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Name Help: Home on the Range

May 3, 2019 By appellationmountain 24 Comments

Name Help: Home on the RangeName 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!

K. writes:

We are expecting our first child later this spring. Turns out that my husband has ideas about names, and these ideas are a little different than mine.

Before we found out gender, he suggested the following names: Jolene, Daisy, or Pearl for a girl. Brock, Case, or Marshall for a boy.

We are not now, nor have we ever been, cowboys. We don’t even have an SUV. We live in an apartment.

I’d never even heard the Dolly Parton song, the source for his favorite girl name: Jolene. (The lyrics are about a homewrecker! Not exactly a lullaby!) Still, I think we could have agreed on a girl’s name, because I kind of love Daisy, too.

Except, we’re having a boy. Every name my sweet husband suggests sounds right at home on the range.

My suggestions so far: Silas or Asher, or for something a little more modern, maybe Beckett or Hudson. He’s not on board.

We’re running out of time, and I don’t know where to start. Help!

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

Dear K. –

Congratulations on your new son!

Compromising on names can be tough – even when you generally agree on style. And this time? You aren’t on the same page.

Except … I wonder if you might have the tiniest bit of overlap?

Beckett, Hudson, and Marshall are all surnames. So maybe, like Daisy, there are a few names that will hit that sweet spot.

Ages ago, I wrote this post on Dukes of Hazzard baby names. As crazy as it sounds, lots of parents – probably many of whom are more urban than rural – have embraced a list of names that appeared on the television series back in the day. Like … Daisy!

Daisy appears with Clara, Sadie, and Ruby for girls; Simon, Jasper, and – wait for it – Hudson for boys. The post was inspired by the term “hickster” – hipster with a country edge. I’m not sure that’s completely a thing, and yet it captures the spirit of the names your husband prefers, right?

So let’s see if we can find names that hit the hickster sweet spot while still feeling at home in the ‘burbs.

Chase – This feels a little bit preppier and buttoned-up than Case, but only a little. It’s still a high-energy, action verb name.

Dalton – Dalton briefly appeared in the US Top 100 back in the 1990s, but it never quite caught on. I wonder if it would be a good compromise between current favorites like Hudson, and throwback ones like Marshall?

Emmett – There’s something homespun and humble about Emmett, but still rugged and capable.

Garrett – Pat Garrett was a sheriff in the Wild West, famed for taking down Billy the Kid. Like Dalton, it peaked in the 1990s – but never got too popular. It splits the difference between Beckett and Marshall.

Nash – Nash sounds Southern – just think of Nashville – but this name caught on following the success of 1990s drama Nash Bridges, about a California police inspector. It’s more popular today than ever before, an emerging favorite that shares sounds with Asher, but fits with Case and Brock, too.

Parker – I’ve loved Parker for ages, ever since I saw Parker Stevenson as the older brother in the Hardy Boys television series my older cousins loved. But it’s only caught on in recent years, entering the Top 100 in 2009. Since your husband’s taste seems a little bit 1970s, I wonder if Parker straddles the divide?

Sawyer – If it’s the feeling of freedom that puts names like Case on your husband’s list, would Sawyer appeal? Tom Sawyer makes this surname an Americana choice, one with a certain free-spirited quality.

Walton – It rhymes with Dalton, but Walton has a slightly different vibe. Maybe that’s because The Waltons ran forever, from a 1971 television movie debut to sequels in the 1990s and constant re-runs. I think it fits with Asher and Silas, but also with Marshall, too.

I keep coming back to Garrett and Walton. And yet sometimes names that meet in the middle feel deeply unsatisfying to both parents, and I’m not sure if that’s the case here.

Readers, what am I missing? Surely there are more names that strike a good balance between Asher and Case?

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Comments

  1. Freya says

    May 9, 2019 at 6:00 PM

    There are some really good suggestions above. I thought of (some repeats):

    Dean
    Clark
    Cooper
    Archer
    Logan
    Miles
    Crosby
    Calvin
    Adam
    Levi
    Wilder
    Remy
    Colin
    Thatcher
    Thayer
    Scott
    Griffin

    Reply
  2. A.W. says

    May 6, 2019 at 11:04 PM

    It’s funny, I actually know people with all of these names, including Jolene (which I love) and Brock and Case (not so much, just my opinion). Even a Nash AND a Cash!
    I was going to suggest Garrett also. I have a Garrett, and read somewhere that it was on some list list for being “somewhat western” whatever that means. I just always liked it. “meaning: armed with a spear” We live in Michigan and are not cowboys either. It is not overly used – I’ve met 4 in my entire life. When I had him I also like Marlon/ Waylon/Owen.
    His brother is Jack – can you really go wrong? Tough, classic – yes maybe kind of common but we’ve only encountered like 2 in the schools and my kids are older.
    Reading your letter I thought of :

    Mitchell (similar to Marshall)
    Brooks (like much more than Brock)
    Bryce/Brady (Brock’s brothers IRL)
    Travis
    Troy
    Eric
    Dean
    Rhys
    Jude
    Calvin/Clayton
    Luke
    Emmett / Everett
    ….. to me they’re crisp, but not preppy, and don’t scream Country or Wild West.
    Good luck and Congrats on you baby!

    Reply
  3. Jaime says

    May 5, 2019 at 1:11 AM

    Others:

    Burke
    Callahan
    Tate
    Davis
    Jude
    Sullivan, nn Sully
    Finnegan, nn Finn
    Seth
    Beau

    Reply
  4. Kate says

    May 4, 2019 at 8:34 AM

    Congratulations on your son! I am wondering if a middle ground name might be Ashford with the nickname Ford? Or maybe Eben is a compromise you’d both like?

    Reply
  5. Em says

    May 4, 2019 at 4:44 AM

    Some of these have already been listed, but here are my ideas…

    Wyatt
    Weston
    Jasper
    Malcolm
    Flynn
    Boone
    Walker
    Blake

    Reply
  6. Clare says

    May 4, 2019 at 3:05 AM

    What about Murphy?

    Reply
  7. Andrea says

    May 3, 2019 at 11:18 PM

    First of all, I adore all of your husband’s girl names so at least you have a husband with good taste. I AM from a cowboy family, so here are some less common cowboy names that might strike your fancy:

    Trent
    Tyler
    Travis
    Troy
    Keston
    Tyrin
    Clancy
    Callen
    Dustin

    I immediately thought of Bridger. It is very popular where I live (Utah) because of Jim Bridger–the mountain man. It isn’t very common in the east, though.

    I am totally loving on the name Dodge. It has a definite western vibe (get out of Dodge!). My hipster niece has Tripp on her list and I love that, too.

    From Abby’s suggestions, I love Nash. It definitely has a hipster sound, but feels like it could fly western.

    In my extended family, we are all about the Louis L’Amour names. We’ve used:

    Cowen (from the character Benjamin Cowan), Orrin, Jubal, and Lando.

    Other L’Amour names that I love are Tell, Galloway, and Mordecai.

    These aren’t western names, but I still think they might hit the sweet spot for you:

    Talmage
    Gideon
    Jack

    Good luck!!!!! And update us!!!!

    Reply
    • Andrea says

      May 3, 2019 at 11:23 PM

      I just thought of Truett. I love that name!

      Reply
    • Andrea says

      May 6, 2019 at 10:12 PM

      What about Everett nn Rhett?

      Reply
  8. The Mrs. says

    May 3, 2019 at 8:38 PM

    Do you like Hugh?

    Or perhaps Travis?

    Maybe Trevor?

    Best wishes!

    Reply
  9. FE says

    May 3, 2019 at 6:31 PM

    Oh … and Archer!

    Reply
  10. FE says

    May 3, 2019 at 5:38 PM

    Ambrose? Ashford?

    I like the suggestion of Miles.

    Reply
  11. Lorna Grace says

    May 3, 2019 at 2:58 PM

    Paxton
    Wade
    Rhys
    Reed/Reid
    Clyde
    Houston/Hughes/Hugh
    Clayton
    Hayes
    Bram
    Wyatt
    Coleman/Colby/Colton nicknamed Cole
    Greyson/Grayson

    I love Cole and Colby and have seen them both in the burbs several times. Second proper Clyde, it is both old man cool and a great reference to Famous outlaws. Good luck, it only takes one name and you will find it.

    Reply
  12. Zena Eve says

    May 3, 2019 at 2:17 PM

    Zane
    Ira
    Zachary
    Peregrine

    Reply
  13. Marie says

    May 3, 2019 at 11:53 AM

    When I see names list like this, I think about the name rich Hatfield and McCoys.

    Tennyson
    Ellison
    Anderson
    Asa
    Perry
    Calvin
    Troy

    Or Red Dead Redemption 2
    Arthur Morgan
    Dutch
    Micah
    Pearson

    But I love both Marshal and Hudson

    Reply
  14. Katinka says

    May 3, 2019 at 11:39 AM

    Wesley
    Everett
    Elliott
    Dashiell
    Miles
    Brooks
    Huxley
    Jasper
    Otis
    Roscoe
    Edison
    Dawson
    Wells
    Orson
    Ellis
    Fletcher
    Foster
    Wilder
    Xander
    Remy
    Dougray

    Reply
    • Andrea says

      May 3, 2019 at 11:21 PM

      I LOVE Roscoe! That was on my shortlist but we went with Oskar instead. Still . . . I love Roscoe so much. Roscoe reminds me of Wiley–another Southern hipster/old-school name.

      Reply
  15. Renée says

    May 3, 2019 at 11:05 AM

    I second Arlo! Maybe you’d also find common ground on:
    Everett
    Bronson
    Otis
    Flynn
    Gage
    Blake
    Ridge
    Boone

    I actually quite like Marshall (maybe that’s from enjoying How I Met Your Mother.)

    Reply
  16. Renée says

    May 3, 2019 at 10:56 AM

    Ryder
    Boone
    Bronson
    Cassius

    Congrats on your baby boy!!

    Reply
    • Andrea says

      May 3, 2019 at 11:19 PM

      I love Boone!

      Reply
  17. Jamie says

    May 3, 2019 at 9:52 AM

    Crosby, Henry (nickname Hank), Colton, Desmond, Malcolm (nickname Mac), Cormac, Colton, Quinn (short for Quincy or Joaquin), Barrett, Arlo

    Reply
    • Andrea says

      May 3, 2019 at 11:18 PM

      Crosby is a great idea.

      Reply
  18. Lashley says

    May 3, 2019 at 9:41 AM

    I agree that you guys might be closer than you think. You both want something a little fresh and a little quirky, but you mean more towards the fresh and your husband toward quirky. I think, like Daisy, you might just need a name that has a little bit of magic for both of you!

    Rueben (my favorite for you guys!)
    Clyde
    Rufus
    Archer
    Angus
    Jonah

    Reply
  19. Diana says

    May 3, 2019 at 9:23 AM

    Dash, Ned, Cole, Cooper, Logan, Wyatt, and Dean

    Reply

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