Atticus or Cassius?

I love both of them! Cassius was on our list.

Attics or Cassius sounds like the kind of conversation we'd have in our house, both lovely. Would probably go for Aticcus ccus first as Cassius would remind me of Castiel and I think DH vetoed that.

We like Xavier

Both names come with so many resonances. Unless you are from the southern states of the USA, I really don't know how it would be possible to use either and really, fully understand what they might mean today.

Atticus is a Roman name meaning 'man from Attica' (= southern Greece, centre of Athenian 'classical' civilisation). A brilliant but mysogynistic and slave-owning society. Owners of slave-run planatations in the southern states of the USA built classical-style mansions to show that they were cultured and also republican (wanted to break away from Britain). And they often favoured classical names. Yes, Atticus Finch in 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and in the film of the book was heroic. He was named after an ancient orator famous for speaking the truth. But recent developments - eg the publication of Harper Lee's prequel to 'Mockingbird' - reveal that she concieved Atticus as still being essentially racist and patronising towards Black people www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/07/his-name-was-atticus/398600/

For 2000 years, Cassius has been famous as the name of a Roman army commander and politician who betrayed and murdered one of his closest friends. Some poets reserved a special punishment in hell for him - betraying a friend is a special sort of awful en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaius_Cassius_Longinus More recently, Cassius was the birth name firmly rejected by the brilliant boxer now remembered as Muhammad Ali. It was the cruel and ironic custom of slave-owners in the southern USA to give slaves 'grand' classical names. This tradition continued in some Black families after slavery was abolished in the USA in the mid 19th century. Since slavery had destroyed African naming traditions, it was sometimes felt by disadvantaged families that an 'heroic' name might help their children. More positively, classical names were also seen as dignified, and that was of course a good thing. But whichever way you looked at them, such names were culturally 'loaded'. Personally, I'd avoid them like the plague.

I like them both! They do sound a bit sameish sounding to Otis though...

And my favourite names are all very popular/top 50 names..

I'm quite surprised at how many people seem to really dislike these names. They're not common but far from unheard of names...

How about Cassian if you like the nn Cass?

I think Platypus is a cool nickname! I'm guessing the kids do too.

love them both!

the platypus is a cool animal. But... that could also happen in the case of other names ending in us. Like Julius, for example.

We do know someone called Atticus and all the boys at school call him platypus

Love Cassius
But hate Cass....

the only problem I see with Cassius is that the name has 3 of the same letters. most sticker packs come with 2 stickers per letter...

Think it's worth thinking through the implications for the kid of having an usual name.

We do know someone called Atticus and all the boys at school call him platypus

user

names are often a very love it or hate it kind of thing, aren't they?

I'm intrigued as to what all the atticus/Cassius haters' kids are called now

Seeing as I really dislike (hate is a very strong word. But tbh, I actually do kind of hate the name) Atticus...

DD is Clarissa "scandi flower" "virtue name". I'm sure some people hate DD's names. But that's just how it is, I think. As long as a name isn't genuinely offensive...?

But Atticus is so... Idk. Popular and yet trying very hard to be unique...? Maybe my dislike for the name is irrational.

I'm intrigued as to what all the atticus/Cassius haters' kids are called now

Why? (Not that I'm telling you: it would totally out me!) They're fairly 'Marmite' names, aren't they? I would expect them to be either loved or hated.

I don't like either name but out of the two I prefer Atticus. I just don't think Atticus sounds right with the name, Otis. I actually think Cassius sounds better with that name.

Why?

I prefer Atticus.

Baby number four had Cassius as a shortlist until we realised our surname rhymes with Clay

Neither, sorry. Find them a bit too try-hard.
Other names upthread that some have suggested would go well with Otis. Also perhaps:
Lex
Arlo
Gabriel/ Gabe
Liev/Lev/ Lieven
Rory

I prefer Cassius, as long as it's pronounced CASS-ee-us and not CASH-us.

Atticus is a bit faddy IMO and makes me think of dusty attics with spiders' webs and junk.

I've never met anyone with either name.

Caspar
Marius
Gabriel
Rufus
Lucius
Tobias
Sebastian
Jasper

I prefer Cassius, I think it goes better with Otis.

I like Atticus, but just think of To Kill a Mockingbird book. I'm also not sure that you'd get Cass as a nickname for Atticus as the 'cus' sound at the end is different to the pronunciation of 'cats' if that makes sense? I think Atti or At would be more likely.

I know a baby Cassius

Not a fan of either personally but I prefer Cassius, maybe because i know a real life one

I'm hormonal.

And it's not my fault DH refused to tripple-barrel our name. Or give up one of his two names...
Which is why I got the naming rights and he simply has limited veto powers (we have an agreement where we hashed out the specifics).
Ignatius would be the last or middle name, btw. ;)