Me and DH are expecting our first daughter and it’s a tradition in his family to use the mom’s maiden name as a middle for the first kid. I love the meaning behind this, but I’m not sure if [name_m]Livingston[/name_m] is a good name. It just feels like a lot for a little girl, even if it would be a middle. DH loves it though and really wants to use it.
Is [name_m]Livingston[/name_m] too much, even as a middle name? If it makes a difference, some of the first names we’ve been considering are [name_f]Emma[/name_f] (I love it even if I don’t love the popularity!), [name_u]Ruby[/name_u], [name_f]Tessa[/name_f], [name_f]Meadow[/name_f], and [name_u]Shiloh[/name_u].
I think it works with a one or two syllable first name.
[name_f]Emma[/name_f], [name_u]Ruby[/name_u] and [name_f]Tessa[/name_f] sound fine with [name_m]Livingston[/name_m] to me.
I think [name_m]Livingston[/name_m] is a really cool middle actually! It has a softness from [name_f]Liv[/name_f], which reminds me of [name_f]Livia[/name_f].
It’s a nice tradition and I think [name_m]Livingston[/name_m] would be fine in the middle but if you’re not loving the idea (and since it’s your maiden name, after all), then I would say go with something else. I know lots of people who have done the maiden name in the middle thing but for me personally, that just wouldn’t have appealed so if it’d been a tradition on my husband’s side, we’d have broken it.
Thanks for all the replies! It’s reassuring that you guys don’t see it as too much. I really love the tradition and don’t want to break it, plus [name_m]Livingston[/name_m] wouldn’t be the most out there middle in his family (BIL’s middle name is Kn!ght!), but I’m still a little hesitant.
@SparkleNinja18 do you think [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] or [name_f]Livia[/name_f] would work as a middle? And still keep the general idea of the tradition? (And are [name_f]Emma[/name_f]/Tessa [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] both too common for a full name?)
You could always just use [name_f]Liv[/name_f] too if you wanted a shorter middle. I think [name_m]Livingston[/name_m] sounds nice but [name_f]Liv[/name_f] would definitely keep the same feeling while being much shorter.
I love that tradition especially as you have a nice name to use rather than some surnames I wouldn’t consider useable. I don’t think it is too much at all and in real life on a day-to-day basis, we seldom say our first and middle names together so just choose a first name you love and you will have given your daughter a lovely, meaningful name.
That seems like a nice tradition, like it would really give your daughter a connection to your family history as well (since she’ll already have her dad’s last name). I think [name_f]Emma[/name_f] [name_m]Livingston[/name_m] or [name_f]Tessa[/name_f] [name_m]Livingston[/name_m] sounds really nice. [name_f]My[/name_f] advice would be this: go for a common, well-known first name. If your daughter has the middle name [name_m]Livingston[/name_m], the last thing she’ll want is a unique or out-there first name too.
I think your first names are simple and sweet enough that [name_m]Livingston[/name_m] could work as a middle.
Alternatively, there’s [name_f]Liv[/name_f] as a kind of compromise
As a middle name, I think it works just fine! I think it works well with [name_f]Emma[/name_f], [name_u]Ruby[/name_u], [name_f]Tessa[/name_f] and [name_f]Meadow[/name_f] from your options - with [name_u]Shiloh[/name_u] it feels a bit L heavy imo.
Meadow [name_m]Livingston[/name_m] sounds a little too place namey to me (probably because there’s a town called [name_m]Livingston[/name_m] close by here!) but all the other names you’re thinking of go really well with it, I think. I love this tradition too. [name_u]Ruby[/name_u] [name_m]Livingston[/name_m] is my favourite, followed by [name_f]Tessa[/name_f].
I agree with a PP that if it wasn’t a tradition it might seem a little bit odd, but the tradition of it makes it make complete sense to me, plus it’s a name with a nice sound on its own merits.
Also FWIW I really like [name_u]Ruby[/name_u], [name_f]Tessa[/name_f] and [name_f]Meadow[/name_f] - I have a particular weakness for [name_f]Meadow[/name_f], it’s my cat’s name and I remember when we were naming her we felt this was a good pet name in that we loved it but we wouldn’t consider using it on a human because it was a little out there. Fast forward a dozen years and I still adore it, and using it this whole time has made me feel like I’d totally use it on a human (except now obviously I wouldn’t since it’s the cat’s name). Anyway, just wanted to comment that it’s especially lovely to me. [name_f]Meadow[/name_f] [name_m]Livingston[/name_m] Lastname sounds great to me.
I talked with DH, and he’s agreed to consider [name_f]Livia[/name_f] but would really prefer [name_m]Livingston[/name_m]. We’ve also talked about maybe using a different surname from my side. [name_f]My[/name_f] mom’s maiden name was [name_u]Reid[/name_u] and my grandma’s was [name_u]Massey[/name_u] - do you prefer either of those over [name_m]Livingston[/name_m] as a girl middle?
I still think [name_m]Livingston[/name_m] is the best choice. Maybe you could play around with double middle name combos if you feel like you’re losing a chance to give her a more feminine middle? Like [name_f]Tessa[/name_f] [name_m]Livingston[/name_m] [name_f]Pearl[/name_f] LN or [name_u]Ruby[/name_u] [name_m]Livingston[/name_m] [name_f]Mae[/name_f] LN. etc.
Reid and [name_u]Massey[/name_u] are ok if you like those better. It’s really up to you since it’s your family that’s being honored even though it’s his family’s tradition.
[name_f]Meadow[/name_f] [name_m]Livingston[/name_m] Lastname sounds great to me.