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PhD candidate, Brooklyn-dweller, life-long Name Enthusiast, dreamer. Favors late-Victorian names and early-Victorian novels. Married to a man with an unbelievable tolerance for making future-baby name lists.
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Boys to go with Alistair: Simon, Reginald, Frederick, Graeme, Rufus, Callum, Ambrose Girls: Rowena (love!), Elspeth, Briony, Clare, Fiona, Georgiana Since Alistair is my current favorite boy's name, I have to join it with Simon :)
I'm liking the Pippa and Adele nominations. I know new babies born in this year with each of those names. Eloise is also really on the rise among the statistically significant sample of my facebook friends. But I nominate Jobs-- for the double meaning of Steve and the constant drumbeat of "job creation" among the Republican primary candidates. Or we could go with Zucotti.
Chimu, maybe it's just because someone mentioned it above, but I'm liking Blythe or Brynn with Astrid. Also Rowan or Charles for a boy.
I can't wait to get BNW3 when it comes out! Just wanted to check back in and let everyone know that I had my son about two weeks ago and gave him the name we'd picked years before, Simon Kelly LN. I know there are many fans of the name Simon around these parts. He's a wonderful little cuddlebug and a sweet, quiet boy, so the name fits well. My husband adorably commented at our first pediatrician visit that he likes the name more every time he hears someone use it. Still holding Josephine in reserve for a potential future girl, unless it reaches unacceptable heights of popularity in the intervening years. And I'm already thinking about Baby Boy #2 potentials, but I think this time around we'll hold off on talking about anything until we're actually pregnant. It would be nice to have those conversations a bit closer to the baby's arrival than 4 years before :)
Heidi, I'm also expecting a baby (in three weeks!) and if it's a girl will be naming her Josephine. We've loved the name a long time and chose it about 5 years ago for a future daughter. The popularity is on an upswing, undoubtedly, and it's a bit played out on name-enthusiast sites. But I don't actually know any young Josephines. In contrast, I know two Eloises and one Heloise born in the last year! And those names are much farther down the charts (I guess all popularity really is local). It's a bit trendy, but nowhere near oversaturated and has substance and tradition behind it. So I'm sticking with it. My husband wants to use the nickname Josie, too. I prefer Finny (if that interests you at all).
Naomi Dahlia! I love it. The sounds work better than Naomi Delia.
"Meghan - Katherine/Catherine is a great, versatile name. You can't really go wrong with it. I prefer Catherine myself, partially because of Wuthering Heights, partially because I prefer C to K in general, and also because it is less expected and feels fresher. I think that C makes it a softer, sweeter, more elegant name, whereas the K is sharper (but I imagine that some people prefer the K for the same reason, so I guess it depends what you're going for). I agree with knp that you could use Kate as a nn no matter what. I also like the idea of a short and zippy middle—Catherine Ivy and Catherine Zoe would both be great. " I agree with everything up there. I also thing Catherine Claire could be pretty as would Catherine Quinn. For spunky, hmmm: Catherine Jade? Catherine Lark? Catherine Pearl? I don't associate Anders with the Norwegian killer at all. I think it's a very common name in Scandinavia, so I doubt the recent attacks are the primary connection for most people there, as well. My Danish friend's Danish husband is named Anders and during our recent visit to Sweden we noticed tons of Anders on mailboxes, in phone books, etc. After all, Anderson/sen had to come from somewhere, right? knp: congrats on Daphne! So exciting and fun to have a name to associate with your little one. I love that you're not telling anyone you know the sex. I LOVE not knowing whether this baby is a boy or girl, but my husband thinks if we're lucky enough to have another one he wants to find out. But to compromise, I think we'd do what you're doing-- keep our knowledge a secret so we can still have the big reveal at the end. As for me, I'm about 3 weeks away from my due date and we have definitively settled on a boy's and girl's name, first and middle for each. The middle for the girl is something of a step out of character for me, but my husband brought it up as a joke when we were on vacation and we realized we both love the way it sounds with the first and last name, so we're going for it. Now that I have full names I love for each option, I'm so excited to find out whether we have a son or daughter. Either way, I will be thrilled.
Smiley, here are some names I both like and regard as "different." I'm defining that term as meaning: very underused, out-of-date, or prompting negative reactions from non-name enthusiasts. Boys: Ambrose Orlando Augustine Inigo Benedict Isidore Girls: Honoria Cornelia Agnes Agatha Posey Fredericka Marigold Linnet Evadne
emilyrae, I'm fond of the girly-man names, too :) I embrace it. Thanks everyone for brainstorming on Nell. Eleanor is lovely and classic, and I agree that most Eleanors I've come across these days are Ellies (or very occasionally Noras), so Nell would be a change. It's a possibility. But I actually like Nell on its own better than Eleanor. And something about it feels less constraining than other nickname names. I would never name a child Daisy rather than Margaret, for instance, and thus deprive her of options. But Nell strikes me more like Eve or Pearl--a little old fashioned, short, difficult to nickname from, but nice. The way Gwyneth Paltrow described choosing her daughter Apple's name because apples are sweet and lovely and wholesome--that's how I feel about Nell. While names like Antonella or Petronella or Penelope or Helena, nice as they are, don't conjure that feeling for me. It seems counterproductive to saddle my kid with "a lot of name" when ultimately all I want is the sweet simplicity of Nell. (Of course, all this goes out the window if the husband ever comes around on Cornelia, a lot of name be damned). Thanks for indulging this fit of hypothetical naming, since I'll probably have all boys and none of this will matter in the end. I think the discussion helped solidify how much I don't want to find a Nell substitute just for the sake of my no-nicknames-on-the-birth-certificate principles. Rules are made to be broken, right?
Hmm, the Nell complications keep growing. Ellen is my MIL's name and my husband is Ashkenazi, so he's very reluctant to name after living namesakes. Plus, it's my mother-in-law. I love her dearly, but that's *her* name, not a darling baby's. So that rules out Ellen, Helen, and Elena. I honestly like Nell on its own better than any of the other names mentioned as full-name options, with the exception of Cornelia. Maybe time and effort will wear my husband down and he'll finally agree that it's beautiful. But if not, it looks like girl#2 (if we ever get a girl #2) will be just plain Nell, simple and sweet. We could still call her Nellie if we were feeling nicknamey.
Fascinating! I can't say I'm surprised to see that Kaylee and Bailey and Brayden are distinctly American: that is what I think of when I think of contemporary "American" style. But I'd never have associate those names with formality if not for the comparison to the most British names. It's a curious reversal of the long ossified stereotypes about relations between our two countries--formal, reserved, stand-offish Brits and outgoing, loud, utterly casual Americans. Yet the stereotypes do still have currency, on both sides of the Atlantic (I can't tell you how many times people marveled that I was neither loud, rude, nor obese when I lived in the UK. Very complimentary of them to point that out). Do the respective naming styles imply some sort of cultural change? Or is national character (if such a thing even exists) too much to pin on a baby name? Thanks to those who commented on our (totally hypothetical at this point) sibling list. Arthur was my husband's grandfather's name, and is growing on me more and more. Alistair and Georgianna are long-time favorites that my husband doesn't much like and I will likely never get to use. I agree that Nell is best as a nickname for something longer, but I find Eleanor a bit too over-done, my husband can't stand Cornelia (my preferred route to Nell), and weirdly I'm not a fan of Penelope. There's nothing objectionable about the name and I can see why others like it, but it rubs me the wrong way. Any other paths to Nell than those three? While I'm generally not a nickname on the birth certificate kind of girl, for Nell I think I could make an exception (oh, and my husband loves Nell just as it is, so that's a factor, too).
Love the Ursula/Zelda connection. I definitely feel the same vibe from them, though Zelda is more aggressively hip and Ursula is more jolie laide (like my adored Agnes and Cornelia-- two names I find ravishing that are totally divisive--people either love them or hate them. My husband unfortunately falls into the latter category). PennyX, I share your association of sensitivity and thoughtfulness with the name Simon, which is one of the reasons why we've chosen it if Baby October is a boy. I'd like to a have son with a classically masculine name who is nonetheless kind and considerate of others and brainy and polite. Am I putting too many expectations on someone who hasn't been born yet? My husband loves the name, too, but I have no idea why! He doesn't share his impressions of names beyond "I like that" "That's okay" "That's horrible" or "I REALLY like that." Simon and Josephine fall into the REALLY like category, but the reasons he likes them and not, say, Ambrose and Isadora are lost on me. And how's this for putting the cart before the horse: this baby isn't due for two more months, but since we decided on names so many years ago, I've started considering choices for second children! Right now I've got Arthur, George, and Alistair on the boys' list and Nell, Paulina/Polly, and Georgianna on the girls' list. Thoughts on pairings of any of those with Simon or Josephine? PennyX-- good luck with the 2ww. They are miserable. I haven't shared much of our story before this (hoped for) baby, but I do understand some of what you are going through and I truly hope your wait ends happily this month.
Oh! And here's a name for you all. I'm at an academic conference and met a British woman (late-twenties I'd guess) named Demelza. She carries it well.
I love Quinn Camille. I'd say she's a marathon runner. Julia is lovely, but has a very different feel than Quinn. More elegant and melodious than crisp and fresh. They're both nice (and on-the-radar) choices, so it's ultimately about which one is hitting you in the sweet spot when your little girl arrives. But FYI, Julia Quinn is the pen name of an NY Times best-selling romance novelist. Incidentally, I know the feeling of wondering if your long-beloved name is stale. We chose Josephine so many years ago that I started second guessing myself with this pregnancy, should he or she be a girl. I've briefly dallied with Nell, Paulina (nn Polly), and Georgianna. But I keep coming back to that first love, Josephine (and my husband has stuck with it throughout). Strangely, I've never second guessed our boy's choice, Simon. Which makes me thing the baby's a boy. Miller Everett is my favorite of the combinations mentioned so far. Miller Theodore B0wman also sounds nice. Here's some random other choices to consider: Miller Christopher Miller Charles Miller Stevenson Miller Atticus Miller Joseph Miller Bennett Miller Newland (going with the Archer theme) Miller Grayson Though I usually prefer mixing up the styles in first name/middle name combos, in this instance I think two surname-sounding names together helps Miller read less roll-cally than has been mentioned. Archer Bowman is delightful-- on someone else's kid :)
lucabratrix: I agree that James is far too established a name to link Rupert more to Murdoch. It's like the Kate Middleton dilemma: no one is going to hear of a baby named Kate and think, "Oh, they must love the princess." We are all too familiar with the name. Now if you were planning for Rupert Lachlan :) I also like the suggestion of Charles (though truly, my favorite you've thrown out is Rupert George. Awesome grandpa style). Tamale: I really like the suggestion of Rosabel. It avoids the Twilight association, gets your husband his preferred nn, and links the name to your favorite but trendy choice of Isabelle (I like the Isobel spelling best). I like Sebastian of your boys' names. Yes, it's heading up the charts. But I've never actually encountered any of those little Sebastians. And it sounds like with your last name. And it's really just an awesome name all around. knp: I don't think Daphne calls out for a nickname at all. But Dora or Dorie are both cute.
Oh, and regarding the nickname Mo: I have a sister named Maura whom we occasionally call Mo (everyone except my mother, who is sent into a rage by that nickname). Her soccer teammates in high school and college always called her Mo, too. But it's more a pet name than a nickname, for she always introduces herself as/goes by Maura. Something similar could work fine for Imogen.
One of my sisters is a Casey, and yet I've always felt it was a true unisex name. And in fact, my parents planned to name her that regardless of what sex she turned out to be-- somewhat unusual, it seems, from what I gather from baby name boards these days. I knew about equal numbers of male/female Caseys who were born in the '80s so that could be influencing my perception. PennyX Imogen Simone is gorgeous. I have such a soft spot for Imogen. And you could combine the two names for a nn and call her Isa. Incidentally, as I mentioned in a previous comment, I've been away from the site for several years. Did you (PennyX) used to go by Mirnada? I remember your fondness for Anya, if so.
Congrats Another Laura! That's a lovely name. I live the probably the epicenter of Brooklyn NYTimes trend pieces. Basing my hypothesis off nothing but my *own* anecdotal evidence I'd say the conclusion is entirely wrong. We're awash in Lillians, Ellas, Sophias (oh, the Sophias), Chloes, and the like. Nostalgia is definitely not dead. Welcome back, Emilyrae. I don't know if you remember me--I also was gone for quite a long time, over a year I think. I'm now expecting a baby in October, as well. We've decided on Simon Kelly LN for a boy and Josephine Kelly LN for a girl. We were debating other girls' middle names (Edith and May, primarily) but decided we like the sound, flow, and family significance of our boys' choice better. So whatever gender this baby is, Kelly will be the middle name. Rosalind is really ravishing and so underused. And Rose or Rosie are beautiful nicknames. Go for it!
@Elodie: I think Irene Frances is lovely. I believe Irene skews a little older than a lot of the names we were discussing (more '30s than '50s/'60s) and is definitely on the quaint and charming end of the spectrum rather than fusty and outdated for me. With Frances as a middle, it's a knock-out. (Of course, I have a dreaded, unfashionable -een ending name and it never bothered me at all). I like some of the Samuel nickname suggestions offered, but don't have any of my own. It is a tough name to nn, but I think you could get people to use the full version if you (and, most importantly, your son) were committed to that. I've known Williams and Daniels who were never Will or Dan. Love Lulu as a nn for Louisa. Since you and your husband both like the name, go with it and let the nn sort itself out naturally.
I also know several Debbie's in their late 20s/early 30s. Most of them, like hyz's acquaintances, are Jewish--so perhaps the Biblical derivation was still compelling to some new parents in the 1980s. Can't say I've heard of any baby Debbies today, though (and Debbie does sound more like an "aunt" name to me: to go with my and my husband's vintage mid-century aunts Barbara and Judy). Today's Debbie: Why not Ellie? It's similarly cheerful and sported by enough little girls to qualify as "girl next door."