Can anyone help whittle down my big fat highly specific list?

[SSLYBY]

Just found out that DC1 is a boy, which is great, but my name taste is quite unorthodox for most. So, I've decided to have an underused, historic but legitimate name for a first name and reel out the more fanciful choices for the middle names. Any suggestions/combos would be helpful. Slaps in the face also welcome.

First names:
Alec
Basil
Rupert
Edwin
Lucian
Kenelm
Leopold (Leo)
Gilbert

Middles:
Caius
Alaric
Augustine
Ferdinand
Valerian
Constant
Aloysius
Ulysses
Aurelian

[Crosshair]

I like Alec, Rupert and Lucian. The middle name arnt to my taste. :)

[BendyBob]

Gilbert can be Gil which is a cool nickname (imo).

[SoupDragon]

Alec is pretty much the only one I would go for from the first list, apart from just Leo.

Middle... Alaric. Although actually I'd use this as a first name. Alaric Ferdinand

Definite no to Constant - that's just daft :o

[ExitPursuedBySanta]

Edwin and Lucian

Augustine and Ferdinand

[EdithWeston]

Alec - only as a nn for Alexander
Basil - like
Rupert - lovely
Edwin - lovely
Lucian - not so keen
Kenelm - like
Leopold (Leo) - don't like
Gilbert - don't like

Caius - lovely
Alaric - like
Augustine - OK
Ferdinand - lovely
Valerian - OK
Constant - not keen
Aloysius - lovely (but careful with a vowel in the middle that initials don't spell anything unfortunate)
Ulysses - not keen
Aurelian - not keen

I'd go for Rupert Ferdinand as best combination.

[seeker]

If you really must

Edwin Ferdinand ( and the poor child can call himself Ed and deny all knowledge of his other names, or

Gilbert Augustine, ( Gil or Gus ditto.)

[Blu]

Ferdinand is brilliant.

Please do not call your boy Valerian or Constant.

[hulabula]

I really like Rupert, Basil, Lucian and Leoplold. I don't like Alec - there are so many Alex's which sounds too similir imo, and I just don't like the sound of Gil or Gilbert, sorry.

Middle names - I love Aurelian, Ferdinand and how about Constantine?

[AvadventKalendar]

Ferdinand would be a nice first name - Ferdie is very cute as a nn.

Other than that, only liking Alec, Gilbert and Edwin.

[Kveta]

Alec, Edwin and Leo are great, the rest are not to my taste at all. Basil makes me think 'Brush' or 'the rat' (too many watchings of Fawlty Towers). The middle names are all a bit too unorthodox for me.

[RoughShooting]

I reckon you've got all your names from various Jilly Cooper novels, I'm sure they are all there!

I like Basil and Gilbert, and Ferdinand and Augustine a lot. They go well together.

[seeker]

Nobody can hear Basil any way but "BAS-IILL!!!!!!!!!!!!! can they?

[evamummy]

Rupert, Edwin and Basil are cool and underused (although Edwin could end up as Ed, which is quite common). I also find Alec too close to Alex. Never heard of Kenelm but I guess it sounds masculine and could shorten to Ken.

I would choose the middle name with the most meaning to YOU - it rarely gets used. We used family names that meant a lot to us.

[ChippingInNeedsSleep]

Slap None of them do it for me, but...

Alec if I had to choose one. Gil or Leo at a push but not the full monkier. Would you consider Edward rather than Edwin?


Alec - OK
Basil - herb
Rupert - bear
Edwin - just 'no'
Lucian - reminds me of lucifer and fire starters!
Kenelm - 'ken hell! (fucking hell)
Leopold (Leo)
Gilbert (Gil)

As for a middle name - all I can say is 'poor lad'

Middles:
Caius
Alaric
Augustine
Ferdinand
Valerian
Constant
Aloysius
Ulysses
Aurelian

[evamummy]

The younger generation won't know Faulty Towers, will they? I assume that is where the Bas-illll pronunciation comes from, is it?

[thousandDenierStocking]

I LOVE Basil. Please use Basil.

You'll get some Sybil Fawlty impressions from our generation and above, but his generation won't use it as a reference.

[mopsyflopsy]

Great names. I particularly like Lucian, Gilbert and Basil. Ed (Edwin) and Leo (Leopold) are very widely used already - this may or may not bother you.
Of the middle names I quite like Alaric and Aurelian.

[seeker]

Find a 10 year old and ask him what he would think of being called Basil

Mine would think Fawlty Towers- but he is a bit of a comedy geek. And then tomato and basil pizza.

[mopsyflopsy]

I agree about Basil - I know a little 3 year old and associate the name with him, not some 30 year old tv series.

[SoupDragon]

Basil Brush. Boom! Boom!

He was in our local panto last year.

[SSLYBY]

Blimey, I was not expecting any positive responses at all so this is a nice surprise! I just realised I made it sound like my DP has no input whatsoever (teehee) - that shortlist is his doing.

Oh and I forgot a name! - Anselm. Love that one.

[Mmmnotsure]

Alaric

[SSLYBY]

Hmm yes, I might upgrade Alaric to the first names list. I also meant to add Bartholomew to the MNs...can't believe I forgot it!

[SoupDragon]

Please remember that it is your child who has to live with a name, not you.