Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

strong, romantic baby boy names: orion, augustine, salem, sebastian, milo?

140 replies

montrose2132 · 30/05/2015 03:37

So, we are having a very difficult time finalizing our name choice for our baby boy who is due in only a few months.

Our finalists include: orion, augustine, salem, sebastian, and milo.

Our last name starts with an f sound and rhymes with hill-ups.

We like Orion a lot, but we are worried it will lead to a lifetime of frustrated introductions and pronunciation controversies. We also love sebastian, but worry it is way too common.

Mostly, we are looking for a name that is strong yet romantic, unique enough to support the independent individual we hope to raise, and that travels and ages well. I also like the idea of using a name that has been used in multiple cultures for more than a thousand years, as a way of honoring our collective legacy and acknowledging that meaning and wisdom lie not just in the present or the future, but also in the archaic, simpler past.

Combos we like:

Orion Augustine
Salem Augustine
Milo Salem
Augustine Orion

Thanks for any thoughts or suggestions.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost · 30/05/2015 18:57

Love Augustine and Sebastian.
For more suggestions how about
Valentino.
Ricardo
Guiseppe

Marcipex · 30/05/2015 15:39

Sorry, Salem is really grim.

Orion is a great name, Orion the hunter. My bil misheard it as 'a lion' but that's a good association too.

CactusAnnie · 30/05/2015 12:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Marisola · 30/05/2015 12:06

Jesus

FlappertyFlippers · 30/05/2015 12:05

Prefer Sebastian out of your list. Also like gabriel or nathanial

Sophronia · 30/05/2015 11:54

How about August instead of Augustine? I do like Augustine though. I prefer Miles to Milo, and Sebastian is ok. Not keen on Orion.

reuset · 30/05/2015 10:05

Nice sentiment. Though Orion sounds flimsy, if you're in the UK, and too much like Ryan for me. Milo I associate with the brand name.

Augustine is a good name. Though I prefer Augustino, Augustave or Auguste

florascotia · 30/05/2015 09:59

I quite like Augustine - the saint was a formidable religious thinker with a dramatic/traumatic early private life. But I would not use the name unless I had thought quite a bit about Augustine's ideas and how I felt about them today. Like Salem (Biblical, then American witches), the name comes with many strong associations, though in a very different way.

I don't think Augustine sounds too girly, but alternative version include Augustin (French, male) and Austin (English, male). Or, as others have said, there is Augustus. Or Alban, Ambrose... even Adam.

I like Orion, but as a middle name - then your son could always choose to use it if he wanted. The meaning 'Mighty Hunter' is quite a lot to live up to without any possible alternative.

Sebastian is fine but quite popular and I don't like 'Seb'. I prefer the Dutch 'Bastiaan', though that's perhaps a bit awkward in English.

Milo always makes me think of the chocolate-flavoured milk drink, or of Milo O'Shea - a fine actor but not 'romantic'. But nothing wrong with it as a name.

MamaLazarou · 30/05/2015 09:46

Appollo
Julius
Abraham
Levi

Flingmoo · 30/05/2015 09:46

Don't forget nicknames can totally change a name. Sebastian will be Seb to all his mates.

EcclefechanTart · 30/05/2015 09:45

I think Prosper is another strong contender.

Flingmoo · 30/05/2015 09:44

Reuben

Flingmoo · 30/05/2015 09:44

Augustus is a bit more manly than Augustine..?

MrsNextDoor · 30/05/2015 09:41

Well I love Salem. I think it's gorgeous.

I hate Milo because it reminds me of the Australian malt drink...Milo.

Also love Urban.

StoneFoxMama · 30/05/2015 09:38

How funny, August Orion was one of my potential combinations. I've got a Sebastian though and he gets nothing but love for his name.
Other siblings/past name considerations were
Jupiter
Indio
Herbie
Serge
Noam
Gaspard
Hugo
Etienne
Oberon

Agree Augustine is a bit wet.

Flingmoo · 30/05/2015 09:32

Julian
Quentin
Christian

lljkk · 30/05/2015 09:29

Not one name on here so far ticks my boxes for strong or romantic (sorry).
Sebastian at a push (at least it's pretty).

florascotia · 30/05/2015 09:27

The past was not simpler, just different.

Smallandboneyat42 · 30/05/2015 09:15

Nero?! As in the emperor?! Not an association is want for my beautiful new baby boy...

AlmaMartyr · 30/05/2015 09:03

Milo and Sebastian are pretty well used so if you want unusual, then don't go for them.

I think Salem just makes me think of the witch trials, which isn't great.

I like the others, I've always liked the name Orion and we nearly went for Augustine at one point. We went for vaguely similar names and have always been very glad we did. Clement is a nice suggestion too.

Rosieliveson · 30/05/2015 08:59

I think Milo and Sebastian are no no where near as unusual as the others on your list. I don't see the romance in your names as suggested by your title. I quite like the suggestion of Urban but again it's not romantic.
Have you considered Gabriel, Nero, Valentino/e or Santiago?

AuditAngel · 30/05/2015 08:58

We also wanted a name that worked in multiple languages, in our case, English/Spanish/Italian. We went for Valentino, Nick name Tino (Tee-no)

ArtandCo mentions Constantine, in Greece it is Constantino, also has Tino for short, which means our Greek relatives have jokingly given DS an extra saints day.

Friends loved our choice so much they named their son Valentino with Tino for short too.

Remembermyname · 30/05/2015 08:55

I have a toddler and we know 2 Milos and a Sebasitan. Maximilian? (Though i know one of those too)

CactusAnnie · 30/05/2015 08:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 30/05/2015 08:49

Sebastian is my favourite.

Milo is a weak name to me.

Salem is dark and negative because of the Salem witch trials.

Others are ok.

Zeus?

Swipe left for the next trending thread