It seems like finding a good name for the third child is a challenge for some readers—last month we helped Lindsay come up with a name for her third baby, and now Melissa’s having a hard time finding the perfect moniker for her baby.
I wanted to get your advice on a name for our 3rd baby due in only 4 weeks. We’re at a loss!! We have a son, Myles, age 3- and a daughter, Claire, age 1 (almost 2). We want something a little off the beaten path, but not something strange or hard to say/spell. No “trendy” names for sure! Our last name is Upton, and nothing that we’ve come up with seems to flow quite right. My hubby is from England so he’s kind of hoping to incorporate that maybe by using his grandad’s name, William, as a middle name. I like Isaiah but don’t feel it goes well with the names of our other 2. We also like Emerson but I’m not sure it’s something that we would love forever. Asher is cute but kind of “in” right now. And Kyler we like but are concerned people will always mistake his name as Tyler. Help! What unusual but not odd boy names could work for us?
I think you’re right about Isaiah not really matching his sister and brother—and because it ends with a vowel sound, it doesn’t flow nicely with Upton, either. Of the three possible contenders, I like Emerson best—it flows nicely with his siblings’ names, and is classic without being boring. But I’m worried that all those ending ns and ms in Emerson William Upton could be a little bit much.
I really love the name Arthur—it’s a classic Celtic name that means “bear,” and is important in English history (think King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table), making it a lovely choice that pays homage to your son’s English heritage. It has that “r” ending you like in Kyler and Asher, but since the name is only #355 on the U.S. list right now, it’s offbeat enough that you won’t run into another child with the name in his school.
Along the same lines is Alastair, the British version of Alexander, which is unique but not odd—and yet it isn’t in the top 1000 baby names, either. It means “defender,” which is a pretty great name meaning.
Maxwell sounds wonderful with this sibling set—and I especially love the idea of Max and Myles as brothers. Maxwell is a little more popular than either of the two names I’ve suggested, but it still hasn’t broken into the top 100.
Scandinavian favorite Magnus is an up-and-coming name, chosen by two celebs for their sons. It means “great,” but still hasn’t cracked the top 1000.
A few other options:
What do you all think? Did I miss any boys’ name gems that pair well with Upton? If you’re still in search of a great name, feel free to send me your dilemma at lamilbrand@gmail.com, or log on to our Baby Name Finder to help find the right name for you.