HELP needed, first baby...

General Name Discussion
1

Well, my husband still isn’t ready to talk names, so I am soliciting outside help finding a name for this mystery baby. This is our first child, due at the end of [name]April[/name], and gender is a surprise. Last name is pronounced like Skerman but spelled different, Dutch in origin. Here are our requirements:

  • Something not trendy (my name is [name]Brittany[/name], I bet you can guess my age to within 5 years, looking to avoid this)
  • Hubby only likes family names, but I would prefer to keep them in MN slot. Family name options include: (fem) [name]Sarah[/name], [name]Grace[/name], Gretje, [name]Pearl[/name], [name]Sandra[/name], [name]Lee[/name], [name]Mildred[/name], [name]Rosalia[/name], [name]Rose[/name], [name]Margaret[/name] & variations (in honour of Gretja, [name]Pearl[/name] and [name]Megan[/name]), (masc) [name]Andy[/name], [name]Anderson[/name], [name]Ralph[/name], [name]Albert[/name], [name]Matthew[/name], [name]Tom[/name], [name]Nolan[/name], [name]Hendrik[/name], [name]Jakob[/name], [name]John[/name], [name]Bryan[/name]
  • Moderate to low popularity preferred ([name]Sarah[/name] is my all-time favourite name, but the combined spellings of [name]Sarah[/name] and [name]Sara[/name] made it #2 popularity for [name]Alberta[/name], [name]Canada[/name] in 2008, thus it is 98% eliminated)
  • Dog’s name is [name]Evey[/name] (pron. eh-V, not E.V.), nn [name]Evelyn[/name], so nothing too similar to that
  • This will be the first of ~4 children, I need something that will leave sibling options open

Some of my ideas have included (although a few are too popular for use, DH isn’t interested in most):

Girls:
[name]Adeline[/name]
[name]Sarah[/name] (too pop.)
[name]Charlotte[/name] (too pop.)
[name]Clara[/name] (too much like [name]Kara[/name], my sister?)
[name]Aubrey[/name] (too trendy)
[name]Heather[/name] (we both love, others feel it’s too dated, opinions?)
[name]Nadia[/name]
[name]Norah[/name]
[name]Rebecca[/name]
[name]Scarlett[/name] (again, too pop?)
[name]Sonja[/name]
[name]Hannah[/name] (too popular)

Boys:
[name]Andrew[/name] (bad assoc. in DH’s family)
[name]Benjamin[/name]
[name]Carter[/name]
[name]Clark[/name]
[name]Elliott[/name]
[name]Emmett[/name]
[name]Garrett[/name]
[name]Grant[/name]
[name]Landon[/name]

Full list (but I certainly don’t love all of these):

Sorry for the essay, but I need some constructive help. [name]TIA[/name]!

2

Okay, I do understand the popularity concerns, but if you [name]LOVE[/name] a name, I honestly think it is worth it…

My favorites from your girl list are [name]Sarah[/name] and [name]Charlotte[/name]. You seem to favor simple, elegant girl names, so here are some more suggestions:

[name]Alice[/name]
[name]Beatrice[/name]
[name]Caroline[/name]
[name]Diana[/name]
[name]Eliza[/name]
[name]Frances[/name]
[name]Georgiana[/name]
[name]Hazel[/name]
[name]Ivy[/name]
[name]Josephine[/name]
[name]Katharina[/name]
[name]Laurel[/name]
[name]Matilda[/name]
[name]Naomi[/name]
[name]Olive[/name]
[name]Phoebe[/name]
[name]Quinn[/name]
[name]Regina[/name]
[name]Stella[/name]
[name]Thalia[/name]
[name]Ursula[/name]
[name]Vanessa[/name]
[name]Willa[/name]

For [name]Sarah[/name], a nickname could be [name]Sadie[/name] - this could set your daughter out from the pack of [name]Sarah[/name]'s…

For boys, my favorites off your list are [name]Benjamin[/name], [name]Emmett[/name], [name]Grant[/name], and [name]Landon[/name]. You seem to favor strong, simple names for boys, with a masculine sound. I recommend:

[name]Alexander[/name]
[name]Boyd[/name]
[name]Chase[/name]
[name]Declan[/name]
[name]Everett[/name]
[name]Francis[/name]
[name]Garrison[/name]
[name]Henry[/name]
[name]Isaac[/name]
[name]James[/name]
[name]Lucas[/name]
[name]Micah[/name]
[name]Nathaniel[/name]
[name]Oliver[/name]
[name]Peter[/name]
[name]Rupert[/name]
[name]Stephen[/name]
[name]Thomas[/name]
[name]Wyatt[/name]

I do apologize if these names are too popular for you! Best of luck!

3

I really like [name]Lemon[/name]'s suggestions! But I thought I’d give you a couple more just for the heck of it, and I apologize if I repeat you, [name]Lemon[/name]. First, about your favorites:

Girls:
[name]Adeline[/name]- One of my favorites as well.
[name]Sarah[/name] (too pop.) I agree that it’s too popular.
[name]Charlotte[/name] (too pop.) I love [name]Charlotte[/name], and I think it’s classic. I could be wrong but I suspect there wouldn’t be more than 2 girls in any one class named [name]Charlotte[/name].
[name]Clara[/name] (too much like [name]Kara[/name], my sister?)-maybe too close but I love [name]Clara[/name], and it would be honoring [name]Kara[/name] in a way.
[name]Aubrey[/name] (too trendy)- [name]Do[/name] you like [name]Audrey[/name]?
[name]Heather[/name] (we both love, others feel it’s too dated, opinions?)-
[name]Nadia[/name]- not a fan
[name]Norah[/name]- not a fan
[name]Rebecca[/name]- I think [name]Rebecca[/name] is a classic, and [name]Becca[/name] is a cute nn.
[name]Scarlett[/name] (again, too pop?)- I love [name]Scarlett[/name]. But the double S last and first name might sound a little too much.
[name]Sonja[/name]- not my favorite
[name]Hannah[/name] (too popular)- agreed it’s too popular

Boys:
[name]Andrew[/name] (bad assoc. in DH’s family)- then don’t use it I guess if he’d hate that.
[name]Benjamin[/name]- Classic name.
[name]Carter[/name]- Reminds me of [name]Aaron[/name] and [name]Nick[/name].
[name]Clark[/name]- I love [name]Clark[/name]!
[name]Elliott[/name]- Classic name. Only positive associations for me.
[name]Emmett[/name]- [name]Love[/name] it.
[name]Garrett[/name]- One of my favorite names.
[name]Grant[/name]- Reminds me too much of money.
[name]Landon[/name]- [name]Love[/name] it, but very popular!

a few more:

Girls:

[name]Belle[/name]
[name]Natalia[/name]
[name]Siri[/name]
[name]Lila[/name]/[name]Lilia[/name]/[name]Laila[/name]/[name]Leila[/name]
[name]Sloane[/name]
[name]Gemma[/name]
[name]Colette[/name]/[name]Cosette[/name]
[name]Calla[/name]
[name]Elisa[/name]
[name]Rosetta[/name]

[name]Male[/name]:
[name]Reeve[/name]
[name]Callum[/name]
[name]Reed[/name]
[name]Beacon[/name]
[name]Barret[/name]
Rence
[name]Asher[/name]
[name]Theo[/name]
[name]Frost[/name]
[name]Gable[/name]
[name]Gage[/name]
[name]Lachlan[/name]

[name]Alexander[/name]
[name]Boyd[/name]
[name]Chase[/name]
[name]Declan[/name]
[name]Everett[/name]
[name]Francis[/name]
[name]Garrison[/name]
[name]Henry[/name]
[name]Isaac[/name]
[name]James[/name]
[name]Lucas[/name]
[name]Micah[/name]
[name]Nathaniel[/name]
[name]Oliver[/name]
[name]Peter[/name]
[name]Rupert[/name]
[name]Stephen[/name]
[name]Thomas[/name]
[name]Wyatt[/name]

4

Oops! That last column was what [name]Lemon[/name] had put…I was trying not to repeat it so I copy and pasted it. Forgot to delete it, though!

5

My opinion of [name]Heather[/name] is that if you both love it, go for it. I noticed that [name]Andy[/name] is on your family name list for boys. I actually love [name]Andie[/name] for a girl :slight_smile:

6

Thanks for the lists ladies, I do like many of these, keep them coming.

I also like [name]Andie[/name] for a girl, but it feels a little nicknamey for our style, and I am not an [name]Andrea[/name] fan, any other ideas for a formal name with the NN [name]Andie[/name]?

7

Skerman
not trendy names

  • Hubby only likes family names, but I would prefer to keep them in MN slot. Family name options include: (fem) -

(I am taking away the middle names that have been overdone in the past or are really not in style like [name]Mildred[/name])

Gretje - fascinating!
[name]Pearl[/name] - lucky you that [name]Pearl[/name] is a family name! Gorgeous middle name.
[name]Sandra[/name]
[name]Rosalia[/name], also love [name]Rosalie[/name] so much
[name]Margaret[/name] & variations (Gretja, [name]Pearl[/name]) - gorgeous

(masc)
[name]Andy[/name] - I would change this to [name]Andrew[/name] or even [name]Drew[/name].
[name]Ralph[/name] - I would change this to [name]Rafe[/name].
[name]Albert[/name] - love it.
[name]Matthew[/name] - even though this is popular, it makes a great middle name.
[name]Tom[/name] - I would change this to [name]Thomas[/name]. [name]Love[/name] it as a first name, too!
[name]Hendrik[/name] - love!
[name]Jakob[/name] - cool, but [name]Jacob[/name] is so popular.

  • Dog’s name is [name]Evey[/name] (pron. eh-V, not E.V.), nn [name]Evelyn[/name], so nothing too similar to that
  • This will be the first of ~4 children, I need something that will leave sibling options open

Some of my ideas have included (although a few are too popular for use, DH isn’t interested in most):

Girls:
[name]Adeline[/name] - pretty, but I am not super fond of it. I love [name]Adelaide[/name] more.
[name]Clara[/name] (too much like [name]Kara[/name], my sister?) - no, I think that [name]Clara[/name] could honor your sister’s name. [name]Clara[/name] Skerman isn’t that great imo.
[name]Aubrey[/name] (too trendy) - I love [name]Audrey[/name] Skerman.
[name]Heather[/name] (we both love, others feel it’s too dated, opinions?) - dated
[name]Nadia[/name] - I don’t care for it. Makes me think of the words naughty and nude. And the Spanish word nada which means nothing.
[name]Norah[/name] - love, but I don’t like it with Skerman.
[name]Rebecca[/name] - love it, but it is a bit dated in the Northeastern U.S. in case you live there. Sounds great with Skerman.
[name]Scarlett[/name] (again, too pop?) - love it, but not with Skerman.
[name]Sonja[/name] - pretty and different - kind of pretty with Skerman, but it is kind of sing-song.
[name]Hannah[/name] (too popular) - too popular, but love it with Skerman.

Winners on your list: [name]Adeline[/name] (not my personal favorite, but it is very loved on Nameberry), [name]Rebecca[/name], [name]Audrey[/name]

[name]Adeline[/name] [name]Pearl[/name] Skerman*, pretty!
[name]Audrey[/name] [name]Margaret[/name]* - kind of wordy with Skerman, but I love [name]Margaret[/name]. Let’s see [name]Audrey[/name] [name]Margaret[/name] Skerman, I think it is too “r” heavy. [name]How[/name] about [name]Audrey[/name] [name]Madeline[/name] Skerman****, much better!
[name]Audrey[/name] [name]Pearl[/name] Skerman*, pretty!
[name]Rebecca[/name] [name]Pearl[/name] Skerman, pretty, but I love [name]Audrey[/name] [name]Pearl[/name] Skerman the most, I think.
[name]Rebecca[/name] [name]Maeve[/name] Skerman***, that is pretty! The “v” sound softens everything.
[name]Rebecca[/name] [name]Violet[/name] Skerman***, that is pretty, too!
[name]Adelaide[/name] is so pretty, but I don’t like it with Skerman.

What about [name]Pearl[/name] Gretje Skerman? [name]Love[/name] it. It’s cool and it’s different.
Also [name]Pearl[/name] [name]Adeline[/name] Skerman*** - I love it even more.

Boys:
[name]Andrew[/name] (bad assoc. in DH’s family) - has been super popular for many years.
[name]Benjamin[/name] - love, but both [name]Benjamin[/name] and Skerman end in the same sound.
[name]Carter[/name] - to me, this is a trendy name.
[name]Clark[/name] - love, very handsome with Skerman.
[name]Elliott[/name] - love, nice with your last name.
[name]Emmett[/name] - don’t like [name]Emmett[/name], don’t like with Skerman.
[name]Garrett[/name] - don’t like with Skerman.
[name]Grant[/name] - not my style, but I like it with Skerman.
[name]Landon[/name] - don’t like with Skerman.

I don’t like last name style names with Skerman.

Winners on boys’ list: [name]Clark[/name], [name]Elliott[/name], and [name]Grant[/name]. I am not adding [name]Thomas[/name] because it ends with an “s” and Skerman starts with an “S”. Too bad. I am changing [name]Henrik[/name] to [name]Henry[/name] because the “k” in [name]Henrik[/name] isn’t working with the “k” in Skerman.

[name]Andrew[/name] [name]Jacob[/name] Skerman, sounds great
[name]Andrew[/name] [name]Rafe[/name] Skerman, sounds great!
[name]Clark[/name] [name]Henry[/name] Skerman, ditto***
[name]Clark[/name] [name]Matthew[/name] Skerman, sounds great!*
[name]Elliott[/name] [name]Rafe[/name] Skerman, ditto
[name]Grant[/name] [name]Henry[/name] Skerman, ditto*
[name]Grant[/name] [name]Jakob[/name] Skerman, ditto
[name]Jakob[/name] [name]Andrew[/name] Skerman, very handsome!
[name]Jakob[/name] [name]Henry[/name] Skerman, ditto!*
[name]Henry[/name] [name]Grant[/name] Skerman, ditto
[name]Henry[/name] [name]Jakob[/name] Skerman, ditto*
[name]Henry[/name] [name]Matthew[/name] Skerman ditto

I am starring my favorite name combos.

8

Oh, screw anonymity, I can’t stand looking at my substitute last name, it is Schuurman, and this particular branch of the family pronounces it with a K and about half way between an “ur” and an “er”. This may help with the “K” repetition, but again, it still sounds like a K. You are definitely right that some first names just don’t sound right with the last name (although I admit, a few of those I just hadn’t really thought through, like [name]Benjamin[/name]). We can just keep them in mind style-wise.

For everyone who has suggested [name]Everett[/name], I totally love this one, it’s actually one of my favourites on my list, I just forgot to include it. I also love [name]Nathaniel[/name], but there was just one born last year in the tiny community we will be living in. I like the idea of [name]Thomas[/name] (the [name]Tom[/name] we are honouring is FIL, who’s name is actually Taeke or some Dutch combo of those letters). I agree that [name]Mildred[/name] is just too horrible to give even as a middle name, too bad, because I really love my Gran! DH’s family seems to have all the good names.

9

[name]Hi[/name] again!

I originally suggested [name]Everett[/name] because it sounded a lot like your style, so I’m glad you love it! [name]Nathaniel[/name] is one of my favorite names, honestly, so I’m also glad you like it, even if it is sort of out of the question for a first name (as you suggested). Have you considered [name]Everett[/name] [name]Nathaniel[/name] Schuurman - sorry if I just misspelled your last name. I really love it! If you want, you could pair [name]Nathaniel[/name] with a family name and give your son two middle names, if baby ends up being a boy…

[name]Andy[/name], [name]Anderson[/name], [name]Ralph[/name], [name]Albert[/name], [name]Matthew[/name], [name]Tom[/name], [name]Nolan[/name], [name]Hendrik[/name], [name]Jakob[/name], [name]John[/name], [name]Bryan[/name]

[name]Everett[/name] [name]Nathaniel[/name] [name]John[/name] Schuurman
[name]Everett[/name] [name]Nathaniel[/name] [name]Ralph[/name] Schuurman

Or, what about [name]Everett[/name] [name]Thomas[/name] Schuurman? I remember you saying that your dog is named [name]Evey[/name], with the nickname of [name]Evelyn[/name], and I know that [name]Everett[/name] has the same beginning sound. However, as much as I hate to say this, and at the risk of sounding completely insensitive, children last much longer than dogs, and your child’s name will be a part of your family tree, well, forever. [name]Trust[/name] me, I’m a dog lover too, but I felt the need to state the, well, obvious. If it truly is a problem, though, I also quite like [name]Thomas[/name] [name]Everett[/name] Schuurman!

Are you liking any of the girl names so far? You mentioned that [name]Mildred[/name] may be too awful to bestow on a future daughter, and I hate to agree. However, could you potentially use your Gran’s middle or last names in a child’s name?

Again, best of luck, and I look forward to helping you with your name search! :slight_smile:

10

[name]Adeline[/name]- nn [name]Addie[/name]
[name]Sarah[/name]- way to popular and plain
[name]Charlotte[/name]- I like it! NN- [name]Lottie[/name]
[name]Clara[/name]- Not to close to [name]Kara[/name]
[name]Aubrey[/name]- Call her [name]Bree[/name]
[name]Heather[/name]- Ehh, not one of my favorites, or even close to one!
[name]Nadia[/name]- Only like it if you are [name]Indian[/name]
[name]Norah[/name]- [name]Love[/name] it!!!
[name]Rebecca[/name]- Call here Beka
[name]Scarlett[/name]- Cute . . .
[name]Sonja[/name]- Ehhh
[name]Hannah[/name]- I like it spelled [name]Hanna[/name]

Boys:
[name]Andrew[/name]- Maybe [name]Drew[/name]
[name]Benjamin[/name]- Very popular, but I like it
[name]Carter[/name]- Ohh! This is good!
[name]Clark[/name]- I like it.
[name]Elliott[/name]- [name]Love[/name] it!
[name]Emmett[/name]- One of my faves
[name]Garrett[/name]- might be called [name]Gary[/name] . . .
[name]Grant[/name]- Oldish name.
[name]Landon[/name]- I really don’t like it for a boy . . . or girl.

11

(Sorry for repeats!) :slight_smile:

[name]Adeline[/name]: I love [name]Adeline[/name], but with the N ending sound, it sounds a bit matchy to me with your last name.

You may also like:

[name]Adelia[/name]
[name]Adelaide[/name]

[name]Sarah[/name] (too pop.): I think it’s pretty…

You may also like:

[name]Clara[/name]
[name]Cora[/name] (although with an S last name, [name]Cora[/name] S sounds like “chorus” :slight_smile:
[name]Flora[/name]
[name]Laura[/name]
[name]Nora[/name]/[name]Norah[/name]
[name]Susannah[/name]

[name]Charlotte[/name] (too pop.): I think this is beautiful, too…

[name]Annabel[/name]/[name]Annabelle[/name]
[name]Alice[/name]
[name]Beatrice[/name]
[name]Cora[/name]
[name]Celia[/name]
[name]Diana[/name]
[name]Daphne[/name]
[name]Eliza[/name]
[name]Eleanor[/name]
[name]Helena[/name]
[name]Iris[/name]
[name]Juliet[/name]
[name]Louisa[/name] (oops…not with an S last name)
[name]Lydia[/name]
[name]Margot[/name]
[name]Miranda[/name]
[name]Phoebe[/name]
[name]Stella[/name]
[name]Violet[/name]

French names:

[name]Annabelle[/name]
[name]Amelie[/name]
[name]Coralie[/name]
[name]Elodie[/name]
[name]Juliette[/name]
[name]Mirabelle[/name]

[name]Clara[/name] (too much like [name]Kara[/name], my sister?): I love [name]Clara[/name]! It’s very close to [name]Kara[/name], so if you think you’ll get them confused, that’s what matters. I think it would be a cute way to honor your sister. You could always go with [name]Claire[/name] if you’re concerned about the similarity.

[name]Aubrey[/name] (too trendy):

[name]Audrey[/name] (popular)
[name]Adriana[/name]
[name]Aurelia[/name]
[name]Bryony[/name]
[name]Daphne[/name]
[name]Ruby[/name]
[name]Sabrina[/name]

[name]Heather[/name] (we both love, others feel it’s too dated, opinions?): [name]Heather[/name] feels very dated to me, but I’m in the U.S., and I’m not sure how it’s perceived where you live. To me, [name]Heather[/name] feels like [name]Ashley[/name] and [name]Chelsea[/name]…

Here’s what [name]Pam[/name] and [name]Linda[/name] wrote: “This flower name was one of the most popular in her class in the seventies and eighties (in the 1989 movie Heathers, every snobby girl in the high school clique bore that name), but now, though still pretty and evocative of the Scottish moors, it’s beginning to feel as dusty as a bouquet of dried flowers.”

More flower names/plant names:

[name]Bryony[/name]
[name]Daphne[/name]
[name]Dahlia[/name]
[name]Flora[/name]
[name]Ivy[/name]
[name]Violet[/name]
[name]Willa[/name]

[name]Nadia[/name]: I can’t help but think of Octomom these days…

More you may like:

[name]Natalia[/name]
[name]Arabella[/name]
[name]Cordelia[/name]
[name]Carolina[/name]
[name]Dahlia[/name]
[name]Evelina[/name]
[name]Emilia[/name]
[name]Georgiana[/name]
[name]Juliana[/name]
[name]Liliana[/name]
[name]Lilia[/name]
[name]Mariana[/name]
[name]Raphaela[/name]
[name]Simona[/name]
[name]Talia[/name]
[name]Viviana[/name]

[name]Norah[/name]: I love [name]Nora[/name]! :slight_smile:

[name]Annora[/name]
[name]Eleanor[/name] (nn [name]Nora[/name])
[name]Eleanora[/name]
[name]Honora[/name]

[name]Rebecca[/name]: A lot of the other names feel fresher to me, but I think it’s beautiful. (Now that I think about it, it sounds really “K” heavy with your last name…)

[name]Naomi[/name]
[name]Tabitha[/name] (nn [name]Tibbie[/name])
[name]Susannah[/name]

[name]Scarlett[/name] (again, too pop?): I think it’s beautiful! It’s #210 in the U.S., but I’m not sure about its popularity where you are. Oops! [name]Scarlett[/name] Scurman doesn’t have the best sound to me…

[name]Sonja[/name]: I think it’s pretty, but I love some of the others more…

[name]Hannah[/name] (too popular):

[name]Susannah[/name]

[name]Benjamin[/name]: I really love [name]Benjamin[/name], but the ending sounds too close to your last name’s ending to me.

More Biblical names:

[name]Abraham[/name]
[name]Abner[/name]
[name]Abel[/name]
[name]David[/name]
[name]Daniel[/name]
[name]Ezra[/name]
[name]Eli[/name]
[name]Gabriel[/name]
[name]Joseph[/name]
[name]Nathaniel[/name]
[name]Simon[/name] (oops…not with a last name ending in N)
[name]Samuel[/name]
[name]Tobiah[/name] (although [name]Tobiah[/name] S. sounds like [name]Tobias[/name] when I say it out loud…)

[name]Carter[/name]: [name]Carter[/name] is very popular/trendy in the U.S. (#65)

[name]Archer[/name]
[name]Abbott[/name] (nn [name]Abe[/name])
[name]Bennett[/name]
[name]Conrad[/name]
[name]Donovan[/name] (oops…N ending)
[name]Everett[/name]
[name]Grady[/name]
[name]Miles[/name]
[name]Reed[/name]

[name]Clark[/name]: It’s kind of awkward for me to say with your last name…

[name]Elliott[/name]: I love it!

[name]Emmett[/name]: I think it’s great, but [name]Emma[/name] is the #1 name and [name]Emily[/name] is the #4, so there are a lot of Ems around…

[name]Henry[/name]
[name]Leo[/name]
[name]Theodore[/name]

[name]Garrett[/name]: I like [name]Grant[/name] more…

[name]Grant[/name]: Oh! Here’s [name]Grant[/name]! :slight_smile:

[name]Landon[/name]: It feels really trendy to me, and I think the names that don’t end in an N sound better with your last name.

As I think about it more, I really love longer first names with your last name.

Also, I forgot about your dog and the EV names, so sorry about suggesting [name]Everett[/name] so many times!

Good luck! :slight_smile:

12

OK, time for some full replys… sorry it took so long. I am still working on getting back to each of you, thanks for all the help so far.

@ [name]Lemon[/name]

[name]Alice[/name] ” Like it, on my long list
[name]Beatrice[/name] ” Meh
[name]Caroline[/name] ” Like it, on my long list
[name]Diana[/name] ” Not for me
[name]Eliza[/name] ” No (maybe the Z is what gets me)
[name]Frances[/name] ” Too masculine
[name]Georgiana[/name] ” Not bad, I would prefer a simple [name]Georgia[/name], but DH would not go for anything sounding like a US place name
[name]Hazel[/name] ” One of the ”old lady” names that is growing on me, not sure if I”m ready to go there
[name]Ivy[/name] ” Another one of the ”old lady” names that is growing on me
[name]Josephine[/name] ” DH”s Aunt
[name]Katharina[/name] ” Prefer [name]Katherine[/name], actually, love [name]Katherine[/name], but I have a cousin [name]Kate[/name], and I would want the option of [name]Kate[/name]
[name]Laurel[/name] ” [name]LOVE[/name], but we spend a lot of time with a cousin [name]Laura[/name], and I think it might be too confusing for others (I also love [name]Lara[/name] and [name]Lauren[/name], but [name]Lara[/name] is too close to [name]Laura[/name] again, and [name]Lauren[/name] is way too popular)
[name]Matilda[/name] - Undecided
[name]Naomi[/name] ” Not for me
[name]Olive[/name] ” Super cute, but too much a word for it to work for me (also to close to the uber pop. [name]Olivia[/name])
[name]Phoebe[/name] ” Like it a lot, but can”t imagine calling my own child [name]Pheobe[/name]
[name]Quinn[/name] ” Feels too trendy
[name]Regina[/name] ” Place name to me (capital of Saskatchewan)
[name]Stella[/name] ” Ok, now I have ”[name]Stella[/name] [name]Ella[/name] [name]Ola[/name]” stuck in my head, actually it”s an OK name, but not my style
[name]Thalia[/name] ” Like it, almost added it to my list, until I remembered it”s taken in DH”s family (well, [name]Talia[/name], but close enough)
[name]Ursula[/name] ” Evil octopus (guess I grew up in the Disney years)
[name]Vanessa[/name] ” Knew a few too many evil ones
[name]Willa[/name] ” Oh, how cute, but not formal enough for a first name for us. I”ll keep it on the spare middle name list in case a family first name comes up

[name]Alexander[/name] ” Girl cousin [name]Alex[/name]
[name]Boyd[/name] - NMS
[name]Chase[/name] ” Too many troublemakers growing up
[name]Declan[/name] ” Taken by a friend (perhaps too much in keeping with the Celtic trend for me)
[name]Everett[/name] ” [name]Love[/name], as mentioned
[name]Francis[/name] ” Too feminine (OK, I guess [name]Frances[/name]/[name]Francis[/name] is too unisex for me, although I am OK with some unisex names)
[name]Garrison[/name] ” Dad”s name is [name]Gary[/name], and he”s not namesake worthy by any stretch, like the style though (also reminds me of army barracks)
[name]Henry[/name] ” Already taken by DH”s uncle (1 of 2 reasons why I”m not giving in to [name]Henrik[/name]/[name]Hendrik[/name] as a first name, even though it”s the only name DH is currently considering)
[name]Isaac[/name] ” Like it, and it”s a family name way back on my side, but DH doesn”t like it (then again, what does he like, other than [name]Henrik[/name]!)
[name]James[/name] ” Too plain
[name]Lucas[/name] ” [name]Don[/name]”t like [name]Luke[/name]
[name]Micah[/name] - NMS
[name]Nathaniel[/name] ” [name]ADORE[/name] ” taken in our small community as mentioned ([name]Love[/name] your [name]Everett[/name] [name]Nathaniel[/name] Schuurman suggestion though, almost enough to scrap the family middle name)
[name]Oliver[/name] ” Too trendy (goes with all the [name]Olivia[/name]”s in my mind), although I do like it, mentioned it to DH once and got ”too feminine”
[name]Peter[/name] ” DH”s uncle (& NMS)
[name]Rupert[/name] ” Interesting suggestion, I haven”t come across this idea, I”ll have to give it some consideration
[name]Stephen[/name] ” Ex BF, known too many weird Steves
[name]Thomas[/name] ” Like it, good way to honour [name]Tom[/name], my FIL (Taeke or some variation by birth), as long as baby doesn”t get called [name]Tom[/name], I don”t want two [name]Tom[/name]”s in the same family at the same time
[name]Wyatt[/name] ” Like it, but unsure

”I know that [name]Everett[/name] has the same beginning sound” ” It wouldn”t bother me, and I definitely agree that the baby”s name is more important than the puppy, I just don”t want people thinking we named the kid after the dog, KWIM? I once had [name]Edie[/name] on my girls list for a brief time, and my sister pointed out how ridiculous it would be to have an [name]Evey[/name] and an [name]Edie[/name]. I had not even considered the dog”s name until this time, and since she is not an outdoor farm dog, but an indoor family member, I figured it might make sense to have someone let me know if I strayed too close!

”Could you potentially use your Gran’s middle or last names” ” Yes, [name]Rosalia[/name] and [name]Anderson[/name] are both also in honour of Gran (or Joa for that matter, but good luck working that in). Unfortunately, I think [name]Rosalia[/name] will only fit with a very few names, we”ll see how that goes when we get there.

13

@ cew1114

Re: [name]Sarah[/name] - I have a feeling many people feel that way about [name]Sarah[/name] (too plain). I wonder why everyone else keeps using it then! I think this one is relegated to middle spot, because I don”t want to bestow a name upon my child that is both common and ”boring”.

Re: [name]Nadia[/name] ” that”s funny about Indians, b/c I have only heard this on Europeans, may be because where I grew up there weren”t many Indians

Re: [name]Garrett[/name] ” [name]Do[/name] you think people would honestly call a kid [name]Gary[/name] in this day & age? I know that we can”t entirely prevent nicknames, so this may have to leave my list completely, since I cannot have anyone thinking this child was in any way named after my father. The [name]Garrett[/name] I knew was never anything but [name]Garrett[/name], but I suppose [name]Gary[/name] would be logical, just so outdated!

Still working on the rest… thanks everyone!

14

Did you still want some suggestions for “[name]Andie[/name]” as a nn for girls?

In case:
[name]Andora[/name]
[name]Andromeda[/name]
[name]Andriana[/name] (but looking at it hurts my head)
[name]Holland[/name]

BUT…[name]Addie[/name] sounds pretty close to [name]Andie[/name] and there are quite a few names that can use the nn [name]Addie[/name]

15

@ [name]Jill[/name]
[name]Adeline[/name] ” I was thinking a pron. of [name]Add[/name]-eh-line, not [name]Add[/name]-eh-lyn, does that still sound too matchy? (I don”t know if I love it anyway). I quite like [name]Adelia[/name] (it is on my long list), but [name]Adelaide[/name] is too much of a place name for me.

[name]Norah[/name]: ”I love [name]Nora[/name]! :-)” ” Me too (both spellings)

[name]Rebecca[/name]: ”A lot of the other names feel fresher to me, but I think it’s beautiful. (Now that I think about it, it sounds really “K” heavy with your last name…)”

[name]Scarlett[/name] (again, too pop?): ”I think it’s beautiful! It’s #210 in the U.S., but I’m not sure about its popularity where you are. Oops! [name]Scarlett[/name] Schuurman doesn’t have the best sound to me…” ” Agreed, it doesn”t sound great together, oh well

[name]Sonja[/name]: ”I think it’s pretty, but I love some of the others more…” ” That seems to be a consensus

(repeats deleted)
[name]Cora[/name] ” ”(although with an S last name, [name]Cora[/name] S sounds like “chorus” :-)” ” Agreed, also, bad associations with the name
[name]Flora[/name] ” Too old or hippy for my taste
[name]Laura[/name] ” [name]Love[/name] the [name]Laura[/name] family of names, but [name]Laura[/name] is a cousin we spend a lot of time with
[name]Susannah[/name] - NMS
[name]Annabel[/name]/[name]Annabelle[/name] ” Not feeling the ”belle” names
[name]Celia[/name] ” Like it, maybe as a nickname, although [name]Cecilia[/name] has always felt too much like [name]Sicily[/name], not sure where else [name]Celia[/name] could come from
[name]Daphne[/name] ” Like it, but” (don”t know what the but is)
[name]Eleanor[/name] ” Despite the cute NN, don”t know if I like it
[name]Helena[/name] ” DH has an aunt [name]Helen[/name]
[name]Iris[/name] ” Has potential
[name]Juliet[/name]/ [name]Juliette[/name] ” Too ”[name]Romeo[/name] &”
[name]Louisa[/name] (oops…not with an S last name) ” Agreed, just doesn”t fit
[name]Lydia[/name] ” Like it, not sure if it”s on my list at the moment, but I will put it back if it disappeared
[name]Margot[/name] ” I like the name, like the sound, like that it would honour Gretja, [name]Pearl[/name] and [name]Megan[/name] as a form of [name]Margaret[/name], but I have always hated the way it looks like ”maggot”
[name]Miranda[/name] ” DH”s cousin (yes, he has a seriously large family, and I don”t like repeating names of living people)
[name]Violet[/name] ” Taken by a friend
[name]Amelie[/name] ” Very beautiful name, but would forever be confused with the uber pop. [name]Emily[/name]
[name]Coralie[/name] ” Ooh, like it a lot, but the previously mentioned [name]Cora[/name] we have problems with is a [name]Cora[/name]-[name]Lee[/name], so this isn”t gonna happen
[name]Elodie[/name] ” [name]Love[/name] it, do you think people would hear ”[name]Melodie[/name]” though, b/c I [name]DON[/name]”T like [name]Melodie[/name] (also not sure how it sounds with the last name)
[name]Mirabelle[/name] ” Another ”belle” name, which I am not fond of in general
[name]Audrey[/name] (popular) ” [name]Love[/name] it, but yes, too popular
[name]Adriana[/name] ” Have loved this one on & off, I have (moderately) bad associations with [name]Adrian[/name], which seems to impact my views of [name]Adriana[/name]
[name]Aurelia[/name] ” Slightly too far out there for me? Not sure though, I like it.
[name]Bryony[/name] ” [name]Don[/name]”t like it
[name]Ruby[/name] ” [name]Love[/name], but it is a real up & comer from what I can tell
[name]Sabrina[/name] ” Teenage witch, and a weird looking girl I went to school with
[name]Dahlia[/name] ” Like it, wonder if I could convince others”
[name]Natalia[/name] ” Bad associations with [name]Nathalie[/name], also, too Christmassy for my spring babe
[name]Arabella[/name] ” Too many Bellas
[name]Cordelia[/name] ” Ex BF is [name]Cordell[/name]
[name]Carolina[/name] ” Not bad, but I prefer [name]Caroline[/name]
[name]Evelina[/name] ” Now that”s one that”s too close to the puppy :slight_smile: ([name]Evey[/name]/[name]Evelyn[/name])
[name]Emilia[/name] ” Ooh, this caught my eye
[name]Juliana[/name] ” Meh
[name]Liliana[/name] ” I like this one, but I don”t know if it stands out with all the [name]Lily[/name]”s, [name]Lilian[/name]”s and [name]Vivian[/name]”s
[name]Lilia[/name] ” Sounds plain by comparison to [name]Liliana[/name] or [name]Lydia[/name] (perhaps it”s the 2 syllables)
[name]Mariana[/name] ” Too much like [name]Mary[/name]-[name]Anne[/name], which I find boring
[name]Raphaela[/name] - NMS
[name]Simona[/name] - NMS
[name]Talia[/name] ” Like, but taken in DH”s family
[name]Viviana[/name] ” I”ve heard a few [name]Vivian[/name]”s in our area lately
[name]Annora[/name] ” looks like part of a medical problem, can”t think of which one
[name]Eleanora[/name] ” Same thoughts as [name]Eleanor[/name], cute NN, but not sure if I like it
[name]Honora[/name] ” NMS
[name]Tabitha[/name] (nn [name]Tibbie[/name]) ” Hard for me to picture on a real person
[name]Susannah[/name] - NMS

16

@ Lanibelle

[name]Belle[/name] ” I feel like there are a lot of little [name]Belle[/name]”s and [name]Bella[/name]”s running around
[name]Natalia[/name] ” Bad association with a [name]Nathalie[/name], too Christmassy
[name]Siri[/name] - NMS
[name]Lila[/name]/[name]Lilia[/name]/[name]Laila[/name]/[name]Leila[/name] ” Like [name]Leila[/name] a lot
[name]Sloane[/name] ” Too unisex for us
[name]Gemma[/name] ” [name]Love[/name] this name, but was best friends with one when I was younger, so it would be a little weird to use
[name]Colette[/name]/[name]Cosette[/name] ” Like [name]Colette[/name]
[name]Calla[/name] - Pretty
[name]Elisa[/name] ” Like this one more than [name]Eliza[/name], sounds softer
[name]Rosetta[/name] ” Very cool, but reminds me too much of the [name]Rosetta[/name] [name]Stone[/name]

[name]Male[/name]:
[name]Reeve[/name] ” [name]Kinda[/name] like
[name]Callum[/name] ” Taken by a friend
[name]Reed[/name] ” Like [name]Reeve[/name] better
[name]Beacon[/name] ” Never heard this as a name, sounds pretty interesting, I am not big on most word names, but this could grow on me
[name]Barret[/name] ” [name]Worth[/name] some consideration
Rence ” Never heard this before, can”t find a meaning or origin anywhere, so it is probably a bit too foreign for me
[name]Asher[/name] ” [name]Love[/name] it, but it feels trendy
[name]Theo[/name] ” Like it, would probably lean towards [name]Theodore[/name] with a NN of [name]Theo[/name]
[name]Frost[/name] ” We”re in [name]Canada[/name], so frost is definitely a commonly used word for us, unfortunately
[name]Gable[/name] ” Very cool, might be a little too cool for our style, but I am going to keep it in contention
[name]Gage[/name] ” Reminds me too much of the word guage
[name]Lachlan[/name] ” [name]Love[/name] this name, but it concerns me that it fits [name]BOTH[/name] the surname-as-a-first-name and the UK names trends

17

@ [name]Susan[/name]

Thanks for all the great combos, putting a full name together is reall selling me on many of these names I was otherwise neutral towards!

[name]Adeline[/name] [name]Pearl[/name] Skerman* - I agree, very pretty combo!
[name]Audrey[/name] [name]Margaret[/name]* Skerman - [name]Audrey[/name] [name]Margaret[/name] is pretty, but it is a bit of a mouthful with our last name
[name]Audrey[/name] [name]Madeline[/name] Skerman**** - Yes, better, I like both names, but I am not sure if I am ready to give up the family reference for it
[name]Audrey[/name] [name]Pearl[/name] Skerman* - Probably more likely, just to keep some family ties, still pretty. You are sure selling me on the [name]Audrey[/name], I wonder if I could get DH to feel the same way
[name]Rebecca[/name] [name]Pearl[/name] Skerman ” [name]Just[/name] doesn”t have the same flow, does it?
[name]Rebecca[/name] [name]Maeve[/name] Skerman*** - I have never been drawn to the [name]Maeve[/name] thing, but it does make a pretty middle, doesn”t it. Still not sure if I am willing to go without some family meaning though
[name]Rebecca[/name] [name]Violet[/name] Skerman*** - Oh, this should be a favourite, I could almost give up on the family names for this one
[name]Adelaide[/name] is so pretty, but I don’t like it with Skerman - agreed
[name]Pearl[/name] Gretje Skerman ” I have been thinking about [name]Pearl[/name] as a FN, I am not sure if I am ready to take that leap (because I hated this name until recently), but I am really loving it these days. Funny thing though, the name would mean [name]Pearl[/name] [name]Pearl[/name] (both DH”s gramma”s names mean [name]Pearl[/name]!)
[name]Pearl[/name] [name]Adeline[/name] Skerman*** - I love it more too, I would want her to get one name that”s all her own (although [name]Pearl[/name] Gretje is a funky combo)

[name]Andrew[/name] [name]Jacob[/name] Skerman ” Aww, this would be one of my top picks if I could get DH”s family over their [name]Andrew[/name] issues (my Grandpa was called [name]Andy[/name] for his last name, [name]Anderson[/name], and I would love to win this name, but it just isn”t going to happen)
[name]Andrew[/name] [name]Rafe[/name] Skerman ” [name]Don[/name]”t like it quite as much, and [name]Ralph[/name] was [name]Andy[/name]”s real name, so it would be redundant to use both names after him
[name]Clark[/name] [name]Henry[/name] Skerman ” [name]ADORE[/name] this!! Perhaps as much as [name]Lemon[/name]”s [name]Everett[/name] [name]Nathaniel[/name], and it also gives a family tie!!
[name]Clark[/name] [name]Matthew[/name] Skerman ” [name]Love[/name] this too, maybe not as much as [name]Henry[/name]
[name]Elliott[/name] [name]Rafe[/name] Skerman ” Still not sure how I feel about [name]Rafe[/name], probably because we never see that spelling around here
[name]Grant[/name] [name]Henry[/name] Skerman ” Another winner
[name]Grant[/name] [name]Jakob[/name] Skerman ” Great, but not as great as [name]Grant[/name] [name]Henry[/name]
[name]Jakob[/name] [name]Andrew[/name] Skerman ” Would totally go here if a cousin hadn”t already used [name]Jakob[/name], my sister wasn”t engaged to one ([name]Jakub[/name]), and it wasn”t the most popular name on the planet right now ([name]Jacob[/name]). Such a handsome name, too bad the rest of the world agrees!
[name]Jakob[/name] [name]Henry[/name] Skerman - Ditto
[name]Henry[/name] [name]Grant[/name] Skerman ” DH”s uncle is already named [name]Henry[/name] (after the same [name]Henrik[/name]), and I don”t want to go there yet while there”s a living member of the family, but [name]Henry[/name] is a great name
[name]Henry[/name] [name]Jakob[/name] Skerman ” [name]Even[/name] better
[name]Henry[/name] [name]Matthew[/name] Skerman ” Good, but not AS good

18

[name]Pearl[/name] Gretje Skerman - double pearls! like two strands of pearls.

[name]Love[/name] [name]Audrey[/name] [name]Pearl[/name] so much!

[name]Love[/name] [name]Clark[/name] [name]Henry[/name]!

19

[name]Hi[/name]!

I pronounce [name]Adeline[/name] like you do (with a “line”), and definitely think it works better than the the “lyn” pronunciation with your last name. :slight_smile: I think it’s beautiful!

With [name]Margot[/name], I thought I’d mention that [name]Margo[/name] (no T) is another (and valid) French spelling that avoids the “maggot” issue. :slight_smile:

[name]Elodie[/name]: I don’t like [name]Melody[/name] either (not one bit), but I love [name]Elodie[/name]. If someone introduced a little [name]Elodie[/name] to me, I wouldn’t confuse it with [name]Melody[/name], but I’m guessing there’s a chance others may.

[name]Lilia[/name]: This has three syllables, not two. It’s lil-ee-uh.

[name]Emilia[/name]: I think this is gorgeous with your last name!

[name]Annora[/name]: I’m wondering if it’s reminding you of anorexia? I never thought of that before! :slight_smile:

Take care! :slight_smile:

20

From your list both little and extended I like

[name]Adeline[/name]
[name]Heather[/name]
[name]Eleanora[/name] ([name]NORA[/name])
[name]Alice[/name]
[name]Caroline[/name]
[name]Fiona[/name]
[name]Lila[/name]

[name]Elliot[/name]
[name]Emmett[/name]
[name]Grant[/name]
[name]Elias[/name]
[name]Evan[/name]
[name]Isaac[/name]