Naming a Brother for Peter, Elisabeth, and Aurelia: Classic and Exciting

Name Help is a series at Appellation Mountain. Every week, we discuss reader’s name questions, usually on Tuesdays and Fridays. 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.

NAMING A BROTHER FOR PETER

Brigid writes:

We have three children: Aurelia, Elisabeth, and Peter.

They’re all honor names and all historic, New Testament-ish meaningful names that we adore, but the oldest definitely stands out.

If this baby is a girl, her name will be Helen.

For a boy, we both like the name Stephen well enough, and it’s a special honor name. That may be the winner! But I’d love it if we could find something I get a little more excited about. Or maybe I just need a good nickname for Stephen, pronounced Steven, not Stefan. Is Shep a ridiculous stretch? I don’t love Steve. 

Names we have ruled out for various reasons are as follows:

• Alden
• Alec
• Anthony
• Arthur
• August
• Benjamin
• Callum
• Calvin
• Cecil
• Clement
• Cole
• Cyril
• Cyrus
• David
• Dean
• Del
• Dominic
• Edmund
• Elijah
• Ezra
• Frederick
• Glenn
• Hayden
• Jack
• Jasper
• John
• Jonah
• Joseph
• Judah
• Jude
• Julian
• Malcolm
• Malachi
• Marc
• Marius
• Martin
• Matthias
• Nicholas
• Paul
• Percy
• Perry
• Phillip
• Robin
• Roman
• Raphael
• Samuel
• Simon
• Timothy
• Thomas

I’d love your advice. 

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

IF NOT STEPHEN, THEN WHAT?

Abby replies:

Congratulations on baby four!

My initial reaction: okay, this baby’s name is Stephen. Because pretty much every other name is already ruled out, right?

But then I took a deep breath, looked at the list, and realized there are still lots of traditional, handsome choices with a mix of meaning and New Testament-era roots that could be perfect for your family.

So let’s talk about Stephen first, then move on to some other names.

NICKNAMES FOR STEPHEN

• Shep – Is it a stretch? Yes. Is it impossible? No, not really. The letters are there, if not exactly the sounds. If you use it consistently, it will stick.
• Van – Maybe it should be Ven, but I hear Van. And I think it’s a pretty great short form.
• Finn – Again, almost certainly a stretch – but Phen says Finn to me.
• Stef – This could get confusing. But I can imagine pronouncing your son’s name like Steven but shortening it to Stef.
• Steny, Ten, Tenny – All of these are a bit of a stretch, but maybe one of them will appeal more than Shep?

I actually wonder if the best approach is simply to avoid any nickname, including Steve.

I’ve heard Stephen/Steven/Stefan in use a handful of times in recent years. None of those little boys answered to any kind of a nickname and it worked. The two-syllable, ends-with-N Stephen sounds natural in a classroom with boys called Logan, Ethan, and Roman.

MORE NAMES FOR PETER’S BROTHER

ANDREW

Like Stephen, I think Andrew works best when used in full.

FELIX

A New Testament name with a lovely meaning – happy.

GABRIEL

Shorten it to Gabe or use it in full. While it’s a popular choice, Gabriel is a meaningful name with a compelling sound.

LUCAS or LUKE

I checked your list twice to make sure Lucas/Luke wasn’t already ruled out! It’s a time-tested classic with a strong meaning – light – and New Testament bona fides. It’s said that Luke traveled with Paul to Asia Minor, as well as Greece and Rome.

NATHANIEL

The New Testament often spells this name Nathanael, but the -iel spelling is far more familiar in American English. (Think Nathaniel Hawthorne.) Like Gabriel, there’s a handy nickname option – Nate.

SILAS

A rising favorite among Biblical boy names, Silas comes with an outdoorsy meaning: forest or woods, from the Latin silva. I particularly like the way a name like Silas represents a slightly different style than Peter. Traditional, yes, but more contemporary.

ZACHARY

This name might read slightly 90s. But while the name’s popularity peaked around the same time as Super Nintendo and Nirvana, it’s really more of a classic. After all, Zacharias is the father of John the Baptist, so this name has roots.

WILLIAM

While William doesn’t appear in the Bible, it’s a rock solid classic not on your already-ruled-out-list. I love it with your older kids’ names, so thought I’d mention it.

Overall, I’m kind of in love with Stephen called Finn, but … it’s every bit as much of a stretch as Stephen called Shep. I think a lot of it comes down to when and where you plan to use the nickname and how much you find Steve/Stevie problematic. If Shep is what you’ll call your son, then no one can argue with that, right? Maybe the wider world will adopt it, or maybe he’ll mostly answer to Stephen at school.

The only reason I’d say Stephen could be an issue? If nickname Steve/Stevie feels problematic for you. Because it’s possible he’ll come home from third grade or baseball practice or something answering to a nickname you don’t expect, but he really likes. If it’s Steve or Stevie will that be an issue? I’m guessing the answer is no.

If not Stephen, I think I’m most drawn to Gabriel. I love the way it’s a little longer, like your girls’ names, but still a solid traditional choice, like your son’s name.

Readers, over to you! Are there more classic boy names that go with Aurelia, Elisabeth, and Peter? What do you think of Stephen called Shep?