10 weeks to go and need help!

[name_m]Hi[/name_m] all, we could use some help narrowing down our options for this little green bean due in [name_u]December[/name_u]! We’ve all but settled on a boy name, [name_m]Frederick[/name_m], but cannot seem to find a girl name yet. Whenever we try to narrow down our choices, our list grows instead.

I really want to honor my grandmother, [name_f]Grace[/name_f] [name_f]Frances[/name_f], who passed away during my second trimester. I’m happy to use her name as a middle name, even though it feels like the family connection might get lost because [name_f]Grace[/name_f] is such a common middle name.

I like the names [name_f]Grace[/name_f] and [name_f]Frances[/name_f] as first names, but my husband doesn’t like [name_f]Grace[/name_f] and would prefer [name_f]Francesca[/name_f] over [name_f]Frances[/name_f]. Since he’s already agreed to honor my grandmother, I really don’t feel right asking him to compromise on a name he doesn’t also love. The problem to me is, when I’ve mentioned [name_f]Francesca[/name_f] [name_f]Grace[/name_f] to relatives, they just say “Oh, I like that,” but they don’t make the connection. I have to explain it would be in honor of our grandmother. Am I overthinking this?

Some other first names names on our shortlist (where we can use my grandmother’s name(s) in the middle):
[name_f]Faye[/name_f]
[name_f]Katerina[/name_f]
[name_f]Fiona[/name_f] (my husband LOVES)
[name_f]Karina[/name_f]
[name_f]Mary[/name_f]
[name_f]Veronica[/name_f], nn [name_f]Vera[/name_f]

Any advice or feedback?

[name_f]Francesca[/name_f] is beautiful and if you both love it I would just announce that her name is “[name_f]Francesca[/name_f] after my grandmother”. [name_f]Honour[/name_f] names don’t have to be the exact but these two are so closely related so not an issue [name_f]IMO[/name_f].

[name_f]Grace[/name_f] is common, but it would still be meaningful to you since it was your grandmother’s name. My favorites are [name_f]Francesca[/name_f] [name_f]Grace[/name_f], [name_f]Karina[/name_f] [name_f]Grace[/name_f], and [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] [name_f]Grace[/name_f].

Francesca Grace is great. I’m surprised no one recognizes the honor; it’s more obvious than a lot of others I’ve encountered. I think the important thing is your daughter will know the connection, ask about her and tell others who never met your grandmother. I think it works.

Fiona Frances is also awesome; it would make the connection more obvious and allow you to use your husband’s favorite. I like the alliteration here.

@whitegardenia Yeah, I would probably end up explaining it, and that’s not the end of the world. Thanks! [name_f]Glad[/name_f] you like [name_f]Francesca[/name_f]. :slight_smile:

@sarah1800 Thanks! I love [name_f]Karina[/name_f] [name_f]Grace[/name_f] too.

@swordfish I think I needed that reminder that not everyone has to ‘get’ the honor name, and that it would be most important for her to know the history behind her name. Thanks for that! [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] [name_f]Frances[/name_f] is a great name - we realized we’re partial to names starting with F. :slight_smile:

As soon as I read [name_m]Frederick[/name_m], I thought, [name_f]Francine[/name_f], [name_f]Francesca[/name_f], [name_f]Frances[/name_f]! I think you can’t go wrong with any of them and [name_f]Grace[/name_f] would be a lovely middle.

I don’t think it matters whether or not others make the connection. She will know as will you and your daughter.

You could hyphenate [name_f]Frances[/name_f]-[name_f]Grace[/name_f] so that you have the option to call her [name_f]Grace[/name_f] or [name_f]Gracie[/name_f] and your husband can call her [name_f]Frances[/name_f].

Personally, I would go with [name_f]Francesca[/name_f] [name_f]Grace[/name_f] as you could still call her [name_f]Frances[/name_f], [name_u]Fran[/name_u], [name_f]Francine[/name_f], [name_u]Frannie[/name_u], etc.

Good luck!

What about a name meaning [name_f]Grace[/name_f] -

[name_f]Hannah[/name_f] [name_f]Frances[/name_f]
[name_f]Anita[/name_f] [name_f]Frances[/name_f]
[name_f]Carissa[/name_f] [name_f]Frances[/name_f]
[name_f]Anya[/name_f] [name_f]Frances[/name_f]
[name_f]Milena[/name_f] [name_f]Frances[/name_f]
[name_f]Nancy[/name_f] [name_f]Frances[/name_f]
[name_f]Jamilla[/name_f] [name_f]Frances[/name_f] (It’s technically graceful but I think it still counts)
[name_f]Marianne[/name_f] [name_f]Frances[/name_f]
[name_f]Sena[/name_f] [name_f]Frances[/name_f]
[name_f]Chana[/name_f] [name_f]Frances[/name_f]

I love [name_f]Francesca[/name_f] [name_f]Grace[/name_f] and like it best from your list. I think it’s a great way to honour your grandmother and it certainly doesn’t matter if people don’t get that straight away. My second pick is [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] [name_f]Frances[/name_f] - this really works!

I like [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] [name_f]Frances[/name_f]! Very classic yet full of happiness & personality! (Seems much livelier than [name_f]Francesca[/name_f] [name_f]Grace[/name_f]…which is lovely, but lacking the swing of [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] [name_f]Frances[/name_f]).

[name_f]Frederica[/name_f] [name_f]Grace[/name_f]?

[name_f]Francesca[/name_f] [name_f]Grace[/name_f] is lovely and not much of a stretch at all. The honour name is mostly for you, so I wouldn’t worry about others getting it so much. My boys each have an honour name in the middle, one is obvious, the other is not but I don’t care at all. I know it’s there and to me that’s the important thing.

[name_f]Francesca[/name_f] [name_f]Grace[/name_f] is beautiful, and honorable. I wouldn’t mind if I had to explain the connection. I always let people know the honor association of my children’s middle names. No big deal.

Thanks all! You’ve helped me rethink what an honor name is and how it is used. I’m now feeling less constricted as we think about names.

I’ve mentioned Francesca Grace to relatives, they just say “Oh, I like that,” but they don’t make the connection.

I love the name and consider it a plus that the connection isn’t so obvious!
I very much disapprove of “juniors” in any form. A person deserves the chance to make their own name meaningful.
SHE will know and this is important.
My grandmother, long gone, has 3 Josephs and a [name_u]Jody[/name_u] to commemorate her memory. The public doesn’t need to know. We do! :smiling_face: