Hello!
[name_f][/name_f]I’ve posted here during all three of my previous pregnancies. However, this time around, we felt pretty set with a name 98% of the way through my pregnancy! But now that he’s almost here, I’m having cold feet about our original choice, and also doubts about our dark horse contender that I’d been more set on for the last week or so. I need you, Nameberry!
[name_f][/name_f]I would love thoughts on which name you like best in general, in combination with his siblings’ names, feedback on the pros and cons of our main choices, and maybe any other ideas for boys’ names that sound good with his siblings and have a Catholic connection (either a saint name or a biblical name). (Though my husband is now refusing to consider any alternative choices besides our top two until the baby’s here, haha.)
[name_f][/name_f]Our other kids are M@rtha, M0rris (my maiden name), and The0dora. [name_m]The[/name_m] younger two go by offbeat nicknames that just sort of naturally occurred.
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Ok[/name_f], so the names in contention:
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]My[/name_f] favorite boys’ name as a child is also my husband’s middle name: [name_m]Peter[/name_m]. I’m very fond of it, love the children’s literature associations, rock-solid saint connection, and that it’s a classic name that also sounds gentle and intellectual. Downsides: I don’t see as much potential for cute nicknames there. Petey?? [name_m]The[/name_m] kids suggested Pickle, lol. I also feel a liiiiittle bored by it (and it doesn’t thrill me with our last name, 0lsen) but it’s also been such a longtime love, and this is my chance to use it. If it’s not the first name, I’m pretty set on using it as the middle.
[name_f][/name_f]Another name I’ve always loved the sound of is [name_m]Ephraim[/name_m]. (Eff-rum.) I remember walking back from gym class in high school talking to another girl about how we both loved this name. I love the soft sound and the association with [name_m]St[/name_m] [name_m]Ephraim[/name_m] the Syrian, who is a [name_m]Doctor[/name_m] of the [name_m]Church[/name_m] and an important saint to Eastern Christians (we’re Eastern Catholic). He wrote tons of poetry and music and was influential in making church music a thing way back in the 300s. I also love the idea of [name_m]Ephraim[/name_m] nicknamed [name_m]Remy[/name_m]. We are major nicknamers. (Though to be honest, we’ve never been able to plan a nickname ahead of time—they’ve never gone as planned!) [name_m]Ephraim[/name_m] feels fresher and more exciting to me, and I like it better with our last name. Compared to [name_m]Peter[/name_m], [name_m]Ephraim[/name_m] has a pretty ecumenical pedigree—it’s seen a lot in Jewish communities, Mormon/Latter-Day saints, and apparently [name_m]Amish[/name_m]! There’s also a more recent Orthodox [name_m]St[/name_m] [name_m]Ephraim[/name_m]. Is it too loaded with multiple associations? [name_f]In[/name_f] combination with brother M0rris (in some contexts kind of a Jewish grandpa name) is it too Jewish for gentiles to use? It also has many different spellings and pronunciations, but we would use the most common Biblical spelling and pronounce it what seems to be the most common [name_f]English[/name_f] way, Eff-rum. Would that be burdensome compared to the very familiar [name_m]Peter[/name_m]?
[name_f][/name_f]Thank you for reading my novel! I’m so grateful for any thoughts, breakdowns, psychoanalysis, suggestions, and other feedback you might have!
[name_f][/name_f] I appreciate the [name_m]Peter[/name_m] love!
) [name_f][/name_f]:
