will grow into it. I prefer Archie as a nickname for Archibald or Archer, but that is just my preference. I will also suggest my older nephew’s name: Hugo. It is easy-to-spell, doesn’t have a nickname, and people know it, but it isn’t overly popular. Anyway, best wishes to you!