Name Help: Finding Unusual Boy Names for Jory’s Brother

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.

COOL, COMPACT, UNEXPECTED

Ashlie writes:

We named our son Jory, and I still love it as much as I did on the day we chose it. I feel like I found it in a book I read, but I’ve never been able to find it again. Some places say it’s a form of George, but we just like the name. It does get spelled wrong a lot, but we usually say that it’s just like Cory with a J, and most people don’t have a problem remembering it.

Our second baby is due at the end of August and we’re all set if it’s a girl. With Jory, we had chosen Zella, and we would still use it for a daughter. I’m not sure if we’ll have a third child in the future, so I kind of want to keep Zella in reserve.

Boy names are hard, and we don’t have anything we like nearly as much as Jory (or Zella).

I like the idea of Milo or Hugo, but they’re too common/popular.

Also, our last name ends with an O, so I’m not sure if that works. It sounds like Troe-kahn-oh.

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

WHAT GOES WITH JORY?

Abby replies:

Congratulations on your second!

I love the name Jory, and I think Zella is the perfect sister name.

As much as I can hear Hugo or Milo fitting in with that set, I know what you mean. I hear Miles constantly, and Milo isn’t uncommon, either. I don’t hear Hugo as often, at least not in the US, but it’s definitely more popular than Jory or Zella.

I do think O-ending names can work, particularly if they’re two syllables. The other factor is that Jory really isn’t new. It’s just never been very common.

Time to brainstorm!

A BROTHER FOR JORY: BOLD, BRIEF, NOT ENTIRELY NOVEL

BRACE

Names like Trace and Case feel decidedly Western. There’s a hint of that home-on-the-range energy with Brace, but I hear it a little differently, too. To brace is to hold steady, so it feels a little bit like a virtue name. And I love the bright A sound with your surname.

BRIO

One of my initial thoughts as a brother for Jory, a rare O-ending name with a musical association. To play “con brio” is to play with vigor.

CALIX, CALYX

In botany, a calyx is the covering of a flower bud. But Calix looks like Cal-meets-Alex. It reminds me of your “Cory with a J” explanation for Jory’s name.

DATHAN

Nathan has centuries of use. Dathan, not so much. In the Old Testament, Dathan is a villain – opposing Moses’ leadership. But if we can reclaim Delilah and other choices, why not Dathan? It’s got a great sound, and an intriguing meaning, too: fountain.

HALE

An archaic word meaning hearty or healthy, Hale is probably more familiar as a surname. (Nathan Hale fought for the American Revolution; he’s considered the state hero of Connecticut.) It’s rich with positive energy.

LEVON

As a name it means lion. In pop culture, it means “your son will have his own Elton John song.”

OAKES

Oakley and company are having a moment, but surname-style Oakes remains under-the-radar.

PERRIN

Originally a form of Peter, Perrin sounds familiar, but distinct. I almost feel like I read it in Tolkien, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.

SERGE

An English form of Sergio and Sergei, seldom heard. It sounds like our word surge, meaning to increase.

WILKES

A surname related to William, seldom heard as a first but nicely familiar. You might also consider Wiley/Wylie or Wilkie.

Overall, I like so many of these that my favorite keeps changing. I’m kind of all about Perrin right now, though Brio was my first thought – and frontrunner while I was drafting this list.

But I really like Jory and Perrin together, and there’s nothing about choosing Perrin that rules out naming a future daughter Zella.

Readers, over to you! What would you name a brother for Jory?