Boys' list fattened over the holiday!

[emmabobemma]

Happy New Year Berries!
Apologies for this ridiculously long post.

Cy (just Cy) is a love of mine, but I dislike Cyrus and its sudden trendiness. I was considering other ways to distinguish the name. My husband thought of using C.Y. initials, and he suggested the beautiful name Crispin to honor my grandmother Christine! It’s rare that he would be open to such a fawncy name, so I seized on it immediately and started thinking up combinations. In the process, my boys’ list became a giant SPRAWL! Please help! Your most penetrating opinions are needed!

Names of people we'd like to honor: Marsh, Yu (Yusef, Ywen), Joel (Julius, Yael), Sylvia (Sylvan), Christine (Crispin), Dear (Darcy), Joe (Yusef), Randolf (and Raoul has a related meaning and sounds)
Tree names honor my father, an arborist: Ywen, Yves, Yvain, Linden, Quincy, Sylvan
Botanical names have some significance: Basil, Yarrow, Heath
All other names I like for the sound, the meaning, or both.

TO GET TO CY:
Cy Ywen, Cy Linden, Cy Quincy, Cy Basil
Clement Yaromir, Clement Yvain
Caspar Ywen, Caspar Yaromir, Caspar Yvain, Caspar Yarrow
Claes Yusef, Claes Ywen
Crispin Ywen, Crispin Yves, Crispin Yvain, Crispin Yusef, Crispin Yarrow
Cadoc Yvain, Cadoc Ywen
Claude Yarrow
Cody Marsh
Sylvan Marsh, Sylvan Yves, Sylvan Yael, Sylvan Ciar, Sylvan Julius, Sylvan Clement, Sylvan Yaromir, Sylvan Fionn, Sylvan Caelius
Cyro Basil, Cyro Wythe, Cyro Marsh, Cyro Julius, Cyro Raoul, Cyro Ywen
Cyrano Julius, Cyrano Marsh, Cyrano Yves, Cyrano Raoul - probably not, as DH dislikes Cyrano.
Cypress Marsh, Cypress Yaqub, Cypress Yusef, Cypress Yaromir, Cypress Raoul, Cypress Randolf

NON-CY POSSIBILITIES:
Ywen Marsh, Ywen Wythe, Ywen Ernst or Ywen Ernest, Ywen Darcy, Ywen Heath
Caspar Lafcadio, Caspar Linden
Crispin Basil, Crispin Wythe, Crispin Makepeace, Crispin Seafrid, Crispin Zebedee, Crispin Marsh, Crispin Randolf
Basil Raoul, Basil Wythe, Basil Yvain, Basil Julius, Basil Clement, Basil Lafcadio, Basil Randolf
Felix Makepeace, Felix Zebedee, Gunther Linden, Otis Clement, Otis Darcy, Ciar Cadoc

Y-name possibilities:
Ywen- means yew in Welsh. It honors Yu, and it’s a tree name.
Yael -pronounced “YAH-el” Close to Joel. Too Hebrew-sounding perhaps.
Yaqub -Arabic form of Jacob
Yaromir -Medieval Slavic, means “fierce peace” (love that)
Yusef -Arabic and Turkish form of Joseph. And it gets Yu in there.
Yves - kind of a cross between "Eve" and "Yeeve." Love, but too femme?
Yvain has a beautiful sound and I like the Chretien de Troyes connection, but very close to Ywen without the benefit of “Yu” sound.

FYI:
Lafcadio- Name taken from Greek island of Lefkas. Too crazy I know...
Cadoc (for the Welsh saint)
Caelius (Roman masculine root name of Celia, another love. From "caelum" -heaven.)
Makepeace- Puritan virtue names are a tradition in my family, and this is a beauty.
Seafrid (means “sea peace”)
Ciar ("keer" Irish, means black)
Fionn ("fyoon")
Claes ("clous")
Basil ("BA-zuhl" not "BAY-zuhl" I'd pronounce the A like "bad")

I LIKE BUT PROBABLY WON’T USE:
Elm, Alder, Birch, Acanthus, Victor, Ishmael

[mischa]

Have you considered Cyprian, Cyril , or the Welsh Cynstenian/Cystennian, Cynan, Cydereyn and Cymry to get to Cy? Or even Cuyler? Granted some of the Welsh names would be pronounced with a "k" sound in the beginning but they still have Cy in them.

From your list, I like Cy, Crispin, Clement, Sylvan, Basil, Felix and Otis.

These "Cy" combos flow well and look good:

1 Cy Linden
2 Cy Basil
3 Cy Ywen

I like Clement but many people find it "dated". Clement Yaromir is an interesting mix.

I prefer Jasper but Caspar is a fine name too!
Best Combos: Casper Ywen and Caspar Yvain

Crispin is a underused saint name that I find appealing. Cripin Yarrow is my favourite combo.

Sylvan Marsh flows well.

I like these combos from your non-Cy list:

Ywen Marsh, Ywen Darcy, Ywen Heath
Caspar Linden
Crispin Wythe, Crispin Makepeace, Crispin Marsh
Basil Wythe, Basil Clement, Basil Randolf
Felix Makepeace, and Otis Clement (love these two combos)

[ottilie]

Emms, I've been waiting for this and now I'm almost drooling!!!!! Happy new year present? Yes indeed....

You've got a ocean full of names here, so I'm picking ot my favourites (the ones I think you should use, not the ones I would use) and the ones I think are not so good.

Marsh, Yusef, Ywen, Julius, Sylvan, Crispin, Darcy, Randolf (!!!) are the ones I like the best. I'd love to see Yusef, Julius, Sylvan (or Silvan?) and Darcy. And Randolf (or maybe Randolph?).
Ywen, Yves, Yvain, Linden, Sylvan. All amazing. I do love Yves and Yvain very much.
Basil and Heath. Yarrow makes me itch... but that's my opinion. Basil is the best one, it's sweet and full of spunk and the herb is utterly delizioso!

TO GET TO CY:
Cy Ywen is gold! Cy Quincy and Cy Basil sounds a little bit off. I think you can do better.
Clement Yaromir: This is THE it-name. If I were a boy I'd want to have this name. Clement Yvain is decent and solid, but Yaromir wins a hundrend times.
Caspar Ywen and Caspar Yvain both sounds amazing to my ears. Caspar Yarrow has a good sound too.
Claes Ywen is a bit cooler I think.
Crispin Yves is my favourite of these, but I think you've got better combos above and below.
Cadoc Ywen if I had to choose one.
Claude Yarrow: Claude is very quirky sexy, which I like. Claude Yarrow is amazing.
Cody Marsh sounds like an annoying little boy detective.
Sylvan Marsh, Sylvan Julius, Sylvan Clement, Sylvan Yaromir, Sylvan Fionn, Sylvan Caelius are all great names. Picking one (or two): Sylvan Marsh and Sylvan Caelius. Marsh looks good with just about anything, Caelius is simply stunning.
Cyro Wythe, Cyro Raoul: Cyro Wythe is the clear winner for me. I do think Cyro Raoul is badass and sexy though.
Cyrano Marsh is very hot, but if hubs says no you have to listen, right?
Cypress Yaromir makes me very happy indeed. Wonderful, whimsical and strong.

NON-CY POSSIBILITIES:
Ywen Wythe, Ywen Ernest: Wythe makes every name look amazing, but Ernest looks good with Ywen too.
Caspar Lafcadio, Caspar Linden - Aaaah, Lafacido. Pure awesomeness.
Crispin Wythe, Crispin Makepeace, Crispin Seafrid - Crispin Seafrid is pretty cool. I like the other two as well.
Basil Wythe, Basil Yvain
Felix Makepeace, Felix Zebedee, Otis Clement - Otis Clement is very handsome and dashing, I like the happiness and spunk of the Felix combos.

I LIKE BUT PROBABLY WON’T USE:
Elm, Alder, Birch, Acanthus, Victor, Ishmael - please use Ishmael and Acanthus. Ishmael Acanthus would be pretty badass I think....

[emmabobemma]

Mischa, thank you for your kind and (as usual) levelheaded feedback. Of your suggestions, I do like Cuyler. I prefer Schuyler, but not sure it makes sense as a full name for Cy...
I agree with your (and Ottilie's) Caspar combos. Caspar Ywen and Caspar Yvain are the best. Crispin... Yes I'm really loving it right now. Going to have to give it more thought. I think I like Crispin Yves, Crispin Yvain, Crispin Wythe most. Do you think Crispin Wythe could sneakily become Cy, since Wythe is so Y-heavy? hm...

Ottilie m'dear: Thank you for all your cheer and encouragement! Yes, Cy Ywen is solidly lovely. It may outlast the others, but we'll see. Marsh is an important family name for my husband, so we may have to get it in there. I find it a little... squashy-sounding, though I like marshes and swamps in general. Clement Yaromir- I love the meaning, and the sound, but it may be too florid for my husband in the end. His taste in names is much more down-to-earth than mine. We might strike a balance by using such a minimal nickname though.

It may be curtains for Yusef, Yaqub, Yael, Lafcadio, Caelius, Cadoc, Zebedee... Cody... I can't bring myself to part with Raoul just yet, but husband is not into it.

Cy Ywen, Cypress Marsh, Ywen Marsh, Crispin Wythe-
These are the names my husband likes (with some reservations) out of the whole lot! Such a curmudgeon.
Me: "What do you mean, you don't like Randolf?! It's an important family name! It means 'shield from the wolves!'"
DH: "Yeah. Shield from the wolves. That's what our kid's gonna need when you name him Mapplethorpe Pancakes!"
He says, "You'd better hope we have a girl, otherwise " " (opens mouth like a fish) will be his name. We'll have a nameless boy! Makepeace? I like the sound of it, but we're not Quaker.... Claes? What's wrong with Klaus? Sylvan? Are we going to have a satyr or a son?" and so forth.

Nevertheless, I still love Basil, Yvain, Sylvan, all these strange woodsy names. Let's keep playing! I'll start narrowing down soon.

[ottilie]

Oh, you hubs sounds pretty funny. We can put him and my boyfriend in a room together and they can be sarcastic and witty together, away from us. I think Cy Ywen is wondefully striking though.

[blade]

Emma-- so, so many ideas here. For starters, a question: does your family have Arabic, particularly Lebanese, heritage? I noted the Christian names Yusuf and Yaqub, as well as many French-variant saints' names. Some of the suggestions I'm making below will be partially based on that assumption, so please let me know if I'm wrong.

CY

Personally, I think Cy feels incomplete. It's also homonymous with 'sigh,' which isn't an over-flattering association for a boy.

Re: Welsh CY- names: as noted, in Welsh these names all have the starting sound 'kuh.' There are some lovely beauties there, but it would be a bit contrived to nickname 'sigh' from Cynan, 'Kuhn-nan.'

For many reasons, I want to second Mischa's suggestion of Cyprian. It's saintly, French (well, Cyprien is), Arabic, and perhaps uniquely honors your father the arborist by its connection to the cypress tree.

Cyril-- an ancient, venerable, saintly, uncommon-but-familiar name, also given by Arabic-speaking Christians.

Cyriac-- prn with a hard C; from Greek Kyriakos, 'lord.' there are more than 25 St Cyriacs. It almost seems like a portmanteau of Cyrano de Bergerac.

Cystennin: not sure how wearable this really is, but it's the Welsh form of Constantine.

Cyran: another hard C, this is the trim original version of Cyrano. I think it's trendy -an ending sound makes it ate wearable, we still distinctive.

Welsh saints: these are fairly dense, but here you are:

Cyran (a great 6th c saint)
Cyndeyrn (original form of Kentigern)
Cynfarch (um, not usable)
Cybi
Cyngar
Cyndir

[backtomyroots]

Have you considered Simon or Silas to get CY ( or in this case SI)?

I also LOVE Cy! But I like Cyrus! Unfortunately DH doesnt!

[emmabobemma]

Hey Blade. Thank you thank you. No, no Arabic heritage, sadly. Love the sounds of that language, amazed by the culture.. though I haven't done any traveling in that part of the world, or in Cyprus for that matter. I don't think we'll end up using a name like Yusef or Yaromir, Yaqub, Lafcadio, Caelius... Just wanted to put them out there because I find them beautiful. I do think the sound of Cyprian is luscious, but it really sounds like an adjective to me. Tree names feel more vibrant to me than place names. I spent some time in Tibet, but most Tibetan names sound really contrived for a white Brooklyn kid. Nature names too I suppose, but that's non-negotiable! Cy... I hear what you're saying about the word "sigh," but it doesn't bother me. I'm just not sure if I've found a longer Cy-name or a C.Y. combination that I love as much as Cy. Cypress - love the tree, but not sure if "press" adds much to Cy. Husband likes that one. Agree with you about the Welsh Cs.
As for the saints' names - No not religious. I love the rituals and the poetry of religion, but I'm pretty groundless in that regard. Husband is decidedly more down-to-earth, likes names that don't take themselves too seriously.
First heard the name Cy on Cy Twombly, who I love. His full name isn't even close to Cy. I think it has such a coolness, like the verbal equivalent of a wink. Do you think the C.Y. initials idea is doable?

Cyril I like. I will hold onto this one and see if it sticks. I guess, it feels like a bit of an indoor-name, but I like the history and the sound.
Cyriac-maniac. Cystennin-cyst. Cyran- I know an awful Kieran. Cyndeyrn- sounds tangled to me. Cybi- too cute.
Cyngar and Cydir have potential. ...Sort of. I do prefer the soft-C I think.

Backtomyroots: Thank you. I love Simon! But my husband doesn't. I think I could use it as a pet-name for a Cy. Silas- I see the appeal, but I find it a little too farmy. Makes me think of hipsters with big Amish beards. :-b

[blade]

Sorry for the misperception! (btw y iPad keeps auto correcting that to "miso erection"). Ok, the last two thirds:

I think C.Y. Is doable, if slightly contrived. Nicknames don't really need any grounding whatsoever in the formal name.

Btw I also like Sylvan, nn Cy.

Of your C.Y. suggestions, I would definitely keep:

Clement (beautiful name, beautiful meaning, great namesakes)
Caspar (equally handsome with a long historical tradition)
Crispin (fantastic suggestion by your husband: striking, unusual, cool)
Cyro (very hip and on-trend; perhaps will strike many as fabricated).

I would reject:

Claude ("lame," dislike the historical Claudius; cannot overcome 'clod' problem
Cyrano: over the top
Claes: too exotic fr anglophones to pronounce properly or register its beauty
Cody: are there Codys in Brooklyn? There's no Wal-Mart there, right?

Suggestions given your desired imagery:

Cabot (as in the explorer, and the wild northern Bay)
Cadfan (Welsh for battle-peak)
Cadfael (as in the eponymous hero of the Ellis Peters books; a legitimate medieval Welsh name too)
Caledon (ancient name for Scotland)
Caradoc (derived fro Welsh cariad, 'beloved'; many herod bore the name)
Casimir (a bit stronger sounding than Jaromir, with the same Slavic beauty and deep roots)
Cassiel (non canonical angel)
Cathal (gorgeous Irish name, though the th is prn as an H)
Chariton (masculine version of Charis)
Cheyne: a definite favorite for you, as it's medieval French for 'oak'
Chivan: Tibetan names are so foreign that they're hard to wear; this is Khmer for 'life'
Clovis- half-mythical king of the Franks
Colwyn: name of a lovely Welsh river
Constantine: it doesn't get any more regal; numerous good historical namesakes; uplifting meaning
Corbyn: medieval French word for raven; a transferred surname
Corentin: chic in France currently; a saint; means "hurricane" in Breton
Corydon: a poetic name for the male hero-lover in French verse
Corrado: romantic Italian variant of Conrad
Cosimo/Cosmas : a saints name meaning, of course, 'universe'

As for the Ys: are you pronouncing Ywen somewhat close to Owen? The starting vowel is not like the French Yves, from what I understand. I think it's lovely, tied with Yvain for its evocative nature. I think Yves would be constantly misheard as Eve, which might create embarrassing gender confusion. Without Arabic heritage, I wouldn't consider Yusuf or Yaqub. Other ideas:

Ybarra: basque for 'valley'
Yestin: variant of Justin via Iestyn, the Welsh form
Ynyr: ancient king of Gwent
Ysidro: gorgeous variant of Isidore

Woodsy/tree names to honor your father:

Arvid: eagle-tree
Berkeley: birch tree meadow
Hawes: Hawthorne fruit
Haslett: settment near hazel trees
Holt: 'son of the untamed forest'
Laurence: the laurels
Lindell: valley of linden trees
Nairn: river with alder trees
Orrick: old oak tree
Tamarack: self-evident
Waldwick: village in a forest clearing

[andalusia]

Have you considered "Schuyler" as a route to "Cy"? Crispin is lovely with nearly anything (although I'm not a fan of "Makepeace"), Cypress is another great one. "Caspar" also made me think of "Caspian", I don't know if that'd be to your liking?

Yves is very solid and I've never encountered it in the USA (I'm from Montreal), but all the Sylvans I have known have been female.