Almost there!

Thanks everyone so much for your input yesterday! We are so close and I hope this will be my last post before posting the final decision! Based on your comments and further discussion with hubby, we have narrowed the list to [name]Tessa[/name] or [name]Helena[/name] and [name]Lucas[/name] or [name]Callum[/name] (siblings are brothers [name]Ari[/name] and [name]Christopher[/name]). I think this is the middle name combo we will go with for both girl names, [name]Millay[/name] is for my favorite poet [name]Edna[/name] [name]St[/name]. [name]Vincent[/name] [name]Millay[/name]. Pretty or too masculine? Also, I know [name]Rose[/name] is a “filler” middle name, but I still think it has such a nice flow. What do you think? Any other suggestions with a similar flow? No middle names for boys yet, any thoughts? Last name is Tolka. Thanks again everyone, almost there!

Girls:
[name]Tessa[/name] [name]Rose[/name] [name]Millay[/name]
[name]Helena[/name] [name]Rose[/name] [name]Millay[/name]

Boys:
[name]Lucas[/name]
[name]Callum[/name]

Girls:
[name]Tessa[/name] [name]Rose[/name] [name]Millay[/name]
[name]Helena[/name] [name]Rose[/name] [name]Millay[/name]

Boys:
[name]Lucas[/name]
[name]Callum[/name]

I just copied and pasted your choices so I wouldnt forget, and yet you probably dont care, so maybe I should get on with it?

Anyway, so I forget, is [name]Millay[/name] the last name? Correct me if I’m wrong but I’m just gonna say it is, LOL.

[name]Tessa[/name]: Its really nice, and you could call her [name]Tess[/name] or [name]Tessy[/name]/[name]Tessie[/name]! I thought the new girl at my schools name was actually [name]Tessa[/name], but turns out its actually just [name]Tessy[/name]. I think [name]Tessie[/name] would be a nicer choice than [name]Tessa[/name], but I like [name]Tessa[/name] too and its not my kid.
[name]Rose[/name]: Such a pretty name, but so ultra common. Although, I do love it, and not many people she meets is really going to ask for her middle name much.
[name]Helena[/name]: I am being honest with you, I dont really like it much. I prefer [name]Helen[/name]. Although, [name]Helena[/name] is more feminine in my eyes and I also think it is more “now”. I dont know if you know what I mean by that?
[name]Lucas[/name]: I like [name]Luke[/name] but not [name]Lucas[/name].
[name]Callum[/name]:I really dont like this name.

[name]Hope[/name] I helped!

Girls:
[name]Tessa[/name] [name]Rose[/name] [name]Millay[/name]
[name]Helena[/name] [name]Rose[/name] [name]Millay[/name]

Boys:
[name]Lucas[/name]
[name]Callum[/name]

I think your choices are fantastic! [name]Rose[/name] may be “filler” but it is also gorgeous. Plus she will have another fab middle name in there. I love it when middle names mean something, so I’d say you’re set. I personally would go with [name]Helena[/name]. Not only are there more nn choices, but I can see it growing up a little better than [name]Tessa[/name]. [name]Don[/name]'t get me wrong, I still love [name]Tessa[/name]. [name]Helena[/name] just has a little something more.

I find [name]Lucas[/name] is a little too common for my liking, so I would go with [name]Callum[/name]. Is there anything you could draw from for a middle name for the boys? What are your hobbies, etc?

Now we’re down to my four favorites! Hooray!

So which is it? At some point the name stops being a name and evolves into being your baby, whether it is the NB-approved name or not. So no advice from me today, just listen to your heart, and your belly!:slight_smile:

Blessings,

[name]Bella[/name] <3

Girls:
[name]Tessa[/name] [name]Rose[/name] [name]Millay[/name]
[name]Helena[/name] [name]Rose[/name] [name]Millay[/name]

Boys:
[name]Lucas[/name]
[name]Callum[/name]

I would definitely go with [name]Helena[/name] [name]Rose[/name] [name]Millay[/name]- which I think is absolutely stunning. I think [name]Tessa[/name] Tolka is a little rhymey, and no where as beautiful as [name]Helena[/name] Tolka. I love it! I also think [name]Millay[/name] is a gorgeous middle name and has a great meaning! :slight_smile:

I am so torn about [name]Callum[/name] and [name]Lucas[/name]. I love both of these names. But I think that [name]Luke[/name] Tolka sounds a little heavy on the K sound. I would probably go with [name]Callum[/name] Tolka.

best wishes! :slight_smile:

Thanks so much for the input! The last name is actually Tolka, [name]Millay[/name] would be a second middle name for a girl. Relieved to hear positive feedback on the MN, I’m really in love with it, but didn’t know if the [name]Millay[/name] part was too out there or sounded silly.

As far as hobbies, I’m trying to remember what those are…with 2 and 1 year old boys I have kind of forgotten! [name]Both[/name] [name]Ari[/name] and [name]Christopher[/name] have family names in the middle, so we may end up doing the same. My husband’s brother’s name is Endri (they are not from the US), and it would be nice to honor him…how would that work with either name?

And sorry, one last boy name contender: what about [name]August[/name]? [name]Christopher[/name]'s middle name is [name]Augustus[/name], so it may be overkill, but I just love the name and think it could be great as a first name.

Thank you again!

So true [name]Bella[/name]! I think it may also come down to look at his/her little face and the name will just seem obvious. With both of my sons we had a very short list until they were born and then it was just obvious when we looked at them. I think I am happy to keep these four and let the little one decide! Thanks so much!

Such a good point on how they sound with the last name! I have gotten so used to saying them with possible middles, I definitely see your point about [name]Tessa[/name] Tolka being ryhmey and [name]Luke[/name] Tolka being heavy. Hmmm…major food for thought. Thanks!

So true [name]Bella[/name]! I think it may also come down to look at his/her little face and the name will just seem obvious. With both of my sons we had a very short list until they were born and then it was just obvious when we looked at them. I think I am happy to keep these four and let the little one decide! Thanks so much![/quote]

That’s the way I plan to go and I think it’s just right, there’s a great name and then there’s the babies name, sometimes two different names! I still love these four, they were my favs all along!

Blessings,

[name]Bella[/name] <3

Well, for girls you know that my personal preference with [name]Ari[/name] and [name]Christopher[/name] is [name]Tessa[/name], but [name]Helena[/name] is a beautiful name, too - I really don’t think you can go wrong!

I suppose I have to address the issue of [name]Tessa[/name] Tolka … I like it. I think the alliterative nature of it makes it snappy and spunky, and so fun to say. Plus, [name]Tessa[/name] isn’t so popular that she’ll have to be called by first and last name all of the time, so it won’t matter much in everyday life, in my opinion. However, some people might not like the alliteration, and I just want to make sure that you do!

As for the popularity of [name]Rose[/name] in the middle, I actually think the issue is more or less negated when it is only one of two middle names. Its beauty can’t be denied, and with an unusual second middle like [name]Millay[/name] (I love the poetry connection) backing it up, its popularity doesn’t seem so obvious, or to matter so much. And I don’t think [name]Millay[/name] is too masculine; it does sound like a surname, but that sounds good in the middle. And it’s too close to [name]Milly[/name] to really be masculine.

If you’re not sure on [name]Rose[/name], seeing as you were enquiring about suggestions, other pretty one syllable names include [name]Blythe[/name], [name]Pearl[/name] and [name]Ruth[/name]. I think all would fit well with [name]Tessa[/name]/[name]Helena[/name] and [name]Millay[/name]. You could go with Rossetti instead of [name]Rose[/name], too, for a double poetry dose :slight_smile:

For the boys, I like that [name]Lucas[/name] has his own initial letter. It’s not a big deal and I’m just being fussy, but I like each child to have their own letter, especially as in this case [name]Ari[/name] would be the only one without a C name. That said, it’s not like you’ve given ten children C names and poor [name]Ari[/name] is the only one without one, and I hardly think he’ll be traumatised by it.

For middles, you might like [name]Rowe[/name] if you like [name]Rose[/name]. Are there any more admired figures that could be used as namesakes? Other good poet surnames include [name]Frost[/name] ([name]Robert[/name]), Marvell ([name]Andrew[/name], although it looks unfortunately like a yooneek spelling of ‘marvel’), [name]Barrett[/name] ([name]Elizabeth[/name] [name]Barrett[/name] Browning), Baudelaire ([name]Charles[/name]), [name]Byron[/name] ([name]Lord[/name] [name]George[/name]), [name]Eliot[/name] (T.S.) and [name]Hugo[/name] ([name]Victor[/name]).

Oh, and you could use [name]Vincent[/name] and still honour [name]Edna[/name] [name]St[/name]. [name]Vincent[/name] [name]Millay[/name]!

Good luck! [name]Auburn[/name]

Thanks so much for your thoughtful input, [name]Auburn[/name]. I think you’re highlighting my main dilemma. As stand-alone names I slightly prefer [name]Helena[/name] and [name]Callum[/name]. But as sibsets I slightly prefer [name]Tessa[/name] and [name]Lucas[/name] for all of the reasons you outlined. Oh, what to do…?!

[name]Love[/name] your other middle name suggestions for girls, but I’ve realized my heart is tied to [name]Rose[/name] [name]Millay[/name] for some reason, so I think that will be it despite the popularity of [name]Rose[/name]. [name]Love[/name] your suggestion to try some literary nicknames for boy MNs…looking through my bookshelf now! Oh my goodness…what about this for a boy:

[name]Atticus[/name] [name]Grey[/name] Tolka…I think I’m loving it! Could it be the perfect tie between [name]Ari[/name] and [name]Christopher[/name] with the “A” of [name]Ari[/name] and hard “C” of [name]Christopher[/name]??

I like it:)

Oh, [name]Atticus[/name] is so nice! And very handsome with [name]Grey[/name].

Good luck! [name]Auburn[/name]