Hi Duana,

I am due very soon with our second boy.  We had very few ideas when naming our first, Daniel, and fewer this time, as in one.  The problem is husband will not (has not) produced any ideas. None. He also has offered little feedback on what I’ve proposed. For a while I thought he was afraid to put his ideas out there, but now it sincerely seems he’d be happy for me to do the brainstorming and/or simply for me to do the naming. I blessing and a curse!

The second issue is I have few ideas and thirdly as per above no one to bounce them around with.

The name I like is Dominic. Like the D for alliteration with his brother. I like the harder sounds. I like that (I think...) it is not super common but an established name that may not ever be trendy, ie fluctuate in and out severely.  I don’t know any so no negative associations.  However, Nameberry says its either upper crust British which really appeals to me or jersey-shore which turns me off so much that it makes me sad. Which is it? We live on the Canadian prairies for reference. Husband’s feedback was ‘Oh liking a different flavour this time, Mum’. Which in my mind isn’t the case. Daniel and Dominic intersect do they not? I do want a pairing.  Husband does not object to it, but doesn’t seemed enthusiastic either.

What do you think? Other ideas? Name Andrew (which I 100% love) is likely to be middle name. For various reasons probably not the first name. But maybe if no other options exist! Other middle name option may be my Mum’s maiden name, I quite like that idea. Help would be so much appreciated!

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I mean, you say your husband has offered little feedback, but I’d say he had a pretty big impact! Isn’t it amazing when a little comment like that can pack such a big punch? That is, I know it wasn’t meant to throw you for a loop, but isn’t it amazing what someone else’s perspective can do? 

I’d say that Daniel and Dominic are… loosely related. Partly because there really aren’t that many names in popular usage that begin with D (off the top of my head, David, Duncan, and mayyybe the Damon/Damian, Darryl/Darren, and Dashiell variants) so they’re automatically closer than, say, Matthew and Mason.   Plus, they’ve been in similar levels of use around similar times, so you’re not off-base there. 

My experience with Dominic has been mostly of the ‘decorative Italian name’ variety, and I’ve always loved it in that capacity… but if for some reason you’ve been put off, here are the names it makes me think of… Donovan, which has an almost inverse effect on Daniel without being too close or homonym-y, Benedict, which will strike some as being more Shakespearean and formal but combines with Daniel in almost the same way as Dominic. Or maybe Anton – which I quite like with Daniel, but which might beg to go with your Mum’s middle name… or Victor, which has nothing to do with Dominic, but has the same strong consonants that you like and somehow seems to pair perfectly with Daniel. Is that way out there, or somehow close to a perfect fit? 

Specificity is universal, so I know people are going to have opinions on this one. Let me know!