UPDATE: Welcome to the world, Wells Matthew!
Angela writes: I liked Wells the minute I saw it on the list. My mom read this, too, and she had the same reaction. But my husband immediately said no. Then just a few days before I went into labor, he said “What about Wells?” Like he’d never heard it before! He swears he doesn’t remember me suggesting it. It’s the perfect choice. Thanks to you and to everyone who helped!
Angela writes:
We have two children and we’re expecting a third (and last) child in a few weeks, a son.
Our daughter, Journey Suzanne, is 5 and our son, River Lewis, is 3. We didn’t mean to choose two noun names, but they were the names we both liked. The middle names are for his mom and my dad.
Our list of girl names is long: Sloane, Meadow, Poppy, Serena, Lyric. My favorite for a daughter is Lyric. I know it could be a boy’s name but I’ve always thought of it as a girl’s name.
I’m not sure where to start with another boy name. Sage and Callen are the only names that I sort of like, and my husband dislikes them both.
Part of me thinks that another word name makes sense, but it shouldn’t be too close to the other kids’ names. So I’m not sure where that leaves us.
My husband’s only suggestion is Maverick, but I just think it’s too much.
We’d like to use some form of Matthew or Matthias for his middle name.
Abby replies:
Congratulations on your third!
It’s an interesting dilemma, isn’t it? I’m tempted to start suggesting word names, and yet … you didn’t really set out to choose word names, right? And you’ve both ruled out some obvious choices, like Maverick, Sage, and Lyric.
River and Journey strike me as word names with a contemplative vibe. They’re sort of outdoorsy, maybe a little bit virtue-adjacent. And while they don’t feel completely new, they’re definitely twenty-first century names. You wouldn’t name a brother for Journey and River something classic like Michael, but I can see that a name as bold as Maverick isn’t quite a fit, either.
Let’s see if we can come up with some names that fit that same kind of vibe, without being too obviously matched.
A BROTHER for JOURNEY and RIVER
BEAU
Strictly speaking, Beau is a word – in another language. It means handsome in French. And in English, it’s an outdated word for boyfriend. (Or maybe “suitor” is a better synonym – but that seems outdated, too!) Anyway, Beau has plenty of modern energy, even if it’s not completely novel as a given name.
BOONE
We tend to think of Boone as a surname name, and it is. But it comes from the French bon – good, ultimately from the same Latin root as our word bonus.
FLYNN
More of a straight-up surname name, Flynn feels daring – credit to Disney’s Flynn Ryder and Hollywood’s Errol Flynn.
GAGE
A big hit from earlier in the 2000s, Gage can mean “to measure.”
KNOX
Knox comes from a Scottish word meaning hill, but we associate it with Fort Knox – home to the US gold repository.
PAXTON
While this surname name has distinct origins, it looks an awful lot like the Latin pax – peace. That makes it feel like a brother for Journey and River.
RIDGE
The first straight-up word name on this list, Ridge might be too well-matched to River. And yet, I think it works.
WELLS
A hopeful nature name, Wells mixes surname style with the natural world and water associations of River and the positive, almost virtue-vibe style of Journey.
It’s that last name that checks all the boxes for me – Journey, River, and Wells. I particularly like Wells Matthew. It’s a good mix of the current and the traditional. And I think Wells bridges the style of both sibling names, while still feeling like a current, stylish choice.
I think Brio works because it is a musical name like Lyric, sounds like a boy name, is full of energy like Journey and River, and also has a strong R sound.
Nature names that suggest gentle movement seem like a nice match for Journey and River. I second the suggestion of Peregrine above—or what about Heron or Orion?
My suggestions :
Larkin
Seager
Marshal
Fielding
Croft
Shepherd
Leland
Hayes
Sawyer
Kemp
Wells is great, Abby!
Some other suggestions:
For Mom:
Leaf
Storm
Blaze
Leo
Palmer
Harvest, possibly called Harvey
Brighton
Everest
Huckleberry
Hawthorne
Marsden/Marlow called Mars
Heath
Gentry
For Dad:
Maverick (say it fast and slur it) called Merritt – Sounds like virtue noun: merit.
Maverick called Mack – Mac means “son of” so could put Dad’s name in the middle, or some cool virtue like peace/Pax, freedom, liberty, Light/Lux, etc.
Maverick called Mick or Mickey.
For your set, which feel edgy-nature to me, I would love to see a brother named Flint or Vale!
I also love the suggestion of CyprEss – I know a little boy with this name and it’s surprisingly wearable.
Abby I really like all of your suggestions here! Wells, Flynn, and Gage especially.
I’d also add Hollis, Curran, and Mac.
So it seems to me you all like two syllable names with strong r sounds, outdoorsy, gender neutral and contemporary. The two boy names that popped into my head were Cedar or Cypress. Nickname of Cy for Cypress is pretty cool. Cormac is also one of my favorites.
Journey, River, and Cedar
Journey, River, and Cypress
Journey, River and Cormac
If you want something nature/noun adjacent but that still feels like a name, how about Walden, Jasper, Cosmo, Sylvan, Sterling, Alder, Garland or Ash? I’ve also met boys with virtue names like Noble or Sincere that I think are very cute. Or if you want something that’s a little more like Maverick maybe Phoenix, Griffin, or Zion.
Some ideas, but they might be too much:
Hunter
Wilder
Walker
Saylor
Lennox
Zane
Duke
Everest
Grant
Graham
How about Heath, Peregrine, or Kit? Those are explicitly nature linked. Some that have natural (and sea-linked) meanings: Ronan, Dylan, or Morgan.