• Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Request a Name

Appellation Mountain

Where every name has a story

  • Baby Name Advice & More
  • Master List: Girl Names
  • Master List: Boy Names
  • Private Baby Name Consulting

Name Help: Fourth Boy, Out of Names

May 27, 2022 By appellationmountain 14 Comments

Name Help: A Brother for Julian, Carter, GraysonName 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:

I’m one of those moms who always thought naming triplet girls would be fun, but really never thought about boys’ names. But now I’m the mom of three, soon to be four, boys! I love it, but I wish I’d spent more time dreaming up good names for my future sons!

Our boys are:

  • Julian Marshall
  • Carter Matthew
  • Grayson Michael

The M middles names were a coincidence, as Marshall and Matthew are family names, but then we decided Grayson needed one, too! It’s not really after me, but I kind of like that they share my initial.

We like names that don’t feel made-up, but aren’t old-fashioned, either. Julian was kind of a stretch for my husband, and Carter was mainly his choice. We compromised on Grayson.

There’s really nothing left on our list that we both feel excited about. We’re meh on Nolan and Cameron, he can’t stand Ezra, and I’m not into Axel.

One thing we agree on is that we’d like to use the middle name Miles.

If it helps, my favorite girls’ names are Elodie and Luna. (And Juliette, but that’s how I got Julian, so it’s out now. Still love it, though!)

Can you help us find some new ideas?

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

Abby replies:

Congratulations on your new son!

Why is that girls’ names often seem easier? I have some theories, but maybe it’s most helpful to say that you’re not alone. If our second child had been a boy, I don’t know what we would have named him, much less four boys! You’ve done a great job!

So Julian, Carter, and Grayson.

It’s interesting … Nolan and Cameron seem like perfect fits, but neither really appeals. Instead, you’re both pushing for names that seem subtly different – Biblical, scissory Ezra. Edgy, tough Axel.

Maybe we need to split the difference, finding slightly different names that aren’t quite that different from your older boys’ names.

A BROTHER FOR JULIAN, CARTER, and GRAYSON

BENNETT

Bennett has the -ett ending of Juliette, and the rock solid boy name Ben built-in, too.

EVERETT

It’s another surname-style choice, again with the distinctive -ett ending. This one edges maybe a little closer to Ezra.

JONAH

If Ezra is out, would Jonah work? The “Joe” part often makes this name feel more accessible and conventionally masculine than some -a enders for boys.

MAXWELL

Take Axel’s sound, wrap it up in something a little more conventional, and you’ll arrive at Maxwell. On the downside, it might get shortened to Max, which seems less like your style. But then there’s the initial to consider, which brings us to …

MILES

You both agree on Miles, right? Could Miles be your son’s first name? It sounds great with Julian, Carter, and Grayson. And while another M middle name might be a lot, it could work. Miles Maximilian, Miles Monroe, Miles Mackenzie, Miles McCoy.

ROWAN

An Irish surname associated with the rowan tree, this has become a modern favorite – just like your other boys’ names.

THEO

Miles made me think of Milo, but maybe Theo is the better choice? Like Julian, it’s an old school name with a modern sensibility. And while most Theos are actually Theodores, I think the shorter version sounds better with your boys’ names.

WESLEY

Wesley is a shape-shifter of a name, the kind of choice that suits a librarian or a cowboy equally well. I like it with your older boys’ names, but it’s also nicely distinctive at the same time.

Overall, I’m tempted to push you to seriously consider Miles.

Not just because you agree on it, not just because it sounds great with your older boys’ names, and not just because it feels like it’s exactly your style. But because all of those things together feels impossible to overlook!

Readers, what would you suggest as a brother for Julian, Carter, and Grayson?

More names you might like:

  • Name Help: A Sister for AshleyName Help: A Sister for Ashley
  • Name Help: A Sister for Marlowe and RafeName Help: A Sister for Marlowe and Rafe
  • Name Help: Little Gentleman NamesName Help: Little Gentleman Names
  • Name Help: A Brother for George PatrickName Help: A Brother for George Patrick
  • Name Help: A Brother for Wilder and JonesName Help: A Brother for Wilder and Jones

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Print

Comments

  1. Saraya Harrison says

    May 28, 2022 at 10:07 AM

    I don’t think it’s necessary to continue to use M middle names, unless you really want to. Most people will never know their middle names, let alone remember what letter they start with.

    Carter and Grayson feel like brothers, Julian feels like an outlier, so I personally would be looking for names with a similar feel to Julian, to bring them all back nicely together. I think Miles as a first name manages this perfectly. I also think
    Rowan or Wesley or Elliot would work very well.

    Elias
    Owen
    Simon
    Luca / Luka
    Ellis
    Oscar
    Emmett
    Declan
    Marcus / Markus
    Alaric
    Jasper
    Reese
    Quinn

    Reply
  2. diane says

    May 27, 2022 at 10:30 PM

    I like Miles Sebastian, Miles Nathaniel or Miles Theodore.

    Reply
  3. Callie says

    May 27, 2022 at 8:29 PM

    I have an Elliott and a Miles, and Julian and Nolan were both on our short list! Here are some of the other names we considered: Luke, Everett, Nelson, Asher, Phillip, Campbell, Knox, and Wesley.

    Reply
  4. Laura Burke says

    May 27, 2022 at 8:04 PM

    Just a heads up on the name Axel. I like it, but a mom told me that when all her kids were playing and calling “Axel” she often heard it as a$$hole.

    Reply
  5. keats says

    May 27, 2022 at 5:13 PM

    I immediately thought of Asher. Asher Miles. Julian, Carter, Grayson and Asher. Two n endings, two ers. It has the same masculine but not aggressive vibe and with a meaning of Happy, how can you go wrong?

    Reply
  6. C in DC says

    May 27, 2022 at 4:55 PM

    I agree that Miles fresh-middle-initial would be a way to honor and break the pattern both, especially as mom is Marie.

    Miles Elliott
    Miles Leandro
    Miles David

    The options are wide open for Miles as a first name.

    Other suggestions:
    Lucas Miles
    Luther Miles
    Elliott Miles
    Sawyer Miles
    Dashiell Miles
    Rafferty Miles
    Vincent Miles
    Jethro Miles

    Reply
  7. Alison Doherty says

    May 27, 2022 at 12:31 PM

    Love Miles Maxwell or Miles Monroe! I also love Bennet Miles or Elliott Miles so much!

    Other ideas:

    Julian, Carter, Grayson and Felix Miles (a little bit of Ezra and Axel mixed together maybe?)
    Julian, Carter, Grayson and Hugo Miles
    Julian, Carter, Grayson and Quincy Miles
    Julian, Carter, Grayson and Leo Miles
    Julian, Carter, Grayson and Spencer Miles
    Julian, Carter, Grayson and Xavier Miles
    Julian, Carter, Grayson and Zachary Miles

    Reply
  8. Renee says

    May 27, 2022 at 11:56 AM

    Definitely here for Miles up front. Elliott is also a great suggestion.

    How about Elijah or Elias or just Eli?

    Or Leo or Leroy?

    For some more high value scrabble letter names that might please you both – Maddox, Paxton, Levi, Xavier, Xander or Zander…

    Good luck! With 3 boys I bet there are lots of names taken / tainted by association!

    Reply
  9. Kait says

    May 27, 2022 at 10:54 AM

    Colton!

    Reply
  10. Meghan says

    May 27, 2022 at 10:25 AM

    Riffing off of her favorite girl names, what about Luca or Elliott?

    Reply
  11. FE says

    May 27, 2022 at 8:57 AM

    Elliott!

    Sort of combines Ezra and Axel; is reminiscent of Elodie and Juliette; sounds great with the middle name Miles; and wonderful with his brothers’ names.

    Julian, Carter, Grayson and Elliott.

    Elliott Miles.

    Reply
  12. Willow says

    May 27, 2022 at 8:00 AM

    Yes Miles is the perfect name! I especially like the sound of Miles Maguire!

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      May 27, 2022 at 7:32 PM

      How about Phoenix miles or Luca miles or Jayden miles

      Reply
  13. Marisa says

    May 27, 2022 at 7:52 AM

    I like the suggestions of Everett, Wesley, & Miles with your crew! Other suggestions: Xavier, Wyatt, Ronan, Declan, Silas, or Patrick.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter


POPULAR POSTS

Tweets by @appmtn
Visit Appellation Mountain's profile on Pinterest.

Copyright © 2023 · AppellationMountain.net on Genesis Framework · Privacy Policy · Log in