The Baby Name Wizard

Growing up, I've always either called people by Mr./Mrs./Miss LN, or by "Sir" and "Ma'am," and those people in turn could call me whichever they felt like (Miss H or Amber or Miss Amber). I would even call adults my age whom I didn't know very well Sir or Ma'am, just because they were strangers. Calling them by anything else would've felt false. So I don't see the formality issue as just a status/distance issue, but as a "how well I know you and how much you know me" kind of thing.

I guess I'm pretty Asian or Japanese as far as my natural formality philosophy goes.

There is nothing wrong with giving extra respect to my elders or to the people who will be teaching me things. There is nothing wrong with being respectful to those who have more experience than me, even if I disagree with them. If they happen to look down their noses at me for being less experienced, that's their own fault, not mine, and I will not lower my standards or my own civility because of them. I go to my teachers to teach me; I do not go to them with my personal problems unless my problems are affecting my ability to do well in their class. It is not their place to affect me outside of the learning atmosphere.

On a sidenote, I had one coach who normally used first names call me just by my surname for a very practical reason: she also coached the younger set of athletes, and I had a sister who looked just like me and had a similar name in that class. My coach called both of us just by our last name (no Miss in front of it) so she wouldn't call us by the wrong name.

I wonder if there is any connection whatsoever between formality etiquette and the bestowal of names. There are parents who use straight-up nicknames as given names (Betsy, Miley), those who give a formal name but plan on using the nickname (sometimes exclusively), and those who give formal names with the intent on using just that name.

We've come a long way from Miriam's simple assertion that in her academic career, she prefers to use honorifics and surnames to address the students...

In my world view, I see such college practises as niceties, as even an "upholding" of civilization, if you will! Qualities like common courtesy and social restraint rank very high for me. Put me in Sidney Poitier's "To Sir, With Love" camp!

What's interesting about this blog is that it exposes all kinds of world views...

Hopelessly behind the curve as usual, I just heard that Angelina Jolie will be having TWINS! How a-twitter will the naming blogs be?!! And, as someone who seems to be an NE to the "Nth" degree, how thrilled must she be to have this double opportunity? Any guesses as to what they'll come up with?

Hey, Elizabeth T. you beat me to it! I just saw your post!

Oh, no, just one more. Amber the Red, I love what you wrote!

another amy -- just a thought. If Edison were the middle name, if you combined it with a first name starting with N, that could easily shorten to Ned. Noel Edison, Nigel Edison, even Nelson Edison, although the two "son"s may be a bit much.

Amber, and others connecting the use of the LN with respect or "civility"--I would simply argue that one's use of FNs or LNs need not make any statement about how much you respect a person. I think of it as a very artificial construct for showing respect, and often a very false one--I will call people by their LNs because they prefer it or if that happens to be the norm in a given setting, but certainly not out of respect. The people I have respected most in life have generally gone by FNs to me, everyone from beloved teachers, to excellent instructors, elderly and non-elderly neighbors, bosses, etc. And in terms of formality/civility, even the head of my international white-shoe law firm goes by his first name to other attorneys and support staff alike, and believe me, he is plenty well respected by people around here. If other attorneys here insisted upon being called Mr. LN or whatever, when even the head of the firm doesn't do so, it would certainly appear a bit "uppity", or at least stiff, to me.

I guess I show my respect in how I treat people, the deference I give them, how I talk about them to others. Conversely, I'll call people by their LNs who I have absolutely no respect for, if that's what they prefer, just because I don't have any interest in being confrontational.

I don't think there's inherently anything wrong (or right) with using the LN--for me, it all depends on context and what the norm is.

Like I said, all kinds of world views!

But, no takers on the Jolie-Pitt twins? I'll take a feeble stab-- "Calico" and "Jagger". I know that's not a good guess, but it's a bit hard to put myself in that household's mindset...

Since I started this thread, I'll take the plunge: Maddox, Zahara, Pax, Shiloh, Calantha (girl), and Colfax (boy).

I have way too many advanced degrees earned over the last 20 years. I have been called everything in class -- Miss, Ms, first name. In law school we were often called by our last names without titles which I found easiest-- no worries about Ms. Mrs or Miss.

I have always called professors either Dr. or Professor. NEVER by a first name. I can't think of a student who did so. It never occurred to me that I should call a professor by his first name...

I was in a small class in seminary where a male professor started out the year calling the 3 women by their first names and the 10 men "Mr. last name". THAT ticked me off as I felt it showed us a lack of respect to the women. One of my (male) friends approached the professor privately and explained to him that he either needed to call us all by first name, or all with the title. He did switch over to all first names.

My turn for Jolie-Pitts 5 and 6: Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Marcel (m), and Anouk (f). I'm choosing French names since she may give birth in France, and Marcel is a way of honoring her recently deceased mother, Marcheline.

Boy, I have way too much time on my hands today! But suddenly realized that what I said about different world views sounded glib and dismissive. And here I am posturing about manners! Forgive my breach

I very much appreciate hearing all your different takes on the subject, whatever they may be.

Let's see-- Maddox is of Welsh origin, Pax is Latin, Zahara I'm thinking is of African origin, and Shiloh-- is that not of Native American origin? So she could go in any direction language-wise, and French is a good guess, given her recent loss...

Brad Pitt is apparently a HUGE architecture fan and I think one of the children already has a middle name relating to that discipline? So what are the chances of "Wright" or "Pei"?

Watch for this news blip in mid-August:

"In a stunning turn of events, Pitt and Jolie will name their twins John and Mary. 'The other kids' names were a complete surprise to all onlookers; we're willing to bet these weren't what anyone was expecting, either,' their joint statement noted. Mary's middle name, Pearl, is a nod to Mariane Pearl, whose story Jolie brought to the screen; John's middle name, Sixtus, marks his place in the family lineup, and continues the "x" theme among their boys' names. Sixtus is also the latin form of Sistino, as in the Sistine Chapel."

bwahahahahaha.... it could happen!

Eo -- Nouvel (Shiloh's mn) may be after Jean Nouvel, a French architect.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Nouvel

Sushi, that's excellent! :0),

I think the guesses on the Jolie-Pitt twins are very ingenious, particularly Colfax for the boy, as she obviously likes x's. She definitely seems to put a high value on being original, and has certainly been way out front so far. I'm finding it very hard to come up with anything, but here are some guesses:

Xavier
Ajax (OMG, I hope not)
Anatole

Calla
Samaria
Xanthe

Ideas for the Jolie-Pitts:
Xavier
Ajax
Anatole

Calla
Samaria
Xanthe

Lots of x's as they obviously like them. Also very unusual names... although I know Xavier is getting popular...This is really hard! I love the ingenuity so far. Particularly Sushi- LOL!

$%&^*
Sorry for the double post!

I don't have children yet but I'm very interested in baby names. I've been reading this blog and thinking about good sibling names for about a year, and here's what I've come up with:
Benton; Calvin; Katharine; Jillian.
(Possible mns are Robert, Stuart, Elizabeth)
I always enjoy reading feedback on name suggestions, so I'd like to know what everyone thinks.

Do you all really think Angelina will go with another X for a boy? It seems played out and if she has 3 boys with Xs in their name, it will start to seem cheesy. Am I the only one who thinks that?

I kind of dig Colfax but I see Amy3's point about the multiple X's. Are they telling genders? are they finding out? I think with twins you'd about have to or go nuts.

btw--found out last night that my paternal grandfather's middle name was Edward, so its moving up in the running. I'm still into Edward Mandela but I really wanted my LN in there. But its a very basic English name and its so overwhelmingly proper to be the brother of Iris Skye.

JuBo--I like Calvin Robert. hmmm, I wonder if I can get DH to like Calvin? reminds me of the Calvin from the Wrinkle in Time books...

I've read that the Jolie-Pitt twins are both girls. Has a reputable source stated otherwise? Are these invitro twins?

As for guessing their names, this reminds me of Rumpelstiltskin! Most likely names most of us have never heard or considered that someone might name their child.

I've wondered if Angelina comes up with these unusual names totally on her own (after all she is a very busy woman...) or if she hires a name consultant to do some research and provide suggestions for her. ???

It sounds like the twins will be born in France. (I read something about her having difficulty flying now.). Putting that together with Angelina's French-Canadian heritage, through her mother, and her apparent love of France, I too, like Amy 3, have thought the twins will be given French names (but probably not the most usual ones).

When is she due?

The Jolie-Pitt baby naming made me think of the movie "Baby Mama" (I feel like I shouldn't admit that I've seen that movie to this high-brow crowd!). ANYWAY, there was a jab at parents' quest for unique names in a scene where one parent called out, "Remy and Cheyenne, hurry! We have to get you to your playdate with Banjo and Wingspan!" I have to say, Banjo is kind of growing on me...

JuBo, your names seem to have very different styles to me. Do you want the names to "go together"? They have similar sounds, in that they all end in 'n'. I wouldn't choose both Calvin and Jillian, lest they end up going by Cal and Jill (although perhaps that doesn't bother you!). I have to say I did always wish my name were Jillian, as it is fancier than just plain Jill.

Did a little googling: the claim is that Angelina took fertility treatments to help her ovulate, resulting in twins. Apparently the twins are due Aug. 19, if she can carry them to term.

Jill C.-- Ha! I had heard that "Banjo and Wingspan" line from the movie, although I haven't seen the film. People must have been laughing out loud.

"Wingspan" especially is a hilarious burlesque of current naming pretensions! I believe some celebrity has actually used "Banjo" for his baby in real life, so it's not so far out.

Amy3-- "Nouvel"--- thanks, that was it. I wish they had gone a step further to Nouveaux, though...

Names for the Jolie-Pitt twins.

This could be a challenge... why? Because EVERY name they have used in the past was UNRANKED by SSA UNTIL they named their children. Maddox made it into the top 1000 in 2003 forward, Shiloh debuted last year.

Coincidence or does Ms. Jolie (notice the honorific :) ) look at the SSA page when choosing names?

I agree that guessing Angelina's twins' names is more than a shot in the dark, but I do love all the suggestions so far. I'm just going to be watching with interest to see what names they come up with, especially considering she's due only a few weeks after me, and since twins tend to come early, and first babies (like mine) tend to come late--all I can think is heaven forbid she pick one of my favorite names!

JuBo, I think all your name choices are nice, but I especially like Calvin. I think it's both cute/impish and strong/sporty, has good famous forebears, and a little quirky without being odd, so it's a standout choice to me.

I heard her say yesterday in a TV interview that they know the genders but are not publicizing that.

And I think Shiloh is of Hebrew origin. I know it is in the Old Testament. I knew a girl in elementary and middle school with this name and have always thought that it's beautiful. Of course now I would never want to use it because people would always be saying, "Oh, like Brad and Angelina's daughter?"

My guess for twin girls: Edith and Pascale.

haha, sushi! wish they darn well WOULD. Colfax and Anouk are great guesses. Anais would have been my guess if it weren't in the top 1000 (obscure provencal name- why IS it in the top 1000? it's been popping up over the last 20 years- is Nin really that well known, or is there another source I'm ignorant of?), but Anouk's great, though popular in France.

Might they do another one like Pax- say Viva? the only boys' I've got are Tycho or Caius, but Shi, Ty and Cai is a bit horrible, and Axel/Axelle don't work with Pax...

I agree that they might go French, so I scanned through Quebec's list-
Mireille, Magali, Maeva, Maelle, Maelys (diareses on the es)- if they're willing to double initials
Flavie/Flavia
Thais
Amandine
Solange
Clemence, Constance-goes with their meanings thing

Aymeric or Loic for a boy?

And what are they going to do if they stick with x for the boys? Maddox, Pax, Colfax, Lennox, Felix, Pollux?!?

Each of the Jolie-Pitt kids' names begins with a different letter, so I'm guessing the twins' names won't begin with M, P, Z or S.

Oh, no, I really hope they don't use Calla. That's my "secret" name, and it certainly wouldn't be secret after they were through with it.

I was actually thinking of this earlier, before anyone here asked - as soon as I found out it was twins, to tell you the truth. I'm such a name nerd. Thank you for bringing it up (I was feeling too dorky)!

So my thoughts on their names is that they will likely be names that most of us have heard of before at the time (Pax, Maddox), something reflecting the child's birthplace (Zahara), or a conversion name, like turning Shiloh into a girl's name from a boy's. Then again, they seem to do something new and different every time, so I'm really looking forward to what they come up with!

The best I can think of is Imogen, or maybe Ione, though they don't seem to do vowel names. I really am excited to see what they use!

As long as they don't name either of the twins Phoenix or Indigo, I'm a happy camper!!

Regarding titles, I'm with hyz that it's all a bit awkward. We live in casual California, but it feels strange for my 4 year old to call her friends' parents either Mrs. Stevenson or Jim. On her own, she's taken to calling them Caley's Mommy or Ella's Daddy to their faces. It's kind of cute actually.

Another college prof weighing in here. I typically ask my students to call me Mrs. See or Jennifer, as I do NOT have a PhD and have no reason to be called Doctor anything. I like my classrooms to be interactive and that the students will ask questions because I teach a very hard subject at a very fast pace and I want them to understand and apply the material, not just regurgitate memorized facts. This sort of environment was the sort that I learned best in. I call all of my students by their preferred name - I ask on the first day when I call roll. Most chose their first names and started the class with Mrs. See and ended it with Jennifer.

On an unrelated note, I am pregnant with #4. I find out what I'm having next week. I have no qualms with posting my last name because it is a common verb paired with a dreadfully common first name. I am not findable via Google.

The last name, See, is a headache, as nothing sounds good with it.
* Names like Christopher don't work because the nickname results in "Chris See=Chrissy"

* Many names result in odd or unfortunate words when placed with the last name. Lydia See = idiocy or literacy. Dennis See = Tennessee. Curtis See = courtesy. There are dozens like this.

* Anything with a lot of S sounds or -ee sounds or most alliterative names sound horrible with my last name. This knocks out names I love like Simon and Vanessa and Henry.

* I really don't like my in-laws, so Lucy and Peter are out.

* Middle names are fixed. Girl is ________ Jane Patricia or ________ Patricia Jane. Boy is ________ Frank(lin) or __________ Joseph. They are named for close relatives.

* First names are ideal when they aren't trendy and transcend the trends. I'm a Jennifer. I don't want my kids to have something dirt common in their generation. Nowadays, it's more about the sound-alikes than everyone having the same name, but I'm equally not fond of Jayden, Brayden and Caden due to their popularity as a group with Aidan.

* Older kids are Nathaniel Richard, Miranda Christine, Elliot Brian.

Juliana wins over Julia because Julia See sounds a lot like jealousy. I have an in-law named Juliet that I would prefer not to name her for, so Juliana beats the Shakespeare version. At any rate, this has been my very favorite name since childhood, but was nixed by the spouse when naming the first one because it starts with J, which nearly all of my family does. Now that I have N, M and E, I'm bringing it back. I'm still very attached to it. I like the Ju-li-ah-na pronunciation because here in the Midwest US, Juli-ANN-na sounds like a bleating goat holding its nose. Thus the single N.

Popularity does matter to me very much. I don't want the next Ava or Aidan, and Oliver is rising uncomfortably fast. I don't want him to be stuck with something dated. I know of at least 3 born on my other favorite parenting/names board already in the last year, and 2 others are strongly considering the name. That makes me nervous. Also, how problematic is it to have Elly-elly-Elliot and Ollie-ollie-Oliver? I don't usually shorten names, but I do things like this.

As for Alasdair, I probably wouldn't use a nickname. Nearly everyone in my extended family uses their full name except Rich for Richard and Nathan for Nathaniel. Certainly not Al and probably not Dair. I tend to pronounce this name alas-DAIR over AL-ister, and I'm not sure which I prefer. Alister has the same flow as Oliver and Benjamin, and seems to go well with See, but as written, I tend to say it the other way, which sounds funny with the last name.

I like Laura very much, but I'm concerned about the dirt common Lauren being a point of confusion for her. I like Rachel, but it's a bit common and a bit Biblical for my tastes, so I'm conflicted here, too. I love Victoria but I'm not sure I like the nicknames as much, which she is sure to get. I love Vivian, too.

I had Adam and Aaron on my list in the past. I love both, but Aaron feels trendy and Adam feels choppy and short with my last name. I really prefer the longer names for balance. Benjamin is very nice but also very recently common, which I'm trying to avoid. Benjamin also forces Joseph in the middle, since I can't really have a B. Frank or B. Franklin, even though the flow is nice! Owen and Ian are lovely, but with big brother Nathan and cousin Ethan already, they all start to sound alike.

I've always had a very hard time with boy names, and it is getting worse now that I've used 4 of my options. I just don't know.

I'll take any suggestions you have to offer.

Guesses for the Jolie-Pitt twins:

Etta (Brad Pitt's mother's maiden name, apparently)
Noe (French form of "Noah" -- for a girl, should one of the twins be a girl)
Mies (as in Mies van der Rohe -- for a girl or boy)
Rohe (see above)
Anastazie (girl)
Ruzena (girl)
Ivo (boy)
Dragos (boy)

I have absolutely no idea what Angelina and Brad will name their twins and do not care to speculate. But I would like to touch back on Quakers and honorifics for a moment.

All of my degrees are from the University of Pennsylvania, home of the Quakers. My beloved major professor was a birth-right Quaker and as such eschewed honorifics. After I received my PhD and went hither and yon throughout the country pursuing my career, he and I became close friends. Wherever I went we kept in touch by mail. In person I could avoid addressing him by name in any form, but in writing I had to put Dear Something. For quite a while I simply could not bring myself to write Dear Ted, although of course he would not have minded in the least, so I settled on Dear XYZ (XYZ being his initials, so it was like Dear FDR or LBJ or JFK). I am quite sure that he found that amusing. Eventually I did feel comfortable with Dear Ted.

The Ted in this case derived from Edward. When I announced the birth of my son Edward (named for my dear father), my professor thought I had named my son for him, and I let him continue to think that. I myself considered it lagniappe--my son by happenstance named for the two men who were my mentors and whom I loved and respected.

I had the same problem with my mother-in-law. She was in her 40s when she gave birth to her two sons (oy vey!), and so she was quite a bit older than was usual for the mother of a 22 year old son. I don't think she would have minded if I had called her Dorothy or Dot, but I was not comfortable with that. I couldn't call her Mother--I had a mother and she wasn't it. And Mrs. Surname was way too formal for a family member. So in person I called her nothing, and in writing my salutation was simply Hi!

My choice of first name or honorific and last name has nothing to do with respect. It is rather a distinction similar to the formal and familiar second person in languages like French, German, and Dutch. That is, it has to do with how well I know someone and in what context. From what I have been reading and observing, the entire concept of "being on a first-name basis"--or not--is becoming obsolete, although I will continue to adhere to it.

Another little anecdote on matters of address: last week I went to dinner with friends at a very upscale, but not stuffy, fine dining establishment. Our waiter/sommelier insisted on calling me "young lady." When a man young enough to be my son, as this guy was, calls me 'young lady," I consider it beyond condescending and patronizing, and I let him know I was displeased. He was stunned at my objection and asked (with a bit of belligerence) what then he should call me. One of my gentleman dining companions told him to try Ma'am. As it happens I was picking up the tab (which was about half a mortgage payment)and calculating the tip which I thought would have entitled me to a bit of respect. I am damned sure he wouldn't have called my 6'5" friend (whose birthday we were celebrating and who is nine years younger than I am) "young man." Indeed he called my friend "sir."

Miriam:
Well, I don't have much to add at this moment as I'm quite tired, but did want to comment on your name. I once met an optometrist who had a daughter named Miriam. He asked me: "Can you guess why I chose that name?" After a beat, he said "Because it has two "i"s in it!" and then laughed and laughed. Quite cute, actually, but every time I see your name, I can hear his laugh!

JuBo--two weeks ago I met an adorable boy, about 6 or 7 years old, named Calvin, and since then the name has moved to the top of my list. My only reservation is that it means bald or little bald one, but that could be okay if the baby was born bald, I suppose! I wish it had a more exciting meaning, but I love it nonetheless (especially as a reference to the Calvin and Hobbes cartoon!).

Another Amy--My other current favorite boy name (having just devoured the complete works of Jane Austen, followed by Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series) is Edward. My top girl name is Iris, so you and I are definitely thinking alike.

JuBo -- I know an 8-yr-old Calvin who's a real cutie. I think it's a great name now, but I probably wouldn't have felt so positively about it before knowing him.

Jennifer -- I think Laura is lovely and trend-proof. IMO I wouldn't worry about the Laura-Lauren issue. To me the -a vs the -en ending makes a big difference, and I'd be surprised if people would confuse the two. That said, maybe someone with one of these names (or the parent of a Laura or Lauren) would disagree based on personal experience.

Vivian would be my second choice of the names you mentioned, but I'm afraid it might become more popular in the coming years. I don't think the same will be true of Laura.

I wish I had great boy name to suggest, but those are always harder for me. Lots of people here don't have that problem, though, so I'm sure someone will come with good ideas (and maybe you'll have a girl so it won't matter).

Jennifer-- I can see your challenge, and the amount of thought you are putting into it is impressive.

Your instinct for multi-syllabic names seems sound. Here are a few that I like the sound of with your very handsome sibling group (congrats on lovely choices!) "Nathaniel, Miranda and Elliot".

I like your choices of Alasdair and Vivian. If Alasdair, I would definitely go with the recognized pronunciation of AL-ister, but perhaps that's just my idiosyncracy.

Theodore? Barnaby? Jonathan? (you might find it too popular, but I think it has a nice rhythm with "See", and is classic).

Frederick, Patrick, Gideon, Cormac, Roscoe, Jedidiah

Louisa, Caroline, Philippa, Jane/Johanna, Naomi/Noemie

If you ever find a name you like but don't care for the obvious nickname, you can always consult this group for less obvious ones!

Totally off all the topics, but I just heard something interesting.

You know how Nevaeh just spontaneously sprung up eveywhere at once? I just heard of a possible explanation for it: a lotion named Nevaeh. I heard it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESmmiNSsdtw Her language is a bit crude but for the most part she restrains herself. Most of the video is about "shi-teed", but at the end she rants about people looking at lotions and thinking to themselves "That's a great name! I'll name my child that!"

Just though y'all'd like to know. This might be the true origin of Nevaeh.

The Nevaeh (Heaven backward) comment is probably about the lotion Nivea (owned by the German company Beiersdorf, name branded in 1911). But where does Nivea come from as a name? Isabel Allende has a character by that name in her book The House of Spirits (published 1985), and it has also been used as a first name in real life - there's a singer and whatnot by the name.

It is most probable that both the cream and the name refer to the common Latin root "nivius" referring to snow - the paleness, pureness of its color.

Different story than the Neveah one, although the pronounciation is not probably very different.

I like Vivian, although Vivian See does remind me of Vivien Leigh, the Gone with the Wind actress.

Re Juliana, I think you're going to have a hard time getting people to consistently say "Ju-li-AH-na," even with that spelling. If the other pronunciation really bugs you, I would choose a different name.

Some suggestions are Daniella See, Rebecca See, Claudia See, Nicola See, Athena See.... You're right, See is a tough name!

Re name Laura: my sis-in-law is named Laura and she loves her name, especially as opposed to the name Lauren. Apparently the different ending really makes a difference for her. I don't think that the popularity of Lauren should detract from Laura. However, when I say "Laura See," all I can think of is pleurisy, which is a medical condition that causes chest pain. Most people probably don't make that connection, but I figured I'd throw it out there anyway.

The lotion is "Nivea," and I've never been sure if it's pronounced "ni-VAY-uh" or "NIV-ee-uh."

Miriam--I had to laugh when you mentioned your dilemma, trying to figure out what to call your professor and your mother-in-law.
My favourite professor/mentor has a hyphenated last name, making it very difficult to greet him by Dr. LN in passing. His students, therefore, started calling him Dr. FN. (Funny, because his wife, also a professor, is almost always referred to by her initials. As far as I know, both approve of their inadvertent nicknames.)
I live far away from my in-laws and can bring myself to address them as "Mom" and "Dad" in correspondence, but freeze up every time I see them in person. I lived with them for a month without referring to them as ANYTHING. It was quite embarrassing because my discomfort became quite obvious as the days went by.

Regarding all the awkwardness, which I surely feel too--I think that's one strong argument for universal standards. Just like spelling and grammar rules smooth our communication, rules of etiquette can be a nice grease for social interaction. But it only works if (almost) everyone follows the same standards. Since that's not the case anymore, we're left to forge our own way every time.

Jennifer, the See thing does present some challenges, but I think you've come up with good options. For boys, I really like Alasdair, but I would definitely go with the standard "Allister" pronunciation--I've never heard it said the other way you mentioned, and I think "Allister" is handsome and charming. Oliver is also one of my very, very favorite names--favorite enough perhaps to ignore its rising popularity--but then again, I only happen to know one young Oliver very tangentially in my social circle--maybe it's more problematic for you. I also like Eo's suggestion of Jonathan, but maybe you find that a bit plain for your tastes. For girls, I think Juliana could work fine if you love it, and can get DH to agree. And I agree with the others that Laura sounds more like a classic than Lauren, and is distinct enough not to get lost among Laurens. I do like the 3 syllable names with See, though. What about Eleanor? We're working with a similar LN (sounds like "Soh"), and Eleanor is another one DH and I are considering. Maybe it's too close to your Elliot, though. I liked the Caroline suggestion, and would also raise Catherine and Margaret (or Marguerite) as options.

Oh, and if Cat is still reading--I meant to say earlier that I love Dorothea, and I think it pairs nicely with Lisette. I don't get a "fusty" image from it at all--I get charming and quaint, and think of all the great nn possibilities, if that's your thing.

Ooops, I can't read all the comments before dashing off to work as, yes, a college professor, but as usual I have to come in from left field (I assume no one else has). There are good reasons for calling students exactly what they want to be called -- some have birth-names that assign them to a gender they do not feel is theirs, or are in the process of rethinking their heritage and going back to a culturally traditional name. And "Miss/Ms./Mrs." each have connotations pertaining to marital status or feminism that some students feel offended by. I call roll, ask what they'd like to be called, note it on the roll, and that's what I call them. That seems to me to be much more respectful than imposing a formality upon them.

For myself, I tend to go with my institution's culture of "Professor" for undergrads and first names for graduate students, on the model that academic colleagues address one another by first names in face-to-face interactions. In upper-level seminars, and with honors students, I invite them to call me Beth because, I tell them, they are now working at a high enough level to consider themselves potential colleagues of mine.

Of course, none of this stops them from addressing me as "Hey Prof!" in e-mail....

Miriam - I had the same issue with my MIL. She insisted that I call her "Mom," but that has never been acceptable to me. She is Chinese, so calling her by her first name to her face is a major insult. Mrs. See is, for one, me, and for two, not entirely accurate. She has a PhD that has gone unused since my husband was born 30+ years ago, so she technically is Dr. See. We had a giant kerfluffle over this on the wedding invitations because degrees matter so much to her circle while my mom thought it was arrogant to put the non-medical, 30 years outdated honorific down for a social event. I, like you, tried very hard not to call her anything at all for a very long time. A few times I had to get her attention, so I gritted my teeth and said, "Mom," but I never liked it. Things got better once my oldest was born, as I can now call her Grandma both to her face and when addressing my children. If talking about her to my husband, I use "your mom" and to anyone else, I use her first name.

Eo and Hyz - just to address Jonathan. That was my other choice for Nathan, actually. But now that I have a Nathan, I think Jonathan is too close in sound. I still love it, though.

Theodore is a very handsome name, but like many name, I'm not so sure about Theo See or Teddy See. Margaret in the midwest often comes out as Margrit and makes me think of oatmeal. Rebecca is also on my list, Caroline is good. Catherine is one of those many gorgeous names that is overused - there are Kates and Katies everywhere, and that's one of the things I'm trying to avoid. I actually have a longer girl list than what I posted (it was already too long!) It's my boy list that gives me headaches. Those two are pretty much it. I had Adrian and Aaron and Adam and Henry and a bunch of S names - I love Scott and Simon - but they just sound horrible with the last name or have too many of the trendy sounds or repeat sounds with my other kids. Alexander and Miranda? nope. Jonathan and Nathan? Nope. Aaron and Nathan? Nope. It's very frustrating.

Oooh, Jennifer, good point on the MIL being "grandma" thing. I'm looking forward to that. At some point I figured I'd start calling my MIL "uhmonim", which is the Korean honorific for "mother". I thought that was a decent compromise, because while I already have a "mom", I don't have an "uhmonim". But it still seemed a bit awkward, so maybe now I'll be able to switch right over to halmoni (grandmother)!

I also had to ditch a bunch of my favorite names because of the double S thing, or especially the names that end in -s, or -th, or soft G. How I'd love to name a little boy Silas--but, alas, it's not to be.

I do see what you're saying about Jonathan and Nathan, but I actually think Alexander and Miranda could sound quite complementary if you wanted to do that.

Jennifer- I sympathize and I think I would feel the same about not duplicating sounds. However, you'd be amused therefore by the SSA list of the most popular twin names. http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/twins.html
38 couples called their twins Madison and Morgan, 35 Landon and Logan, etc. 13 couples even chose Jayden and Jaylen! I think that might be a decision they come to regret...