Happy last week of April!! I can’t believe May is already almost here — I’m looking forward to consistently warm weather! Enjoy this consultation from Theresa Zoe Williams!

Mama Nicole writes in asking for help naming baby #4. They’re team green bean but they have some girls names they like, so she just needs help finding the perfect boy name!

She writes,

“I love so many names but feel like there are so many we can’t use. And I don’t love too much out there names for boys, I’ll put a list below. The middle name will be Peter, we have several to honor in our family. We made the mistake of telling our kids a front runner was James. And now no matter what we say, they only say they want James. This is throwing us way off. I love the name but don’t feel a strong connection to it.”

I actually love James for this family, but more on that in a minute.

Nicole writes,

“I would love a name with meaning or around feast days. We have so much family born in May. My son is May 20 and my mom was May 3, my sister May 26 and cousin May 17.”

So maybe a saint name with a May feast day would work for this family?

She also says they love names with good nicknames. If baby is a boy, his middle name will be Peter.

This little baby will join big siblings:

David Edward “Eddie”

Sylvia Jo “Sylvie”

Clara Jeanne

Names they can’t use or don’t like include:

• Blaise
• Kolbe
• Declan
• Garrett
• Gregory
• Any Ben- name

Mama Nicole wanted me to give some thoughts on their girl names Catherine Juliette “Cate” (the frontrunner) and Wilhelmina Jane “Willa.” I think either would fit right in! Wilhelmina is clunky cool and Willa is soft and cute. I like it with their last name, too (begins with W). I also really really love Catherine Juliette “Cate,” though! I think that is such a stunning combination. The only drawback, and it’s minor, is that it repeats Clara’s sound. Maybe that doesn’t bother them. I don’t think it should! It’s just so amazing and fits right in with their other kids. They’ve got two incredible options here, but if I absolutely had to choose between them, I’d use Catherine Juliette first.

Now for some thoughts on boy names they like.

James- This is such a great, classic, strong name. You can’t go wrong with it! James Peter is so handsome, too, and flows so well. I think it’s really telling that the kids love this name so much, too. Nicknames Jim, Jimmy, and Jamie make it super accessible and fun. If they’re really not set on this, maybe they’d like Jacob instead? It’s actually the same name, just from a different language root. Jacob Peter is still really handsome but maybe slightly more unexpected. Nicknames can be Jake, Jack, or Coby. Lots to think about with these names!

Zachary- Another good, classic name. Zachary Peter is strong, too. Something fun with this, instead of calling him Zach, they could call him ZP, pronounced like “Zippy.” Just another option! I like this name for them and think it’s a good representation of their naming style.

Charles- Right in their lane, which is really good. I love brothers Eddie and Charlie, too. Charles Peter is fantastic. Nicknames can include Charlie (in vogue right now), Chuck, and Chucky. I’m partial to Charlie, but there are options.

Alvin- This was not a name I was expecting at all! I think this closes the gap between Eddie and Clara to Sylvia really well. In that regard, I don’t think it’s too out there for them at all. I do wonder if a certain chipmunk wouldn’t be at the forefront of everyone’s minds with this one, though.

Vincent- I love this name so much. I like it with their kids, too. Vin and Vinnie are great nicknames. I love the idea of brothers Edward and Vincent, Eddie and Vinnie.

Jonathan- Good name, but I think they’ve got other, stronger options here.

Luke- I like this name but I think Luke Peter feels a little choppy.

Nathan- Another good name but they have better options. This one also feels a little different than their other kids to me.

Anthony- I like Anthony with their kids but I was thinking about nicknames and the only one is Tony. I love Tony, but it’s definitely not everyone’s cup of tea. I also don’t think Tony goes with their other kids and their nicknames. Anthony Peter, though, is fantastic.

Patrick- I feel like this one fits in well with their kids but is slightly more popular or mainstream than the others. I don’t particularly like the alliteration of Patrick Peter, either.

Michael- This feels super common but it’s really not anymore. I like this with their kids. It’s classic, strong, has good nicknames…I feel like this is a can’t miss name. Michael Peter is really nice, too.

On to new suggestions!

1) Theodore/Thaddeus

I find myself suggesting these names together a lot, not only because they share a probable root, but because they’re so similar stylistically. Theodore means “gift of God” and is currently sitting at #23, meaning it’s popular, but with good reason! I love nicknames Theo, Ted, and Teddy. Teddy and Eddie might be too much, though, so I’d probably call this child Theo. Bonus, St. Theodore of Bologna’s feast day is May 5th! Thaddeus can be a form of Theodore or possibly means “heart.” Ranking at #785, it’s much less common. The patron is St. Jude Thaddeus and nicknames Tad and Taddy are super cute. I knew a little Thaddeus who went by Tadpole, too.

2) Frederick

I thought of this name because it has covert Catholic connections. There’s a St. Frederick and Bl. Frederic Ozanam. Meaning “peaceful ruler,” this name is a little more uncommon (#485) but not weird and I think that’s their sweet spot. The only drawback to this name is that nickname Freddy rhymes with Eddie. I’d probably shorten this to Fred. I love Frederick Peter.

3) Raphael

Another in the vein of uncommon but not weird, I love this underused name. I think it bridges the gap between Sylvia and her siblings really nicely. Nicknames include Rafe, Ralph, and Raffie. There are lots of saints to go along with this name including the archangel and St. Raphael Kalinowski. Raphael Peter is so fantastic! Eddie, Sylvie, Clara, and Rafe sound so cool and unexpected but cohesive. I really love this name for them.

4) Louis

This name means “famous battle” and ranks at #260, meaning it’s not trendy or super popular but not uncommon, either. Lou and Louie are nicknames. There are lots of saints to go with this name but Bl. Louis Moreau’s feast day is May 24. Louis Peter reads a little old world, old man to me, but in a cute, modern way. Sylvia Jo reads the same way to me.

5) Timothy

This name means “honoring God” and I love that on a child. Tim and Timmy are the obvious nicknames, which I think pair perfectly with brother Eddie, but unexpected Timo (TEE-moh) brings a little pep and pizzazz to it, matching with sister Sylvie. It’s fairly common at #193, but in a good way. It’s not trendy, just enduring. There are also lots of saints Timothy to go with this name but Sts. Timothy and Martha are celebrated on May 3.

6) Robert

David Edward and their love of Michael made me think of this name. It’s at #80, meaning it’s having a bit of a moment right now but is an enduring classic. Robert Peter is swoon-worthy. This name has tons of nickname potential, too, which I know is important to them. Eddie and Robbie feel like natural brothers to me. There are, again, lots of saints to go with this name, but St. Robert Lawrence’s feast day is May 4.

7) Philip

Finally, Philip. Philip was a style match for Sylvia and I fell in love with it for them. It means “friend of horses” and ranks at #451, meaning it’s uncommon but not weird. Nicknames include Phil, Philly, and Flip (which I LOVE for a little boy!). Philip Peter sounds distinguished and handsome. Edward, Sylvia, Clara, and Philip feel like a natural sibling set, too. Bonus, St. Philip the Apostle is celebrated on May 3. The only drawback I can think of here is the initials PP, but that doesn’t concern me too much, especially since Philip starts with a different sound than Peter.

These are my thoughts! What do you think?

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I’m back on hiatus from doing consultations (though check back from time to time, as I hope to open up a few spots here and there as I’m able), but Theresa Zoe Williams is available to help you! Email her at TheresaZoeWrites@gmail.com to set up your own consultation! (Payment methods remain the same.)

For help with Marian names, my book, Catholic Baby Names for Girls and Boys: Over 250 Ways to Honor Our Lady (Marian Press, 2018), is available to order from ShopMercy.org and Amazon (not affiliate links). It’s perfect for expectant parents, name enthusiasts, and lovers of Our Lady!