How to Name Brothers

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Written by Elizabeth Weiss McGolerick

Picking a name for your child as an individual is important, but deciding how to name brothers can also influence your choices in various ways. While your sons will likely share last names, what you select for their first and middle names can make all the difference in how these young men connect with each other, your family and the world around them.

Smiling brothers

When the first son arrives, many parents don’t name him thinking of sons they may have in the future and the names they may give to them… then again, maybe you are a planner and you have thought this far ahead!

But it’s safe to say that most parents don’t realize they’ve set their own precedent with the name they have chosen for their firstborn son.

Now the question is: Do you choose a name for your next son(s) that matches him with his older brother(s)? Or do you start completely from scratch?

Ask yourself these questions to start:

    1.    Do you want your sons to appreciate that they have a bond through similar names?
    2.    What message are you trying to send by choosing the names you have chosen?
    3.    Do the names emphasize that your children are a pair of brothers (or a trio or beyond)?
    4.    If yes, is this what you want the names to do?
    5.    Are the names you have chosen easily confused with each other (e.g., John, James, Joseph)?
    6.    If yes, is this all right with you?

Here are some suggestions and tips to consider the following ways to name brothers.

Initially Yours

Do you particularly like how your first son’s initials pair with your last name? You can confine your choices for any sons that follow by sticking to these same letters: Robert William and Richard Wayne; Jacob Michael and Jayden Matthew; Noah Sebastian and Nicholas Scott. (Just remember, if you give your sons names that start with the same letter, you may find yourself grasping to refer to the correct child from time to time!)

Or consider just matching their middle names by initial (or even by repeating the same middle name); for example, Logan Ryan and Ethan Ryan or Mason David and Gavin Dylan.

For more ideas, check out Baby Name Ideas: Initials Matter.

Syllable by Syllable

Naming siblings with the same number of syllable counts can also connect them, even if the names are very different. The cadence of the names said together will draw similarities between the boys, but they won’t be obvious – parents who are very concerned about their sons establishing their individuality may appreciate this bonded yet distinct method. Take for instance the following sets of names: Jeffrey Michael Johnson and Murray Martin Johnson; Sean Sylvester O’Neill and Craig Donahue O’Neill.

For more name suggestions by syllable, read One Syllable Baby Names and Two Syllable Baby Names.

Think Family

Some parents choose to go the traditional route and name their first son after his father. Whether that makes your son a junior, the third, the fourth, or beyond, that name is officially taken for your family (unless, of course, you’re George Foreman, who legally named his five sons George).

You can still stick with the family angle if you have more boys and want them to feel a strong bond with ancestors. Consider digging around in your family tree and revitalizing an unexpected or uncommon name from generations ago, or choose the first names of the paternal and maternal grandfathers as a nice and meaningful pairing.

Go for Nicknames

Although all of George Foreman's sons all share the same name, he distinguishes them from each other through the nicknames Monk, Big Wheel, Red and Little George. Now, some might question the sense of such nicknames, but if you can influence the way your sons are referred to from the start, that might be one way to simultaneously connect and separate them if their names don’t necessarily match (or match too closely).

Consider if your sons’ names lend themselves to nicknames. If they do, is that what you want? If so, do the nicknames work together as a pair, and is that what you want? Children can be saddled with unsavory nicknames once school and peer mingling begins – if you want to maintain control over their nickname (especially if they have a very easily abbreviated first name like Christopher or Benjamin), establish one early so it’ll stick.

For ideas, read Popular Nicknames for Traditional Names.

Get Literal

And finally, you can select a name for your son that specifically refers to the word “brother,” whether in a Biblical passage, literal definition, historical event, place name or story. Some common (and uncommon) “brother” choices in this category include: Aaron, Achiram, Adelphe, Ahab, Archer, Brody, Bubba, Bud, Cain, Esau, Hiram, Jacob, Joseph, Jude, Sebastian, Vincent, Wesley.