A new baby in a family is a time of excitement and joy. New roles for family members are added and established. With new roles come the expectation of new names, this is usually reserved for new grandparents.
But there is an increasing trend in the naming of uncles-to-be. If your brother or brother-in-law is a cool dude or a more traditional type, they may want or need a name that goes with their personality type.
Uncles can have a very special bond with their nieces/nephews. They may be the person that will provide your child advice with no judgment. They can listen to your child’s worries when they feel that they have no one else to turn to.
In this article
Traditional Uncle Names
If you want to keep your choice of name very traditional for the uncle-to-be, then you may be better going with the tried and tested names.
If you’re just not sure what else is out there, maybe don’t count other things out just yet.
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Most traditional names for uncles are simple variations of the word “Uncle.” You can’t really go wrong with them and they are probably not going to upset any family members.
Uncie
Unk
Unkie – (followed by their name)
Uncle X – (with the first letter of their name replacing the X)
Uncle Names From Other Countries
If you’re fortunate enough to have a family history or background from another country, this will give you more options too. You could embrace your heritage and pick a name from your country of origin or the country that you have connections with.
But even if you do not have any connections with far-flung places, you could still use one of these if they take your fancy.
Ojisan – (Japanese)
UIncail – (Irish)
Oncle – (French)
Ewythr – (Welsh)
Tito/Tio – (Spanish)
Cool Or Crazy Uncle Names
If your uncle-to-be is a little more cool and crazy than the traditional names above, then check out these below.
You can do what you like when choosing a name for the uncle-to-be. You’re just looking for a child-friendly version of their name, so get creative and use funny nicknames as a term of endearment.
Maybe a name you used to call your brother when you were younger can be a good idea.
You do need to be a little bit careful with the weird and wonderful names that you decide on as children have a knack of putting their own twist on a name and then it may not be so flattering!
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Here are a few examples where you just need to add the uncle-to-be name after the words.
Weird Uncle
Favorite Uncle
Funny Uncle
You could also use one of the uncle-to-be’s personality traits that sum him up, like these below
Uncle Grumpy
Uncle Snores
Uncle Sleepy
While these may be funny for older children and the adults, younger children may well have difficulties with pronunciation and they may add their own twist to it. This can lead to some very awkward name-calling.
Uncle Names In Alphabetical Order
Many children are simply left to decide what they want to call their uncle and it is often a variation on their first name.
A
Austin – A, Auss, Aussie
Andrew – Andy, Drew, AJ
Anthony – Ant, Anty, Tony
Alexander – Alex, Sander, Zan
B
Brandon – Bran, Don, Donny
C
Christopher – Chris, C, Topher
Charlie – Char, Lee, C
D
Daniel – Dan, Dan-O, Danster
David – Dee-Dee, Dave, Avey
E
Edward – Eddie, Ard, Ed
H
Henry – Ree-Ree, Hen
Harrison – Harry, H, Harold
J
Joseph – Jay-Jay, Joe, Seph
Jacob – JJ, Jack, Cob
Joshua – J-man, Joshy, Osh
John – Jacko, Johnny, Jimbo
James – Jim, Jimmy, Jay Jay
Justin – Ju Ju, Justy, Tin Tin
L
Lee – L, Lee-Lee
M
Michael – Mich, Mikey, Mike
Matthew – Matt, Matty, Mateo
N
Nicholas – Nick, Nico, Cole
P
Paul – Paw-Paw, P, Li-Li
Peter – Pete, Pet, P
R
Ryan – Rye, Rizzy, R
T
Tyler – Ty, Tay-Tay, T-rex
W
William – Will, Bill, Willy
Z
Zachary – Z, Zee-Zee, Harry
How To Choose That Uncle Name
When you decide on a name for your children to call their uncle you need to consider a few key points, as this is the name that they will more than likely call him for the rest of their life or at least for a large portion of it.
Here are a few things to take into consideration before making that final decision!
Consider Personality
Before you decide on a name for your brother or brother-in-law, you need to think about their personality and what kind of name will fit with it.
If the uncle-to-be is a very traditional, old school person then you may be best sticking to the more traditional names for uncle. While if they’re a cool person who is a little bit quirky and crazy then there is a wealth of options open to you.
Consider Age
This is a key factor when considering the name that your children are going to call their uncle. As family dynamics change and many women are deciding to have children later in life, the age of the uncle-to-be is going to be a key factor.
If the uncle-to-be is going to be more mature in age then traditional names may be better suited. While if the uncle-to-be is not going to be much older than their niece/nephew then a cute or cool name may be more in keeping.
Keep It Simple
Remember that this name has to be something that your child is going to be able to say even when they are quite young, so don’t choose anything too complicated.
If you do go for a more difficult name to pronounce, there is more of a chance that your child will make up their own version of the name. What was once a cute or cool name can quickly become an awkward or embarrassing version of it.
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Check With Family
If you want to keep everyone happy and lower the stress levels of having a new baby, the best advice would be to keep the family on your side.
When it comes to choosing a name for the uncle-to-be, make sure to get the family involved. Let them give their suggestions and maybe have some fun with it.
You could maybe make a little event out of it, like having a nice meal, a few drinks, and a naming party for the uncle-to-be. If the family has been included in the process the name is more likely to stick and it is a nice way to let everyone get involved.
It will also give you the chance to put in place the kind of role you expect the uncle-to-be to take in his new niece/nephew’s life.
Choosing An Uncle Name
Uncles play such an important role in their niece/nephew’s life, even from an early age. They have a very special bond that is second to none.
Uncles are the ones who buy the kids the toys that mom and dad have said no to. They can show up at your house, drive the kids mad just before bedtime, and then leave. Uncles are the ones that kids love because they play with them as kids do.
So for someone who has such a special bond with your children, it is important to get what they are going to call him right – after all this is a name that will stick for a long time!
