Thoughts on these Spanish boy names

[aguafresca]

So DH isn't as sure about Félix for baby #3 as I was hoping he'd be. We have continued discussing options and I thought I'd get some feedback here. I'm still hoping he'll decide Félix is the one, but I'm trying to be open to the other names that he likes. So, what do you think about:

Oscar
Agustín
Elías
Ignacio
Ulises
Félix

We'd pronounce the name both in English and Spanish if possible, depending on the language we're speaking and our mood. (We live in California). I don't really want a name with an "r" in it because I'm not a native Spanish speaker, so I'm more iffy about actually using Oscar even though I like the name a lot. DH's current favorite is Ignacio. I'm trying to imagine calling my (English-only speaking) grandmother in the midwest and telling her the baby's name is Ignacio. I think it's a name that would go right over her head.

[duncan07]

I like Agustin the best! Oscar is second!

[nat108]

Felix and Elias are the easiest to pronounce in English and Spanish

I like Agustin in Spanish but not English

[jesba]

Felix, Elias and Oscar are appealing because the spelling is the same in both languages. With Agustin and Ulises, when using his name in English contexts he's always going to be dealing with correcting Augustin/Augusten/Augustine and Ulysses.

To be fair Augustin/Augusten/Augustine is just hard to spell anyway, and maybe Ulysses is too : D.

I love the name Ulises/Ulysses, but I think it's a bit much on a little boy. Much like Ignacio could be (If you do choose it...she may be familiar with the related saint's name Ignatius? At least in a college or Catholic high school name?)

I guess Ignacio is spelt the same in both, but it's also just not really used in English. I'm not sure the nickname Nacho helps.

[pansy]

If you're looking for a name that works in both English and Spanish, then I would go with either Felix or Oscar.

[stripedsocks]

Felix and Elias seem the easiest to go back and forth from language to language with.

I love Spanish boys' names, I wish I had more excuse to use them.

[aguafresca]

Thanks for the feedback so far. I wish Agustin didn't have so many spellings (and be so easily feminized). I mentioned Oscar to my sister and she reminded me that she had a friend in high school named Oscar who was murdered (in Mexico, a drug-related, wrong-time-wrong-place kind of thing), so that's probably not a great thing to remind her of all the time. I had forgotten about that because I was already off in college when that occurred, and I only met the guy once or twice.

Ignatius is kind of cool, but then we have the Spanish speaking side of the family who will not know how to pronounce it. The English and Spanish spellings are probably too far off, I'm thinking. I do think my grandmother would be aware of St. Ignatius, though, since she attends Catholic mass six times/week!

Maybe DH will be more willing if the full name is Felix Ignacio instead of Felix Agustin. I think I'll just hope that he comes around to it over the next few months. I honestly don't think there is a better name than Felix for #3 (if it's a boy, of course).

[jesba]

I really do love Felix for you and I love the combo Felix Ignacio! I wasn't suggesting Ignatius (although it would be kind of awesome), but that is great if it would help your grandmother get it more.

Or alternately - maybe Nash is a more accessible English nickname for Ignacio? I mean Iggy is cute but I'm not really sure it's got universal appeal. And Nacho...it's actually awesome in its way, but it's just really, really bold. I realize when you say Ignacio in Spanish there's no Nash sound, but I think in English there kind of is? Certainly Naysh in Ignatius. Or maybe Cio would be a cool nickname for Ignacio - I like that!

Good luck and keep us posted!

[aguafresca]

Thanks, jesba - I like your nickname ideas!

[skylark]

I like Ignacio. I'm half white and half Mexican (living in California too). Iggy is a cute anglo approved nickname and I think Nacho obviously works in English and Spanish. You could come up with your own nickname. Or you could just call him Ignacio and skip the nickname. Congratulations!