I like Theodore, what else might I like?

[changingagain]

I really like Theodore, shortened to Theo but DH doesn't and we're struggling to find alternatives.

I generally like names with a short version for everyday use but a more formal version that he can use when older if he chooses to. We're wanting Maxwell or George (both family names) as a middle name and our surname is two syllables starting with D. If DS was a girl he'd have been Lilian or Abigail.

Does anyone have any suggestions of what we may like instead?

Old Testament names are often longer and with lots of short versions:

Abraham Abe
Benedict Ben
Nathaniel Nat
Joshua/ Josiah - Josh/Joss

I'm expecting DS1 in 7 weeks and Theodore/Theo nn Ted is on our list. Not sure they meet your criteria but the other names on our list are:
Miles
Hugo
Conrad
Caspar

I also like, but can't use, Felix.

Samuel George
Zachary George
William George

Charles Maxwell
Frederick Maxwell
Lucas Maxwell

I love Theo/Theodore it's on my list. Not sure they're similar, but also on my list are Matthew, Stanley & Henry

Thanks for the suggestions.

I like the very biblical names, but again DH doesn't (he thinks it's odd to use them because we aren't religious).
Frederick and Lucas are lovely names but already in the family.
I think Zachary and Matthew are both contenders though.

I think it's a shame to rule out names that appear in the Bible on religious grounds. Many of them are just names that real people had in the Middle East in those times (or at least anglicised versions of them). Try and get him to dissociate the names from the Bible. There are plenty of notable people who have had Biblical names. Isaac Newton, Samuel Pepys, Abraham Lincoln, David Beckham, Daniel Day-Lewis, Aaron Copland ....

I have one. His brother is Nathaniel - I'm imagining he'll be Nat or Nate as he gets older.

We also had Felix, Jasper and Alexander on our list.

Theodore is lovely but Theo is becoming very popular if that's a concern.

What about other names ending in "o":

Leo
Nico (Nicholas)
Otto

Also, in the same sort of vein,
Nathaniel
Micah
Edgar
Francis

I like Theo too!

Jono (Jonathan)
Alex (Alexander)
Sam (Samuel)
Billy (William)
Ferdinand
Louis

Euan
Alistair
Flynn

What does DH like

Can't you do Maxwell George with the nn Max?

Otherwise, Leon/Leonardo/Leopold with Leo as nickname springs to mind first. Also, Alexander nn Alex, Nicholas nn Nico, and Christopher nn Christo are some other options.

I like Theodore and also like...

Sebastian
Alfred (Alfie or Freddie)
Hugo
Benjamin
Hugh
Toby
Laurence
Louis
Zachory
Dylan
Fergus
Casper
Reuben
Ted