Atticus or Cassius?

[user1474476735]

I can't decide which i like more, am thinking either could be shortened to Cass?
What do you think? x

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

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

love them both!

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

How about Cassian if you like the nn Cass?

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...

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.

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

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

flora

that is really interesting! I didn't know this about the American connotations.

Isn't Castiel the patron of people born on a Thursday? if you have a Thursday baby that would be a really lovely choice :)!

I don't think Julius rhymes quite as well with Platypus as Atticus

Re connotations I actually only think of the obvious literary one

True... ;)

But I just meant that most names rhyme with something or could be used to taunt somebody. Like, the diminutive (?) version of my name in my native language rhymes with little rabbit (and tons of other little things.). Sounds cute, right? But I nearly cried because of it on some occasions because somebody bullied me like that...

I only thought of the Romans and obviously of how to kill a mockingbird. That were my connotations...

Atticus sounds like Attic

Cassius was Muhammad Ali's birth name.

They're both strong names. They wouldn't suit a baby/child/person in this day and age.

Cassius goes better with Otis.

lol

I LOVE Cassius, but much prefer it pronounced as it is spelt - Cass-ee-us. Traditional pronounciation cash-us is clumsy and doesn't sound very nice IMO.

I love all the old classic names ending in 'us' as well as your 2 I love Augustus, Magnus and Marius which makes me think of Les Miserables.

Not a fan of either name to be honest. I much prefer Atticus though, it's a name thats rising in popularity, people will have heard it. Whereas Cassius...I don't know, it sounds like an electrical company or something, oh or the boxer ?Cassius Clay I think he was called. I do think Cassius would get shortened to Cass, which is nice, if a little feminine.

I had a Thursday child, totally missed. Y opportunity for Castiel! I think of the Angel off Supernatural tho

Love both names but feel that Cassius go a best with Otis.

However I LOVE the suggestion of a previous poster of Rex it's goes so well with Otis!

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

You're surprised that uncommon names are not as widely liked?

Wow, Flora, I wanted to add all that - very well put by you.

Cassius is in hell for Dante and Atticus is Cicero's bff

OP I love that you are thinking of Roman names! Chose which one goes best with the child's last name maybe :)

They're unheard of for me, except for their regular appearances on MN I've never met anyone with either name, but they're often mentioned on here

They may be uncommon, but they're both well known, old names that are easy to spell and pronounce. And they're not overused as so many popular names. Actually that makes them perfect name choices in my opinion.

And for those who haven't met anyone called Atticus or Cassius yet, wouldn't it be nice to meet one?
You'd probably remember their name better than another Jack or Oliver (and I have nothing against these names, I just know lots of boys with these names).

Shouldn't we encourage more name diversity?