Planning ahead...

General Name Discussion
1

So, earlier this week, my fiance announced to a relative that we planned to name our first-born son [name]James[/name] (I’m not expecting… we’ve just been planning ahead.) Anyway, considering that the relative he told is the widow of a [name]James[/name] and teared up when he told her, I’d say we’re now pretty locked into that name. We had agreed on it beforehand; it’s just weird that its now so definite and unchangeable (you know, assuming we don’t want to break an old woman’s heart). We plan to name our first daughter [name]Anne[/name], but that one has not been announced to any relatives yet, so - even though I love it and have no interest in changing it - isn’t quite as officially locked in.

A few facts:

  • Fiance’s last name starts with A and sounds like “action.”
  • [name]James[/name] middle name would be Renfro, a family name on my side.
  • I love classic names with “comfy” nicknames.
  • [name]James[/name] and [name]Anne[/name] would go by [name]Jim[/name]/[name]Jimmy[/name] and [name]Annie[/name].
  • Popularity doesn’t really bother us, as long as the popularity is fairly constant throughout time.

A few questions:

  • What are some good middle name suggestions for [name]Anne[/name]? (more below)
  • We want more than 2 children. What would be some good sibling names I can start working on now? (also more below)
  • Any feedback on [name]Anne[/name] and [name]James[/name] ([name]Annie[/name] and [name]Jimmy[/name]?)

Middle name ideas for [name]Anne[/name]:

[name]Anne[/name] [name]Rebecca[/name]
[name]Anne[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name]
[name]Anne[/name] [name]Beatrice[/name]

I’m not in love with any middle name for [name]Anne[/name]. Right now, the leading contender is [name]Anne[/name] [name]Rebecca[/name]. It was my great-grandmother’s name, and has a bit of a pioneer sound - where [name]Elizabeth[/name] and [name]Beatrice[/name] sound a bit royal, even though I still love them. Could definitely use suggestions here…

Sibling names:

For boys -

[name]Charles[/name] ([name]Charlie[/name])
[name]Henry[/name] ([name]Hank[/name])
[name]Joseph[/name] ([name]Joe[/name])
[name]Frank[/name]
[name]George[/name]
[name]William[/name] ([name]Billy[/name])
[name]Robert[/name] ([name]Bob[/name]/[name]Bobby[/name])
[name]Thomas[/name] ([name]Tom[/name])
[name]Edward[/name] ([name]Ed[/name]/[name]Eddie[/name] or [name]Ted[/name]/[name]Teddy[/name])
[name]Andrew[/name] ([name]Andy[/name]… unlikely because of [name]Annie[/name])
[name]Hugh[/name] ([name]Huey[/name])

For girls -

[name]Margaret[/name] ([name]Maggie[/name], [name]Meg[/name] or [name]May[/name])
[name]Sally[/name] (could be short for [name]Sarah[/name] - haven’t decided yet)
[name]Rose[/name] ([name]Rosie[/name])
[name]Katherine[/name] ([name]Kate[/name]/[name]Katie[/name] or [name]Kit[/name]/[name]Kitty[/name])
[name]Jane[/name]
[name]Ruth[/name] ([name]Ruthie[/name])
[name]Frances[/name] ([name]Fanny[/name] or [name]Frannie[/name] - almost definitely out because of [name]Annie[/name], but included here as an example of personal taste)
[name]Eleanor[/name] ([name]Nell[/name] - though I’m actually really over the [name]Eleanor[/name]/[name]Nell[/name] thing and have been for some time)
[name]Elizabeth[/name] ([name]Betty[/name])
[name]Beatrice[/name] ([name]Bea[/name]… love [name]Bea[/name], iffy on [name]Beatrice[/name], even iffier on [name]Beatrix[/name])

I could really use help on these, for both boys and girls. Which ones go best with [name]Jimmy[/name] and [name]Annie[/name]? Part of me thinks that the simplest would work the best: say, [name]Tom[/name] and [name]Maggie[/name] - completely impervious to any trend. Part of me gets caught up in names that fit with modern tastes and makes me want to pick, say, [name]Hank[/name] and [name]Bea[/name]. Anyway, any feedback on all of this would be welcome - including feedback on [name]Jim[/name] and [name]Annie[/name]. Thanks, and sorry for the long post.

2

[name]James[/name] ([name]Jimmy[/name])- I love [name]James[/name], although [name]Jimmy[/name] isn’t my favorite nickname in the word. Nothing wrong with it.
[name]Anne[/name] ([name]Annie[/name])- I love [name]Annie[/name]! But conversely, not as big on [name]Anne[/name] herself. Nothing wrong with it though if that’s what you’re set on. Have you thought about [name]Susannah[/name]? It seems to fit with your style, and she could still be [name]Annie[/name].
[name]Charles[/name] ([name]Charlie[/name])- Adorable. [name]Charlie[/name] is incredibly cute.
[name]Henry[/name] ([name]Hank[/name])- [name]Henry[/name]/[name]Hank[/name] is on my list. Super cute and fits well.
[name]Joseph[/name] ([name]Joe[/name])- Not my favorite. I knew an awful lot of Josephs and Joeys as a kid. I think you have better options. [name]Joey[/name] and [name]Jimmy[/name] wouldn’t be the best anyway.
[name]Frank[/name]- I love [name]Frank[/name] too, but it’s close to [name]Hank[/name], and I like [name]Hank[/name] better.
[name]George[/name]- Really like it.
[name]William[/name] ([name]Billy[/name])- I love [name]Billy[/name]! And almost nobody calls a [name]William[/name] [name]Billy[/name] anymore. Great option.
[name]Robert[/name] ([name]Bob[/name]/[name]Bobby[/name])- I’ve been taken with [name]Bobby[/name] lately as well, but I like [name]William[/name]/[name]Billy[/name] better.
[name]Thomas[/name] ([name]Tom[/name])- Nice, but not crazy about it.
[name]Edward[/name] ([name]Ed[/name]/[name]Eddie[/name] or [name]Ted[/name]/[name]Teddy[/name])- I much prefer [name]Teddy[/name], but I also just had a [name]Teddy[/name] of my own! He’s a [name]Theodore[/name] though.
[name]Andrew[/name] ([name]Andy[/name]… unlikely because of [name]Annie[/name])- Sort of like [name]Joe[/name], I knew too many as a kid, also too close to [name]Annie[/name].
[name]Hugh[/name] ([name]Huey[/name])- Eh, this is a little too cartoony for my taste.
[name]Margaret[/name] ([name]Maggie[/name], [name]Meg[/name] or [name]May[/name])- [name]Margaret[/name] is great, and much less popular than say [name]Elizabeth[/name]. [name]Maggie[/name], [name]May[/name], [name]Maisie[/name], [name]Daisy[/name], and [name]Greta[/name] are my favorite nicknames.
[name]Sally[/name] (could be short for [name]Sarah[/name] - haven’t decided yet)- Adorable! I love [name]Sally[/name], and like [name]Billy[/name], it’s something you never hear anymore!
[name]Rose[/name] ([name]Rosie[/name])- Nice, but I hear it too often.
[name]Katherine[/name] ([name]Kate[/name]/[name]Katie[/name] or [name]Kit[/name]/[name]Kitty[/name])- [name]Love[/name] [name]Kitty[/name], but I just had one of those as well! I like [name]Kate[/name] as well, but [name]Katie[/name] is like [name]Joey[/name], it’s tired now.
[name]Jane[/name]- [name]Jane[/name] is lovely, and sounds so fresh currently.
[name]Ruth[/name] ([name]Ruthie[/name])- I love [name]Ruth[/name] as well! It’s very similar to [name]Jane[/name] in my book. Strong, classic, and feminine, but so uncommon lately.
[name]Frances[/name] ([name]Fanny[/name] or [name]Frannie[/name])- I actually like [name]Fanny[/name] as well, but I prefer [name]Annie[/name].
[name]Eleanor[/name] ([name]Nell[/name])- I like [name]Eleanor[/name] a lot. [name]Ellie[/name], [name]Elle[/name], [name]Ella[/name], [name]Nell[/name], [name]Nellie[/name], [name]Nora[/name] are all nice nicknames.
[name]Elizabeth[/name] ([name]Betty[/name])- I prefer [name]Betsy[/name], but [name]Betty[/name] is cute too, both are very retro and stand out among all the other Elizabeths around.
[name]Beatrice[/name] ([name]Bea[/name])- I love [name]Beat[/name], and [name]Beatrice[/name], and [name]Beatrix[/name]. Can see why you’re uncomfortable with them though, they’re a little bit different than the rest of your list.
Suggestions:
[name]Susannah[/name] ([name]Annie[/name], [name]Susie[/name], [name]Sukie[/name])
[name]Arthur[/name] ([name]Artie[/name], [name]Art[/name])
[name]Walter[/name] ([name]Wally[/name], [name]Walt[/name])
[name]Timothy[/name] ([name]Tim[/name], [name]Timmy[/name])
[name]Theodore[/name] ([name]Ted[/name], [name]Teddy[/name], [name]Theo[/name])
[name]Christopher[/name] ([name]Kit[/name])
[name]Alice[/name] (doesn’t really have a good nickname though, other than [name]Allie[/name], or perhaps Lissy)
[name]Edith[/name] ([name]Edie[/name])
[name]Juliet[/name] ([name]Jules[/name], [name]Julie[/name], [name]Etta[/name])
[name]Charlotte[/name] ([name]Lottie[/name])
[name]Caroline[/name] ([name]Callie[/name], [name]Carly[/name], [name]Lola[/name])
[name]Louisa[/name] ([name]Lulu[/name], [name]Lou[/name])
[name]Lydia[/name]
[name]Lucas[/name]
[name]Lucy[/name]
[name]August[/name] ([name]Gus[/name])
[name]Julian[/name] ([name]Jules[/name])
[name]Gabriel[/name] ([name]Gabe[/name])
[name]Oliver[/name] ([name]Lee[/name], [name]Ollie[/name])
[name]Alexander[/name] ([name]Alec[/name], [name]Al[/name])
[name]Josephine[/name] ([name]Josie[/name], [name]Posy[/name], [name]Joy[/name])

3

[name]Hi[/name]!

I could really use help on these, for both boys and girls. Which ones go best with [name]Jimmy[/name] and [name]Annie[/name]? Part of me thinks that the simplest would work the best: say, [name]Tom[/name] and [name]Maggie[/name] - completely impervious to any trend. Part of me gets caught up in names that fit with modern tastes and makes me want to pick, say, [name]Hank[/name] and [name]Bea[/name]. Anyway, any feedback on all of this would be welcome - including feedback on [name]Jim[/name] and [name]Annie[/name]. Thanks, and sorry for the long post.[/quote]

[name]Love[/name] [name]James[/name] Renfro, and I think it would be cool to give [name]Anne[/name] a spunky family surname-type name, too - I’m assuming Renfro is a surname. Is it? Off your list, [name]Anne[/name] [name]Rebecca[/name] is also my favorite! But, do you want to get locked into the R middle name thing? I think [name]Anne[/name] [name]Eloise[/name] would be cute, too, as would be [name]Anne[/name] [name]Matilda[/name]. I love [name]Anne[/name] “[name]Annie[/name],” and I love [name]James[/name], but [name]Jim[/name] and [name]Jimmy[/name] feel a little tired to me - that could be because my dad is [name]James[/name] “[name]Jim[/name],” called “[name]Jimmy[/name]” by his mother, my grandfather is [name]James[/name] “[name]Jim[/name],” and my uncle on my mom’s side is also [name]James[/name] “[name]Jim[/name].” I’d likely use [name]Jamie[/name] for [name]James[/name]’ nickname, or maybe something spunky and unusual like [name]Jem[/name], even!

I’m very attracted to the idea of these one-syllable names with cute nicknames, so I’m thinking of [name]Charles[/name], [name]George[/name], [name]Hugh[/name], [name]John[/name], [name]Mark[/name], and [name]Paul[/name] for boys - my favorites with [name]James[/name] and [name]Anne[/name] are [name]Charles[/name] “[name]Charlie[/name]” or “[name]Chuck[/name]” and [name]Paul[/name] “[name]Pauly[/name]” - and [name]Claire[/name], [name]Grace[/name], [name]Kate[/name], [name]Nell[/name], [name]Rose[/name], [name]Ruth[/name], and [name]Tess[/name] for girls - my favorites with [name]James[/name] and [name]Anne[/name] are [name]Grace[/name] “[name]Gracie[/name],” [name]Nell[/name] “[name]Nellie[/name],” [name]Rose[/name] “[name]Rosie[/name],” and [name]Ruth[/name] “[name]Ruthie[/name].”

So, if you wanted four or so kids, I’d go with [name]James[/name], [name]Anne[/name], [name]Charles[/name], [name]Ruth[/name], [name]Paul[/name], and [name]Grace[/name]. [name]Jamie[/name], [name]Annie[/name], [name]Charlie[/name], [name]Ruthie[/name], [name]Paulie[/name], and [name]Gracie[/name]!

[name]Lemon[/name] :slight_smile:

4

[name]Love[/name] [name]James[/name] Renfo. Any more family names - surnames you like to use for [name]Anne[/name].

[name]Anne[/name] [name]Bellamy[/name]
[name]Anne[/name] [name]Sutton[/name]
[name]Anne[/name] [name]Harper[/name]

I think [name]Anne[/name] with a family name/surname sounds good and makes [name]Anne[/name] sound more modern like [name]James[/name] Renfo. I like [name]Anne[/name] [name]Rebecca[/name] the best out of your options.

Sibling names:

For boys -

My favorites are [name]Henry[/name] and [name]William[/name].

For girls -

My favorites are [name]Margaret[/name] & [name]Katherine[/name]. I also love [name]Jane[/name], but not if you have a [name]James[/name].

[name]James[/name], [name]Anne[/name], [name]Henry[/name], & [name]Katherine[/name] - [name]Jim[/name], [name]Annie[/name], [name]Hank[/name], & [name]Kit[/name] (My favorite)
[name]James[/name], [name]Anne[/name], [name]William[/name] & [name]Margaret[/name] - [name]Jim[/name], [name]Annie[/name], [name]Will[/name], & [name]Meg[/name]

5

Thanks everyone!

To triceratops: Congrats on [name]Teddy[/name] and [name]Kitty[/name]! Nice job with the names. You definitely moved [name]Sally[/name] up the list a bit, and I like the suggestion of [name]Louisa[/name] (though maybe as a mn possibility for [name]Anne[/name].) [name]Walter[/name] is a great name also, but unfortunately, I’ve already used it for my dog. You’re probably right about [name]Rosie[/name] being too trendy right now. I’m glad you like [name]Jane[/name] - I like it and I think my fiance does too. I’m just not sure I can get away with a [name]James[/name] and a [name]Jane[/name].

To [name]Lemon[/name]: Yup, Renfro is a family surname. [name]Hughes[/name] is another surname I’d possibly be interested in using, but I’m always worried that if I give a surname as a girls’ middle name, it will sound like her maiden name when she gets a little older. Is that a silly thing to worry about? I’m kind of into [name]Jimmy[/name] for [name]James[/name] because of its retro sound. [name]Both[/name] my fiance and I are into history and we also both like to watch old movies and [name]Jimmy[/name] has that feel of a name with a past, you know?

To millikate: See comments above. Other than [name]Hughes[/name] (and obviously Renfro), I really don’t have family surnames I would want to use. Actually, “[name]Hughes[/name]” is the reason [name]Hugh[/name] made my boys’ list as a first name. [name]Henry[/name], [name]William[/name], [name]Margaret[/name] and [name]Katherine[/name]… Good tips.

I think you’ve all helped to narrow things down a bit from the original list of sibling possibilities. I’m going to think this through, update the list, and post again later. Thanks!

6

With [name]Anne[/name] and [name]James[/name], I really like [name]Charles[/name], [name]Henry[/name], [name]William[/name], [name]Thomas[/name], [name]Rose[/name], [name]Margaret[/name], [name]Frances[/name], and [name]Eleanor[/name] (though I pretty much love all the names on your list). Middle names for [name]Anne[/name]:

[name]Anne[/name] [name]Lavinia[/name]
[name]Anne[/name] [name]Cordelia[/name]
[name]Anne[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name]
[name]Anne[/name] [name]Sophia[/name]
[name]Anne[/name] [name]Olivia[/name]
[name]Anne[/name] [name]Helena[/name]
[name]Anne[/name] [name]Eleanora[/name]
[name]Anne[/name] [name]Penelope[/name]
[name]Anne[/name] [name]Isabella[/name]
[name]Anne[/name] [name]Magdalena[/name]
[name]Anne[/name] [name]Viola[/name]
[name]Anne[/name] [name]Louisa[/name]
[name]Anne[/name] [name]Juliet[/name]
[name]Anne[/name] [name]Caroline[/name]
[name]Anne[/name] [name]Cecilia[/name]
[name]Anne[/name] [name]Rosalie[/name]
[name]Anne[/name] [name]Theodora[/name]
[name]Anne[/name] [name]Celeste[/name]
[name]Anne[/name] [name]Isadora[/name]
[name]Anne[/name] [name]Eloise[/name]

7

First off - irisrose - I love [name]Anne[/name] [name]Cecelia[/name]. Have to run it by my fiance. He’s Jewish and I’m [name]Christian[/name], so we’ve been trying to avoid names that are too closely related to either (i.e. he vetoed [name]Mary[/name], I vetoed [name]Solomon[/name]). I’m not sure if [name]Cecelia[/name] would sound “too Catholic” for him, but I love it and its worth a shot.

Second - an update: I might do a new post on this later, but it looks like we’re zeroing in on [name]Joseph[/name] ([name]Joe[/name]) as the second son, after [name]James[/name]. My fiance likes it and it is the name I have always gone back to as my all-time favorite; for probably a decade, [name]Joseph[/name] has been at or near the very top of my list. Anyway, my personal love of the name - coupled with the fact that it is now fiance-approved - is probably enough to get beyond the “[name]Jimmy[/name] and [name]Joe[/name]” problem. After all, the world always needs more Joes - Average [name]Joe[/name], [name]Joe[/name] Sixpack, Fightin’ [name]Joe[/name]… you get the point.

As for a second daughter, I think it’s narrowing to [name]Sally[/name] and [name]Maggie[/name] (for [name]Margaret[/name]). [name]Sally[/name] got a bump from triceratops, and [name]Maggie[/name] - well, [name]Maggie[/name]'s just a good, solid name that fits in with my tastes and I know I’ll always like. It lacks the surprise element of [name]Sally[/name], but at least it has a full (formal) name; I’m not that big on [name]Sarah[/name].

Anyway, that’s where things stand. Keep the advice coming…