Name Help is a series at Appellation Mountain. Every week, we discuss reader’s name questions, usually on Tuesdays and Fridays. 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.
WE’VE NEVER HEARD THIS NAME BEFORE
Rochelle writes:
We are pregnant with a boy, due in March. This is our first baby and because of all the things, he might be our only.
Because it was such a process to get here, we really didn’t talk about names for the last few years. Originally, we had a list that I still keep. Knox, Beau, Jude, Tate, Flynn, Kai/Kye, Rome.
We sort of agree on these names still, but they don’t excite me so much anymore. Friends and family have used some of the names, not just for kids but my sister-in-law named their new puppy Beau. (To be fair, I don’t think she had any idea it was on our maybe list.)
It feels like it’s finally time to think about a name again, and I found myself drawn to names that I don’t hear on other kids. Rhone, like the river, was my favorite, while my husband preferred Wolf/Wolfe. (We couldn’t decide on the spelling.)
Then one night I woke up and just thought Swain. His name is Swain.
I love it with our last name, which starts with a K and sounds like kella-her.
People I’ve mentioned it to seem unsure of what to say, and it doesn’t always get a lot of love from what I’ve seen online.
So I guess I want to know if it’s a real name? And if it will be a problem? Or if we should consider something else instead.
I’d also like help with middle names maybe. There’s really nothing we want to use, no family names, etc., and the first name choice has been so overwhelming that thinking about a middle name seems so hard.
Please read on for my response and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.
IS SWAIN THE PERFECT CHOICE?
Abby replies:
Congratulations on your son!
If it helps, I think your experience with names is common. You’re ahead of the curve when you first start imagining your family. By the time that’s a reality, your favorites names have become everybody else’s favorite names, too! They feel like they belong to a different moment. Maybe even a different version of yourself.
That’s even more true, sometimes, when the path to parenthood feels long.
All that said, your style feels remarkably steady and consistent. If you’d been thinking about William or Theodore and now were drawn to Swain? That’s a stark difference, from classic boy names to seldom-heard rarities. But the leap from Flynn or Tate to Swain? It’s just a tiny little step, really.
Now let’s talk about the name.
ABOUT THE NAME SWAIN
Swain is very much a real name.
It has Old Norse roots and means young man or servant. It was used in medieval England, and thus became an occupational surname in the key of Taylor or Carter.
My first thought: Sweyn Forkbeard, King of Denmark at the turn of the 11th century. He also ruled England and Norway at different points.
He’s not the only Sweyn/Swein/Swain in the history books, either, and we know it was used as a given name in England.
The term survives in coxswain, the person who manages the boat in crew.
It’s also sometimes heard as an old school synonym for suitor or boyfriend. In that sense, it’s a little like beau.
And, of course, it’s a fairly common surname. Just like Blake or Blair or Sloane, it has potential.
IS SWAIN USED AS A GIVEN NAME?
Swain has been used in tiny numbers over the years. The US Social Security Administration reports on any name given to five or more boys or girls in a single year of birth, tracing back as far as 1880.
The last year Swain appears in that data is 1987, with 10 births.
That is incredibly rare.
SHOULD YOU NAME YOUR SON SWAIN?
I think Swain works for your family, and here’s why:
- It fits your general style. You’ve been thinking about strong, single-syllable names for boys from the very beginning.
- Your preference is for something unusual.
- Despite being very uncommon, Swain fits with current names – both in terms of sound and that surname style.
FINDING A MIDDLE NAME FOR SWAIN
Because your son’s first name will be very unusual, I would suggest a longer, more traditional middle, or possibly something current and familiar:
- Swain Alexander
- Swain Barrett
- Swain Cassian
- Swain Maxwell
- Swain Paxton
- Swain Riley
- Swain Truett
- Swain Weston
I’m surprised by how much I like Swain Cassian and Swain Riley, but something more like Swain Alexander was my first thought, because it balances a very unusual first name with a far more conventional middle.
I think that the blank stares aren’t necessarily a bad thing, but rather a sign that people are processing unknown information and trying to decide what they think about it. My first association was thinking it could be the past tense of swoon (which it isn’t!). “Swaine like Twaine” gives a reference that may help folks process more readily. But looking at classroom lists these days, there are a lot of unknown names out there … this is increasingly common. And you are right, it sounds great with your last name. So, if you love it, use it!
As for middles, I agree longer traditional names work well. Something with a northern European flair. Alexander is excellent for both. So is Frederick. Anderson, Arthur, or Victor could work.
I’m gonna do a pro and con.
For Pro, it immediately reminded me of someone I knew with a very similar name. He was a big guy who played the tuba in my band, and we all called him by his last name Swan. It never felt odd to call him that, some names just fit despite contrasts.
For Con, all it took to turn the name into an insult was a syllable shift from Swain to Swine. Now a lot of names have that kind of problem. So it’s up to you if that possibility is a deal breaker.
Best of luck and congrats on the baby!
First of all – congratulations on this long-awaited child. I love that his name came to you in a dream. I had a similar totally off-the-radar name moment with my second at an ultrasound, and though we didn’t use that name, I enjoy telling her the story.
The only issue I can see with Swain is the mishearing and misspelling he’ll go through. It’s true there are more common rhyming names out there, but the only true match is Twain or Slain, which I don’t think would help getting people to understand when saying his name aloud. He can say “It’s Wayne with an S up front and an I instead of a Y” but that’s clunky. And I can imagine people saying “What’s your name?” and him saying “Swain” and people hearing a muttered “itswayne.” However, once people know him and how to spell his name, I’d say it’ll be a memorable one and people will like it. My name was been misspelled and misheard a lot in my childhood and continues to have misspelling, but it doesn’t bug me. However, you may want to try the Starbucks test a few times and see how much it bothers you.
You and your partner seem to love the O sound (Rhone and Wolf/e) so my suggestion for his middle is:
Anthony
Solomon
Theodore
Good luck!
I think Swain can work. After all, we also have Dane, Kane, Lane, Wayne, Shane, Zane. But because of so many other soundalikes and Swain not being a super common mame, I would consider if it would bother you to have to frequently clarify his name.
As far as middle names, I agree with others that perhaps a more classic name would nicely balance it.
Swain Zachary
Swain Thomas
Swain Elliot
Swain Jacob
Swain Michael
I like Swain Davis a lot because Davis means beloved
Swain is a magnificent name, and I love that it sprung to mind in a dream. You might start a new trend with this one, for good or for bad!
I agree that there’s something strong and balanced about Swain Alexander but also wonder if the repeated -er sound might be a deterrent. Could Swain Zachary, Swain Christopher, or Swain Michael work?
One more thought –
I definitely like Swain with a three or four-syllable middle name. I think it gives the name more gravity/heft.
So…in addition to names already mentioned,
what about …
Swain Jeremiah
Swain Bartholomew
Swain Maximilian
Swain Zebediah
I feel like this kind of middle name balances the brevity of Swain nicely.
Best wishes again!!
It reminds me of Twain and Mark Twain. I don’t think it’s likely to strike people as strange even though it’s rare. Enough kids have unusual surname style names already. Someone is probably going to wonder if it’s a family name and where you got it. “It came to my mon in a dream” would be a cool answer. I’d pick a fairly classic middle name: Swain Joseph, Swain Michael, Swain Oliver, Swain William, etc. i’d suggest his dad’s first name or middle name as his middle name.
I think you can use Swain. It is a name & I like the meaning of knight’s attendant. I agree that a longer & more traditional middle name would probably work well…in case he wants to change to his middle name at some point. (Hopefully…he will be happy as Swain.) It is easy to say & spell, so I don’t think your son should encounter many issues.
Some other combinations:
Swain Frederick
Swain William
Swain Lyndon
Swain Victor
Swain Henry
Swain Edward
Swain Nathaniel
Swain Michael
Swain Marshall
Swain Lionel
Swain Christian