Starting over :*(

General Name Discussion
1

I really need some help.

My husband and I just cannot come to an agreement over girls’ names. I mean, it’s gotten really awful and tense and there’s even been some yelling (mostly on his end) and I’m now given to spontaneous crying fits about it. I mean, I never cry; sometimes it gives me allergic reactions where my eyelids swell up like ping pong balls, so I try to avoid it on the very rare occasions I’m prone to it… Anyway, we never yell at each other and we rarely even argue about anything other than current events and philosophy-type stuff. So this is obviously really important to us both, and we’re also both really stubborn firstborn children, i.e. buttheads. I mean, we’re TTC, not even pregnant yet, but now I feel like we have to get this settled before I’m pregnant because if we are still behaving like this then… I just don’t think those kinds of feelings would be good for a pregnancy. Also, stress and unhappiness = bad for fertility.

I dunno, maybe we should just shelve it until there’s an actual baby and maybe he’d be nicer and a little more willing to give…? But then I’m not sure if I can go on with this albatross. Also, a little background: he has a very, very unusual, but not odd surname-name and he just loves it. I am a gen-XYer with a total baby boomer name, and I’ve never really liked it.

So we had a list of things we both at least liked, and I told him I was ready to settle on one of them - [name]Genevieve[/name] - and he bucked and told me he liked it less because I was “insisting” on it, blah blah, etc. sigh He likes alliteration; I don’t. He likes things that he finds very unique (but often aren’t and are quite trendy NOW, which he says doesn’t bother him); I like underused classics. He likes names where the alphabet farts vowels; I like names that are singular (i.e. don’t sound like any other names). I like names with a strong history and/or meaning; he doesn’t care as long as the meaning isn’t bad. These were some of mine:

[name]Genevieve[/name]
[name]Gillian[/name]
[name]Lorelei[/name]
[name]Marion[/name]
[name]Meredith[/name]
[name]Sylvia[/name]
[name]Vivian[/name] (since discarded, thanks Brangelina)

Here are some of his:

[name]Adalynn[/name]
[name]Aurelia[/name]
[name]Chantal[/name]
[name]Cordelia[/name]
[name]Hunter[/name]
[name]Layla[/name]
[name]Jocelyn[/name]
[name]Kaylee[/name]
[name]Penelope[/name]
[name]Perrine[/name]
[name]Phoebe[/name]
[name]Remmy[/name]
[name]Violet[/name]
[name]Zara[/name]

I cannot figure out what the hell his names have in common. Anyway, there are two names that we like pretty much equally but can’t use because of our last name ([name]Kane[/name]):

[name]Camille[/name]
[name]Chloe[/name]

So… I need help, y’all. We’re both coming up with new long lists, and I’m sure that his will range from tryndeigh to totally asinine, with just a couple of gems thrown in that start with the letter C and I don’t want to use because of the alliteration. I’ve come up with a list of about 20 new ones*, but I have reservations about most of them. I need more suggestions. [name]Every[/name] time I think I’ve reached the end of the name internet, I peruse these boards and lists and come up with another gem or two… I’m hoping maybe a few of you guys may be able to do the same.

The boy’s name that we finally discovered we both love: [name]Tristan[/name]. It’s “unique” (i.e. trendy, lol) enough for him, and classic and literary/historic enough for me.

*Didn’t want to take up yet more space but it’s right here: Vote on Name Lists at BabyNames.com

2

Your post made me laugh! I will tell you that once you are pregnant and after carrying that baby 9 months and giving birth I think your husband might bend a little bit. LOL! Anyway I think If you are both content with [name]Tristan[/name], which I love, then I think you should start with that and go with girl names that compliment that in case you ever get a [name]Tristan[/name] second. I think [name]Tristan[/name] sounds cool, yet literary and a bit off the beaten path. I think some of your husbands choices are sorta unusual but maybe too unusual to go with [name]Tristan[/name]? Also do you have any family names you want to use as middles? I think since your last name is short you can go with a double syllable first name too.

3

Names Like Those From YOUR List
[name]Beatrice[/name]
[name]Elizabeth[/name]
[name]Violet[/name]
[name]Audrey[/name]
[name]Ava[/name]
[name]Charlotte[/name]
[name]Olivia[/name]
[name]Grace[/name]
[name]Lucy[/name]
[name]Caroline[/name]
[name]Claire[/name]
[name]Lily[/name]
[name]Rose[/name]
[name]Abigail[/name]
[name]Ella[/name]
[name]Virginia[/name]
[name]Alice[/name]

Names Like Those Your HUSBAND Likes
[name]Grace[/name]
[name]Violet[/name]
[name]Addison[/name]
[name]Olivia[/name]
[name]Audrey[/name]
[name]Elizabeth[/name]
[name]Lucy[/name]
[name]Charlotte[/name]
[name]Ava[/name]
[name]Leah[/name]
[name]Madelyn[/name]
[name]Scarlett[/name]
[name]Julia[/name]
[name]Isabella[/name]
[name]Lily[/name]
[name]Ella[/name]
[name]Alice[/name]
[name]Abigail[/name]
[name]Caroline[/name]
[name]Rose[/name]
[name]Sophia[/name]

Names In Common
[name]Elizabeth[/name]
[name]Violet[/name]
[name]Audrey[/name]
[name]Ava[/name]
[name]Charlotte[/name]
[name]Olivia[/name]
[name]Grace[/name]
[name]Lucy[/name]
[name]Caroline[/name]
[name]Lily[/name]
[name]Abigail[/name]
[name]Ella[/name]
[name]Alice[/name]
[name]Rose[/name]

I hope some of these suggestions can help you out. Good luck!

4

Totally feel your pain! I think you many just have to choose something that doesn’t bug u too much!! I really like [name]Tristan[/name] & [name]Lorelei[/name], [name]Tristan[/name] & [name]Marion[/name], [name]Tristan[/name] & [name]Violet[/name] or [name]Tristan[/name] and [name]Zara[/name] together. I like Chole [name]Kane[/name] together, it isn’t too much K for me. I’d use it with a longer middle though. [name]Chloe[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name] [name]Kane[/name], Chole [name]Vivian[/name] [name]Kane[/name] or [name]Chloe[/name] [name]Penelope[/name] [name]Kane[/name].

5

“He likes names where the alphabet farts vowels” - literally LOLed.
Sorry your having such a rough time with this, naming should be fun! You both seem really frustrated, maybe it is time to step away and gather your thoughts about it. I agree his list is all over the place. However; [name]Aurelia[/name], [name]Cordelia[/name], [name]Penelope[/name], [name]Phoebe[/name], and [name]Violet[/name] are all underused classics. So maybe name you like isn’t to far away. [name]How[/name] about:
[name]Alexandra[/name]
[name]Amelia[/name]
[name]Annabel[/name]
[name]Aurora[/name]
[name]Bianca[/name]
[name]Cecilia[/name]
[name]Daphne[/name]
[name]Delia[/name] (or [name]Dahlia[/name])
[name]Eliza[/name]
[name]Felicity[/name]
[name]Gemma[/name]
[name]Gwendolyn[/name]
[name]Helena[/name]
[name]Ivy[/name]
[name]Juliet[/name]
[name]Laurel[/name]
[name]Lillian[/name]
[name]Matilda[/name]
[name]Melinda[/name]
[name]Miranda[/name]
[name]Monica[/name]
[name]Rebecca[/name]
[name]Rosaline[/name]
[name]Sabrina[/name]
[name]Scarlett[/name]
[name]Simone[/name]
[name]Veronica[/name]

6

It may be a very good idea to put this to rest until you are actually ARE pregnant. TTC can be stressful and there really is no need to add to it. I say this for a variety of reasons:

  1. Actually having the little guy or girl inside you may make the whole naming experience come into focus. It did for me. It was very hard to really choose a name together until I felt my daughter kicking. When the “baby” actually starts becoming a real and separate person, this may affect the names you gravitate towards, because right now, it’s still an abstract exercise.

  2. Although I did NOT want to know my baby’s gender until she was born, since you and your husband are having such a hard time (crying, yelling, etc. although you seem to have kept a good sense of humor in your post!) you may want to seriously consider finding out your baby’s gender. If it’s a boy, well OK – No need to fight. If it’s a girl, well at least you’ve eliminated half of the naming universe.

  3. There was a very good Nameberry Blog about how to avoid fighting over names, and one of the suggestions that really stood out to me was rather than focusing on the names, focus on the desires BEHIND the names. Why does alliteration bother you? Are you afraid it doesn’t sound serious/grown-up/too comic bookey? Why are “underused classics” important to you? You may not even know the answer yourself before you ask these questions. They helped me understand my husbands’ tastes in names, and value them.

In short, it’s not worth fighting about it now. Wait. Take a time out.

Whew – take this for whatever it’s worth!! I’ll post about your names in another post!

7

Some compromises?
[name]Camille[/name] + [name]Perrine[/name] = [name]Pernilla[/name]
[name]Chloe[/name] - C = [name]Noe[/name] (No-ay)
[name]Violet[/name] + [name]Vivian[/name] = [name]Viveca[/name]
[name]Remmy[/name] + [name]Gillian[/name] = [name]Romilly[/name]

Or what about:
[name]Juliet[/name]
[name]Laurel[/name]
[name]Gwendolyn[/name]
[name]Lucille[/name]
[name]Bridget[/name] / [name]Bridgitte[/name]
[name]Miranda[/name]
[name]Amelia[/name]
[name]Allegra[/name]
[name]Veronica[/name]

You know, your styles don’t really seem that different to me. [name]Phoebe[/name] and [name]Cordelia[/name] both strike me as classic names. [name]Lorelei[/name] and [name]Genevieve[/name] have their fair share of vowels.

[name]EDIT[/name]: I just saw jadediana’s list and can’t believe how many of the same names we have!! Great minds obviously think alike :wink:

8

Violet1 - over my dead f**king body. I’ll try my best to compromise, but I am not picking some colorless, indistinct, wishy-washy wallflower cre8tiv tryndeigh un1qu3 name that I may be able to live with just to keep his ass contented. I sign the birth certificate. Period. The end. I will NOT give my child a name that I wouldn’t have liked to have myself; and if my husband doesn’t like that, he is free to leave.

[name]Moxie[/name] - I believe it’s called “gallows humor.” :wink: Seriously though, it wasn’t until he suggested “[name]Hunter[/name]” for a girl that I started the crying fits. I asked him whether he could picture me, his sister (prissy), or my sister (way prissier) as a “[name]Hunter[/name].” He said, “Yeah, why not?” I was like, “What makes you think a girl would like being named [name]Hunter[/name]?” He said, “It sounds good.” WHAT THE FKITY FK IS WRONG WITH HIM?! Seriously, I don’t think he’s thinking about a potential [name]PERSON[/name]. He’s thinking about this as an opportunity to express his creativity. It’s SO wrong - it’s the commodification of another human being. He’s an English professor, for god’s sake! He should know better than this!

So I have tried to analyze why we like the names that we do. (I like classics because they’re timeless, underused because they’re not too common; longer names because you have a greater number of options re: nicknames; names with a great meaning or history because I don’t want my children disappointed like I was when I found out that my lame baby boomer name meant “strong and womanly” and was just a variant of a dude’s name and didn’t exist a few decades previous; names that don’t fart vowels because a southern tongue cannot pronounce glottals well and because vowel-riffic names are for pansies ([name]Genevieve[/name] and [name]Lorelei[/name] do have a lot of vowels, but firstly, they are strong vowels, and secondly, the vowel sounds actually equal the consonant sounds, as opposed to [name]Aurelia[/name] or [name]Eliana[/name] where vowels clearly outnumber consonants; but the former is much more important than the latter, as the “uh” sound sucks); names that aren’t alliterative because they don’t sound like cheesy Hollywood names). But when I try, he either just shuts down - because he doesn’t want to admit the reason that he likes the names that he does, i.e. he hasn’t heard them before - or he tries to meet me on one level only ("[name]Valentina[/name] was the first woman in space! Let’s pick that!").

So, anyway. The names that y’all have posted - some of them are NMS, some of them are NHS (and some - like [name]Helena[/name] and [name]Bianca[/name] - are already on my new long list). Southerners just can’t properly pronounce [name]Aurelia[/name] or [name]Olivia[/name] or [name]Laurel[/name] or [name]Romilly[/name]. [name]Charlotte[/name] sounds too much like harlot. [name]Gwendolen[/name] sounds too [name]Lord[/name] of the Rings to me (though he likes it of course, since he hasn’t heard it before). Several - [name]Cecily[/name], [name]Scarlett[/name], [name]Simone[/name], [name]Juliet[/name], [name]Abigail[/name] - he has rejected. I think you guys are thinking about the decent names he picks as a “style,” but they aren’t a style. They’re just shit he hasn’t heard before. Honestly. Like one of the few semi-normal girl names he really likes is [name]Georgia[/name] - sounds pretty normal, right? Yeah, except that HE’S FROM [name]FLORIDA[/name], WHERE NO ONE WOULD [name]EVER[/name] [name]EVER[/name] [name]EVER[/name] NAME A KID [name]GEORGIA[/name]. [name]EVER[/name]. It is not in their lexicon - think SEC football.

The gems I have found recently are [name]Leonora[/name], [name]Viola[/name], [name]Isadora[/name], and [name]Annora[/name]/[name]Honora[/name]. I have a couple of minor reservations about all of them, but regardless, they’re the kind of thing I’m looking for. I’m almost as in love with [name]Viola[/name] as I am with [name]Genevieve[/name] - and he actually suggested [name]Violet[/name] (hasn’t heard it before I’m sure) - but I have a couple of reservations about how trendy [name]Violet[/name] is getting, and [name]Viola[/name] will only be pronounced right half the time…

sigh I’m tired of being so angry…

9

I vote for [name]Alice[/name], since that’s what we are naming our daughter (yes, selfish of me, but what a great classic name!). I also love [name]Penelope[/name]. There are way too many Olivias! Good luck with your decision.

10

Ugh, you are giving me flashbacks to my conversations with DH when I was pregnant :wink:

I love [name]Isadora[/name]! But I love a bunch of “I” names. I think I really connect with the stronger vowel sound, too (I am not a big fan of frilly sounding girls names). Here are my favorite “I” names –
[name]Isadora[/name]
[name]Isla[/name]
[name]Ingrid[/name]
[name]Ivy[/name] (not my fave, but I see the appeal)
[name]Iris[/name]
[name]Inga[/name]
[name]Isolde[/name]

Good luck with your search! I love [name]Genevieve[/name] from your list and [name]Cordelia[/name] from his list. And I agree, [name]Hunter[/name] has got to go :smiley:

11

If he’s yelling at you over this, and resisting anything because he thinks you’re pushing for it, does he have control issues? I’d probably go to counseling.

12

Whistling girl, I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry – but reading your posts, I’m doing a lot of both. If you want to write a guest post for nameberry on this subject, we’d love to have it! You can email me at pam@nameberry.com, but you may just be fueling the fire with your husband.

I can’t help feeling, as others have said, that you and your husband are not that far apart on a lot of names. And really, you only need one. You managed to agree on [name]Tristan[/name] – that’s huge. I bet there’s a girl’s name out there you will both love.

My marriage is a lot like yours, and often I think our fights are about the fights themselves rather than the thing we’re supposedly disagreeing about. [name]Early[/name] in our marriage we went to buy an Oriental rug, probably our first major home purchase, and had a huge fight in the store about what kind of rug we wanted. We both stalked off in opposite directions on our individual rug searches. Finally, I found it, my perfect rug, and when I looked up to call my husband over to see it, he was standing across from me, pointing down at the same rug.

A couple of things. Unhook your name craziness from health concerns or feelings that it will hurt your chances of conceiving. That’s just blowing the whole thing up even further than it already is, and way further than it needs to be. Second, try to see your name fights for what they are – not really fights about names, but power struggles over who has control in your relationship and how you each assert your individuality in your new family. Maybe this is stuff you need help from a couple’s counselor or a good communication book to solve, maybe you can work it out yourself, I don’t know!

It might help, if you can bear it, to start out with something like: I love you, I can’t wait to have a child with you, and I want to find a way we can have fun together coming up with a name we both love. Let’s work out a system that helps us talk about names without either of us getting angry or hurt. Maybe you take turns coming up with a long list from which the other person gets to approve or veto, no discussion allowed?

Plus, you can always talk about names here in a way you can’t with your husband! And the male-female differences in your opinions are not so unusual – women often think guys’ taste in names is tacky, while guys think the names women like are dowdy.

And for the record, I actually like [name]Camille[/name] [name]Kane[/name]!

13

[name]Ah[/name], @whistlinggirl, what a mess! I pretty much agree with [name]Pam[/name], as she usually - always - speaks the truth, and I like to agree with her. Ha! Anyway, forget about the fertility issues, forget about the names for a second, and just figure out the communication issue. Yelling and crying aren’t so good, but sometimes that’s what it takes, right? Obviously, the reason you’re arguing about this is because it is so very important to both of you - it’s your future child’s name, and it’s great that your husband is so eager to be involved. But, that does leave you with the problem of coming to a compromise. Whatever you need to do to work it out, whether that be making lists and vetoing them without commentary (seriously, sometimes comments don’t help!), or actually seeing a couples’ therapist, do it! At least, if I were in your situation, that’s what I’d do…

Anyway, back to your names. [name]Tristan[/name] is awesome, and it’s even more fabulous that it’s one you’ve agreed on! It’s got that trendy - not in a bad way, I swear! - “an” ending and a funky, modern sound, but it is also the epitome of “mythical classic,” which is a new style I’ve just now named. Ha! [name]Just[/name] as a side note - [name]Tristan[/name] isn’t trendy. [name]Don[/name]'t worry! Now, you pair that with a longer middle name, and [name]Tristan[/name] [name]Kane[/name] is a total winner! Well done to the both of you. Take some time to celebrate that, alright?

Now, when you’re looking at girl names, why not find ones that work well with [name]Tristan[/name]? That seems like a natural conclusion to me, and luckily, many of your names would be awesome with [name]Tristan[/name]. [name]Genevieve[/name]? Gorgeous. [name]Meredith[/name]? Stunning! [name]Sylvia[/name]? Vintage chic and oh-so-glamorous. Nice names, momma! [name]Cordelia[/name]? Cool and classic. [name]Phoebe[/name]? Totally spunky and fun! [name]Zara[/name]? [name]Princess[/name]-fabulous. Again, well done, daddy!

As many a [name]Berry[/name] has said, these names are so similar! And, all of them would be perfection with [name]Tristan[/name] and [name]Kane[/name]! So, what’s the deal? Personal preference. Plain and simple. He doesn’t like [name]Genevieve[/name]? Well, does he maybe like [name]Gwendolen[/name] (or [name]Gwendolyn[/name])? Pretty darn chic, and it’s literary - plus, [name]Gwen[/name] is totally modern and fun, thanks to [name]Gwen[/name] [name]Stefani[/name]! Or, if you’re open to something a little more exotic, what about [name]Neve[/name] [nehv], which means “snow”? Pair it with a longer middle name and, voila, you’ve got yourself a combination! Or, what about the frilly and sweet [name]Giselle[/name], or her glamorous sister, [name]Gisela[/name]? It’s a bit like [name]Camille[/name], yes, but with all the romance of [name]Genevieve[/name]! Plus, [name]Gigi[/name] [name]Kane[/name]? [name]Love[/name] it. He doesn’t like surname-turned-name [name]Meredith[/name] but is willing to name your daughter [name]Hunter[/name]? Well, what about [name]Harper[/name]? It’s literary, of course, and modern and playful, yet it’s got a feminine sound! A “no” for [name]Sylvia[/name], but he likes [name]Remy[/name]? Well, what about the equally-nickname-y [name]Sylvie[/name] instead? It’s playful and fun, and doesn’t sound quite as dowdy - not my opinion, but very well may be his! - as [name]Sylvia[/name], right? [name]Tristan[/name] and [name]Sylvie[/name] [name]Kane[/name]? Winners. Alright, you’re not so big on [name]Cordelia[/name], so why not switch it up with [name]Miranda[/name]? A gorgeous Shakespearean name with modern appeal and enough uniqueness to last, plus that [name]Mira[/name] nickname. Perfect. You’re not one for [name]Phoebe[/name]'s spunky delight, are you? Well, would you consider the equally perky [name]Daphne[/name] instead? You would but he wouldn’t? Well, maybe [name]Mairi[/name] [MAH-ree] is it for you, a variant of [name]Mary[/name]! And, no princess-perfect [name]Zara[/name]? Would the literary [name]Zora[/name] do, or perhaps you’d fall for the glamorous [name]Aveline[/name] or [name]Aurora[/name]? So much potential for compromise exists in the world of names - you just have to hunt, hunt, hunt!

Best of luck to you and yours!

[name]Lemon[/name] :slight_smile:

14

[name]Pam[/name] - I’d love to write a guest blog. I’ll shoot ya an e-mail! And nah, my spouse wouldn’t mind; he’s the kind of person that diffuses tension with humor.

You’re right that the fights are usually about the fights. I LOL’ed at your oriental rug story. I hope that’s exactly what this is. Last conversation we had about this, he said that if I got [name]Genevieve[/name] as a first, he got [name]Cordelia[/name] as a middle. To which I replied, “That sounds ridiculous, it’s too long!” (This is when the yelling happened.) So later on, I was like, “[name]How[/name] about [name]Genevieve[/name] [name]Georgia[/name]? It’s a name you like with a name you love, it’s got the alliteration you like, it’s a win-win!” To which he replied, “I’ll think about it.” GRR! He just doesn’t want to give me the “win.”

And I know that because it’s exactly what I would do. It’s not that my husband is controlling - it’s that we both resist being controlled. You know how most relationships have one leader and one follower? We don’t. We’re both firstborns, we’re both decision-makers, we don’t waffle around, we don’t spend a lot of time regretting, etc. etc. We each have one leg in the pants. But our relationship - 7 years now - has always worked well because each of us values some things more than others, and each of us is good at different things. I pick the food, he picks the movie. I plan the finances, he plans the social life. I pick the furniture, he picks the art. But naming a kid? We each place equal value on it and think we’re equally good (ahem better) at it. And to top it off, we both have degrees in literature, so we place a premium on language and words. And I think that last part is really the kicker, 'cause we’ve worked around other (more important really) things much more easily than this, with no yelling or tears of any kind.

You are way right that I need to stop the doomsday-think.

[name]Lemon[/name] - thanks! Some of those suggestions are great (of course, several of them one of us has already rejected, lol). They also make me realize that my husband is probably unaware of something that I took for granted, because he’s from [name]Miami[/name] and I’m from Mississippi. A lot of names - [name]Aurelia[/name], [name]Aurora[/name], [name]Zara[/name] - fall apart in a southerner’s* mouth because we have a bit of a hard time with R’s, to a lesser extent L’s, and indefinite vowel sounds like “ah” and “uh” - and when you combine all those things, we’re often literally incapable of saying the name. I liked [name]Cordelia[/name] until I heard my mom butcher it a few times. I’m from an urban area so my accent is very slight, but even I can’t say [name]Aurora[/name] or [name]Laurel[/name] properly (seriously, it sounds like grunting) - and now that I think about it, both [name]Lorelei[/name] and [name]Meredith[/name] (as well as [name]Charlotte[/name], which is decidedly NOT popular around here) may not sound so great coming out of a lot of people’s mouths - though they’d fare a lot better than [name]Aurelia[/name]. [name]Aurelia[/name] is basically my name kryptonite. Hell, I think the only reason I can say [name]Cordelia[/name] right is that I watched both [name]Buffy[/name] the Vampire Slayer and [name]Angel[/name].

Thank you, re: [name]Tristan[/name]! That’s how I feel about it, too - “mythical classic” is a great term. It’s had a slow climb in popularity since the 70’s, so it’s not exactly “trendy.” And it’s a name from [name]King[/name] [name]Arthur[/name], which nets it several dozen cool points in my book. But more importantly, when we discovered we had it in common, I didn’t care where it fell on the social security list. Which makes it right, y’know?

So, thank y’all. This is a communication problem rather than a name problem, so I guess I’ll just shelve it for a while so we can get past the desire to “win.” After all, we’ve got plenty of time.

*My part of the South anyway.

15

Good to hear you sounding more positive about the situation, @whistlinggirl! And, about [name]Genevieve[/name] [name]Cordelia[/name], I think it’s awesome! Yes, long, but at least you have a short last name, right? Hm - I hadn’t thought of those accent problems, but I get what you’re saying. You definitely want a name that both of you - and your relatives! - can pronounce. If he won’t go for [name]Genevieve[/name] [name]Georgia[/name] [name]Kane[/name], maybe you could split of [name]Cordelia[/name] into [name]Genevieve[/name] [name]Cora[/name] [name]Kane[/name] - a bit of alliteration for him! - or [name]Genevieve[/name] [name]Delia[/name] [name]Kane[/name]? Oh, but you said R’s and L’s are a bit of a struggle, right? Hm…

If you haven’t done so already, maybe you can sort through the Literary Names for Girls list on NB, together. It holds a ton of awesome names, and I’m sure you’ve both got your own literary favorites due to those literature degrees, right? My personal favorites off the list are [name]Antonia[/name], [name]Arabella[/name], [name]Briony[/name], [name]Ellis[/name], [name]Evangeline[/name], [name]Guinevere[/name], [name]Juliet[/name], [name]Mercy[/name], and [name]Rosamond[/name]. Here’s the link if you haven’t already seen it: Literary Names for Girls | Nameberry.

[name]Lemon[/name] :slight_smile:

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[name]Lemon[/name], not just me and my relatives, but the potential kiddo’s classmates and teachers as well! It’s not really that we folks can’t pronounce an R or an L or “ah” or “eh” but when they all come together, it’s gobblygook. [name]Laurel[/name] = Lorl. Oh, it’s terrible. Some of us are better at it than others but overall it just ain’t good. L’s and R’s are fine if they aren’t accompanied by nondistinct vowels. [name]Even[/name] then, L’s work out much better than R’s. R + ah + L = monkey grunts.

I guess I could accept [name]Genevieve[/name] [name]Cordelia[/name] (I don’t give much of a toot about middle names except in the abstract) if that was what he really wanted. I think both of us want a first name we love, though. I’m not willing to accept anything I’m not 1000% happy with, and I guess he isn’t, either. He’s really burned by the idea that women get 51%+ of the vote.

Good idea re: literary name list! We’ve gone through a lot of boy ideas ([name]Marlow[/name], [name]Conrad[/name], [name]Auden[/name], etc. - ok, some of those he suggested for a girl, sigh) but the pickings seem a bit slimmer for girls. I’m name crushing [name]Viola[/name] - of Twelfth [name]Night[/name] - right now (I’d have to field test it, but I can pronounce it fine) and since he likes [name]Violet[/name], he may go for it… but I’ve got misgivings about the instrument association, since one of us may be a bit tone deaf. Ahem. [name]Don[/name]'t want to name your kid “Irony,” know what I mean?

Anyway, once we’re had a little time to reflect, we’ll reopen the dialogue. I’ll let y’all know what happens.

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Sounds like a plan… :slight_smile:

[name]Lemon[/name] :slight_smile:

PS [name]Viola[/name] [name]Kane[/name] is gorgeous! [name]Love[/name] it! And, I think of Twelfth [name]Night[/name] and flowers before the instrument, myself. That could be because I pronounce [name]Viola[/name] as [VYE-oh-la] and viola as [VEE-oh-la], though…

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Yay! Thank you!

I pronounce it Vye-O-la. So yeah, I guess that’s not pronounced the same way as the instrument. Whew. I do wonder, however, how I’ll feel about [name]Viola[/name] if [name]Violet[/name] breaks into the top 10 - which it very well may in the next few years, though it’ll probably head this way last - it’s all up north right now. My other new love is [name]Eloise[/name], but I think there’s zero chance of DH liking that. I’ve also got [name]Adelaide[/name], [name]Eleanor[/name], [name]Rosalind[/name]… I think [name]Viola[/name] has the best chance, though.

Whew! [name]Feel[/name] so much better now.

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WG -

Yea, I’d definitely give [name]Viola[/name] a test run with the hubby, especially if he loves [name]Violet[/name]. [name]Viola[/name] [name]Kane[/name] is softer than [name]Violet[/name] [name]Kane[/name], too, and [name]Tristan[/name] and [name]Viola[/name] would make a stunning sibling set one day, right? This sounds really silly when I say it, but the only time I’ve actually heard [name]Viola[/name] used as a name is in that one movie with [name]Jane[/name] [name]Fonda[/name] and [name]Jennifer[/name] Lopez - Monster In [name]Law[/name]. [name]Ah[/name]! Anyway, I don’t think [name]Viola[/name] (NR) will get as popular as [name]Violet[/name] (#141) because it isn’t quite as vintage, although it has history, and I doubt it will be used for a “celebaby” now that [name]Violet[/name] has been taken by the [name]Garner[/name]-Affleck clan! I definitely see a name like [name]Stella[/name] (#126) climbing the charts well before [name]Violet[/name], as far as our vintage names go. [name]Charlotte[/name]'s (#68) not even in the Top 10, and she’ll likely get there before either [name]Stella[/name] or [name]Violet[/name] do, honestly…

[name]Lemon[/name] :slight_smile:

PS [name]Love[/name] [name]Eloise[/name]! One of my new favorites! [name]Rosalind[/name] [[name]ROZ[/name]-a-lin(d)] is gorgeous, too, as is the slightly softer [name]Rosaline[/name]! That’s either [[name]ROZ[/name]-a-lin] or [[name]ROSE[/name]-ah-line] - pick your favorite!

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[name]Love[/name] this discussion. Thanks, [name]Lemon[/name]. I love people who agree with me – ask my husband!

Did anyone see the Broadway play Urinetown? There’s a song in that called “[name]Don[/name]'t Be The [name]Bunny[/name]” which gave me enormous insight into both me and my husband and sounds like it might apply to you too, Whistlinggirl. It wasn’t so much that either of us wanted to dominate that we didn’t want to be dominated – neither of us wanted to be dominated.

[name]Lemon[/name], I too love [name]Genevieve[/name] [name]Cordelia[/name]!

I know I’ve told this story endlessly, but when we were expecting our older son, I said his first name was going to be [name]Joseph[/name] and that was that. It was my dad’s name, grandfather’s name, and I loved it. So I told my husband he could choose any middle name he wanted and I wouldn’t say anything about it. He waited until our son was born to announce his pick: [name]Leopold[/name]. I remember the moment clearly. I said, Of all the names in all the world, you pick [name]Leopold[/name]? And he countered that it was a family name for him, I said he could pick whatever he wanted without fighting, and that if we wanted to throw the whole decision back on the table he’d discuss it, otherwise – well, basically, shut up.

This was 1989 and everyone was horrified. I remember one friend asking, “You mean as in, …and [name]Loeb[/name]?”

21 years later, we all love it, especially [name]Joseph[/name] [name]Leopold[/name] himself.

I guess this is a little parable in support of [name]Genevieve[/name] [name]Cordelia[/name].