Why not Edmund Wilder? I think those names together have a whole lot of zing!  Ned's cool, but I think it's one where you'd have to meet the child first before deciding whether it fits him. There are other options for nicknames, of course, but I think Edmund is short enough that you'd get away with asking people to use his full name.

I second Edmund Wilder.  Love it.  I like Grant and Pierce with Edmund, too, but Wilder is one of my dark horse favorites.  Walter is not great for me, and Walt does not sound significantly cooler.  It fits in with other types of names that I like, so maybe I can and should come around on it, but it does not currently have a good image for me--maybe it's Walter the Farting Dog, or some other book/movie character I've now forgotten, but it makes me think of a heavy, socially awkward kid.  I do like the sound of Walter Morgan, though--I think Morgan balances it out pretty well.  Now, Locke, I think, is pretty cool, but I agree with you that it's not the very best fit with your other two.  If you love it, I think that's not enough to cross it off, but I would totally go with Edmund Wilder, from the current list.  It sounds smart, sophisticated, and rather dashing to me.    

I agree!!!  Edmund Wilder is fantastic!!!  Edmund is one of my all time favorites (I must confess a soft spot for all the Jane Austen leading men - Mansfield Park BTW). I think Wilder gives it a fresh sound.  The names together sound distinguished and handsome! 

Hmm...you know, Edmund is one I tried pairing Wilder with in the past and pretty quickly dismissed it as being too '"d" heavy.  Now, though, that you're all mentioning it, I'm mulling it over more and more, and I think I really like it! 

Yes - I too immediately thought of Edmund Wilder, and I don't think it's too d-heavy at all! I find it rather dashing actually, and it reminds me a bit of "little husband on the prairie," Almanzo Wilder. Edmund Walter, Edmund Morgan and Edmund Lawrence all work pretty well too to my ear, and it sounds like any of those middle names would mean more to you than either Grant or Pierce. The latter sound just fine, but they don't have any special zing to me. Consider that Morgan shares most of the sounds/letters in Grant, and Lawrence has the same -ce ending as Pierce, so they match sound-wise in a similar way while having the family connection that you like. Is Wilder a family name too, and is it important to you to use one in the combination?

I agree that Locke/Lochlan and Wilder as first names would be a very different style than your other kids' names, but having the names all be ones you love seems far more important to me than having them all "match." The nickname Walt does liven up Walter a bit, and there's also Wally as an option if your son ends up preferring that; he could even use a variation on his initial (Dubs, Dubya like the President, Dub-E for Walter Edmund, etc. depending on what follows). Knowing that he has options may make the name seem more wearable to your husband. Likewise, Edmund has either Ed/Eddie or Ned, though the Edmunds I've met so far seem to go by Edmund exclusively.

All of your boys' names have a dose of gravitas, so if you're hoping for more kids, that would make me lean more towards Louisa on your girl's list. The contrast with three siblings S, M plus any of the above brothers make Daisy and Nell seem even more cute, sweet and nicknamey than they do on their own - not necessarily bad qualities, but maybe not what you want in combination with the rest of the family.

Hope this helps!

- kalmia (not logged in)

Regarding the "D"s in Edmund Wilder (and this is coming from someone who articulates stop consonants more than the average person):

If you focus on the "D"s and over-enunciate them, then yes, the name is quite D-heavy. However, if you say the name in a normal conversational way, the first "D" in Edmund becomes almost a flap, meaning that you have the strong "D" once in each name, which offers a nice, subtle repetition of sound to tie the names together.

While we don't share naming styles, I'd just like to put in that I really like how the name Wilder brightens up Edmund (can't explain why or how - it just does) in a way that Walter doesn't. Edmund Walter feels quite heavy to me, while Edmund Wilder feels... happy? I don't know how to explain it, but the latter combination just really works for me. Locke is cool, but I think that Edmund fits really well with your other children's names.

I'll be the odd one out here, but I actually think Locke fits better with Solomon and Mabel.

Solomon, with its Biblical connection, is obviously an old name, but because it's unusual and because I associate it with the idea of wisdom, it has an eclectic/artsy vibe that is stronger than its old, classic feel.

Edmund/Ned is darling, but for me it has a different feel. I'd expect an Edmund to have siblings called Henry and Lily, over Solomon and Mabel, if that makes sense.

One thing to consider about Locke is its associations with John Locke, the philosopher as well as the Lost character.

One thing to consider about Lochlan is its relative popularity in other countries, like Australia, which could mean that it will become more popular here (I'm sure Laura is the one who would really know the trends that way).

I share your concerns about Walter, though I don't know that it's more, "Nerdy," than popular names like Oliver. I suspect how it's received would depend on where you live. In the 'burbs where Aidan and Addison reign, it would probably get some looks. In a hipster urban area with Ansels and Adas probably not nearly so much

Love Wilder.

Thanks for letting me share my two cents and good luck!!

I'll vote for Walter, and I really like the flow and look of Walter Lawrence; a classic, neat, no-nonsense name.

I don't mind Edmund, but I'm not sure I'm ready for Ed - it's seems like it's still one generation away from a revival.

As for Locke, well... it's unfamiliar to me and I'm not really sure what to think of it. I think I prefer well-established and/or names, at least with your other kiddos.  

Well, everytime someone brings up the name Sawyer the Lost connection is pointed out so I just have to say that Locke makes me think of the character from Lost - it was his surname as his name was John Locke.  Now obviously people are using Sawyer anyway and you are free to use Locke but I had to point it out. 

I've already told you I love Walter and really don't see it as nerdy.  For me Walter is all Walt Whitman and when I hear the name Walter I want to start quoting "Song of the Open Road" or "Captain, My Captain." 

I'm another one in favor of Edmund Wilder.

Not a fan of Walt at all.  My first thought would be, "like Walt Disney?"  Not someone I admire, but if you love Disney, then maybe that's a good one.

(I do love Walt Whitman - I'm getting a tattoo with a Walt Whitman quotation next week! - but he didn't even occur to me when I pictured the name Walt on a little boy.  Huh.)

Locke makes me think of philosopher John Locke first and the Lost character second, both of whom are positive connotations for me.

But I'm guessing that Locke will give your kid a lifetime of spelling hassles. "Locke, with an E." "L-E-C-K?"

Edmund is great, whether the nn is Ed, Ned, Ted, Eddie, Teddy, Neddy, or no nn at al. (That's a lot of options!)

I like Edmund and Walter best. I know a few Walters so I think of them when I hear it. I'm not into nicknames and think Edmund and Walter are fine as they are, but Ned is more nerdy to me than Walt.

I never watched Lost so have no idea what the characters' names were. Still, I'm not a fan of Locke as a first name. I think Edmund Wilder works much better than Locke Wilder if you want to use Wilder as a midlde name.

Count me as another vote for Edmund Wilder! I love Edmund with your other two names—it has just the right sense of gravitas, while still feeling like a fresh name for a little boy. Ned as a nickname isn't my favorite (I prefer Ted), but it's not bad. I wonder if it might get a boost from the current popularity of Game of Thrones (the first season has a Ned as a major character, and he's honorable to a fault). 

Walter is a name that I feel I should like, given its long and venerable history, but I'm not quite there yet (though I think it matches your sibset well). I do kind of like the old medieval nickname Wat—I find it has a bit more energy than Walt. These days, Walt makes me thing of the less-than-likeable protagonist of the TV show Breaking Bad, as well as his teenage son, Walt Jr., who at one point decides that he dislikes his name and insists that everyone call him Flynn. And for what it's worth, Walt is also a character on Lost (albeit one who is written off pretty early in the series).

Locke and Lochlan aren't bad on their own, but they seem very incongruous with the rest of your sibset—much more modern and trendy in feeling. I prefer your other options.

- EVie, not logged in

I'll also vote for Edmund Wilder. I like the repetition of the D, it's not too heavy for me at all. I do think Edmund goes well with Solomon and Mabel. 

Walter is still nerdy to me and a bit of a grandpa name, but not in a trendy way. I also have the association of Walt from Lost and Walter White from Breaking Bad. 

Locke is very Lost to me too but I do quite like it with Solomon and Mabel. I think that Lachlan nn Locke could work well. Lachlan is more popular here in Australia and I know a lot of young Lachlans but I don't think it will ever be as popular in the US.

Thank you all so much for the helpful replies.  You've all given me a lot to think about.  And for those of you who were asking, Wilder is a family name also.  It's not one I had ever thought about using until I saw it on a friend of a friend's baby boy, and I fell pretty hard for it.  :)  I love that it also brings to my mind Laura Ingalls Wilder and even reminds me of Oscar Wilde - I've always loved literary names.

I’ve been mulling your list since I posted and have had a few other thoughts, some of which echo points made by other posters.

First, I really like Karyn's characterization of Wilder as making Edmund seem somehow livelier and happier. I think it's a combination of associations: the prairie Wilders, Oscar Wilde (I thought of him too, don't know why I didn't mention it) and the words wild and wide. Altogether they add up to a sense of freedom, exploration, adventure, with a suggestion of courage and light-hearted spirit. Edmund on its own is rather buttoned-down, and Wilder balances out that cautiousness and lets it breathe.

The more I think about it, Edmund is probably a much easier name to live with (especially as a nerd or outsider) than Walter. Ed especially is an everyman nickname: common, familiar, sturdy. That's a ready fallback for someone who just wants to be one of the crew. While I can (did) come up with other nicknames for Walter, they just don't feel as natural and familiar. Somehow too Walter just seems much more aggressively retro in style than Edmund or your other kids' names. Consider: Solomon shares the common -n ending of so many modern boys' favorites and the same cadence as up-and-coming Oliver, and it's only a step away from familiar Samuel. Mabel has the open vowels of what Laura W. calls the "bell-tone names" that dominate the charts today, and it carries a slight echo of the popular “-belle” crowd of girls’ names, though I know it’s not pronounced exactly the same. The point is, while they’re recognizably old-fashioned, they don’t particularly clash with current aesthetic sensibilities. Laura W. has mentioned several times in her blog that what keeps certain antique names from staging a revival is unfashionable clusters of consonants – I’d elaborate on that to say that it’s clusters colored by liquid consonants (L, R) in particular that are out. In other words, that’s part of why your first two aren’t Sylvester and Myrtle. This particular sound profile ties names like Walter to a specific older generation (when such sounds were in vogue), while Solomon and Mabel feel more generically “vintage.” Likewise, Edmund feels less “old guy” than “proper and British” to an American audience.

I know I made a case in another thread (Unlikely Comebacks) that I could see Walter appealing to some modern parents – but I think other posters are right that that depends a lot on one’s circles. If your children’s classmates are Olivers and Matildas then Walter’s just at the edge of what other parents in your community are considering. If you’re among a lot of Jacobs and Addisons, your son is more likely to feel way out of place.

Altogether, I actually think Wilder might be an easier first name to have than Walter. Yes, the –ld- is not that far different from the –lt- that I just labeled as unfashionable, but the wide I vowel really brightens the name, unlike the closed sound of Walter, which helps de-emphasizes the effect of the -ld- combination. More importantly, because Wilder isn’t established as a first name it just feels very different to me. It’s not tied to a particular generation for one thing: no one will think of their great-uncle Wilder the way they might with Walter. Also, surnames as first names are popular now, and Wilder fits that trend nicely while still being worlds away from names like Hunter and Jackson.

In some ways, I think Wilder is a better fit with Solomon and Mabel too: I’d say all these names have a dash of vintage charm to them, and Walter, whatever its other merits, doesn’t strike me as “charming” exactly. Wilder also highlights the sunny side of Solomon while Walter makes it feel more solemn. I might even prefer Wilder over Edmund for that reason: I can see a rakish side to Edmund (one association I have is with Rowan Atkinson’s sarcastic and clever character Lord Edmund Blackadder), but mostly it comes across as very formal. Wilder also fits better with some of the more light-hearted choices on your girls’ list.

It also bugs me a little that the ending of Edmund is so close to but not quite the same as Solomon. Ultimately I don't think this would rule it out for me, but it makes the pairing somewhat less ideal.

I don’t think I’d use Locke without a strong inclination towards the philosopher, myself, and Lachlan feels very Scottish/Australian to me.

I hope this rambling is somewhat helpful!

- kalmia (not logged in)