Warming up to an honor name?

[ftmremie]

Our baby is due in 3 weeks, and we finally settled on a name:[name_u]Emmett[/name_u] [name_m]Ward[/name_m] (thanks to those who voted!).

I don’t hate the name at all, and it makes me SO SO happy to honor a couple of the men in our families, but I also don’t love it. I guess I feel like [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] is a bit vanilla. [name_m]Ward[/name_m] I love The significance of honoring the [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] in our family makes it worth it to me, but I wish I felt over the moon about it. And for the record — the only name I truly do feel over the moon about doesn’t flow right with our last name, so it’s not like I’m giving up a name I adore for one I think is vanilla.

I’m wondering — has anyone had to warm up to a name in the past? Any [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] lovers out there that can you help me fall in love with our choice?

[mamanmia]

i like it! reminds me of [name_m]Earnest[/name_m] or [name_u]Elliot[/name_u]

[boyandgirl]

I love it. If you prefer [name_m]Ward[/name_m], use [name_m]Ward[/name_m] [name_u]Emmett[/name_u].

[amabadger]

I love [name_u]Emmett[/name_u]! I think it’s a very strong, handsome name and when I hear it I think of a strong, handsome boy! I love the meaning (it’s a variation of the Hebrew word for “truth”) and I can think of plenty of strong associations! I think it’s a great choice.

[ccmrath]

[name_u]Emmett[/name_u] is great. It’s strong and sturdy, yet also a bit soft and charming too.

[theotherkatie]

[name_u]Emmett[/name_u] is so versatile! This is one of those names that would fit just as well on a football player as it would a [name_m]Rhodes[/name_m] scholar. It’s spellable, not too fusty, easy for children and adults to say… really great.

I tend to favor long, clunky, classically-ugly names that no sane parent would ever give their child. As a result, I am extremely picky about “regular” names, but approve of a few like [name_m]Robert[/name_m] and [name_u]Dana[/name_u]. [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] is a name where, if I heard it, I would think “Oh, that’s a good one because it’s efficient and everyone can spell it and it doesn’t end in an N like every other boy’s name in the 2010s. Good job to those parents.”

[kendelbell]

[name_u]Emmett[/name_u] [name_m]Ward[/name_m] is a fine name, like you’re saying. It has meaning. But in my opinion, you shouldn’t settle until it’s on something you both love!

[aleerakate]

My nephew is [name_m]Kevin[/name_m], there are not a lot of 8 year old [name_m]Kevin[/name_m]'s around but he was named after his grandfather on his dad’s side. My sister didn’t like the name, in fact she still doesn’t, but it fits him perfectly and she has said so many times that never in a million years would she change his name.

She loves that he is named after such a strong and kind man and that there are no other [name_m]Kevin[/name_m]'s in school.

I think you’ll find that you’ll warm to the name once he’s born

[ftmremie]

@tfzolghadr

I love this combo! [name_m]Ward[/name_m] is quite unexpected, and would make a great nickname. [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] reminds me of root beer floats, old trucks, baseball games in fields with long grass and crickets chirping during the summer, and boys in overalls kicking a can down the street. To me, it’s got a nostalgic feeling about it. The only [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] I’ve known was in his late 30s/ early 40s. He was a funny, smart, adventurous, down to earth kind of guy who had a great job, wonderful family, and loved to travel. So I can only sing [name_u]Emmett[/name_u]'s praises.

When we named [name_f]Emiliana[/name_f], I was over the moon. It was the name I’d had saved for a daughter for so many years. The fact that my husband approved of it (shocker) and the family members in Iran could pronounce (and most even liked it) just made everything better. When we almost didn’t get to use [name_f]Emiliana[/name_f] due to the naming laws in Iran, it almost killed me. To be fair, many people around us thought we were crazy for choosing [name_f]Emiliana[/name_f] and most of the Iranian family members didn’t like her middle name— [name_f]Pari[/name_f].

This time around, we’ve chosen [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] Kaveh. I like it, but I’m not over the moon in the same way. We chose this name, as we knew Iran would approve it much more easily than my top choice, [name_m]Raphael[/name_m] (I had to accept that one was just never gonna happen). [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] has a lot of meaning for us, as does Kaveh. [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] honors places and memories, and Kaveh honors culture, values, and memories. I’m in love with what it honors more than the name itself. Sometimes I still have my doubts, thinking perhaps we should have used [name_m]Kian[/name_m] or [name_m]Soren[/name_m]. Perhaps [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] is too over the top. Maybe it won’t fit him when he’s born. But we’ve already sent the name off for approval… no going back now!

I trust that most of the time the baby will grow into his or her name. [name_m]Even[/name_m] with [name_f]Emiliana[/name_f], I really had my doubts as to whether she was an [name_f]Emiliana[/name_f] when she was born. Yet she grew into her name. And more importantly, once you attach the name to your child, I think you will grow to love the name even more— because it’s part of who they are.

Thank you so much for that thoughtful response. [name_f]Every[/name_f] time I think of [name_u]Emmett[/name_u]'s significance to our family, I get almost tearful because it’s so meaningful. I hope that having that significance will help me fall in love with the name in the day-to-day. I love your point about loving the name because it’s attached to your child. That is so key to remember.

For what it’s worth, I think [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] is an awesome name! I have a good friend named [name_f]Cascade[/name_f], with the nn [name_m]Cas[/name_m]. He is a wonderful person and I loved the nickname [name_m]Cas[/name_m] for him. Not sure if you’re considering it, but I thought I would throw it out there!

[ftmremie]

@theotherkatie

[name_u]Emmett[/name_u] is so versatile! This is one of those names that would fit just as well on a football player as it would a [name_m]Rhodes[/name_m] scholar. It’s spellable, not too fusty, easy for children and adults to say… really great.

I tend to favor long, clunky, classically-ugly names that no sane parent would ever give their child. As a result, I am extremely picky about “regular” names, but approve of a few like [name_m]Robert[/name_m] and [name_u]Dana[/name_u]. [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] is a name where, if I heard it, I would think “Oh, that’s a good one because it’s efficient and everyone can spell it and it doesn’t end in an N like every other boy’s name in the 2010s. Good job to those parents.”

Your post made me chuckle — “Good job to those parents.” I tend to like super short names, like [name_m]Kip[/name_m], [name_u]Kit[/name_u], [name_u]Beck[/name_u], etc., so we’re completely opposite in that regard! [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] is a little long for my liking I do agree that it’s pretty versatile! I loved [name_m]Atticus[/name_m], but could really only picture a cerebral child, not a football player (though I’m sure there’s a superstar [name_m]Atticus[/name_m] quarterback out there somewhere!).

[Gia.berry]

[name_u]Emmett[/name_u] [name_m]Ward[/name_m] is a gorgeous name and I’m sure he’ll grow into the name and then you’ll wonder why you ever doubted it. When my cousin had her second daughter she didn’t really like the name they’d chosen and wanted to change it, but over time she’s changed her mind and she really suits it!

[Summs]

I like the idea of [name_m]Ward[/name_m] [name_u]Emmett[/name_u], since you seem to like [name_m]Ward[/name_m] better. Or, choose a new first & use [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] and [name_m]Ward[/name_m] as the middles.