It is hard to believe but it is true. [name]Baby[/name] girl, aka [name]Little[/name] one, is almost 7 months old. The long and the short of it is that we sort of had a name- [name]Ani[/name] [name]Skye[/name]- butt my mom pretty much shot it down and I’m not sure if it was working anyway. Husband is a little dyslexic and the [name]Ah[/name]-ni, [name]Ah[/name]-na, An- na situation seems hard for him. We decided on [name]Josephine[/name] and signed the paperwork with our midwife the next morning- bad idea. Immediately I realized she needed a middle name (we had given her my maiden name like her brother) so to her birth announcement I added [name]Anais[/name]- [name]Josephine[/name] [name]Anais[/name] B… A…
That didn’t work either- she is just not a [name]Josephine[/name] or [name]Jo[/name] or [name]Joie[/name] and turns out I don’t like [name]Josie[/name] either on her. Her brother, almost 3 is [name]Jude[/name] [name]Lucas[/name]. We have batted around a number of names,my husband shooting down the majority of one’s I suggest, and have been circling between [name]Ana[/name]/[name]Ani[/name], [name]Ayla[/name] (pronounced eye-la) and [name]Maia[/name]. To some degree they all feel a bit like old boyfriends you keep going back to hoping that you can make it work but you know it won’t.I’m tempted to throw them all out and pray by divine intervention, or the help of random strangers on the internet, that I might discover a new love. I love each name for different reasons, like the classic strength of [name]Ana[/name], the qwerkiness of [name]Ani[/name], the feminine flow and meaning of [name]Ayla[/name] (light-bearer, moon beam) and the strength and meaning of [name]Maia[/name]. We have been trying to keep [name]Josephine[/name] as a middle to keep some continuity but my husband has said he would be ok with [name]Joie[/name] as a middle (hard to pair a name with either it seems). My son and husband have called her [name]Jo[/name] and [name]Joie[/name] this whole time. I have resorted to “little one” most the time.
She is spunky, smart, active (started belly crawling at 4 months and is now crawling at 6- and trying to climb the stairs!), joyful, brave, social, engaging…and dare I say it looks like she has a strong will. She has a very sweet, feminine features, blonde hair, blue eyes and very fair skin. She often smiles before she opens her eyes in the morning and she loves people. She was born at home after 2.5 hours of labor, 8 minutes from the peak of the harvest moon ([name]September[/name]). I would love a name that is strong and spunky, that sounds good with [name]Jude[/name] and conveys femininity and strength. A name that is creative without being weird. I’d also love a name that doesn’t require a lot of spelling/ pronounciation correction (ala [name]Ayla[/name]). Other names I have loved [name]Georgia[/name], [name]Esme[/name], [name]Eleanor[/name], and… brain freeze…Thanks for any help you can offer! (And yes, last babe) Oh and last name starts with Av so all “v” containing first names seem to be out (though I love [name]Eve[/name], [name]Eva[/name], [name]Ava[/name]…)
I’m sorry to hear about the problems you’re having with naming the “[name]Little[/name] [name]One[/name]”. From your list of names, I think [name]Josephine[/name] is lovely as well as [name]Georgia[/name], [name]Esme[/name] and [name]Eleanor[/name]. [name]Maia[/name] would be a wonderful choice too! Here are some suggestions for your consideration! [name]Hope[/name] you find a name you love. [name]Jude[/name]'s sister sounds like a darling so she needs a spunky or vintage name like his!
Oh, poor child. I really like [name]Josephine[/name] and I think it’s a good name with lots of nns. As your husband and your son seem to like it why not letting it down and keeping it? It’s been 7 month already. The MN- [name]Anais[/name] seems to combine all your requires. You can switch them and change it a little for example: [name]Anna[/name]/[name]Ana[/name] [name]Josephine[/name] or [name]Maia[/name] [name]Josephine[/name]. Anyways you can call her as you think it fits her better with keeping her name(my fn is [name]Anna[/name] and my parents have never called me like that and I had a friend whose sister was [name]Elizabeth[/name] and was always called [name]Bella[/name](have no idea why)). If everyone got used to [name]Josephine[/name] but you, it’s not necessarily to change it. You wouldn’t be able to change her name as many times as you want. I’m really sorry if it was rude of me but that’s my opinion.
[name]Avery[/name] came to mind, but then the whole Av problem.
[name]Meghan[/name] [name]Josephine[/name] I liked, or [name]Meghan[/name] [name]Joie[/name].
What about [name]Jolene[/name]?
[name]Hailey[/name]
[name]Haven[/name]
[name]Greta[/name]
[name]Margo[/name]
[name]Dawn[/name]
[name]Aurora[/name]
[name]Anya[/name]
[name]Annika[/name]
[name]Quinn[/name]
[name]Lucy[/name]
[name]Freya[/name]
[name]Gemma[/name]
[name]Gloria[/name]
[name]Gabrielle[/name]
[name]Gracie[/name]
Names that are for Virgo girls:
I’ve bolded the ones I really like for her.
Name Origin Meaning
[name]Adara[/name] Arabic virgin
[name]Agatha[/name] Greek good, honourable
[name]Agnes[/name] Greek pure and chaste [name]Amelia[/name] Teutonic industrious
[name]Anona[/name] Latin goddess of the harvest
[name]Areta[/name] Greek virtuous
Azra Arabic virginal
[name]Benedicta[/name]
Benice Latin blessed
[name]Caitlin[/name]
[name]Kaitlyn[/name] Irish Gaelic pure [name]Catherine[/name]
[name]Kathleen[/name] Greek pure
Chastina Latin pure, chaste [name]Chloe[/name] Greek beautiful young maiden
[name]Clementine[/name] Latin mild [name]Colleen[/name] Irish Gaelic maiden
[name]Conchita[/name] Spanish virgin [name]Cora[/name]
[name]Corinna[/name]
[name]Kara[/name] Greek maiden
[name]Cybele[/name] Greek goddess of the harvest
[name]Daphne[/name] Greek virgin
[name]Deborah[/name] Hebrew an industrious woman Delwyn Welsh neat and fair
[name]Elizabeth[/name] [name]Elsa[/name]
[name]Elsie[/name] Hebrew oath of God
[name]Emily[/name] Teutonic industrious
[name]Emma[/name] Teutonic healer of the universe
Fabrianne Latin maid of good works, resourceful craftswoman
[name]Glenda[/name] Welsh pure and good
[name]Glenys[/name]
[name]Glenise[/name] Welsh holy or pure [name]Hazel[/name] Old English a light-brown colour
[name]Hermione[/name] Greek a maid of high degree; femine form of [name]Hermes[/name] ([name]Mercury[/name])
[name]Honor[/name]
[name]Honora[/name] Latin integrity, honour
[name]Ina[/name]
[name]Ines[/name]
[name]Inez[/name] Greek pure, chaste
[name]Isabel[/name]
[name]Isabella[/name]
[name]Isobel[/name] Spanish oath to God
[name]Leala[/name] French the loyal one
[name]Lilian[/name] English pure
[name]Linda[/name]
[name]Lynette[/name] [name]Lynn[/name] English pretty, neat
[name]Lisa[/name] English oath to God [name]Karen[/name] Danish pure
[name]Katherine[/name] Greek pure
[name]Mary[/name]
[name]Maria[/name]
[name]Marie[/name]
[name]Marian[/name]
[name]Marianne[/name]
[name]Marilyn[/name]
[name]Maureen[/name] Hebrew sacred virgin
[name]Melina[/name] Greek gentle [name]Melissa[/name] Greek bee, symbol of industry
[name]Mona[/name] Irish Gaelic the noble one
[name]Morwenna[/name],[name]Morwyn[/name] Cornish/Welsh a maiden
[name]Neysa[/name] Greek chaste, pure [name]Paige[/name] Old French young servant
[name]Penelope[/name] Greek weaver
[name]Pia[/name] Latin pious
[name]Rhea[/name] Greek earth goddess
[name]Samantha[/name] Aramaic she who listens
[name]Safia[/name] Arabic the pure one
[name]Susan[/name], [name]Susanna[/name], [name]Susannah[/name] pure, lily
[name]Teresa[/name]
[name]Terese[/name]
[name]Theresa[/name]
[name]Terri[/name] [name]Tessa[/name]
[name]Tracey[/name] Greek carrier of corn, reaper
[name]Una[/name] Latin the one, perfection
[name]Virginia[/name] Latin maid, virgin
Note: Some of those meanings are off, so you may want to check them.
I really love [name]Jolene[/name], [name]Jolie[/name], [name]Johanna[/name], [name]Joan[/name], [name]Joni[/name]
[name]Anais[/name], [name]Anya[/name], [name]Anja[/name], [name]Anna[/name]
[name]Maya[/name], [name]Marla[/name], [name]Marlena[/name]
It seems like the rest of your family has adjusted to [name]Jo[/name] and at 7 months ‘little one’ might be accustomed to responding to it. Maybe keeping something that nns [name]Jo[/name] would be best? Or at least nns with a similar sound, ex, [name]Maureen[/name] or [name]Moira[/name] nn [name]Moe[/name]?
I know finding the perfect name feels like such an important part, but I have to wonder if perfection isn’t really out there for everyone. i mean, I never had that moment when i was wedding dress hunting. My dress was nice enough, but I wasn’t in love with it…I just had to settle for what worked eventually. At 7 months you might be near that point with your child’s name.
Thanks for the replies everyone. I only have a second but wanted to add/ask- one “issue” I have with [name]Ani[/name] (ah-nee) is that my name is spelled [name]Abi[/name] (abby). Wondering others thoughts on that. [name]One[/name] reason I like [name]Ani[/name] is that there are not a lot of associations with it and it does have a sanskrit meaning (inexhaustible) that resonates with me (I practice tibetan buddhism).
I also thought I’d add (although I agree that this process needs to come to an end) that I have been told that many Native American cultures wait a year to name their children to really see who they are. I think the process has been more difficult for me than anyone else. I have called her little one since she was born and feel that we all are called many nn over time- that our sense of our self continues to grow and deepen and change. Maybe I’m being a little defensive but just thought I’d offer that up as her name just does not seem right to me at all. I’m going to mull over what has been sent and will let you all know. I do think that having a name that keeps [name]Jo[/name]/[name]Joie[/name] alive is good. BTW- both my sisters had their names changed at 5 months, I have met a woman that changed her son’s name at 21 months and others…I don’t think it is as uncommon as it sounds. But the point about the “perfect” name- well taken!
Thanks again!
[name]Asha[/name] [name]Joie[/name] was my first thought…
Or something that speaks to the moon association with her birth…[name]Chandra[/name] or [name]Luna[/name] maybe? [name]Chandra[/name] [name]Joie[/name] is lovely.
Could you call her Phina or [name]Fina[/name] for [name]Josephine[/name]? That would seem like a spunky alternative w/o having to do a name change. I like the name [name]Josephine[/name], I’ve only met one and she does go by [name]Jo[/name] often, but I REALLY think if you call her by her full name she’d grow into it and it is so timeless compared to [name]Ayla[/name] or some of the other trendier begins with “A” alternatives-But I TOTALLY relate to name regret or uncertainty as I am also having trouble calling my soon-to-be 2 month old by anything other than “little one”.
[name]IMO[/name] [name]Josephine[/name] also sounds really lovely with [name]Jude[/name]. [name]Georgia[/name] is one of my all time favorites but I could never get my DH on board and none of my kids liked it, but of the ones you mentioned I think that would work really well and still keeps the G/J sound.
If you don’t want to stick with [name]Josephine[/name], I’d start by doing a massive and intensive alphabetical search on one of the other name sites (I don’t think you can do it here) and see what you come up with. I’d look for things that you can call her that still start with the J sound so your husband and her brother can keep [name]Jo[/name] if they want to.
Your description of her made me think of [name]Penelope[/name]. [name]Penelope[/name] [name]Josephine[/name]?
Another thought was since you love [name]Ani[/name], what about calling her by her middle name [name]Anais[/name]? Its beautiful and would also fit. I call my kids by their middles all the time so that they answer to either name. I think that has helped me when having doubts.
Ill have to second all of mischa’s list, its such a great list!
Also, I think this stage of baby is hard to fit a perfect name. Thats the same age I had doubts with both of mine. I waited and sure enough they changed (personality and looks) and the name I had given them suited them perfectly! Good luck!
I think mischa’s suggestions of [name]Isla[/name], and [name]Zoe[/name] are perfect, the first because it is the kind of sound that you like and because it is short and easy to spell, and [name]Zoe[/name] seems to describe your bundle of joy to a ‘T’ because it means LIFE and she has that in abundance and I think it is a joyful name too.
[name]Isla[/name] is the name of a Scottish river.
Now getting back to [name]Josephine[/name] a lot of people use the nickname of [name]Fifi[/name] for their [name]Josephine[/name] and then there is [name]Jodie[/name] but that is a little dated now.
I know of a little girl named [name]Jolie[/name] maybe that would suit her? It means pretty in French.
If you know some of the Tibetan language you could find out what ‘little one’ means and if it is suitable as a name then that might fit. I have had a look at Tibetan names and the only one I thought may fit in was Nyima (ny ee mah) and it means Sun.
Im curious to know what your husband thinks since he and your son seem to be accustomed to [name]Josephine[/name]. Maybe you could keep it and change the middle but use the middle instead? It seems like that would be less trouble since plenty of people go by their mn and your son wont be so confused by a name change and family wont question it.
I liked pp suggestion of [name]Johanna[/name]- keeps part of Josphine through the current nn’s. [name]Johanna[/name] is very spunky and includes the ‘An’ part of the name sounds too.
Josya (josh-ya) means Delightful in Sanskrit- still has [name]Jo[/name]/ [name]Joie[/name] as a nn
Hun, i have a few names I personaly love, and if you choose one of the following will you please inform me? if so thank you.
(my name) [name]Kayla[/name] [name]Jean[/name]
[name]Katharyn[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name] [name]Jean[/name]
[name]Arabella[/name] [name]Rose[/name] ([name]Arabella[/name] means beautiful, and roses are beautiful, and I’m sure your daughter is as well)
Amyra Skilyn
Rowanne [name]Grace[/name]
annabelle josephine (since she was gonna be [name]Ani[/name] and she was named [name]Josephine[/name])
paisleigh michelle
[name]Natalia[/name] [name]Ski[/name].
I hope you love one of these names, and to be honest I think she would make a Beautiful [name]Annabelle[/name] [name]Josephine[/name] or [name]Arabella[/name] [name]Rose[/name], Beautiful [name]Rose[/name]((:
[name]Jo[/name] reminds me of the spunky sister from [name]Little[/name] Women! Another option would be to give her a middle name which she would go by. I agree that this late in the game, switching and renaming is sort of a bad idea, so I hope you find something you love soon
[name]How[/name] about [name]Joanie[/name] or [name]Josiane[/name] -they are kinda combos of [name]Josephine[/name] and [name]Ani[/name] but are actually fairly commonly use French names. I believe both started off as nn for [name]Josephine[/name].
or variations on the name [name]Anne[/name]:
[name]Annika[/name]
[name]Anya[/name]
[name]Anouk[/name] (seems very unique elsewhere, but here in [name]Quebec[/name], no one bats an eyelid)
Good luck!
