Name Help: A Sibling for Linden, Collins, and Ellis

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!

EASY TO SPELL, HARD TO NICKNAME

K writes:

Wondering if you and your readers can help again?! Our fourth baby is due this summer. Last time I wrote we ended up with a girl! We stared at names on the wall for a solid three days (deciding between Ellis, Hollis and Collins) and finally went with Collins.

We also added a boy in 2022, Ellis.

Current kids are Linden (m), Collins (f), and Ellis (m).

Ellis’ girl name was Merritt Catherine (suggested several times from readers during our last write in) so that is our current front runner for a girl. I say front runner but really we don’t have any other options for a girl.

However, we don’t have a single boy name … and chances are I’ll have another boy .

We like:

• Forrest – it’s always been a name we talk about but it’s hard to commit. I also worry if there is too much negative (racist) association with it.
• Ashton – I love Ashton but my husband is a hard no.
• Hayden – I also like Hayden but it may be too popular for us.
• Merritt – My husband likes Merritt for boy, but I really only like it on a girl.

I Iove a Southern-sounding name. Easy to spell, easy to pronounce, hard to nickname and not too popular.

Our surname sounds like Castle with an R at the end. That means nothing that ends in -er which takes away so many good names.

Any ideas? Thanks for considering!

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

SOUTHERN, STYLISH, SLIGHTLY SURPRISING

Abby replies:

Congratulations on baby number four!

I think Merritt Catherine is perfection for a daughter. While I’m sure readers might have some other ideas, I’m going to focus on boy names.

It does feel like you’re slightly stuck, right?

If I met a little Forrest, I’d assume his parents were after the polished, almost-outdoorsy energy of this name. Forrest might major in finance, but he’s also president of his college’s outdoors club. The contrast has plenty of appeal.

Except I have that same question. While the most famous Forrest is Gump, followed probably by Whitaker, I do think of the Confederate Civil War General and his legacy of racism and violence. Then again, that’s a question that surfaces in naming circles. Forrest is a Top 500 name in the US, one that sounds right at home in our River/Rowan moment.

Compared to the more popular Ashton and Hayden, I think Forrest is the name to beat.

And because it has a fairly significant drawback, I think it’s worth trying to beat it.

Another factor: while S ending names are great, you’ve already used two. Names ending with R are out. So I’m inclined to look for something ending with -N, -Y, or another sound altogether.

A BROTHER FOR LINDEN, COLLINS, and ELLIS

ASHBY

We pronounce it “bee” but “by” originally meant farm. I like the way Ash connects to Linden in the most subtle way. And while that was equally true for Ashton, Ashby is much less common.

CROSBY

Another -by name with potential: Crosby. It’s musical (Bing, David), athletic (Sidney), and has that great buttoned-up quality while still feeling casual and fun.

DALTON

While Dalton is a two-syllable, ends-with-N name, just like Linden, the sounds are nicely distinct. This name ranked in the US Top 100 for a few short years at the end of the 90s/beginning of the 2000s, but it never quite caught on.

DONOVAN

How do you feel about three syllables rather than two? I think Donovan is easy to pronounce and spell, and sounds great with Linden, Collins, and Ellis.

GRADY

I’ve always liked Grady, a surname name that feels at-home in flannel shirts, but has an exalted meaning: noble or illustrious.

MACKAY

For a while, every Mac name had gone to the girls, from Mackenzie and Makayla. But I think Mackay still feels masculine. In fact, as all those familiar Mac/Mc names head into mom territory, newcomers like Mackay enliven the sound for a new generation.

REED

Is Reed too popular? The numbers say no, but it’s worth considering all the boys named Reid – same pronunciation – as well as the many children answering to Reese. Still, I really like the sound of Reed with Linden, Collins, and Ellis.

SHEPHERD

I’m suggesting Shepherd because I think it feels slightly Southern, and hits the same polished, down-to-earth note as your older kids’ names. But I’m not sure about the repeating S sounds in Shepherd and Castle-with-an-R. Also: would it be shortened to Shep? I don’t think so, but it could happen.

TRUETT

A great ends-with-TT name that remains far less common than Everett, Beckett, and company.

WILEY

Wilder’s R-ending means it’s out. Wesley is too popular. But W is such a good initial. Surely there’s something? And then it hit me: Wiley. (Or Wylie, if you prefer.) It’s contemporary, but with plenty of backstory, too.

Overall, I’m stuck on Truett, probably with Donovan as a close second. But is Donovan too predictable? Because I do feel like Mackay could be a completely out-of-left-field kind of choice that would wear so well.

But do any of them top Forrest? I’m really uncertain about that. I think I’d choose Truett over Forrest, but I’d eager to hear others’ thoughts.

Readers, over to you! What would you name a brother (or sister!) for Linden (b), Collins (g), and Ellis (b)?