[name]Madden[/name] for our girl and [name]Cruz[/name] for our boy? Siblings, not twins.
[name]Madden[/name] is a family name and hubby loves [name]Cruz[/name]. Not sure if they mesh well or not. Please be honest.
Also, ideas for middle names?
Thanks!!
I guess I can see them together since they are both surnames, but I’m just not really a fan of them. I like [name]Cruz[/name] more than [name]Madden[/name], though. [name]Cruz[/name] seems to be really “trendy” right now, but [name]Madden[/name] makes me think of [name]John[/name] [name]Madden[/name]…that man irritated me 
Thanks for your reply! I keep hoping [name]John[/name] [name]Madden[/name] will fade into history, but with the football video game I guess his name will be sticking around for some time… bummer.
We have a sentimental/personal connection with [name]Cruz[/name], so I guess we’re a bit more firm on [name]Cruz[/name] than [name]Madden[/name], except for the family name thing which keeps [name]Madden[/name] in the back of my mind…
They do go with each other, but I honestly don’t like either.
I like [name]Cruz[/name]. It reminds me of [name]Cruz[/name] [name]Beckham[/name], but, honestly, you could have a worse association. It isn’t a blatantly celebrity baby name type of name. It is fresh and cool, but it has strong sounds that connote a masculine identity.
[name]Madden[/name] only reminds me of [name]Joel[/name] [name]Madden[/name], father of [name]Harlow[/name] and [name]Sparrow[/name]. It seems like an overtly celebrity surname name, and I’m only just jumping on the bandwagon of classic surnames (think [name]Archer[/name] and [name]Bennett[/name], [name]Alcott[/name] and [name]Auden[/name]). My biggest issue with this name is the harsh, almost sullen sound it has, certainly not what I would pick for a little girl, even a sibling for [name]Cruz[/name]. The nickname [name]Maddie[/name] won’t help this one, and [name]Maddie[/name] doesn’t work best with [name]Cruz[/name] in my opinion. I’d definitely scrap this one, certainly for a girl, but probably also for a boy…
Here are some GIRL names that work well with [name]CRUZ[/name]:
[name]Ana[/name]
[name]Desi[/name]
[name]Inez[/name]
[name]Izzy[/name]
[name]Lola[/name]
[name]Moya[/name]
[name]Zita[/name]
Thanks all. I appreciate hearing the negative associations with [name]Madden[/name]… I first liked it as a girl’s name when I was a little girl myself, so I think I’m way too biased to evaluate it at this point. I guess I’ll probably be scrapping it.
I do love the name [name]Lola[/name], but I think there may be a few too many celebrity babies with that name… I will keep it in mind though.
[name]Madden[/name]: I picture [name]Madden[/name] on a boy, and have a hard time seeing it on a little girl. It reminds me of [name]John[/name] [name]Madden[/name] and [name]Joel[/name] [name]Madden[/name], as well as the words “madden” and “maddening,” which don’t have very positive meanings. 
(I’m sorry…)
[name]Cruz[/name]: I can see the appeal of [name]Cruz[/name], and think it’s handsome. Because it reminds me of the Beckhams and [name]Madden[/name] reminds me of the [name]Richie[/name]-[name]Madden[/name], I’d personally avoid using them together because of the celebrity theme.
If you’re not set on [name]Cruz[/name], you may also like [name]Blaise[/name].
[name]Cruz[/name] [name]Alexander[/name]
[name]Cruz[/name] [name]Amadeo[/name]
[name]Cruz[/name] [name]Benjamin[/name]
[name]Cruz[/name] [name]Dominic[/name]
[name]Cruz[/name] [name]Emanuel[/name] (although now that I think about, I think of cruise control and manuel car gear)
[name]Cruz[/name] [name]Gabriel[/name]
[name]Cruz[/name] [name]Matteo[/name]
[name]Cruz[/name] [name]Raphael[/name] (I love this!)
[name]Cruz[/name] [name]Vincenzo[/name]
[name]Madden[/name] [name]Olivia[/name] (popular)
[name]Madden[/name] [name]Paige[/name]
[name]Madden[/name] [name]Rosalie[/name]
[name]Madden[/name] [name]Sophia[/name] (popular)
[name]Madden[/name] [name]Victoria[/name]
(When I hear Madden________, I think of the verb, madden, so I think of a sentence like “Please don’t madden [name]Victoria[/name].”)
Unisex names/surnames/modern names you may like for your baby girl:
[name]Arden[/name]
[name]Auden[/name]
[name]Avalon[/name]
[name]Blakely[/name]
[name]Bellamy[/name]
[name]Briar[/name]
[name]Darien[/name]
[name]Delaney[/name]
[name]Emery[/name]
[name]Ellery[/name]
[name]Harper[/name]
[name]Hadley[/name]
[name]Hollis[/name]
[name]Linden[/name]
[name]Marlo[/name]
[name]Piper[/name]
[name]Romilly[/name] (nn [name]Romy[/name])
[name]Sawyer[/name]
[name]Sheridan[/name]
[name]Tierney[/name]
[name]Willow[/name]
[name]Willoughby[/name]
[name]Waverly[/name]
Names that remind me of [name]Cruz[/name] (if you aren’t set on [name]Cruz[/name]):
[name]Archer[/name]
[name]Bennett[/name]
[name]Beckett[/name]
[name]Blaise[/name]
[name]Cormac[/name]
[name]Cashel[/name]
[name]Donovan[/name]
[name]Davis[/name]
[name]Dashiell[/name] (nn [name]Dash[/name])
[name]Ellis[/name]
[name]Everett[/name]
[name]Finn[/name]
[name]Grant[/name]
[name]Graham[/name]
[name]Griffin[/name]
[name]Hudson[/name]
[name]Harrison[/name]
[name]Jude[/name]
[name]Lawson[/name]
[name]Miles[/name]
[name]Maxfield[/name]
[name]Pierce[/name]
[name]Quinlan[/name]
[name]Reed[/name]
[name]Shepherd[/name]
[name]Teague[/name]
[name]Zane[/name]
Girls names that feel exotic to me like [name]Cruz[/name]:
[name]Arabella[/name]
[name]Amandine[/name]
[name]Araminta[/name]
[name]Bryony[/name]
[name]Dahlia[/name]
[name]Evelina[/name]
[name]Esme[/name]
[name]Estella[/name]
[name]Francesca[/name]
[name]Gemma[/name]
[name]Juliana[/name]
[name]Liliana[/name]
[name]Luciana[/name]
[name]Mirabel[/name]
[name]Marisol[/name]
[name]Paloma[/name]
[name]Raphaela[/name]
[name]Talia[/name]
[name]Viviana[/name]
Good luck! 
Wow [name]Jill[/name], thank you so much! I love a lot of your suggestions and really do appreciate the feed back re. [name]Madden[/name]. I hadn’t previously thought of the "please don’t madden ____ " sound to it, and it does totally make sense so thank you for calling it to my attention. I will scrap [name]Madden[/name] for now.
I will be going over your lists with hubby. I love a lot of your middle name pairings with [name]Cruz[/name] and the alternatives as well. I’m also very fond of a lot of your girl name suggestions. I keep going back and forth between very feminine names and the more unisex names. Husband likes the unisex and I generally lean more towards feminine, though I don’t want anything too popular. So hard!
Thanks again!
You’re so welcome! Have you thought about using [name]Madden[/name] in the middle (especially with a feminine first name)?
Good luck!
You’re so welcome! Have you thought about using [name]Madden[/name] in the middle (especially with a feminine first name)?
Good luck![/quote]
That is a great idea! My idea from the beginning was to pair [name]Madden[/name] with a very feminine middle to balance it out, so it makes total sense to put [name]Madden[/name] in the middle instead. Now just need to get hubby to fall in love with a feminine first name that flows with [name]Madden[/name].
Thanks again
You’re welcome! I hope you can convince him! 
(And if he wanted, he could always call her [name]Madden[/name] or [name]Maddie[/name] as a nickname, even with [name]Madden[/name] in the middle.)
Take care!