How I Named My Baby!

Baby Name Games
22

How I named my [name_u]Baby[/name_u] [name_f]Olive[/name_f] [name_f]Melissa[/name_f] [name_u]Rose[/name_u]
Hypothetical

Tell me Olive’s name [name_u]Story[/name_u]

I have loved the name [name_f]Olive[/name_f] for the longest time, I just think it’s the sweetest name. It’s also my great-grandmothers name, so it felt right that while I really loved it, it also had the plus of being an honour name. I was worried what my boyfriend would think about it. He likes really popular names and names that everyone is using (eg, [name_f]Emma[/name_f], [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] etc) with [name_f]Olive[/name_f] being out of the UK Top 100 I was so utterly terrified if he would like it. I had the perfect name, ticked every box but my boyfriend will most likely hate it. But he LOVED it, he said it was so perfect! He liked it as it sounded like [name_f]Olive[/name_f] and he really loved the name [name_f]Olivia[/name_f]. So I had done it, I had found the perfect name and my boyfriend liked it. She had the perfect name!

How did you pick Olive’s middle names?

Her middle names are [name_f]Melissa[/name_f] and [name_u]Rose[/name_u]. We wanted to give her two middle names so we could each pick one! [name_f]Melissa[/name_f] is the one I picked, it sounded so pretty and feminine. But was such a summery choice, it’s also an honour name of someone I really love and admire. [name_u]Rose[/name_u] is just my boyfriend’s favourite middle name. He lives things simple, and [name_u]Rose[/name_u] was him top pick. Followed by [name_f]Mae[/name_f].

What other names did you consider?

I liked [name_f]Flora[/name_f] and [name_f]Willa[/name_f] a lot, but he didn’t really like them very much. He said they were too unique. He liked [name_f]Emma[/name_f] and [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] but I found those too common. So although we both had other ideas for names, we knew she was definitely an [name_f]Olive[/name_f]!

For boys he liked [name_m]Oliver[/name_m], which is super popular but one of the only names we could agree on! I liked [name_m]Ruben[/name_m] and [name_m]Felix[/name_m] too but he didn’t. He also liked [name_u]Noah[/name_u] and [name_u]George[/name_u] but I said absolutely not! I don’t like their popularity or their sound so a definite no!

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

Nope! We both come from really angry opinionated families and we knew they would hate every name! His family was set on her being called [name_f]Jane[/name_f]? I don’t know why! [name_u]Bay[/name_u] family didn’t think we would choose [name_f]Olive[/name_f], but they are super happy with it!

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]Melia[/name_f]! I love it! It’s so lovely, and it just gives me happy vibes! :smiling_face: I often go by [name_f]Mimi[/name_f] and I love that fact I have a nickname to go by! So I needed her to have nicknames!

What are the trendy names in your social circle?

[name_u]Noah[/name_u] and [name_u]Liam[/name_u] definitely for boys! For girls, [name_f]Lily[/name_f] and [name_f]Maeve[/name_f]! However my friend just named her daughter [name_f]Ellia[/name_f], I think that’s pretty cool!

How have people reacted to your baby’s name?

They love her name! Familiar sweet and so lovable! Everyone thinks that it suits her well! [name_f]My[/name_f] mum doesn’t love it, but all I had to do was remind her it was my baby. She said that she knew that but she wished I took some of her advice when naming her!

1 Like
23

how i named my baby: kfir saleen

tell me your child’s name story!

i’ve always loved short and spunky hebrew names, and luckily my husband was easily won over by my favorites! we’d discussed names before i found out i was pregnant, but once we knew we were actually having a baby none of our previous favorites felt right. we’d found out the gender relatively early on, so it helped to only have to search for a perfect boy name during all of the chaos of being a first-time mom. i went back to the drawing board and spent so much time combing though lists of names that felt like they’d meet our criteria. i was looking over some old lists when i came across kfir, and i immediately felt a ‘spark’ that i hadn’t with any other names. i texted my husband, who was at work, right away that this was the name, and he wholeheartedly agreed.

how did you pick your baby’s middle name?

my husband is a car enthusiast, and we wanted a middle name that would honor my husband and tie into an important part of our lives. growing up, my husband’s dream car was a saleen ssc and he suggested it early on when we were trying for a baby. at first we considered saving it for a daughter, since the pronunciation is similar to the feminine name ‘celine,’ but no other name felt as perfect while i was pregnant, and we decided to use the name we loved.

what other names did you consider?

before i got pregnant, we were relatively set on arioz for a boy, and we may still use it in the future, especially since we like that it’s meaning would tie in with kfir’s. in the middle, we considered some honors for our families, but nothing felt right this time around. we didn’t spend much time looking at girl names since we knew that we were having a boy, but we liked dorit or drorit.

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

nope! we knew that our name style might not be super popular, and we wanted to choose a name that we loved without the influence of well-meaning but not always helpful input from others.

how have people reacted to your baby’s name?

we’ve thankfully had pretty positive reactions overall! there were definitely a few of our friends/family that were surprised by our choice, but most of our family finds it to be a really cool name. we found that by just introducing that his name was already decided we avoided a lot of negative comments and unwanted suggestions. my husband’s car group is super excited by our middle name choice, unsurprisingly!

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

the perfect name is out there, don’t get discouraged! there were so many times we wanted to go with the options that we liked ‘enough,’ but it was so worth it in the end to wait until we found a names that felt 100% right for us and our family. choosing a name you and your significant other love is the most important thing of all – trust the process!

did your baby receive any special gifts?

my parents gifted him a silver chain with a cross pendant engraved with ‘proverbs 3:3.’ we love this verse – “do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart” – as a reminder of these important values for him as he grows up. my husband’s family also made an investment in his name in his namesake company, which we deeply appreciate.

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

we love going to the park and the library with him right now! as he gets older, i’m so excited to visit all of our great museums and the arboretum with him. sports are big for kids here as well, and we’ll likely put him in football or baseball once he’s old enough to play.

1 Like
24

How I Named My Baby: Timothy Lewis

Tell me Timothy’s name story!
The name Timothy has been on my list since I was a teenager! It would go in and out of favor with me, but I always found my way back to it! My Christian faith is the most important thing to me, so I really wanted to find another Biblical name. Timothy from the Bible didn’t write the books that are named after him, but rather they are written to him. These letters open with “To Timothy, my true child in the faith” and “To Timothy, my beloved child.” I hope that my son will one day find comfort in these letters, and that in sharing the name Timothy he can connect with them. Timothy is also my brother’s middle name, so I liked that it honored him! I would be so blessed if my son grow up to be even a bit like his uncle!

How did you pick Timothy’s middle name?
Lewis is mostly after C. S. Lewis, whose Chronicles of Narnia are very dear to me. I have such fond memories of sitting on my brother’s lap as he read them to me.

What other names did you consider?
Well, I was really rooting for Peter, but my husband can’t get over the nickname “Pete.” He’s probably right. I also dislike Pete, but I think it’s more avoidable than my husband believes it is. It certainly wasn’t worth arguing over, so we settled on Timothy instead! Susanna is still my top pick if we have another girl in the future.

Did you discuss names with anyone else when you were pregnant?
My mom is very familiar with my short lists at this point, but we didn’t talk to anyone else about names (except maybe in a very broad, hypothetical sense. My husband likes to joke with people about what ridiculous names we’ve been considering. I can’t imagine the sigh of relief he gets from his folks when he announces the actual name to them.)

How do you feel about your own name, and how do you think it influenced your choice?
I really do like my name. Two things I did hope to avoid with my own kids are 1) choosing a name tied to one generation, and 2) choosing a name with many different spellings.

What are trendy names in your social circle?
I’ve met multiple children named Ava, Emma, Juliet, Robert, Judah, and Gideon. It seems like a mix of modern classics and Biblical names.

How have people reacted to Timothy’s name?
I feel like we’ve gotten pretty mellow reactions. It’s a very common name, though I think some are surprised to hear it on a baby. Some people will compliment us on how nicely it goes with Elisabeth, which we agree with! I’ve already heard people starting to call him Timmy, but we don’t mind that at all!

1 Like
25

How I Named [name_f]My[/name_f] [name_f]Baby[/name_f]: [name_m]Sonny[/name_m] [name_m]Spencer[/name_m]
completely hypothetical!

Tell me Sonny’s name story!

I have loved the name [name_m]Sonny[/name_m] since I met the sweetest waiter at my local cafe named [name_m]Sonny[/name_m]. I also think my love of it was heavily influenced from when I watched the movie [name_f]Air[/name_f] funnily enough! I remember the character in it was named [name_m]Sonny[/name_m] and I haven’t stopped loving it since! Since I was a teenager I knew that if I had a little boy his name would be [name_m]Sonny[/name_m]. I was worried that my fiancé wouldn’t like it as his favourite names are more well known (like [name_m]Jack[/name_m], [name_m]Tom[/name_m], [name_m]Sam[/name_m] and Henry) but he loved it! He loves the beach and surfing is his whole life so he loved how beachy and cool [name_m]Sonny[/name_m] was! I am so happy that we used the perfect name for our little boy!

How did you pick your baby’s middle name?

[name_m]Spencer[/name_m] is after my dad, so it was really important to me to give him it as a middle! I also love the alliteration of [name_m]Sonny[/name_m] [name_m]Spencer[/name_m]. Some other middles we were thinking of were [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] (honour), [name_m]James[/name_m] (honour), [name_m]Jones[/name_m] and [name_m]Raphael[/name_m]. [name_f]My[/name_f] husband’s dad is named [name_m]Eli[/name_m] but we didn’t love the flow of [name_m]Sonny[/name_m] [name_m]Eli[/name_m] and his middle didn’t work with our last name so we ultimately chose [name_m]Sonny[/name_m] [name_m]Spencer[/name_m]! I love how it is sweet and nickname-y and fairly unique while still being familiar. We are so happy with it!

What other names did you consider?

We were pretty set on [name_m]Sonny[/name_m] from early on but we considered a lot of other names, all of which I still love and would love to use for other kids in the future! Some of them included [name_m]Milo[/name_m], [name_m]Fox[/name_m], [name_m]Knox[/name_m], [name_m]Otto[/name_m], [name_m]Reef[/name_m], [name_m]Luke[/name_m], [name_f]Navy[/name_f], [name_m]Louis[/name_m], [name_m]Harvey[/name_m], [name_m]Rex[/name_m], [name_m]Noah[/name_m], [name_m]Hudson[/name_m], [name_m]Finn[/name_m] and [name_m]Thomas[/name_m]. I’m not going to share our top choice though incase we have another boy as it will definitely be his name!

For girls, I loved [name_f]Noa[/name_f], [name_f]Clementine[/name_f], [name_f]Odette[/name_f] (although it sounds bad with our surname), [name_f]Ottilie[/name_f], [name_f]Tilda[/name_f], [name_f]Imogen[/name_f], [name_f]Indy[/name_f], [name_m]Pip[/name_m] and [name_f]Paloma[/name_f]. He liked [name_f]Sophia[/name_f], [name_f]Belle[/name_f], [name_f]Grace[/name_f], [name_m]Charlie[/name_m], [name_f]Cora[/name_f] and [name_f]Violetta[/name_f]. We did pick out a final girls name though which I am really hoping we can use in the future!

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

Nope, no one! I didn’t want any negative thoughts to be put into my head and I knew that our names wouldn’t be a lot of people including our families cup of tea. They have been very supportive for the most part and liked it though!

What are the trendy names in your social circle?

It feels like there are so many Noah’s! Part of the reason we didn’t pick that name for a boy. I love [name_f]Noa[/name_f] for a girl but was worried it would get a bit lost amongst the Noah’s! [name_f]My[/name_f] cousin, best friend, mutual friend and other friend also all have daughters named [name_f]Ava[/name_f]. Also lots of Ella’s, Willow’s and Mia’s and even a fair few Charli/Charlie/Charley’s, Cleo’s and Poppy’s!

How have people reacted to Sonny’s name?

For the most part, everyone has been really positive. They may not have been behind our backs, but to our faces the reactions have been great! The only person that was a bit hesitant was my partner’s mum as she was worried it wasn’t a name for a grown man! We just had to remind her that he will grow with it and it has definitely grown on her.

Did [name_m]Sonny[/name_m] receive any special gifts?

A lot of gifts but he got the cutest little teddy which we have started calling [name_m]Wilbur[/name_m]. I have a feeling he is going to be around for a very long time.

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

Mainly the beach! Otherwise there are lots of parks, mother’s groups and library. A lot of sport in our area so when [name_m]Sonny[/name_m] turn’s two he is going to start at [name_m]Little[/name_m] Kicker’s soccer for all the toddlers!

1 Like
26

How I Named [name_f]My[/name_f] [name_f]Baby[/name_f]: [name_m]Ezra[/name_m] [name_f]Blythe[/name_f]

Tell me Ezra’s name story!

[name_f]My[/name_f] husband has loved the name [name_m]Ezra[/name_m] for a long time, and he’s always talked about using it for a son of ours. I was a little apprehensive due to the name’s popularity, but he pleaded for so long that I ended up really adoring [name_m]Ezra[/name_m]. The name has a few connections to things that are special to both my husband and me, but at the end of the day, we just really liked the sound of him.

How did you pick Ezra’s middle name?

As [name_m]Ezra[/name_m] was my husband’s favorite name, and we ended up using it as his first, he was very accepting of a lot of my names and essentially gave me free reign to pick whatever I wanted! Our older son’s name is [name_m]Antony[/name_m] [name_m]Basil[/name_m], and we really liked the idea of continuing the word middle theme, so I quickly started on the search for that! [name_f]Blythe[/name_f] has been on my list for years and years, both as a girl and boy name, and at the end of the day, he ended up being the only middle name we both fell in love with. The meaning is beautiful, and we like that it’s a subtle virtue!

What other names did you consider?

We talked a lot about names this pregnancy, but I honestly feel like we didn’t actually debate many different options! I think we subconsciously decided on [name_m]Ezra[/name_m] when we found out the sex, but we didn’t formally do so until the 25-week mark. We really like the name [name_m]Harry[/name_m], but we just couldn’t get past the hairy sound. I was honestly so sad about that, because I really think [name_m]Antony[/name_m] and [name_m]Harry[/name_m] are gorgeous together!

If [name_m]Ezra[/name_m] was a girl, we likely would have either used the name [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] [name_f]May[/name_f] or [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] [name_f]Violet[/name_f]. We knew quite early on that he was a boy, though!

Was it important to you to choose a name that matched Ezra’s brother and/or future siblings names?

Honestly, it really was. As much as we wanted to go into the process and just pick whatever name we loved the most, a huge portion of our love for certain names (Harry, [name_m]William[/name_m], and [name_m]Simon[/name_m], especially) was the way they sounded paired with Antony’s name. Part of me thinks it made the process harder, but I also feel like it allowed us to cut the names we actually considered down, which was helpful! [name_m]Antony[/name_m] [name_m]Basil[/name_m] is a classic name, and it feels quite [name_f]British[/name_f], especially considering he’s [name_m]Antony[/name_m] and not [name_m]Anthony[/name_m], and we wanted Ezra’s name to match that without backing ourselves into a corner. With this being said, I don’t feel like Ezra’s name matches perfectly with Antony’s, but I’m learning to let that go as time goes on. [name_m]Ezra[/name_m] is now one, and he fits his name perfectly, which has certainly helped.

As for future siblings, we knew from the moment we named [name_m]Antony[/name_m] that we’d likely follow the same pattern of classic and timeless names with any other children we had. Picking Ezra’s name, I had a bit of a fear that we would end up locking ourselves into using first names that start with vowels and middle names that start with B, but I’ve become looser and more flexible with my naming, and I am choosing not to worry about it!

I will say, though, that [name_m]Antony[/name_m] and [name_m]Ezra[/name_m] have begun talking about a little brother (unbeknownst to my husband and me, apparently I am having another baby soon), and they’ve already named him! Since [name_m]Ezra[/name_m] was born, [name_m]Antony[/name_m] has exclusively called him Ezzie, and [name_m]Ezra[/name_m] calls [name_m]Antony[/name_m] [name_m]Nino[/name_m], so following that pattern, their imaginary brother is [name_f]Emmy[/name_f] (or occasionally, Sonny). Funnily enough, my husband and I do love the name [name_m]Emmett[/name_m] and have talked about using both [name_m]Sonny[/name_m] and [name_m]Emmett[/name_m] if we ever have another boy!

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

We did not! Honestly, we kept the pregnancy a secret for a while and didn’t tell people until I was 20 weeks along, and by that point, we were pretty much decided on [name_m]Ezra[/name_m] [name_f]Blythe[/name_f] as his name. I don’t regret it for a moment. We didn’t share name ideas when I was pregnant with [name_m]Antony[/name_m], and we don’t plan to if we ever have another baby!

What are the trendy names in your social circle?

We’ve met a lot of parents who have young children, and the most popular names seem to be [name_m]Jack[/name_m] and [name_f]Cora[/name_f]! We’ve also met a surprising amount of babies named [name_m]Crew[/name_m], and I honestly love it!

What are the cool things for families to do in your area?

Although the town we live in is relatively small, the town over is a big city, so we often find ourselves there! The boys love walking around the city and just popping into the different stores there, but I think that’s more of their fascination with meeting new people than it actually being entertaining! We all love going to the science museum nearby, and we recently got yearly passes so we can go whenever. Other than that, [name_m]Antony[/name_m] loves the indoor playground and activity station nearby, and they have a really great soft play group that my husband and I take [name_m]Ezra[/name_m] to weekly!

1 Like
27

how i named my baby sunday lyla :sunflower:
hypothetical

tell me your child’s name story!

i’ve always loved the name sunday. i think it is just such a joyous name and the brightness is something i’ve always hope will pass into my little girl!
i’ve looked through various name meanings for sunday each of them has something to do with the sun. i felt that was such a sweet thing to pass through miss sunday, as she is very much my sun; my little girl and she is the sun which i spin around. when she was born i realised it just suited her so perfectly she totally was my little sunday!
i originally heard the name when the labrant family named their daughter sunday in 2022. i heard it and i didn’t really like it much, i remember thinking “that’s a day of the week. it’ll never work on an adult.” however two years later i became obsessed with new amsterdam and started looking into the actresses. janet montgomery the beautiful actress whom plays dr lauren bloom i found out has a daughter named sunday. even after seeing this i didn’t fall in love with the name until i saw a picture of her sweet daughter. this little girl had the most beautiful red hair and biggest sweetest smile. i just couldn’t help myself i completely fell head over heals for her name. so much so i realised that it could totally be the perfect name for my little girl. i’m still completely in love with it and so glad i picked it!

how did you pick your baby’s middle name?

sweet, sweet lyla! i’ve loved the name lyla for years, the first time i saw it was when i was looking for middle names for the name lila (lee-lah). someone asked why they were saying it LEE-luh and not LIE-luh. i saw that i completely fell in love with it. i then did a bit of research to find the spelling lyla and only then did i realise how much i really love the name lyla. it has a sweet meaning and is just genuinely such a beautiful name! when sunday was born i had two middle names down for sunday; i had down sunday lyla and sunday claire. then i looked at her and realised she much be my sunday lyla!

what other names did you consider?

for her first name, the other name i had was mabel! i just love the name mabel, i think it’s so cute and ages well. it’s such a little munchkin name and i brought it with me to the delivery room but i knew she was going to be a sunday!
i had a few mabel middle names, mabel delilah and mabel melissa were the main ones i had down. i love the name delilah though i prefer just lyla more, and melissa is after someone very special who i love.
the other name i had was aspen. i do just really love the name aspen, i think it’s the most gorgeous nature name and just gives me a bright and wild child feel. the middle names i had for aspen were aspen may and aspen sky, both of these i really love and will be names i push forward to other people when they have kids.

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

my name is emilia, though i’m so often called different nicknames. i’m mimi, mia, emmie and melia as well. i wanted something for sunday which could give her easy nicknames (sunny and daisy) but not that she felt the need to use them. i always went by various nicknames because nobody could spell my name. so it was important that sunday had the most common spelling of her name.

what would your younger self have liked to have named your baby?

probably either olive, luna or belle. i love the name olive for the longest time, i still do it’s just not my top name yet. it’s my great grandmothers name and she was a lovely lovely woman causing me to fall in love with her name! luna i loved after the moon, such a beautiful name which i genuinely don’t know how you could dislike. for me though it was very much my safer name that i liked, not unique or spunky qualities all my name choices possess now!

was it important to you to choose a name that would match your child’s future (or older) siblings’ names?

i didn’t even think about it! i’m a young single mum and the chances of me having another baby is pretty slim. so while naming sunday i was thinking about her and her only. however, when i was having to get rid of names off my list i was kind of telling myself “if we have another daughter we can consider it again” so i’d never say never!

what would your baby be named if they were the opposite sex?

either arlo shepard or reuben cove.
i loved the name arlo, i think its such a sweet name that could work on an adult, its getting more popular now but its been a name i’ve loved for a while! shepard is derik shepard on greys anatomy, i always loved him and meredith and was routing for them right from the beginning. i thought arlo shepard it such a sweet combo and it was my first choice if sunday was a boy.
reuben cove was my backup boys name. i loved the name reuben, i love the easy nickname ‘roo’ and thought it was such a perfect choice and although i preferred arlo i could definitely imagine my son named reuben. cove is just a name i really loved and made reuben feel less proper to me!

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

nope! i don’t like other people’s opinions but i’m also super petty. if someone said they didn’t like a name i would have used it just to get back at them, i wanted my babies name to be a name i loved not a name i chose out of pettiness.

what are the trendy names in your social circle?

i don’t have a lot of friends but i have met two or three different oliver’s. i think it’s a sweet boys name and i understand how it’s so popular! for girls i’ve met two little ladies named skye which i another name i really love and i think is completely gorgeous. another name i heard the other day was bellamy which is thought was gorgeous and suited the little girl perfectly!

IMG_9048
IMG_90481169×1175 234 KB
2 Likes
28

How I Named [name_f]My[/name_f] [name_f]Baby[/name_f]: [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] [name_f]Mildred[/name_f]

Tell me Birdie’s name story!
[name_f]My[/name_f] husband and I have always talked about our children’s names, both in part because it took us a while to conceive, but also because we just both adore the topic! We decided that our daughter’s name would be [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] before we even found out that I was pregnant and never looked back!

The name [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] means so much to us. It has connections to multiple women in our lives who loved bird watching, memories of watching the hummingbirds from my childhood. A tie to my maternal grandpa, who always went by [name_m]Bernie[/name_m], a tie to my paternal grandpa [name_m]Robert[/name_m]. The first item we ever bought for our children was a small little robin toy and blanket set, and my husband purchased that before we decided on the name [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] for our daughter - back when we first started trying to concieve - and that made her name all the more special.

How did you pick Birdie’s middle name?
To be completely honest, it took us a while to settle on [name_f]Mildred[/name_f]. We were debating between a few different options and in the end [name_f]Mildred[/name_f] won out and we firmly decided at the seventeen week mark. There was a small moment in the hospital room where we debated on changing our minds between contractions, but to be fair, I was in labor for 42 hours and I don’t think I was thinking very clearly!

Birdie’s middle doesn’t have any particular connection to any family member or friend, but we do love the stuffiness of [name_f]Mildred[/name_f] and how she makes [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] seem impossibly more charming! The meaning of “gentle strength” really solidified her as Birdie’s middle name to me especially. The idea of being gentle and carrying such strength and inner peace is something I really associate with a dear book series, a character who I love that has really become a part of me! It also starts with an M, like my sister’s name, my maternal grandma’s name, and my name, which makes it a little more special!

What other names did you consider?
As I said before, we settled on [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] before I was pregnant, but prior to deciding on that, we really loved [name_f]Sybil[/name_f]! As for her middle name, if she wasn’t [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] [name_f]Mildred[/name_f], she would have likely been [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] [name_f]Margot[/name_f], [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] [name_f]Frances[/name_f], or as a braver choice, [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] [name_f]Zipporah[/name_f]! If [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] had been a boy we would have likely gone with [name_m]Otto[/name_m], a name that we still really love!

What are the trendy names in your social circle?
[name_f]Birdie[/name_f] is only one of three babies in our friend group, all of them under a year old, with [name_f]Bird[/name_f] being the youngest! The other two are [name_f]Delilah[/name_f] [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] and [name_m]Amos[/name_m] [name_m]Charlie[/name_m]. [name_f]My[/name_f] sister has a son that’s two years older than [name_f]Birdie[/name_f], who’s named [name_m]Amir[/name_m] [name_m]James[/name_m]. [name_f]My[/name_f] brother-in-law and his wife have two sons, [name_m]August[/name_m] and [name_m]Elliot[/name_m]. Apart from people we’re close with, we’ve met a lot of Maeve’s, a lot of Lola’s, a surprising amount of Rosie’s, several Hazel’s, and a few Jack’s, Liam’s, and Oliver’s! On the front of unique names that we know a lot of, we know two Augustine’s under the age of four and three Wilhelmina’s!

How have people reacted to Birdie’s name?
We’ve got a lot of positive reactions! We didn’t talk about names with anyone, and Birdie’s name was kept a secret until her birth, although our close circle knew her name had something to do with bird’s, but they’ve all enjoyed her name.

We get so many comments and compliments about her name at the soft play group we go to and the women at the breastfeeding support group (which I was a little apprehensive about going to, but have really love) have been so sweet and seem to really like her name! We get a lot of smiles when we meet strangers and they ask what her name is. It seems quite popular among the elderly, many of them saying they new many Birdie’s or Mildred’s, which we love!

We also met a lovely elderly woman named [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] - she was so incredibly sweet and offered to make our girl a knitted blanket. We talked for nearly an hour, and after some assurance from her that the blanket wouldn’t be a burden to make, she did end up making a custom blanket for our [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] girl! Once a stranger, she’s grown a dear friend!

Did your baby receive any special gifts?
As said above, the custom knitted blanket for [name_f]Birdie[/name_f]! It’s pink and has her name embroidered on it cream…it is absolutely stunning and we could not be more grateful!

The tiny robin toy and blanket my husband bought before we were even pregnant with [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] are in her nursery, with the blanket being the one she was swaddled in first. The same pattern is the pattern on her crib sheets, although she’s in a bassinet for now!

We were given the dress I got baptized in from my parents, and although [name_f]Bird[/name_f] isn’t going to be baptized, we do have a small photoshoot planned for [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] and the dress, just as a little commemoration.

[name_f]My[/name_f] husband’s family has a tradition of gifting the newborn family members some sort of precious metal, whether it be in a piece of jewelry or to be melted down later, and they followed that with [name_f]Birdie[/name_f]! His parents gifted her this beautiful platinum bracelet and his grandparents gifted her a piece of gold that she will be able to melt down into a ring or another jewelry item once she turns eighteen!

What are you and your baby’s favorite things?
To be honest, we’ve kept things really simple! I really loved the [name_f]Lila[/name_f] Labor & Postpartum Gown while I was in labor, which let’s be real, was for a long time (42 hours…it was so terrible)! It was also a godsend after I gave birth, as I found it really difficult to maneuver putting on clothes given how exhausted my body was (although my husband helped), and it was really easy to feed [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] in! I have the gown and robe in the vintage floral, but I also ended up buying the caramel, deep teal, and black colors for the nighttime and my recovery/any future births. A little overkill, but still worth it!

As for [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] herself, we really love the boba wrap - she falls asleep in it in minutes when we’re out in public. The [name_f]Elvie[/name_f] pump has been a lifesaver, as have the nanobébé breastmilk baby bottles. I really wanted to exclusively breastfeed - trying to keep away from bottles for the first three months, just for my own preference - but I ended up having a few difficulties with anxiety that led to me being unable to sleep at night, and without the restful sleep, I had some complications with feeding her and not being overwhelmed, so the bottles and pump were so helpful! They allowed my husband to take it over for most of the night (usually the feedings from midnight to eight!) while not affecting her feeding!

And as a bit of a not-needed extra product that we love, there is no clothing item we got for [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] that we love as much as the hand-embroidered name sweater we bought for her when I was about twenty-two weeks along! I’ve put her in it more than any other clothing item, and have bought it in nearly every color they had…Birdie is stocked up on “Birdie” knit sweaters for the next six years, and I am not one single bit mad about it!

IMG_7450
IMG_74501080×1920 186 KB

Our [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] baby. We love you, [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] [name_f]Mildred[/name_f]!
2 Likes
29

How I Named [name_f]My[/name_f] [name_f]Baby[/name_f]: Guzel [name_f]Hannah[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f]Hypothetical
[name_f][/name_f]Tell me Guzel’s name story!

[name_f][/name_f]

Guzel is a Turkish word that means “beautiful.” It was the first word that came to my mind when I saw my husband, [name_m]Izzat[/name_m], for the first time. His long eyelashes, slightly wavy hair, and dimples reminded me of the Turkish actor Boran Kuzum. Funny thing is, he’s not Turkish—he’s Indonesian, with Javanese, Arab, and NTT roots.

[name_f][/name_f]

[name_m]Izzat[/name_m] works in [name_f]Jakarta[/name_f] at Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency, focusing on language, literature, and communities. I teach Russian as an extracurricular subject at my old high school in Jombang, [name_m]East[/name_m] [name_f]Java[/name_f]. Our home is tucked away in a forested area in Kesamben, Jombang. So during the first seven weeks of my pregnancy, we were living about 700 kilometers apart.

[name_f][/name_f]

Secretly, I started collecting baby names again—something I’ve always loved. Since my third semester of university, I’ve made a yearly list of my top 5 boy and girl names. Going back through those old lists felt like rediscovering old loves. One of them was Guzel.

[name_f][/name_f]

By week 19, we were too excited to wait—we went in for an ultrasound and found out we were having a girl! After we told our families, we got lots of name suggestions, and honestly, they were all lovely. But when I finally held our baby girl in my arms and saw her round eyes, her dimples, her long lashes—I knew: she just looks like [name_m]Izzat[/name_m]!

[name_f][/name_f]

We chose the name Guzel because this little lady is beautiful—and carries such a charisma.

[name_f][/name_f]

How did you pick Guzel’s middle name?

[name_f][/name_f]

[name_f]My[/name_f] mom once told me that she had actually wanted to name me [name_f]Hana[/name_f], but changed her mind because it was quite popular among her friends at the time. I heard that story when I was in college, and ever since then, I started to really like the sound of the name. But I personally prefer the spelling Hannah—it feels more classic and timeless to me, and it’s also familiar internationally. So I brought up the idea to Izzat—and he didn’t object at all.

[name_f][/name_f]

What other names did you consider?

[name_f][/name_f]

To be honest, I’ve never been someone who loves a lot of girl names. I tend to look for names that are historical, belong to real-life figures, and come from cultures like Arabic, Turkish, Central [name_f]Asian[/name_f], Persian, or Muslim communities in [name_f]Russia[/name_f] (such as Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Dagestan, or Chechnya). And that’s not an easy search.

[name_f][/name_f]

At first, I thought about naming her Daneliya—but the most likely nickname would be [name_f]Neli[/name_f], and one of my teachers, who follows me on Instagram, has a daughter named Nely. So that felt a bit too close. Another name I considered was [name_f]Madiha[/name_f], but I wasn’t sure about the possible nicknames that would come with it.

[name_f][/name_f]

As for [name_m]Izzat[/name_m], he’s the kind of person who loves making others happy and creating good impressions or surprises. He once said, “Your mom loves Turkish dramas—why don’t we pick a Turkish name?” His pick was Aygul. But even though it’s beautiful, I didn’t quite feel the connection. So I kept looking… until I stumbled back upon an old love: Guzel.

[name_f][/name_f]

What would your younger self have liked to have named your baby?

[name_f][/name_f]

[name_f]My[/name_f] taste in names has definitely changed over time. If we’re talking about my very young self—like kindergarten or elementary school—I probably would’ve gone with something like [name_f]Azalea[/name_f] or [name_f]Mikhayla[/name_f].

[name_f][/name_f]

But if you had asked me in high school or early college, I think I would’ve chosen [name_f]Ulima[/name_f] or Muflichah nn [name_f]Leia[/name_f]. Those names are simple, but they also have subtle ties to my ancestors’ names—something I used to explore a lot during my teenage years.

[name_f][/name_f]

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

[name_f][/name_f]

[name_f]My[/name_f] name is Hilwa. It’s a name I only truly began to appreciate as I got older. When I was little, I didn’t really like it—partly because it’s quite rare, and I always had to repeat it to make sure people pronounced it correctly.

[name_f][/name_f]

Guzel, in a way, is even more unique than my own name—at least where we live. But I want my daughter to go through a similar journey: feeling a little out of place at first, maybe even laughed at, but eventually discovering the beauty in her name. One interesting thing: Hilwa and Guzel actually mean nearly the same thing—both refer to beauty, especially in the eyes and smile.

[name_f][/name_f]

Was it important to you to choose a name that would match your child’s future (or older) siblings’ names?

[name_f][/name_f]

It depends on what kind of “matching” you mean.
[name_f][/name_f]If it’s about starting with the same letter—definitely not. But if we’re talking about the associations a name carries—its cultural feel, the kind of image or atmosphere it gives off—then yes, I’d try to keep some harmony.

[name_f][/name_f]

What are the trendy names in your social circle?

[name_f][/name_f]

The trendy names in my social circle right now are [name_m]Hanif[/name_m] and Alfatih for boys, and [name_f]Medina[/name_f] and [name_f]Zara[/name_f] for girls. These are the kinds of names that feel both meaningful and stylish—religious but also very wearable.

[name_f][/name_f]

But recently, I’ve also seen a shift. Some people around me have started exploring less traditional choices. For example, a close friend from college named her daughter [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f]. I thought that was such a bold and beautiful pick—it really stood out in the best way.

[name_f][/name_f]

I’ve also heard names like Naura, Khayla, [name_m]Rafa[/name_m], Zevan, and even [name_m]Elio[/name_m] being used lately. It’s interesting to see how global name trends are slowly blending into more local naming cultures, especially through social media and pop culture influence.

[name_f][/name_f]

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

[name_f][/name_f]

Try not to stress too much. It’s great to stick with the names you love, but being open to input and suggestions can also help. These days, baby name inspiration can come from anywhere—at any time.

[name_f][/name_f]

[name_m]Trust[/name_m] yourself. It’s okay to use a baby naming service if that feels right to you, but in the end, the decision belongs to you and your partner. In my experience, using a naming service didn’t really satisfy me. What worked better was sitting down with my husband and exploring names together, just the two of us.

[name_f][/name_f]

It’s also okay to ask for opinions—from forums like Nameberry or from someone you truly trust. But if you feel like sharing the name too early might invite unwanted comments or doubts, it’s totally fine to keep it private until you’re ready. Honestly, I’d say it’s better not to share it too soon.

1 Like
30

I also found that having two totally different style buckets (mine vs my partner’s) helped when we started making a list. We noticed one of us leaned toward familiar: names we recognised from childhood, slightly popular but timeless. The other of us really liked something a bit more unusual or with a twist. So what we did (and what I’d recommend) is: pick the first name together when you both feel the same little buzz, then middle names can be where each person adds their vibe.