A sister for E@mon J@mes

mangomimosa · March 2017

I'm due this summer and looking for help with naming our daughter. Our son is E@mon J@mes. We are thinking about the following:

Maeve Emmeline (pronounced Emma-leen)
August Maeve (yes I know this is traditionally a boy name, but it's been my guilty pleasure girl name for over a decade...and after what felt like a long time TTC for us, we finally got pregnant with a girl due in August, so it feels right. ....but I have a lot of reservations.)
Eliza Maeve
Quinn Alexandra

Other thoughts welcome. R-names and Biblical origins are no-go's.

Also interested in your thoughts on -- is Maeve really trendy/popular right now?? I see it's ranked in the 20's on Nameberry but I haven't seen it being used or even mentioned by anyone I know. I don't love it, but I like a lot of things about it and I feel like I could come to love it the way I came to love Eamon.

catem07 · March 2017

I like Maeve Emmaline a lot. I live in a pretty "Irish" place and I don't think it's too popular.

Bringmemylongswordho · March 2017

I like Maeve. It is trending up, but it's still in the 400s, so it's definitely not super popular.

You shouldn't use August for a girl, because there are already multiple feminine forms of Augustus.

Augusta
Augustine
Augustina

Eta: I was curious so I looked up popularity rankings for Quinn and Eliza

Quinn rank 97
Eliza rank 175
Maeve rank 450

Feminine forms of August do not break the top 1000

joforyoga · March 2017

There are a lot of lovely old fashioned names but I don't like Maeve at all sorry. I like Quinn or Eliza but I think you should go with your guilty pleasure name if this is your one shot! Life is short and that would be meaning for you! Like op said you could always go with Augustine and call her August.

mangomimosa · March 2017

Bringmemylongswordho said:

I like Maeve. It is trending up, but it's still in the 400s, so it's definitely not super popular.

You shouldn't use August for a girl, because there are already multiple feminine forms of Augustus.

Augusta
Augustine
Augustina

Yeah, I'm so torn over it. I have Maeve Augustina on my list, too. Augustine is considered masculine, though it sounds more feminine to me, too. I definitely prefer it over Augustina or Augusta!

I have always found it interesting how much TB is against the boy-name-on-girl thing, but we'll also jump down anyone's throat if they misuse sex/gender or suggest a girl can't play with traditional "boy" toys. I guess it's the trendy aspect that grates on some people's nerves? And I guess that's my main issue with it, too. It sounds like I'm trying to be trendy or cutesy. I didn't even know it was a boy name when I fell in love with it, I thought I just made up a brilliant idea ("May, June, April -- all real girls' names -- why not use August! So beautiful!" was my thought process 15 yrs ago haha) -- and now I know that's completely inane, but I still love the name for a girl. Sigh. That said, I don't think I can do it.

mangomimosa · March 2017

Knottie1447173547 said:

There are a lot of lovely old fashioned names but I don't like Maeve at all sorry. I like Quinn or Eliza but I think you should go with your guilty pleasure name if this is your one shot! Life is short and that would be meaning for you! Like op said you could always go with Augustine and call her August.

Haha you're the devil on my shoulder!

My husband loves August EXCEPT I have a cat named Gus. Which I say is ridiculous because he'll die before she's in kindergarten, and no one will know her mom's dead cat's name!). (This is, however, why I was against naming our son August. He would be nicknamed Gus, I'm sure, and *I* can't forget that I had a cat named Gus!)

holli0801 · March 2017

I think if August is important to you, you should use it... but, I personally would place it in the middle spot just because I like all of your other options better. I think Maeve is great. I only know one.

ashleyandely · March 2017

Maeve Augustina is just lovely! I like Augustine or just August in the middle name spot too. Love Maeve. Goes great with your sons name.

Bringmemylongswordho · March 2017

mangomimosa said:

Bringmemylongswordho said:

I like Maeve. It is trending up, but it's still in the 400s, so it's definitely not super popular.

You shouldn't use August for a girl, because there are already multiple feminine forms of Augustus.

Augusta
Augustine
Augustina

Yeah, I'm so torn over it. I have Maeve Augustina on my list, too. Augustine is considered masculine, though it sounds more feminine to me, too. I definitely prefer it over Augustina or Augusta!

I have always found it interesting how much TB is against the boy-name-on-girl thing, but we'll also jump down anyone's throat if they misuse sex/gender or suggest a girl can't play with traditional "boy" toys. I guess it's the trendy aspect that grates on some people's nerves? And I guess that's my main issue with it, too. It sounds like I'm trying to be trendy or cutesy. I didn't even know it was a boy name when I fell in love with it, I thought I just made up a brilliant idea ("May, June, April -- all real girls' names -- why not use August! So beautiful!" was my thought process 15 yrs ago haha) -- and now I know that's completely inane, but I still love the name for a girl. Sigh. That said, I don't think I can do it.

Not to turn your thread into this, but for me it's entirely because I find using masculine names for girls sexist. So to me it's very much a words mean things, uh, thing.

In your case though, I feel like naming your daughter August instead of one of it's feminine forms (Augustine has masculine usage in English, but has feminine usage in German and French) would be like naming her Stephen. Sure, you can do it and Stevie/Steffie is a cute nn, but why wouldn't you just name her Stephanie?

leighry · March 2017

@mangomimosa I think August is beautiful. I don't think it's overly masculine to the point that she would really have an issue with it in life. I have a daughter named Ryan which I used because it was my maiden name and I had always wanted a daughter to have it. People told me to middle name it, or name her Ryann or Ryanne or some other hideous "feminine" version but that wasn't my maiden name. Ryan was. So if you love August I say use it. I don't get the whole "just use a girl version" thing. Because like you said ... people on here get their panties in a wad over sex/gender and don't say a boy can't play with dolls or a girl can't play with trucks crap but then also get hives over boys names on girls. It's all ridiculous. Use the name you love! I will say though that I also love the name Maeve so I don't think you can go wrong!

FakeFinn · March 2017

I really like Maeve Augusta or Maeve Emmeline. I think Nameberry ranks according to how many views a name has gotten, not how many times it has been given. In 1997 Maeve's rank was 955 on the SSA name list. After that it disappeared from the top 1000. Popularitywise I think you're good

Eliza is a nice enough name, but I prefer Elizabeth. Quinn is NMS. I'm with @Bringmemylongswordho on August for a girl.

I think Eamon and Maeve make a lovely sibset!

SnarkasaurusRex · March 2017

I like Maeve best with Eamon. I also like Eliza but I'm not too keen on repeating initials for siblings.

I am NAF of August on a girl for reasons others have mentioned...and it just seems really kitschy to me to have that be her first name if she's born in August (I have a friend named April who is very sick of asking her if she was born in April - she was). I really love PPs suggestion of Maeve Augustina - I think it keeps the theme of your children's names consistent and gives you the extra meaning behind the middle name.

Edited for autocorrect fail.

mb0112 · March 2017

I wouldn't use August as a first name but I feel like in the middle name spot it's ok to use it in the masculine form. Lots of people use surnames like maiden names as middles, which are often masculine. To me it won't stick out as too masculine. Augustina just feels too elaborate for my taste, I like the sound of Maeve August better.

vvitchhazel · March 2017

I would do Augusta, Augustine, or Augustina. You could still call her August as a nn if you prefer, but then she's not saddled with just a boy's name, if she doesn't want to be.

Overall, I like Maeve. It's a strong, solid name, but I think it's more of a middle than a first.

Augusta Maeve
Augustine Maeve
Augustina Maeve

I think all three of those sound really beautiful together and fit well with your son's name. I think Augusta Maeve would definitely be at the top of my list, though.

jessafishy · March 2017

I would go with Augusta Maeve or Maeve Augustina.

mercury94 · March 2017

Depending on the length of your last name, I would do either Maeve Augusta or Maeve Augustina. I agree that you could just use August in the MN spot if it works with your last name. I'm a big fan of Maeve with Eamon. It makes a lovely sib set.

MetsGirl18 · March 2017

I like Maeve and Eliza. I don't mind most gender neutral names for girls, but I'm NAF of August for a girl especially one who's born in that month.

What about Mabel? I only know 1 little girl with that name and I think it's really cute and goes nicely with Eamon.

mrs_tacos · March 2017

August as a girl name doesn't bother me. Eliza Maeve would be my first choice of your name, and August Maeve would be my second.

[Deleted User] · March 2017

I also find using masculine names for females to be (eta for clarification) promoting sexist ideas, but beyond that I personally do find it a bit eye roll worthy to name a baby born in August the name August. I know you said you have always loved it before you discovered that, but everyone will just assume you were like "Hey my baby will be born in August so I'll name her August!" It's weird.

Suggestion for the name Autumn instead?

All your other names are lovely. I especially love Maeve.

MamaWren919 · March 2017

I like Quinn or Eliza best. August isn't my favorite. I'd use it as a mn instead, but it isn't terrible if you just LOVE it. I don't get the appeal of Maeve. It is becoming more popular, but definitely not a top 20 name or anywhere close to it. I don't understand where nameberry gets their data. They are always so far off.

mb0112 · March 2017

I think Maeve is popular on Nameberry because people look it up, not actually name their baby that. And people are more likely to look up a name that they are less familiar with... like "my Facebook friend just names her baby Maeve, where does that come from?"

It is much more more popular in Irish areas like Massachusetts but even then I doubt there is likely to be more than one Maeve in a class.

mangomimosa · March 2017

mb0112 said:

I think Maeve is popular on Nameberry because people look it up, not actually name their baby that. And people are more likely to look up a name that they are less familiar with... like "my Facebook friend just names her baby Maeve, where does that come from?"

It is much more more popular in Irish areas like Massachusetts but even then I doubt there is likely to be more than one Maeve in a class.

Haha - yeah that's where we live. We just moved here though, & I'm not sure how long we'll stay. We use Irish names b/c my husband lived in Ireland for a few years and the people he met/places he stayed are special to him.

To all -- thank you so much for your thoughts and honesty. I'm intrigued by the idea that using boy names on girls is sexist. Anyone care to elaborate? I guess it's true I wouldn't name a son Christina, and that I would do the opposite does kind of tip a hat to patriarchy... ?

Re: the eye roll to August born in August -- that makes sense, and it kind of does make it sound like I put approx 5 seconds thought into her name. Yet another thing to my list of reservations about using it -- so yeah, I don't think we'll end up using August in the FN spot. I'm only 20wk so lots of time to think!

Bringmemylongswordho · March 2017

mangomimosa said:

mb0112 said:

I think Maeve is popular on Nameberry because people look it up, not actually name their baby that. And people are more likely to look up a name that they are less familiar with... like "my Facebook friend just names her baby Maeve, where does that come from?"

It is much more more popular in Irish areas like Massachusetts but even then I doubt there is likely to be more than one Maeve in a class.

Haha - yeah that's where we live. We just moved here though, & I'm not sure how long we'll stay. We use Irish names b/c my husband lived in Ireland for a few years and the people he met/places he stayed are special to him.

To all -- thank you so much for your thoughts and honesty. I'm intrigued by the idea that using boy names on girls is sexist. Anyone care to elaborate? I guess it's true I wouldn't name a son Christina, and that I would do the opposite does kind of tip a hat to patriarchy... ?

Re: the eye roll to August born in August -- that makes sense, and it kind of does make it sound like I put approx 5 seconds thought into her name. Yet another thing to my list of reservations about using it -- so yeah, I don't think we'll end up using August in the FN spot. I'm only 20wk so lots of time to think!

That's a big chunk of it, yes. If you (general you) would use a masculine name for a girl, but not consider a feminine name for a son, it reenforces the idea that masculine is the default/good but feminine is not. People often say they use masculine names because they like "strong" names, which again, suggests that feminine is weak. And fuck that noise.

Mamabeagle · March 2017

If she's born in July or September, Augusta Maeve ftw. It's an incredible name and I love it. But if she's on time in August I wouldn't use it.

A sister for E@mon J@mes

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