Ask Ava to Zeke: A Name for Evander’s Brother

Ava to Zeke,

I am looking for a name to be a baby brother to Evander Kent. Right now names we are considering are Roman, Baron, Hampton, and Orlando. We dislike anything too common such as Oliver, Liam, Hudson etc. We don’t have any special associations or must-haves for the name except that it must go with the surname Woods. Can you help out? 

Thanks for your question! 

First off, you have great taste in names! Evander Kent is stunning. To find a name for his brother, let’s find some common threads in the names you like, and then we’ll find others that we think might fit your style. 

Since you say you don’t want anything too common, we can eliminate the super popular names from our suggestions. You have Roman, currently ranked #85 in the US, on your list, but you feel that Oliver (#5), Liam (#1), and Hudson (#54) are too common. So we’ll stay outside the top 50 in the Social Security Administration’s rankings.

We’ll also rule out obvious nature names, which might be too literal in combination with Woods. And we will stick to monosyllabic names to balance the short last name (a short first name could work, but since all the names you like are at least two syllables, we’re assuming that’s a style preference).

You’ve really found a hidden gem with Evander. The name has never been in the top 1000 baby names in the US, yet it sounds completely on trend for 2019. You’ve set a high bar, but let’s see what we can do…

Names That End with “-n”

The -an/-on ending seems to be one that you like (Roman, Baron, Hampton, Hudson), so we’ll start with some names that are off the radar but have that on-demand last letter:

• Alden
• Anson
• Benton
• Bronson
• Callan
• Cassian
• Damon
• Donovan
• Garrison
• Kieran
• Nolan
• Orson
• Quentin
• Stellan
• Sullivan

Roman reminds us of Julian and Sebastian, both great names, but quite a bit more popular than what you might be looking for, at #36 and #18 respectively. We’re excited about all these alternatives. Orson Woods just has a ring to it, and I am surprised by how much I like Stellan with your last name. Both names are outside the top 1000 baby names in the US. Nolan is considerably more popular but still outside the top 50.

Names Like Evander

Evander also has that handsome thing going on, so here are some other names that we think ooze sophisticated charm:

• Ambrose
• Desmond
• Dominic
• Harvey 
• Jeremiah 
• Laurence 
• Malcolm
• Roland
• Terrence
• Vincent

Ambrose Woods sounds a little like a men’s cologne, but we can’t say that’s a bad thing. Desmond and Dominic are so good alongside Evander, and Terrence and Jeremiah sound perfect with your last name. Harvey and Vincent seem a little vintage, if that’s what you’re going for.

Names Like Baron, Hampton, and Orlando

And then some with just a bit of quirk, like the other names you’re considering:

• Ansel
• Benedict
• Cordell
• Cormac
• Dashiell
• Dexter
• Dorian
• Ephraim
• Marius
• Merrick
• Warrick

I love how unexpected these are. We originally had Abram on the list, but Abe Woods steers a bit “lumberjack.” But Cordell Woods? Merrick Woods? Yes, please. If you’re looking for a snappy nickname option, Dashiell shortens to Dash and Dexter gives you Dex.

And those are our suggestions for your new baby to be! We’re both big fans of Roman, so we’d be thrilled if you chose it. From the rest of the list, we’re really feeling Stellan, Merrick, Callan, and Sullivan.

Good luck with your baby name search, and congrats!

💕 Ava to Zeke

Readers, what are your favorites? What would you name Evander’s little brother?

If you want baby name advice or have baby-naming stories to share, we’re here to listen. Send us an email or DM us on Instagram, or check out our Consultation page.