How I Named My Baby!

readingreverie · August 17, 2023, 7:15pm

In my time on Nameberry, the How I Named My Baby collection has always been my favorite series on the blogs, and at this point, I think I’ve read absolutely every one. That combined with my love of the Imaginary Birth Announcements thread, made me think of the idea for this thread!
Essentially, in the dropbox below I put all of the questions that are commonly asked in the How I Named My Baby articles, and thought it would make a fun game to answer all of the questions with a hypothetical birth announcement!
Feel free to respond to this thread as many times as you want, with as many different families and imaginary how I named my baby articles as you want!

How I Named My Baby Questions!

Q1 - Tell me your child’s name story!
Q2 - How did you pick your baby’s middle name?
Q3 - What other names did you consider?
Q4 - What would your younger self have liked to have named your baby?
Q5 - What would your baby be named if it were just up to you? What about if it were just up to your partner?
Q6 - How do you feel about your own name, and how do you think it influenced your choice?
Q7 - Was it important to you to choose a name that would match your child’s future (or older) siblings’ names?
Q8 - What would your baby be named if they were the opposite sex?
Q9 - Did you discuss names with anyone else when you were pregnant?
Q10 - What are the trendy names in your social circle?
Q11 - How have people reacted to your baby’s name?
Q12 - What advice would you give to someone starting the naming process?
Q13 - How do you describe your style outside of baby names?
Q14 - Did your baby receive any special gifts?
Q15 - What are the cool things for parents and kids to do in your area?
Q16 - What are you and your baby’s favorite things?

Feel free to answer as many or as few of these as possible!

readingreverie · August 17, 2023, 9:35pm

How I Named [name_f]My[/name_f] [name_u]Baby[/name_u]: [name_u]October[/name_u] [name_m]Edmund[/name_m]

Tell me October’s name story!

[name_f]My[/name_f] husband has always loved unique word names. He views them as a way to set yourself apart from the crowd, and he believes that giving them to our children will set them up for success. Personally, I love classic, recognizable, [name_f]British[/name_f] names. I feel as if giving your kid a name that is too unique can make them feel ostracized, and that they may find comfort if they have a name that is timeless.
We are very much on the opposite end of the naming spectrum. We pondered over what we’d do about our differing styles for months while we TTC, and I figured the process to name our first baby would be agonizing. Somehow, it wasn’t and everything fell into place perfectly.

Both my husband and I love the fall months, and they are particularly significant in our relationship, as we got married in [name_u]October[/name_u]. I feel there is a certain sense of community and hope that comes from autumn, and it’s the time of year we feel most connected to our family, with the coming holiday season. We got engaged in [name_u]October[/name_u] right next to a bookstore located on [name_u]October[/name_u] [name_u]Lane[/name_u]. The month of [name_u]October[/name_u] feels magical for us just as Christmas-time feels magical to young children. [name_m]Even[/name_m] just the name of it brings similes to our faces. The hues of the month are some of our favorite colors to decorate our house in, to wear, to paint with. They are so cozy, and remind us of [name_f]Earth[/name_f] being so full of beautiful life.

[name_f]My[/name_f] husband was the one to bring the name into conversation one day in my early pregnancy when we still had no idea if we were even having a boy or girl. We liked it immediately, but were still hesitant to make the final decision and start referring to the baby by the name. As everyone knows, the first thirteen weeks of pregnancy are often the most nerve-racking, as they are the riskiest, though we were still stressed leading up to viability. All we kept saying to my growing bump was “just stay in there until October,” it felt like that month was going to bring me relief, as I would reach viability on [name_u]October[/name_u] 3rd. Eventually it became our mantra. We didn’t officially decide that it would be our baby’s name until week 17, when I realized that even if we were going to have a girl, [name_u]October[/name_u] still felt perfect. Of course we had a boy, but even if we didn’t, we would’ve picked [name_u]October[/name_u]. Once I made it to the height of fall, and the most magical month for our family, I felt an immense sense of relief. [name_u]October[/name_u] was born prematurely on [name_u]November[/name_u] 27th, at nearly 32 weeks, and we were worried. Our mantra then became “you are a fighter [name_u]October[/name_u], bringing the great fall hues of the world to light.” We hoped that it would bring him strength and peace, just as [name_u]October[/name_u] brings to us. He was able to come home [name_u]December[/name_u] 8th, which we felt like was a sure sign that [name_u]October[/name_u] was the perfect name for him, with its meaning of eight.

When I was pregnant and we’d officially decided on his name being [name_u]October[/name_u], we came across the quote “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from [name_u]September[/name_u] to [name_u]November[/name_u], wouldn’t it?” from [name_u]Anne[/name_u] of [name_u]Green[/name_u] Gables. We painted a picture and attached that quote to it, it’s currently hanging in October’s nursery. We also used that quote in his birth announcement.

How did you pick October’s middle name?

[name_m]Even[/name_m] though we both really love [name_u]October[/name_u] (to the point that we’ve actually talked about how we have no idea how we will find something as perfect if we have more kids), I was still a little worried that he might grow up to resent the fact that his name was so uncommon. [name_f]My[/name_f] husband understood and was happy to allow me to pick a middle name that leaned more towards my typical style, as [name_u]October[/name_u] definitely fits his typical name taste.

I chose [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] for its cozy literary feel. It’s quite a soft and warm name, and I think it it matches with the general vibe of [name_u]October[/name_u] very well. It’s more heard of as a name than [name_u]October[/name_u], while still remaining a little bit uncommon, and we think it really grounds his first name.

I knew my family would be hesitant when it came to us using [name_u]October[/name_u], but I assumed that [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] would convince them! I was right.

What other names did you consider?
I brought [name_m]Theodore[/name_m], [name_u]Arthur[/name_u], and [name_m]Ambrose[/name_m] to the table. [name_f]My[/name_f] husband thought they sounded too much like royal family members, and that they were too common. He really liked [name_u]Solstice[/name_u], [name_u]Peregrine[/name_u], and [name_u]Equinox[/name_u]. I think [name_u]Solstice[/name_u] is lovely, but I couldn’t imagine calling my child by it. [name_u]Peregrine[/name_u] was a bit too peculiar for me, and [name_u]Equinox[/name_u] did not sound like a name at all to my ears. Together we considered [name_u]Harvest[/name_u], but decided it sounded just the slightest bit too wordy. I think it still might be on the table for a future child though. [name_f]My[/name_f] husband joked that we should just name him [name_u]October[/name_u] [name_u]Lane[/name_u], where he proposed to me. I thought it was a little too on the nose then, I still do, but perhaps we will still use [name_u]Lane[/name_u] as a middle name in the future!

Did you discuss names with anyone else when you were pregnant?

We really tried not to, especially when we started throwing around the idea of [name_u]October[/name_u]. We didn’t want anyones views on it to cloud our judgement. I did speak with my sister every so often about the naming process, but that was more me just complaining that we couldn’t decide!

How do you feel about your own name, and how do you think it influenced your choice?

I didn’t grow up specifically hating or loving my name. I felt very neutral towards it, and I still largely do. The one thing I disliked was that it didn’t have any nicknames. This definitely made me always love names with lots of nickname options, and when I came across ones that didn’t have intuitive nicknames, I always made it a priority to search high and low for one to use. [name_f]My[/name_f] husband always like his name, but felt like it was a little too common, I think this made him enjoy more unique names!

What are the trendy names in your social circle?

We only have three close friends with babies, but several people around us have children. [name_u]Hazel[/name_u] has been becoming steadily more popular in the past seven or so years. [name_u]Juniper[/name_u] is certainly rising around us, and two babies I know both have the middle name [name_u]Ruby[/name_u]. The only baby boy we know is my husband’s best friend’s son, his name is [name_u]Milo[/name_u] [name_m]Angus[/name_m]. He’s the sweetest little guy!

How have people reacted to October’s name?

Initially, most people seemed very shocked, but they always grow very fond of it after hearing the meaning the name holds. I think that has convinced a lot of people we aren’t crazy! All of the people are age have reacted really positively, it’s mostly people around our parents age that are slightly negative. We’ve gotten a few comments from people saying that they wished they had heard the name before, and my best friend’s husband even said he was envious that I approved of it! Apparently my best friend was not receptive to unique names! A few times when we’ve brought [name_u]October[/name_u] out people have asked his name, and said that [name_u]October[/name_u] was on their own lists! It’s funny to hear it from strangers. We all have such different connections to names!

We knew that we’d like the option of calling him by a nickname, and [name_m]Otto[/name_m] and [name_u]Toby[/name_u] were our favorites. [name_f]My[/name_f] family calls him [name_m]Otto[/name_m] a lot, and my husband’s family calls him [name_u]Toby[/name_u]! We largely just use his full name, but occasionally he’s [name_u]Toby[/name_u] or [name_u]October[/name_u] [name_m]Edmund[/name_m].

What advice would you’ve to someone starting the naming process?

I would say don’t be closed minded when it comes to your partners naming style. If I would have been, I don’t think I would’ve ever come across October’s name. Don’t feel like you’re obligated to make the first and middle name match in terms of meaning. October’s first name is so meaningful to us, and holds a lot of personal significance, whereas we liked the sound and feel of [name_m]Edmund[/name_m], just that.

How do you describe your style outside of baby names?

Our house is very cozy, and decorated in lots of fall colors. We have loads of painting we’ve made ourselves, and it truly makes our house a home. We focus a lot on feeling comfortable and would prefer for our place to look lived in rather than vacant. October’s nursery is the same way. The walls are ivory colored, and we have the painting we made with the [name_u]Anne[/name_u] of [name_u]Green[/name_u] Gables quote hanging above his rocking chair. His crib sheets are rust colored, and he has loads of teddy bears in there. He still sleeps in a basinet in our room, but his nursery is definitely a safe haven and we spend a lot of time in there. We have a huge camel colored rug that he loves to lie on, and he adores looking at the little moon pillow on the rocking chair. It’s really welcoming in there, and everything is earth-tones. Lots of brown, green, and russet colored items. It’s the same for his clothing! Our favorite item is the onesie with his name embroidered in it. We have three colors in every size!

What are you and October’s favorite things?

He absolutely loves being worn in wraps. Specifically the [name_m]Moby[/name_m] wrap and the [name_f]Tula[/name_f] baby carrier! We tried three different strollers in his first week home (we borrowed them from friends) to see which he liked best and he hated them all. We recently tried the Graco Modes Nest Travel System and it’s been a game-changer. He loves it, and I adore it. It’s very easy to fold and has a huge storage place at the bottom. It’s also very versatile. He sleeps in the Snoo bassinet every night and at nap time. It’s expensive, but worth it!

tori101 · August 17, 2023, 9:43pm

Interesting question!

So I unexpectedly fell pregnant with Lilia which meant that head was very scrambled with my naming journey. I had so many names running around my mind. I also felt like I couldn’t use the baby name I had in my mind for years (this now isn’t the case so if I’m ever blessed with another girl she’ll be Rose) and I felt very much lost. Anyways my beloved mother and her culture gave me structure as I turned to Jewish traditions and decided to follow them when naming my girl. So I chose a name that begun with an L and ended in an A to honour my mum the way we’ve been taught too. This really narrowed things down and Lilia just seemed so perfect my mum also loved her because she was Eastern European, commonly used by Ashkenazi Jews so really paid homage to her. Therefore my little girl became Lilia.

Her middle name’s are Elizabeth Ella. Elizabeth honours my paternal Grandma who was such an amazing woman and her other middle name Ella honours Joseph’s (Lilia’s dad) mother.

Gosh so many names it was a bit much I definitely drove the berries mad I considered Rose/Rosemary, Iris, Genevieve, Clementine, Imogen, June, Ruby, Christabel, Seraphina, Theodora, Elizabeth, Edith as you can see so many names!! But the main ones were Rose, Iris, Elizabeth, Clementine & Genevieve.

I discussed names with anyone who would listen!

I love my name it’s a staple classic very timeless and universal however I don’t think my name really played into my naming decision.

Going to focus on girl names that are popular in my social circle. Anyways they are Hyphenated first names especially names featuring Rose there’s tons of something-Rose such as Isla-Rose, P3yton-Rose, Lily-Rose, Evie-Rose, P3ggy-Rose, Will0w-Rose, Ar1a-Rose, Ivy-R0se the list is endless! Then we have other hyphenated names featuring other ‘filler names’ like M@rley-May, Ivy-Gr@ce etc. Vintage names like Bonnie, Nancy, Evie, Ada, Ivy, Mabel etc. Maya is very popular in my social circle as is Olivia and Isla.

I’ve had mixed comments some really butcher her name and the mispronunciations have been insane. Some have asked if I made her name up. I feel some of this is subconscious racism but that’s another story. However on the way I receive very positive comments I’ve even had a mama to be add Lilia to their own list of considerations! Very high compliment.

Follow your heart 🩷
If you love a name use it! Of course there are exceptions but honestly as long as it’s not cruel or offensive use the name. Naming a child is a privilege use that privilege and choose a name you love.

Oh gosh i’m going to answer this in relation to interior design. My style is very all over the place. In my home I have cottagecore elements, Bohemian elements and bits of industrial it’s eclectic but represents me. In my home I have black art on the wall, quotes from inspirational black people such as Amanda Gorman. I have dried lavender in vases, house plants, cool framed posters, vintage art pieces, Persian rugs and my grandmas trinkets. It’s all a mix of different things but there is tons of pink and green my happy colours. It’s cosy and feels like a place you can relax in. People love hanging in my home! Lilia nursery has a two tone wall effect the bottom part is dark green with the top being white she has animals on the walls along with shelves that have family photos on. It’s safari themed and is very fun! People love her room.

I think the most special is a baby blanket that my mum knitted for her.

I live in a village on the edge of a large town so I’ve got fun things to do in the countryside like beautiful parks, lovely petting farms, places to pick your own fruit and veg along with stuff to do in the town such as the big soft play centres. Where I am there’s tons of rivers and lakes so we’re often by the water which is lovely.

Me & Lilia are obsessed with magnetic blocks currently

25vbrandeberry · August 18, 2023, 3:27pm

How I named my baby [name_f]Ottilie[/name_f] [name_f]Valeria[/name_f] [name_f]Joy[/name_f] (obviously havent used it yet lol)

Tell me Ottilie’s name story
[name_u]Ever[/name_u] since I had my first daughter, [name_f]Theodosia[/name_f], I’ve always loved the name [name_f]Ottilie[/name_f] because I adored the nickname [name_f]Lily[/name_f] and it just felt right. When I first found the name about 2 years ago, I fell in love at first sight. It’s just so cute and so special and I knew that was my baby’s name when I first saw her.

How did [name_f]Ottilie[/name_f] get her middle names?
[name_f]Joy[/name_f] doesnt mean anything special to me. Obviously [name_f]Ottilie[/name_f] brings us so much [name_f]Joy[/name_f], so it felt right, but holds no significant value. [name_f]Valeria[/name_f] is a variation of my first name and it sounds so cute with both the other two names. I also met a sweet little girl with the name [name_f]Valeria[/name_f] and that was the first time I heard the name and I really wanted to use it as Ottilie’s middle name.

What other names did you consider?
[name_f]Ottilie[/name_f] was the only first name that I planned on using, but middle names were tough. At first, her name was gonna be [name_f]Ottilie[/name_f] [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] [name_f]Joy[/name_f], but I liked [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] better with our first daughter’s name, [name_f]Theodosia[/name_f]. Her name was mostly just gonna be [name_f]Ottilie[/name_f] [name_f]Joy[/name_f], but I adore little kids who have two middle names, so I started adding other middles names to [name_f]Ottilie[/name_f] and [name_f]Valeria[/name_f] just clicked. If [name_f]Ottilie[/name_f] had been a boy, her name wouldve been [name_u]Archer[/name_u], but I plan on using that if I happen to have a boy.

Did you discuss names with anyone else when you were pregnant?
I planned on using [name_f]Ottilie[/name_f] before I became pregnant. Its a childhood favorite and everyone knew I was using that name. [name_f]My[/name_f] mom wasnt a huge fan of it, but after [name_f]Ottilie[/name_f] was born, her views changed and she mostly just calls her [name_f]Lily[/name_f] like everyone else. [name_f]My[/name_f] sister loved it and was excited for me when I told her I was using my childhood favorite. She is also using her childhood favorite when her daughter is born.

How do you feel about your own name, and how do you think it influenced your choice?
Obviously, she is named after me, as I stated above. I love my name, I think its unique and sweet and it has a good meaning unlike my sister’s name. [name_f]My[/name_f] name also has a cute, but powerful gender neutral nickname. I used my actual middle name on my first daughter and a variation of my first name for my second daughter!

What are the trendy names in your social circle
I don’t have anyone that I know who had a kid recently, but one name that tends to be popular around me is [name_u]Everly[/name_u]. I also noticed that [name_u]Ali[/name_u] names are popular (Alison, [name_f]Alexandra[/name_f], etc). There isnt alot of boy names, but [name_u]Chase[/name_u] and [name_m]Isaac[/name_m] are also pretty popular.

Skipping the next few questions cause I dont have answers for those yet

What are you and Ottilie’s favorite things?
[name_f]Ottilie[/name_f] is still new to this world, I just had her a week ago, but she loves her mama already. We love cuddling on the couch, rocking her to sleep, and watching big sister [name_f]Thea[/name_f] play and be silly. We also love going on long walks in the stroller and going on car rides. She also adores sleeping next to her mama and me patting and rubbing her back until she falls asleep.

coolauntieviolet · August 18, 2023, 4:12pm

How I named my baby [name_u]Ricky[/name_u] [name_f]Patricia[/name_f] [name_f]Caitlyn[/name_f]

Tell me Cassie’s name story.
[name_u]Ricky[/name_u] [name_f]Patricia[/name_f] [name_f]Esther[/name_f] holds a very special meaning to me, I created the combo years ago when me and my grandmother were watching the tv show [name_m]Castle[/name_m] and it felt like the perfect little honor for my grandmother and my late best friend. [name_u]Ricky[/name_u] is after the main character, [name_m]Richard[/name_m] [name_m]Castle[/name_m] (his friends call him Ricky), [name_f]Patricia[/name_f] is after my grandmother and [name_f]Caitlyn[/name_f] is after my best friend who passed away from covid when I was a month away from 15.

What other names did you consider
because I had my daughter on my own I didn’t have to take any one else’s opinions into consideration, I probably annoyed the heck out of my mother throwing around names talking about different honor ideas. one of the name ideas I had was [name_f]Cassie[/name_f] [name_u]Marie[/name_u] [name_f]Caitlyn[/name_f] but it sounded really weird with my last name so I decided not to use it.

Did you discuss names with anyone else when you were pregnant
yes, as i said before I was having [name_u]Ricky[/name_u] solo so I talked about names a lot with my mom and my adopted mom. my adopted mom was immediately in love with [name_u]Ricky[/name_u] [name_f]Patricia[/name_f] [name_f]Caitlyn[/name_f], but it took my mom a little bit to get behind the idea, she thought that if I was giving my daughter a typical boy name it should be [name_u]James[/name_u] after my father and grandfather. but she ended up loving the name after a lot of talking about [name_u]Ricky[/name_u] using her name.

How do you feel about your own name, and how do you think it influenced your choice
I hate it, I was named [name_f]Violet[/name_f] simply because my mom was tired of my dad suggesting stupid names and [name_f]Violet[/name_f] was the only normal name that he suggested, she has regretted that decision because I don’t fit my name, I hate flowers (literally punched and broke up with my ex because she got me flowers) so I avoided any flower names at all cost, I avoided names with flower meanings my mom got very annoyed because she went to college to work with plants. I made a decision to not get sick of names and find a name that I loved, and that had an important meaning to me and me alone.

what names are trending in your social circle
I don’t have any friends who have kids yet, but i have two adorable nieces from my cousin named [name_f]Morticia[/name_f] [name_f]Tish[/name_f] and [name_f]Letitia[/name_f] [name_f]Letty[/name_f].

did your baby receive any special gifts
i think the most special gift she got was getting to meet my late best friends family, we flew to north carolina several days ago and her mom and sister have been doting over her for a few days. I know it’s a memory she won’t have but I have many pictures to show her and we’re planning on meeting up more often so [name_u]Ricky[/name_u] can learn about her namesake.

What are cool things for parents and kids to do in your area
I live in the middle of nowhere Michigan so there isn’t a whole lot of things but I take her to my godparents house a few times a month and we go to museums and the capital building and we do a lot of fun things in the big city.

What are you and your baby’s favorite things
right now [name_u]Ricky[/name_u] loves watching [name_m]Castle[/name_m] with me, she also loves a blanket that one of my distant cousins crocheted for her. she likes to sit on it on the floor and play with her toys, I sit on the couch watching her and [name_m]Castle[/name_m] (it’s so cute every time someone calls [name_m]Castle[/name_m] [name_u]Ricky[/name_u] and my little Ricky’s eyes lights up at hearing her name). it’s just me and her so anything that keeps her entertained for a bit is my favorite thing.

sophiekihm · August 18, 2023, 4:49pm

This is so sweet — I’m thrilled that you all love HINMB as much as I do!

I’m having so much fun reading these and I wish they were real so we could put them on the blog!

SparkleNinja18 · August 18, 2023, 6:53pm

How We Named Our Babies: [name_u]Lazuli[/name_u] [name_u]Briar[/name_u] and [name_u]Zephyr[/name_u] [name_m]Bowman[/name_m]

Tell me [name_u]Lazuli[/name_u] and Zephyr’s name story!
so it came up on one of our first dates that I have a fascination/love of names, although of course back then, I played it off as something purely linked to my love of writing and storytelling, and my need for character names, not to come off as the crazy person discussing baby names on the second date! she asked whether I had favorite names, and I warned her that my favorites might seem a bit… crazy. I didn’t even hit her with anything like [name_u]Lazuli[/name_u] or [name_u]Zephyr[/name_u], but she agreed, my taste was quite out there!

when it came to the names themselves, I picked [name_u]Lazuli[/name_u] because I love the gems lapis lazuli, and I thought it had a beautiful, melodious sound. my wife and I both had big greek mythology/[name_u]Percy[/name_u] [name_u]Jackson[/name_u] phases, so we looked for a greek myth to inspire our son’s name. [name_u]Zephyr[/name_u] has been on my list for forever, and my wife loved the zippy Z. we loved how [name_u]Lazuli[/name_u] and [name_u]Zephyr[/name_u] were connected with the Z sounds but were otherwise very distinct.

How did you pick your baby’s middle name?
I am very anti-honor name, at least for myself. part of the reason is that I don’t like the names of anyone I want to honor, and I don’t want to give my child a name that I don’t like. but a bigger part of it is that I think there are far more meaningful ways to honor someone than through a name. both [name_u]Briar[/name_u] and [name_m]Bowman[/name_m] were names we loved, and picked because of how they flowed. [name_m]Bowman[/name_m] specifically has a tie to my wife and I—it’s related to my undergrad university, and my wife is a sagittarius!

What other names did you consider?
I really pushed for [name_f]Boheme[/name_f] for a girl, but my wife thought it would be too difficult to pronounce. she loved [name_f]Pearl[/name_f], but I have a bad association. together we considered [name_u]Fable[/name_u], [name_f]Saga[/name_f], [name_f]Amity[/name_f], and as a bit of a joke (but also kinda not), [name_u]Jinx[/name_u], for girls. for a boy, we had [name_u]Forest[/name_u] (too common), [name_u]Rune[/name_u] (didn’t work with the last name), and [name_u]Ocean[/name_u] (we actually brought this to the hospital but quickly realized we were both pulling for Zephyr).

Did you discuss names with anyone else when you were pregnant?
we were relatively tight-lipped! my wife found it difficult but ultimately, we decided we wanted it to be a surprise. we found out the babies’ sexes beforehand and announced them so we wanted something to be left to announce at birth. very early on in our discussions, I talked with my mom a bit about what names we were considering, but neither [name_u]Lazuli[/name_u] nor [name_u]Zephyr[/name_u] had come up at that point.

How do you feel about your own name, and how do you think it influenced your choice?
I grew up with a popular name and disliked it for many reasons. I disliked how people would already have associations with my name before they met me, and often preconceptions of my personality and attitude. I disliked having to go by my last initial or never knowing which person a teacher was referring to. I disliked feeling as though I was in competition with every other person with my name. so I knew for a long time that I wanted my children to have unique names so this would never happen to them. I also knew from my time working as a teacher that having a unique name doesn’t automatically equal teasing—in fact, kids are much more accepting of different names than adults!

What are the trendy names in your social circle?
lots of top 100 picks! not necessarily top 10, but we’ve seen a lot of little ones named Charlie/Charlotte, [name_m]Sebastian[/name_m], [name_f]Violet[/name_f], and [name_u]Harper[/name_u]. we’ve also seen quite a few names that feel very modern, surname, western-y, such as [name_m]Wells[/name_m], [name_u]Beau[/name_u], and [name_m]Crue[/name_m].

How have people reacted to [name_u]Lazuli[/name_u] and Zephyr’s names?
with a bit of surprise, to say the least! we get a lot of people mishearing [name_u]Lazuli[/name_u] as [name_u]Leslie[/name_u], which is honestly upsetting to me, but ultimately not a huge deal. [name_u]Zephyr[/name_u] has gotten [name_u]Spencer[/name_u], once.

What advice would you give to someone starting the naming process?
don’t shy away from a name just because you worry it’s too uncommon! names are constantly becoming more diverse. kids have no idea what names are “normal” or not—those ideas are learned. if we continue teaching our kids to be kind and open-minded, then these worries of teasing and bullying will be completely obsolete.

How do you describe your style outside of baby names?
we have been described as crunchy, boho, and whimsical when it comes to our personal styles! we love natural colors and shapes; we also love to decorate based on our favorite tv shows (often children’s animation) and book series.

Did [name_u]Lazuli[/name_u] and [name_u]Zephyr[/name_u] receive any special gifts?
my best friend sewed special blankets for both babies. Lazuli’s is blue and Zephyr’s is green; both are made with scraps of fabrics that give them a cool quilted feel.

snowmaiden · August 19, 2023, 8:03pm

You have the best ideas for things like this. Excited to play!! Thinking I might start with my “blog” kids for fun.

How We Named Our Daughter:
[name_u]Vision[/name_u] [name_f]Beulah[/name_f]
_

Tell me your child’s name story!
Officially, our baby is named after two hymns I love and which my partner has come to, too. Unofficially, we just love the names!
[name_f]Beulah[/name_f] is one that I’ve loved since I was an early teenager. I found it on Nameberry, actually, when I wrote stories as a kid! I thought it was gorgeous, even after I realized it wasn’t Beluah (bell-OO-uh) but [name_f]Beulah[/name_f] (bee-OO-luh, as we pronounce it). It has stuck with me for years.
[name_u]Vision[/name_u] sprung about as a name idea for me years later, really without rhyme or reason. I became attached. I love word names with such gravitas like [name_u]Vision[/name_u] has, and I especially love this word’s many meanings: a spiritual sight (“I had a vision that…”), a beautiful thing to behold (“She was a vision in that dress.”), an ideal for the future (“I have a vision for this space…”).
They go together for me, and I think our daughter so fits them. She’s our Vis! Our Vizzy-Bizzy. Our little sight and ideal and beauty.

How did you pick your baby’s middle name?
We liked it! It’s not an honor, it’s not got a meaning we particularly love… it’s just gorgeous.

What other names did you consider?
[name_f]Josephine[/name_f] and [name_f]Frances[/name_f] were two that I wanted really badly. I still love them, and they’re both on our list! Somehow… we just couldn’t get with them for our baby. This time around, anyway! We felt like her name was aching to be used.

Did you discuss names with anyone else when you were pregnant?
Nope. The discussions went something like, “Oohhh, how about X?” And I’d say, “Mm, that’s pretty. But we know her name.”
Before we knew Vis would be a girl, I definitely had boy name discussions with family and friends. I had this major list that was so overwhelming… thankfully, it never needed to be whittled down!

How do you feel about your own name, and how do you think it influenced your choice?
I love my name, and I always have. I’m named after two people in my family as a my first and middle names, and I really struggled with not giving my child any direct honor name. But I wanted to use names we love, names that felt so right. And that’s how we landed where we did. We adore her name, and it honors ideas that mean so much to us—as well as our deep love for our girl.

What are the trendy names in your social circle?
We met two other couples in a mommy-and-me sort of class who we regularly see still! Their daughters are [name_f]Scarlett[/name_f] (a name so high on our list) and [name_f]Zelda[/name_f], who has an adorable sister 14 months older named [name_u]Blaire[/name_u]. Our church friends are due with a daughter [name_f]Tibby[/name_f] (short for gorgeous Tibyangye!) in a little under two weeks. So many good names!!
[name_f]Scarlett[/name_f] has a middle name I’ve heard a lot lately: [name_f]May[/name_f]. It’s gorgeous, and we considered it too since it’s so meaningful to my family, but wow—so many!!
I’ve met multiple (I think three?) baby boys named [name_u]Asher[/name_u] in the past month, two girls named [name_f]Lucy[/name_f], and a boy as well as a girl named [name_u]August[/name_u]. I don’t know that these are particularly trendy, but I’ve heard them all!

How have people reacted to your baby’s name?
Oh, all kids of ways. Nameberry has been warm and excited to see my longtime loves used on my daughter. Our families have been a mix of stunned and disgruntled, but we told them her name months before she was due, and they’re all come around now. Mostly, it’s been happy reactions; she suits her name so well and we love it so much. Strangers often ask us to repeat it when they meet her, ask us what the story is, or have a reaction of shock that they can’t hide. We say, “We just love it!”

What advice would you give to someone starting the naming process?
A name is a gift to be given with love and care. You’ve got to love it for them to love it! (That, and go with your gut. Everything is ripe to be loved.)

How do you describe your style outside of baby names?
Oh, it’s so random. I love old things (books, clothes, decor) and I love easy things (hairstyles, recipes, clothes again). I’d say I’m a good mixture of “vintage meets busy.” I’m generally happiest on the go, and I like to think my style does too.

Did your baby receive any special gifts?
Yes! She is the first grandchild on all sides of the family, so Vis has gotten enough clothes and blankets and toys and bibs for herself and literally any future sibling. We are very very very fortunate and thankful.
The most meaningful are, I think, the onesie that I came home from the hospital in when I was born (which is just incredible), a toy box that my in-laws gave us from their first house together, and a blanket my sister crocheted. She’s also got a little “V is for Vision” blanket that’s so massive we use in on our bed. These will be lifelong hits and treasure.

What are the cool things for parents and kids to do in your area?
I don’t think I’m the best person to answer this, truly. We take [name_u]Vision[/name_u] between church (we go twice a month usually, because sometimes she sleeps in… and we do, too) and the park and to play and friends’ houses… and that’s it.
Any parks with three things are the perfect places to me: big ol’ trees for shade, bike parking, and swing sets.
In the summer, local theatre companies do park productions, and I am so freaking excited to bring [name_u]Vision[/name_u] to some when she’s a bit older.

What are you and your baby’s favorite things?
We read constantly! It was a trial getting her to like them, but she’ll listen in her rocking chair, her crib, our bed, at the meals… oh it’s so cute watching her. She loves board books that she can touch (anything sensory in a book is a hit) or whose pages are thick enough for her to turn and any books with rhymes/songs that we can read to her with rhythm. I love the BabyLit Playtime Primer series, which is classic literature in baby board book formats. They’re so so so good.
I sing to her all the time; my partner talks to her all the time. She babbles back. It’s all of our favorite things.

We love you, Vizzy [name_u]Boo[/name_u]!

readingreverie · September 8, 2023, 1:09am

How We Named Our [name_u]Baby[/name_u]: [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] [name_u]Valentine[/name_u]!

Tell me Hugh’s name story!

[name_f]My[/name_f] husband and I have very different naming styles. He loves out-there word names, and his whole name list falls outside of the top 1000. I love classic and recognizable names, that are very popular in [name_u]Britain[/name_u]. The majority of my name list falls in the middle of the top 1000. Despite this, we find a lot of common ground in the Earth-y, crunchy, boho, nature names. We are definitely both name nerds which can be a little hard.

We knew going into the naming process this time around we wanted to use the same techniques we used while pregnant with our first son and deciding on his name, [name_u]October[/name_u] [name_m]Edmund[/name_m]. Whoever’s name style the first name we decided on didn’t fit into, got to pick the middle name (of course we had to agree.) For example, with [name_u]October[/name_u], his first name really fits with my husband’s name taste, even though I absolutely adore his name, so we went with a middle name that fits my style a little more. We kept this in mind while making combos, and it really made the process a lot easier!

We had a few names on a shared list prior to this pregnancy, and I felt really good about all of them. However, when I found out I was pregnant, I felt like I was scrambling around and had no idea what-so-ever what names I like! So we ended up building a new list.

[name_f]My[/name_f] husband brought the name Hue up to me when I was about 23 weeks into the pregnancy, and I really liked it a lot. It reminded us of the fall season which is our favorite, and it means a lot to our family. It also ties into our older sons name. [name_m]Even[/name_m] though I fell in love with the name Hue, I was a little worried about it creating too much of a pattern with our kids names, and I didn’t want to lock us into the box of nature word names, even though lots of our favorites fall under that umbrella. So we explored other options, but in my head I could not let Hue go. [name_f]Every[/name_f] time I’d think of him or talk to my bump I’d refer to him as Hue, so we came back to it. At about 27 weeks we decided to spell his name as [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] instead of Hue, and I could not be happier with that decision! [name_m]Hughie[/name_m] definitely fits his name, and we are so incredibly glad that we followed our hearts while picking it!

How did you pick Hugh’s middle name?

We felt like [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] fit both my husband and I’s naming style, so we ended up doing most of the middle name search together! When I was about 31 weeks I was cleaning out October’s closet to see what final pieces of clothing for [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] we needed to buy, and I came across his first Valentine’s [name_u]Day[/name_u] outfit (a little sleeper that said “Little Valentine” on it), and realized that [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] would make for the perfect middle name! I brought it up to my husband, and he immediately agreed! With us using the spelling [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] instead of Hue, it made his name little more common, so we love the balance of the more unique [name_u]Valentine[/name_u].

What other names did you consider?

Lots and lots of other names! Much like my first pregnancy, I loved [name_m]Theodore[/name_m], [name_u]Arthur[/name_u], and [name_m]Ambrose[/name_m], and my husband loved [name_u]Solstice[/name_u], [name_u]Peregrine[/name_u], and [name_u]Equinox[/name_u].
[name_u]New[/name_u] ones that my husband liked were [name_u]Sparrow[/name_u], and [name_u]Caraway[/name_u]. He tried the whole pregnancy to get me to consider [name_m]Sycamore[/name_m] as both a first and middle name, but I just could not get on board with it! I liked [name_m]Soren[/name_m] and [name_u]Franklin[/name_u], and surprisingly he liked them as well, but they just didn’t feel right this time! We strongly considered [name_u]Leaf[/name_u] for a while, and I think if we hadn’t named him [name_m]Hugh[/name_m], his name probably would’ve been [name_u]Leaf[/name_u] [name_u]Finnegan[/name_u]. Now that I look back on the list from before the pregnancy, there really are some beautiful names on there, so maybe we will use some of those in the future! We also thought about using [name_m]Hugo[/name_m] instead of [name_m]Hugh[/name_m], but we really love how unexpected [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] as a full name is!

We had a girls name decided on from very, very early in the pregnancy, and we still absolutely adore it, so I won’t share that just yet!

Did you discuss names with anyone else when you were pregnant?

We actually did not! The only person who knew the name before I gave birth was our son, but we didn’t tell [name_u]October[/name_u] that his name was going to be [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] until I was about 33 weeks, which was only one week before I gave birth. Surprisingly, even after he started referring to the baby as [name_m]Hugh[/name_m], he never told anyone what his name was before he was born!

How do you feel about your own name, and how do you think it influenced your choice?

I always wished that my name had a nickname option! It’s only two syllables and ends in a -ie, so it’s not very intuitive to shorten. I do like that it’s somewhat timeless and feminine though! I definitely like names with nickname options, and I think that is part of the reason why. [name_f]My[/name_f] husband has a more uncommon name where we live, but it’s well known and very popular in the UK (I love his name!), and he likes more uncommon names because of it.

What are the trendy names in your social circle?

Finally I feel like I can answer this! Back when we had a post for October’s name, we were only one of the two couples in our friend group that had a baby, with the other being my husband’s best friends son [name_u]Milo[/name_u] [name_m]Angus[/name_m], who is about 6 months older than [name_u]October[/name_u]. We often joke that [name_u]Milo[/name_u] and [name_u]October[/name_u] started the baby fever among our friend group, as between the year they were born, and before I got pregnant with [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] (about 2 years), there were 5 babies! Then there was another huge baby boom, with lots of us expecting our seconds, and five of us were pregnant at the same time this past year!
Listing every baby in our group by age, there is [name_u]Milo[/name_u] [name_m]Angus[/name_m] (3.5), [name_u]October[/name_u] [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] (3, our son), [name_u]Everest[/name_u] [name_u]Quinn[/name_u] (2.5), [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] [name_u]June[/name_u] (2), [name_u]Lennon[/name_u] [name_f]Emma[/name_f] (2), [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f] [name_u]Moon[/name_u] (2), [name_u]Atlas[/name_u] [name_u]Michael[/name_u] (11 months, Everest’s brother), [name_u]Sloane[/name_u] [name_f]Elise[/name_f] (10 months, Lennon’s sister), [name_f]Lola[/name_f] [name_f]Clementine[/name_f] (7 months, Milo’s sister), [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] (4 weeks, our son), and [name_f]Daphne[/name_f] [name_f]Mira[/name_f] (3 weeks, Fiona’s sister).
There’s lots of boho names, but we do live in quite a crunchy area, so that’s to be expected! We’ve seen a lot of Clementine’s, Imogen’s, Arlo’s, and Rowan’s in the past year! All really good names!

How have people reacted to Hugh’s name?

We’ve gotten a lot of surprised reactions! I think that people were expecting something a little more modern than [name_m]Hugh[/name_m], as October’s name is quite modern, but we’ve gotten a lot of complements! So many people love his middle name too, which I’m very happy about, because [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] really is so beautiful. A friend said that his name was refreshing, as she sees lots of Hugo’s and not many babies who are just [name_m]Hugh[/name_m]. It made us feel even more secure in our choice to just go with [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] instead of [name_m]Hugo[/name_m]!

What advice would you give to someone starting the naming process?

Don’t let people tell you that you have too many requirements for your baby’s name! Sometimes we felt like we were crazy for wanting a unique, easy to spell, and recognizable name that went perfectly with [name_u]October[/name_u], but in the end we were able to find one, and I’m glad we didn’t just settle for something else!

How do you describe your style outside of baby names?

I’d say our style in names and general life do actually align. We decorate in cozy fall colors, and have made sure to represent our lives in our home. We strive to have a calm and welcoming place for visitors, but also for ourselves to live in. I think both of our sons names reflect this, as do their nurseries. Hughie’s nursery is very earth-y, and mostly has tones of green, rust, and oatmeal. It’s very woodland-ish, as is most of his clothing.

Did your baby receive any special gifts?

Our older son picked him out a stuffed animal, and it’s been Hugh’s favorite thing since he first saw it! I also crocheted him a blanket, which felt really special. [name_f]My[/name_f] husband’s parents got [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] an amber teething necklace, they also got one for [name_u]October[/name_u] when he was born. He hasn’t worn it yet, and probably won’t for a few months, but it’s very special as my husband’s grandma got all of his siblings one when they were born, continuing a tradition! [name_f]My[/name_f] parents got him a painting for his room, and it’s incredibly beautiful! [name_f]My[/name_f] husband and I painted him a name sign as well, and that was very special, as it was one of the last times we had did a little date night with just the two of us and my belly!

What are the cool things for parents and kids to do in your area?

Quite frankly we haven’t taken [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] out much yet, as he’s only 4 weeks old, but with [name_u]October[/name_u] we love visiting the library and bookstore! We also frequently go to the zoo, and have season passes there. We love being outside, and there is a huge park near us with beautiful trees and a trail, and we go there probably four to five times a week! The first place we took [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] to was the aquarium. It’s always been a family favorite, and it was perfect as he slept the entire time he was there! I felt like I went a little stir crazy from not leaving the house much when I had [name_u]October[/name_u], so to try and combat that I’ve been going on short walks at the park with [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] everyday for the past 1.5-2 weeks. That’s probably our favorite activity, though it’s not much!

What are you and Hugh’s favorite things?

Very similar to our older son, [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] loves being worn in wraps. The [name_m]Moby[/name_m] wrap and the Boba wrap are our two favorites, but as he gets bigger and we start going on more adventures, I’m sure we’ll begin to use the [name_f]Tula[/name_f] wrap as well!
I’ve only taken him into stores a few times, but when we have gone into stores with him, we’ve been using the Graco Modes Nest Travel System once again, and it’s just a really great stroller for us! It works for a carseat, pram, and toddler stroller, forwards or rear facing so it’s very versatile. It’s the same one we used for [name_u]October[/name_u], so we didn’t have to buy another stroller, but we did end up buying a double stroller, as we now have a newborn and a three year old. The double stroller we have is the Graco Ready2Grow 2.0 Double Stroller, and though we’ve only used it a couple times while out, it seems to be great!
We have the BabyBjörn Bouncer [name_u]Bliss[/name_u] (the light beige one), and [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] loves that! We use it all the time, and it’s very convenient for when showering, cleaning, or cooking! [name_u]October[/name_u] didn’t like it that much, but we tried it again with [name_m]Hugh[/name_m], and I’m so glad he loved it.Hughie loves the Snuggle Me (we have the color gingerbread, it fits so well with the colors of our house!) and it’s great for supervised lounging and naps.
Lastly, we love the Snoo bassinet! We purchased it on sale when I was pregnant with [name_u]October[/name_u], and though it was still crazy expensive, I’m so glad we bought it. Both of our boys loved it, and [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] sleeps in it every night and at most of his nap times! I don’t know if I’d say its a necessary purchase (there’s definitely bassinets out there that are just as great for a fraction of the price), but we do use it so much, and as a family love it!

coolauntieviolet · September 8, 2023, 7:51pm

How I Named [name_f]My[/name_f] [name_u]Baby[/name_u]: [name_m]Ebenezer[/name_m] [name_m]Byron[/name_m] [name_u]James[/name_u]

Tell Me Ebenezer’s Name [name_u]Story[/name_u]!
well, when I decided that I was going to have my children alone, I was 15 years old, I always knew that I wanted a little boy to name after my favorite uncle and father. I knew that my sons middle names were going to be [name_m]Byron[/name_m] [name_u]James[/name_u], I just didn’t know what the first name was going to be.

as I was scrolling through a name list while in search of a character name I came across [name_m]Ebenezer[/name_m], I immediately fell in love, I almost cried I was so in love with in when I first heard it. so I knew from the time I was 15 that I was going to have a little [name_m]Ebenezer[/name_m] some day. and I’m so glad that I got to use it.

I’ve been calling him [name_m]Benny[/name_m] a lot, and as a joke, his godfather, my kind of brother-in-law, has been calling him “Little Vampire” because there’s a vampire on the show Supernatural (my favorite) named [name_m]Benny[/name_m], I think it’s adorable, it gets a lot of weird looks from the rest of the family but I don’t care.

How Did You Pick Ebenezer’s Middle Names?
their honor names, he’s named after my favorite uncle, [name_m]Byron[/name_m], and my father, [name_u]James[/name_u]. my aunt and uncle live about five minutes away from me and were the only family I had close by during my pregnancy so it only felt right to name my little [name_m]Ebenezer[/name_m] after my uncle. And my father was never around much growing up because of his , but we were really close, he’s really one of my best friends, so I really wanted to have [name_u]James[/name_u] in my sons name as well.

What Other Names Did You Consider?
Nothing really, other then the name I considered was [name_u]Montgomery[/name_u], but I decided that it would most likely make a good name for a second son, and went back to [name_m]Ebenezer[/name_m]. if I have a second son his name is going to be [name_u]Montgomery[/name_u] [name_u]Michael[/name_u] [name_u]Dean[/name_u].

Did You Discuss Names With Anyone [name_f]Else[/name_f] When You Were Pregnant?
Not really, I was pretty set on his name, I only told his godparents what his name would be and I’m pretty sure I told my mom and aunt about a week before he was born, but other then that I kept it under raps,

How [name_f]Do[/name_f] You [name_m]Feel[/name_m] About Your Own Name, And How [name_f]Do[/name_f] You Think It Influenced Your Choice?
I HATE my name, it’s not pretty and it’s not me, so I really tried hard to find a name that I loved and that I knew could have a lot of nickname options if [name_m]Ebenezer[/name_m] doesn’t like his name.

What Are The Trendy Names In Your Social Circle?
I’m actually the first one to have a baby in my circle of friends, I know that my one friend has a nephew, [name_u]Leon[/name_u], and a niece, [name_u]Haven[/name_u].

How Have People Reacted To Ebenezer’s Name?
no one was surprised, I’ve been very open about my love of [name_m]Ebenezer[/name_m] for years, my mom was just happy that I got to use it and my dad cried when he knew that his first grandchild was named after him. my uncle pretty much had the same reaction.

How [name_f]Do[/name_f] You Describe Your Style Outside of [name_u]Baby[/name_u] Names?
very very cluttered and disorganized, I’ve probably lost everything I own at least once and no matter how much i try I can’t get organised.

Did Your [name_u]Baby[/name_u] Receive Any [name_f]Special[/name_f] Gifts
[name_f]My[/name_f] 95-year-old grandmother flew over from Australia to meet him, it’s not a psychical gift but it’s a memory I will hold in my heart forever even if he doesn’t remember it. she also brought over a painting my late aunt had made and it’s hanging in his nursery. those are pretty special things.

What Are The Cool Things For Parents And Kids To [name_f]Do[/name_f] In Your Area?
I live in [name_u]Dallas[/name_u] so there are a heck of a lot of things to do, [name_m]Ebenezer[/name_m] seems to like to go for walks in the park by my apartment a lot and my Aunt takes him to do Yoga with her once a week while I’m doing my college classes, which he seems to love, I really hope it’s a tradition they keep doing.

What Are You And Ebenezer’s [name_m]Favorite[/name_m] Things?
[name_m]Ebenezer[/name_m] is a lot like me, he loves foxes, his favorite stuffed animal is a fox that my great-aunt got him.

ArrowTheMonarch · September 8, 2023, 9:03pm

How We Named Our Babies – [name_u]Salem[/name_u] [name_m]Evander[/name_m] & [name_u]Celeste[/name_u] [name_f]Waverley[/name_f]

Tell me [name_u]Salem[/name_u] and Celeste’s name story!
Well, me and my wife, [name_f]Bee[/name_f], have been keeping a baby name list since we first got together, all the way back in high school! [name_u]Celeste[/name_u] has been on the top of that list ever since then. When me and [name_f]Bee[/name_f] found out I was having a boy and a girl, we knew it would be perfect for our little girl. Her name also has a sentimental meaning to us; we had a stillborn baby girl 2 years back who we planned to name [name_f]Heaven[/name_f]. To us, it feels like our little [name_u]Celeste[/name_u] is carrying her big sister with her.

For [name_u]Salem[/name_u], we weren’t quite sure. I’ve never been that good at keeping up with my list of boys’ names. [name_f]Bee[/name_f] knew right away she wanted to pick [name_u]Salem[/name_u], but I wasn’t convinced. She definitely had to sway me! [name_u]Salem[/name_u] means peace, which is something we never thought we’d get, having twins. He’s really living up to his name, though! [name_u]Salem[/name_u] is the most calm & peaceful baby I’ve ever met.

How did you pick their middle names, [name_m]Evander[/name_m] and [name_u]Waverly[/name_u]?
Both kiddos actually have honor names! [name_m]Evander[/name_m] has a lot of meaning to me; it’s my grandfather’s name. [name_f]My[/name_f] grandfather, [name_m]Evander[/name_m] [name_u]Montgomery[/name_u] [name_f]Hills[/name_f], has been a really big part of my life, and I wanted to honor him. [name_f]Bee[/name_f] was totally on board with this, and it’s always been one of her absolute favorite names. We were actually considering using it as his first name!

[name_u]Waverly[/name_u] is Bee’s late twin sister’s name. [name_f]Bee[/name_f] was really close to [name_u]Waverly[/name_u], and she really loves and misses her twin sister. We weren’t quite sure if we were ready to re-open those memories, but it seems that [name_f]Bee[/name_f] has really benefited and it’s almost a sense of closure for her.

What other names did you consider?
We definitely considered plenty of names for both of them. For [name_u]Salem[/name_u], we were considering [name_m]Evander[/name_m] (for his first name instead of middle), [name_u]Montgomery[/name_u], [name_u]Ellis[/name_u], and [name_u]Bellamy[/name_u], to name just a few. Honestly, I’m still very attached to the name [name_u]Bellamy[/name_u], but in the end it didn’t feel right.

For [name_u]Celeste[/name_u], we actually almost changed our minds mid-pregnancy! We were very settled on [name_f]Verity[/name_f] [name_u]Sage[/name_u] instead of [name_u]Celeste[/name_u] [name_u]Waverly[/name_u]. If we have another girl in the future we will definitely name her that. One of my dads almost convinced us to use the name [name_f]Twyla[/name_f] [name_f]Elsie[/name_f], but we didn’t enjoy the way it rolled off our tongues.

Did you discuss names with anyone else when you were pregnant?
We’re really close with my dads, and consulted them all of the time during the naming process. Also, Bee’s aunt [name_f]Julietta[/name_f] lives in the house across from us. We used to have tea together every afternoon and discuss our baby names with her!

How do you feel about your own name, and how do you think it influenced your choice?
Wow, that’s a loaded question. I’ve had a long journey trying to figure out my name. [name_m]Even[/name_m] though my birth name has a lot of beauty to it, it’s never truly felt like me. I think my name journey, along with [name_f]Bee[/name_f] having always loved her name, definitely made us think a lot more about what we were naming the twins, and how it would impact them.

What are the trendy names in your social circle?
We have plenty of little flower name babies. [name_f]My[/name_f] best friend, [name_f]Greta[/name_f] [name_f]Astoria[/name_f] Lowson, just recently had triplet girls [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f], [name_u]Aster[/name_u], and [name_f]Poppy[/name_f]. We happen to know 5 other little girls named [name_f]Poppy[/name_f], and 2 other Asters. For boys, [name_u]Alder[/name_u], [name_m]Otto[/name_m] and [name_m]Felix[/name_m] are very popular.

How have people reacted to your baby’s name?
[name_f]My[/name_f] extended family gave us strange looks for naming our little boy [name_u]Salem[/name_u], but everyone has been behind Celeste’s name since we announced it. [name_f]My[/name_f] grandfather absolutely loves their names, and spends all the time he can with them. Bee’s family wasn’t really surprised by their names. Afterall, her family already has a tradition of “out there” names.

What advice would you give to someone starting the naming process?
Take it slowly, and it’s ok to not be set on a name right away. Also, don’t let people tell you that your kiddo is going to hate their name when they grow up! Yes, it might be true, but that shouldn’t make you change the name because it’s not that popular or well-known.

How do you describe your style outside of baby names?
We have a very earthy, cottage-y sort of vibe that I guess could be described as goblincore. Our home is very cosy and very much inspired by nature and the outdoors, with some fun colors thrown in. We love keeping our home nice and welcoming; we almost always have a plate of freshly-baked cookies out in case anyone stops by! Our style is definitely reflected in the twins’ nursery. It’s very cosy and has fun, nature decorations, but still has pops of color!

Did your baby receive any special gifts?
[name_f]My[/name_f] grandfather crocheted little stuffed animals for [name_u]Salem[/name_u] and Celeste; a raccoon for [name_u]Salem[/name_u] (which he absolutely adores) and an owl for [name_u]Celeste[/name_u]. Both kiddos also got handmade shelves from Bee’s brother, which we use to put pictures and keepsakes on in their nursery. [name_f]Bee[/name_f] and I also made little mobiles for them as a last date-night right before the twins were born.

What are the cool things for parents and kids to do in your area?
We live in a kind of rural town that’s also a big tourist attraction due to the national park right nearby. We like taking [name_u]Salem[/name_u] and [name_u]Celeste[/name_u] on hikes and taking them to my family’s apple orchard and horse farm, which they adore. [name_u]Salem[/name_u] and [name_u]Celeste[/name_u] also enjoy going to the local libraries storytime, and have made a bunch of little friends there.

readingreverie · September 18, 2023, 8:09pm

How We Named Our [name_u]Baby[/name_u]: [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] [name_u]Harvest[/name_u]!

Tell me Tabitha’s name story!

We are really lucky to have already had two children, and they have names we both adore, so we felt some pressure to give our daughter a name as cool as her brothers! [name_f]My[/name_f] husband love unique word names, and I love classic [name_f]British[/name_f] sounding names, so while we can be on very opposite ends of the naming spectrum, we luckily are generally able to find a common ground in cosy fall names. Our older sons are [name_u]October[/name_u] [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] and [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] [name_u]Valentine[/name_u], and we knew we wanted something that matched well with their names.

We actually decided on Tabitha’s name early in my pregnancy with our son [name_m]Hugh[/name_m], so we didn’t have much discussion surrounding names this time around! [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] was on my guilty pleasure name list for years, but I never thought it’d be one I would use. One day my husband and I were talking about names we love and wish would have a come back, and I said [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] and he instantly fell in love.

His love for the name really solidified the name on my list, and I suddenly felt like it was the perfect girls name for our family. We love its witchy vibe as our favorite season is fall, and all of our kids have some connection to it, so it felt like a lovely fit!

After finding out I was pregnant with [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] we had a few conversations on if we still felt confident in our choice to use the name. I was a little worried that it didn’t match perfectly with our son’s names, and after I voiced that concern, I continuously was getting signs that we should use it! We took our first vacation out of state in about a year when I was about 6-7 months pregnant, and near where we were staying there was a lovely little park/nature walk called Tabitha’s [name_u]Park[/name_u]. The boys played there everyday, and we definitely created a lot of memories while there. A city over there was also a new book store that opened named Titled [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f], and they’ve got a lovely selection of children’s books, as well as YA and adult. It’s become one of our favorite places to go as a family! Our oldest son [name_u]October[/name_u] suddenly became obsessed with the name [name_f]Tabby[/name_f], and was calling all of his plushies and any animal he saw by the name. It felt like the universe was telling me that we needed to use [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f]!

How did you pick Tabitha’s middle name?

[name_u]Harvest[/name_u] is a name that’s been on my husband’s name list for as long as I can remember! We considered it in all of our pregnancies, but it never felt right until now. We feel like it’s such a cozy sounding name, and it reminds us a lot of family and the precious time we spend together around the holiday season. [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] is a more well-known name, that’s maybe a little old lady-ish, so we love the balance that the modern and unique [name_u]Harvest[/name_u] provides!

What other names did you consider?

As I said before, we were pretty much decided on [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] [name_u]Harvest[/name_u] for the entire pregnancy, but we did consider several others, just in the case that [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] didn’t fit her.

[name_f]My[/name_f] husband really pushed hard for [name_m]Sycamore[/name_m], just like he did during my last pregnancy, I for some reason just can’t see it as a name! He also loves a lot of Car- names, so [name_u]Caraway[/name_u], [name_m]Caradoc[/name_m], and Cerridwen were all on his list. They’re really beautiful, but don’t fit our family! Before we knew [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] was a girl he wanted to name her [name_u]Loveday[/name_u] or [name_f]Darling[/name_f]! Both are cute, but a little to wordy for my liking.

On my list I had [name_m]Soren[/name_m] and [name_u]Franklin[/name_u], but of course she ended up being a girl! If we hadn’t decided on [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] really early in the pregnancy, I don’t think I would’ve had any idea what to name her, I only had two girls names!

If she wouldn’t have been [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] [name_u]Harvest[/name_u], I think we would’ve probably went with [name_u]Ochre[/name_u], either as a middle name or first name. We love how it looks, and the vibe it has. The only problems were that it started with an O, and that we loved [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] more!

Did you discuss names with anyone else when you were pregnant?

No! I think we were so decided that it just didn’t even seem like a topic for others to bring up! We did tell our sons at about the 30 week mark. They were ecstatic, they adore her name.

What are the trendy names in your social circle?

We have a lot of babies in our friend group. I talked about it in our post for Hugh’s name, we were the second couple to have a baby, and it seems like [name_u]October[/name_u] and [name_u]Milo[/name_u] (the only one older than him) started baby fever! There’s a lot of boho or more crunchy names, which is to be expected as that’s the type of area we live in! We’ve noticed a lot of boho first with literature middles (or vise versa). There is still a lot of Clementine’s, Charlotte’s, Oliver’s, and we’ve surprisingly seen lots of Romeo’s!

All the kids our friends have!

[name_u]Milo[/name_u] [name_m]Angus[/name_m] (6.5), [name_u]October[/name_u] [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] (6, our son), [name_u]Everest[/name_u] [name_u]Quinn[/name_u] (5.5), [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] [name_u]June[/name_u] (5), [name_u]Lennon[/name_u] [name_f]Emma[/name_f] (5), [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f] [name_u]Moon[/name_u] (5), [name_u]Atlas[/name_u] [name_u]Michael[/name_u] (4, Everest’s brother), [name_u]Sloane[/name_u] [name_f]Elise[/name_f] (4, Lennon’s sister), [name_f]Lola[/name_f] [name_f]Clementine[/name_f] (Milo’s sister, 3.5), [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] (3, our son), [name_f]Daphne[/name_f] [name_f]Mira[/name_f] (3, Fiona’s sister), [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] + [name_u]Juno[/name_u] [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] (1.5, [name_u]Lennon[/name_u] and Sloane’s sisters), [name_u]Jasper[/name_u] [name_u]August[/name_u] (1, [name_u]Everest[/name_u] and Atlas’ brother), [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] [name_f]Ines[/name_f] (4 months, [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] and Daphne’s sister), and [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] [name_u]Harvest[/name_u] (2 months, our daughter).

How have people reacted to Tabitha’s name?

Honestly, people knew we’d chosen Tabitha’s name during my pregnancy with [name_m]Hughie[/name_m], so there was a lot of anticipation surrounding her name! I think it was a bit of a surprise how classic her name is compared to her brother’s but there has generally been a pretty positive reaction! It’s also been really reassuring that our families have reacted well to the nickname [name_f]Betty[/name_f]. We call her [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] 80% of the time, and the boys call her [name_f]Tabby[/name_f], but we really wanted to use the nickname [name_f]Betty[/name_f], so we’re glad that it caught on with her aunts, uncles, and cousins!

How do you describe your style outside of baby names?

They’re actually very similar. Our house is decorated in fall colors and it’s very cosy and calm, and I think that is reflects in our baby names as well. Betty’s nursery is very earth-y and there are a lot of darker colors in it. We all adore her nursery.

What are the cool things for parents and kids to do in your area?

We still go to the zoo and aquarium often. They are really our favorite places to go as a family! Besides that, we love the park by our house. We go there probably four to five times a week! [name_f]My[/name_f] husband will watch the boys, and I walk around the trail with [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f]!

What are you and Hugh’s favorite things?

All of our children have loved the [name_m]Moby[/name_m] wrap and the Boba wrap. They are lifesavers! I just wrap it around myself at home, and then when I get to the store I can just get out and pop [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] right in it!

We pretty much only use the Graco Ready2Grow 2.0 Double Stroller at this point. It’s really the perfect fit for our family. Occasionally we’ll still use the Graco Modes Nest Travel System, but that’s really only when I have only [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] with me.

We use most of the same products that we did with [name_m]Otto[/name_m] and [name_m]Hughie[/name_m], those being the BabyBjörn Bouncer [name_u]Bliss[/name_u], the Snuggle Me, the [name_f]Elvie[/name_f] pump, and the Snoo bassinet.

A new product that I feel like we couldn’t live without is the Hatch Sound Machine. The older boys didn’t need it to sleep, but [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] has to have white noise on! It’s saved us from many sleepless nights.

melia22 · September 22, 2023, 8:25pm

How I named my baby: [name_u]Griffin[/name_u] [name_u]Leslie[/name_u]

Tell me your child’s name story!

I had [name_u]Griffin[/name_u] picked out since I was 11/12 since I really loved the nickname [name_m]Fin[/name_m]. When I met my partner he was very thoroughly thought that his first son should be named after him. But ultimately, we decided to wait till he was born to see whether he looked more like a [name_u]Griffin[/name_u] [name_u]Leslie[/name_u] or a [name_m]Wolfe[/name_m] [name_u]Griffin[/name_u]. I looked at him, I said “If I had ever seen a child who is more of a [name_u]Griffin[/name_u] that I am shocked”.

How did you pick your baby’s middle name?

[name_u]Leslie[/name_u] is a honour name on my side of the family. We made the decision that if he was a [name_u]Griffin[/name_u] then he could honour my side. If he was [name_m]Wolfe[/name_m] after his dad, then his middle name would be [name_u]Griffin[/name_u].

What other names did you consider?

Our main contender for a boy was, [name_m]Wolfe[/name_m] [name_u]Griffin[/name_u] after his dad and my love for [name_u]Griffin[/name_u]. We also talked [name_u]Hudson[/name_u], [name_u]Jasper[/name_u], [name_u]Jude[/name_u] and Marlow(e).

If he was a girl he would have been [name_f]Maeve[/name_f], [name_u]Sutton[/name_u] or [name_f]Matilda[/name_f]. I’m not sure which. Middle name would be [name_u]Lesley[/name_u].
Did you discuss names with anyone else when you were pregnant?

Nope! I think everyone knew he was going to be some sort of [name_m]Fin[/name_m] though, as I always said that would be my first born sons name.

How do you feel about your own name, and how do you think it influenced your choice?

I’m [name_f]Emilia[/name_f]. I have been by [name_f]Melia[/name_f] and [name_f]Mimi[/name_f] my whole life. Didn’t influence him though.

What are the trendy names in your social circle?

For us it is not many as most our friends don’t have kids yet. But probably [name_f]Lily[/name_f] for a girl. [name_u]Asher[/name_u] for a boy. But one of my friends named their daughter [name_f]Velvet[/name_f] which was interesting.
How have people reacted to your baby’s name?

Everyone knew he was going to be a Griffin/Finley. [name_u]Leslie[/name_u] was an unexpected but welcomed surprise.

What advice would you give to someone starting the naming process?

Go with your gut, also it is just a name. Don’t be too worried.

Did your baby receive any special gifts?

A blanket with ’Fin’ in the corner. Everyone knew he was a [name_m]Fin[/name_m].

What are the cool things for parents and kids to do in your area?

We love going to this caravan park, with my cousin and her kids. Now we can bring [name_m]Fin[/name_m]!

What are you and your baby’s favorite things?

Anything that makes noice and his bunny, a navy blue bunny I got for him.

ArrowTheMonarch · September 23, 2023, 7:45pm

How We Named Our [name_u]Baby[/name_u] - [name_m]Finnian[/name_m] [name_u]November[/name_u]

Tell me Finnian’s name story!
We’ve been incredibly blessed to have our twins, [name_u]Salem[/name_u] & [name_u]Celeste[/name_u] with us for this journey. [name_u]Salem[/name_u] seemed very interested in his new little brother’s name, and was very adamant about wanting him to have the nickname “Finn”. We weren’t quite sure why, but it was very cute how [name_u]Salem[/name_u] was so interested in the name [name_u]Finn[/name_u]! [name_u]Celeste[/name_u] wasn’t as interested, but enjoyed hearing me and [name_f]Bee[/name_f] talk about names.

Me and my wife, [name_f]Bee[/name_f], weren’t really on the same page for names this time around. She wanted a long, fancy name while I wanted a name that would fit well with our twins, [name_u]Salem[/name_u] [name_m]Evander[/name_m] & [name_u]Celeste[/name_u] [name_f]Waverley[/name_f], while still having an important meaning for us.

[name_u]Ever[/name_u] since we had [name_u]Salem[/name_u] & [name_u]Celeste[/name_u], I’ve been taking better care of my boy name list, so me and [name_f]Bee[/name_f] scoured the list to try and find one we both agreed on. It wasn’t until we were into the first half of the 3rd trimester we were able to decide on [name_m]Finnian[/name_m] [name_u]November[/name_u] as our baby’s name.

How did you pick Finnian’s middle name?
[name_u]November[/name_u] was a little bit out there for us, definitely. For our family, fall is the best time of the year. It’s the time that the trees light up with color, the weather is perfect, and you can just curl up inside with a nice hot drink. Bee’s main worry is that [name_u]Finn[/name_u] isn’t actually born in [name_u]November[/name_u] – his birthday is actually Halloween. Our main reason for picking [name_u]November[/name_u], though, is because it just has this sort of quality to it. It felt absolutely perfect for our little kiddo the more and more we thought about it.

What other names did you consider?
Gosh, with [name_u]Finn[/name_u] we had so many. [name_m]Just[/name_m] to name a few, [name_u]Montgomery[/name_u], [name_u]Bellamy[/name_u], [name_u]Auden[/name_u], and [name_m]Hugo[/name_m]. A couple of those we also considered to use for [name_u]Salem[/name_u], namely [name_u]Montgomery[/name_u] and [name_u]Bellamy[/name_u]. We almost ended up with the name [name_u]Archer[/name_u] [name_m]Cyprian[/name_m] for [name_m]Finnian[/name_m], but [name_f]Bee[/name_f] was very much against it.

Did you discuss names with anyone else when you were pregnant?
No, we didn’t. [name_f]My[/name_f] dads, and Bee’s aunt definitely were with us every step of the pregnancy, but we decided that we didn’t want to be swayed by anyone else’s opinion. I don’t know if that was a good decision or not, but it definitely made us feel more secure in our choices.

How do you feel about your own name, and how do you think it influenced your choice?
Since we had our twins, our feelings for our names haven’t really changed. I think it still made us think a lot about how Finnian’s name might impact him in the future, though.

What are the trendy names in your social circle?
There are lots of nature names and more “country” style names, but that’s partly because we live out near a national park in the country. We have a lot of little flowers, like [name_f]Poppy[/name_f], [name_f]Daisy[/name_f], [name_f]Amaryllis[/name_f], and [name_f]Violet[/name_f], along with animal names like [name_u]Bear[/name_u] and [name_u]Fox[/name_u]. On the other side, with the more country style names, we have [name_f]Lucy[/name_f], [name_m]Cyrus[/name_m], [name_m]Caleb[/name_m], [name_u]Ruby[/name_u], [name_f]Willa[/name_f], [name_u]Beau[/name_u], [name_u]Levi[/name_u], [name_f]Grace[/name_f], and [name_f]Ella[/name_f].

How have people reacted to your baby’s name?
People weren’t really surprised, especially after we named our first son [name_u]Salem[/name_u]. Mainly, people are wondering why Finnian’s first name is so, well, normal compared to [name_u]Salem[/name_u] & [name_u]Celeste[/name_u]! Our extended families absolutely dote on our kiddos.

What advice would you give to someone starting the naming process?
Don’t feel like you have to be limited to popular names. Also, it’s definitely ok to take as much time as you need, but for us we found it much easier when we had the names decided much further in advance.

How do you describe your style outside of baby names?
We have a very earthy, cosy style that incorporates lots of natural elements like mushrooms and wood. I guess it could be described as goblincore. We have a bunch of little trinkets, most of them with special meanings for us. As before, we enjoy keeping our home welcoming, with the door normally unlocked and a plate of fresh cookies out. Finnian’s nursery has a forest-y theme, full of leaves, little animals, and colors.

Did your baby receive any special gifts?
[name_f]My[/name_f] grandfather crocheted [name_u]Finn[/name_u] a stuffed animal, just like he did for the twins. For [name_u]Finn[/name_u], he made a sweet little bat. [name_f]Bee[/name_f] and I also made him a name sign with help from [name_u]Salem[/name_u] & [name_u]Celeste[/name_u], along with a couple of knitted sweaters I made. Bee’s family gave him a blankie just like the one [name_f]Bee[/name_f] had growing up.

What are the cool things for parents and kids to do in your area?
We still love taking the kids on hikes and walks in the park, along with the library story time. Recently, a new little playroom opened up and [name_u]Finn[/name_u] seems to love it there.

auroracallista · October 8, 2023, 9:50pm

How I named my baby, [name_u]Indigo[/name_u] [name_u]Henry[/name_u] [name_u]Orion[/name_u] “[name_u]Indy[/name_u]”

Tell me your child’s name story!

Indy’s name came to us after several months of debating. [name_f]My[/name_f] father & partner are big [name_u]Indiana[/name_u] [name_m]Jones[/name_m] fans, so the nickname [name_u]Indy[/name_u] stuck out to us immediately, though we didn’t want to use [name_u]Indiana[/name_u]. There’s also a gene in fruit flies called the INDY gene, for I’m Not Dead Yet, which we found interesting as we’re both a little bit nerdy. Ultimately I fell in love with [name_u]Indigo[/name_u]. I grew up with a friend’s sister being [name_u]Indigo[/name_u], which I always found fabulous, and when I imagined it on a boy, something clicked!

How did you pick your baby’s middle name?

[name_u]Henry[/name_u] is my all time favorite boy crush, but it was just too popular to use as a first, we didn’t want him to be the fourth [name_u]Henry[/name_u] in class. I think it’s darling and classic. [name_u]Orion[/name_u] was going to be my sister’s middle name if she was a boy, and we both knew we wanted something space-themed in the name as we both are space nerds, so there you have it! A slightly nerdy, very ‘us’ name!

What other names did you consider?

[name_u]Callum[/name_u], [name_m]Ronan[/name_m], Zigmund/Ziggy, [name_m]Otto[/name_m] & [name_u]Fenn[/name_u] were all up there for contenders

Did you discuss names with anyone else while you were pregnant?

As a name nerd, I’m always down to discuss names, so yes and no. I discussed names but never alluded to [name_u]Indigo[/name_u] as a name I was thinking of.

How do you feel about your own name, and how do you think it influenced your choice?

[name_f]My[/name_f] own name is a ‘space’ name, so that ultimately swayed us towards another space related middle. I love my own name & wanted [name_u]Indy[/name_u] to love his too!

What are the trendy names in your social circle?

[name_u]Atlas[/name_u] (which I love!), [name_f]Eloise[/name_f], [name_f]Freya[/name_f] & [name_u]Cal[/name_u] (which is why we didn’t go with Callum)

How have people reacted to your baby’s name?

People either seem to dig it or they look at me like I’m crazy for naming him [name_u]Indigo[/name_u]. I’ve got a couple “that’s girly” comments, but most people seem to like it.

What advice would you give to someone starting the naming process?

Go with your gut.

How do you describe your style outside of baby names?

A little bit indie (lol), laidback, west coast vibes

Did your baby receive any special gifts?

[name_f]My[/name_f] dad’s old [name_u]Indiana[/name_u] [name_m]Jones[/name_m] poster for his nursery! Lol.

What are the cool things for parents & kids to do in your area?

Hike, bike, surf, swim, go to the zoo, science museums & the park

What are you and your baby’s favorite things?

Car rides, doggies & going to the beach!

may.rose · October 24, 2023, 10:17pm

Thank you for making this thread, Mollie! I am sad that HINMB is on pause, so filling this out was a good replacement! I know I didn’t fill everything out, but I’m not great at hypotheticals. Hopefully, I will be back to do this again soon! And without further ado…

How I Named My Baby: Elisabeth Joy

Tell me Elisabeth’s name story!
I have loved the name Elisabeth for a long time, so it was already on my list when I found out I was pregnant. Unfortunately, so were a lot of other beautiful names! My husband was thankfully available and willing to weed out some of the names he didn’t like. He really liked Elisabeth from the beginning, but I did have to convince him on the lesser-known spelling. I think the S looks so much softer and more elegant than the Z spelling. He felt a bit better about Elisabeth when I explained that it is actually a very international spelling of the name.

How did you pick Elisabeth’s middle name?
As a Christian, I want my daughter to know that joy can always be found in the Lord! On top of that, I want her to know how much joy she brings her mama, each and every day! Ever since I found out I was pregnant, it was all joy. Even when things were very difficult, still joy. Joy will always carry her through life!

What other names did you consider?
She was very nearly Susanna May, which we are saving for a possible future daughter! Susanna is a name that my mama likes, which is very hard to come by! If Elisabeth had been a boy, she would have been named either Peter or Timothy. Because we were team green for this pregnancy, we went in with two options for each sex (Elisabeth & Susanna for girls, Peter & Timothy for boys). We figured that it narrowed things down enough, without completely limiting us. We wanted to wait and see what the baby looked like before 100% settling on a name. When she was born, we knew she would match the elegance and poise of Elisabeth!

Did you discuss names with anyone else when you were pregnant?
I tried not to discuss names with anyone but my husband, but it is so hard to keep quiet about names! I had a few conversations with my mom, but I tried to keep things very broad and hypothetical.

How do you feel about your own name, and how do you think it influenced your choice?
My name is very tied to my generation. I knew that I wanted my daughter to have a more timeless, classic name. When I was little, I always wished I had been named Elizabeth, so giving that name to my daughter felt like a little gift. I hope she likes it as much as I did growing up! My name also didn’t have significant meaning to my parents (besides them loving it, which is definitely a good enough reason!) I wanted Elisabeth to feel like she has a special name that ties her to her family! Both my mom and I share the middle name Elizabeth, so I knew I wanted to continue the trend in some way!

What are trendy names in your social circle?
I run in predominantly Christian circles, so we see a lot of names like Gideon, Mercy, etc.

How have people reacted to Elisabeth’s name?
Most everyone thinks it is really sweet! It is a well-established, traditional name, so there isn’t much controversy. Some of our friends and family, my mother included, don’t understand why we when with the S spelling instead of the Z. I thought we were going to get a lot of questions about nicknames (which we still haven’t decided about yet), but everyone has just gone with Elisabeth. I really like that, at least for now. Of course, she is more than welcome to go by a nickname when she wants to! I like the idea of Elsie or Beth as potential options.

OctaviaMay · October 25, 2023, 1:57pm

Omg can I just say I LOVE the name you picked for this thread!! [name_u]Ricky[/name_u] is so under-rated and dated-cute, and same with [name_f]Patricia[/name_f] and [name_f]Caitlyn[/name_f]!

coolauntieviolet · October 25, 2023, 4:21pm

I completely forgot about [name_u]Ricky[/name_u] [name_f]Patricia[/name_f] [name_f]Caitlyn[/name_f] lol

melia22 · November 20, 2023, 12:35pm

How I named my baby [name_u]Auburn[/name_u] [name_f]Ellen[/name_f]
Hypothetical

Tell me Auburn’s Name [name_u]Story[/name_u]

We already have two children, [name_u]Everest[/name_u] and [name_u]Campbell[/name_u] (Rex & Cami). It felt like they already had the top two most perfect names. We both loved unisex names, that were more spunky and unique. She might have been [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] or [name_f]Ellory[/name_f] but I didn’t want to reuse initials. I was going through about the 100th list of unisex names when I came across [name_u]Auburn[/name_u], and it just felt so perfect. I was more unheard of than [name_u]Everest[/name_u] and [name_u]Campbell[/name_u] but it sounded like [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u] enough that it still felt familiar. When I told my fiancé he was just as happy as I was, that we felt we had found the perfect name!

How did you pick Auburn’s middle name?

So, my first two’s middle names are both named after significant teachers my fiancé and I had in our lives. [name_u]Everest[/name_u] [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] and [name_u]Campbell[/name_u] [name_f]Melissa[/name_f], we didn’t want to leave [name_u]Auburn[/name_u] out of the trend. [name_f]Ellen[/name_f] and [name_f]Melissa[/name_f] were two of my favourite teachers growing up, so she became [name_u]Auburn[/name_u] [name_f]Ellen[/name_f]!

What other names did you consider?

I did like [name_u]Charlie[/name_u] and [name_f]Ellory[/name_f] a lot. As well as [name_u]Emory[/name_u] and [name_u]Rowan[/name_u], but none of those really felt right. [name_m]Even[/name_m] when I suggested them, we kinda knew that they weren’t the names we want to use and we never had our hearts set in either of those.

Did you discuss names with anyone else when you where pregnant?

No, we didn’t. I come from a very unsupportive, opinionated family and I knew they would hate any name that wasn’t the one my mum chose. With [name_u]Everest[/name_u], my mum told everyone he was going to be called [name_m]Oliver[/name_m]. She told me that he had to be called [name_m]Oliver[/name_m], and when we wasn’t she didn’t get to meet him for six months and wouldn’t talk to me. Same with [name_f]Cami[/name_f], but with the name [name_f]Sophia[/name_f]. This time it was [name_f]Lily[/name_f]! [name_f]My[/name_f] fiancé’s family wanted it to be a surprise so we didn’t tell them!

How do you feel about your own name, and how do you think it influenced your choice?

[name_f]My[/name_f] name is [name_f]Emilia[/name_f]. I have always been called [name_f]Melia[/name_f] or [name_f]Mimi[/name_f]. I loved that I had other options of names! Also, it made me want something with nicknames but also something that was easily spelt. I was forever being confused with [name_f]Amelia[/name_f]!

What are the trendy names in your social circle?

Only one of my friends has kids (we are still young), they are named [name_u]Liam[/name_u], Aloise and [name_f]Flora[/name_f]! But, I have met a few kids named [name_m]Oliver[/name_m] and [name_u]Florence[/name_u]! So many little Florence’s! But so far, no one with my kids names!

What advice would you give to someone starting the naming process?

[name_f]Remember[/name_f], it is your baby. This is you (and your partners) child to name, no body else’s. They don’t like the name, screw them this is your child. Also, just to remember this will one day be an adult!

How do you describe your style outside of baby names?

I would say, I’m the opposite of minimalist. I have sentimental value to everything and the house is always a mess! I keep everything, every little thing. The first pair of shoes my children wore, they’re going home from the hospital outfit. Those are the things that don’t become hand me downs because they are so tied to one of the kids.

Did [name_u]Auburn[/name_u] receive any special gifts?

The most adorable JellyCat rabbit which she really loves! As well a a jumper with Aubie crouched across the chest in baby pink!

What are the cool things for parents and kids to do in your area?

We like going to a light show around [name_u]Christmas[/name_u]. Around here there are a lot of fun (and muddy) [name_f]English[/name_f] walks! Also, loads of fun trampoline parks and climbing areas! [name_u]Rex[/name_u] really loves theses!

readingreverie · December 15, 2023, 1:48am

How I Named [name_f]My[/name_f] [name_u]Baby[/name_u]: [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] [name_u]Rory[/name_u]

Tell me Caspian’s name story!

I found out I was pregnant when my husband was on a long trip out of town. I was only five weeks pregnant at the time, so it was all very early, and I knew that I’d be alone with the news for a month. I really wanted to tell my husband every time we talked, but I felt it was important for him to find the news in a special way, which for me meant telling him in person. It was an extremely stressful time. [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] was a lovely surprise, but I think the stress of being the only one who knew of the pregnancy, being without my husband for so long, and having found out very early was something that prevented me from being fully present in the first month. I was so worried something would go wrong and I’d have to deal with it alone.

I was soothed by the process of looking at names. Finding a way to connect with the baby, whom I knew nearly nothing about, felt important. I pondered what qualities I wanted in a name, what qualities I thought my husband would want, and what we had talked about together. I think I looked at tens of thousands of names in those first four weeks. I was really balancing on the line of liking so many names that I couldn’t narrow my list and not loving anything. After thinking about it for so long, I realized I wanted our child’s name to be connected to their father in some way, but I knew that my husband wouldn’t want to have a junior, just as I wouldn’t. I announced the pregnancy to my husband with a tiny little beach-ish bracelet he said he wanted to get whenever we had a baby. It was one of the most special moments of our pregnancy; it was perfect, as it ties into Caspian’s name (which was intentional on my part!). We talked about names that night, and I shared that I wanted our baby to have a name relating to the sea or ocean. [name_f]My[/name_f] husband has loved the water for his entire life, and it felt like the perfect tie for him. So many of the special moments in our relationship took place at the beach; it’s really just a special place for us!

We came across [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] around the seventeen-week mark; it immediately clicked, and both of us referred to the baby as [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] in our minds and in conversation. It was great, despite the fact that we were team green! It was definitely a relief when my husband announced that the baby was in fact [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] at birth. We had a girl name, but [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] was 100% the front-runner.

[name_m]Caspian[/name_m], of course, has a tie to the [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] [name_u]Sea[/name_u], but it has also been used in literature, which makes the name feel very grounded. [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] also feels like an “every man name,” which is a quality we didn’t know we would appreciate so much. The name is so versatile, and we feel comforted by the fact that it will fit our son no matter who he turns out to be, whether he’s a beach-loving boho or a studious prince.

How did you pick Caspian’s middle name?

[name_f]My[/name_f] husband brought up the name [name_u]Rory[/name_u] in the third trimester, and after some thoughts, we decided it was the perfect middle. We both love its sound and vibe. The playfulness is something that I’ve found my husband really likes in names, and I’ve grown to love it as well. I think [name_u]Rory[/name_u] really balances out the more serious side of [name_m]Caspian[/name_m], and they play off of each other really well.

Though it wasn’t a necessity, we deduced that we really wanted Caspian’s middle name to be [name_u]Irish[/name_u]. I’m part [name_u]Irish[/name_u], as is my husband, and I think we were subconsciously drawn to a lot of [name_u]Irish[/name_u] names for the middle spot. [name_f]My[/name_f] name is quite widely used in [name_u]Ireland[/name_u], and has a -y/-ie ending sound, as does [name_u]Rory[/name_u], and I love that these facts connect our names.

What other names did you consider for [name_m]Caspian[/name_m]?

Honestly, we liked a lot of names, but we settled on [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] quite early, and after coming across [name_u]Rory[/name_u], we didn’t budge at all on his name.

We were team green, though, so we did have a girls name we liked! Our top contender was [name_f]Clover[/name_f]. I think that likely would’ve been Caspian’s name if he had been a girl, however, I can’t be sure we wouldn’t have changed our minds last minute. We didn’t really have a girl middle name set in stone! I’m about 85% sure he would’ve been [name_f]Clover[/name_f], but if not…I think we would’ve likely went with [name_f]Nuala[/name_f]. I don’t know if we can use [name_f]Clover[/name_f] now, though!

Our other boys name was [name_u]Wilder[/name_u], but he was quite far behind [name_m]Caspian[/name_m]! We love Caspian’s full name so much, and we often use it in its entirety.

Did you discuss names with anyone else when you were pregnant?

We didn’t really! We wanted Caspian’s name to be special to us, and keeping it a secret felt like we were able to have a part of the pregnancy that only we knew about. We didn’t share that I was pregnant until I was about eighteen weeks, and by that point we’d decided on our top two names. We were able to talk about the baby outwardly, without it causing questions. We called him C a lot, which to others, just sounded like we were talking about the sea, which was a nice, albeit odd way to keep it a secret.

We did to a big name hint when I was thirty-one weeks. We had a boy name hint and a girl name hint, but that was really the extent of us sharing anything!

How have people reacted to your baby’s name?

We’ve got a lot of positive reactions, honestly! I think it has a lot to do with the fact that people around us have quite uncommon names, but also because we shared the meaning behind Caspian’s name. We’ve gotten a lot of compliments! Lot’s of people have said it fits [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] and our family well.

So many people have adored his middle name! I was a little apprehensive about using it, because when I was a child I had a hard time saying my Rs, and I initially had to think about the name a lot when saying it aloud, but that worry is not a thought at all anymore. I think the positive reactions to [name_u]Rory[/name_u] have really helped.

Did your baby receive any special gifts?

He of course got the bracelet that I announced my pregnancy to my husband with. It’s sitting on his dresser until he gets old enough to wear it. [name_f]Every[/name_f] time we go in there we’re reminded of those early moments of pregnancy. When I was the only one who knew about him and was so excited to tell his dada, when there was that secret between the three of us, when we walked down the beach and wished for Caspian’s safe arrival, his endless happiness. Such a small item represents so much change and love.

[name_f]My[/name_f] husband found a pearl at the beach, and that will be kept forever, and will likely turn into a jewelry item that [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] can pick down the line. Our little guy already has a basket full of seashells we’ve picked up through the pregnancy and his life.

[name_m]Caspian[/name_m] was gifted lots of special books from my parents, and his dada’s parents got him a one-of-a-kind blanket. We’ve all been showered in so much love since [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] entered our lives, and we appreciate every little bit of it.

What are you and your baby’s favorite things?

He already adores the beach! He was born on [name_u]June[/name_u] 28th, so his first few months of life were during the summer. He loves the sand, and has since he was a newborn tucked away under umbrellas lying on a blanket. He rolled over at two months just to reach the sand!

All three of us love the [name_m]Moby[/name_m] wrap! It’s so convenient to throw on and go. We usually put it on at home, and then when we get to the destination we can just get out of the car, get him in the wrap, and head on our way. He has hated the carseat since birth, so the wrap has saved us lots of trouble.

As a newborn he fell asleep to the actual sounds of nature, the crashing of waves, etc, but when it became colder, we obviously didn’t have the luxury of walking outside before bedtime, or opening the windows at nap time. After about a week of struggling we found the Hatch Sound Machine. He loves it, and it soothes him immensely.

For us personally, the Cubo [name_f]Ai[/name_f] [name_u]Baby[/name_u] Monitor has been a life-saver. Both of us are worriers, and I cannot tell you how many times we woke up in the middle of the night at the hospital worried that something was wrong. This monitor has helped so much with that, and we feel really secure that we will know if anything happens. [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] sleeps in a bassinet in our room at night, but he spends nap time in his nursery, so having the monitor in there has worked well for us. I think as he grows out of the bassinet, we will worry a lot less about him being in a different room because of this product.