I know it is the number one source of name regret, but I am starting to rethink a name that I was settled on due to less than stellar reactions from other people.
On the day we found out we were having a girl, I thought of the name Catesby nn [name]Cate[/name] with a possible middle name of [name]Charlotte[/name]. (Catesby is pronounced with a hard C and a long A). I felt like she had been given an identity that day and I was really attached to it. My Mom and others who responded with Catby? [name]Casey[/name]? didn’t bother me much. What really made me serious about trying to find a new name was my husband’s comment that “she (our daughter) probably wouldn’t like Catesby and would go by [name]Cate[/name].” He says HE loves the name though… I am worried that I am the only one who thinks this first name is a good idea.
All that is to say, What do you think of Catesby? I am considering these middle names:
Catesby [name]Charlotte[/name]
Catesby [name]Elizabeth[/name]
Catesby [name]Elinor[/name]
Catesby [name]Eloise[/name]-Big sister’s first name starts with E.
Catesby [name]Abigail[/name]-Her initials would be CAR or I would love this.
Catesby [name]Susannah[/name]
Catesby [name]Helena[/name]
Catesby [name]Genevieve[/name]
Catesby [name]Cecelia[/name]
Catesby [name]Sylvia[/name]
Catesby [name]Flora[/name]
Catesby [name]Laurel[/name]
Catesby [name]Rose[/name]-I know this is considered a filler on nameberry, but I like the sound of the repeating S in the middle.
It seems made up and I don’t like it… I had to google it to see if it is a name, apparently it’s a surname:
and I kind of think it should stay a surname… maybe as a middle name, but I wouldn’t use it as a first. I also have NO clue how to pronounce it and am not sure with your info. I would guess cates-bee or cats-bye
Catesby sounds too close to [name]Gatsby[/name] for me, which is why I think it is trendy/kea8tiv. If it were my name I would get used to it (it’s certainly not the worst name I’ve seen) and [name]Cate[/name] does make it more accessible. However, when I say it out loud it ends up a little more like “[name]Cate[/name]'s pee.” Maybe that’s just me.
To be honest, I have mixed feelings about this name and I know I can be critical on the boards but if you love a name and feel it’s your daughter’s name already then I 100% say use it. Be bold, give her the name you think fits her no matter what people say (unless it has a negative connotation) and let the criticism go. Maybe she will choose to go by [name]Cate[/name] but she may love Catesby, some people dislike their names for it’s uniqueness of it when they’re young and grow to love it when they’re older.
[name]Mark[/name] Catesby was a famous Naturalist and Illustrator, maybe you can find a drawing of his and see if that makes an even better connection to the name.
Wow, I love Catesby! I’ve never come across it before, but I really love it! It has that literary appeal of [name]Catherine[/name] (which is in so many pieces of literature) and [name]Gatsby[/name] (as in The Great), and I adore the nn [name]Cate[/name]. Catesby [name]Eleanor[/name]/[name]Elinor[/name] is my favorite of your combos, I think. Something simple works well with Catesby, imo. If she doesn’t like [name]Cate[/name] or Catesby (how couldn’t she?!), she could also go by [name]Bea[/name], too.
It’s not really my style but I feel like this name could grow on me. I say this in most of my posts but I’ll repeat it again: if YOU love a name then use it! All that matters in this case is your and your husband’s opinion; she’s your child after all.
At first I though “cat-ez-bee”
Then I thought [name]Gatsby[/name] with a C, so “cat’s bee”
Then I thought “[name]Cate[/name]'s bee” but when I said it out loud (like cristinamariane) I got “[name]Cate[/name]'s pee”
Honestly, I like the idea of Catesby. It’s taking a traditional root and adding a non traditional ending. I even really like the way Catesby sounds - I picture her as quirky but preppy and somewhat sport. However, I would never name a child Catesby. First of all, you’re giving your child an eternity of “Yes, Catesby. No, not [name]Katie[/name]. Not [name]Casey[/name]. C-A-T-E-S-B-Y. Like [name]Gatsby[/name]. But [name]Cate[/name].”. In this day and age that might not be the worst thing - unique names are more prevalent than in the past. The fact that it sounds so much like other more common names ([name]Katie[/name], [name]Casey[/name], [name]Kaylee[/name]) also works against it here, because it’s more likely to be mistaken for something else. Secondly, I think your husband is on point, and odds are that she’ll just got by [name]Cate[/name] or [name]Cat[/name] once she’s old enough to make up her mind. [name]Cate[/name] with a C is a lot easier to explain to people than Catesby. So the name itself may not really be used that much. I don’t mean to be a downer because, as I said, aesthetically I really really like the name. I think it’s cute and fun. It’s just not something I would ever give a child because I think it would make their lives more tricky. This is ESPECIALLY true if her older sister has a more accessible name. If we’re talking [name]Ella[/name] and Catesby or [name]Emily[/name] and Catesby, I’d definitely reconsider. If it’s [name]Everly[/name] and Catesby or [name]Elspeth[/name] and Catesby, that’s a different story.
For a middle name, I would go with something very traditional and feminine to balance out the quirkiness and asexual nature of Catesby. I do like Catesby [name]Rose[/name], but I also like Catesby [name]Elizabeth[/name], Catesby [name]Charlotte[/name] and Catesby [name]Abigail[/name]. Catesby [name]Jane[/name] (or [name]June[/name]) is cute too, and gives the option of CJ as a nn. I wouldn’t worry about the initials spelling CAR but if it bugs you, I get that.
Personally, I would flip it around and give her Catesby as a middle name, or name her [name]Kate[/name] [name]Bea[/name] R. instead of Catesby (I know a girl named [name]Elizabeth[/name] B Lastname (just B) who is called [name]Lizzy[/name] B by her parents, and it’s very cute!). She could go by [name]Kate[/name] [name]Bea[/name] - it’s close but gives her a first name that will prove less of a hindrance throughout her life.
Anyway, I hope I’m not being too negative but those are my thoughts in general. [name]Hope[/name] this helps Good luck!
To be honest, I don’t like it. [name]Every[/name] single one of your middle name suggestions would make my top 30 favourite names, they are all WONDERFUL. You have great taste, I just dont like Catesby.
Sorry I’m not a fan. It sounds like a poor relation of Gatsby to me. It also sounds kind of childish and cutesy so I can’t imagine it on a grown woman. But if you love it, choose it.
This name is not my style at all, by I find it growing on me! I can see your daughter really embracing the name. It is unique and creative, but the sounds are all familiar and the nn is very mainstream which adds up to a good name, in my opinion. As to her having to correct people about the pronunciation, I’ve always had that issue with my name ([name]Laurel[/name]) but it doesn’t really bother me. I end up getting to have a conversation about my name, whereas with a mainstream name, people wouldn’t think twice about it. So yeah, if you love Catesby, go with it!
I’ve actually considered Catesby before myself! I came across it here: Loading...
I think Catesby is intriguing and fresh. Part of me wants to see it on a boy, but the other part can only see it on a girl because [name]Cate[/name] is the prominent part of the name. I would like to see it used. Catesby [name]Elinor[/name], Catesby [name]Eloise[/name], Catesby [name]Helena[/name], Catesby [name]Genevieve[/name], and Catesby [name]Laurel[/name] are my favorites from your list.
It seems anything that isn’t in the nameberry database is considered “made up” in the forums, so I thought I would tell you where I got it. There is an editor who worked for [name]Marie[/name] [name]Claire[/name] magazine when I was in college and her name was Catesby. [name]Marie[/name] [name]Claire[/name] asks questions like “What are you buying this season?” and displays various employee answers at the front of the magazine. [name]One[/name] issue the question was “What is the story behind your name?” And, Catesby wrote that her name was [name]Elizabeth[/name] Catesby and she chose to go by the surname middle name that honored a branch of her family because it was more unique and spunky than [name]Elizabeth[/name]. That was my first encounter with the name. I have since seen the name (with different last names) on bylines of various articles on Newsweek, etc.
Examples of females named Catesby: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=38029527&pid=61311867&authType=name&authToken=x2CS&trk=pbmap
In addition, my due date is in the beginning of [name]November[/name]. My older daugther’s name was inspired by the movie “V for Vendetta” which has a major theme of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. [name]Robert[/name] Catesby was a conspirator in the treason on [name]November[/name] 5 in the UK. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/Robert-Catesby.htm Not that I am naming my daughters for 17th Century terrorists, I am giving you points of interest and background on the name. There is also a village in [name]England[/name] called Catesby Catesby, Northamptonshire - Wikipedia and a lovely shop http://www.catesbys.co.uk/
Catesby has a very strong tradition as a male name as many surnames do. In fact, both my husband’s last name and my maiden name are more often seen as first names today because of that incredibly common tradition. My husband’s main problem with his name is that people call him by his last name more often than his first because they begin with the same letter. There are lots of males named Catesby on the [name]East[/name] Coast where the connection to its English roots are presumably strongest. Patronymics and all. Catesby [name]Jones[/name] is a musician http://www.catesbyjones.com/ There are also characters in Shakespearean plays named Catesby, see [name]Richard[/name] III, The [name]Merry[/name] Wives of [name]Windsor[/name], As You Like It, and [name]Henry[/name] [name]VI[/name]. And, the naturalist mentioned in the thread, [name]Mark[/name] Catesby, has given his name to the Linnaeus binomial classification of species like the Catesby [name]Lily[/name]. http://www.cherylnewbygallery.com/021908Catesby_58WampumSnakewithCatesbysLily.htm
Pronunciation: [name]Cate[/name]'s bee. A hard C sounds like a K. A long “A” sound follows the “if two vowels go walking the first one does the talking” rule. Thus it sounds exactly like “[name]Kate[/name],” but looks like [name]Cate[/name] Blanchett’s first name. I am sure people were confused by her or her parents preferring that spelling to the commonly seen “[name]Kate[/name].” I have NEVER had anyone say that the ending sounded like “pee.” I am not sure what kind of accent you speak with, but I don’t think confusing “b” and “p” will be a problem where I am from.
Yes, my older daughter’s name is not found in the Nameberry database either. Her middle name is also universally liked on the forums. I have been reading nameberry for years and am also well versed in sibsets and name symmetry.
I would like to remind all of you that a large majority of readers are also “name nerds” like yourselves. I assure you we have researched and pondered names as many hours as you have. Please be respectful and if you have nothing nice to say, either don’t respond or don’t be blatantly rude. A lot of the threads are started not by people who troll around on these message boards, but by pregnant women whose names represent real people that they love. I appreciate the constructive criticism and suggestions. I am always hesitant to start a thread since they are permanent and any name mentioned in it makes it searchable on the site. If I could choose to ask only people I know are going to be nice, I would use these forums all the time because you have given me some good things to think about.
southern.maple: Thank you for the Nook of Names link. I had not seen the description that it was from an Old Norse personal name before. Of course, that makes sense.
Thank you to everyone who were able to contribute constructive advice despite not exactly loving the name and completely avoid insulting the name itself. I understand that it is not to everyone’s taste.
Well you kind of asked for opinions and none seemed rude to me, they were just saying what they think. Linguistic wise b and p are actually very close so I can understand the cat’s pee thing…
Anyway if you love it use it… it doesn’t matter what others think, but you asked and you got answers, if you don’t like it, then don’t ask, it’s that simple. But like I said, I didn’t see a single “rude” comment or I guess what I would consider rude…
It’s really NMS and seems a little made-up, but it’s not terrible. If you’re going to use it, I recommend Catesby [name]Elizabeth[/name]. That way she’ll have a TON of names and nicknames to choose from.
Catesby is a very different and spunky name and I don’t hold anything against it. I love the nn [name]Cate[/name]!
But I would urge you to look at this name from a child’s perspective. I have a very good friend with an unusual name, I’m pretty sure no one else in the world has it. I think its lovely but there are a lot of drawbacks to having an unusual name. First of all it grabs a lot of attention. Everytime she’s introduced she’ll have to pronounce it, spell it, explain it which can get annoying and can be hard if your child is shy. Plus if you have an unusual name people automatically expect you to be an extraordinary, unusual person. The expectations are higher. Second, kids are cruel and they use differences to be mean. Chances are some kid is going to find a way to pick on her for her different name. And third please consider that your little girl may not grow up to be a fashion editor or something cool in which unusual names can be helpful. She might be a doctor, or a lawyer, or something totally normal and the name Catesby doesn’t exactly age well or sound the least bit professional. It sounds like an actress or supermodels name which is fine but it may give her a hard time when she’s older.
Catesby is a cute name for a little girl and if you absolutely have your heart set on it then just use it or you’ll just regret it later. She can always go by [name]Cate[/name] if she doesn’t like it. I have a normal name and while I don’t like it, I see what my friend goes through in school, always having to explain herself and stand out. [name]Just[/name] keep it in mind
Good luck!