Wolfgang

Wolfgang yokes two old Germanic words—wolf and "path" or "going"—into something that sounds like weather moving through a forest. Mozart's middle name made it immortal; Goethe, von Pauli, and Puck the dog in Animal House have each given it a very different shade. Two syllables, the first predatory, the second an open stride, and the whole thing arriving with unapologetic drama. In Germany it reads as classic mid-century; abroad, it carries the unmistakable air of a name you don't forget. Wolfgang is not a compromise. For parents drawn to music, myth, and long consonants, it's a standing ovation.