YOUR top 3

I would like to hear everyone’s (current) top 3 boy and girl combos and a little about the reasons you chose the names.

[name_f]Coralie[/name_f] [name_u]Winter[/name_u] - I love the vintage, nature feel of [name_f]Coralie[/name_f]. [name_f]Coralie[/name_f] is also very close to a family members nickname. My late grandma was born in the winter, thus [name_u]Winter[/name_u]. This also has a vintage, nature feel for me.

[name_f]Lilia[/name_f] [name_u]Wren[/name_u] - I love all lily names, this one gives me a fun feel like [name_f]Lily[/name_f] but feeling a bit more grown up and not as heavy as [name_f]Lilian[/name_f] and [name_f]Liliana[/name_f]. [name_u]Wren[/name_u] is for my late grandma. She was passionate in caring for the neighborhood birds and made sure they had food to eat year round. She would talk about all the different birds that came around. Wrens were not frequent to the feeders but were one of her favorites.

[name_u]Story[/name_u] [name_f]Anneliese[/name_f] - [name_u]Story[/name_u] honors my late grandma. It is hard to explain not in-person. [name_f]Anneliese[/name_f] honors my late sister [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] [name_f]Ann[/name_f]. Anneliese and liese is a [name_m]German[/name_m] diminutive of [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f].

[name_m]Asher[/name_m] [name_m]Boone[/name_m] - I love the names, I love their meanings. I love that [name_m]Asher[/name_m] is a softer name and [name_m]Boone[/name_m] is packed with power.

[name_m]Wilder[/name_m] [name_u]Flynn[/name_u] - [name_m]Wilder[/name_m] honors a large part of my family and [name_u]Flynn[/name_u] honors me (I am a red head). In this case, this combo is the opposite of [name_m]Asher[/name_m] [name_m]Boone[/name_m]. [name_m]Wilder[/name_m] is the harder sounding name and [name_u]Flynn[/name_u] is softer.

[name_m]Stellan[/name_m] [name_u]Grey[/name_u] - I love both names. I like the calm peaceful feeling the combo has.

As you can see I have tried to honor my late grandma as much as possible. She was a beautiful soul. [name_u]Blue[/name_u], in [name_f]Isla[/name_f] [name_u]Blue[/name_u], and [name_f]Noelle[/name_f], in [name_u]Paisley[/name_u] [name_f]Noelle[/name_f], honor her also. [name_f]Isla[/name_f] and [name_u]Paisley[/name_u] honor family.

[name_m]Wolf[/name_m], in [name_u]Paxton[/name_u] [name_m]Wolf[/name_m], honors family. [name_u]Paxton[/name_u] and [name_m]Declan[/name_m] [name_u]Jude[/name_u] are just names that I love and love their meanings.

Girls:

[name_f]Arabella[/name_f] [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] - I just love the name [name_f]Arabella[/name_f]. [name_f]Every[/name_f] time I hear it, I picture a mischievous little girl who delights in new adventures. [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] was my mother’s name.

[name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] - [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] is such a substantial yet feminine-sounding name. In full form, it has a sophisticated feeling - perfect for my future Supreme [name_m]Court[/name_m] justice! But with nn [name_f]Ele[/name_f] and [name_f]Nora[/name_f], the name gives a little girl plenty of time to grow into the more formal [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f].

[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Annabelle[/name_f] - I’ve loved [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] since I first heard it. I like the way it looks on paper (I have odd priorities), literally, and I nearly fell over when I learned its meaning is “she who intoxicates.” With the parents our daughter will have, it seems inevitable she’ll be a captivating little charmer. [name_m]Add[/name_m] the pretty [name_f]Annabelle[/name_f] and the name manages to sound both serious and sweet.

I find boys’ names easier to fall in love with, and I’m not sure I can pick just 3!

[name_m]Benjamin[/name_m] [name_m]Moshe[/name_m] “[name_m]Ben[/name_m]” - [name_m]Benjamin[/name_m] is my favorite traditional name. It could easily fit a doctor, lawyer, or CEO. And [name_m]Ben[/name_m] is so friendly and will sound awesome over the loudspeakers at a sporting event. [name_m]Ben[/name_m] the lacrosse player…it seems so natural. My husband lobbied for [name_u]Akiva[/name_u] as a mn, but we finally agreed on [name_m]Moshe[/name_m]. I like the sound better, and I’d prefer we copy Maimonides than a fictional hero who preferred terrorist tactics (as Exodus rather than the Bible was his inspiration).

[name_m]Theodore[/name_m] [name_m]Burke[/name_m] “[name_u]Theo[/name_u]” - [name_u]Theo[/name_u] sounds like the All-American boy to me. It sounds like the name of the captain of the water polo team and the class president. [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] [name_m]Roosevelt[/name_m] is certainly not a bad figure with whom to share a name either! [name_m]Burke[/name_m] is a family name for my husband, and I appreciate the association with [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] [name_m]Burke[/name_m].

[name_m]Cormac[/name_m] [name_u]Quincy[/name_u] - [name_m]Cormac[/name_m] feels like a strong, masculine name (no danger of this one going dark…er, pink side!). [name_u]Quincy[/name_u] adds interest and is a family name for my husband as well.
[name_m]Edmund[/name_m] [name_m]Winston[/name_m] “[name_m]Ned[/name_m]” - [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] sounds sophisticated and serious; it’ll look great on the law firm stationary. Nn [name_m]Ned[/name_m] gives off a positive, approachable air. And my husband is a [name_m]Churchill[/name_m] fanatic.

[name_m]Sebastian[/name_m] [name_m]Henry[/name_m] - [name_m]Sebastian[/name_m] has been one of my favorite names for as long as I can remember. I read the name in a book as a small child and immediately changed my imaginary friend from a girl to a boy so I could name him [name_m]Sebastian[/name_m]. [name_m]Henry[/name_m] was my father’s name (and his father’s name).

[name_m]Ezra[/name_m] [name_m]Ezekiel[/name_m] - I love the sound of [name_m]Ezra[/name_m]; it’s one of my favorite names. If our first child is a boy and [name_m]Ben[/name_m] just feels way too popular, [name_m]Ezra[/name_m] is next up!

[name_m]Hugo[/name_m] [name_u]Chase[/name_u] - [name_m]Hugo[/name_m] sounds friendly yet sophisticated. When I hear it, I think [name_m]Victor[/name_m] [name_m]Hugo[/name_m] and [name_m]Hugo[/name_m] [name_m]Black[/name_m]. And since it means wise/smart, that strikes me as pretty appropriate! I imagine a little [name_m]Hugo[/name_m] being a bit of a troublemaker but smart and sweet as well. [name_u]Chase[/name_u] is a family name for me.

I wish girls’ names were as easy!

[name_f]Susannah[/name_f] [name_f]Violet[/name_f] [name_f]Isobel[/name_f] - This one’s all about family names. [name_f]Susannah[/name_f] is my mother and sister’s names combined, and [name_f]Isobel[/name_f] is an alternate spelling of my Grandma/godmother’s middle name. Putting [name_f]Violet[/name_f] in between the two lets me use the double-barrel nickname “[name_f]Anna[/name_f] [name_f]Violet[/name_f].” Though ‘[name_u]Sunny[/name_u]’ is also a likely nickname for [name_f]Susannah[/name_f], in my case!

[name_f]Hazel[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f] [name_f]Francesca[/name_f] - No special family ties here. These are just three names that I happen to like, and think go together particularly well. Not to mention that if [name_f]Hazel[/name_f] keeps increasing in popularity, I can double-barrel it as [name_f]Hazel[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f] so she doesn’t have to be “[name_f]Hazel[/name_f] B.”

[name_f]Alice[/name_f] [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] [name_f]Juliet[/name_f] - [name_f]Alice[/name_f] [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] is just another combination of favorites, while [name_f]Juliet[/name_f] is a form of my great grandmother’s name.

[name_m]Phineas[/name_m] [name_m]John[/name_m] [name_m]Edward[/name_m] - [name_m]Phineas[/name_m] is just a name I happen to like, and gives me the bonus nickname ‘[name_u]Finn[/name_u].’ [name_m]John[/name_m] [name_m]Edward[/name_m] is a family name that’s run a few generations, but my dad couldn’t pass it on because they only had daughters. I’d love to continue that with my own kids.

[name_m]Felix[/name_m] [name_u]James[/name_u] [name_m]Raphael[/name_m] - All just names that I love. I’d never use [name_m]Raphael[/name_m] up front, but I really like it with [name_u]James[/name_u].

[name_u]Jude[/name_u] [name_m]Alexander[/name_m] [name_u]Mackenzie[/name_u] - I’m not quite sure about this one. I love [name_u]Jude[/name_u] [name_m]Alexander[/name_m], but I’m always struggling to find a lasting third middle. [name_u]Mackenzie[/name_u]'s my middle name, so I’ll just be self-centered for a little bit. :wink:

I find them difficult also.

Wonderful, meaningful names on your list.

I hope you are able to carry on [name_m]John[/name_m] [name_m]Edward[/name_m].

Boys:
[name_m]Jack[/name_m] [name_m]Evander[/name_m]: I’ve always loved the name [name_m]Jack[/name_m]. I just picture a handsome, mischievous little boy with a good heart and a sweet smile. For his middle name I’ve always debated between [name_m]Henry[/name_m] and [name_m]Evander[/name_m]. [name_m]Henry[/name_m] is a family name and the safer option but for some reason I’m drawn more toward [name_m]Evander[/name_m]. It has a such a great meaning and its way less common than [name_m]Henry[/name_m] so I feel it kind of livens up [name_m]Jack[/name_m], which is quite a common name

[name_m]Oliver[/name_m] [name_u]Rhys[/name_u]: I love [name_m]Oliver[/name_m] because it reminds me of [name_m]Oliver[/name_m] Twist. My mom and I both loved watching [name_m]Oliver[/name_m] Twist when we were younger and it kind of makes me feel closer to her and just like [name_m]Jack[/name_m] I picture a sweet, solemn little boy just like in the book/movie. [name_m]Oliver[/name_m]'s middle name is constantly changing but right now I’m liking [name_u]Rhys[/name_u], because it sounds good and it looks good with [name_m]Oliver[/name_m].

[name_m]Leo[/name_m] [name_m]Maximilian[/name_m]: I fell in love with [name_m]Leo[/name_m] because of [name_m]Leonardo[/name_m] Decaprio, but I also like it because my siblings and I all have “[name_u]Lee[/name_u]” in our names and I think it would be cute to carry on the tradition without getting too “trendy”. [name_m]Maximilian[/name_m] is my great uncle’s Polish name. I love it and I think it goes great with [name_m]Leo[/name_m].

Girls:
[name_f]Eliza[/name_f] [name_f]Josephine[/name_f]: This name has a lot of personal meaning to me. I’m still debating between [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] or just [name_f]Eliza[/name_f] but I’m pretty sure I’d call her [name_f]Eliza[/name_f] either way. I love [name_f]Eliza/name_f for its meaning and because of all the strong historical figures with that name. [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] was the name of my great grandmother and my great aunt, both of whom died young. I’ve always liked the name and I think it goes nicely with [name_f]Eliza[/name_f].

[name_f]Lorelei[/name_f] [name_f]Helena[/name_f] [name_f]Kate[/name_f]: My heritage is very [name_m]German[/name_m] so I think [name_f]Lorelei[/name_f] it would be a fitting name to honor my heritage. [name_f]Helena[/name_f] is after my great aunt [name_f]Helen[/name_f] who lived well into her 90’s. I love the name [name_f]Kate[/name_f] but I fear its too plain as a first name.

[name_f]Georgiana[/name_f] [name_f]Lark[/name_f]: [name_f]Georgiana[/name_f] I got from watching Pride and Prejudice for the first time. I absolutely adore it. I picture a lovely, spirited little girl just like [name_f]Georgiana[/name_f] [name_u]Darcy[/name_u]. I go back and forth over which middle name I’d use for it, but since I’ll probably never get to use it, I’ll go with [name_f]Lark[/name_f]. Its such a happy name and it goes nicely with [name_f]Georgiana[/name_f]. I probably won’t use it in real life, even though it is my favorite name in the whole world.

Thank you! I particularly love [name_m]Asher[/name_m] [name_m]Boone[/name_m] from your list - I’ve often wished [name_m]Asher[/name_m] were an option for us.

As an aside, this thread is a great idea!

Thank you.

[name_u]Spencer[/name_u] [name_u]Ellis[/name_u]- [name_u]Spencer[/name_u] is my all time favorite name. Its the only name that I have constantly loved over the years. It’s well known but not extremely popular. I think it works on a child and an adult equally. I can’t find anything wrong with it. When I started looking for a mn [name_u]Ellis[/name_u] was the first thing I thought of and I haven’t found anything I like more.

[name_m]Benjamin[/name_m] [name_m]Graham[/name_m]- I think the nn [name_m]Ben[/name_m] is very cute for a little boy but will still work on an adult. Unfortunately I add an r in between the a and m when I say it so I probably won’t use it. [name_m]Graham[/name_m] is a name that I like but not enough to use as a first name.

[name_m]Grayson[/name_m] [name_u]Reid[/name_u]- I have loved the nn [name_u]Gray[/name_u] for a long time. [name_u]Reid[/name_u] is a name that has really been growing on me lately.

I have a hard time using family names because there are 4 [name_m]Frederick[/name_m]'s, 4 [name_m]Joseph[/name_m]'s, and 2 [name_m]Otto[/name_m]'s in my family tree. Its hard to keep them all straight and none of them are my style.

[name_f]Laura[/name_f] [name_f]Helena[/name_f]- This is a recent favorite of mine. I think [name_f]Laura[/name_f] is a classic and that’s what I prefer for a girl.

[name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] [name_f]Louise[/name_f]- I’ve liked [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] for a long time. I think [name_f]Louise[/name_f] sounds gorgeous with it.

[name_f]Caroline[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f]- I like the sound of this but it sounds really bad with my last name.

Girl name are really hard for me. I am very picky. Family names are not my style.

This was really hard to narrow down.
For boys:
Gregory James/Elias- Gregory has been one of my favorite names for a while now. To me it’s really sophticated and (unlike most people) I really like the nickname Greg. I feel like it ages well. I love that it’s a saint name. James honors my father. I couldn’t chose between James and Elias (maybe Gregory Elias James). Elias is my great grandfather’s name, and my grandfather’s middle name. I feel like even though I didn’t know them, that I do in a sense and want to honor them in some way.

Dimitri Constantine- (still trying to pick my favorite spelling of Dimitri/Dmitri)Dimitri may just surpass Gregory as my favorite name. I love the sound. I love the look. It’s familiar without being typical, expected. It honors my father (his baptismal name is Demetrios, because James doesn’t really translate into Greek well) without using the popular James. Constantine is really cool and flows really well with Dimitri. It honors me as well, because my name is a variant of Helen, and saints Constantine and Helen pretty much go together.

Tobias Ambrose- This one honors no one, and may just be a guilty pleasure. But I love the flow. Tobias is so awesome and unexpected, and comes with the cute nickname Toby. Its sophisticated without being too grand. Ambrose is just cool. Its sophisticated and different. Love this combo.

The girls were much harder for me to pick:

Zoe Helena- This is my favorite combo. Nameberry doesn’t really love Zoe (its too trendy) but I love it. Zoe is a very close family friend’s name, who is almost like a grandmother to me (in fact, I call her grandmother). She’s so generous and classy and sophsticated and sweet; basically everything nice in the world, so that’s what the name translates to me. Zoe means life in Greek, and it translates well and sounds beautiful in both languages. Helena (I pronounce it Hel-ay-nuh) is special to me too and honors many people in my family. Its a more modern sounding Helen, which has always been kind of boring to me (but that’s because I know so many). My name is the Greek version of Helen, and I was named after an aunt Ellen, who was named after her grandmother. So it honors so many people and its beautiful.

Isadora/Isidora Jane- (again, I can’t pick a spelling) Isadora is beautiful and grand and different. It comes with the lovely nickname Izzy, without being Isabelle or something popular like that. It honors my dad’s half of the family. His mother’s maiden name is Izzo, so Isa-dora. Jane is classy (and I know it’s overused for a middle, but it sounds great in this combo). And Jane sounds like James, so it honors my dad (yes, I know it comes from John, but how many people would know that?).

Jane Wilhelmina- I already explained Jane above. Its even better at the front. Wilhelmina honors my grandfather, William (and it’s my brother’s name, so I can’t use William) who was really special to our family. Unfortunately, he died when I was young, so I don’t remember him very much, so this is my way of honoring him. I love how the combo sounds and even looks sophisticated written down.

Calista Daphne- Love the sound of this combo. Calista (I pronounce it Cuh-list-tuh) is so unexpected but somewhat familiar too. Its has a musical sound to it and it means most beautiful. I can’t find anything wrong with the name. It comes with the cute nicknames Cal or Callie. Daphne honors my mother. I used to hate her name, but now I find it fun and different and stylish (I still wouldn’t use it for a first name though). The name flows so well. And it means most beautiful laurel, which is a great meaning.

I tried to cut down my list. My other favorites for each were Tessa Violet (which has been one of my favorite combos for years) and Jude Elias (which is stylish and masculine, Elias honors family, and Jude is my mother’s favorite name for a boy) and Jason Andrew (which has been on my list forever)

[name_f]Catherine[/name_f] “[name_f]Cate[/name_f]” [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f] - [name_f]Katherine[/name_f] was the name my mother wanted to use for my younger sister, but my dad vetoed it. Since I love the name too (although spelled with a “C”), I think it would be wonderful for my mother to at least have a granddaughter with her favorite name. Plus, [name_f]Cate[/name_f] was my paternal Grandmother’s maiden name. As for [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f], I just think it’s one of the most beautiful names in the world and like the connection to [name_m]Hamlet[/name_m], my husband’s favorite Shakespearean play (although he’s not really a fan of the character).

[name_f]Isobel[/name_f] “[name_f]Zoe[/name_f]” [name_f]Theophania[/name_f] - We started out wanting to use [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] for a second daughter, but then I fell in love with [name_f]Theophania[/name_f], a name that doesn’t really work with [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]. While looking for an alternate first name, my top choice was [name_f]Zoe[/name_f], my all-time favorite girls’ name. Unfortunately, my husband isn’t the biggest fan of [name_f]Zoe[/name_f]. That’s when I came up with a compromise of [name_f]Isobel[/name_f] - another version of our original choice of [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] that would also let me (at a stretch) use [name_f]Zoe[/name_f] as a nickname - which was pretty much perfect!

[name_f]Mary[/name_f] [name_f]Seraphina[/name_f]/[name_f]Maria[/name_f] [name_f]Seraphine[/name_f] - We haven’t really decided on a third name yet, but if I had to choose today, [name_f]Mary[/name_f] [name_f]Seraphina[/name_f] or [name_f]Maria[/name_f] [name_f]Seraphine[/name_f] would probably be my pick. [name_f]Mary[/name_f] is one of my husband’s favorite names and honors our Catholic faith, while [name_f]Seraphina[/name_f] is just too gorgeous for words.

We’ve been having problems settling on boys’ combos, so these are subject to change (except for [name_m]Liam[/name_m]'s, of course).

[name_m]William[/name_m] “[name_m]Liam[/name_m]” [name_m]Balthazar[/name_m] - Our son’s name, which I absolutely adore. While [name_m]William[/name_m] was the name of one of my great-uncles, we picked it mainly because we both loved it, and my husband particularly liked the nickname [name_m]Liam[/name_m] because his family is Irish and he and his brother both have Irish names. [name_m]Balthazar[/name_m] was chosen because I’ve always loved the story of the [name_f]Magi[/name_f] coming to visit baby [name_m]Jesus[/name_m]. (That’s also why I love [name_f]Theophania[/name_f], which is a name traditionally given to girls born on the feast of [name_f]Epiphany[/name_f].)

[name_m]Alexander[/name_m] “[name_m]Olek[/name_m]” [name_m]Crispin[/name_m]/[name_u]Constantine[/name_u]/[name_m]Marius[/name_m]/[name_m]Caspian[/name_m] - Heh, yeah, we can’t decide on a middle, but [name_m]Alexander[/name_m] is definitely our top choice for another boy. It’s a family surname on my husband’s side, and it was the middle name of my great-grandfather, which he went by. (His first name was Theophil, which he apparently didn’t like.) Since [name_m]William[/name_m]'s nickname was chosen because of DH’s (and mine, a little) Irish heritage, I like the idea of using [name_m]Olek[/name_m] to honor my Polish heritage. Middle names? My personal favorite is [name_m]Crispin[/name_m], but DH’s not the biggest fan. We both like [name_u]Constantine[/name_u]. but aren’t sure if it’s the “one”. [name_m]Marius[/name_m] is a masculine form of [name_f]Mary[/name_f] and the name of a character in [name_u]Les[/name_u] Miserables, one of my favorite musicals, while [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] is similar to [name_m]Casper[/name_m], a favorite we can’t use now that we’ve used [name_m]Balthazar[/name_m] (another of of the [name_f]Magi[/name_f]), and honors DH’s love of the [name_f]Narnia[/name_f] books.

[name_m]Dominic[/name_m] “[name_u]Nico[/name_u]” [name_m]Valentin[/name_m]/e - My favorite boys’ name is actually [name_m]Nicholas[/name_m], but DH vetoed it due to us already having a nephew named [name_m]Colin[/name_m] (a form of [name_m]Nicholas[/name_m]). [name_m]Dominic[/name_m] was my grandfather’s middle name and would also give me the [name_u]Nick[/name_u]/[name_u]Nico[/name_u] nicknames I loved for [name_m]Nicholas[/name_m]. [name_m]Valentin[/name_m]/[name_u]Valentine[/name_u] would be because we met and got engaged on [name_u]Valentine[/name_u]'s [name_u]Day[/name_u]. (A year apart, of course!)

And our choice for a fourth son would be [name_m]Benjamin[/name_m], but we haven’t really discussed combos for him at all.

[name_f]Lydia[/name_f] [name_u]Blaire[/name_u] - I find [name_f]Lydia[/name_f] to be a beautiful name with a lot of history. [name_u]Blaire[/name_u] is after my father, [name_u]Blair[/name_u]. Together, they make an awesome combination.

[name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] [name_f]Eloise[/name_f] - I like how [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] is tied to literature. I can get the nn [name_f]Delia[/name_f] or [name_f]Cora[/name_f] from it. [name_f]Eloise[/name_f] reminds me of the [name_f]Eloise[/name_f] at the Plaza movies I would watch as a little girl.

[name_f]Aria[/name_f] [name_f]Rosemary[/name_f] - [name_f]Aria[/name_f] just makes me swoon. I like [name_f]Rosemary[/name_f] because it is a combination of my favorite flower and my grandmother’s name, [name_u]Marion[/name_u].

[name_m]Winston[/name_m] [name_u]Roscoe[/name_u] - I like [name_m]Winston[/name_m] after [name_m]Winston[/name_m] [name_m]Churchill[/name_m] and [name_m]Winston[/name_m] [name_m]Smith[/name_m] from Nineteen Eighty-four. It has a very “Britishy” feel to it. [name_u]Roscoe[/name_u] is the mn of my great grandfather, [name_m]Edward[/name_m].

[name_m]Wolfgang[/name_m] [name_m]Malachi[/name_m] - I like the tie to [name_m]Wolfgang[/name_m] [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m] [name_m]Mozart[/name_m] and to my [name_m]German[/name_m] heritage. [name_m]Malachi[/name_m] adds a certain edge to the name.

[name_m]Floyd[/name_m] [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] - I’m a bit of a fan of [name_f]Pink[/name_f] [name_m]Floyd[/name_m]. [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] is a name I really like.

[name_f]Colette[/name_f] [name_f]Kristine[/name_f] - I just have a serious love for the name [name_f]Colette[/name_f]. It’s the first girls name that I completely fell for and even my fiancee is obsessed with it. Before I was into naming, since I was like 8 I’ve played this game called tales of symphonia, and one of the main characters’ name is [name_f]Colette[/name_f]. My friend laughed when I told him I liked it and then made me realize that connection. Besides that weird connection, it also stems from the same name as my sisters, [name_f]Nicole[/name_f]. [name_f]Kristine[/name_f] is my middle name.

[name_f]Mabel[/name_f] [name_f]Verity[/name_f] - I think [name_f]Mabel[/name_f] has that sweet, vintage feel I love and it means lovable which is absolutely perfect for a little baby :slight_smile: [name_f]Verity[/name_f] means truth in latin and my fiancee’s name is [name_m]Justin[/name_m] so they share meaning which I like.

[name_f]Alice[/name_f] [name_f]Evanna[/name_f] - [name_f]Alice[/name_f] is a new edition to the list but I swoon every time I hear it now. It partially stems from my fiancee’s love of [name_f]Alice[/name_f] in Wonderland, and also from a little girl we babysat together for a while. She was just so sweet and my fiancee would smile every time he said her name. It also has the same vintage feel we love with [name_f]Mabel[/name_f]'s name. [name_f]Evanna[/name_f] I heard from [name_f]Evanna[/name_f] [name_m]Lynch[/name_m] the actress who plays [name_f]Luna[/name_f] Lovegood in hp movies. I like the sound and I like how it flows with [name_f]Alice[/name_f].

[name_m]Jack[/name_m] [name_m]Jeffrey[/name_m] - [name_m]Jack[/name_m] is just the perfect name for me and my fiancee. He needs boys names that are hard, strong sounding and really masculine. I love it for those reasons too but also because I can picture [name_m]Jack[/name_m] being an all around, good kinda guy like my fiancee is. In fact, I can kinda picture my fiancee being a [name_m]Jack[/name_m]. It just fits. [name_m]Jeffrey[/name_m] is my father’s name and we are incredibly close, I would adore if my son had some of his traits and that’s kinda why we pass on names isn’t it?

[name_m]Leo[/name_m] [name_m]Patrick[/name_m] - [name_m]Leo[/name_m] is a name I always pictured my future son having. I really have no idea why, I just absolutely love it. It might have started with my love for [name_m]Leo[/name_m] from charmed haha. It might be kind of a stretch but I also connect it with the name [name_m]Daniel[/name_m] just cause of the bible story, and it means lion and it just clicks for me. [name_m]Daniel[/name_m] is my brother’s name so it’s almost like honoring him but with a different name. I don’t know if that’ll make sense for anyone else though. [name_m]Patrick[/name_m] is my cousin’s name, we’ve been extremely close through thick and thin. It’s also one of my stepdad-in-laws middle names, I [name_f]ADORE[/name_f] him. And, it’s one of the only boy names me and my fiancee both really like.

[name_m]Felix[/name_m] [name_u]James[/name_u] - I like the vintage vibe of [name_m]Felix[/name_m]. I also like that it makes me picture a bit of a mischievous little boy, getting into lots of nearly harmless trouble which is EXACTLY what our future boy will be like if he’s anything like his father. My fiancee has had many a principal visits and ambulance rides lol. It really is just a name that I think will fit one of our future sons if we’re lucky to have any. [name_u]James[/name_u] is classic and strong, but it’s not set in stone or anything. I think [name_m]Justin[/name_m] would rather honor a family member but for now that’s the combo.

basically with all our name choices, we really adore vintage like circa 1910-20s names. But more importantly we need to be able to actually see and imagine a future child of ours having that name. And calling that name, yelling that name, using all kinds of different tones while saying the name. For us, we imagine little blonde hair, blue/green eye kids running around causing plenty of trouble but being fairly smart and athletic. Obviously our kids aren’t gonna embody all those traits or any of them, we don’t know but that’s just what we imagine so these names fit those images to us.

I have a top two for each at the moment.

[name_f]Carlotta[/name_f] [name_f]Marigold[/name_f] - [name_f]Carlotta[/name_f] after Blessed Emperor [name_m]Karl[/name_m] or [name_m]Charles[/name_m] as he is sometimes known. I have a special devotion to him. [name_f]Marigold[/name_f] to honor the Virgin [name_f]Mary[/name_f].

[name_f]Raphaela[/name_f] [name_f]Zita[/name_f] - After St [name_m]Raphael[/name_m] and Blessed [name_m]Karl[/name_m]'s wife [name_f]Empress[/name_f] [name_f]Zita[/name_f] Servant of God.

[name_m]Augustine[/name_m] [name_u]Francis[/name_u] - [name_m]Augustine[/name_m] After St [name_m]Augustine[/name_m] of Hippo & [name_u]Francis[/name_u] after St [name_u]Francis[/name_u] of [name_f]Assisi[/name_f] and also my Spiritual director is part of this Franciscan Order.

[name_m]Thaddeus[/name_m] [name_m]Casimir[/name_m] - After St [name_u]Jude[/name_u] [name_m]Thaddeus[/name_m] and I like the meaning of [name_m]Casimir[/name_m] ‘Keeping the [name_u]Peace[/name_u]’.

[name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] [name_f]Mary[/name_f] [name_f]Ann[/name_f] nn [name_f]Malle[/name_f] or [name_f]Maggie[/name_f]- We chose [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] because it’s a little vintage, a little modern, and a whole lot of spunky. [name_f]Mary[/name_f] [name_f]Ann[/name_f] is for his mother.

[name_f]Cora[/name_f] [name_u]Jay[/name_u] [name_f]Amelia[/name_f]- [name_f]Cora[/name_f] is just a name I adore. [name_u]Jay[/name_u] is for my grandpa, and [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] is for his great grandmother.

[name_f]Georgia[/name_f] Rommely [name_u]Shae[/name_u] (would call her [name_u]Shae[/name_u])- [name_f]Georgia[/name_f] reminds me of peaches, peaches remind me of sweet tea, I would love to think of those things at the sound of my daughter’s name. [name_u]Shae[/name_u] was the name of all my dolls when I was little, and Rommely is the surname of a family in my favorite book, A Tree Grows in [name_u]Brooklyn[/name_u].

[name_u]Leland[/name_u] [name_m]Benjamin[/name_m] [name_m]Colt[/name_m] nn [name_u]Lee[/name_u]- [name_u]Leland[/name_u] is a name we have fallen in love with, [name_m]Benjamin[/name_m] is for two of my great grandfathers, and a dear friend that has passed away. [name_m]Colt[/name_m] is for the gun AND the animal, it just suits us as a family.

[name_m]Briggs[/name_m] [name_u]Michael[/name_u] [name_u]Neil[/name_u]- I love [name_m]Briggs[/name_m], he likes it more than [name_m]Colt[/name_m]. [name_u]Michael[/name_u] is a name he always thought he would use for a son, and I just love it, and the [name_m]Saint[/name_m] [name_u]Michael[/name_u] connection. [name_u]Neil[/name_u] is my dad’s middle.

[name_u]Casey[/name_u] [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] [name_m]Huck[/name_m]- [name_u]Casey[/name_u] is one of my favorite boy names, and it is the name of one of my favorite cousins, who is a girl. [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] is a family name. I love [name_m]Huckleberry[/name_m], he says it’s a name for a horse or dog, I think he would agree to [name_m]Huck[/name_m].

[name_m]Reason[/name_m] for two middles in all the names: it’s tradition on his side!

My dream boy name combo would be [name_u]James[/name_u] [name_m]Daniel[/name_m]-- so run-of-the-mill, yet both are family names. My first “boyfriend” in sixth grade (we might have even held hands! oooooh!) was named [name_u]James[/name_u] [name_m]Daniel[/name_m], yet that doesn’t bother me. This has been my dream boy name since my teens. [name_m]Both[/name_m] are sadly on my husband’s “off-limits” name list.

[name_m]Amias[/name_m] [name_u]Darren[/name_u]- I love the meaning. Thankfully, I’ve convinced the hubby to use [name_m]Amias[/name_m] as a first name if we ever have a boy- it would go wonderfully with our [name_m]French[/name_m] last name. I have a Thing against unisex names & boys names on girls. [name_m]Amias[/name_m] is one of the few male names to be derived from the feminine.

[name_m]Oran[/name_m] [name_u]Sage[/name_u]. My husband would never let me use this combo, so it only exists in my dreams.

[name_f]Anneliese[/name_f] [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] is my dream girl name. Annelies (no final e) was the given name of [name_f]Anne[/name_f] [name_m]Frank[/name_m]. Her diary is one of my favorite books ever. Going to the [name_f]Anne[/name_f] [name_m]Frank[/name_m] House in [name_m]Amsterdam[/name_m] was one of the most transformative experiences of my life. [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] is a family name.

[name_f]Zinnia[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f]- such an unusual first name requires a plain-[name_f]Jane[/name_f] middle name. Anyone read Chasing Redbird or [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] lately?

[name_f]Winnifred[/name_f] [name_f]Alina[/name_f]- although this name exists only in my dreams, as the hubby cannot shake the image of [name_f]Winnie[/name_f] [name_m]Cooper[/name_m] from the Wonder Years.

[name_u]Mackenzie[/name_u] [name_u]Britton[/name_u] [name_f]Annette[/name_f]- Weird combo to my friends. But I adore the name mackenzie. britton, call me crazy but I want her to represent me in a big way. My name is [name_f]Brittany[/name_f] [name_f]Annette[/name_f]. So yeah.

[name_u]Kennedy[/name_u] [name_f]Aleah[/name_f] [name_f]Michelle[/name_f]- I’ve heard the name [name_u]Kennedy[/name_u] once from my best friends- dads- neighbors child. [name_f]Michelle[/name_f] represents my cousin ([name_f]Ann[/name_f]'s daughter) she’s like my big sister. And I use to be in love with the name leah but I think aleah flows better.

[name_f]Rachel[/name_f] [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] [name_f]Ann[/name_f]- I’ve loved the name [name_f]Rachel[/name_f] for awhile along with [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]. [name_f]Ann[/name_f] is to represent my aunt that died from cancer in 2008.

[name_u]Logan[/name_u] [name_m]Daniel[/name_m] [name_u]James[/name_u]- [name_u]Logan[/name_u] became my obsession after my bf brought it up. I like daniel (danny) but I didnt want it as a first name since i have a cousin daniel jr & uncle name daniel. & [name_u]James[/name_u] is for my little brother.

[name_m]Landon[/name_m] [name_u]Michael[/name_u] [name_u]Carson[/name_u]- I’ve been on the name carson for three years now. [name_m]Landon[/name_m] has been my dream name since A walk to remember came out…along with carter. [name_u]Michael[/name_u] represents my bfs name.

[name_u]Courtland[/name_u] [name_m]Samuel[/name_m] [name_m]Miles[/name_m]- [name_m]Samuel[/name_m] is a family name & [name_u]Courtland[/name_u] is something I havent heard around my city. [name_m]Miles[/name_m] is from the famous [name_m]Miles[/name_m] in the new version of footloose.

As you see I’m a movie fanatic. I love two middle names. I have an obsession with names.

[name_f]Mira[/name_f] Cairdeas because DH and I can agree on [name_f]Mira[/name_f], it polls well (here and other baby name sites), and has nice meanings. I love that [name_f]Mira[/name_f] is another name for omicron ceti and lends itself to a space-themed nursery. Cairdeas is a synonym for my name in Irish, which is the heritage not covered by our surname or our top boys choice. Together, [name_f]Mira[/name_f] Cairdeas can be interpreted as “wonderful friendship/alliance” or “peaceful friendship”

[name_f]Geneva[/name_f] Joule – Probably wouldn’t use these together because I am not a fan of alliteration, but I believe [name_f]Geneva[/name_f] is a stylish choice for a first since it was most popular in the early 1920’s, the city gives it a peaceful connotation imo, and I like the possibility of using “[name_f]Neve[/name_f]” as a nn. Joule is a nice sciency nod but unfourtunately this awesome name isn’t usable for a first since “Kilojoule” sounds like “Kill a Joule”.

[name_m]Anderson[/name_m] [name_m]Robert[/name_m] – Family connections, otherwise [name_m]Anderson[/name_m] would be too popular for me to use. But it does nicely reflect Norwegian heritage.

[name_m]Darrow[/name_m] [name_u]Paine[/name_u] is an understated little agnostic/sciency nod. But I really do think [name_m]Darrow[/name_m] is unique in a good way, it means “spear” but rhymes with arrow so it sounds quite masculine imo. [name_m]Darrow[/name_m] as in [name_m]Clarence[/name_m] [name_m]Darrow[/name_m] for his role in the Scopes Monkey Trial and [name_u]Paine[/name_u] for [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] [name_u]Paine[/name_u] who was a brilliant patriot imo. The first American key opinion leader, perhaps? He has some wonderful quotations about morality and religion and separation of church and state.

[name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] [name_f]Lavender[/name_f] - absolutely love [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f], and [name_f]Lavender[/name_f] comes from my favourite movie growing up, [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] ([name_f]Lavender[/name_f] was [name_f]Matilda[/name_f]'s best friend).

[name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_f]Arabella[/name_f] - [name_f]Jane[/name_f] after my absolute favourite author, [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_u]Austen[/name_u], and [name_f]Arabella[/name_f] to help liven it up. I think [name_f]Jane[/name_f] should return to the first name slot.

[name_f]Ada[/name_f] [name_f]Christabel[/name_f] - [name_f]Ada[/name_f] seems so fun and fresh now that [name_f]Ava[/name_f]'s uber popular, and [name_f]Christabel[/name_f] is lovely and whimsical sounding.

[name_m]Henry[/name_m] [name_m]Caradoc[/name_m] - [name_m]Henry[/name_m] brings to mind images of true gentlemen, and, [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_u]Austen[/name_u]'s brother [name_m]Henry[/name_m], who’s love story was quite sweet. [name_m]Caradoc[/name_m] is a mythological name from [name_m]Wales[/name_m], and Arthurian legends. However, I heard it first as the middle name of English actor [name_m]Nicholas[/name_m] Hoult, ([name_m]Nicholas[/name_m] [name_m]Caradoc[/name_m] Hoult swoon) and decided I loved it with [name_m]Henry[/name_m].

[name_m]Thomas[/name_m] [name_m]Edmund[/name_m]/[name_m]Edmund[/name_m] [name_m]Thomas[/name_m]/[name_m]Eamonn[/name_m] [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] - can’t decide which way around I prefer this, but [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] has been a favourite of mine since I was about 7, and [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] is like a more romantic, less Twilight-y [name_m]Edward[/name_m] :wink: I also love the Irish spelling, [name_m]Eamonn[/name_m].

[name_m]Walter[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] - combining two long time favourites together.

[name_f]Juliette[/name_f] [name_f]Grace[/name_f]- [name_f]Juliette[/name_f] is a name I fell in love with recently. It is the most beautiful name I have ever heard. [name_f]Grace[/name_f] is after my great-grandmother. She was an amazing woman.

[name_f]Lydia[/name_f] [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f]- No meaning behind this combo. I just think they are both beautiful and sound really well together.

[name_f]Felicity[/name_f] [name_f]Kate[/name_f]- A name I just recently added to my list. I love it! It is so precious.

[name_m]Jonathan[/name_m] [name_u]Rhys[/name_u]- I have adored the name [name_m]Jonathan[/name_m] for many years. I think it is adorable on a little boy and so handsome on an adult. [name_f]Love[/name_f] it! [name_u]Rhys[/name_u] is just plain cute. That’s all there is too it. lol

[name_m]Roman[/name_m] [name_m]Isaiah[/name_m]- [name_m]Roman[/name_m] is my favorite book of the bible and my favorite bible verse comes out of [name_m]Isaiah[/name_m]. I combined the two names together and voila!

[name_u]Phoenix[/name_u] [name_u]Owen[/name_u]- Recently fell in love with this combo. It was so hard to choose between this combo and [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m] [name_u]Jude[/name_u]. [name_f]Love[/name_f] both these names so much!