I am 3/4 through my pregnancy with our final child, a GIRL! We are very excited. I originally promised my husband he could choose her name, he chose [name_u]Sunny[/name_u]. I like this name, but it isn’t anywhere near my favorite. At first, it didn’t seem so bad but now when I tell people, I cringe a little inside. I feel embarrassed telling people, and I seem to rarely receive a positive reaction.
I’ve discovered in the past couple of weeks that I really like the name [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] and now I can’t decide whether to throw my husband’s choice out of the window and be a complete control freak or just grit through naming her [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] and hope that it fits her?
I don’t want a “long” version. No [name_f]Sunshine[/name_f], [name_f]Susannah[/name_f], [name_f]Sunday[/name_f] etc.
Has anyone else had a similar experience? Any opinions on what I should do? Thanks so much!
I would go to him with your concern. I’m sure he’ll understand your desire to love the name as well.
[name_u]Sunny[/name_u] would be a cute nick name for his little sunshine. He can still use it.
I wouldn’t completely override him, especially after you told him he could name her. But I would definitely go to him with your concerns. You both need to be comfortable with your child’s name, after all you’ll be using it for the rest of your life. And if it’s making you cringe…that’s not fair to you.
[name_u]Sunny[/name_u] could be her nickname from her dad.
My friends daughter is named [name_u]Sunny[/name_u]. I think it’s very cute (maybe because she is!).
I wonder how it will age though.
I know two adult Sunnies, and I think it can work as a name. I wouldn’t personally want it for myself, though, and I think if you are going through a pregnancy you should absolutely get a say in the name. I agree you should tell him you don’t love it. Maybe ask him for his top 5 and pick from those? Also agree that [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] is a cute nickname from a dad.
It’s a tough one. But if the name is making you cringe when you tell people about it then that’s a sure sign that something is wrong. I wouldn’t override him completely, but I think you should be honest and share your concerns with him. I love the suggestion of [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] being a family nickname, as that way it still gets used a lot without being ‘official’. Maybe ask him to pick a different name? Like that, he still gets a substantial role in choosing, but you are more comfortable with the real name.
I think [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] could be a nickname for almost any name. If you feel embarrassed, then you should definitely raise a red flag. You don’t want to have name regret. One thing that helped me toss out some early contenders: how will it look on a resume? [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] will no doubt stand out, but will she be able to be taken seriously? If your last name starts with a D, then you’re asking for trouble with [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] D (the horrible orange drink).
I have a friend with a daughter named [name_f]Summer[/name_f] and they always call her [name_u]Sunny[/name_u]. I know you said you didn’t want a longer name but [name_f]Summer[/name_f] wasn’t one of the few you listed so maybe it’s worth considering?
Aw, I hate the idea of your using a name you don’t want to!
Why did you promise your husband he could name this child in the first place? Figuring that out might help you find a work-around for this “deal” you made.
I would probably sit my husband down and be honest with him that you just don’t like the name [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] anymore and you two need to find another name that you both like. (And personally, I’d throw in some tears to help break him down!) I’d suggest you both take a week and come back together with a list of your top 5 to discuss. I would not lead with, “I want to use [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] instead” because that just sounds like you’re going back on your promise to let him name her and using a name you want instead. Perhaps he’ll suggest something else that you like (I have seen names before and never given them a second thought until my husband suggested them) or maybe he’ll like [name_f]Fiona[/name_f].
Good luck!
[name_f]Fiona[/name_f] definitely works better with [name_u]Bryce[/name_u] and [name_m]Theodore[/name_m]. [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] is more of a nn to me. What about [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] [name_f]Summer[/name_f] nn [name_u]Sunny[/name_u]?
I much prefer [name_u]Sunny[/name_u].
I very strongly think you should go with [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] [name_u]Sunny[/name_u]. For three reasons:
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It’s extremely relevant that you feel like cringing when you tell people her name. You should like your own daughter’s name, especially as her mother!
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Aesthetically, I think [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] is more beautiful. And aesthetically, [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] goes better with your sons’ names.
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[name_f]Fiona[/name_f], in my opinion, is a more sophisticated name. It will age better, and she will be taken more seriously. I know that sounds harsh, but I believe it to be realistically true.
[name_m]DON[/name_m]'T NAME HER SOMETHING YOU [name_m]DON[/name_m]'T LIKE. I cannot stress this advice enough. [name_f]Do[/name_f] not do it just to make him happy. He will get over it. You are growing her inside your body, it’s your ultimate final choice. You both should be happy, but honestly, I really believe he’s more likely to get over a name that wasn’t his first choice.
If [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] is her middle name, he (and others) can always call her [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] without issue. I’m saying all this with love, but I think naming her something you don’t love is something you will regret for a lifetime. It’s not worth it. [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] would be a lovely combo!
I named one of my children a name I was meh about but my husband wanted. I’ve always been sorry I didn’t at least discuss how I felt about it with him, and while I love my son, I still don’t particularly like his name. Have you named all the others? If not, then I would have a frank discussion and try to pick something you both love. I think [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] is wonderful, by the way.
Have an honest talk with him about the issue. I agree with some previous posters that you shouldn’t give your kid a name that makes you cringe. I doubt it will get better and, personally, I wouldn’t name my kids in a way that makes me unconfortable. I think the safest choice may be compromise. I wouldn’t leave him without options because you promised to let him pick a name. Perhaps he has other options that you will love more? Or maybe you can name her [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] or [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] [name_f]Summer[/name_f]. You can also look at other options like [name_m]Sol[/name_m] (means sun) or [name_f]Marisol[/name_f]. But first, I think it’s better you talk to him.
I have a friend whose legal name is [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] [name_u]Lane[/name_u], but everyone has called her [name_u]Lane[/name_u] since she was quite young. She jokes that her parents were true hippies and that’s where [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] [name_u]Lane[/name_u] came from.
[name_u]Sunny[/name_u] is a sweet-sounding, cheerful and earthy/bohemian nickname, but I’m not sure how gracefully it would “age” if used as a given name. I would definitely talk to your husband about your worries. You both need to feel good about her name. This is the name she will carry for the rest of her life, so it’s obviously a big deal!
Also… [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] is beautiful! [name_m]Just[/name_m] as another user suggested: perhaps [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] or [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] [name_u]Sunny[/name_u]?
Whatever you do choose, make sure you feel good about it.
If your boys have more serious names like [name_u]Bryce[/name_u] and [name_m]Theodore[/name_m], give your daughter a similar name. I know a family whose sons are all named after Biblical patriarchs, and the daughters all have names that end with the “ee” sound, like nicknames. It draws a distinct difference in expectation from boys to girls. (The girls grew up to be intelligent, kind, and accomplished, just to be clear.)
I think you should sit down with your husband and discuss names again. I like the suggestion someone else made that you each could come up with a short list, maybe 3 to 5 names. I would make an effort to find a middle name or a long form name that honors [name_u]Sunny[/name_u], to show that you respect his opinions. I like [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] [name_u]Sunny[/name_u], or [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] [name_f]Summer[/name_f], or [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] [name_f]Sunshine[/name_f]. Those names sound bright and happy to me, feminine without being frilly, and match her brothers’ classic names.
Wow!!! Thank you all SO MUCH for the advice! I can’t believe the response I got from this post. I talked to my husband about it last night. At first, he was really disappointed. But I brought up maybe [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] [name_f]Summer[/name_f] and he is thinking about it. Now that I think about it, my dad had a cutesy nickname for me as well, that no one else ever called me! So, maybe he can just call her [name_u]Sunny[/name_u].
I really appreciate all of your responses and maybe in [name_u]August[/name_u], you will see the baby announcement with the final decision! Thanks again
[name_f]Chandra[/name_f]
[name_f]IMO[/name_f] you can’t name your own child something you don’t like. Pick a name you both like and he can use [name_u]Sunny[/name_u] as a nickname.
[name_u]Sunny[/name_u] is good on it’s own. If you want a fuller version, I like the names:
[name_u]Madison[/name_u]
[name_u]Addison[/name_u]
[name_u]Allison[/name_u]