We are expecting our second child, a girl, in [name_u]March[/name_u] and are struggling. The only name my husband and I both really like is [name_f]Willa[/name_f] but neither of us feel like we can commit 100%. Possibly we are overthinking it, but can’t help but thinking I should keep searching for something else. My only complaint about [name_f]Willa[/name_f] is that there aren’t any great nn options but this isn’t a deal breaker.
Other names I love but husband doesn’t are [name_f]Georgia[/name_f], [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f], [name_u]Ruby[/name_u], [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f], [name_f]Lana[/name_f], and [name_f]Gemma[/name_f]. Husband loves [name_f]Stella[/name_f] but I feel like it has become too popular. Big brother is named [name_m]Judson[/name_m] which is a family name. Anyone have any great suggestions?
If you both don’t [name_u]LOVE[/name_u] it, I think you should keep searching. We had names for our daughter that we liked and agreed on but nothing was “the one” until I came home excited about a suggestion I received and my husband adored it. We just knew it was perfect and it fit all our criteria for a name. [name_f]Do[/name_f] you guys have criteria or a style you like? For example, we wanted a short, spunky name with no nickname that was a bit old fashioned and had a beautiful meaning ([name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] ended up being our choice!). If you both can articulate the kind of names you like or meanings or sounds you love, you can hone in on names that really fits.
I noticed you had a soft “g” and “l” sounds in the names you listed and that most can be traditional with dash of offbeat. What about:
An alternative could be [name_f]Calla[/name_f] (which has [name_f]Callie[/name_f] as a nn) or maybe [name_f]Minna[/name_f] ([name_f]Minnie[/name_f]), or [name_u]Winter[/name_u] or [name_f]Elowen[/name_f] ([name_f]Winnie[/name_f]).
If you don’t feel like it’s the one, don’t settle on it and keep searching. Some names you might like:
[name_f]Clara[/name_f]
[name_f]Ivy[/name_f]
[name_f]Matilda[/name_f]
[name_f]Charlotte[/name_f]
[name_f]Olive[/name_f]
[name_f]Delilah[/name_f]
[name_f]Cora[/name_f]
[name_f]Adelaide[/name_f]
[name_f]Eliza[/name_f]
[name_f]Lucy[/name_f]/[name_f]Lucille[/name_f]/[name_f]Lucia[/name_f]
[name_f]Iris[/name_f]
[name_f]Josephine[/name_f]
[name_f]Nora[/name_f]
[name_f]Pearl[/name_f]
[name_f]Elise[/name_f]
[name_u]Eloise[/name_u]
[name_f]Florence[/name_f]
[name_f]Vera[/name_f]
[name_f]Estelle[/name_f]
[name_f]Poppy[/name_f]
[name_f]Grace[/name_f]/[name_f]Gracie[/name_f]
[name_f]Mabel[/name_f]
I love [name_f]Willa[/name_f], and as sister to [name_m]Judson[/name_m]. Cool, strong, modern name but with history, easy to spell and pronounce. I like [name_u]Billie[/name_u] as a nn, not that it needs one. However it doesn’t hurt to keep looking if you’re uncertain.
I feel like it’s normal to be a little unsure. It’s a big decision and we like to tell ourselves there’s always something better out there. It might help to have a top 3 at the hospital and go with what feels best when you hold her.
Nicknames and pet names develop so organically that you really don’t need to have one ready made. Forced nicknames have less likelihood of sticking than ones that suit her specific personality.
Also, in many ways, [name_f]Willa[/name_f] already is sort of nicknamey (though it can definitely stand on its own). I knew a Wilhemina who went by [name_f]Willa[/name_f]. Another Wilhemina nn is [name_u]Billie[/name_u], which could work for [name_f]Willa[/name_f].
I agree with your husband on [name_f]Stella[/name_f], however I do not agree with you that it is too popular. I have not come across a lot of [name_f]Stella[/name_f]'s in my day!
I have however noticed that you seem to enjoy very elegant names. Here are a few that I can suggest:
[name_f]Jade[/name_f]
[name_f]Margot[/name_f]
[name_f]Renee[/name_f]
[name_f]Angelina[/name_f]
[name_f]Rosemary[/name_f]/[name_f]Rosemarie[/name_f]
I [name_u]LOVE[/name_u] [name_f]Gemma[/name_f]…[name_f]Gemma[/name_f] [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f]. I usually don’t like noun names, but for a middle name, they are passable. [name_m]Judson[/name_m] and [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] sound adorable together. I’m not a fan of [name_f]Willa[/name_f] because it sounds like the beginning of a sentence. [name_m]Will[/name_m] a _______ (fill in the blank)?
I’m surprised nobody has suggested [name_f]Luella[/name_f] yet, so I’ll do it!
It has the -ella sound you find in [name_f]Stella[/name_f], but also the first letter “L” like [name_f]Lana[/name_f] and “oo” sound like [name_u]Ruby[/name_u].
It also shares -lla with [name_f]Willa[/name_f], but has obvious nicknames: [name_f]Lu[/name_f], [name_f]Lulu[/name_f], [name_f]Ella[/name_f], [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], etc.
If you don’t love it, don’t settle. I think it’s a lovely name, but my opinion doesn’t matter much if you are not 100% satisfied. [name_m]How[/name_m] about:
I think [name_f]Willa[/name_f] is great. I would not worry about the nickname because you can always find a pet name that doesn’t relate to the name itself. Or you could pick a middle name that works as a double name with [name_f]Willa[/name_f] to use sometimes, like [name_f]Willa[/name_f] [name_f]Kate[/name_f], [name_f]Willa[/name_f] [name_u]Jo[/name_u], [name_f]Willa[/name_f] [name_u]Jean[/name_u]… I also like the suggestions of [name_f]Cora[/name_f] and [name_f]Luella[/name_f].