Thoughts on “Paloma”

[xoDelphine]

[name_m]Hi[/name_m] everyone ! I’m here again ! Quick summary : 26 weeks along first pregnancy with my husband , I’m [name_u]French[/name_u] , husband is American (with parents from [name_f]France[/name_f] & England) , we live in [name_u]Paris[/name_u] 6 months & [name_u]California[/name_u] 6 months so we have a very French-American life. Our surname is [name_f]Eve[/name_f], an [name_f]English[/name_f] surname from my FIL that is pronounced like the girl name.

We had decided on [name_f]Sidonie[/name_f]. It felt perfect because I have ancestry traced to Sidon, Lebanon & we love the name. We’ve already had it set in stone that our daughter will have the middle name [name_f]Frédérique[/name_f] (honour name), so no matter what her first name is, she will have the middle name [name_f]Frédérique[/name_f].

[name_f]Frédérique[/name_f] means “peaceful ruler”.

Lately, with everything going on in the world, I’ve been thinking of more peace-oriented names. Seeing @tp_b’s birth announcement of Joséphine [name_f]Myrtle[/name_f] [name_u]Peace[/name_u] & the reasoning for it has really got me thinking even more. [name_f]My[/name_f] life has also been touched by war, I have lost loved ones in war who live in the Middle [name_u]East[/name_u]. I’m a pacifist if there ever was one; I’ve been a vegetarian since birth because of my parents’ beliefs & a vegan since I was 8 ! [name_f]My[/name_f] DH shares these ideals. While my DH has maintained he wanted to honour my Frenchness by giving our child(ren) [name_u]French[/name_u] first names, I’ve started to fall in love with a non-French name : [name_f]Paloma[/name_f].

[name_f]Paloma[/name_f] (pa-LOW-mah) is a Spanish name meaning dove & is mostly associated with [name_f]Paloma[/name_f] [name_m]Picasso[/name_m]. I think it’s gorgeous. Husband does too, he is changing his stance on “French only”. It also doesn’t have the problems that [name_f]Sidonie[/name_f] has (Sidonie [name_f]Eve[/name_f] has a lot of EE sounds bumping into each other). [name_f]Paloma[/name_f] [name_f]Eve[/name_f] has a pretty flow. Plus, names that mean “dove” & “peaceful ruler” (Paloma Frédérique) seem to be a good set.

I love the names equally. So I ask if you : what do you think of [name_f]Paloma[/name_f] ? Specifically [name_f]Paloma[/name_f] [name_f]Frédérique[/name_f] ? Would you pick this over [name_f]Sidonie[/name_f] ( pronounced see-DOE-nee in [name_u]French[/name_u], sih-DOE-nee in English) ? If you could pick nicknames for [name_f]Paloma[/name_f], what would your suggestions be ? Thanks so much in advance… I know I’m probably gaining a reputation for going back & forth so much lol - [name_f]Delphine[/name_f]

[futuremama]

I adore [name_f]Paloma[/name_f]!

[TDFM]

I absolutely adore the name [name_f]Paloma[/name_f] and I think [name_f]Paloma[/name_f] [name_f]Frederique[/name_f] is an absolutely beautiful combo. I really adore it. I love the connection between their meanings and the [name_f]Paloma[/name_f] [name_m]Picasso[/name_m] association, and I think think [name_f]Paloma[/name_f] [name_f]Eve[/name_f] makes such a lovely, chic first and surname pairing.

I’m not personally a fan of [name_f]Sidonie[/name_f] whereas I’ve loved [name_f]Paloma[/name_f] for a long time, but apart from my personal preferences I think [name_f]Paloma[/name_f] sounds better with both your chosen middle name and your surname.

Nickname-wise, I don’t think it necessarily needs one but I do quite like [name_f]Lo[/name_f].

[Greyblue]

I do love [name_f]Paloma[/name_f]- pretty, peaceful and full of flair too

[Gabriellenz]

[name_f]Paloma[/name_f] is lovely and I like your reasoning but I much prefer [name_f]Sidonie[/name_f]! So sweet yet strong

[janeybaby]

[name_f]Paloma[/name_f] has always stood out to me and so I’m inclined to say yes, choose this over [name_f]Sidonie[/name_f]. [name_f]Paloma[/name_f] is unusual, has such a sweet meaning, and a thoroughly international feel whereas [name_f]Sidonie[/name_f] I connect far too much back to the name [name_u]Sydney[/name_u] / [name_u]Sidney[/name_u] (which is a little boring to me as I grew up with it being very common).

nicknames that I’d choose for [name_f]Paloma[/name_f] would probably be something like [name_f]Polly[/name_f] or [name_f]Lo[/name_f].

[XxIzzixX]

Paloma is pretty and uncommon, and I love the meaning. But there is a type of cocktail called Paloma, so that’s what my mind automatically went to. I prefer Sidonie. You’re right though, it does have a bit too much EE together, but at the same time I would still use it anyway if it were me. Her surname would probably change in the future.
Xx

[OpheliaFlora]

[name_f]Paloma[/name_f] is sweet; I do mostly associate it with people from Spanish-speaking backgrounds but wouldn’t be surprised by it not being so.
I do think it’s a name that really shines in its own language though; I don’t love how it sounds with the [name_u]French[/name_u] emphasis shift and the [name_f]English[/name_f] pronunciation doesn’t wow me either - with both I just much prefer the look (which is really pretty) over the sound of the name.

Between [name_f]Sidonie[/name_f] and [name_f]Paloma[/name_f] I actually don’t have a favourite but like both for you

[AES]

[name_f]Lola[/name_f] would be a cute nickname for [name_f]Paloma[/name_f]

[xoDelphine]

Waouh, I was not expecting such response ! Thanks everyone so much ! I have much to think about !

@futuremama Thanks so much

@TDFM Thank you so much ! I feel like it does sound prettier with the mn & our surname. It’s just one of those names that reached out & grabbed me ! You’re right, it doesn’t necessarily need a NN, but I do love [name_f]Lo[/name_f] !

@Greyblue Thank you I agree that it’s pretty and unique but full of flair & sophisticated!

@Gabriellenz I appreciate your input so much ! [name_f]Sidonie[/name_f] has my heart very much & apart from this thread of wondering, it pretty much is decided to be her name, so I’m really glad you like it

@janeybaby Thank you so much ! I love [name_f]Polly[/name_f] or [name_f]Lo[/name_f] !

@XxIzzixX Funny enough I was a bartender for a while & I didn’t even make this connection ! Thank you for your help & I’ll take your preference for [name_f]Sidonie[/name_f] definitely into more consideration. Apart from my husband and a few American friends, it’s hard to gauge a legitimate & honest opinion about the name, so it really does mean a lot !

@OpheliaFlora This is very true. [name_f]My[/name_f] second language to [name_u]French[/name_u] is Spanish & I spent a year at a Spanish boarding school, maybe that’s where my fascination with it comes from. It doesn’t sound as beautiful in [name_u]French[/name_u] nor [name_f]English[/name_f]. There is a definite benefit that doesn’t exist in either of those languages to the proper Spanish name. I know there’s a [name_f]Paloma[/name_f] [name_f]Faith[/name_f] who is a singer from [name_u]England[/name_u], so maybe I wrongfully thought it’d been normalised more in the Anglophone world. Thank you for your help on this.

@AES I LOVE [name_f]Lola[/name_f] ! That’s so pretty and perfect ! Thank you !

@tp_b I was not expecting to see you here so hello ! So happy for you, your family, and your little blessing ! I definitely agonised over your issue with [name_f]Sidonie[/name_f] before picking it. I asked about it in a thread here even to make sure it wouldn’t be a ridiculous sounding name in the US. I accepted that she might have a [name_u]French[/name_u] name (Sidonie) and an English-American name (Sydney) but could switch because I don’t mind the [name_u]Sydney[/name_u] pronunciation so much (kind of as the actor [name_m]Timothée[/name_m] Chalamet does by switching from “Timothée” in [name_f]France[/name_f] to “Timothy” in the Anglo sphere). Some people said that it might need to be corrected initially but then people would get it. That’s why I had nicknames in my back pocket so to speak like [name_f]Sisi[/name_f] (pronounced CeeCee), [name_f]Dodie[/name_f], [name_f]Doe[/name_f], or [name_f]Donie[/name_f]. But it is admittedly one of the problems I have in addition to the E sounds that are prominent in our name. Your tip is actually incredibly useful & I had never thought of it before ! If we stick with [name_f]Sidonie[/name_f], I’ll remember that trick. Thanks so much for your help & congrats on your 9th bundle of joy once more.

[maidcarrion]

I LOOOOOVE both [name_f]Paloma[/name_f] and [name_f]Sidonie[/name_f]! I think they both sound beautiful with your last name and your chosen middle name. I don’t think you can go wrong here, but if I had to pick one, [name_f]Paloma[/name_f] just slightly edges out ahead for me. I really love the meaning.

However, if you do still go with [name_f]Sidonie[/name_f], she will still have a “peaceful” name thanks to the meaning of [name_f]Frédérique[/name_f].

Also, if you plan on having more children, [name_f]Sidonie[/name_f] & [name_f]Paloma[/name_f] make gorgeous sister names.

[Oreobunn]

I don’t like [name_f]Paloma[/name_f] because it makes me think of melanoma and pomelo fruit which taste awful but I think of it because of the similarity in sound, but if you like it then go for it everybody’s taste is different

[xoDelphine]

@maidcarrion @etoilelumineuse @Oreobunn

Thank you for your honesty & input ! We’ve decided that we are going to stick with [name_f]Sidonie[/name_f] [name_f]Frédérique[/name_f] for this first child & since we are planning on having 2 or 3 more children, we are thinking of saving [name_f]Paloma[/name_f] for a sister (if we are blessed enough to have another). I think [name_f]Sidonie[/name_f] & [name_f]Paloma[/name_f] are a sweet sounding set. Im not too worried about the pronunciation of her name as both DH & I speak Spanish (mine is European, his is Latin American Spanish) & I’m sure if we introduced her with that name pronounced correctly, people would «get it».

Anyways, thanks so much even if you don’t like it, every bit of input matters to us [name_f]Sidonie[/name_f] [name_f]Frédérique[/name_f] it shall remain !

[Ashleyann8]

[name_f]Paloma[/name_f] is beautiful!

[Harvest-Endellion]

[name_f]Paloma[/name_f] is lovely!

[xoDelphine]

@Ashleyann8 @Harvest-Endellion @eattacosforbreakfast

Thank you all ! We’ve decided to name a potential second daughter [name_f]Paloma[/name_f] & stick with [name_f]Sidonie[/name_f] for our first !