Eight days out from this baby’s arrival. Boy name is decided. I don’t know why I keep driving myself crazy with our girl choices.
At the moment, [name_f]Mabel[/name_f] is our front runner, with [name_f]Rosie[/name_f] as a backup in case baby doesn’t “look like [name_f]Mabel[/name_f].”
BUT. I’m having second thoughts on [name_f]Mabel[/name_f], and I have brought [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] back into the conversation. It was my grandmother’s name, who I was very close with, and lived with her for a period of time before she passed. I’ve always liked the name- we considered it for our daughter [name_f]Betsy[/name_f]. It gives me a similar retro vibe, and obviously has sentimental value. Husband does like [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] a smidge more than [name_f]Mabel[/name_f].
Downsides: I don’t love both of my daughter’s having the same initial/same ending sound. I tell myself this shouldn’t be a deal breaker. What do you think?
I don’t know. Is [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] a name that’s ready to be revived? Can I picture a little [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] in our family? [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] in [name_m]Toy[/name_m] [name_u]Story[/name_u] 3 stole my heart.
I know a little [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f]. It’s not all that unusual here in the UK (ditto [name_f]Betsy[/name_f]!) and it definitely works.
If I’m honest, I do find the idea of [name_f]Betsy[/name_f] and [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] as sisters a little bit cutesy and twee, but they’re not so close as to be confusing. If it’s the clear favourite , go for it!
I personally would pick [name_f]Mabel[/name_f] of your options. It feels more individual within the sibset, and more weighty and mature than [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] or [name_f]Rosie[/name_f]. But they’re all very sweet, nicely vintage options that fit very well overall!
A couple more ideas, though I’m sure you’ve already considered them:
I can totally picture a little [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] BUT not with a sister named [name_f]Betsy[/name_f]. I think those names can stand on their own well enough but together they feel like twins from a children’s book where they have matchy names and clothes and the whole book is written ina away that goes “and [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] was in the swing and [name_f]Betsy[/name_f] was on the trampoline…”, “and For dinner [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] wanted peas and [name_f]Betsy[/name_f] didn’t wanted carrots” and so on…
Apart from that I imagine they’ll get their names mixed up a lot which can be very annoying.
I actually don’t think [name_f]Betsy[/name_f] and [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] are too close! [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] is such a pretty vintage gem, and it sounds great with siblings’ names, too. But I also love [name_f]Mabel[/name_f], so you can’t go wrong!
I’m kind of on the verge here, I absolutely love [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] (my grandmother was named [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] after the little girl in Gone with the Wind) but it does sound a little matchy with [name_f]Betsy[/name_f]. But you do have [name_m]Linus[/name_m] to break up the pattern, so it’s not like all of the kids have similar sounding names. And if [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f]'s the name you prefer, I think the matchy thing can be overlooked.
For the record, though, [name_f]Mabel[/name_f] is also a beautiful choice! You’ll have a great name either way.
Thanks for the feedback so far, everyone.
[name_f]Mabel[/name_f] IS perfect. I don’t know why I’m hesitating. Late pregnancy-naming jitters I guess? I’m seriously over thinking, and for no good reason. But I’m so confident in our boy choice, it is just this girl thing getting me all crazy.
Maybe I could use [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] in the middle spot? [name_f]Mabel[/name_f] [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f]? Er. I dunno.
I like your suggestions @katinka - [name_f]Polly[/name_f] and [name_f]Posy[/name_f]/[name_f]Posey[/name_f] both have been discussed (I love [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] nn [name_f]Posy[/name_f]), and [name_f]Primrose[/name_f] is on my dream middle name list, if only I could convince my H.
I love [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f], but I do have to admit I don’t love it with [name_f]Betsy[/name_f]. For me that would be too similar of names to use for my two girls. [name_f]Mabel[/name_f] is a beautiful option, and I think it would work really well in your sibling set.
[name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] is so cute! Is [name_f]Bonita[/name_f] too ethnic sounding for your background? It wouldn’t be as matchy with [name_f]Betsy[/name_f].
I love [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] and much prefer it over [name_f]Mabel[/name_f], but think [name_f]Mabel[/name_f] or [name_f]Rosie[/name_f] would be much better with the sister [name_f]Betsy[/name_f].
As pp have mentioned I think [name_f]Betsy[/name_f] and [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] are a little to matchy as first names. [name_f]Mabel[/name_f] is beautiful and perfectly compliments [name_m]Linus[/name_m] and [name_f]Betsy[/name_f]. I think [name_f]Mabel[/name_f] [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] would be a sweet and sentimental compromise where it wouldn’t be too matchy. Did you already have a middle name picked out for [name_f]Mabel[/name_f] or [name_f]Rosie[/name_f]?
Middle name was going to be [name_f]Blossom[/name_f], which is another family name. I think [name_f]Mabel[/name_f] [name_f]Blossom[/name_f] flows better, but [name_f]Mabel[/name_f] [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] honors someone extra special. Choices choices!!
I think [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] and [name_f]Betsy[/name_f] are too close.
I would stick with [name_f]Mabel[/name_f] & [name_f]Rosie[/name_f] (of which I would pick [name_f]Rosie[/name_f], but [name_f]Mabel[/name_f] is pretty too!)
