We already have an almost-2yo named [name]Clementine[/name]. Girl #2 is due in [name]December[/name] and for a long time now we’ve agreed on [name]Matilda[/name], probably [name]Matilda[/name] [name]Josephine[/name].
My grandmother’s name was [name]Mary[/name] [name]Josephine[/name] so it’s semi-honoring (there’s also a family [name]Matilda[/name] connection, but further back). She was called [name]Jo[/name]. I never really considered [name]Josephine[/name] as a first name because [name]Jo[/name] is “hers” in my mind.
Lately though I’ve been dreaming that the baby is here, and in my dreams I call her [name]Josie[/name].
Hubby says reverse it to [name]Josephine[/name] [name]Matilda[/name] if I think of her as [name]Josie[/name], which he still likes. On the other hand, I don’t like the flow of [name]Josephine[/name] [name]Matilda[/name], especially with our last name. [name]Matilda[/name] [name]Josephine[/name] sounds very nice with our last name. And I still have it in my head that [name]Josephine[/name] is grandma’s name, even though she’s been gone for years now.
I’m just not sure if I should change up what we have, which I really like, based on some dreams … I know I could call her [name]Josie[/name] either way but it seems it would be easier to explain “My name is [name]Josephine[/name], call me [name]Josie[/name]” than “My name is [name]Matilda[/name], but my middle name is [name]Josephine[/name], so call me [name]Josie[/name]”. Not too many people go by middle names around here!
Or maybe my dream means the combo we have just isn’t her name? I’m not sure at all.
[name]Josephine[/name] [name]Mae[/name] and [name]Josephine[/name] [name]May[/name] are lovely choices. Also love [name]Josephine[/name] [name]Mary[/name]. [name]Mae[/name], [name]May[/name], and [name]Mary[/name] all start out like [name]Matilda[/name] does. I love the nn [name]Josie[/name], so I can see why you are drawn to it. [name]Matilda[/name] is a pretty name, too. When she is born, you will know what to name her. [name]Both[/name] [name]Josephine[/name] and [name]Matilda[/name] are beautiful choices. [name]Josephine[/name] [name]Matilda[/name] is pretty, too, if your last name isn’t too complicated. If it were me, I would pick [name]Josephine[/name] because I love the nn [name]Josie[/name] so much.
I agree that you could wait until she is born to see which you like. [name]Josephine[/name] [name]Matilda[/name] is not a bad flow at all, imo, and I would forgive a little awkwardness for the meaning of both of the names and the story of how you came to them. I don’t think you could go wrong either way (though I do agree with you that naming her [name]Matilda[/name] and calling her [name]Josie[/name] is not the best option).
I’d like to second (third?) the opinion that you should wait until your daughter is born and see what suits her, and also that if you want to use [name]Josie[/name] it would be better to use it as a first name. I prefer the flow of [name]Matilda[/name] [name]Josephine[/name] (and also how [name]Matilda[/name] goes with [name]Clementine[/name]), but it’s such a lovely story that I agree with a previous poster that the very slight clunk of [name]Josephine[/name] [name]Matilda[/name] is overcome.
As a third option, you could swap out one of either [name]Josephine[/name] or [name]Matilda[/name]. Some other names that could give you [name]Josie[/name] (since you see [name]Josephine[/name] as grandma’s name):
[name]Jocelyn[/name] [name]Matilda[/name]*
[name]Josalind[/name] [name]Matilda[/name]
[name]Josanne[/name] [name]Matilda[/name]
[name]Joyce[/name] [name]Matilda[/name] (although not sure I would use [name]Joyce[/name])
[name]Josette[/name] [name]Matilda[/name]
Alternatively, some [name]Mary[/name] names that may flow well with [name]Josephine[/name]:
[name]Josephine[/name] [name]Maire[/name]/[name]Maira[/name]
[name]Josephine[/name] [name]Manette[/name]
[name]Josephine[/name] [name]Maura[/name]
[name]Josephine[/name] [name]Maria[/name]
[name]Josephine[/name] [name]Marie[/name]
[name]Josephine[/name] [name]Mariella[/name]
[name]Josephine[/name] [name]Maris[/name]
[name]Josephine[/name] [name]Maren[/name]*
Also love the idea of [name]Josephine[/name] [name]May[/name]. Good luck!
I love the nickname [name]Josie[/name], and although [name]Matilda[/name] [name]Josephine[/name] seemed to flow a little better at first, [name]Josephine[/name] [name]Matilda[/name] is really growing on me. It all depends on how it sounds with your last name.
I love the name [name]Josephine[/name]! If you are down to two names I like the suggestion of waiting until she is born to see which “feels” right. [name]Both[/name] names are fantastic and I don’t think you can go wrong. I first said I loved [name]Josephine[/name] because I just really love the nn [name]Josie[/name].
My best Friends name is [name]Josie[/name]. Her full name is [name]Kathleen[/name] [name]Josefina[/name] [name]Ines[/name]. Its kinda the same thing. [name]Matilda[/name] [name]Josephine[/name] is a beautiful name. Call her [name]Josie[/name] its Cute.
It’s good to remember that, much as we agonize over middle names, don’t really mean much except to the parents and the child. The world does not care what your middle name is, let alone if it flows nicely. I think having a dream about a [name]Josie[/name] can be a real “sign” – at the very least it shouts loud and clear what your subconscious wants her name to be!! The “flow” of all three names together is not really relevant. It’s nice if you can make it work to your liking. But out in the world, where will she ever be introduced, or introduce herself as [name]Josephine[/name] [name]Matilda[/name]? The only time I’ve ever really seen my middle name used was on diplomas and, in that case, it’s more how the name looks than sounds. If you know you’re going to call her [name]Josie[/name], having her first name as [name]Josephine[/name] will be much much simpler.
The flow of the three names doesn’ t have to be perfect and if you daughter marries one day then she may take her husband’s name and the flow may be all out or perfect; try to get a good flow with the first name and the surname and if the middle flows well that is a bonus.
Wait till you meet your daughter and then decide on whether her name is [name]Matilda[/name] or [name]Josephine[/name]. I did that and have been very happy with the result.
If you wish you can always keep [name]Matilda[/name] [name]Josephine[/name] and call her [name]Josie[/name]. I actually [name]LOVE[/name] [name]Matilda[/name] so I would use that and her nn would be [name]Tilly[/name] and as she would be [name]Matilda[/name] [name]Rose[/name] I would probably call her [name]Tilly[/name] [name]Rose[/name] (nn).
I love [name]Susan[/name]'s suggestions of [name]Josephine[/name] [name]Mary[/name] and [name]Josephine[/name] [name]May[/name]. I love your daughter [name]Clementine[/name]'s name, too!
I could get behind [name]Josephine[/name] [name]May[/name] too, I like it a lot. I think I’m torn because [name]Matilda[/name] and [name]Josephine[/name] are the two names that have “called” to me since [name]Clementine[/name] was born. It used to seem like [name]Matilda[/name] stood out more than [name]Josephine[/name] but since I’ve started having these dreams, [name]Josephine[/name] stands out. And then I start doubting them because I obsess too much over these things. ; )
[name]Don[/name]'t know if it’s a whim or a sign!
I plan on going through the Nameberry favorites list (he has to have a set list to go through, ugh men) just to look at some other names and see if it convinces me “Yep, these are the right two!”
why don’t you just name her matilda josephine but just call her josie… ? no one really has to know that her name is matilda if she chooses to go by josie, unless she wants to say it like that
I think perhaps you should listen to your dream and call her [name]Josephine[/name] (nn [name]Josie[/name]). Perhaps you would like the flow of [name]Josephine[/name] [name]Tilda[/name] better than [name]Josephine[/name] [name]Matilda[/name]. You could also consider [name]Josephina[/name] [name]Matilda[/name] … or [name]Josephine[/name] [name]Mathilde[/name]. Actually, now that I am writing it, I quite like [name]Josephine[/name] [name]Mathilde[/name]. Good luck.
Not loving [name]Matilda[/name]. I’d recomend if you are sold on it, put it in the middle. [name]How[/name] about [name]Madeline[/name] [name]Jae[/name]?
I love your daughter [name]Clementine[/name]'s name, too!