Very interesting take - thanks for the perspective. For what it's worth, I like names like
Brian and
Kevin (can't use either). Add in
Lee,
Wayne, and Banner and yes, I think you definitely nix the marshmallowy factor.
Graham is my husband's middle name. His parents aren't American born so he pronounces it Gray-um, as I believe does the rest of the English speaking world outside of the USA. I grew up saying Gray-um but I think most here say GRAM. It is surnamey and I'm not sure how I feel about that. Funny enough,
Bruce is a more famous surname but I don't get the same feel from it.
You've definitely given me something to think about.