[name_m]Hi[/name_m] everyone! After TTC for two long years I’m FINALLY pregnant with b/g twins and I’m due in a little over a month so I honestly feel ready to pop
My husband and I have always agreed on a boy’s name, [name_u]James[/name_u] [name_u]Finn[/name_u] [name_m]Alexander[/name_m], which the family has no problem with. A name for a girl is a much different story.
When I was younger, around the time we started dating, I had an extremely vivid dream of a little girl named [name_f]Alaska[/name_f]. [name_u]Ever[/name_u] since then I’ve been conviced it’s my future daughter’s name.
While we both love [name_f]Alaska[/name_f] as a name, we’re worried about what others will think of it. Several of my family members have put it down and suggested we use family name [name_f]Juliet[/name_f] instead. [name_f]Juliet[/name_f] [name_f]Clementine[/name_f] is on our name list as a result, but I’ve never been convinced. Some of our family have even referred to our twins as “[name_f]Juliet[/name_f] & [name_u]James[/name_u]” which upsets me greatly. Sure it’s cute, but it just doesn’t feel right to me and I can’t get “[name_f]Alaska[/name_f] and [name_u]James[/name_u]” out of my head.
Should I listen to my family and go with [name_f]Juliet[/name_f] [name_f]Clementine[/name_f], or listen to my heart with [name_f]Alaska[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f] regardless of what they think?
Go with what you like. It’s your child! [name_m]Don[/name_m]'t give up something you’ve loved for years just for what someone else thinks would be best.
Please choose the name you love! I have no idea why some family members feel it’s acceptable to try and interfere in naming other people’s children, or even why it’s any of their business, but it happens A LOT. It’s entirely up to you what you name your child, don’t let anyone else pressure you.
Your family has absolutely zero business in telling you what to name your child or going ahead and calling her by a name other than the one you plan on using.
For what it’s worth, I vastly prefer [name_f]Alaska[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f]. I think you should stick to your guns and use it.
Definitely go with what you and your husband want. If you don’t like/want [name_f]Juliet[/name_f] then don’t use it, your family will get over it. You don’t have to use a family name just because they want you to! I think [name_f]Alaska[/name_f] is a lovely name, and [name_f]Alaska[/name_f] and [name_u]James[/name_u] sound sweet together. [name_m]Just[/name_m] be firm with your family and say you don’t want [name_f]Juliet[/name_f], or just don’t say anything until the twins are born and when people come to visit say very firmly (or have your husband say) “we’d like you to meet [name_u]James[/name_u] and [name_f]Alaska[/name_f]”. [name_m]Don[/name_m]'t give up the name you both love for other people
I say use [name_f]Alaska[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f] (or maybe even [name_f]Alaska[/name_f] [name_f]Juliet[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f]?), because it’s truly what you seem to love. Always listen to your heart.
[name_f]Juliet[/name_f] and [name_u]James[/name_u] might seem too matchy and you can tell your family that if they ask why you didn’t use the combo. [name_f]Juliet[/name_f] is a pretty name, and it would go with the sibset nicely if you were to have a second daughter. But go with the name you love the most. You don’t know if you’ll have another girl and you don’t want to waste the opportunity to use The Name that feels right.
Definitely go with the name you love. There are so many posts on here about name regret for this very reason (with you eventually caving to [name_f]Juliet[/name_f] to appease the family). It really isn’t their business. Your parents had their turn naming you. His parents had their turn naming your husband. This is nobody’s turn but yours.
For what it’s worth I like [name_f]Alaska[/name_f] [name_f]Juliet[/name_f].
100% agree with everyone else. Your family need to back off. Their behaviour is completely inappropriate and very pushy (actually using the name that they picked??). It is like they are claiming ownership over your unborn children.
I disagree with others who suggested using [name_f]Juliet[/name_f] as a middle name. I think if you give that kind of concession they will see it as a minor victory (perhaps they would even try to get away with calling her [name_f]Juliet[/name_f] since it is part of her name) and it could lead to more issues in the future since it seems as if some members of your family have problems with recognising normal boundaries.
You name your child the name you want to name her. They will get over it.
Oh, and if you ever have more children in the future, take this experience as a learning exercise and do not discuss names with anyone other than your partner until the kid is born and you’ve put the name on the birth certificate. Your family has shown they can’t handle that level of involvement.
What @Jackal said exactly!
[name_u]James[/name_u] and [name_f]Alaska[/name_f] are beautiful.
My husband and I actually have a rule that we don’t name our children after anyone living. We had considered for my son’s middle to use [name_u]James[/name_u], a very big name on my DH’s side and I had felt connected to it because my Dad and mine’s lullaby growing up was Sweet [name_u]Baby[/name_u] [name_u]James[/name_u]. But after tentatively discussing it with my family, they just saw it as the other family’s name and there is no way I will ever go down that road again. Instead we went with the perfect middle with huge meaning on how my husband and I met, though I know both families find it strange, that is their problem.
You should use the name you want, if [name_f]Juliet[/name_f] feels wrong to you then don’t use it! If their opinion matters greatly to you I might concede you can consider [name_f]Alaska[/name_f] [name_f]Juliet[/name_f] but do not give up the name you love for others opinions. Your choice is much more important.
Absolutely listen to your heart. [name_f]Alaska[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f] is a seriously beautiful name and goes very well with [name_u]James[/name_u]. There’s something special about [name_f]Alaska[/name_f] - it’s uncommon (has never been in the top 1000!), but it isn’t “youneek” and it’s easily recognizable and memorable. It could be worn well by so many different types of women and at all stages of life. Plus, there is some more common-leaning nickname potential there if that’s a concern ([name_m]Al[/name_m], [name_f]Ally[/name_f]/[name_u]Allie[/name_u]).
This is exactly why my husband and I aren’t telling family our baby’s name until she arrives. I regret being so open about our naming process with our first daughter, but I’m so grateful that we stuck to our guns and named our daughter what we wanted to despite our family’s input.
This is your daughter. They had their chance to name children, and now it’s your turn. If you and your husband really love [name_f]Alaska[/name_f], please please please use it. Once those babies are born, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. They will learn to connect the names you’ve chosen with those precious babies, and that will help them to develop a good association with the names.
I also say go with the name you love and has such significant meaning to you, but just throwing out there as a consideration to think of not only what you want for your future daughter but what she might like as well, since it will actually be her name for life and she will be an independent human out in the world longer than she is the little girl by your side you selected a name for. I think this should always be a consideration when picking a name, including when thinking of an uber popular name or a highly unusual name like [name_f]Alaska[/name_f]. Hard to predict the reaction and the future, but worth at least thinking of.
[name_m]Don[/name_m]'t use a name you don’t absolutely love. [name_f]Juliet[/name_f] is a nice name and it’s nice to use family names, but maybe you could use it as a middle name? I think [name_f]Alaska[/name_f] [name_f]Juliet[/name_f] is a nice name?
Personally, I think [name_f]Alaska[/name_f] is a great name. If you like, it could always be shortened to [name_u]Allie[/name_u] if people really think it’s too out there. I understand family wanting to have their opinion listened to (my niece’s middle name is Alexsandra and I wish, wish, wish it was [name_f]Alexandra[/name_f]), but at the end of the day it’s yours and your husband’s opinions that truly count.
Always, always, always listen to your heart. [name_f]Juliet[/name_f] [name_f]Clementine[/name_f] is lovely, but [name_f]Alaska[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f] is her name.
I would certainly encourage you to go with the name you love, regardless of what your family thinks. You could honor them, too…[name_f]Alaska[/name_f] [name_f]Juliet[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f] would make a lovely name. Plus, she’d have two mns to match her twin brother.
Follow your heart! As has been suggested, maybe you could compromise with [name_f]Alaska[/name_f] [name_f]Juliet[/name_f] or [name_f]Alaska[/name_f] [name_f]Juliet[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f]. But I still think you should go with [name_f]Alaska[/name_f] as the first name! Your family is going to have their opinions, but at the end of the day, it’s not their child and therefore not their decision to make. I really hope they’ll accept and support your choice, even if it’s not exactly what they want.
[name_f]Alaska[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f] is so much better than [name_f]Juliet[/name_f] [name_f]Clementine[/name_f], although I adore [name_f]Juliet[/name_f]/[name_f]Juliette[/name_f] too
Go with the name you absolutely adore and your family will understand!
