SOLVED. Coming of age book about a child called boy who had to pick his own name. [s]

[Julia]

My 6th grade teacher read our class this book in 2006 but it was one that he read as child so it was probably written in the 70s; takes place in an old time/westerny/life on the farm setting. The story revolves around a boy who wasn’t given a name and instead is called boy (his Father hated the name he was given so he wanted his kids to choose their own names). Boy is the second child he has an older brother who was called son until he chose his own name which I think was John but I’m not positive. Boy is jealous of the brother not only because he was able to pick a name but also because “John” was closer with their father and was typically better and manly stuff (ie hunting, fishing, and farm work). Most of the book revolves around Boy struggling to pick a name and hating the fact that he still is called Boy. At some point he gets an animal (I’m pretty sure it was a horse) and it’s his favorite thing. He take really good care of it until [SECOND SPOILER WARNING] the animal gets badly injured and Boy has to kill it to put it out of its misery. The book then ends with Boy going back home and saying he picked a name but it doesn’t tell us the name.

I have been trying to remember the name of the book so I can figure what name boy picked for way too many years at this point. Any help would be greatly appreciated, sorry the plot is so vague. Thanks!!

[MaWhit]

Chapter book or picture book?

[Rainbowheart]

Muddy Banks has an MC called Boy who chooses his own name, but I don't think the rest fits.

[Julia]

It was a chapter book.

[Julia]

Boy wasn’t a slave. He just wasn’t as good at things as his brother.

[Mai]

I remember helping someone with (I think) the same search. Here's the link to that post:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

The book I found was The Least One by Borden Deal.

[Julia]

Yup that’s it. Thank you so much!!