Almost 42 weeks and no name!

I posted a while back about boy and girl names for baby #4. Well, I’ll be 42 weeks on Friday, and if I don’t go into labor by then, my midwife says I’ll have to go to the hospital for an induction on [name_m]Saturday[/name_m] morning. We don’t know if it is a boy or a girl, but we have a boy name (Kessel [name_m]Alexander[/name_m]). Our other children are Leiden, [name_f]Saskia[/name_f], and Aleydis.

Right now we are stuck between two first names and a bunch of middle names. [name_m]Both[/name_m] are Dutch names.

Evelien (somewhere between ay-vuh-LEEN and ehv-uh-LEEN)
and
Margreet nn [name_f]Greet[/name_f] or just [name_f]Greet[/name_f]. I tend to really prefer [name_f]Greet[/name_f] to Margreet since none of our other kids have nns, but it’s hard to find a middle name with a first name that is a verb, though I think my husband could look past it (it’s his favorite)

For middle names, we like to use family names or versions of family names that are more Anglophone. (Our other kids middle names are [name_m]Dominic[/name_m], [name_f]Rosemary[/name_f], and [name_f]Josephine[/name_f])

Contenders: [name_f]Marguerite[/name_f] (obviously not with Margreet), [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], [name_f]Louisa[/name_f], [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f], [name_f]Susanna[/name_f], and [name_f]Alexandra[/name_f].

Which do you prefer? Any combos that strike you?

My favorite is Margreet [name_f]Louisa[/name_f], called [name_f]Greet[/name_f]. I don’t think it’s a problem that she would have a nickname while the others don’t, and both names are lovely. Evelien is pretty too - maybe Evelien [name_f]Susanna[/name_f].

I think that Evelien [name_f]Louisa[/name_f] is a very classy, pretty name and my favorite combination.

[name_m]Both[/name_m] names are very pretty, but I think I like Evelien better.
Evelien [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] or Evelien [name_f]Louisa[/name_f]. Good luck :).

Are you in the Netherlands? Fascinating names. I prefer Margreet as it’s most distinct from your other children’s names and also think it’s more international than just [name_f]Greet[/name_f]. My favorite choice is Margreet [name_f]Louisa[/name_f]. Can’t wait to hear the final result!

Evelien is beautiful. I like it with [name_f]Susannah[/name_f], and not really with [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] but maybe a different form of [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], like [name_f]Lizbeth[/name_f]?

Evelien [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] (love this spelling and the first name)

or Margreet [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f]

Nope, not in the Netherlands, but my husband and I met while doing graduate degrees in Leiden back 14 years ago. I studied 17th and 18th century Dutch art history and worked for a long time in art restoration. We fell in love with the name Leiden, because it was a meaningful place for us, [name_f]Saskia[/name_f] because I had always been fascinated by [name_f]Saskia[/name_f] van Uylenburgh, [name_m]Rembrandt[/name_m]'s wife, and Aleydis for no special reason except we felt we had to stick to the pattern. Many years before, I ran across the name at an art history conference, Aleydis van Something or Other. I didn’t go to her panel or know anything about her, but I remembered the name. Then we found out (after we had chosen it) that Aleydis was the name of one of Vermeer’s daughters. This time has been much much harder. We’ve had to hit the books for ideas, because a lot of Dutch names just don’t work very well in English. Kessel is another art history name, after [name_u]Jan[/name_u] van Kessel, a 17th century painter of botanical still lifes. Have you pegged me as a nerd yet?

Yes, we don’t seem to be avoiding nicknames this time around. I really like [name_f]Kess[/name_f] as nn for our boy name. I also like [name_f]Evie[/name_f] and Lien (LEEN) for Evelien. Dh really likes [name_f]Greet[/name_f], but isn’t a fan of the [name_f]MAR[/name_f] part for some reason. His favorite at the moment is [name_f]Greet[/name_f] [name_f]Susanna[/name_f].

I second Margreet [name_f]Louisa[/name_f]. But I’d say definitely give her the full name Margreet, [name_f]Greet[/name_f] [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] unfortunately sounds like you’re commanding your child to greet a [name_f]Susanna[/name_f]. But, as I nickname, it’s quite lovely!

[name_f]Love[/name_f] your other kids names! I like Evelien [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] out of your choices.

Yep, there seems to be no way around that. Dh thinks that it wouldn’t be so noticeable if we chose a less recognizable or another Dutch name. i.e. [name_f]Greet[/name_f] Madelief or [name_f]Greet[/name_f] Liselot, etc). I’m not so sure.

[name_m]Hi[/name_m],

[name_m]How[/name_m] do you pronounce Margreet? Margreet or margreat (Dutch prn.)? If you prefer the English prn you could also use [name_f]Margriet[/name_f] which is prn mar-greet. The nn Griet is easier to use as a given name with a middle name, re your concerns with [name_f]Greet[/name_f]. Plus, a [name_f]Margriet[/name_f] is a flower :slight_smile:

Other Dutch names you might like: Marlies, Marloes, Annelies, Annemiek, [name_f]Marieke[/name_f] or [name_f]Lisette[/name_f]?

[name_m]How[/name_m] about Evelien [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f]? I think that’s really pretty. If you want to use Margreet that’s cool, but I would use [name_f]Greet[/name_f] as a nn only. Can you imagine if she went somewhere and someone said “Can someone go greet [name_f]Greet[/name_f]?” That’s a bit much. I prefer Evelien though.

Since we live in and English-speaking country, we tend to Anglicize pronunciations for simplicity’s sake, so closer to [name_f]Mar[/name_f]-greet than mar-great. I also have always loved the form [name_f]Marguerite[/name_f], which is nearly identical to [name_f]Mar[/name_f]-greet. I’m open to [name_f]Margriet[/name_f], but dh’s name is [name_m]Niel[/name_m], and his name is constantly spelled [name_u]Neil[/name_u]. And I can’t tell you how many times our son has come home with Lieden on his papers. So he doesn’t want to give people the opportunity to have ie ei confusion this time around (which is why he doesn’t like Evelien as much as I do. I love [name_f]Lisette[/name_f] and [name_f]Lisanne[/name_f]/Lysanne, but dh was not as keen. He doesn’t want to repeat any initials.

I like a blend --Margreet [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] (nn [name_f]Greet[/name_f], too cute)

And holy heavens I feel for you at 42 weeks mama. Whatever you call her, she’s late! Good luck :slight_smile:

I like both first names, it’s hard to choose! I think I’ll cast my vote for Margreet [name_f]Susanna[/name_f]. I like it with your other kids’ names. I wouldn’t recommend [name_f]Greet[/name_f] as a name on its own, not in an English-speaking country, but it’s a cute nickname.

I agree with your DH that a Dutch middle name makes [name_f]Greet[/name_f] work in its own right. I am loving the spelling margriet/ griet. So pretty!

I think Griet Liselot is beautiful :slight_smile:

[name_u]Baby[/name_u] is here! Turns out she is neither a Evelien or a Margreet. Her name is Madelief [name_f]Helene[/name_f]! It fits her perfectly. [name_m]Will[/name_m] make a proper announcement later.