DH and I have settled on a first name for our baby girl due early [name]January[/name] and we’re now narrowing down middle names. I am torn between using my 2nd favorite name as the middle name or going with something else and ‘saving’ the name for a future baby. I know that there are no guarantees and another baby (let alone anothr girl) may not be in the cards for us, but i am just so torn! What are everyones thoughts on this? Did you ‘save’ a name? [name]Do[/name] you regret not using it? OR did you use it and now regret the decision?
I know how you feel. I’m constantly wondering whether or not I should use my favourites as middle names incase I’d want to use them as first names later. I think, if it sounds like the perfect name when you combine one and two, that I would use my second favourite as a middle. Really, it wouldn’t be a tragedy to have to use your first daughters middle name as a first name later on, and if you’re anything like most of us on this site, you’ll probably find a new name to love on anyway
I would use your second fave name if it flows well as a full name with the first. Honestly, by baby number 2 youre going to have a completely different name in mind. My middle name [name]Ella[/name] was used again on my sister, it hasn’t caused any problems, so in a few years if you like the name enough you can always reuse the middle name on new baby! <3
For my girl name choices, I had 3 top favorites and planned to use 1 and 3 for my first daughter and save 2. I would feel like I was using all the “good” names on my first and my second was getting leftovers. But I’ve had the same favorites for over a decade now. If you have a lot of favorites, or you tastes are likely to change within a couple years anyway, it’s not as big a deal.
I’m torn on this issue, but in a slightly different way.
I’m going to be changing my name, and one idea was [name]Alessandra[/name], but I had fallen in love with having a daughter named [name]Alessandra[/name]. Now it feels like it’s 100% my future daughter’s name.
Unfortunately I don’t even know if I’ll have a daughter!
Weigh in your tastes, how often do they change? Is that the only other name you truly love? [name]Do[/name] you have another name that you’d like in the middle space?
I really like @kungfualex’s idea of using choices 1 and 3 (unless they don’t go together as a combo) but that seems like an ideal option.
I unintentionally saved my favorite name for a future child. I had planned on using [name]Gabriel[/name] for my first son since the age of 11 but when I saw his ultrasound profile I just had an overwhelming feeling that it wasn’t a good fit and decided on calling him [name]Dominic[/name] that very day. It wasn’t even on my list at the time, but it fits him so perfectly and though I’ve tried to imagine him as a [name]Gabriel[/name] to see if I had any regrets about it, I know that my gut instinct was right. I didn’t know I was doing it at the time, but now I am secretly glad that [name]Gabriel[/name] is still at the top of my list just in case I get to use it for another boy someday.
I think I got a little carried away with my story, but the point is… You will know which names fit your child best.
Use a name you love. Use two names you love. Use a brand new name that you didn’t know you loved until she was in your arms.
And you can always find more names to love equally as much in the future, but your daughter now is your guarantee.
Regret seems far more likely if you deny her the perfect combo just because you are afraid to give away “all the good names”. Good luck! =]
