Name to go with surname?

[SurnameStruggles]

Just found out we are having a baby boy in October and we are struggling for a name!! Our main issue is getting something to match our surname - Ives.

I don’t want anything really popular so top 20 are off the cards really, and I feel like one syllable or S ending names don’t work with the last name.

Any ideas would be massively appreciated!

Oliver
Dylan
William
Jasper
Julian
Gustaf

Ivan! 😁 Great name btw, we're a single syllable/vowel surname family too and had a similar dilemma

Definitely not Saint! 😂 Sorry only joking 🙃 I wouldn't have a name starting with P either as his initials will be Pi

Lewis Ives
Leo Ives
Max Ives

Do you like retro names? Classic? I used to watch TV credits for ideas 🤣

It's a nice surname.
I'd avoid names ending in -er, and ones ending in an -a sound.
Noah Ives might sound like No Arrives, Cooper Ives like Coop Arrives.
George Ives sounds like Jaw Jives etc. Jude Ives like Ju Dives etc.

Sebastian would work.

William
Daniel
Luke
Marcus
Harvey
Charles
Jason
Jasper
Hugo
Liam
Robert
Felix
Fergus
Phillip
Peter
Benjamin
Bruno
Patrick
Henry
Jago
Jake
Julian

Just some ideas:

Alastair
Benjamin
Caleb
Callum
Casper
Christopher
Elliot
Gabriel
Fraser
Hector
Nathaniel
Owen
Reuben
Robin
Rowan
Samuel
Spencer

Clive

Or if not Clive:

Tristan
Jonathan
Fraser
Osian
Elliot

Maxwell Ives
Camden Ives
Hayden Ives
Hudson Ives
Winston Ives
Everett Ives
Jackson Ives
Franklin Ives

-n Ives sounds like Knives.

I hadn’t even heard that until you mentioned it @DuchessOfSausage and now it’s all I can hear with the -n names… ignore my suggestion of Robin 😅

Robbin' knives?
I feel a bit of a party pooper but I'm sure something will go nicely.

What names do you like @SurnameStruggles .

Russell

Tom

It can't be a name ending in a vowel or a soft sounding consonant like 'r'. It would be a handful to say and hard to pronounce without it all merging.

Definitely not Harvey!!! Or anything with H... H.ives.!

No need to avoid all of the following if you don't want to, but may want to be aware of...

D.Ives
F.Ives
G.Ives
H.Ives
J.Ives
L.Ives
W.Ives

Both DS are on here, we have the same taste!

Thanks for your suggestions! I had noticed the issue with ah/er ending names, which is a shame because we do like names like Noah, Elijah, Jonah etc (although Noah is off the cards as it is very popular). My other half doesn’t think it’s a problem but all I can hear is No Arrives or Joan Arrives 😂

We don’t like very traditional names, so Thomas, Oliver, Michael, Albert etc wouldn’t be for us. I did like Isaac but that is too much of a mouthful and don’t like the II initials.

Other ideas:

Adam
Beckett
Benedict
Daniel
Liam
Philip
Robert
Rupert

Patrick
Matthew
Rory
Toby
Felix
Ellis
Elliot
Alfie
Archie
Charlie
Zachary
Edward
Alexander
Koby
Caleb
Connor
Ashley
Thomas
Rafferty / Raffy
Atticus

If you liked Isaac and Noah / Elijah / Jonah, you might also like:

Abel
Caleb
Nico
Jacob (might be too popular)
Jesse
Raphael
Zachary

@GlobetrottingPercy what are your DS names'? I thought the same thing. My son is Alasdair, considering Elliott for second DS on the way but not sure. Lovely names on @cherryassam list.__

Colton
Dalton
Trader
Sage
Bailey
Quintin
Thor
Oakley
Oaken
Cren

Hmm, so...

• no single syllables
• nothing from the top 20
• not ending in an 'a/ah' or 'er' sound
• not ending with s or n
• not starting with i
• nothing too traditional

Can see why it's tricky!! Mumsnet does love a challenge though!! I feel like the traditional bit is tripping me up...but here are a few which might suit the rest at least.

Caleb
Jacob (J.Ives is pretty cool)
Eric
Patrick
Everett
Jesse
Elliot
Gilbert (Gives)
Phoenix
Hendrix
Maddox

Bacchus

I think a longer name would work best with a short one-syllable surname, especially when it also has a suitable shortening that works too, for example,
Alexander Ives /Alex Ives, though you say you don't like too popular. What about

Adrian Ives
Anthony Ives
Benjamin Ives / Ben Ives
Dominic Ives
Elijah Ives
Elliot Ives
Leonardo Ives / Leo Ives
Maximilian Ives / Max Ives
Nathanial Ives / Nate Ives
Nicholas Ives / Nicky Ives
Sebastian Ives / Seb Ives
Xavier Ives

Vincent
Hudson
Ezekiel
Reid
Otis