We are having such a hard time naming this baby! With our boys, we had mild difficulty settling on names, but nothing like this. We fall in and out of love with girls’ names very quickly and this is a little concerning. However, we have loved [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] since day one of being potential parents. And [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] means light and it’s also somewhat of a bird name so we can use [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] as a nickname (our all time favorite! If it weren’t for nay-saying family members this little one could very possibly just be our little [name_f]Birdie[/name_f]) and it’s quirky and fun and we love that. It even sounds nice with the middle name we chose: [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] (after a very good friend [name_m]Corrado[/name_m]).
Sounds perfect, right? We love it, it sounds nice, etc. But alas, our love for J.D. [name_m]Salinger[/name_m] is biting us right in the behind! One of our little men is [name_m]Holden[/name_m], right after everyone’s favorite angsty teen, [name_m]Holden[/name_m] Caulfield. [name_m]Holden[/name_m] Caulfield had a little sister-- named what, you ask? [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f]. [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] Caulfield is a very smart, bright little girl and it doesn’t phase me to name my baby [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f], but we already have a [name_m]Holden[/name_m].
Normally, this wouldn’t bug us. The Catcher in the [name_m]Rye[/name_m] is my favorite novel of all-time. Hubs and I are both English teachers. It’s not like our surname is Caulfield or our eldest little man is named [name_u]Allie[/name_u] or D.B. (his name is [name_u]August[/name_u]), but I think I’m just concerned about the image/comments from colleagues.
[name_f]Do[/name_f] you think I am overreacting? Is it okay to have a [name_m]Holden[/name_m] and a [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f]? [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] is quite literally the only name we’ve gotten excited about this whole pregnancy!
If [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] is THE name, then I think you can use it. Personally I haven’t read the book and wouldn’t have made the connection. [name_m]Holden[/name_m] and [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] are both fairly common names anyway.
I would totally still use [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f]. It’s a great book and I read it in high school, but I’m going to be honest, the only character whose name I remember now is [name_m]Holden[/name_m] Caulfield’s so I didn’t even make the connection until you explained it. I doubt most people will even realize the connection. Maybe English teachers and some literary buffs, but I think your’e fine! [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] is a wonderful name!
My daughter is [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f], and only ONCE has anyone brought up [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] Caulfield; much to my chagrin, 99% of folks will make the ‘Friends’ connection. [name_m]Even[/name_m] my well-read husband didn’t recall that [name_m]Holden[/name_m]'s little sis and our daughter share a name.
I think its safe. Sure your colleagues may make comments, but I’d say they’d be the majority, I don’t think many others would make the connection. I haven’t read the book, though I automatically assumed [name_m]Holden[/name_m] was after Catcher in the [name_m]Rye[/name_m]. If you love the name, I wouldn’t let other people’s comments sway you, particular when [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] is a very elegant name for a little lady.
Yes yes yes you can! Esp if [name_m]Holden[/name_m] is older! lol. We couldn’t grow on Using [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] so were using [name_f]Esme[/name_f] from one of his short stories
I don’t see why [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] wouldn’t go with [name_m]Holden[/name_m]. In fact, people who get the Catcher in the [name_m]Rye[/name_m] connection would think you and hubby are literary buffs. If it’s a great book, there’s nothing to be ashamed of.
You might be thinking [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] means bird because of [name_u]Phoenix[/name_u], the legendary fire-bird that resurrects itself from ashes, but I’ve never known [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] to mean anything but bright. I don’t see why she can’t be your little [name_f]Birdie[/name_f], though
My immediate thought was that I wouldnt…I picked up on the connection just from the thread title, and I only read CITR once about 10 years ago. But, after seeing others haven’t made that connection, I’m slightly leaning more towards “it doesn’t matter”. It really depends on your social circle. Most of my ( literary inclined ) friends would pick up on it and tease me, the general public perhaps not so much. As a teacher I’d really have second thoughts.
That said, it’s nothing bad, and it probably won’t effect your kids much at all - I doubt they’ll ever be teased or it would be noticed. You and your husband, however, may get some odd looks while they’re young. It’s nothing negative, just really literature-nerdy.
I haven’t read Catcher in the [name_m]Rye[/name_m], so I really didn’t make the connection. I knew [name_m]Holden[/name_m], but not [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f]. I only vaguely knew [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] was [name_m]Holden[/name_m]'s sister from this site. I doubt that most people would get the connections. However, I can see how this would bother you, as English teachers. If it bugs you, you could switch the name to [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f]. The connection is less obvious, flows just as well, and you could still use the nn [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] (and also have the extra options of [name_f]Cora[/name_f] and [name_f]Cordie[/name_f]). That would be my suggestion. But if you think [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] is the name, go for it. Most people wouldn’t make the connection.
The Catcher in the [name_m]Rye[/name_m] is my favorite book ever! I literally read my last copy until it fell apart! I actually think that having a [name_m]Holden[/name_m] and a [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] in the same family is adorable. Not many people would make the connection, so it wouldn’t be a problem, and anyone who did make the connection would probably think it’s charming. It’s sort of a subtle nod to matching sibling names without going overboard.
In the book, [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] was presented in quite a positive light, so there are no bad connotations. And to top it all off, [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] is a perfect combination.
I would say go for it. Your colleagues would probably enjoy the literary reference just as much as I do!
Most people wouldn’t make the connection I think. So you basically should only hear it from your colleagues at the beginning. So I don’t think it will be too much of a bother to explain that it was actually a coincidence and maybe tell them the story you told us about why you like it. I think this is especially okay since you actually do like the book and the character [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f].
I don’t think it’s a problem at all, since the characters [name_m]Holden[/name_m] and [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] are siblings. It’s not like you’re naming your children [name_m]Romeo[/name_m] and [name_f]Juliet[/name_f], which would be a little inappropriate.
I say go for it! Also, as someone who’s cool with nicknames as full names, you could also just go for [name_f]Birdie[/name_f].
I’ve read the book and still didn’t make the connection until you pointed it out. I think it’s fine, and if people do make the link then you know they are fellow [name_m]Salinger[/name_m] fans and worthy of being friends with!
I love [name_m]Salinger[/name_m] but I don’t think even being very familiar with the book that I would jump to the conclusion that they were both named after the characters. I think [name_m]Holden[/name_m] is very tied to The Catcher in the [name_m]Rye[/name_m] but I don’t think [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] is. It isn’t like you are naming them [name_f]Franny[/name_f] and [name_u]Zooey[/name_u] It is a beautiful name I think you should use it.
My thoughts exactly. It will have a greater impact on you than on them, so if you think you can handle the commentary from your colleagues and other literary acquaintances, I’d say it’s fine. [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] is quite gorgeous.
That you all very much for you comments! I really think [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] is the one and the [name_m]Salinger[/name_m] connection, whether acknowledged or missed by friends and family, is totally workable (it’s a fantastic book and he’s our favorite author so it’s a private win, I think!) Thank you all again!
lol. We couldn’t grow on Using [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] so were using [name_f]Esme[/name_f] from one of his short stories