We have one son named Rhys and are expecting our second son in a month. My husband and I like this name but no one else seems to. Thoughts or suggestions??
I adore the name Vaughn, so count me as a fan! There are also a couple of other Vaughn fans on this board.
Have people mentioned why they don't like the name? Is it because it's unfamiliar or they have a specific problem with it? Honestly, don't worry too much about what others think. Unless they have a reason that is specific to you, like it sounds horrid with your surname, or the initials spell a rude word etc.
In most cases people are much more polite once a baby is actually born and named.
Quite dashing as a pair-sort of prep school meets secret agent! :)
Vaughn isn't a personal favorite of mine, probably because I knew an unpleasant girl whose surname was very close, but I think it's solidly masculine, neither too popular nor too odd, and very much in keeping with names in style at the moment.
I like it a lot but I slightly prefer the similar sounding Van. I might venture a guess that Vaughn sounds a little too preppy to some people's ears? Rhys and Vaughn go great together.
One of the things that people are saying about Vaughn is that it sounds like a German last name with our last name Austin (von Austin).Thanks for your input!
The German 'von' is actually pronounced with an 'f'-sound and a short 'o', rhyming with 'Don' (though that probably depends on your accent). So I don't think Vaughn sounds like 'von', but I have the idea that it tends to mush into your surname. I think it's because of the repeated 'au'-sound in both names.
Vaughn is fine for me, but not one of my favorites, basically due to this accent issue. In my accent, Vaughn and Von are essentially the same (assuming I'm not using a German accent to say Von, which I think most Americans would not do in normal speech), and also rhyme with Don, Ron, etc. So, Vaughn sounds short/clipped and rather incomplete or nicknamey to me, probably because of the similarities to Don and Ron, even though I know it's not a nn. Visually, I do like the name, and I think it's a good match for Rhys. But aurally, I think it has some issues with your last name--not just the Von Austin thing (which I agree with and which would probably be a deal breaker for me), but also that quick repetition of the "Au" sound with only one letter to break it up, which sounds just a tad matchy for me. To take it out of the context of your names, think of something like Ron Offen, Dean Easton, Jane Aiken, Clyde Isley, or Fern Early--repetition like this is largely a matter of taste, and it can make a name more memorable, so if you find you like those sorts of names, maybe Vaughn is still a good choice despite the "Von" issue.
As noted by a Guest, von sounds nothing like Vaughn -- the only sound they share is the final 'n'. So Vaughn Austin only "sounds like a German last name" if you don't actually know any German. All this leaves aside the fact that as far as I know, Austin is a characteristically English contraction of Augustine...
But that brings up another possible issue: surname versus given name confusion. I know two little boys named Austin, and nobody (of any age) named Vaughn, so faced with the string "Vaughn Austin" I'd be sorely tempted to assume a missing comma. Am I an outlier in this?
I disagree with your von/Vaughn comment. As I mentioned above, I would pronounce Von the same as Vaughn if I encountered it in an English context, despite the fact that I speak passable (but now very rusty) German, and have a much better than passable accent while doing so. It is no different to me than referring to Vincent Van Gogh as "van go"--the standard American pronunciation of the name--despite the fact that I know it is actually more like "fun khokh". I think I would sound pretentious/unnatural if I were to use the Dutch pronunciation in the midst of English speech. As for Austin, you may be right on its origin, but it still *sounds* German, since von Osten is a perfectly legit German surname.
I generally agree with you on the Austin as FN, though--I am familiar with both Austin and Vaughn as both first names and surnames, so one doesn't seem significantly more "surnamey" to me than the other, but I do think there's some potential for confusion there. There's plenty of precedent for this, though, so it may not be an issue for the OP--I knew a boy growing up with a name similar to Carson Austin who had no problems as far as I saw, and Anderson Cooper seems to get by ok.
Vaughn and Von sound nothing alike to me, and I know no one named Austin so the first name confusion is not an issue in my mind. The repeated au sounds don't bother me because the names themselves don't rhyme.
To start, I grew up Californian. My wife is from Germany. I know people named Vaughn (and Austin).
When spoken in German, I pronounce von as [fon] with a clipped "long o." General German pronunciation would say it's [fɔn], but I have no /ɔ/ at all (but I live in NJ now, and about everyone else has /ɔ/--it's the "Dawn" vowel).
I'm Don/Dawn merged (and Californian), so the "short o" sound is /ä/ in all but a few cases. Both Vaughn and my Anglicized von use this same sound: [vän], perhaps [väːn]. Of course, since we're talking English, [vän] and [väːn] would not be considered different words to my ear.
Could I mistake Vaughn Austin as Austin Vaughn? Potentially, but I would assume Vaughn Austin is more likely to be correct.
Vaughn is a great name to go with Rhys. I think they go extremely well together. I think this is the sort of thing where your naysayers will change their mind once they meet a Vaughn in person.
It is probably an accent issue but for me Vaughn and Von are very different. Vaughn doesn't come at all close to Austin in sound so to me they sound fine together. Given I have an Australian accent, which is probably quite different to the OP's this is probably not relevent. The vowel sound in Vaughn is v-OR-n for me and Austin is OH-stin. Other than the 'n' ending they don't overlap in sound at all.
I can see how people might think Vaughn Austin sounds like a German surname, but I also speak some German and I agree with Linnaeus that it isn't actually that similar. If it's a potential issue for others though then it might be something to be midful of.
Regarding the reversing of names issue. I actually know more Vaughns than Austins so I wouldn't see it as reversed, but again, my local demographic is potentially very different to the OPs.
Why you want to choose a typical name for your son. You should choose an easy but a unique and meaningful name for him that will make a different identity of him. You can use "Camille", which is used for girl names, but at many places it is also used for a boy.
Wow! Thanks everyone for your input. Very valid points made. I really appreciate it. I think we'll go with Vaughn in the end. My husband LOVES the name and I always tend to win the battles like this so I think i'm just going to stop obsessing over it and just let it go! Thanks again!
Congratulations! It seems like Vaughn and Rhys are perpetually suggested together here as names of a similar style, so it's fun to see someone planning to put them together.
I can see your friends' points about Vaughn Aust!n/von Osten; in my accent, they're similar in English, and how much shared sound between first and last names (you've got the -n ending as well as the au vowel) is pleasant vs. too much is such a matter of taste. I wouldn't let this concern stop me from using the name, though I might keep looking for a few other options for a short list anyway, just in case you decide when you meet the baby that he "just isn't a Vaughn" for some other reason.
In that spirit, a few other names that seem to me to fit with these two are: Alasdair/Alistair, August, Edmund, Evan, Everett, Giles, Graham/Graeme, Julian, Leo, Nevin, Oliver, Silas, Theo ...
As always, people are probably reacting oddly because the name is somewhat unfamiliar to them, but once they encounter it attached to your adorable baby boy, they will surely form a positive impression. Out of curiosity, did you get wrinkled noses for Rhys's name too or did you not discuss it beforehand? Both names seem equally nice, equally unfamiliar-to-many, and equally usable. It sounds like you both love Vaughn, and that's what really matters, so go for it!
I'll be yet another person who likes Vaughn. A couple of reasons why it makes me happy:
1) It reminds me of one of my favourite composers, Ralph Vaughan Williams
2) Rhys and Vaughn feel very right together as I understand they're both Welsh or derived from Welsh (Vaughn < Fychan/Bychan "little"). Kalmia's suggestion of Evan fits nicely here too.
If you live in or near Texas, you might want to know that there's a musician named Stevie Ray Vaughn who is like the patron saint of Austin. He died, I think of a drug overdose, I think in the early 90's. There's a big statue of him downtown by the lake-he's like their Jimmy Hendrix. Just f.y.i. Probably won't matter to you or your son, but I kept thinking there was something ringing a bell about the names Vaughn and Austin together.
Maybe its being from Cleveland, but you might want watch the baseball movie Major League first.
One of Charlie Sheen's firsrt roles was Ricky Vaughn "Wild Thing" as the previously incarerated pitcher in that movie. So given the stuff he's been up to recently I don't know if that gives you pause.
I just remeber the scene where the manager says "Get me Vaughn," and he come into "Wild Thing." He's basically called Vaugn for the entire movie and thats my main association with the name.
Replies
I adore the name Vaughn, so count me as a fan! There are also a couple of other Vaughn fans on this board.
Have people mentioned why they don't like the name? Is it because it's unfamiliar or they have a specific problem with it? Honestly, don't worry too much about what others think. Unless they have a reason that is specific to you, like it sounds horrid with your surname, or the initials spell a rude word etc.
In most cases people are much more polite once a baby is actually born and named.
I also think Vaughn sounds lovely with Rhys!
I think Vaughn is very nice with Rhys, indeed.
Quite dashing as a pair-sort of prep school meets secret agent! :)
Vaughn isn't a personal favorite of mine, probably because I knew an unpleasant girl whose surname was very close, but I think it's solidly masculine, neither too popular nor too odd, and very much in keeping with names in style at the moment.
I like it a lot but I slightly prefer the similar sounding Van. I might venture a guess that Vaughn sounds a little too preppy to some people's ears? Rhys and Vaughn go great together.
My son is named Vaughn (like fawn not von) and my husband calls him van for short
One of the things that people are saying about Vaughn is that it sounds like a German last name with our last name Austin (von Austin).Thanks for your input!
Oooh, I do see that, but not overly much.
If your ln was much more Germanic sounding, then I'd agree.
The German 'von' is actually pronounced with an 'f'-sound and a short 'o', rhyming with 'Don' (though that probably depends on your accent). So I don't think Vaughn sounds like 'von', but I have the idea that it tends to mush into your surname. I think it's because of the repeated 'au'-sound in both names.
Vaughn is fine for me, but not one of my favorites, basically due to this accent issue. In my accent, Vaughn and Von are essentially the same (assuming I'm not using a German accent to say Von, which I think most Americans would not do in normal speech), and also rhyme with Don, Ron, etc. So, Vaughn sounds short/clipped and rather incomplete or nicknamey to me, probably because of the similarities to Don and Ron, even though I know it's not a nn. Visually, I do like the name, and I think it's a good match for Rhys. But aurally, I think it has some issues with your last name--not just the Von Austin thing (which I agree with and which would probably be a deal breaker for me), but also that quick repetition of the "Au" sound with only one letter to break it up, which sounds just a tad matchy for me. To take it out of the context of your names, think of something like Ron Offen, Dean Easton, Jane Aiken, Clyde Isley, or Fern Early--repetition like this is largely a matter of taste, and it can make a name more memorable, so if you find you like those sorts of names, maybe Vaughn is still a good choice despite the "Von" issue.
As noted by a Guest, von sounds nothing like Vaughn -- the only sound they share is the final 'n'. So Vaughn Austin only "sounds like a German last name" if you don't actually know any German. All this leaves aside the fact that as far as I know, Austin is a characteristically English contraction of Augustine...
But that brings up another possible issue: surname versus given name confusion. I know two little boys named Austin, and nobody (of any age) named Vaughn, so faced with the string "Vaughn Austin" I'd be sorely tempted to assume a missing comma. Am I an outlier in this?
Nope.
I definitely know several young boys (and even a girl) named Austin.
Only one is a baby, so maybe this one has peaked, but yes, I think there is potential for people to think his name is Austin Vaughn.
I also had no idea Von sounded differently than Vaughn.
I disagree with your von/Vaughn comment. As I mentioned above, I would pronounce Von the same as Vaughn if I encountered it in an English context, despite the fact that I speak passable (but now very rusty) German, and have a much better than passable accent while doing so. It is no different to me than referring to Vincent Van Gogh as "van go"--the standard American pronunciation of the name--despite the fact that I know it is actually more like "fun khokh". I think I would sound pretentious/unnatural if I were to use the Dutch pronunciation in the midst of English speech. As for Austin, you may be right on its origin, but it still *sounds* German, since von Osten is a perfectly legit German surname.
I generally agree with you on the Austin as FN, though--I am familiar with both Austin and Vaughn as both first names and surnames, so one doesn't seem significantly more "surnamey" to me than the other, but I do think there's some potential for confusion there. There's plenty of precedent for this, though, so it may not be an issue for the OP--I knew a boy growing up with a name similar to Carson Austin who had no problems as far as I saw, and Anderson Cooper seems to get by ok.
Vaughn and Von sound nothing alike to me, and I know no one named Austin so the first name confusion is not an issue in my mind. The repeated au sounds don't bother me because the names themselves don't rhyme.
So to me Vaughn Austin is a fine name.
Vaughn vs. von:
To start, I grew up Californian. My wife is from Germany. I know people named Vaughn (and Austin).
When spoken in German, I pronounce von as [fon] with a clipped "long o." General German pronunciation would say it's [fɔn], but I have no /ɔ/ at all (but I live in NJ now, and about everyone else has /ɔ/--it's the "Dawn" vowel).
I'm Don/Dawn merged (and Californian), so the "short o" sound is /ä/ in all but a few cases. Both Vaughn and my Anglicized von use this same sound: [vän], perhaps [väːn]. Of course, since we're talking English, [vän] and [väːn] would not be considered different words to my ear.
Could I mistake Vaughn Austin as Austin Vaughn? Potentially, but I would assume Vaughn Austin is more likely to be correct.
Vaughn is a great name to go with Rhys. I think they go extremely well together. I think this is the sort of thing where your naysayers will change their mind once they meet a Vaughn in person.
This has turned into an interesting discussion!
It is probably an accent issue but for me Vaughn and Von are very different. Vaughn doesn't come at all close to Austin in sound so to me they sound fine together. Given I have an Australian accent, which is probably quite different to the OP's this is probably not relevent. The vowel sound in Vaughn is v-OR-n for me and Austin is OH-stin. Other than the 'n' ending they don't overlap in sound at all.
I can see how people might think Vaughn Austin sounds like a German surname, but I also speak some German and I agree with Linnaeus that it isn't actually that similar. If it's a potential issue for others though then it might be something to be midful of.
Regarding the reversing of names issue. I actually know more Vaughns than Austins so I wouldn't see it as reversed, but again, my local demographic is potentially very different to the OPs.
love Vaughn on its own and with Rhys- great sibset!
Why you want to choose a typical name for your son. You should choose an easy but a unique and meaningful name for him that will make a different identity of him. You can use "Camille", which is used for girl names, but at many places it is also used for a boy.
Wow! Thanks everyone for your input. Very valid points made. I really appreciate it. I think we'll go with Vaughn in the end. My husband LOVES the name and I always tend to win the battles like this so I think i'm just going to stop obsessing over it and just let it go! Thanks again!
Congratulations! It seems like Vaughn and Rhys are perpetually suggested together here as names of a similar style, so it's fun to see someone planning to put them together.
I can see your friends' points about Vaughn Aust!n/von Osten; in my accent, they're similar in English, and how much shared sound between first and last names (you've got the -n ending as well as the au vowel) is pleasant vs. too much is such a matter of taste. I wouldn't let this concern stop me from using the name, though I might keep looking for a few other options for a short list anyway, just in case you decide when you meet the baby that he "just isn't a Vaughn" for some other reason.
In that spirit, a few other names that seem to me to fit with these two are: Alasdair/Alistair, August, Edmund, Evan, Everett, Giles, Graham/Graeme, Julian, Leo, Nevin, Oliver, Silas, Theo ...
As always, people are probably reacting oddly because the name is somewhat unfamiliar to them, but once they encounter it attached to your adorable baby boy, they will surely form a positive impression. Out of curiosity, did you get wrinkled noses for Rhys's name too or did you not discuss it beforehand? Both names seem equally nice, equally unfamiliar-to-many, and equally usable. It sounds like you both love Vaughn, and that's what really matters, so go for it!
I'll be yet another person who likes Vaughn. A couple of reasons why it makes me happy:
1) It reminds me of one of my favourite composers, Ralph Vaughan Williams
2) Rhys and Vaughn feel very right together as I understand they're both Welsh or derived from Welsh (Vaughn < Fychan/Bychan "little"). Kalmia's suggestion of Evan fits nicely here too.
Huzzah!
I like it a lot. It's a stand-up name and sounds great with Rhys!
If you live in or near Texas, you might want to know that there's a musician named Stevie Ray Vaughn who is like the patron saint of Austin. He died, I think of a drug overdose, I think in the early 90's. There's a big statue of him downtown by the lake-he's like their Jimmy Hendrix. Just f.y.i. Probably won't matter to you or your son, but I kept thinking there was something ringing a bell about the names Vaughn and Austin together.
I think Vaughn goes really well with Rhys - both one syllable softer sounding names. Go for it!
Maybe its being from Cleveland, but you might want watch the baseball movie Major League first.
One of Charlie Sheen's firsrt roles was Ricky Vaughn "Wild Thing" as the previously incarerated pitcher in that movie. So given the stuff he's been up to recently I don't know if that gives you pause.
I just remeber the scene where the manager says "Get me Vaughn," and he come into "Wild Thing." He's basically called Vaugn for the entire movie and thats my main association with the name.
I wouldn't worry about a movie from the 80s, even one with Charlie Sheen.