The Baby Name Wizard

First, I don't think the recession is going to affect names. It may, however, affect the number of children born as parents worried about the economy choose not add to their clans. It may also affect the number of children available for adoption as birth families with economic woes choose not to parent.

Now...I need help, and I know you uber-namers will have some great suggestions.

I am looking for an old-fashioned, graceful name that begins with an A and ends with an a. Extra points if it is an Am-a name.

My name is an Am-a name with an Am nn (both 70s hits). My dd is Amelia. (I love this name, and it is not at all popular around here!) I am beginning paperwork for second adoption. As a single, I don't have a dh to content with, but I do have a mother! My mother (who is funding said adoption)thinks that b/c my name and my dd's names are so similar, I absolutely *have* to give dd #2 an Am-a name. She says dd #2 won't have a sense of belonging unless she also has a similar name. Unfortunately, I dislike all her suggestions!

I am not so convinced the name has to be an Am name or even an A name. I love the names Mercy, Elsie (my grandmother's name), Eliza (but not Aliza), Jane, Anne, Charlotte, Miriam, Muriel. My mother is suggesting Amariah (sounds made up, though she tells me it is Biblical), America (on an internationally adopted toddler...no), Amaya (no), Alanna (noooo), Annabella or Anastasia (possibly, but both have a lot of syllables). I have a great grandmother named Aurelia, but I think Amelia and Aurelia sounds too sing-songy. I suggested Aurora as an alternative, but Mom says "too Disney." She also likes Amalia, which I think is wayy too similar to Amelia.

We do have one name we both like: Ava. Granted, it's a top 10, which I guess isn't really a problem around here - I have only met one Ava in the preschool set. All the others I know are in their 80s. I think Adah might be a nice alternative, but you guessed it, Grandmama hates it. I also happened across Avonlea on this site. I loved the Anne books as a child, so Avonlea has happy connotations for me, even though the naming style is so different from Amelia.

The old-fashioned-made-new-again naming trend has not caught on in a big way where I live, except for a few names like Emma, Ella, and Olivia. My Amelia is the only one I know in our circle of friends, and we have not run into any at school, dance, swim, etc.

On another note, has anyone thought about naming trends in adoption? My dd is from China, and it seems that parents of litte girls from China love Lily and Grace. We personally know 3 adopted Lilys in our town and many more via our internet family group. I also (unscientifically) find that adoptive parents, particularly ones adopting internationally, tend toward the more serious, classic or Biblical names. I find very few "cutesy" names. I don't know if it is b/c the parents tend to be older, more educated, or what. Also, in China adoption, it is traditional to give the child an English (or whatever the adopter's native language is) first name with the birth name as the mn. In African adoptions, more parents seem to keep the child's given name. In domestic adoption, it seems to be dependent on when the child was adopted - children adopted at birth often have no part of their birth name (if the birth mom bestowed one) retained, while parents who adopt older children (even young toddlers) often keep their birth names. I also think it's interesting to see how parents perceive names. Many parents give family names to "claim" the child as "true" family (which, of course, they are!). I also think it's interesting to see what types of names Caucasian parents choose for their non-Caucasian children. For example, my mom likes the name Asia or Aja, but since this child will be adopted from an Asian country, we would never, ever name an Asian child growing up in a white family Asia. But I know parents who have done this or something similar (Chynna, Kenya, Africa, or Addis -for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia), etc.). I think adoption naming is so interesting with nuances that you don't always see in naming birth children.

I welcome comments/thoughts/suggestions!

TXAmy

TXAmy

Congrats on your impeding adoption!

Amanda?

TxAmy---super cool naming issue: one name you didn't mention is Amanda, or Alicia (I LOVE Aurora and Avonlea.)
Others without being too close to Amelia:
Amara
Althea (a very old fashioned, graceful name to me-- no Am, but has the -ea sound like Amelia to link them)
Agatha
Allegra (doesn't rhyme with Amelia!)
Annika
Aviva

I think adoptive naming is v. interesting! Most adoptees I know have very basic, simple, what I'd consider typical American names-- Alice, Jane etc. like you suggested. But one I'm particularly close to is S!r! (which is a Scandinavian name, from a relative of her adopted family, but is so unique it fits her perfectly). Most people assume the name is asian! She is about 18 y.o.

TXAmy: I think Ava is a good option for you if you're not concerned about its popularity. It has the double A's but doesn't sound like Amelia. And it's something that you and your mom agree on. Have you thought of Adela? I think that also meets your criteria, but maybe it's too close to Amelia.

If you don't do an A name, I think it would be nice to use a family name or something meaningful to you (like Elsie or Avonlea) so that both of your daughter's names have a connection to you.

Arabella, Araminta, Althea, Alethea, Asta, Ariana, Angela, Angelica, Andrea, Adela, Alma, Arcadia, Aretha, Aspasia, Ashlea, Audra, Astra, Athena, Augusta, Avelina, Ayla, Azalea, Adriana, Adina, Agatha, Agneta, Aida, Alexandra, Alicia, Ambrosia, Anna, Audrina, Angelina, Anissa, Annika, Annalisa, Anthea, Annetta, Aphra, Antonia, Appollonia, Anselma, Antonella, Alba, Angelina

Lots to choose from in a variety of styles. My preferences are Anna, Alicia, Antonia, Augusta, Adela, Alexandra....

TXAmy- I can't think of anything that hasn't already been suggested, but also love Aurora and Avonlea. I've met a little Aurora nn Rory which I thought was adorable! Of the other choices mentioned I also like Ariana, Antonia, Annika, Adela and Allegra to match with Amelia, but not be impossible to say together:)

What about Samantha? It has the -am sound in it. A friend's daughter, adopted from Guatemala, is named Samantha. Her birth name was Angela, so that became her middle name. Angela might also work for you.

hrm... but maybe having less children will change the way people name--like using all their names on one kid?

TXAmy: Does grandma like Ada better than Adah? (I think the "h" is a little more old-fashioned.) Maybe you could convince her that as long as Baby #2's name is similar to yours in another way, she won't be left out. I am also pretty sure I've guessed your name--it shares three letters with Amelia right? So maybe as long as you pick another name that shares three letters with yours?

I have looked at naming trends of children adopted from Asia! I have been waiting for someone to ask this question! I only looked at the names mentioned in published articles (online or scholarly) though so couldn't find anything about percentages, only common practices.

Some parents give an English name that has a meaning similar to the Chinese name, such as Jade, which I see as similar to Asia, although an argument could be made otherwise. Also, it seemed like the cases where parents kept the name were if they were easily adaptable in the "west," e.g. Lulu. Other parents, according to Ann Anagnost (2000), “search for combinations of Chinese characters that bear a phonemic resemblance to an English name, using unusual spellings (Chinese pinyin) to retain the trace of a difference that can be domesticated (as in Zhuli, Judi, Wanda, Heidi, or Mali)." I think Jae Ran Kim has written about this online (from the perspective of an adult adoptee).

Last thought: I think that having a common name might not be such a bad thing for an Asian kid growing up in a white family. I've never been to Texas but I don't imagine that there are many Asian kids around.

RobynT - very interesting. My evidence is only anecdotal from involvement in the adoption community. I have run across a few parents who keep the original name as a first name, and a few who have chosen names based on the criteria you suggest. Most parents I have encountered keep the original name as mn and choose new first name. In my case, my much-beloved, much-anticipated dd was 2 at adoption - I added an American first name with the same first letter (her Chinese name also begins with an A) and called her by both names. We still call her by both names 2.5 yrs later.

BTW, yes, my given name was a hit in the 70-80s and is an Am-a name with 3 letters in common with Amelia - should be easy to figure out why "Amanda" is not on the short list. :)

I do love Avonlea - maybe a bit more unique than Ava. Too unique? I also love Agatha, but Grandma has threated to disown me. Amethyst is a too nature-lover in this big-beef area (ha!). I love Aurora nn Rory, and I don't think the Disney assn is too strong, but Grandma gags when I mention it. I agree - a common, easy to pronounce name on a kid who may come with inherent identity issues may not be a bad thing.

You guys have great thoughts. Keep them coming.

TXAmy

TXAmy-My first thoughts were Amanda and Anastasia. You would have great nn's in Mandy and Ana/Stacy/etc. which would help distinguish your 2nd from being too matchy. You've gotten great ideas from the other posters. Also some other thoughts to match style-wise that are NOT Am-a names:
Sadie, Georgia, Michelina (like Michelle), Jacqueline, Camilla, something a bit French/Classic/easy to say and maybe to spell as well. Good luck with your adoption.

TXAmy - I think naming the child after your grandmother is a lovely idea. It's a great way to make her feel like her name belongs just as much as her sister's.

I have a cousin who shares her initials with her husband and her eldest daughter but not their youngest. They are a happy little family.

They didn't intend the initials to be the same with the eldest. She was named after a grandmother who had passed away.

I also think Elise and Amelia go very well together in style. Very pretty.

if it's important to have a similar name, my favorites would be ava, ada, anna, and anastasia. if the popularity of ava isn't an issue, i do think it's very pretty with amelia without being too similar.

and amalia and amelia are waaay too matchy for me.

TXAmy:
Thought of Amabel or Amaris... I know they don't end in A... but thought it would sound pretty with Amelia

Also there's Alina, Alyssa, Acacia, Alena,Arista, or Amadea.

Also Amarilla or Amarissa.

TXAmy - jm2c, but if Ava is a name thats only drawback to you is popularity, I say use it. I've really done a 180 on this. Really, as Ms. Wattenberg has pointed out, the top ten names aren't as common now as they used to be. Such a fewer percent of children get top ten names now. With two daughters under five, I'm really surprised at how few top tenners I meet (and I'm in Texas, too). I know kids at Church, preschool, dance class, library storytime, playgroup, and the neighborhood, and I haven't met all top ten names for boys or girls.
Lately, I've felt I gave my dds the right names, for the wrong reasons. If I have a third daughter, I'll probably take the plunge and name her Emma - a name I rejected twice because it was "too popular", but I had every other reason to choose (family name on both sides of dearly beloved relatives, beautiful sound, exactly my style, easy to spell,etc).
Congratulations, and happy naming trails to you!

TXAmy,

The only two Chinese adoptees I know are named Lily and Naomi. Fits right in with your theory.

I also know a Chinese adoptee named Lily, sister to Theo. I know another Chinese adoptee named Samantha, sister to Sophia--maybe Samatha would work for you, having the am-a in there?

I think Avonlea is very nice, and not too different to use with Amelia. A different style, yes, but it still feels old fashioned and pretty. And I agree that if you like Ava, go for it--adoptees often feel and are seen as "different" already, and she might feel blessed to have a more popular and lovely name. I would say no way on Amalia as a sister to Amelia, though, as nice as it is on its own merits.

From the other suggestions, I personally love Adela, Althea, and Anthea--they are all still on my list for future daughters. Annika, Anneliese, and Augusta are also awesome. I also love your suggestion of Ada (or Adah), and if you like that, what about Adelaide?

I know Chinese adoptees named Grace, Rose (these two are sisters), Ava, and Aliya.

@TXAmy, I think Ava just might be your winner. It's a name both you and your mother agree on, it "fits in" with you and your first daughter's names without being overly matching with them, and it does perhaps provide a sense of belonging to a child who may have identity issues. (And, fwiw, I only know one Ava.)

TXAmy - How about Avila? I also support Elsie for the family connection, and Ava for the above reasons.

Eo - I love those nicknames, was Toth ever commonly used?

Miriam - I was nosing through an older thread (in search of said nicknames) and I stumbled upon some posts of yours with linguistic explanations, and wanted to say how articulate and easily understandable they are. I shouldn't have jumped to miss your point when I asked about Xopher and written shorthand. Apologies and thanks.

When I googled Sayrian, a bunch of hits came up for this as a LN, spelled this way. I just think that naming your child after a medical procedure is strange.

re: Medved, in the Seattle area we have a radio show host (Michael Medved) who everyone knows is a Jew (he speaks about it often - on the show and off). I always had assumed that Medved was a Jewish name (beings that I know next to nothing about Jewish names).

TxAmy: Amabelle/Amabella? I understand that this is the name behind Annabelle. Aurora is nice too. I liked Miriam because it has AM at the end - a nice nod. I don't really think it matters if your newest dd has an Am name or not though. Oh, and Avonlea is beautiful too.

TXAmy-- It's nice that you are being so thoughtful about this. Is there a possibility that you could choose an "A" name that wouldn't necessarily also END in "a"?

To me, that would give enough cohesiveness among the three of you, without being too matched. Or, I would also consider a name that ended in "a", but did not necessarily start with "A". I like the individuality that either of the above options confers.

Starting with A but not ending with a-- I really like Melissa C's suggestion of "Amabel". Also "Annabel". Also "Adele", "Angharad", "Averil", "Ariel", "Alice", or even a fanciful literary name like "Alafair".

Not starting with A but ending in a-- "Eliza", "Ileana", "Isla", "Cecelia" (or is that a little too rhyming with "Amelia"?), "Clarissa".

But if beginning and ending "a" is absolutely essential-- "Augusta", "Aphra", "Annora" (this is the medieval form of Honora/Honoria). And classic, simple, beautiful "Anna" is a superb choice that, despite popularity, is not in danger of sounding stale in a few years as some other "A-a" names will, I fear.

I think all of the above sound great with "Amelia"...

Note to Coll-- I've always liked "Rhys" so much too. Am hoping the use of "Reese" for girls, as in R. Witherspoon, will not encroach on the masculinity of Rhys...

Speaking of Welsh names, I spotted "Llenis" in an obituary of a 90 year old woman the other day. Have been madly speculating whether, with the double "l", it is really Welsh, or faux Welsh? Either way, I rather like it. The Welsh are scattered all through upstate New York, so it's not inconceivable that that was in her heritage...

Oh, bianca, glad you enjoyed them. I HAVE actually seen "Toth" used-- I wish I could remember where? Someone here might even have mentioned it-- anyone?

Oh, Eo, you raised Averil, my old favorite! Since I can't use that now (on the theory that Ivy and Averil sound too close), I hope someone picks it up! And I do prefer the sound of Adele to Adela, if you can give up on the -a ending. I think Annora is a nice suggestion, too--or Honora, if that would pass muster with grandma. I would caution about Anna, though--as much as I love it (and I do), it seems to me (andecdotally) to be another one that often goes to the Chinese adoptees (along with Grace, Lily, etc.). And in general, I know two Annas born in the last few months to people here at my office--at least locally, I'd say it's much more common than Ava.

TXAmy
How about Alma? Such a beautiful underused name!

Just had to report this--I was reading a news account of a criminal trial during which the sister of the accused testified. Her name...Marijuana. Who names a precious newborn Marijuana??? BTW the accused brother was named Delloyd.

TXAmy-

How about A-da names: Aida, Ada, Alida? My favorite it Ada -which sounds and looks much like Ava.

"man" names: Emanuelle or Samantha (as someone else suggested)

"and" names: Alexandra, Andrea, Miranda, Cassandra, or Candace

or "nda" names: Lucinda, Rosalinda...

I think that you can expand your box a little. Your oldest daughter's name and your name is different than two children with one on the way. Since you've used some of the letters from your name. Carrying on that tradition with your 2nd daughter would be lovely, but it doesn't have to be the exact same letters that you used the first time around.

However, I do like some of the other names that have been suggested: Aurora, Augusta, Adele and I love Miriam... I sure wish it translated to something other than Maria in Spanish... alas, I refuse to have a daughter with the name Maria, just too common in Mexico for me :(

I adore the name Alma. Grandmama rejected it, along with a bevvy of other names. Also, in this part of Texas, Alma (meaning "soul") is commonly seen as a Hispanic name. I don't know if that's the case elsewhere.

I am loving ALL the suggestions. DD#2 will not be from China, but will probably also be Asian.
Yes, Anna is also common among children adopted from China. I know of 4 off the top of my head.

PS - Obviously, Marijuana and her accused brother didn't fall far from the tree.

Amy

I also know a chinese adoptee named Lily. Why do you think so many chinese adoptees are named Lily is it a national flower or something? I have a little cousin adopted from Haiti named M!mos@ Sara-Rose. She was named Mimosa because that is common flower in Haiti, and rose because her mother likes roses: )

Bethany- why do you have to translate Miriam to Maria? I know a Hispanic family with a baby Miriam. Her elder sisters are Lizet and Yamilet- such cute kids!

re: Marijuana. Why is marijuana so named? It does sound like a girl's name, Mari Juana.

Miriam - that certainly explains why you always seem to know what the "poker guys" are talking about naming (or not naming) their children on the poker forum! Congrats to your son.

Miriam - I had a friend that worked for a DA's office in a major city. He was really taken by how many accused criminals were named Marijuana, Cocaine, Meth, etc. Also, he said Scarface occured more than once.

Wow Marijuana is unfortunate. But not any more so than others we have run across (liquor names, unsavory political figures, etc.)

TXamy-I love the suggestions coming your way. Who knew there were so many A names out there. I would offer a few more though from my local hospital info gathering-
Alayna, Arionna, Arianna, Ashantae, Abigail, Aubrey, Alivia, Adonijah, Ainsley, Aisha, Alea/h, Aliyana, Alissa/Alyssa, Amiyah, Amira. I also like the suggestion of Brianna, Candace, Camilla, Emma, Evelena, Hannah, and others that just have the -am- or -an- somewhere within them. Or maybe switch things around and go with Madeline, Madison, Matilda, Mariah, or some other Ma- name. Seems to me you have LOTS of choices.

TxAmy- I have walked in your shoes. I had a father-in-law who wondered if "the color" of our soon-to be- adopted daughter would not fit in with our white -bread community. My ex-husband handled that well, but it was a clue to me that I needed to be mindful in naming our daughter. I wanted Allegra(!) or Amalia(!)-sound familiar? or Alice( family name)...but decided on Alicia because it is a bonafide Italian( husband's family), Colombian( daughter's origin) and classic American name, which played well in suburbia-most importantly. This was long ago, by the way. But still, I understand your dilemma.. Since Amelia goes by 2 names- how about something like Adah Jane or Ava Kate for your new little one.? Very different from the beautiful Amelia, but lovely in its own right. I also love many of the suggestions you have gotten already. I particularly like Aubrey, Amabel and your fav- Avonlea.... I would make the argument with my Mom that the same first and last initial are sufficient to mark you as a clan. I wish you much wisdom, patience and creativity in your decision.

Marijuana?! Good grief. María Juana is not uncommon, though, even though it is super close to marijuana (the same in Spanish as it is in English). I have a colleague named María Juana. We are careful to pronounce it correctly. And in Venezuela I knew a woman named Lesbia Ana (lesbiana = lesbian in Spanish). I thought that was a particularly unusual choice given how chauvinistic Venezuelan culture can be!

TxAmy---- I think Averil, suggested by two inspired NEs (Eo and Hyz), is terrific. Amelia and Averil--close, but not repetitive in cadence or ending syllable. Beautiful names for your lovelies! I am on tenterhooks-- keep us apprised,please.

I have a question for Miriam.
I know you told me a long time ago what Gilead meant but I am having a hard time remembering what you said. I have foudn many places taht say it is "mound or hill of testimony", also when used to name boys Gil- means "Joy" and -ad is "forever". Is this accurate??
Also if the hill of testimony of accurate is it out of context to claim that meaning for naming my son? I know that Gil'ad is a name though Gilead is not typically used as one. Right? Or not?

This my first post after just reading for a long time, because I need some opinions...My recent favorite name for a boy is Booker. My husband says it sounds too much like booger. Should I take it off my list?

Julia-In order to help you better, I have some questions. Is this your first child, or are there siblings, or are you just thinking of names and not as yet conceived one? What is your style-i.e do you prefer western type names, classic names, names with meanings, etc.? Are you in the USA? What else does your husband like?

I think Booker is distinctive. It is nms but that doesn't mean it can't be yours. It sounds Western/Mountain to me along the lines of names we've addressed before such as Cooper, Dakota, Montana, Hunter, and Wyatt. It also reminds me of a show in the US that the main character was named Booker. *A quick search tells me that this show aired 1989-90 and starred Richard Greico. It was a spinoff of 21 Jump Street.* It also reminds me of Booker T Washington.* He was an American educator who founded Tuskeegee Institute. He was also biracial at a time when this was not as accepted as it is now.* These references may dissuade you or not matter at all but now you have my thoughts.

Yeah, we're in the US. We are just thinking of names now- not having a baby yet. (Or rather, I'm just thinking of names now, and am driving my husband crazy.) I generally like old fashioned names, and Booker T. Washington is where I got it from- I like the historical reference. Other boy names I like: Everett, Gunnar, Moses, Otis, Truman.

Honestly, booger didn't even come to my mind until he said that- does it come to mind for anyone else?

An update on The Bachelorette's new daughter Blakesley Grace. Blakesley is Trista's Mom's maiden name. Okay, I like it better now!

Why they chose Aven Angelica as their daughter’s name:

Actor Matthew Settle (I don't know who he is) just had a daughter named Aven Angelica.

Here's the explanation:

MS: Angelica because she’s angelic. Aven means mountain flower. We liked it — it was unique and we hadn’t heard it before. We were on a road trip, coming back from seeing my parents in Tennessee. We stopped at a hotel and were looking online under ‘A’ to find something to go with Angelica. It’s an English name. Naama immediately heard it and said, “That’s it.”

http://celebrity-babies.com/2009/04/09/matthew-settle-introduces-aven-an...

I think I like Aven because I like Haven.

julia,
for what it's worth, booker does not at all make me thing of booger, and i also like the historical reference. i think it's distinctive, but also familiar.

Sorry this post is so late on Saxon. I've actually met 2 other Saxons in my life before the openhouse. One was at college, a male. He would be in his early 30's now. The other was when I worked at a talent agency in LA. An actress named S@xon Tr@inor, who has done mostly character work on T.V. shows. I loved her name and asked if it was a stage name, and she said no, it was a family name.

27 Jennifers,

I love Otto with Calvin. One of my favorite movies of all times is "Laura" by the late Otto Preminger. I am a fan of his work and his name. It sounds fresh while still carrying historical weight. Plus its a family name, can't get better then that.

I also really like Dexter, but am a fan of the Showtime series. So my immediate association to that name is "loveable serial killer".

Of the other names suggested, I love:

Felix
Alden
Truman

TXAmy:

I also love Avonlea (The Anne series are still a favorite). I think Ava could be a darling nn, all of the letters are already in it. Then you get the best of both names.

As for names for adopted children, I know 3 little girls from China:
Ivy
Daisy
Caroline
all in different families.

Another family includes two daughters from Kazakhstan. The oldest, Jillian, is Caucasain, and her little sister, Gemma, is of Asian decent. The country borders both Russia and China, so it makes sense. What is really cool, their parents are mixed as well. The dad is as WASPY as they come, and the mom is Korean American. So both kids share some physical similarities to one of their parents.

Julia-- I agree with zoerhenne and emilyrae that your proposal of "Booker" is interesting. I admire it, partly because of the historical association with the heroic and one-of-a-kind figure, Booker T. Washington. We "Horatio Alger"-types love him!

I wouldn't have thought of that other, unpleasant word! It doesn't put me off the name. Tell hubby you can find less-than-stellar associations, rhymes, vulgarisms, puns, etc. with almost any name, and for the most part they are to be majestically ignored or risen above, in my opinion!

(But of course, only you and he can tell if it would be an ultimate deal-breaker for you. It is certainly plausible that there would be, for a brief time, school-yard taunts of the kind your husband fears.)

Also like the possible nickname you could use, "Books", which certainly is a VERY nice association. And rhymes with Brooks, another appealing name...

One of the several reasons our nine year old son Banks was given the formal name "Benjamin" was because of the association with brilliant historical figures Benjamin Franklin and Benjamin Disraeli.

The name is admittedly much more common than "Booker", but interestingly, Banks has "absorbed" our admiration for these specific men. I have heard him tell people proudly that he was named "for" Benjamin Franklin, especially since he has been studying him in depth in third grade! When he was littler, he even thought he was "related" to B. Franklin, which we tried to disabuse him of!

My point is, we didn't "push" the association at all, just answered his questions about the name when it came up, and he started to get a sense of the significance of the men who have born it.
A child given a name that resounds in history in a positive way has perhaps been started on the path to intellectual curiosity. (Not to be too grandiose about it!!)

On reflection, and in the interest of accuracy AND self-awareness, must admit we might have pushed it a little, ha! We are NE's after all...

Happy Easter weekend to all who observe...

Valerie-

I just assume that my husband's family would translate her name for us, even if we didn't really want them to. And since there are so many Marias in Mexico... we know sisters who are both named Maria... it seems to be very overused.

To top it off, my mil name is Maria... I am afraid that even if I named a baby Miriam, she would end up being called Maria by my husband's family because of typical "translation." 16 grandchildren and still no one has named a baby after her...

Julia: You've got so many other great names on your list. I would drop Booker. Or maybe test it out on other family members when the time comes. Every baby only needs one (or maybe two or three) names. And I think the negotiation with partner and other involved folks is a part of the challenge of naming!

re: Aven: I like it too but am not sure whether to pronounce to rhyme with Haven or like Avenue.

TXAmy: I would guess that stressing that you and your two daughters share the same initial "A" would make your new daughter feel part of the family, and that maybe you could open up your options a little bit. If it does end up seeming ok to do that, what about Abigail? I don't remember if it's been suggested before, but I think it'd be very pretty with Amelia, and with what I think your name is.

I'm a big Anne of Green Gables fan, but I think Avonlea is a little clunky for a given name, personally. I think Aurora would also be a really nice fit. It'd be pretty nice to be able to tell her that she's named after the dawn, too.

New baby names:

Harrison Russell
Declan (not sure of middle name)
Mia Nevaeh (sorry, just nms)