Baby Boy Kelly; The Name Rhymes With a Godchild's Name

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(Today I have several posts I ran out of time to answer at usual length in the week after they arrived, but I'd jotted down a single suggestion in the spreadsheet. I'm going to post several in a row today with my extremely brief response, so that others can work on them further if they want to.)

K. writes:

My husband and I are really struggling to name our baby boy, due January 3rd. This is our first baby. Our last name is Kelly.
For a little background, I think we mostly like strong, traditional names. We have decided on the middle name of Michael, since that is both of our fathers names. I know you say that you shouldn't pick a middle name before the first, but in this case, I think it goes with most first names and frankly, middle name flow isn't that important to me - I'd rather use an honor name.
We have one name that we both love - Owen. I think that we would have decided on this name weeks ago if it weren't for one problem. My best friend is due any day now with a baby boy they are naming Rowan. I am the godmother. We don't live in the same city now and.only see them 4-6 times per year, but I talk to her almost daily and I don't know if it's too weird to have baby names that rhyme. I tried to bring it up casually, but she didn't really say anything either way.
For the time being, we have decided that Owen is our first choice and we might go with that if we don't come up with something else. Our second choice is Patrick, a name I love and my husband's grandfather's name.
Other names on my list (my husband has vetoed most): Henry, Jack, Charlie, Sam, Max, Oliver, Elliot, Everett, Milo, Finn, Bennett, Will, Mason, John (the only one my husband doesn't hate).
My husbands list: Sean, Evan, Chase. I don't like any of those.
Names we like that are out for family reasons: Aidan, Liam, Andrew
I don't know if we should just go with the name we like or if we should keep looking. Owen has been the only name we can even come close to agreeing on so far. Maybe there's something we haven't thought of?

If Rowen were the name of a friend's child, I would say go ahead and use Owen. Since Rowan is your godchild, I'd avoid Owen---although I don't think it's any kind of disaster if you go ahead and use it. I suggest Nolan instead.

Or I do love the name John tremendously, and I love it with Michael. Since your husband likes the very similar name Sean, it seems like an excellent compromise name.

I do generally suggest not choosing the middle name first, but only to make the naming process easier. Of course if there is a very important honor name and the parents are willing to make compromises in their preferences in order to use it, the suggestion does not apply in that particular situation.

Baby Naming Issue: Is the Third Child's Name Too Different in Style?

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Nicole writes:

We are quickly approaching the due date of baby # 3 and would love your opinion on our potential girl's name...  My husband and really like Joelle Aimee.  It honours both my sisters in different ways, we love the meaning, and think it's pretty, elegant, and timeless. Here's where I'm stumbling: We already have two daughters: Peyton & Mackenzie.  I realize that both their names fall into the "unisex/british surname" category/style (generally speaking) and I'm worried that 'Joelle' deviates too much from this?  I know that these categories and rules (as you so recently reminded us all!) are only guidelines... but I also don't want to choose a name that stands out like a sore thumb!  If you have other suggestions as alternatives, we'd love to hear... We'd prefer a name that has a different ending sound than our girls' names, and would consider the following names as middle names: Nicole, Sara, Danielle, or Aimee (all are significant within our family).

Baby Boy Hollis-with-a-W, Brother to Corin Henry

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Sarah writes:

Hope you can provide some guidance here for a couple of picky parents. We have a toddler son named Corin Henry, last name sounds like Hollis-with-a-W.
We love his name and we like that most people can say and spell it with little prompting, but it's different from most other names at the local park. It also suits our backgrounds - Scottish Canadian and English/Scottish Australian. The middle name honours his grandfather and great-grandfather (by using their middle names).
Now that we felt we did rather well naming our first, we're stuck trying to find an equally wonderful name for a second boy.
We live in a large, culturally diverse urban centre, so the naming options out there are wild and almost nothing unusual is unheard of. We are not worried if the name seems slightly feminine, in fact I rather it than a macho boy name like Rock or Axel. We like names from the British/Scottish/Welsh extraction. They just suit our background. Other guiding principles, I prefer two-syllable names for boys and don't like a plethora of common nicknames.
Our first decision was Errol which I love, but I got turned off it when I found some strange people on the internet that would have our son's first and last name. ARGH GOOGLE.
All of our other choices are mostly E names:Emery/Emory  - wondering if it skews too female these days, I prefer the 'o' spelling but I think the college is pronounced Em-OR-yEmrys/Emry - I like Emrys but the double 's' sound of the first and last names seems a bit lispy to me. Also the pronunciation of Emry does sound awfully like our first son's middle name. We wonder if people will just think we're mispronouncing Henry, which is a common name in our neighbourhood.
other names I've liked:
AudenGideonRufus
My husband isn't on board with any of these especially, but does not mind Rufus. It has the same double-s sound with our last name.
I'm stuck for any other suggestions. 
Hope you can help!

The first name that came to mind was Omri: similar to Emory and Emry, but not currently used for girls. (In the United States, Emory/Emery/Emry are all used more often for girls than for boys.) Omri is the name of the little boy in the book The Indian in the Cupboard, one of my favorite books from childhood. It's almost unused (only 26 baby boys were given the name in the U.S. in 2011), but not too difficult to say or spell. I spent a little time online looking up the pronunciation: most sources say it's AWM-ree. One or two gave an alternate pronunciation of a long O sound and an emphasis on the second syllable: ohm-REE. My family said it AHM-ree: the O sound of Oliver.

The second name that came to mind was Arlo: similar to Errol, but perhaps without any shady associations.

The third name that came to mind was Ruben: similar to Rufus, but without the S-ending issue.

I wonder if you'd like Earl or Karl or Darrell or Merrill instead of Errol?

Or Claude or Alton or Alden or Odin instead of Auden?

A few more possibilities:

Abel
Aidric
Barnaby
Bertram
Cedric
Cyril
Edmund
Franklin
George
Leif
Lyle
Merrick
Merritt
Murray
Perry
Russell (maybe too much L and S with the surname)

Breeders' Cup Friday

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Some thoughts on Friday’s races—if you haven’t already, joinus on Twitter as the next two dayspromise to be lively in terms of real-time handicapping and last-minute changesof heart.
Race 5—Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint (post 4:10 p.m.)There’s little doubt that Secret Circle will go off a huge favorite here, but purely forsentimental reasons I love Trinniberg,being a huge fan of his hard-working sire Teuflesberg. He’s a Grade 1 runner-up witha lot of early speed, and look for him to reverse his narrow second-placefinish behind Vexor. With hisexperience over the track and early speed, Sumof the Parts is a likely place-getter as well; his G1-placed dam Enjoy theMoment didn’t fare so well in the 1999 Breeders’ Cup Sprint, but this son ofSpeightstown posted a sharp 5-furlong work in advance of this race. And howcould you dismiss Seeker from therail; this Hard Spun colt would only further validate the strong start his sirehas had at stud.Winner: Secret Circle
Race 6—Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly Turf (post 4:50 p.m.)A Group 1 winner in France, Elusive Kate is an obviously selection—her dam is 1/2 sister to BCClassic winner Pleasantly Perfect. However, fresh off his winning pick-up rideon Melbourne Cup winner Dunaden, jockey Christophe Lemaire is aboard Dear Lavinia, a Grand Slam fillypurchased by Bobby Flay just for this race (he won last year’s contest withMore Than Real). A direct damline descendent of the great broodmare Cosmah, Dear Lavinia probably wants fartherthan a mile, but could pop a surprise; her recent narrow second-place finishagainst French Fifteen was flattered when he captured the FR-G1 CriteriumInternational this past weekend. Also for a price, My Gi Gi is worth a hard-look; cutting back in distance andreturning to turf after a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Oak Leaf, she’sbeautifully bred for turf—her Sadler’s Wells dam Relish The Thought was Group1-placed over 12-furlongs in the English Oaks. This is also the family of Grade1 American Oaks victress Gozzip Girl and BC Juvenile winner Bucco. Stephanie’s Kitten is the choice ridefor John Velazquez, but I’m mildly concerned about her finding room to closelate. Another Kitten’s Joy filly, SweetCat may be more suitably placed for a strong finish with her early speed.Off her crushing defeat of males in the Cup & Saucer last out, Hard Not To Like (Hard Spun) isalso…hard not to like.Winner: Stephanie’sKitten
Race 7—Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly & Mare Sprint(post 5:30 p.m.)The much-hyped TurbulentDescent hasn’t raced since early August—either she’ll be brilliantly freshor lacking fitness in her first race against older mares. Another 3-year-old Ilike is Pomeroys Pistol—although herworst race of the year was here in the Grade 3 Eight Belles. Switch loves the 7-furlongs distanceand has run big all year. For a price, you can’t ignore Grade 2 PID Masterswinner Musical Romance who, in eightstarts since April hasn’t missed a placing. She’s a hard-trying, gutsyfilly—much like Shotgun Gulch whowas closely nicely in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff over this track in early May.The far outside 13 post won’t bother her, as Gomez is likely to drop her backearly, but she’ll need an extraordinary performance to close late against thelikes of Turbulent Descent and Switch.Winner: MusicalRomance
Race 8—Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Filly (post 6:10 p.m.)Undefeated My MissAurelia hasn’t stumbled yet, but neither has dual Grade 1 winner Weemissfrankie nor Grade 1 Spinawayvictress Grace Hall. A directdamline descendent of Preakness winner Nellie Morse, Grace Hall’s third damLife At The Top was a multiple Grade 1 route winner, and there’s tons ofquality in this family—loved her last race! Northern Passion attempts dirt for the first time; her dam is afull-sister to Canadian juvenile champion filly Ginger Gold. Aidan O’Brienships in the much-raced Homecoming Queen,a three-quarter sister to Dylan Thomas—a placing here would be surprising. Justas surprising would be Questing(Hard Spun), a direct damline descendent of the great Vagrancy. Winner: My MissAurelia
Race 9—Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (post 6:50p.m.)I just can’t get past Stacelitawho, frankly, I’d prefer to have seen in Saturday’s Turf race. However, it’sthe Euros Nahrain and Announce that will probably take allthe money; of the two, Announce hasmore upside, with strong form vs. Cirrus Des Aigles, as well as a Group 3 victoryover 13-furlongs—longer than this race. Among the American contestants, it’shard to fault the form of Dubawi Heights,but I question her stamina for this distance. For a longshot flyer, Distorted Legacy looks appealing—a half sister to Belmont Stakesrunner-up Vision and Verse, she’s been training well for this start.Winner: Perfect Shirl
Race 10—Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (post 7:30p.m.)I handicapped the Distaff for ThoroFan—you can find the completeanalysis here.For me, it comes down to Plum Prettyoutlasting Miss Match, withupset-minded Ultra Blend and/or Ask The Moon at play for the exotics.Off her crushing defeat by Havre de Grace, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see Royal Delta run big for Bill Mott either.Winner: Royal Delta
Good luck with all your wagers! [Updated with winners at 7:57 p.m.]