We are currently deciding on our daughter’s middle name. Today, while we were discussing choices, DH suggested his grandfather’s last name. He has no male heirs to carry on his name, and my husband thought it would be a neat way to pay homage to his grandfather and mother, who is an only child. DH is also named after this man, so it would be a neat way to connect her name history with her dad’s. I love the idea, I really do. It would be the perfect choice, except, the name is not completely attractive. I am afraid it opens the door to merciless teasing. I need outside opinions on what is almost the perfect choice. I am also willing to consider his grandfather’s first name, which I like paired with our firat name choice, but I feel that loses some of the significance.
Surname Choice:
[name]Blythe[/name] Broadus
Grandfather’s first name as middle:
[name]Blythe[/name] [name]James[/name]
[name]Blythe[/name] will be the first name; that will not change. Please offer your honest thoughts.
[name]Blythe[/name] is adorable, I really like it. [name]Blythe[/name] Broadus is pretty clunky, so I like [name]Blythe[/name] [name]James[/name]. I don’t think using the first name takes away from the significance. She’s still being named for her grandfather and father.
What about something like [name]Blythe[/name] [name]Brodie[/name]? [name]Blythe[/name] [name]James[/name] isn’t so bad, I know an [name]Ella[/name] [name]George[/name] named for the same reasons. I suppose [name]Blythe[/name] [name]Jamie[/name] could also do the trick depending on how it flows with your last name.
I know a girl whose middle name is Chain (I don’t know for sure whether or not this is a family name, but it leads me to think so), so I guess Broadus isn’t that worst in the book, but it’s not the best, either. If you want to, what about adding another middle name? Like [name]Blythe[/name] Broadus [name]Eliza[/name]?
[name]Blythe[/name] [name]James[/name] is OK, but honestly, it sounds like a boys’ name to me, although I don’t think [name]Blythe[/name] was ever male? But it’s just my opinion, and it make sense.
[name]Blythe[/name] is lovely. I’m casting a vote for [name]Blythe[/name] Broadus. Sure, Broadus is clunky; however, it has the most meaning to you and your husband. [name]Blythe[/name] [name]James[/name] would have the initials B.J. - something I’d avoid. When it comes to the middle name you shouldn’t worry about teasing potential. Her classmates won’t know her middle name unless she tells them.
I’ve known females named [name]James[/name] before, along with too many [name]Jamies[/name]/Jaimies to count, half of which were nicknamed [name]James[/name].
BJ isn’t ideal but [name]James[/name] is the prettier sounding of the two.
I wouldn’t worry about it because honestly, kids don’t tease about middle names. I had friends with maiden-name middles like Mann and [name]Gordon[/name], and while they’re not cute, no one really cares. I think Broadus is a better choice of the two because its unique it’ll make people ask where the name came from where as [name]James[/name] seems more random.
I would try to feminize it somehow and also lengthen it for flow-[name]Blythe[/name] [name]Jamesina[/name]? [name]Blythe[/name] Broadus is OK but I don’t care for the name as much, and initials B.J. might be an issue too? Depends on your last name I guess. Middle names SO rarely get seen/used, I think it’s not too important/she won’t get teased regardless of your choice-GL.