MN- James or Johannes

JMack1117 · August 2011

Our boy name is Christian, but we're having trouble deciding on a middle name. We want a "J" name, 2 syllables, that doesn't end with an "n". So far we've come up with James and Johannes.

James is a nice name, not "out there" at all, and I'd be fine with it, but I don't love it.

Johannes was my grandfather's middle name, so it has meaning, but my dad had a difficult relationship with him. Even though I loved my grandpa, the whole family wasn't super close because my dad and his dad didn't see eye-to-eye. I love the name, but I'm worried my dad will feel strange about it, and he's not exactly the kind of guy you can talk about your concerns with! FWIW, my dad and I aren't super close, but I don't want to really offend him.

My daughter's name is Annika, so we obviously love Scandanavian names. Even outside the family connection, I think Johannes is a cool name, so there's that!

So....Christian James or Christian Johannes?

sugarpumpkin716 · August 2011

hmm. tough one. i think james sounds so much better but i always like family connections. but i think if there's any negativity surrounding it you should stick with james. christian james is so handsome.

Moneypenny424 · August 2011

I've always really liked Johannes, but this is tough. Your dad may not take this well and I personally would be concerned about further effects it could have on your relationship. Of course, "not seeing eye-to-eye" can mean different things--has your dad mentioned how he feels about your grandfather since he's passed? Sometimes time can soften these things, in which case Johannes might be okay.

To avoid conflict, I'd probably use James.

lilygirl · August 2011

sugarpumpkin716:
hmm. tough one. i think james sounds so much better but i always like family connections. but i think if there's any negativity surrounding it you should stick with james. christian james is so handsome.

Completely agree. Go with James.

526SadieSadie · August 2011

Of the two, James - to avoid hurting Dad's feelings. It's very diplomatic of you to be concerned about his feelings, even though you loved your Grandpa.

What if you used an English variation of the name? Christian John or Christian Jonathan?