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Kalmia, you hit on many of my concerns there. With Walter, I think it is the blend of letters that makes it feel less moder, more nerdy, etc. And with Edmund, I have wondered also if the -nd ending with Solomon's -on ending might not be the best match. I do like the name Wilder for a FN, but I don't know if I'd have the courage to use it - first because not a familiar FN to people and second because my son Solomon has ADHD, and if a little Wilder ended up having ADHD, too, that could be some possible teasing potential. I've actually wondered if this should keep me from using it in the middle name spot, too. What do you think?
Thank you all so much for the helpful replies. You've all given me a lot to think about. And for those of you who were asking, Wilder is a family name also. It's not one I had ever thought about using until I saw it on a friend of a friend's baby boy, and I fell pretty hard for it. :) I love that it also brings to my mind Laura Ingalls Wilder and even reminds me of Oscar Wilde - I've always loved literary names.
Hmm...you know, Edmund is one I tried pairing Wilder with in the past and pretty quickly dismissed it as being too '"d" heavy. Now, though, that you're all mentioning it, I'm mulling it over more and more, and I think I really like it!
Thank you for all the replies. I've been thinking many of your suggestions over. I don't know why it never occurred to me that "Louisa Bess" sounds a lot like "Elizabeth". Now I can't stop thinking about it, though. I could use Bess with a different FN, but I have long loved Louisa....still not sure.
A few of you mentioned the name Penelope. It's one of those names that I know I *should* really like. It certainly fits my style, and yet I never have warmed up to it. As funny as it sounds, I for some reason hear "jalapeno" when I say the name. Snicker snicker.
And voxverve, that is crazy that your friends' kids are Solomon and Mabel, too! I have never encountered either of their names on another little person, so to hear the same sibset on someone else's kids....wow!
Great post! That is so weird that some names are acceptable while others are not. I agree with Lisa in TX that it may be due to lawyers. It's the only way it makes sense to me, anyway. I need your help. A friend of a friend contacted me, requesting my help in naming the baby boy they're due with in a couple months. Here's the couple's criteria: -She wants uncommon -He doesn't want weird -Cannot be in the top 50 and would prefer not to be in the top 100 -Their last name starts with N so they don't want it to end with and N -The names currently under consideration: Locke Adler Ryker Vale (she like it, but he doesn't) -If they had the baby today and HAD to pick a name he'd be Locke Adler but...they're not thrilled about it. I have some ideas, but I'd love to hear what you think! Thanks!
Hi everyone! I don't have a lot of time to post, but I just wanted to quickly pop in and let you all know that our baby girl is here! Mabel Susannah arrived Oct. 11, joining big brother Solomon Grey. Thank you all very much for your naming help!
What a very interesting post! My husband and I choose uncommon names for our children b/c DH and I both have common names and never really liked having five other kids with the same name in our class. This article does make me think more about choosing uncommon names, but I don't think that being easily traceable is a reason not to use a rarely used name you like. Like another poster mentioned, if you lead a good life and are a good person, people aren't going to find anything against you online. My husband and I have always strived to be good, responsible people and will raise our children to be the same way. Again, a very interesting post! I really enjoyed reading it and thinking it over some. :) On to names...hehe. Our little girl will be here 6 weeks from today, via c-section. As many of you know, the name we have chosen is Mabel Susannah. But we are taking a list of "just in case" names to the hospital with us in case Mabel just doesn't seem to fit her or in case "she" turns out to be a "he". I thought I'd share some of these names with you all to get your take on them. Like I mentioned, we like our kids to have uncommon names, and it seems these days like everyone else is seeking the same thing when naming their kids. So I don't really feel safe with any name b/c I feel any rare name is just destined to be re-discovered and become popular again (like Evelyn did). So here they are... Agnes Rosalind Eloise Pearl Elsa Clementine Louisa Bess Marianne Daisy Rosalind Jane Rosemary Blythe Ambrose William Amos Conrad Atticus Jude Conrad Elias Edmund Grant (or Edmund Pierce) Gareth William Gregor Elias (or Gregor Malachi) Lawrence Asher - our last name starts with an 'S', so this could come across as "Lauren" :/ Phineas John William Ambrose We have a son named Solomon.
Thanks for your help, everyone! I'll let you know if I find out what name they choose. :)
A friend of mine contacted me today seeking baby name help for another friend of hers. Her friend has twins - a boy and a girl. Their boy's name is P0rter Kent0n, and they're girl's name is PIper KaYlyn. Their surname begins with a P. They are expecting again and just found out they're having a boy, and they want his name to be the same initials - P.K.P. I thought you all may enjoy this project, too. Can you help me to think of some names with those initials and fit in with their style? Thanks in advance for your help!
We have a name! I talked to DH, and he said his favorite combo is Mabel Susannah, and I was delighted b/c that's my favorite, too. I don't know why I didn't think of it before, but an added benefit of using Susannah in the mn spot is that it kind of honors my mom b/c her name is Karen Sue. Okay, so they're both in the mn spot, and they're not exactly the same name, so it may be a stretch, but it's still a nice thought given how very close my mom and I are to each other.
KRC, I'm pronouncing Mab and Mabs with a long A - just like in Mabel. If given an occasional nn, though, I'd say we'd *probably* call her Mae. But Mab and Mabs are so cute that we may not be able to resist! Thanks, everyone, for all your comments! You've all helped a lot. I really love Mabel Susannah, but as I shared with you all, I was afraid it may come across as country bumpkin or homespun. But it sounds as if that wasn't the majority of your first impressions. I'll have to see just how much DH loves it. Next in line for me would be Mabel Eloise, Mabel Violet, and Mabel Caroline - I can't decide which order, though.
EVie, yes, we have a 1-syllable last name. DH doesn't like 1-syllable mn's with Mabel, and he says if it's 2 syllables, the emphasis should be on the second syllable. (It's nice to have a DH who thinks about these things!) But since so many of those 2-syllable mn's are French, it tends to turn me off b/c I just don't think a French name and Mabel go together all that well. Thus, our list consists of 3-syllable mn's. We are a picky pair!
Zoerhenne, Gee thanks! Now I also like Mabel Juliet. :D Ha! It's one I said in my mind many a time and liked the sound of it, but I wasn't sure if Juliet matched Mabel in style. And then when I saw the name written out in your post, it looked nice.
Larksong, in reference to your accent, do you mind if I ask if you're from the U.S.?
Congrats, Jill and Kendra! Great work! Okay, I'm going to drive you all crazy. DH and I decided to add 3 more names to the list of names we're considering in the mn spot for Mabel. So I'm wondering if you can look at all 6 of the names we're considering, and tell me what you think. I'm having an impossible time choosing a favorite b/c I love all the names we added, plus one or two of our original 3. Mabel Caroline Mabel Eloise Mabel Emeline/Emmeline (emma-line, which spelling is correct?) Mabel Josephine Mabel Susannah (sound too country bumpkin or homespun?) Mabel Violet Thanks for all your feedback. You are helping me tremendously!
Anna S, The only reason Eloise is being considered as a mn instead of Louisa is b/c DH doesn't like Louisa as a mn for Mabel. (I love it, though.) Thank you so much for all your feedback. You've really helped me sort through my thoughts. We've decided to go with Mabel, and if we change our minds at the last minute and opt for Louisa, that's fine, too. But right now we're pretty set on Mabel. Now it's just deciding on a MN. The combos I listed are DH's top 3. I like them all, but I decided to nix Josephine b/c it just sounds too heavy to me. So that leaves Mabel Eloise and Mabel Violet. And he has said maybe to Mabel Charlotte, Mabel Gwendolen, and Mabel Clementine, so that may give us some more options, too.
Hi everyone! I apologize in advance for this long post. I need your help! DH and I found out about a week ago that we are expecting a little girl. We are SO excited! As you may remember, we have a son Solomon Grey. For so long, I have regarded Louisa as my favorite name, with Louisa Bess being our combo. But almost as soon as we found out we're having a girl, my mind went instantly to Mabel, and now I'm wondering if it has taken over as my favorite girl name. When I picture my little girl, I so strongly see her as a Mabel. But I go back and forth. DH loves both names, but he slightly prefers Mabel. I'm going to list my likes and dislikes and combo ideas for both names. I would love your feedback. Louisa Likes: I love the sound of this name - the way it flows, the -uh sound at the ending. It's feminine without being too frilly. It's a gorgeous antique name that I don't think anyone would bat an eye at, and yet it hasn't been in the top 1000 since 1969. It's literary - used in a couple Jane Austen novels, and of course there's the author Louisa May Alcott. The name feels warm and intelligent to me. It is *the* perfect name in a sibset with Solomon. And I think the nn's Lulu and Lula are adorable for a little girl, and Lucy is a good nn when she's older, though I don't know if that is truly a nn for Louisa??? Dislikes: I often wonder if Louisa is kind of lackluster/boring. The 's' so close to the end of the name, even though I say it as a soft 's', may sound a bit off with our surname, which starts with 'S' and is one syllable. I don't like the nn Lou that much, and Lula and Lula I don't think age well, and I don't know if Lucy is truly a nn for Louisa. Combo: Louisa Bess Mabel Likes: Mabel is just cute as can be! I love her sassiness, sweetness, and cuteness. When I picture my daughter, this is the name that seems to fit her. I like the nn Mab and Mabs, and I love, love, LOVE the nn Mae. I love that Mabel is antique and has not been in the top 1000 since 1964. It's quirky and charming. Dislikes: I know this is going to sound like a contradiction, but to many people this name comes across as old, and I'm afraid they'll think I'm off my rocker for using it. And at the same time, I'm worried at how the name will age. When I picture Mabel, I see a little girl. This is probably silly since the name has been used for so long in history. :P I wonder if this is going to become a hot name in the U.S. It's already on the rise in England, and I steer clear of popular baby names. Sometimes I wonder how good it sounds with Solomon, and other times I think it does indeed sound good, so I waver here. Also, many people see Mabel as a country bumpkin name. Possible combos: Mabel Eloise, Mabel Josephine, and Mabel Violet
I guess I can kind of see where people would shy away from Louisa b/c of nn's. I did that at first myself, and then I started finding Lulu really cute and Lula, too. I've even read at a few places that Lucy can be a nn for Louisa, but I'm not sure. A bit of a stretch???
Hey everyone, I just wanted to pop in really quickly and ask a question. You all probably have seen that Sandra Bullock has adopted a baby, and she has named him Louis. What I'm wondering is if you think this will have any impact on the popularity on the feminine form of the name, Louisa? It's my favorite girl name and what I'm hoping we'll name this baby if it's a girl (depends on DH), so I don't want it to start shooting up. I knew this was the place to ask!
Zoerhenne, I think Marjorie is adorable! I like the nn Marjie.