A sibling for Rufus - please help.

[buzzam]

We are expecting baby number 2 soon and still haven't decided on a name. We don't know the sex, so we need both boys and girls names.

Our son's name is Rufus and our surname starts with McD. It needs to be a name that can be shortened into a great nickname (it's just something I always end up doing). We don't want anything that is currently popular.

So far these are possibilities:

GIRL
Edith - nn Edie
Delilah - nn lilah

BOY
Dexter - nn Dex

My partner also really likes Hamish, but I think it sounds a bit boring.

What do you think? Suggestions please.


***UPDATE***
We now have a 3 day old baby boy who still remains nameless. Dexter has been taken off the list and Felix and Hamish are the front runners. These are both my husbands suggestions. I just can't seem to find anything to contribute. I'd really love something that's timeless, a bit quirky and not popular. What are your thoughts? Anymore suggestions?

To the person who asked what Rufus' nickname is, it's Ruff (rough).

[esrever88]

I love Rufus! I also love Edith and Dexter and think either of those would be a great fit. Delilah is kinda meh for me; I'm not really sure about Hamish since it's so rarely heard in the States.

Some other ideas:

Agatha (Aggie)
Anthea (Thea or Annie)
Helena (Lena)
Jessamyn (Jessie)
Margaret or Marguerite (Maggie)

Asher (Ash)
Frederick (Freddie)
Hiram (Hi)

Good luck!!

[loraena]

I like Rufus! I would pair it with Mabel or Esther. Or if it's a boy, maybe Casper or Amos.

[lucystone]

Edith with the nn Edie is very cute.

Other suggestions:
Eleanor (Ellie)
Cornelia (Nell, Nellie, Lia)
Cordelia (Cordy, Della, Lia)
Emmaline (Emma, Emmy, Linney)
Florence (Flo)
Cecilia (Cici, Cecily, Ceec "seis")

Julius (Jude, Jules)
Cornelius (Ned)
Marcellus (Mark)
Charles (Charlie)
Vincent (Vince)
Augustus (Aggie, Gus)

[holbs]

I second Julius and Mabel.

Others:

Flora
Elsa
Hester
Flavia
Pearl
Frances

Oscar
Ambrose
Gilbert
Bernard
Leander

[sheflieswithherownwings]

I think the sound of Rufus & Edith, that would be gorgeous! I don't Rufus and Delilah together, despite the fact I love the name Delilah. As for the boy's name Hamish is a lot less popular than Dexter, it doesn't even rank in the top 1000 in the US. Do you live in the US? Just to make you aware Dexter is one of the fast rising boy's names in the UK, and also in the US it moved up 70 places between 2010-2011, but has moved up 532 places in 5 years so therefore it's pretty trendy right now, although it does sound good with Rufus.

Other ideas...
Rufus & Leland
Rufus & Samson
Rufus & Linden
Rufus & Cassian
Rufus & Ignatius
Rufus & Miles
Rufus & Edgar
Rufus & Edmund
Rufus & Patrick
Rufus & Quinlan
Rufus & Wallace
Rufus & Francis
Rufus & Stanley
Rufus & Sidney
Rufus & Alaric
Rufus & Barnaby
Rufus & Calder
Rufus & Ewan
Rufus & Eamon
Rufus & Ivan
Rufus & Lorcan
Rufus & Rafferty
Rufus & Conrad
Rufus & Theodore
Rufus & Walter

Rufus & Anneliese
Rufus & Agnes
Rufus & Adair
Rufus & Adeline
Rufus & Cordelia
Rufus & Camille
Rufus & Evelina
Rufus & Eliza
Rufus & Ada
Rufus & Felicity
Rufus & Georgina
Rufus & Harriet
Rufus & Imogen
Rufus & Keziah
Rufus & Lucille
Rufus & Laurel
Rufus & Morgana
Rufus & Ottilie
Rufus & Sonia
Rufus & Tamsin
Rufus & Willa

[norseberry]

I love Edith with the nn Edie. How about Frederick nn Fritz or Haymitch for boys names?

[kynleigh88]

Atticus
Jasper
Gordon
Murray
Gus
Monty
Harvey
Anderson
Orson
Dashiell
Duncan
Wendell

Hazel
Florence
Miriam
Olive
Opal
Blanche

[lori johnson]

Love Rufus!

My recommendation is ...

Rufus [and] Cosmo [or] Felix

[or]

Rufus [and] Juno [or] Minerva

... a sibset comprised of "ancient names".

Or ...

Rufus [and] Archibald [or] Zebulon

[or]

Rufus [and] Hester

... a sibset comprised of "colonial names".

Source: "Cool Names for Babies" book [2003] by Linda Rosenkrantz and Pamela Redmond Satran

[sylvia82]

What about Chester (nn Chet) for a boy? I really like it with Rufus.