The Baby Name Wizard

ark,
I feel your pain on Hadley--I like a lot of the -ly/-ley names, since they generally mean "field of" something or "field near" something, etc., but I couldn't find a single one I could live with because of the popularity/trendiness problem you mention--it's not just in SoCal. I think your Honor story shows the good intent behind the name, and wouldn't be too much for a kid. Plus, I just like the ring of Honor--it reminds me of the saying "honor bright", which I think is so charming.

Not thinking of flesh-and-blood babies for another decade, but nonetheless --

Girls: Isadora, Oona, Jane
Boys: Tobin, Hirsh, Otto

Contingencies include, but are not limited to: giving these hypothetical children my surname, which I plan to do, as it and one of the above names together make for a famous person; adhering to Ashkenazi naming tradition, i.e., honoring those who have died (as ark describes above), which I don't want to think about right now; avoiding as best I can whatever oppressive trends 2018+ might yield. Hirsh would be called "Hart" and Isadora might go by "Ida." We'll see.

Remarkable the number of Fredericks, by the way! Another name I'd consider if he were not getting my last name -- the two absolutely clash -- so as to grant me a little "Fritz."

ark,
I'm in North Carolina, far from LA naming trends, and Hadley is a hit here. There was one in my son's preschool last year and I've heard it several times on the playground as well. There's also a Hartleigh in my neighborhood.

I think Honor is a nice way to honor (sorry--I couldn't think of another word!) your friend. Hallie, Harriet, Helen, Helena, and Hollis have a similar feel to me and could work as well.

Tk - loved the way you asked your friends for their fantasy triplets. I asked my 11 year old daughter today - she thought I was mad (and didn't like any boys names at all)
Did the ones who said Lily Marlene want it because of the song?

To Ark--

A more in-depth look at Ashkenazic naming customs may help you. The name that matters is the Hebrew (or in the case of girls possibly Yiddish) name. If you want to name a daughter after your friend Heather you must ascertain what her Hebrew/Yiddish name was and give that to your daughter at her naming ceremony. It is then customary to give the child a vernacular (in this case English) name as well which will be used for everyday and legal purposes (school, driver's license, voting, etc., etc.). Actually this name could be anything, but usually it resembles the Hebrew/Yiddish name either in sound or meaning.

For example, let us assume that Heather's real name is Chaya. So the English translation of Chaya is Eve/Eva. That's one possibility. Chaya means life, so other names meaning life like Zoe (Greek) and Vivian (Latin) are also possible. My grandmother's name was Chaya, so when she came to America she picked Ida as a "sounds similar." Or you could go with Heather and use Erica which refers to the heather plant. Or you could go the "sound alike" route
and pick something that starts with H, as you have been considering.

As long as you give the baby Heather's Hebrew/Yiddish name, you can really choose any other name that you like and that in some way will recall your friend to mind and honor her memory--even Honor :-).

Question: Why is the name Honor spelt without a "U" even in those countries that still use the traditional/(French-derivative) spellings of the lower-case noun (i.e. honour)?
SOme may also consider Honora, as well (though I have heard this both with and without the H pronounced).

I have given birth to/adopted dozens of triplets in my day...spiritually, that is. All have different "tastes-sets" of names. I recall this is one of Valerie's games as well. If I ever were faced with naming an actual set, I would either be in hog heaven or dizzy with indecision/anxiety. Likely the latter.

One of my most active sets of tastes runs toward Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental (African/Middle Eastern) Orthodox naming traditions. This week, I would name my trips:

Girls: Immaculata, Hildegard, and Dymphna
Boys: Innocent, Athanasius, Augustine

As you can see, I go in for themes. It's matching first letters/alliteration that I don't care for.

My only problem with transparently virtue-derivative names like the ones above (including Honor) is the obvious one: they are uncomfortably historically-weighted and often gendered, as well. e.g. a male Innocent might be laughed at (it is not an ideal for men but a negative), whereas a female Innocenta, etc. would bear the burden of past societies (and in many cases, our current one) expects innocence of women. Neither kid really deserves such a burden. We should also problematize the idea that innocence per se is a "virtue."

BTW, I hold the same concern for names that are clearly virtues in other languages, even if the culture or religion highly values or even dictates such names e.g. Hassan (Beauty root). I personally wouldn't want *my* kid to have this name, no matter how treasured a name in the society he lives in. Hazel, Ginger, et. al. are different to me in that they are not intrinsically positive--so if there is a redhead, blue-eyed Hazel, it is a charming contrast, not a mock-able difference like a very unattractive Hassan.

Just a thought on Edmund... a name that to me has more character and weight than Edward (which makes me think of the character in Pretty Woman for whatever reason)...
I wonder if some posters are thinking more of the recent movie The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe rather than the books. In the series (I think he's in three other books), the Edmund character is redeemed and becomes a very heroic and kind.
To KRC: I love all your triplet names, especially Esme, Ione, and Cecily. I actually like Cicely better, but I may be the only one. I would, however, caution against Osbourne. I was born in the eighties, and frankly, the whole family doesn't feel like a blip to me... the reality show made even his kids famous. I'd choose Oscar.

SO I was coming back to "fix" my fantasy triplet names and not-so-shockingly someone else has them. O well.

Girls:
Elizabeth Maria Elle (Betsy)
Catherine Emme Louise (Cate)
Margaret Anne-Marie (Meg)

Which leads me to ask, how do you pronounce Emme? And please dont send me to one of those site with pronounciations cause I cant get to it for unknown reasons.

Boys:
William Evander John
Arthur Lincoln Edward OR Edmund ??? Arthur
Charles Reichelt Alan (R is a family surname...)

Tell me truly, is Evander John too repetitive?

hyz:
I completely agree. The trendiness factor of ly/ley strikes out many other beautiful names that I am too snobbish to consider (not that I am implying you are in any way snobbish). I've become such a name nerd (NE is too nice) that it's hard for me to be happy about a friends impending arrival, who is destined to become 1 in a sea of Emilys (such a beautifully classic name, that everyone, and their mother, agrees w/me). I'm even starting to become paranoid w/names ending in A.

My mother gave me a name that she swears was not popular in the early 80's, and although I like it, Allyson (spelled for June Allyson...mom loves the movie Little Women hence the "fun" spelling), it is definately not unique. Yet, throughout my entire life, I surprisingly have never had to deal w/another Alison/Allison/Alyson in my class at any school.
I'm probably over thinking everything, especially since I'm not expecting anytime soon.

Elizabeth T:
I have never heard Hartleigh as a first name before. Do you know if she is named after someone w/the LN Hartley? I'm assuming the *leigh* is cre8v.

I already know a few Hallies and Harriets. I love Helena, but as stated above, I'm getting nervous with A endings. I have to get over that though because there are too many wonderful choices that I have to exclude.
I don't love Hollis. Not sure why...may have something to do w/an evil Holly I went to school with.

Miriam:
Thank you for all the information. Problem is, I would have to be rather untraditional in giving a future child an H name. My Heather was not Jewish, therefor taking the H is more of a symbolic gesture which gives me guidelines that I’m familiar with, yet reconstructs the idea of naming the child after my friend.

That is how I was named. My English first name is Allyson, after my great grandfather Abraham. Both start with A, have 7 letters and 3 syllables. To this day, it still reminds my mom of her Zadie.. My Hebrew name is Sarit, an induring or pet form of Sarah (meaning princess). This is after my grandfather, Abraham’s son, Sam (Ellis Island/ English name). Sam’s actual birth name was Shlomo, the Hebrew version of Soloman. He went through Ellis Island at age 6 or 7, and we assume the clerk heard S, and gave him Sam, due to the fact that the Hebrew version of Samuel is actually Shmuel.

I plan on giving a first daughter the Hebrew name of Hadassah, my grandmother was Esther.

The triplet exercise reminds me of one of my favorite aspects of my wanna-be career as a novelist, picking my characters names. I have "imaginary triplets" of a sort all over the books I'm writing, and can experiment with all sorts of names that catch my fancy but that I'd never subject a real child to (one of my characters is named Providence and nicknamed Ivy, which is tremendously fun, but neither are names I'd seriously consider for a child).

In terms of Annelise (or Anneliese), which has been mentioned a few times, and the conversation about choosing names for ourselves versus our children, I'm in the fortunate position of naming myself! I've chosen Anneliese coupled with my mother's maiden name as my pseudonym. I had a lot of fun coming up with that one!

How do you pronounce the names Japheth and Matthias?
I've heard Mah-tie-as, but I have a feeling people may pronounce the TH in the US.

Ark--

In that case it would be a lovely gesture to give your daughter any name which for you calls to mind your friend Heather, perhaps even one that refers to one of her personality traits or some other aspect of her which caused you to love her like a sister.

My grandfather's name was Shlomo, and if I had had a second son I would have used that name. As it was I had only one son, and he is named for my beloved father.

I think our Ashkenazic naming system is a good one. The Hebrew name links the generations and gives the child a secure place on the family tree, and the (sad) truth is that, given the disruptions of the mid-twentieth century, the only names I know/remember are the ones repeated in children born here in the US. My paternal grandmother was one of eight children, and I only know the names of four, the three who came to America and the one for whom my cousin was named. The rest were lost in the Holocaust. Just so, I know the name of her mother, since my sister bears her name, but her father's name is again lost. And then when choosing the vernacular (English) name there really is a lot of latitude. For example, a Modern Orthodox couple of my acquaintance recently had a daughter. Her Hebrew name is Yocheved, but her English name is Idanna Julia, all three names derived in one way or another from two of the baby's great-grandmothers.

I haven't yet played the triplet game. So here goes....

Eleanor Sylvia (for my mother Sylvia Eleanor)
Cecilia Lee (for my maternal grandmother and paternal Aunt Lee)
Ida Rose (for my paternal grandmother and paternal Aunt Rose)--the less said about my mother's sisters the better :-(

I have only two close male relatives who don't already have names, so I would use Jacob (Jack), my father's brother, and Solomon. Otherwise I would have to look to my grandfather's brothers David and Eli.

Assuming I didn't have to get my husband's consent I'm torn between names w/ good / usable nns or stand alone names. My choices:

Girls: Sabrina (Bree), Catherine (Cate), and Margaret (Daisy) Or Mina, Lydia, and Ida

Boys: Arthur (Artie), Frederick (Fritz), and Andrew (Drew) Or Neil, Joel, and Linus

I am having so much fun with this!!

Hyz-I am planning on naming a future daughter after my lovely grandmother, Esther, also. I also was thinking of using Hadassah. Do you know of any known nicknames for it? It seems like such a mouthful to me. I also haven't know anyone with the name. To put another twist on it, my grandmother is not Jewish but of Hispanic decent. I have thought of using Reina, for queen, but I though it would be to close to my eldest daughter Serena.
What do you all think?

As we'e talking about the Ashkenazi naming tradition I thought I'd share my story. My daughter is named Phoebe (after her paternal grandfather Phil. His Hebrew name was Feivel, a Yiddish form of Phoebus) Catrin (a Welsh form of Kate - one of my grandmothers was called Kitty, the other was strongly and proudly Welsh-Jewish. We couldn't use Kate - our first choice - as it combines strangely with my Dh's last name).
Her Hebrew name is Ofira Chaya. Ofira means gold, and my Welsh gandma's name was Goldie. Chaya is after my grandma Kitty. The stage thing is that when I told my friend in Israel that her Hebrew name was Ofira she asked 'Is she named after someone called Phil? Because lots of men called Phil hebraicise their name to Phil when they move to Israel.' we had inadvertently chosen the perfect name!

Does anyone have any connotations towards the name Rozetta? Is it too harsh or too old ladyish still. I like Rosetta, but am concerned about the stone thing. =)
I think that Zetta would be a cool nickname.

Keren- that is so cool! How nice to have those small confirmations that you chose the right name.

Chiming in really late, but for those who like Edmund but are afraid of the Narnia association, Edmund's character IS very much redeemed in the later books in the series. He starts off as a bit of a brat but ends up being quite a fascinating and lovable character. I have friends who named their son Edmund (with a daughter Lucy), presumably after the series.

Oh, and I like Susan's triplet names.
I love Elise and Camilla.

My own dream triplet names:
Elena, Rosemary, and Camilla (Laine, Rose, and Milla)

With DH in the picture, it would be more like:
Lucy, Claire, and Natalie

Boys are too hard!

Jessica - I believe J.Lo's baby Emme is pronounced the same as Emmy. I have no idea how that's supposed to work though; it just doesn't look like anything other than "Em" to me! A bit of creative license, I guess.

Easternbetty - BehindTheName actually lists Honor as a variant of Honour, but you're right, I'm English and I've only ever heard of Honors. I guess the actress Honor Blackman popularised it, although she was actually British so I don't know why that spelling. Maybe it's always been more of an American name anyway (maybe it was big in Puritan days?), whereas Honour might not have ever had much popularity...?

Hyz - I see what you mean - you're so much better at expressing yourself than I am. I guess I shy away from names which I associate with my least favourite qualities, but am drawn to some names which I identify with more - for example, I like nature names like Bryony because I'm quite attached to the countryside and would more happily be a Bryony or a Rose than, say, an Antonia which makes me think of cut-throat, urban Roman society. So I'd be more inclined to name a child one of those names. It's a tricky one though and my brain isn't really on at full power this morning!

Rjoy-- I think almost no name is too harsh, if you love it. That said, I'm not that fond of "etta" names personally, but that's just me. Have you considered "Rosanna"? Those of you worried about recent pop culture references might hesitate because of the voluble comedienne Roseanne Barr, but as usual, I think that's a non-issue.

Although it doesn't yield the fun nickname "Zetta", it does yield "Zan", "Zanna" or "Zannie", all of which are rather cute...

What does everyone think about the name Sloane for a girl? My husband is in love with it, and I am still undecided. We've got a month until my due date and I'm starting to panic! We both have unusual names, and tend to like (or at least agree on) androgenous names. I think I prefer Harper, although I've heard of quite a few little Harpers in our area.

Just realised my story made no sense, should have said they Hebraicise their names to Ofir..therefore Ofira is a perfect name for someone named after a Phil. Sorry!

I just think it is interesting that JLO would name her kids Emme and Max when it is the names of the kids on a popular PBS show!!

Eo-Thanks for the feedback, but Rosanna is two country bumpkin for me. I thought of Rozetta because I like saying Gretta but don't want that actual name.

Devon-I am not one for androgynous name. But I do like Sloane better than Harper. The verb to harp is just to close of an association to put on any little girl.

Keren-LOL! Yes that does make more sense, though I did get what you were trying to say.

"How does that work?" RE Emme being "emmy" is sort of like my friend who names her baby Elin after a grandma, calls her Elly and spells it Elle. Emme to me should be Em but I just wondered if it really is. I like it bc I would like to some day name a daughter after my sister whose names do not! match my style but her first initial is M. Same with my sister whose first initial is L. Billiant, I thought.

If J. Lo and Marc were to pronounce their daughter's name in Spanish, it would be "A-may" (long "a" at the beginning). But I suspect that they do pronounce it "Emmy" and that the spelling is a weird hybridization of English and Spanish.

My best friend's name is Kriste, pronounced Christy, and she curses her mother for saddling her with a name that always needs not only to be spelled for people over the phone, but also needs to be pronounced for people who just see the spelling!

ark, I'm not sure if the little girl in my neighborhood is actually Hartley or Hartleigh; my guess at the latter was just that, a guess. I'll have to ask the next time I run into them.

I have a friend whose daughter is named Sloane. She's about eight years old now. I always think of the girl in "Ferris Bueller," but that's because I was a teenager in the 80s.

AmyA, thanks again for your comments--I definitely do the same thing as what you're describing. DH and I also value nature, and lean strongly towards names with those connections, and avoid names that seem associated with values/qualities we don't care for. But maybe going any farther than that is just overthinking this whole thing!

Rjoy, I think it was ark with the Esther comment, and I can't think of any standard nns for Hadassah, but I think it's a lovely name. :) It doesn't seem like a mouthful to me, either--plenty of 3 syl. names go without nns (like Allison, Hilary, etc.), and I think Hadassah rolls right off the tongue. I think you'll run into pronunciation/spelling problems with Reina, but I don't think it's really too similar to Serena if you love it. I much prefer Rosetta over Rozetta--somehow, that Z just doesn't look good to me in there--it makes me think of a drug, or a disease, or something.

Devon, I also prefer Harper to Sloane, but I agree it's a negative if there are already a bunch of Harpers in your community. I don't much care for the sound of Sloane right off (I think of lone/loan, or slow, or sly, or sleazy), but I feel like it could work and be cool with the right last name, and the right attitude. If you like Harper, what about Parker or Piper? I love YOUR name, by the way! It was on my girl list, until DH nixed it because of a Devin he didn't like.

Rjoy - thanks! I must stop posting early in the morning!

Re Hadassah - I think it's a pretty name. But in a Jewish context it does suggest ultra-orthodox to me..but maybe not to others. Malka is another name that means queen I think, not that I particularly like it. Also I think I prefer Zetta by itself to Rozetta - Rozetta looks too similar to Rosetta.

Sloane - in Britain a Sloane is a posh person - and not in a good way. It's a bit of an out-dated term but still carries that meaning.

All these names with an e=y at the end - in many European countries the final e would be pronouced as an a. So Emme = Emma Elle = Ella etc.

The only association I have with Edmund is the song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". I never read the LWW series.

I think Emme is probably (EM-EE)but it makes me think of Esme and that is (EZ-MAY) and so is there more of a "MAY" sound on Emme?

Other names for Honor/Heather (sorry forgot who posted this):
Hedra=Joy
Hodaya=Honour
Hyacinth=Hyacinth flower
Amissa=Friend
Ianthe=Violet
Raya=Friend
Rebecca=To tie(like to bind together)
Reichana=Sweet smelling
Ruth=Friend
Selah=Pause & reflect
Shila=Gift for her
Sigalia=God's violet
Tehilla=song of honour
Just my thoughts!

Also, since we all like to give our children meaningful names to represent things we enjoy or are honoring, and since we were posting fantasy names and all, I have a new game-What would your own name be if it represented something you like/treasure/were honoring someone/etc.?
If I were naming myself it would be Kako Iara (Summer Rainbow /Water Lady) or Nerina Iris (Water/Rainbow). I think it's pretty obvious what I like. Anybody else?

I don't know why, but I have always strongly disliked "Sloan" and "Sloane" for either men or women. Perhaps because I saw it used so often in American soap operas and in the romance novels I read as a teen (early '90s to both), which has really dated the sound of this name for me. It seemed like it was the go-to name/a "code" of sorts for characters who were supposed to be rakish, a bit hard-edged, and powerful, ambitious, or outlaw-ish ("I live by my own rules" kind of thing).

I suppose I am leery of names that try to deliver in shorthand the type of personality of the bearer. The above narrative mediums do this a lot, with Rocks, Stones, Sloans, Steeles, etc. of both sexes, and I don't care for this sort of personality-mapping via name.

I much prefer Harper because of its sound and, any literary association aside, the meaning of one who harps.

RJoy-
What about just Etta? Seems like you are attached to the Etta sound and I think Etta is fabulous!

Easternbetty,
I was at first taken aback by your praise for the meaning of Harper as "one who harps." I read your statement several times before I realized that you meant "one who plays the harp." I have never liked the name Harper because to me it means "one who harps" (nags).

That's funny, ElizabethT!

To be honest, I don't care for occupational last names as first names, for men or women. However, since the poster was choosing between Sloan/e and Harper, I would have to pick the latter, though I do agree there is the "harpy" association as well.

There is always Harper Sloane as a compromise fn/mn combo. I actually like both (though Sloane does also remind me of Ferris Bueller).

Another coincidence with Elizabeth T. - we live in the same area and I too know a little girl named Hartley. My Hartley moved away about a year ago though. Which reminds me that I really like Hart as a boy's name, but somehow I don't think people would get it.

I kind of like Harper both b/c of the literary meaning and because of the harp (music) meaning. Nagging didn't even come to my mind.

and re: edmund--I did read all of those books, years and years ago. I know he was redeemed but the mental image of Edmund being snarky to Lucy and stuffing himself with Turkish delight has never been able to overcome the redemption part. sad really. Maybe I should go and reread them....

Hillary-Though I do like the Etta sound I don't think I could use it for the full name. I like a name that can sound distinguished when the child is older.

Zoerhenne-If I was to rename myself,I would pick Mayim (water) Joy today. I think I might pick a different name tomorrow depending how I feel.

Have you ever asked a close friend to rename you? Someone asked me that once, and she was very pleased with what I picked. It is fun to see how someone else can view you.

Rjoy - what about Margaret nn Etta? or Gretta?

I like both Edmund and Edward but I think I prefer Edward. It is in the same vein to me as Charles, William, George whereas Edmund is more Alistair, Clive, Piers.

Although I do very much wish that Ozzy Osbourne never existed, I still think the name Osborne nn Ozzy would not associate my child with him. No one who knows me would think that I was trying to invoke him, and while his children are famous, there are lots of people named Osborne in the world, both first and last names. It's a strong, distinct name that stands on its own. Associations can turn you off any name if you think long enough! I do love Oscar, but it's too popular. I like the distinction of Osborne. I think it and Ozzy sound very fresh and modern.

Another negative association with Edmund is Edmund the bastard in King Lear. Have always liked the name though, much more than Edward which feels a bit prissy to me (no good reason I admit) My favourite Ed is Edwin.

Devon:

I personally like Sloane better then Harper. I love adrogynous names.. although I am not a Harper fan.

Here is a few suggestions... Scout, Hadley, Hayden, Ireland, Poppy, Dakota, Joey, Izzy, Peyton, Presley, Silver, Arlie. Hope this helps.

I had forgotten all about Sloane from Ferris Bueller! But at the time I loved that character.

Now I'm not sure which I'd choose -- Sloane or Harper. I'm not a huge fan of surnames as first names, although that said I like Parker, esp for a girl. It has a snappy, spunky sound I like.

Zoerhenne -- I've been giving some thought to your personal renaming project and can't come up with anything yet. Will keep thinking ...

Keren -- I'm so glad you reminded me of Edwin! I love that name.

Eo -- Re: the fantasy triplet project. My husband laughed wryly when I gave him the girl list (Hazel, Maud, Beatrice) and when I listed the boys (Abraham, Walter, Edmund) he said, "Edmund?!?" Guess he falls more into the anti-Edmund camp. It would be fascinating to see what three names he'd choose, but it was hard enough finding one boy and one girl name!

Though I've never asked a friend to rename me, I had a teacher in middle school who thought I looked more like a Heather than an Ashley. I have always found this hilarious (and it has been the source of many inside jokes with people who know about it). It's interesting to me that I don't look like an Ashley. What do people think an Ashley should look like. To me it is such a common name that almost anything goes in the looks department. Unlike some other names we've discussed where it seems that there is a strong image associated with it (ie Hazel for lots of people).

I've expressed previously on this board my long-held and not-very-secret desire to be Julia instead, but that was a fairly mindless choice for me, since it was the second choice for my parents and it had the qualifications I desired in a name (less common and more international than Ashley). Hmmm . . . now I might have to give it more thought.

I much prefer Harper and, having never seen Ferris Bueller or lived in England, have actually never heard the name Sloane before. And my first impression is pretty leery one, I don't think it has an attractive sound.

Fantasy triplets! The current favorites are:
Girls- Lucy, Theresa, Anne-Jolie (after my mother)
Boys- Jack, Robin, Daniel

I like both Sloane and Harper. When I hear Sloane I first think of Eric's pretty girlfriend from Entourage the Bueller. When I hear Harper I think Harper Lee and then Ben Harper. I have good associations with both of the names. Good luck choosing - I think they are both strong.

:)

Since the discussion has veered to "Ed" names, I thought I'd throw my favourite out here- Edgar. No, I'm not a Poe aficionado, I just think it sounds friendlier than the very refined Edmund and Edwin, or the usual Edward- but I really like them all. And since I didn't add my highly hypothetical boy triplets before, maybe they'd be Arthur, Jerome and Edgar today (Art, Jem and Eddy).

I'm kind of into Edison. I'm not sure Ned flows out of that as well though.

I don't like Edwin at all. I do have a friend named Edwin (nn Ted), but his mother hated the name. His father freaked out at his birth and immediately baptized him but forgot the name they'd picked out.

Edward is sort of growing on me--how strange is it that the classic option is the one that has to grow on me? I like the set of names that Edward and Edmund fit into posted by KRC. Although I love Alastair on the second list. Too bad it sounds awful with DH's last name.

Thanks for the thoughts on Sloane and Harper. At this point, I'm almost hoping for a boy just so we don't have to make a decision!

Can anyone help me with the relative merits of Jonah, Jonas, and Joseph. Jonah was the 'boy' name we had picked out for my daughter if she was a boy (Her name is Grace.) But with this pregnancy, I've been much more confused, and less sure about names. BTW, Jonas is from a recent infatuation with all boy names that end in 's'(ie- Lucas, Matthias, Silas etc.) and Joseph just came up at Christmas this year. Grace started calling her nativity Joseph 'Jos' and I just kind of fell in love with it. Has anyone heard that as a nn for Joseph? I'd appreciate your thoughts.

Amy A: yup, I am the same mother of Gladys, Cecil, Mildred, and Prudence. I love names...not just one style. I would say there are more names that I love than names that I don't. However, I think that sybling names should really fit together. I think if I had started with boys, my naming choices would have been more along the lines of Wolf or Rider. I like the masculinity of those names. When I named my new baby boy, I wanted a name that I loved and fit with his three sisters. Thus, Cecil.

My Dream Triplet names.. lol

Madelyn, Gracie & Chloe
Marley, Presley, Teaghan

Keifer, Ryder, Mason
Sawyer, Bryce, Gage
Carson, Keegan, Landon