My first born’s name is [name_m]Harvey[/name_m]. We had a really hard time agreeing on his middle name. Ultimately, we agreed to use Sante for his middle name, even though that was the name we planned to use as a first name for a second son, should we have one. Sante is a family name on my husband’s Italian side. It’s pronounced like Sawn-[name_u]Tay[/name_u].
We are now pregnant again (yay!). We will not find out this baby’s gender until the birth. We did that with [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] and it was really fun. [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] will only be 17 or 18 months old when his sibling is born, and he does not know his middle name at all. So, if the baby is another boy, we have talked about still using Sante for the new baby and changing [name_m]Harvey[/name_m]’s middle name to Zappa (my husband’s choice), and I would get to choose Sante’s middle name. Alternatively, we like the name [name_m]Jim[/name_m], which was my grandfather’s name. His full name would be [name_u]James[/name_u], but we would only call him [name_m]Jim[/name_m]. The middle name for [name_m]Jim[/name_m] would most likely be Pierino, another Italian family name. The pronunciation is like Pee-[name_f]Air[/name_f]-Ee-No.
If the new baby is a girl, we would probably name her [name_f]Fernanda[/name_f] [name_f]Patricia[/name_f] (we will often be using the Spanish pronunciation of both names). [name_f]Patricia[/name_f] is a family name on three sides of our family. [name_f]My[/name_f] husband likes [name_f]Sofia[/name_f] a little better than [name_f]Fernanda[/name_f], but I explained to him that [name_f]Sofia[/name_f] is a very popular name right now. So, I think I talked him out of it. Also, I have a cousin I’m really close with named [name_f]Sofia[/name_f], and I prefer not to name my children after people who are still alive.
Please share your opinions and any suggestions of names you think we might also want to consider.
Welcome to Nameberry @BarnYarn [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] S----e is such a cool name.
I would normally say don’t reuse a middle name for a future child as it will just be confusing, or make one child feel like an afterthought. BUT since [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] is so young and doesn’t know his middle name at all, AND it’s an important family name for you, I actually quite like the idea of using Sante for a second boy and changing [name_m]Harvey[/name_m]’s middle to Zappa (so cool!) Sante is a really interesting, unusual name with a cool sound and a lot of significance for you, I really like it.
James P-----o would also be an amazing name! I personally prefer [name_u]Jem[/name_u] to [name_m]Jim[/name_m] as a short form of [name_u]James[/name_u], but I understand that [name_m]Jim[/name_m] has family significance and actually, it’s got the same kind of easygoing, retro charm as [name_m]Harvey[/name_m]. H and [name_m]Jim[/name_m] definitely sound like brothers!
I’m with you on preferring [name_f]Fernanda[/name_f] to [name_f]Sofia[/name_f]. [name_f]Sofia[/name_f] is a very pretty name but yes, internationally popular and nowhere near as distinctive as [name_f]Fernanda[/name_f], plus she would be the only one in your family.
I personally would leave Sante with [name_m]Harvey[/name_m]. That’s his name and you’ll find a name that is perfect for your second son. [name_u]James[/name_u] Pierino is a great choice very strong. I think [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] & [name_u]James[/name_u] would be lovely together.
Fernanda [name_f]Patricia[/name_f] is a very strong combination. I’m just not sure on how well [name_f]Fernanda[/name_f] & [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] work together stylistically they feel very different. I think [name_f]Sofia[/name_f] [name_f]Patricia[/name_f] works stylistically better with [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] but I do appreciate that it’s popular.
I think if you really want Sante as a first name you should make the steps to change it and make it the first name! However I do think there’s charm in finding a second name you love just as much as [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] Sant3! I have concerns about the girl name as [name_f]Sofia[/name_f] goes better with [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] than [name_f]Fernanda[/name_f] which is much bolder! I like [name_f]Patricia[/name_f] as a middle however given how it’s said so beautifully in Spanish
Harvey and [name_u]James[/name_u] would be a beautiful choice and I think it would work best! However if Sante is on your mind, I think it would go well given how young [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] is, for your girl name I thought a name like [name_f]Paula[/name_f] [name_f]Patricia[/name_f] would be darling, but a name you love is a name you love so if you like [name_f]Fernanda[/name_f] than it’s the one!
I love [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] Sante with [name_u]James[/name_u] Pierino, I think they’re a really good sibling combo!! I think you should definitely keep Sante with [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] – although I do like it as a first name, I like the matching better.
Patricia [name_f]Fernanda[/name_f] is very pretty, and I like that it matches [name_m]Harvey[/name_m]’s name as well!
I don’t normally vote for changing the name of a child to give one to a sibling, but in this case, I actually think giving Sante to another son (possibly) would be a good choice! Zappa is a very fun middle name. However, [name_m]Jim[/name_m] P. has the same sort of charm as [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] S, so that would be a great sibling set!
I know a family with 4 boys and, as the mother was convinced she was going to only have girls after every child, she used her favourite names on the first two. As a result, the last two boys have the middles of the first two as their first names. And… it doesn’t matter - it’s just a sweet tie between them!
In fact, I know of another 2 families where something similar is the case. Whilst I love names, I do think it’s quite a Nameberry things to always think about name combos and sibsets. In ordinary life, it probably doesn’t matter… (is that blasphemous?)
99% of the time people only know your first name, so I would use Sante, the name you love, in that spot. I would even let [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] keep that as his middle as well, or give him Zappa as a second middle. Changing it also wouldn’t matter.
[name_f]Welcome[/name_f]!
I don’t love [name_f]Fernanda[/name_f] and [name_f]Patricia[/name_f] together, or [name_f]Fernanda[/name_f] and [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] together. The first pairing seems really heavy – both are BIG names. And the second pairing (the sibset) seems drastically different. [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] is this kinda 50’s/60’s [name_f]Americana[/name_f] name, like [name_m]Jack[/name_m] and [name_m]Jim[/name_m]. And waaaay over here is [name_f]Fernanda[/name_f], a very foreign-sounding name (in that it has not become mainstream like [name_f]Sofia[/name_f] or [name_f]Anna[/name_f] or [name_u]Maria[/name_u] or [name_f]Francesca[/name_f], nor even started to immigrate over, like [name_u]Milo[/name_u] or [name_m]Enzo[/name_m]).
Actually, I muuuch prefer [name_f]Francesca[/name_f] or [name_f]Vanessa[/name_f] to [name_f]Fernanda[/name_f].
Pairings I think sound great with [name_m]Harvey[/name_m]:
[name_m]Harvey[/name_m] and:
[name_f]Francesca[/name_f]
[name_f]Vanessa[/name_f] (love the V in both)
Jim P. (In the OP)
[name_f]Flora[/name_f] or [name_f]Florence[/name_f]
Update: we are now also considering [name_m]Franklin[/name_m], [name_m]Frederick[/name_m], or [name_m]Matteo[/name_m] in addition to [name_m]Jim[/name_m]. Thoughts?
@tori101 I agree to just leave the names alone, but I always say “be true to yourself.” If you want to change it, go for it. [name_f]My[/name_f] parents actually changed my older sister’s name when she was a few months old from [name_u]Julie[/name_u] to [name_f]Julia[/name_f].
Your [name_f]Adela[/name_f] suggestion sticks out to me. I love [name_f]Adele[/name_f] too! [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] and [name_f]Adele[/name_f] sound great together.
Harvey Sante and [name_m]Franklin[/name_m] Pierno is so charming and handsome! For a girl to go with [name_m]Harvey[/name_m], strong Vs would sound perfect. [name_f]Victoria[/name_f], [name_f]Vanessa[/name_f], [name_f]Violet[/name_f] or even [name_f]Violeta[/name_f]. I have seen a few people mention [name_f]Francesca[/name_f] and [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] as well which I absolutely love to match with [name_m]Harvey[/name_m]! I also have to agree that [name_f]Fernanda[/name_f] may be a bit much with [name_m]Harvey[/name_m], but whatever you end up going with will be awesome as I think you and your husband have laid out some awesome options.
Update: We have a “Jim” [name_u]James[/name_u] Pierino! We ALMOST named him [name_m]Marvin[/name_m]! We both love that name, but we had taken it off the list because it has a similar sound to [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] and my husband kept accidentally saying “Harvin and Marvey.” Anyway, my husband thought [name_m]Jim[/name_m] looked like a [name_m]Marvin[/name_m]. So, we almost reconsidered, but stuck with [name_m]Jim[/name_m]. [name_m]Marvin[/name_m] is totally back on the list if we have a third son, though.
[name_m]Harvey[/name_m] S----e is such a cool name.
Anyway, my husband thought [name_m]Jim[/name_m] looked like a [name_m]Marvin[/name_m]. So, we almost reconsidered, but stuck with [name_m]Jim[/name_m]. 
[name_m]Marvin[/name_m] is totally back on the list if we have a third son, though. 