See the results of this poll: Freya Gwendolen or Freya Lynn?
Respondents: 49 (This poll is closed)
- Freya Gwendolen : 29 (59%)
- Freya Lynn : 13 (27%)
- Neither: 7 (14%)
[name_f]Freya[/name_f] [name_u]Lynn[/name_u] seems to run together with the a at the end of [name_f]Freya[/name_f] and the L in [name_u]Lynn[/name_u]. [name_m]Just[/name_m] wanted to say that’s why I prefer [name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f].
Also it seems like [name_u]Lynn[/name_u] is being used like [name_f]Rose[/name_f], [name_f]Grace[/name_f], [name_u]Lee[/name_u], [name_f]Marie[/name_f] nowadays.
Maybe you could use [name_f]Melinda[/name_f] instead? Would that honor her or too different?
In my opinion, your mil already got to name her babies, now it’s your turn. You shouldn’t name your baby a name your mil wants just to try to keep the peace with her. It sounds like your so isn’t really worried about her opinion either.
That being said, you should go with the name you love! I [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f] is what you want, do it! If you’d rather name her something completely different go for it too! Appeasing your mil with a baby name won’t fix a strained relationship, soon she will have another reason to be cranky with you again. 
[name_f]Freya[/name_f] [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f] is lovely, and a Hell of a lot nicer than [name_u]Lynn[/name_u] in my opinion.
I do understand the great significance of [name_u]Lynn[/name_u] in this case, but feel it is incredibly unfair that your [name_f]MIL[/name_f] is putting such strong pressure on you to use it the way she is - not fair at all. Honestly, I think you should give your daughter names that you yourself love and not worry too much about what your [name_f]MIL[/name_f] has to say. If the relationship is strained already and your partner isn’t too concerned about his mother’s wrath, be brave and do it your own way! She can whine all she likes, but you will feel so much better giving your little one a name YOU love, rather than something you don’t, especially now that it’s also tainted in this great amount of negativity in her demand of its use.
Also, if [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f] you are working with only because it might get [name_f]MIL[/name_f] off your back…I honestly don’t see that working. I have a feeling, by the way you wrote, that if you used anything out than [name_u]Lynn[/name_u] as it is, she would be unhappy. I really think you should use (and would feel better about in the long run) two names that YOU love, and if you really feel you have to get [name_u]Lynn[/name_u] in there, using it as a second middle might be something to think about?
At the end of the day, this baby is yours and your [name_f]MIL[/name_f] will have to deal with it if you choose not to make the middle name [name_u]Lynn[/name_u]. Although I understand that [name_u]Lynn[/name_u] would be to honour, it’s not up to your [name_f]MIL[/name_f] what [name_f]Freya[/name_f]'s middle name will be; it’s up to you.
You say [name_u]Lynn[/name_u] isn’t your style, so don’t use it. Your [name_f]MIL[/name_f] will be a bit pissed at first but it’s your child and she will learn to deal with it and move on. If you like [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f], use it. It works to honour the [name_u]Lynn[/name_u] part subtly.
Your other half doesn’t seem to bothered about honouring a [name_u]Lynn[/name_u], and he also doesn’t seem bothered if your [name_f]MIL[/name_f] gets mad, so don’t feel pressured to use it. The strained relationship you have with your [name_f]MIL[/name_f] is also another reason to say no… You two aren’t close, although [name_u]Lynn[/name_u] won’t honour her directly, you shouldn’t feel obliged to use it to keep her happy.
I like [name_u]Lynn[/name_u], but [name_f]Freya[/name_f] [name_u]Lynn[/name_u] doesn’t feel right to me. [name_f]Freya[/name_f] [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f] is lovely.
I don’t think you should let your [name_f]MIL[/name_f] bulldoze your wishes and desires in naming a baby. It’s very nice of you to even consider this, but it isn’t right what your [name_f]MIL[/name_f] is doing. That being said, I think [name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f] (spelled this way) is a lovely compromise. It still has that “[name_u]Lynn[/name_u]” sound in it without being the full name. Because honestly, no, I don’t think [name_f]Freya[/name_f] [name_u]Lynn[/name_u] sounds good together. The two names run together and don’t flow well. Whereas [name_f]Freya[/name_f] [name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f] is stunning! [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f] is okay…I just really hate the spelling.
I agree with the others that you shouldn’t bow to your [name_f]MIL[/name_f] on this, especially if your SO isn’t too worried. It’s nice that you are even considering it but it’s your baby and you get to choose the name just like the [name_f]MIL[/name_f] once got to choose the names for her babies. If you already have a strained relationship with her, using [name_u]Lynn[/name_u] isn’t going to make it better.
That being said, [name_f]Freya[/name_f] [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f] sounds much nicer than [name_f]Freya[/name_f] [name_u]Lynn[/name_u].
What about [name_f]Freya[/name_f] [name_f]Lynette[/name_f] or [name_f]Freya[/name_f] [name_f]Jocelyn[/name_f]. They both incorporate [name_u]Lyn[/name_u].
[name_u]Love[/name_u] [name_f]Freya[/name_f] but don’t like either middle name.
Out of the two choices, I personally prefer [name_f]Freya[/name_f] [name_u]Lynn[/name_u] but as many said before me, you shouldn’t feel obligated to use [name_u]Lynn[/name_u] in either unless you want to. It’s your child and you and your partner should pick a name you like. If you really like [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f], I’d like to point out the other spelling variants you might like/consider: [name_f]Gwendolene[/name_f], [name_f]Gwendolin[/name_f], [name_f]Gwendoline[/name_f], [name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f], [name_f]Gwendolyne[/name_f], [name_f]Gwendolynn[/name_f] or [name_f]Gwendolynne[/name_f].
If you want to look for another name that incorporates “lynn” or “lyne” to see if you can find one that you also really like, just use the search option and enter “lynn”/“lyne” in the “contains” field.
Hmmm… I see you’re in quite a pickle. [name_f]Freya[/name_f] [name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f] is a nice compromise (even though I think you shouldn’t HAVE to compromise – it’s YOUR baby!). You could always do two middle names? Then you could use [name_u]Lynn[/name_u] as the second middle name just to appease her. While I agree that using [name_u]Lynn[/name_u] in the name won’t necessarily fix a strained relationship, but it certainly may make it worse. Strained relationships with family members are SO stressful as is. I know it has been suggested, but you could use a name with [name_u]Lynn[/name_u] in it, like [name_f]Caitlin[/name_f], [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f], [name_f]Aisling[/name_f] (sorta)… [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u]? Or even use a name that has the same meaning as [name_u]Lynn[/name_u]? I think it means lake and there are a lot of options you could use for that! Or even a water related name? From personal experience, I think if you don’t use some form of [name_u]Lynn[/name_u], she [name_m]WILL[/name_m] hold a grudge and have her panties all up in a bunch for[name_u]EVER[/name_u]. Still, at the end of the day, it’s YOUR baby, and you name her what YOU want.
I love both names: [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f] and [name_u]Lynn[/name_u]! I also love [name_f]Freya[/name_f] too. 
In my opinion which ever one you love more use! I think I would go with [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f] though if I was you.
First: I think [name_f]Freya[/name_f] [name_u]Lynn[/name_u] is absolutely fine. I really like [name_f]Freya[/name_f] [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f] - I find it much more interesting and the names work really well together. [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f] is so spunky and underused! Also, especially in [name_u]North[/name_u] [name_u]America[/name_u], I think more people are familiar with the [name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f] spelling - I didn’t realise that [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f] was the original spelling until a year or two ago, and I’m a pretty devoted name nerd, so I can’t see many people tut-tutting your choice of [name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f] if you went with it instead of [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f]. I’d say [name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f] is as close to a compromise with your [name_f]MIL[/name_f] as you’re going to get.
As to the [name_f]MIL[/name_f] issue, I agree with many of the PPs who have said that your [name_f]MIL[/name_f] already got to name her children and it’s inappropriate for her to try to bully you into naming yours what she wants, especially since (I’m guessing) you probably never met her daughter [name_u]Lynn[/name_u] and can’t have much attachment to her as a person. [name_f]IMO[/name_f] she’s making her problem (grief over the devastating loss of her daughter) into your problem, and apart from respecting and sympathizing with her having endured this terrible loss, I don’t think this has to be your problem.
If you decide against using [name_u]Lynn[/name_u], you could just not talk to her about names until the baby is born. It’s a lot harder for a person to be angry about a baby’s name when the beautiful baby is already there and in their arms.
If you feel that someone needs to talk to her about it before the baby comes along, I think that your husband should step in - after all, he is her son, and if he’s unconcerned about her wrath, he’ll be able to calmly explain that she needs to step off about this. [name_m]Don[/name_m]'t give her (or let him give her) the impression that you’re making this decision unilaterally - she might then blame you completely if [name_u]Lynn[/name_u] isn’t used, and there are (presumably) two of you selecting the name.
Is the baby going to have your husband’s surname? If so, and if you decide not to use [name_u]Lynn[/name_u] or [name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f], it’s certainly reasonable for him to tell his mother that since her surname will be from his side of the family, her middle will not be. I don’t know if [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f] is a family name from your side, but if so, it’s a bonus - wanting to honour (for example) your beloved grandmother [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f] makes so much sense that I don’t think your [name_f]MIL[/name_f] could credibly argue that you should jettison [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f] in favour of [name_u]Lynn[/name_u], a person you never met.
I prefer [name_f]Freya[/name_f] [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f], but I think family names are important, and it would be really nice to incorporate [name_u]Lynn[/name_u] somehow. I think Gwendolen is too much of a stretch. Why not compromise and spell it [name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f]? [name_f]Freya[/name_f] [name_u]Lynn[/name_u] is also cute, but I would beware of using a name that doesn’t feel like ‘you’ just to please your [name_f]MIL[/name_f].
Or maybe two middles? [name_f]Freya[/name_f] ______ [name_u]Lynn[/name_u].
[name_f]Freya[/name_f] [name_f]Annabel[/name_f] [name_u]Lynn[/name_u]
[name_f]Freya[/name_f] [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f] [name_u]Lynn[/name_u]
[name_f]Freya[/name_f] [name_f]Daphne[/name_f] [name_u]Lynn[/name_u]
[name_f]Freya[/name_f] [name_f]Eloise[/name_f] [name_u]Lynn[/name_u]
[name_f]Freya[/name_f] [name_f]Juliet[/name_f] [name_u]Lynn[/name_u]
[name_f]Freya[/name_f] [name_u]Juniper[/name_u] [name_u]Lynn[/name_u]
[name_f]Freya[/name_f] [name_f]Harriet[/name_f] [name_u]Lynn[/name_u]
[name_f]Freya[/name_f] [name_u]Meredith[/name_u] [name_u]Lynn[/name_u]
[name_f]Freya[/name_f] [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] [name_u]Lynn[/name_u]
[name_f]Freya[/name_f] [name_f]Penelope[/name_f] [name_u]Lynn[/name_u]
you get the idea… Anyway, [name_f]Freya[/name_f] [name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f] is the perfect middle ground, imo!
First, to answer your questions: 1) [name_f]Freya[/name_f] [name_u]Lynn[/name_u] sounds fine. I’m not crazy for it but I certainly don’t think it’s ugly or boring or anything like that. [name_f]Freya[/name_f] makes everything pretty! The combination feels a bit short to me. 2) I don’t really connect [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f] to [name_u]Lynn[/name_u], but I suppose it would work as an honor name. I prefer the [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f] spelling as well, even if it’s less obvious. However, I do think you will have some name regret if you use either of these.
[name_m]How[/name_m] exactly has your mother-in-law “made it clear” that you should use [name_u]Lynn[/name_u]? Were you two having a conversation about a potential middle name and she said, “Oh, maybe [name_u]Lynn[/name_u]? Your husband’s sister was [name_u]Lynn[/name_u], she passed when she was a baby…” in kind of a wistful, hopeful way? Or was it more along the lines of a passive-aggressive jab like “[name_u]Lynn[/name_u] should be honored at some point,” meaning, now, with this baby, or else?
My own soon-to-be [name_f]MIL[/name_f] has suggested a few family names from my fiance’s side of the family already, though we are not expecting any time soon. Most of them I don’t like, and one of them I firmly shut down - a name that has already been used tree times and is still worn by two living people, which is very common and not my style at all. There was a little tension during those conversations, but mostly I sensed hope, hope from my future [name_f]MIL[/name_f] that she would have a hand in naming a new baby after someone she loved, hope to use a name she didn’t have the opportunity to use, etc. In your [name_f]MIL[/name_f]'s case, she did get to use this name (though, I assume, not on a daily basis for very long?) and though there is some discord between the two of you, I can understand her feelings. However, I don’t necessarily agree with her, especially if she is treating you in a negative way.
[name_f]Do[/name_f] you really like [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f], or is it just the best compromise you could come up with? If you loved [name_u]Lynn[/name_u] or [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f], and you told her you were thinking of it, then yes, it would be a sweet honor name - but if you don’t love them then she can’t make you. Feeling pressured is okay, but don’t give in out of fear; you won’t like your child’s name, and it will be forever tied to a person you don’t know and the tense relationship you have with your [name_f]MIL[/name_f].
Name your children only what pleases you and your husband, whether or not they are honor names.