How do you feel about the names that you didn't use?

General Name Discussion
1

I’m wondering about how people who love many names, and have a long list of names that they have discussed with their partner and are prepared to give a real child, feel when they have finished having children, and inevitably, there are names they love that they didn’t use.

I know it’s a trivial matter. But it is still interesting to me. So many berries have long lists of beautiful combinations of names they would love to use; it’s inevitable they cannot all be used. And the names that are used aren’t necessarily the ‘most loved’ names. And every use of a name, however loved, means the abandonment of other names that now cannot be used.

If I am lucky, I will have more children in my life, so I hope that I am not at the end of my child-naming days just yet, although I am aware that my choice of name for my first has ruled-out the use of a number of other names I love, and that in itself makes me a little sad.

I’m curious to know if there are berries who have gone through these kinds of feelings, and if they have any thoughts or advice to share.

2

I was just thinking about this. We just found out we are having a boy and while I am thrilled to have a [name_m]Jack[/name_m] [name_m]Stewart[/name_m], I’m a little sad about not using [name_f]Penelope[/name_f] [name_f]Celeste[/name_f] because I thought it was beautiful.

3

Congratulations on your son-to-be! I think [name_m]Jack[/name_m] [name_m]Stewart[/name_m] is a great name; so is [name_f]Penelope[/name_f] [name_f]Celeste[/name_f]. It’s funny isn’t it, how you go from thinking ‘oh, I’ll have a [name_f]Penelope[/name_f] [name_f]Celeste[/name_f] some day’ to realising that it’s not really up to you if you have a daughter.

Anyone else have thoughts on the names you don’t get to use?

4

Nah. Maybe it’s because I’m not done having kids yet, but none of my names really came alive to me or felt “perfect” until I saw one on my daughter.

5

I grieve the names I cannot use. My husband and I have different tastes and neither of our girls were given my favorite names. I absolutely love my daughters’ names. However, they weren’t my first picks. I guess that may be the reason my car, phone, and guitar have names.