Howe, for a boy?

[aletterfromseneca]

Yes, I know it is much more common as a surname. It's the only one we like the sound of in both family's languages (English and Chinese). We've fallen in love with it, but have got cold feet and worry that it is blinding us.

It’s not a name I’ve heard before. Is it pronounced How?

Yes

You could call your next children "Where", "What", "Why" and "When" !

Sorry, flippant I know but I don't like "How" as a name. The child will spend a lifetime responding to puzzled looks every time he introduces himself.

Howie is cuter, probably short for Howard. Howe seems a bit missing something to Me but if you like it who cares? Call it your child,

I really wouldn't. If he hears someone asking someone else "How?" in relation to explaining anything he could think someone is calling his name. Especially at school. It'd be like calling someone Why.

Howe? No. You can’t call him a question

Sorry but the first thing that came to my head was “How now brown cow” ….

What about Hugh or Beau

Awful

> Hugh or Beau

Not pronounceable by one half of the family. We don't want them to have two names, but something that works in both English and Mandarin... which is very tough tbh

1)"Can you tell me your name son?"
"Howe"
"well, just say it"
"Howe" etc

2. every time anybody asks 'how?' he won't lnow if he's being talked to/about

3. "red indian" connotations

No, it's really bad.

I’m not sure Howe does work as an English name though. I know it’s a common surname but with it sounding just like How it sounds like a question.

I immediately thought of Geoffrey Howe, it doesn’t really work as a first name.

Thanks everyone, back to the drawing board I guess.

A bit gutted. It's a very beautiful name in Mandarin

I think Howe as a nickname for Howard or Howell is nice (and a bit sleeker than Howie).

”what’s his name?”
”Howard, but we call him Howe.” Seems perfectly understandable to me.

Lovely as short for Howard.

on it’s own, no.

Howard - Howe in mandarin and Howie or H in English. ?

my initial thought was the book Cloud Howe, the follow up to Sunset Song.

not sure how it would work as a name. I guess it might depends on the surname?

Also, I think it would get “shortened” to Howie….which is obviously an actual name, so people might assume his name is Howie, as opposed to it being a diminutive of Howe. So if you like Howie, then that could work.

Howe is better than Howard IMO which is horribly dated. But why not have an English first name and Chinese middle name - won't the Chinese grandparents probably come up with a nickname and call him that anyway?

Otherwise if Bo is an option then that works well IMO.

Love your child and choose another name.

What about Winn (or Win) would that work in both languages?

Would your surname work? If an english surname there are lots of things that obviously wouldn't "Howe Brown" "Howe Wright" "Howe Dear" "How Howards" etc, but also I'd be careful how it flows from other names too.

"Howard, but we call him Howe" would work fine, and he may end up getting Howie from some people which is fine too. There are plenty of people for whom different varieties of their name are used by different parts of the family or their lives.

Alternatively, I hope you find something else you love that works in both languages.

Howe is ok you will probably get people calling him Howie though

Please don't do this, i can't decide if you are serious or not but if you are don't !

Why, just why? 😂