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I've never liked Al and I can't understand why. I almost regard it as a personal failing, because I love so many names that start with Al or have the Al sound prominent in them.

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My favorite is Albert, which has been suggested many times. I don't know if anyone has suggested the similar Alban, which I adore. There's also Alden, and Alphaeus, which is fun.

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Gus and Al - hee. I like Gus, but when I recommended to my friend Hugo the name Gustav with nn Gus, he went "Ewwww that is like a plumber's name! With his butt crack hanging out!" (this coming from a Hugo. I know, right?) I rolled my eyes when he said that, as if his perspective wouldn't be recolored by meeting a wonderful Gus, and as if there was anything wrong with plumbers - but when paired with Al, it really does sound like a pair of plumbers, or southern used car dealers.

It's my grandpa's name, so I love it. :)

I like Al. It's short, neat, and comfortably familiar without feeling overdone. I have yet to meet an Allen / Alan that didn't go by Al, even when they were pre-teens.

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It's funny, the more I think about this one the more I like it. :-) I hope it doesn't somehow discourage you from liking it to know that it might make my own list sometime soon!

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Names that I like that I could see it being a nickname for:

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Alan / Allen
Albert / Alberto / Albrecht
Alec
Aleksanteri (I like this but am very cool on other forms of Alexander)
Alfons / Alfonso / Alfonz / Alphonse (I'm starting to love these myself)
Almos
Alon
Alvah / Alva
Aldo

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A bit of a digression, but my boyfriend is Kenneth Allen Junior and expressed an interest his name being passed on to a theoretical son. I dislike his name in its entirety but if I did use it, I thought I would probably end up calling the newest version Al. Two Kens or a Ken and Kenny would be too much for me. :-P

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This message was edited 6/14/2009, 12:43 PM

My favourite Al name is Albert. Out of your choices I prefer Alistair.
Augustus and Albert or
Augustus and Alistair would go well together.
Not too keen on Gus and Al though, but they do fit together.

Alan
Alec
Aloycious (sp?)
Albert
Alvin
Malcolm
Alger/Algar

I actually think Al is kind of cool. Of your options I only really like Alistair though Al is better than Alex for the other two.

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My friend's Dad goes by Al, but his real name is Alain, so maybe that.

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Other options

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Alfred
Algernon
Altair

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I don't really see where Al comes from out of Augustus, and I prefer just nn Gus.

Oh, Al. ♥ It's one of my favourite nicknames. My favourite boys' names used to be Alan for years, then it became Alaric, so Al was always there. I really love it. I like it both for Alistair and Alexander. Alexandrius sounds weird.

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I think it can be short for a LOT of names. I mean, just take a look at that list:
http://www.behindthename.com/php/search.php?terms=al%2A&nmd=n&gender=m&operator=or.
Every name is fine with me as long as you can get Al out of it. ;D

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Gus and Al work well together, I guess, even though I really hate Gus.

I like Al as a nickname for Alistair.