I’m currently pregnant with my first baby, a little boy! I’m naming him on my own and have been a little bit very indecisive so this isn’t my first post but I’m hoping it’s my last.
When I first got pregnant, I knew for sure that if baby was a boy he’d be [name_m]Grayson[/name_m] [name_m]Michael[/name_m]. Then I found out he is a boy, and he is so not [name_m]Grayson[/name_m] [name_m]Michael[/name_m].
Then I settled on [name_f]Parks[/name_f] for his middle name, but had a few different options I was torn between for his first name. I posted on a few different forums and talked to some friends, and the vast majority picked [name_m]Lowen[/name_m] out of my options. So yay, his name is [name_m]Lowen[/name_m] [name_f]Parks[/name_f].
Now, I’m wondering if maybe I should go back to [name_m]Grayson[/name_m]. [name_m]Michael[/name_m] is off the table completely (long story), and [name_f]Parks[/name_f] is for sure baby’s middle name. I have no doubt about it. But I’m torn between [name_m]Grayson[/name_m] [name_f]Parks[/name_f] and [name_m]Lowen[/name_m] [name_f]Parks[/name_f] now.
[name_m]Grayson[/name_m] is definitely more traditional and palatable, and [name_m]Lowen[/name_m] is definitely more an acquired taste, but for what it’s worth when I’ve told people who know me that as of now his name is [name_m]Lowen[/name_m], the most common feedback is “I can absolutely see you with a Lowen” even if they hate it lol. Ultimately I love them both and I’m feeling very torn.
I love Lowen! To me, it’s a cool version of the similar sounding Owen & similar obv to Rowen - with same outdoorsy, boyish charm while still being a little poetic and sophisticated.
Also, the meaning “joy” is perfect for a first child.
I don’t mind Grayson but it’s heavier, more effortful enunciation wise, and not as nice to the ear (for me) as Lowen. It flows with Parks but it’s then two pretty intense names.
I find Lowen Parks more balanced and cooler all round!
My first thought upon reading your post is that the excitement and positivity towards [name_m]Lowen[/name_m] sounds like it’s driven by external opinion and would be more of a head decision and possibly people pleasing in nature, whereas your feelings toward [name_m]Grayson[/name_m] are driven by internal factors and would be more of a heart decision. I may be reading too much into it, but that’s just how it came across to me.
I’d encourage you to sit with [name_m]Grayson[/name_m] again and give him a chance to fully win your heart back. Especially as [name_m]Grayson[/name_m] is your longest love for years and years and you are now coming back to him just a few weeks later after the initial surprise of not feeling like your son fits the name. Feelings often change toward names throughout pregnancy. [name_m]The[/name_m] naming process happens alongside getting to know your baby, spending more time with your baby, and shifting from broad ideas about your future family to specific decisions in the present. It’s totally okay to feel like he fits a name one day, and then not, another day, and then again the next. You’re only just getting to know him!
Once we found out we were having a son, it took me time to adjust my thinking and reorientate myself. We had a front runner for while and then we both started to feel less excited by it. It wasn’t until late in the third trimester when one name started to grow on me. It was even a name I had initially dismissed when my husband suggested it. We only made our final decision when our son was 5 days old.
All this to say, you have time to change your mind, or to be unsure and not know yet – you will eventually figure this out and make the right decision for you.
As mentioned above, you can’t really go wrong. I prefer [name_m]Lowen[/name_m], just because it seems less trendy, and I don’t think [name_m]Lowen[/name_m] would be that difficult for people to get, it’s just [name_m]Owen[/name_m] with an L, but honestly [name_m]Grayson[/name_m] [name_f]Parks[/name_f] is lovely too. My advice, go into the delivery room with both, and when you see baby, maybe the choice will be clear. If it’s not, don’t worry about other people’s perception on either name, this is your baby, and no matter which option you go with, he’ll be beautifully named, and so very loved. Good luck!
I really like [name_m]Lowen[/name_m] – warm and distinctive; bold but familiar – but [name_m]Grayson[/name_m] is a strong option too: contemporary in feel but well established with nice nickname possibilities.
I wonder if it’s worth considering:
Did [name_m]Grayson[/name_m] [name_m]Michael[/name_m] not feel right because of [name_m]Michael[/name_m]?
Does [name_m]Grayson[/name_m] [name_f]Parks[/name_f] feel like this baby or are you worried about not using the more familiar/traditional option or the one you liked for long?
Would you feel sad/disappointed to let [name_m]Grayson[/name_m] go?
Does either make you feel more or less confident in introducing your child to someone?
Could you keep both options in the running until you meet him?
Do you like the nicknames for one or the other more?
I actually really love [name_m]Lowen[/name_m] [name_f]Parks[/name_f]! I think it has a distinctive, handsome feel, and the fact that people who know you can picture you with a [name_m]Lowen[/name_m], even if it isn’t their personal taste, is quite telling. It sounds like it feels authentic to you.
[name_m]Grayson[/name_m] [name_f]Parks[/name_f] is lovely too, and I can see the appeal of something more familiar, but I’d be hesitant to go back to [name_m]Grayson[/name_m] just because it feels like the safer or more traditional choice. [name_m]You[/name_m] originally felt sure about [name_m]Grayson[/name_m] [name_m]Michael[/name_m], but when you found out you were having a boy, you realised it didn’t feel right anymore. I think that’s worth listening to!
I also wouldn’t put too much weight on the fact that most people picked [name_m]Lowen[/name_m] from your original list. [name_m]The[/name_m] important thing is that you love it, not that everyone else does. Since you love both names, maybe sit with each one for a little while and imagine introducing your son, calling him in from the garden, and seeing his name written down. One might start to feel more natural than the other.
I like both [name_m]Lowen[/name_m] and [name_m]Grayson[/name_m]. But I can pretty much garuntee you he may not be the only [name_m]Grayson[/name_m] in his class/on his team/or in an interview room. He will however always be the only [name_m]Lowen[/name_m] in a room. So [name_m]Lowen[/name_m] will always stand out anywhere he goes. I’d pick [name_m]Lowen[/name_m] for that reason.
Both good options, but I prefer [name_m]Lowen[/name_m]. [name_m]Grayson[/name_m] was very popular 10-15 years ago, and I never cared for it. “Gray” gives it a gloomy feel imo. [name_m]Lowen[/name_m] is gentle, unexpected, and yet familiar due to its similarity to [name_m]Owen[/name_m] and [name_m]Logan[/name_m]. Both sound great with the middle name [name_f]Parks[/name_f]! Best of luck to you