To all you germans out there...

[quinnthevixen.livejournal.com]

I'm still a few years away from TTC but my boyfriend and I have already discussed some preliminary names. Elise and Noelle will likely be middle names for girls, as those are family names (and I love them.) But I'm having a hard time with boys. My uncle died a few years ago; he was german (as is a lot of my family) and quite young, and I'd like to honor him by using his name as a middle name for a boy. But it's not a common name in the states, and not many names seem to fit with it, so I was hoping maybe people had some good suggestions for german names.

I don't feel comfortable posting his actual name here for a couple of reasons, but I'll post a similar one: Heiko (pronounced Hi-Ko.)

Help please?

Comments

[lind-saay.livejournal.com]

I think it's fine as a middle name. As a first name, I could understand your concerns, but as a middle name, I don't think it'll be a problem. It's not going to show up on class rosters and cause a problem with mispronunciations. The only people who will know it is his middle name are the people he tells, so he can explain "It's after my great-uncle, and it's a family name," which is kind of a cool story, and that alone gets rid of the pronunciation issues because he'll be telling them and it's not going to be written down. Does that make sense?

Besides, I think that having a really unique middle name that means something is better than having, like, James or something just because it sounds good.

[lind-saay.livejournal.com]

Now that I re-read your entry, I'm a little confused: are you asking for German names that would work as first names with his name as a middle name, or for alternative German names to use in place of using his name?

If it's the former, I'd probably stick to something that could translate well into American society (ie, not something too difficult to pronounce and/or that would single-out your child too much):
August
Bastian/Sebastian
Carl
Erich/Erik
Felix
Gregory (Gregor is a German name)
Hans
Henrik
Jakob
Klaas
Linus
Lukas
Markus
Oskar
Otto
Sascha
Stefan (stef-IN)


If it's the latter, I'd scrap that idea. Just use his name. Who cares if it's common in the US or not?

[kilobites.livejournal.com]

Well, as for German names for boys, my boyfriend and I are using Felix almost certainly, and have been thinking about Dietrich as well. Those are two pretty popular German boys names that translate well in the states.

Some others:

Erik
Karl
Jakob
Lukas
Stefan

[aquilinum.livejournal.com]

Stefan (stef-IN)

What? In German, it's pronounced "SHTEFF-an", and in English, it's (to my knowledge) "STEFF-an". Why would the latter syllable be accented? Or said like a short I?

[mrsduryee.livejournal.com]

Except that I have a German cousin named Stefan who lives in Munich and everyone calls him Stef-an, including his German family. So maybe it is not always Shteff-an.

[aquilinum.livejournal.com]

German is my first language and I am well aware that there are MANY dialects and accents. But in none of them would I describe the pronunciation as "stef-IN". What, with the accent on the last syllable? And a short I sound instead of short A? THAT is what lind_saay seems to be advocating.

[lind-saay.livejournal.com]

My friend pronounces it that way, and that's what I prefer, which is why I put it in the parenthesis. I've always hated when it's pronounced Stef-ON, which is the other one I hear most often in the US. I don't know why he pronounces it that way, but I LOVE it, versus the other way, which I hate. I don't mean that it's the only way, or the right way, but that's the way I would pronounce it, if it were my child. That's all.

[quinnthevixen.livejournal.com]

Yeah I like Felix a lot, and Lukas too, thanks!

[quinnthevixen.livejournal.com]

Yeah I'm sorry about the confusion, I definitely want to keep his name as a middle name, and was looking for german first names that might have a good cadence with it. It's funny you mentioned Henrik, that's my step-dad's name! I like Sascha a lot, and felix, and bastian.

[mrsduryee.livejournal.com]

I didn't type -in... it says "Stef-an", and I was only making a comment about the missing "sh" sound when they say it. I am not a German expert, only a relative, and I don't know about other pronunciantions. I just know that my cousin is Stef-an, not Shtef-an.

[mrsduryee.livejournal.com]

oh I see you were replying to the comment above. sry!

[ringsandcoffee.livejournal.com]

My dad is Adolf (he's 73, born before Hitler was in power; named after some historical person named Adolphus, I believe). My uncles, his brothers, are Johan and Heinrich, Americanized to John and Henry.

[chirpygirly.livejournal.com]

You don't have to confirm in case I'm right, but I'm wondering if it's Heinz, which happens to be the name of a German uncle of mine I've never met. I thought it was odd when my mom first told me it, but when I learned his nick name, I was like eesh.

Anyway, I picked these names because I think they have good nick name possibilities. So you can have something 'American' sounding, while keeping in line with the German heritage.

Bogart - orchard - nn Bo/Beau
Charles/Charleson - free man - nns Chaz, Charlie
Emerich - Work and ruler - nn Rick
Jessen - from the town of Jessen - nn Jess/Jesse
Thorben - Thor's bear - nn Ben