Court's Sister... James? Help!

Please excuse the rambliness of this post :slight_smile:

[name]Hi[/name] there. I”ve been on the quest for a name for my coffeebean (her in utero-nickname) who is due on [name]September[/name] 10th for basically my entire pregnancy. My husband and I have one son who was named without much thought. My husband is a III, so there was little debate about whether my son would be a IV, my husband felt strongly about it and I was cool with it. So our son is [name]Courtland[/name] [name]Joseph[/name] IV, my DH goes by [name]Tripp[/name], his dad goes by [name]Joseph[/name] and his granddad (who’s still alive) goes by [name]Courtland[/name]. Our son goes by [name]Court[/name].

So here”s the dilemma. When I found out I was preggo again I was sure it was a boy and I had my heart set on naming him after my dad, [name]James[/name] [name]Montgomery[/name]. My dad single handedly raised my brother and I after my parents divorced when I was three. Growing up my dad was like a rock star to me, the coolest dad around- he was my idol. However, when we were told this baby was a girl I had a mix of emotions. In our attempt to find a name that, emotion wise, measured up to my dads name we started searching for other means of honoring him. Use a name with the same meaning? The only girls name that shares the meaning that we remotely liked was [name]Jacqueline[/name], but my brother has a son named [name]Jackson[/name], so we thought that was too close. [name]How[/name] about a feminine version of [name]James[/name]? Doesn”t exist (other than [name]Jamie[/name], and DH is not fond of nicknames as full names). So then we moved onto initials. Go with J.M? We liked [name]Julia[/name] [name]Margaret[/name] but it seemed devoid of meaning. Same initials same syllables? [name]June[/name] [name]Mirabella[/name]? Still not doing much. Then my husband said it- why don”t we just name her [name]James[/name]? Change the spelling ([name]Jaymes[/name])? Give a really feminine middle? We could call her [name]Jamie[/name], of [name]Jay[/name], or Jamsie, or [name]Jem[/name]? We could double it, [name]James[/name] [name]Bellamy[/name] = [name]Jamie[/name] [name]Belle[/name], or [name]James[/name] [name]Mae[/name] = [name]Jamie[/name] [name]Mae[/name] (to keep the initial thing). And since then I can”t get it out of my head.I haven”t mentioned the name to friends, family- even my dad (because I know he would be unbelievably happy if I named any child, boy or girl after him, and just in case we change our mind I don”t want to let him down)- and I”m terrified I will get loads of dirty looks.

[name]Do[/name] you guys have any advice? What would you do in this circumstance? And if you were to name a girl [name]James[/name], would you keep the traditional spelling (I”m a total traditionalist but for some reason this feels different, but maybe I”m crazy), and what kind of middle would you use? Also if anyone out there has a child with an unusual/gender-bending name I”d love to hear about your experiences. Thanks so much!

[name]Katherine[/name]

Would it feel like too much of a cop-out to put [name]James[/name] in the middle? I think [name]James[/name] would make a great MN for a little girl. Or what about a double-name like [name]Mary[/name] [name]James[/name] or [name]Anna[/name] [name]James[/name]? That would be a common solution in the South, and I think it sounds much classier than the reverse, [name]Jamie[/name] whatever. My other suggestion would be to use [name]Montgomery[/name], which would make a cool girl’s name with meaning.
Anyway, I am with you that I don’t like twisting a namesake so much that the meaning is lost, like just doing initials or changing it to [name]Jacqueline[/name] or something. I think your dad deserves an unabashed “[name]James[/name]” or “[name]Montgomery[/name]” namesake, whether you make it work for a girl or save it for a future boy.

An acquaintance of mine was mulling over whether or not she should give her daughter the name [name]James[/name], in honor of her father (I think), as well. She ended up naming her little girl [name]Ava[/name] [name]James[/name]. Honestly? I [name]LOVE[/name] it! I think it’d be lovely as a first or middle name. However, I’d probably make the first or middle name (depending on where you put [name]James[/name]) a pretty feminine one, which sounds like what you plan on doing anyway. And I really like the double nickname ([name]Jamie[/name]-[name]Mae[/name], etc.).

People are always going to have an opinion about something; as long as you and your husband like the name, that’s all that matters. I’d go with your gut on this one and ignore the potential of naysayers :slight_smile:

Best wishes!

Hmmm…this is a dilemma! I agree with the pp, though. I definitely think you should keep either [name]James[/name] or [name]Montgomery[/name] (which I thought was a great idea…[name]Montgomery[/name] would be a lovely, distinguished name for a little gal!) instead of substituting [name]Jamie[/name]. I think “[name]Jamie[/name]” would pale in comparison to the honor of giving your little coffeebean the full name of either [name]James[/name] or [name]Montgomery[/name]! ([name]Just[/name] a sidenote, too…my girl cousin’s name is [name]Jamie[/name] and we always call her “[name]James[/name]” for short.) So, yes…my vote is for either [name]James[/name] or [name]Montgomery[/name] as either first or middle name with a complementary feminine name. [name]Do[/name] you need ideas??

I think you should just name her [name]James[/name]! It is great actually, and it has special meaning to you. Girls are being named everything from [name]Charley[/name] to [name]Billie[/name]…so why not [name]James[/name]?? I actually think it sounds cute when paired with a girly name.

Here are some of my ideas:

[name]James[/name] Options:

[name]Jameson[/name] nn [name]James[/name] or [name]Jamie[/name]
[name]James[/name]-[name]Jolie[/name]
[name]James[/name]-[name]Marie[/name]
[name]James[/name]-[name]Rose[/name]
[name]James[/name]-[name]Joy[/name]
[name]James[/name]-[name]Lou[/name]
[name]James[/name]-[name]Anne[/name]
[name]James[/name]-[name]Faith[/name]
[name]James[/name]-[name]Love[/name]
[name]James[/name]-[name]Dean[/name]
[name]James[/name]-[name]Claire[/name]
[name]James[/name]-[name]Hope[/name]
[name]James[/name]-[name]Ivy[/name]
[name]James[/name]-[name]Marie[/name]
[name]James[/name]-[name]Lee[/name]
[name]James[/name]- [name]Lynn[/name]
[name]Jenny[/name] [name]Leah[/name]
[name]James[/name]-[name]Rose[/name]

[name]James[/name] Options with other Names Before it:

[name]Leah[/name]-[name]James[/name]
[name]Lila[/name]-[name]James[/name]
[name]Lola[/name]-[name]James[/name]
[name]Ida[/name]-[name]James[/name]
[name]Dottie[/name]-[name]James[/name]
[name]Dolly[/name]-[name]James[/name]
[name]Poppy[/name]-[name]James[/name]
[name]Dixie[/name]-[name]James[/name]
[name]Daisy[/name]-[name]James[/name]
Really, anything sounds good in front of [name]James[/name]…lol.

[name]Jamie[/name] Options:

Jamielyn
[name]Jamie[/name]-[name]Jolie[/name]
[name]Jamie[/name]-[name]Marie[/name]
[name]Jamie[/name]-[name]Rose[/name]
[name]Jamie[/name]-[name]Joy[/name]
[name]Jamie[/name]-[name]Lou[/name]
[name]Jamie[/name]-[name]Anne[/name]
[name]Jamie[/name]-[name]Faith[/name]
[name]Jamie[/name]-[name]Love[/name]
[name]Jamie[/name]-[name]Dean[/name]
[name]Jamie[/name]-[name]Claire[/name]
[name]Jamie[/name]-[name]Hope[/name]
[name]Jamie[/name]-[name]Kate[/name]
[name]Jamie[/name]-[name]Lee[/name]
[name]Jamie[/name]-[name]Pearl[/name]

A few things: is there a way to use your maiden name (your dad’s last name) as a girls name? That might be helpful. You could also use [name]Montgomery[/name] as a middle name for whatever girls name you like, like [name]Julia[/name] [name]Montgomery[/name] ([name]James[/name] and [name]Julia[/name]- same first initial, etc.)

One of my friends wanted to name her daughter after her dad, and his name was [name]Harold[/name]. She tried and tried to think of something that she liked that was related (She did not like [name]Harriet[/name] enough for a first name) Finally, she asked her dad’s sister (her dad had passed away) what girls name she thought he would like. Turns out he had always loved the name [name]Samantha[/name] (her mom had named her). So my friend named her daughter [name]Samantha[/name] [name]Harriet[/name]. This might be another way to get to the name you looking for. I think it is really sweet you want to honor your dad.

I think you could ask your dad what names for girls he likes, without clueing him in that you want to honor him with her name. Or was he particuarly close to a sister or his mom? It might be a nice and interesting conversation to have with him.

You could also use [name]Montgomery[/name] as a first name for a girl. I think that is pretty cool. You could use [name]Emery[/name] for a nickname even?

This story is so lovely! I have to admit I never thought about it before but I love the name [name]James[/name] for a girl. I would keep the traditional spelling though. I think it is also a wonderful tribute to your father. Though I think paired with [name]Montgomery[/name] it is not feminine enough, especially after learning that it means “man power”. So after a little search, the origin of the name is [name]Norman[/name], so what about [name]James[/name] [name]Romy[/name]?

Other option using the similar letters in [name]Montgomery[/name] are:

[name]James[/name] [name]Margaret[/name]/[name]Maggie[/name]
[name]James[/name] [name]Molly[/name]
[name]James[/name] [name]Maeve[/name]
[name]James[/name] [name]Mirabelle[/name]
[name]James[/name] [name]Melinda[/name]
[name]James[/name] Romily

I agree with pp who suggested that ___ [name]James[/name] as a double name sounds better than [name]James[/name] ____ as a double name in most cases, especially for a girl. I like the suggestion of [name]Ava[/name] [name]James[/name], for example, better than [name]Jamie[/name] [name]Mae[/name]. If you’re naming your daughter [name]James[/name], I don’t think it’s necessary to further underline the tribute by using an M middle name to match your dad’s - it’s pretty clear at that point who you’re honoring! I do think you should keep the standard spelling. I would probably also give her a middle name so that it’s clear that ____ [name]James[/name] is her first name.

[name]Mary[/name] [name]James[/name]
[name]Ava[/name] [name]James[/name]
[name]Clara[/name] [name]James[/name]
[name]Nora[/name] [name]James[/name]
[name]Molly[/name] [name]James[/name]
[name]Cara[/name] [name]James[/name]
[name]Lucy[/name] [name]James[/name]
[name]Hazel[/name] [name]James[/name]
[name]Leah[/name] [name]James[/name]
[name]James[/name] [name]Rose[/name]
[name]James[/name] [name]Clare[/name]
[name]James[/name] [name]Alice[/name]
[name]Alice[/name] [name]James[/name]

Good luck!

I personally know of 4 girls with the mn [name]James[/name], and know of many more! [name]Hayleigh[/name] [name]Jaymes[/name], [name]Cali[/name] [name]James[/name], [name]Rebecca[/name] [name]James[/name], and [name]Alexa[/name] [name]James[/name]. Before I was pregnant with my 2nd daughter, I thought the idea was completely strange. My [name]SIL[/name] and I were pregnant at the same time with girls, and [name]SIL[/name] wanted to use [name]Jaymes[/name] as a mn to honor her, and my DH’s brother who passed away. DH wanted to use [name]James[/name] also, but we would have spelled it the more traditional [name]James[/name]. [name]Long[/name] story short, [name]SIL[/name] was upset we were using [name]James[/name] also b/c this was her 1st, and this was our 4th. So DH reluctantly gave in and let her have “her name”. But when I was preggo and we were telling ppl we might use [name]James[/name] as mn name, I heard so many ppl say “Oh! So and so has [name]James[/name] as her daughter’s mn”, etc. So I know 4 little girls with the mn, and I could see it as a fn now with so many boys names crossing over to the girls side.

Also [name]Montgomery[/name] would be a “cool” name for a girl, but I’m not sure how well she’ll carry that into adulthood. I would use [name]James[/name] and a very feminine mn.

Her are some names that begin with Mon to honor [name]Montgomery[/name]:
[name]James[/name] [name]Mona[/name]
[name]James[/name] [name]Monet[/name] (love this one)
[name]James[/name] [name]Monica[/name]
[name]James[/name] [name]Monique[/name]
[name]James[/name] [name]Monserrat[/name]/[name]Montserrat[/name]

Also, [name]Montgomery[/name] reminds me of [name]Mahogany[/name] - [name]James[/name] [name]Mahogany[/name]?

Have you considered [name]Jane[/name]? I know it’s the feminine of [name]John[/name], but it sounds and looks so much like [name]James[/name]. I agree with PP that [name]Montgomery[/name] works as a middle for a girl. What about [name]Jane[/name] [name]Montgomery[/name]?

I LOVEEEE your suggestions [name]James[/name] [name]Monet[/name] and [name]James[/name] [name]Mahogany[/name]!

It’s so great that you want to honor your father! I think you should go with your heart and do what YOU think would honor him best. But here are my thoughts:
I would worry that people would think [name]James[/name] was the boy and [name]Court[/name] was the girl. I [name]LOVE[/name] the suggestions of [name]Anna[/name] [name]James[/name] or [name]Jane[/name] [name]Montgomery[/name]. I think they both honor him AND are beautiful names for a girl. I am not a fan of [name]Jamie[/name] ___, but that is just my personal opinion. Does your father ever go by [name]Jim[/name]? If so you could do [name]Gemma[/name]. Good luck!

I know an [name]Ivy[/name] [name]James[/name], as well. This could make a cute double-barrel, perhaps.

I would just choose any fn you like, and then use [name]Montgomery[/name] as a mn. Easy peasy.

I do like the suggestion of [name]Jane[/name] [name]Montgomery[/name]. The whole name is very close in sound to [name]James[/name] [name]Montgomery[/name]. But, I think using just [name]Montgomery[/name] in the middle is just as meaningful.

I really would not use [name]James[/name] as a first name for her. [name]Just[/name] too confusing on a female.

I am not a fan of boys names for girls. HAving said that I am a huge fan of names that have meanings to the parents not just sound nice. [name]James[/name] [name]Montgomery[/name] has enormous meaning to you for that reason I think you should use it. I think you could use the entire names [name]James[/name] [name]Montgomery[/name] and call her [name]Jem[/name] or even [name]Monty[/name] both are super cute! Or call her [name]James[/name] [name]Mabel[/name] and have her go by her middle name, for example. Good luck.