Short, Strong Boy Names Like Cole

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IS THE RIGHT NAME ALREADY ON MY LIST?

Hannah writes:

My husband and I are raising his son from a prior relationship, Cole Stephen. We are now expecting a child together, our first and likely only. It’s another boy. We don’t want Cole to feel left out, and I think it’s important that our son’s name is similar, in many ways, to his brother’s name.

They will share my husband’s last name, which sounds like Aust-lehr, but spelled different, and starting with an O.

Here are my questions:

• My favorite names are longer. I really like Oliver, Sebastian, Elliott, even Malachi (though we’re not religious, so probably not that last one). Can a younger brother have a much longer name than his older brother, or do they automatically sound separate?
• Cole’s middle name is my husband’s name. I’m considering using my last name, which sounds like Conley, as a middle.
• Are any of the names I like (which my husband is fine with) good options? So far, I have Wyatt, Wesley (but I don’t like it with the last name), Silas (same problem with last name), Owen (is it weird to have the initials O.O.?) and Torin, which I think is probably too different, but we both like it.

I guess I’m wondering if “the name” is already on my list or if there’s something I haven’t considered.

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

THINKING THROUGH YOUR BEST OPTIONS

Abby replies:

Congratulations on your son!

It sounds you’re experiencing one of those particularly challenging naming scenarios: you have a list that matches your style, and you’d happily use it. But the real world circumstances – family surname, older siblings – make that list less usable than it might’ve been in another scenario.

Let’s start by putting every name you’ve considered above in one long list and evaluating them together:

• Elliott – Like Cole, a sort of surname(ish) choice that feels current
• Malachi – I’m not sure I assume Malachi is a strongly religious name circa 2025, but if it’s a hesitation, I would drop it
• Oliver – Not with your surname (sounds like Aust-ler, but spelled with an O)
• Owen – I think this works better with your last name, and it’s perfect with Cole, but I think we should rule it out because of your hesitation about the initials O.O.
• Sebastian – It is a lot longer than Cole! I might not rule it out under other circumstances, but I feel like your sense that it’s too different is something we should honor
• Silas – Great name, but OH those S and L sounds conflict with your surname, don’t they?
• Torin – This sounds great with sounds-like Aust-ler! But is beyond the current US Top 1000, so I wonder if we can do better?
• Wesley – Same thing with Silas (though maybe not as dramatically so)
• Wyatt – I love this with Cole, and I think it’s great with your surname, too.

So that leaves us with Elliott and Wyatt as the strongest contenders, with Torin as a dark horse candidate.

Let’s see if we can find some new options to add to your list.

Before we start that list: I do think you should absolutely use Conley as your son’s middle name. That means I’m not going to consider a name like, for example, Henry, because the repeating “ee” ending sound potentially conflicts.

A BROTHER FOR COLE STEPHEN, _____ CONLEY

BECKETT

Because Elliott and Wyatt seem like your strongest choices so far, I wanted to consider another ends-with-T name. Beckett’s strong B sound, and potential short form Beck, sound like the perfect brother name for Cole.

CAMERON

Yes, it’s a second C name, and maybe that’s a little matchy. But then again, if you’re fairly confident this child will complete your family, two C names might be perfect. Cole and Cameron are great together, even though the syllable count is different. And if you call your new son Cam? Well, Cole and Cam are perfectly paired.

FINN

Finn is far shorter than names like Sebastian, but somehow I feel like they have the same vibe – a sort of traditional, but previously uncommon, status. They’re strong and light at the same time.

HAYDEN

It might feel a little odd to suggest a rhymes-with-Aiden name in 2025. But while Aiden and Jayden are falling, Hayden is actually rising in use. There’s also Holden, but the L sound gave me pause, and Hudson, but the S sound isn’t perfect. Hayden, though? I think it’s great with Cole, Conley, and Aust-ler, too.

JUDE

Yes, Jude might strike some as religious. It is an Old Testament name after, all. But mostly, it’s the song that comes to mind. While it’s a short, strong name like Cole, I tend to think of Jude more as a brother for Oliver, so maybe this bridges your two styles?

NATE

I’d originally put Tate on this list, but the beauty of Nate is that you might name him Nathaniel or Nathan, a longer name. But then shorten it to Nate for everyday use. Nate and Cole are great as brother names, but Nathaniel might honor your preferences and style better.

ROWAN

I think Owen is nearly perfect, except the initials O.O. are a little like … eyes, maybe? Add an R, tweak the spelling and it’s Rowan. Rowan and Cole share a strong, bright O sound but they’re still distinctly different names.

THEO

Speaking of Os, I love an O ending name for you. There are plenty of options, but Theo gets my vote. It is popular, but it’s great with the surname Aust-ler – no conflicting L or R sounds, and it’s traditional, but still casual, too.

From your list, I really do like Wyatt. Cole Stephen and Wyatt Conley Aust-ler.

If not Wyatt, I love the way that Cameron is so close to Cole, and yet also similar in many ways to the longer names you like.

And if Cameron/Cam is too much matchiness? Then my vote goes to Jude. Different vibe, but same short, strong sound. Cole and Jude are nicely matched, but distinctly different, too.

Readers, over to you! What would you name a brother for Cole Stephen, possibly using the middle name Conley?