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!
Marie writes:
We have a daughter, Felicity Nicole. We chose her name in about ten minutes, right after we found out we were pregnant with a girl.
Now I’m due with a boy in October, and it feels like we keep adding and adding names to our list, but nothing is right.
So far we have:
- Andrew (or just Drew?)
- Arthur
- Beckett
- Caleb
- Chase
- Dalton
- Davis
- Elliott
- Everett
- Felix
- Forrest
- Henry
- Hudson
- Isaac
- Jack
- Jackson
- Joseph (probably for a middle name)
- Matthew
- Martin (family name, only as a middle)
- Miles
- Nolan
- Oliver
- Paxton
- Russell
- Ryder
- Silas
- Stephen (family name. I don’t care for Steve/Stevie, but I love Stephen)
- Theodore
- Tristan
- Wesley
- Zachary
- Zane (maybe more of a middle name)
Every time we talk, we add more names to our list! Can you help us move in the other direction?
Please read on for my response and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.
Abby replies:
Congratulations on your son!
Here’s what leaps out at me: Felicity Nicole is something of a lacy antique. It’s traditional, in the sense that we’d accept it as a name from an earlier era. (Though the numbers tell us that it’s far more common today than ever before.) It’s not a rock solid classic like Elizabeth, but it’s also not a modern invention, like Everly.
That makes me wonder if your boys’ list shouldn’t match that style – a contemporary favorite that feels like a vintage gem?
Felix is an obvious name from that category, but I wouldn’t recommend siblings named Felicity and Felix. It’s too much like, say, Robert and Roberta or Jack and Jacqueline.
But several names on your list that stand out. Rather than adding more options, I’ll try to pinpoint the ones that feel most like Felicity’s brother.
Though with the exception of Felix, I think any of these names would be great for your family. So I completely feel your struggle!
I’ll pick just four that I think might be the best of the best.
A BROTHER FOR FELICITY
EVERETT
Like Felicity, Everett sounds like a blast from the past. And it was used regularly in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, spending many years in the US Top 100. That makes it another vintage choice with plenty of appeal now.
MILES
I could say nearly all the same things about Miles that I did for Everett. Except it’s shorter, and maybe a little bit jazzier, thanks to Miles Davis.
OLIVER
Probably the name that leapt off the list first! The only possible drawback is that the world is packed with Olivias and Olivers, so maybe you’ve already met a few? Style-wise, it’s a perfect match for Felicity, but it’s definitely more popular.
SILAS
A New Testament name, and a nineteenth century literary one, too, thanks to George Eliot’s Silas Marner, this is a name that feels borrowed from the past. But it has plenty of modern energy, too, particularly thanks to the meaning – forest or woods – that puts it in the company of nature names like River and Bear.
I think I’d make a final decision based on the middle name you most want to use. Stephen seems like a clear favorite, and I think Everett Stephen could be great. Or maybe Miles Joseph?
With Felicity Nicole I like…..
Miles or Oliver, because of the repetition of the letters I and L.
Any of the family names would work as middles. I’d also like Oliver Zane
I love Abby’s suggestion of Everett Stephen. I know a 30 year old Stephen Everett! Flipped as Everett Stephen sounds much more fresh, but clearly is a good combo.
Russell Stephen also sounds great and Russell fits the less common but established name category as Feliticy.
Arthur Stephen seems well paired as well both as a name and with Feliticy Nicole. Although I like the idea of Arthur Zane (A-Z) a lot too!
Felicity Nicole and…
Forrest Stephen
Felicity and Forrest
Tristan Martin
Felicity and Tristan
Everett Zane
Felicity and Everett
Congratulations and best wishes!
My favourites from the list are Theodore, Arthur & Oliver. It sounds like you should use Stephen as a mn. These 3 names all work just fine with Stephen in the middle.
Elias
I love Felicity! It was on my list but my hubby has an Auntie-in/law Lit (Felicity.) It’s so nickname-rich and familiar yet uncommon and also is nostalgic to me because of the show. It also feels British, so that’s the vibe I’m going to chase for your set. Although I do agree Everett is lovely.
Beckett Zane
Dalton Joseph
Davis Martin
Elliott Martin
Isaac Martin
Russell Stephen
If you want to cut down your list, Abby has great suggestions, but I’d also suggest considering the surname- both in terms of flow with first, but also connotations with public figures, and initials (mostly because why not, if you’re trying to cut.)
And if you keep adding names, perhaps give yourself a new rule of taking one off if you’re adding one in? That’ll probably clarify which are actually favourites and if you really like the new addition enough to bump something?
Good luck!
Felicity feels like one of those stands out but fits in types of names; you don’t hear it often but aren’t shocked when you do. Going off of that vibe, here are the names from your list that I think feel similar:
Arthur
Dalton
Davis
Everett
Russell
Silas
Wesley
Zane
I think my favorites would be Everett and Zane.
Combo ideas: Everett Stephen, Zane Joseph, Wesley Zane, Silas Martin
I know you don’t need to add more to your list but I also wanted to suggest Desmond. I can’t put my finger on it but there’s just something about Desmond that sounds so perfect alongside Felicity.
Felicity and Desmond.
Desmond Joseph, Desmond Zane, Desmond Martin, Desmond Stephen.
I’ve got both and Everett and a Felicity, so I recommend Everett! We also have a Winston
Everett leaped out to me as the perfect brother for Felicity! It pairs well in style and length and has those strong T sounds.
Everett Stephen and Felicity Nicole is perfect.
Runners up would be Theodore or Tristian, which both are nice with Felicity.
And suggestions would be Bennett (a bit more classic than Beckett) and Desmond (instead of Dalton).
If I say “Felicity and … “ these are the names that stand out as matching to me:
* Arthur
* Dalton
* Davis
* Elliott
* Everett
* Hudson
* Isaac
* Miles
* Oliver
* Russell
* Silas
* Theodore
It’s entirely subjective, but my top five would be: Davis, Elliott, Silas, Russell, and Theodore.
Silas Martin would be lovely. Theodore Joseph could be TJ. Elliott Zane or Davis Elliott?