Would appreciate name help

General Name Discussion
1

We’re having our second child in about two weeks, and are struggling with the name. We don’t know whether it’s a boy or a girl. We like classic names, and while it’s okay for it to be relatively popular and kind of cool, we aren’t really into super trendy (i.e., the top 10 or names that have gone from a rank of 900 to 40 in two years).

If a boy, we have it narrowed to:

  • [name]Charles[/name]
  • [name]Oliver[/name]
  • [name]Theodore[/name]
  • [name]Linus[/name] (my wild card)

If a girl, we have it narrowed to:

  • [name]Scarlett[/name] (probably the trendiest we’re comfortable with, and it’s pushing the envelope for us)
  • [name]Jane[/name]
  • [name]Vivian[/name]
  • [name]Katherine[/name]
  • [name]Beatrix[/name] (my wild card)

Thoughts?

2

[name]Oliver[/name] feels a little trendy to me. [name]Charles[/name] and [name]Theodore[/name] are classic goodness. I love [name]Linus[/name], too, although it seems to be one of those names women like more than men.

I like your girls names too, although [name]Scarlett[/name] and [name]Vivian[/name] also feel sorta celeb baby name trendy. [name]Beatrix[/name] is fantastic. If the x makes it wild, why not [name]Beatrice[/name]? It’s lovely. I like [name]Katherine[/name] but [name]Kate[/name] is a bit overused these days and I abhor [name]Kat[/name]. [name]Jane[/name] is the LBD of names. So classy and literary and versatile.

All are great choices.

3

What a gorgeous list of names!! [name]Jane[/name] and [name]Catherine[/name](this spelling) are my favs from your list. I also like [name]Scarlett[/name]. I like all your boy names! [name]Charles[/name] and [name]Oliver[/name] seem the most “classic”. [name]Linus[/name] is great!

4

[name]Charles[/name]: Classic and currently underused compared to how popular it used to be. [name]One[/name] of my favorite classic names. Has a good meaning and good history behind it.

[name]Oliver[/name]: [name]Oliver[/name] is a classic, but it feels trendy. I have never met an [name]Oliver[/name], but I am sure that will change because the name has shot up so quickly. I think it will keep rising in popularity over the next 10 years. I can picture it making into the top 20. With names like [name]Owen[/name] and [name]Olivia[/name] rising, O names feels fresh and modern. Also with [name]Oliver[/name] being a character in the tv show [name]Arrow[/name], it might get a bit of a boost from that.

[name]Theodore[/name] - Definitely an underused classic. You can’t go wrong with [name]Theodore[/name]. I think it will rise in popularity, but not by much.

[name]Linus[/name] - I prefer [name]Lionel[/name]. It sounds less nerdy and has a handsome meaning.

[name]Scarlett[/name] - I really like [name]Scarlett[/name] even though it is trendy. Whenever I played the Clue board game as child (it was my favorite board game), I was always Miss [name]Scarlett[/name]. She seemed so sophisticated and elegant. Still love the name.

[name]Jane[/name] - I like [name]Jane[/name] because of [name]Jane[/name] [name]Austen[/name] and [name]Jane[/name] [name]Eyre[/name]. You can’t go wrong with it. I do prefer it in the middle name spot because it seems a little plain.

[name]Vivian[/name] - This name has been growing on me. I prefer the [name]Vivienne[/name] spelling, but either way it is lovely. It does feel a little trendy, but that’s because it was almost unheard of until recently.

[name]Katherine[/name] - A classic and one of my favorites. [name]Love[/name] the nn [name]Kate[/name] or [name]Kat[/name]. I prefer it spelled [name]Catherine[/name].

[name]Beatrix[/name] - [name]One[/name] of my favorite names. It is gonna climb higher, but I don’t think it will ever hit top 100.

Ultimately, I would use [name]Charles[/name] or [name]Theodore[/name] for a boy. I prefer [name]Charles[/name]. For a girl, I would have a hard time choosing between [name]Katherine[/name] and [name]Beatrix[/name].

5

From your boys list, I like [name]Charles[/name] and [name]Theodore[/name]. [name]Will[/name] your baby be given a middle name? [name]Theodore[/name] [name]Charles[/name] would make a very handsome combo and the meaning would be something like “free gift of God” :slight_smile:

From your girls list, [name]Beatrix[/name] is my favourite, though I also like [name]Vivian[/name] & [name]Jane[/name].
[name]Beatrix[/name] is edgier and [name]Beatrice[/name] is a softer version, but both names are lovely and have a great meaning. You didn’t ask for combos, but just I case, how about:
[name]Beatrix[/name] [name]Jane[/name]
[name]Beatrix[/name] [name]Katherine[/name]
[name]Vivian[/name] [name]Jane[/name]
[name]Vivian[/name] [name]Katherine[/name]

[name]Scarlett[/name] isn’t my style.

6

I love these combos from your list!

[name]Oliver[/name] [name]Linus[/name]
[name]Charles[/name] [name]Theodore[/name]

[name]Jane[/name] [name]Scarlett[/name]
[name]Katherine[/name] [name]Beatrix[/name]

7

My favourites are [name]Oliver[/name], [name]Theodore[/name], and [name]Scarlett[/name]. I prefer [name]Beatrice[/name] to [name]Beatrix[/name], [name]Kate[/name] to [name]Katherine[/name] and something fresher and less plain than [name]Jane[/name]: maybe [name]Janie[/name], [name]Jayne[/name], [name]Jamie[/name], [name]Jean[/name]? Other ideas: [name]Henry[/name], [name]George[/name], [name]Daniel[/name], [name]Thomas[/name], [name]Logan[/name], [name]Zachary[/name], [name]Ellis[/name], [name]Elijah[/name], [name]Georgina[/name], [name]Xanthe[/name], [name]Penelope[/name], [name]Lillian[/name], [name]Lucia[/name], [name]Willa[/name], [name]Olivia[/name], [name]Opal[/name], [name]Hope[/name]? :slight_smile:

8

[name]Charles[/name] and [name]Vivian[/name] or [name]Katherine[/name] are my favorites from each gender.

  • [name]Charles[/name] - Common, but I know of more kids named [name]Oliver[/name] and [name]Theodore[/name]. If you call him [name]Charlie[/name], could be assumed to be a girl if that’s the name people hear him by most.

  • [name]Oliver[/name] - I [name]LOVE[/name] this one, but it has shot up quite a bit lately.

  • [name]Theodore[/name] - Popular, but I’ve never really liked it for some reason.

  • [name]Linus[/name] (my wild card) - All I think is [name]Charlie[/name] [name]Brown[/name]. Not that that’s bad. [name]Don[/name]'t really like this one.

  • [name]Scarlett[/name] - Pretty popular. I’ve never liked it, though.

  • [name]Jane[/name] - Kind of plain. Not bad, though.

  • [name]Vivian[/name] - Not one I usually like, but my favorite off your list. Tied with [name]Katherine[/name].

  • [name]Katherine[/name] - Tied with [name]Vivian[/name] as my favorite on your list.

  • [name]Beatrix[/name] (my wild card) - I’ve never liked this or [name]Beatrice[/name]. [name]Bea[/name] is a cute nn, though.

9

Thanks everyone for the feedback so far. Keep it coming if anyone else has thoughts. A few thoughts:

  • Perhaps it’s worth mentioning that our first born is [name]Clara[/name]. We want something that’s very compatible with that, something very classic, which is part of why we’ve tried to go classic with our choices. Does this change anyone’s mind or jog any thoughts?
  • We’re considering [name]Marion[/name] as a middle name for the girl, because it’s a family name, but appreciate the combos offered. Not sure if that changes anyone’s vote. For me, middle name typically doesn’t change much because it’s just the middle name and won’t be used much.
  • [name]Lionel[/name] is an interesting twist on [name]Linus[/name]. Had never considered it.

Again, thanks for the food for thought.

10

[name]One[/name] other question for the folks who like [name]Beatrix[/name]: do you think of it as classic or as trendy? You might like trendy names–nothing specifically wrong with that. I’ll be honest, I love the name, but I want err on the side of classic more than trendy, and I’m not actually clear what the public perception would be of that name. The girl names are challenging because we adore the name [name]Clara[/name], it was our favorite name, it is in every way perfect for our elegant little girl–if you met her you’d absolutely agree it’s a fitting name for her–and we feel like it’s such a tough act to follow. We feel like we knocked it out of the park with that name, and we’re struggling to decide what would leave us feeling like we knocked another one out.

11

I love your list, we share lots of favorites :slight_smile:

  • [name]Charles[/name], nice, handsome name, doesn’t feel overused at all, at least where I live.
  • [name]Oliver[/name], popular but it is so dashing and wonderful, love [name]Oliver[/name]
  • [name]Theodore[/name], my favorite of your boy’s names -I actually used it for my son’s middle name, I love it so much. People always compliment his name, they are generally pleasantly surprised to hear [name]Theodore[/name] and have responded very kindly to it. [name]Teddy[/name] and [name]Theo[/name] are cute and my mom calls [name]Henry[/name] “[name]Henry[/name] Theadorable” hehe. I do really love [name]Theodore[/name] as a brother to [name]Clara[/name].
  • [name]Linus[/name], I think [name]Linus[/name] is a refreshing choice, a nice name
  • [name]Scarlett[/name], very pretty, I like the sound of [name]Scarlett[/name] [name]Marion[/name]
  • [name]Jane[/name], love [name]Jane[/name]!
  • [name]Vivian[/name], lovely name and meaning
  • [name]Katherine[/name], so pretty!
  • [name]Beatrix[/name], one of my favorite names!! I adore the association with [name]Beatrix[/name] [name]Potter[/name] and think the name is just so sweet with a hint of mischief

I really only have good things to say about your list, I feel that makes me a useless helper but I do think you have some fantastic options.

12

Cygnus, we love the name [name]Lucy[/name], but have passed because a good friend just named their daughter [name]Lucy[/name]. Would feel pretty tacky to copy them. We’re actually stuggling a bit with [name]Jane[/name] for a similar reason–I have loved the name [name]Jane[/name] for years. It’s so strong and feminine, simple and classic. But we do have a new neighbor with a 9 month old who’s named [name]Jane[/name], and while we don’t know them well yet, we’re starting to become friends and I could see us being very good friends, and I’m really wrestling with whether [name]Jane[/name] is off limits as a result. Would that be just too tacky to use [name]Jane[/name] when there’s another child so close in age with the same name just a few doors down? I was almost disappointed when we met them and they introduced her, because she’s adorable and she has that name!

Another question: could you tell me about why you like [name]Julian[/name] and what it does for you? We’ve talked a lot about [name]Julian[/name]–if the names I included were our “starting team”, [name]Julian[/name] would probably be the first name off the bench. I think it’s a very classy name, but there’s something there I haven’t been able to put my finger on that gives me pause. I guess I hear [name]Julian[/name] and I think smoking jackets or tennis sweaters with socks pulled up to his knees, and that’s definitely not our style. Is there a good cultural reference that would be less formal?

Thanks again everyone! Two weeks from this morning the baby will be here!

13

[name]Oliver[/name] = Too Popular
[name]Charles[/name] & [name]Theodore[/name] = Cute, timeless classic, great choices!
[name]Linus[/name] = A good name, I like it a lot, but [name]Charles[/name]/[name]Theodore[/name] is better
[name]Scarlett[/name] = Meh. Not classic enough, in my mind. Too trendy-sounding.
[name]Jane[/name] = Great, and I really do love it, but I like [name]Vivian[/name] much more.
[name]Vivian[/name] = Awesome! I love this name. Beautiful, classic, and has a great meaning.
[name]Katherine[/name] = This name seems kind of bland to me, but [name]Kate[/name] and [name]Katie[/name] are cute.
[name]Beatrix[/name] = This name’s been getting a lot of hype. Like 3 baby-berries last year. I like it a little, but if you want something more classic, go with [name]Beatrice[/name].

14

[name]Clara[/name] and [name]Jane[/name] are so precious! My second choice would be [name]Vivian[/name].
As for a boy, I love [name]Theodore[/name] or [name]Oliver[/name] with [name]Clara[/name].

15

Boys
I prefer [name]Charles[/name] or [name]Linus[/name] from your list. [name]Oliver[/name] and [name]Theodore[/name] seem to be getting quite popular lately.
Girls
I prefer [name]Katherine[/name], [name]Beatrix[/name] or [name]Scarlett[/name].

Good luck!

16

If you want to use [name]Marion[/name] as a mn, then it does change things for me… [name]Even[/name] if she’s not going to use the name often, it still needs to sound good with her first name. Sooo…
[name]Scarlett[/name] [name]Marion[/name] sounds good together, but as many have already said, [name]Scarlett[/name] is quite trendy
[name]Jane[/name] [name]Marion[/name] -the flow sounds off to me. [name]Marion[/name] [name]Jane[/name] sounds fine though
[name]Katherine[/name] [name]Marion[/name] & [name]Vivian[/name] [name]Marion[/name] sound a bit too matchy since the last syllable of both first and mn are similar
[name]Beatrix[/name] [name]Marion[/name] -best combo from your list!!! (This may be in part because [name]Beatrix[/name] is also the name I like best from your list lol)

[name]IMO[/name] [name]Beatrix[/name] is a classic name that is currently trending amongst us Berries, but in the real world, it hasn’t caught on. I always think of [name]Beatrix[/name] [name]Potter[/name] when I hear the name too.

17

I should say that [name]Marion[/name] is a middle name consideration, but as you illustrate well lilysong, it doesn’t work with every name, and we’re going with the first name first. Perhaps we should consider [name]Marion[/name] as a first name option. [name]Haven[/name]'t because it’s the name of family still alive, and somehow that’s strange to me (like you’re co-opting their name), but perhaps it’s a worth competitor.

Lots of great things to consider and I enjoy and appreciate the feedback. I’ll tell you where I feel like my head is:

Boy: [name]Charles[/name] or [name]Theodore[/name], and torn between them. Interestingly, completely unprompted, [name]Clara[/name]'s been calling the baby [name]Charlie[/name] for months, to the point where people ask if we know what we’re having (no) and if [name]Charles[/name] is the name (not yet). Maybe she heard I say it (they absorb everything), or maybe it’s because we know someone who just had a baby [name]Charlie[/name] (it won’t impact our choice), but I have trouble finding any fault with it. I’m not a fan of, frankly, any other nickname for [name]Charles[/name]–[name]Chip[/name], [name]Chaz[/name], [name]Chuck[/name], etc. But [name]Charlie[/name] is great.

Girl: [name]Jane[/name] or [name]Vivian[/name], maybe [name]Beatrix[/name]. [name]Katherine[/name]'s a classic, but I’m not sure I’m there and as much as I love [name]Kate[/name] and [name]Katie[/name], we also happen to know a ton of Kates and Katies, so it feels too common. I question whether I’m cool enough to pull off [name]Scarlett[/name]. But maybe that’s my reservation with [name]Beatrix[/name]. Does [name]Beatrix[/name] say, I’m trying to be hip? Someone told me recently that they thought [name]Clara[/name] was a pretty hip name, and I’ll be honest, I never ever thought of it that way. We chose [name]Clara[/name] because I’ve loved the name since I was little, and we were seriously considering [name]Claire[/name], but wanted something less common, yet equally classic. Never considered it to be hipster. Is [name]Beatrix[/name]? I guess where I am is that I almost want or need “permission” on [name]Beatrix[/name]. It’s like it’s the one I really want, I want to be the kind of person who can name their kid [name]Beatrix[/name] without self-consciousness, but I don’t know if I can.

What’s anybody’s favorite nickname for [name]Beatrix[/name]? Right now I like Bixie or [name]Bea[/name].

18

Instead of [name]Marion[/name], how about [name]Maria[/name] or [name]Marie[/name]? [name]Jane[/name] [name]Marie[/name] and [name]Vivian[/name] [name]Maria[/name] are very pretty.
I really like [name]Beatrix[/name], especially with [name]Clara[/name]. And I love the nn [name]Bea[/name]!

19

You have a fantastic list! [name]Charles[/name], [name]Theodore[/name], [name]Jane[/name], and [name]Beatrix[/name] are my favorites! Your daughter’s name is lovely.

And I don’t find [name]Beatrix[/name] trendy at all.

20

So this has been very helpful. It’s helped me to zero in on the fact that what I know I’m looking for is not just “classic” but classic of the same era as [name]Clara[/name], which I peg around late 19th century or early 20th. [name]Charles[/name] and [name]Theodore[/name] nail that. [name]Jane[/name] or [name]Beatrix[/name] probably do too, as would [name]Katherine[/name] or [name]Vivian[/name] though [name]Scarlett[/name] probably less so.

So here’s another option, but there’s a wrinkle to it and need your help figuring out if it would be an odd move. [name]Clara[/name]'s middle name is [name]Elizabeth[/name]. I love [name]Elizabeth[/name] but have regretted using it as the middle name because I love it as a first name and also have long adored a Scottish variation of it,[name]Elspeth[/name]. Could we use [name]Elspeth[/name], and the awesome nickname [name]Elspie[/name], given that its technically not [name]Elizabeth[/name], or is that doubling up one name in the same family and I’m kidding myself if I think otherwise?