It’s about time for another post on the boys, don’t you think? Let’s talk about two of my understated favorites today: Niles and Miles.
I think these two names have a very similar feel to them: Quiet, understated, but very debonair. Miles has cool cred due to Davis, while Niles is slightly stuffier and buttoned up. I prefer Niles, though. I think it’s less common but just as smooth, and it reminds me of David Hyde Pierce, who is a major hottie in my book. Why is it that all the men I love are uninterested in the ladies? And don’t tell me that’s not what he looks like now! I don’t care! Let me live in 90s sitcom land, please.
Rawr!
Anyway, to make a completely embarrassing confession, that’s probably a good bit of the reason why I prefer Niles to Miles. I think I just prefer the N to the M anyway; it’s crisper, not as mushy. It also has the lovely imagery of the Nile River behind it. I mean, rivers are pretty!
The only problem I have with Niles is the questionable “legitimacy” of it as a first name. It comes from a surname that was probably derived from Neil. When you look at it that way, though, it was originally derived from a forename, which I think makes it alright. In addition, Miles has recently rocketed in popularity (well, maybe not rocketed, but it moved up quickly enough for me to worry), so Niles may not be far behind, in the vein of Madison/Addison or Mia/Maya. It hasn’t charted in the top 1000 since the 50s, though, so there’s hope. I’ve got a few years before I start having kids anyway, so I have time to see if it becomes more popular. However, in these days of Hunter, Cutter, and Gun, I doubt that the softness of the name will do it any favors.
On the all important boyfriend front, he likes it, and prefers it to Miles…because of Frasier. As you can see, nerds of a feather flock together. Since he’s nixed Daphne (Niles’ love on Frasier, and therefore unusable with the name in a sibling set), it opens the name up to possibility. He says he could see using it, as long as the embarrassing reason was kept quiet. Yay!
I think Niles needs a middle (or two!) in keeping with its classic sophistication. Some softer names can handle a rough and tumble middle, but I don’t think Niles is one of them. Niles Bruno, for example, just strikes me as weird. Niles Theodore or even Niles Christopher is much more my style. (Yes, I do see Christopher as a classic; it’s really a great name.)
What do you think of Niles and/or Miles? Which do you prefer? If you don’t like either, why?
Monday, March 2nd, 2009 at 7:28 pm
I like both Miles & Niles but slightly prefer Miles (it’s a Pilgrim name). In fact, I’m fairly certain I’ve mentioned this but if Josephine had been born with boy parts, she would have been Miles Xavier ____ (second middle TBD). I don’t mind pop culture asocations, they fade so fast, what’s the point? (Says she with Cosmo stillon her list!)
Niles is a fine name too, I just prefer Neil/Nils/Cornelius, nn Neil. I see what you mean about the N being a bit crisper than the M. I suppose I’m just used to the M, overall. I had a few thoughts on middles for Niles as I was reading, here they are, if you don’t mind:
Niles Frederick
Niles Benjamin
Niles Theodore
Niles Quentin
Niles Philip
Niles Augustine
Niles Gabriel
Niles Raphael
Yeah, I thought classic middle is better too, And I liked your thought about Niles Christopher, even if Christopher is one of my least favorite classics, ever (I’ve known several Chistophers and they’re all sort of weird). But it’s pretty cool with Niles. Funny you had Niles Bruno up there as an example of what doesn’t work with Niles. I have Bruno on my list as a first name (as you know), paired with some solid classics as middles, to anchor him. I think Niles needs the same sort of treatment, even if he’s not as wild as Bruno; I think they’d make pretty neat brothers, though. For the record, Frederick, Gabriel & Quentin are my favorites of those I suggested!
Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009 at 4:27 pm
I was thinking Frederick too, but that’s the name of Frasier’s son on the show. Now that’s a tad overboard, even for me.
I like Nils but hate Neil. I find it very…crass I think is the word.
Christopher is my little brother, actually, so I like working it into combos sometimes.
If I wanted to honor my Pilgrim heritage, Edward would probably be my pick. (Edward Cameron Doty is actually an ancestor of mine). It does double duty, too, since it’s my little brother’s middle!
Monday, March 2nd, 2009 at 11:24 pm
Yep, I like ‘em!
Miles is in my top ten (though he has fallen from #2 to #10). He’s started to sound a bit whiny to me, which makes me sad, because I really do like him. I’d pick Miles over Niles just because it feels a bit more historical (thanks to Miles Standish). I can see why you like Niles, though. I, too, am a Frasier fan.
While we’re on rhyming names, how do you feel about Giles? Will he forever be an old gouty Englishman, or could Miles’s popularity bring him back?
Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Giles is cool. I prefer Niles but I would love to see Giles make a comeback. I think it’s got possibility!
Yay! Another Frasier fan! I don’t know many, although that might just be my age group.
Thursday, March 5th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
As far as weird associations – I do think of Niles from Frasier as soon as I hear it, which for me is a bit of a turn off. I liked the character, but it was mostly out of amusement, not how I would envision my son growing up.
I would think, however, that as few people would catch the association now, fewer would as years pass, and noting that Daphne and Niles are weird as siblings would be a very rare case, I think. It’s probably better to be safe than sorry, but I don’t think it would cause problems for the kids.
As far as Miles, it makes me think of Miles Davis, and then it makes me think of unimpressive movie characters, though I can’t think of any one at the moment. In the end, I prefer Miles.
Friday, March 6th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
I can hope for the fading of association as the years go by. Most people my age don’t watch Frasier, so it’ll probably happen fairly quickly. I’m a dork, though, so Daphne and Niles would skeeve me out.