@Gingermom15 There is a town in Oklahoma called Ada, pronounced Ay-da. I have never heard anyone have a hard time pronouncing it, so I think you'll be good! Cute name!
After lots of arguing and compromise I think we've finally settled on a name... Katherine Mae. I like that there's plenty of nicknames depending on her little personality - Kate, Katie, Kat, etc.
I think it’s AY-da, not Ah-da. I know in Nabokov’s novel Ada or Ardor, the Ardor part comes from a Russian character’s pronunciation of Ada (great book by the way)!
@Gingermom15 I don't want to discourage you as I agree it is a beautiful name! But just FYI my great grandmother's name was Ada and she pronounced it A-da and not Ay-da. It was a long time ago though, so maybe your preferred pronunciation is more common with the modern version.
@Gingermom15 I don't want to discourage you as I agree it is a beautiful name! But just FYI my great grandmother's name was Ada and she pronounced it A-da and not Ay-da. It was a long time ago though, so maybe your preferred pronunciation is more common with the modern version.
ETA Also she was not born in the US or Canada.
That's probably it. The English pronunciation is Ay-da. Like Ada Lovelace.
I wouldn't discount a name just because people might mispronounce it, @Gingermom15 - my maiden name got mispronounced alllllll the time and I just corrected people. Also somehow people still get Katie wrong constantly even though it's a super common name. (Also full disclosure Ada/Adah was on my short list for girl names! So obviously I love it.)
The English pronunciation vs other areas was my main hold up. But it sounds as though it’s becoming fairly well-known, so I’m not nearly as concerned about it now.
Wow. With some of the experiences you all have had after telling names, I think I’ve just decided not to tell baby’s name until birth. We didn’t with DD and it was so fun finally announcing her name! And I mean— we did not tell a SOUL. We told with DS and it was fine, but I had an acquaintance, at the tail end of my pregnancy, ask if I would mind her using the name as well for her son that was due 5 months later. Doesn’t seem like a huge deal, but the kids would be the same age, same sports, etc.... She ended up going with something else even though I bit my tongue and said “sure.....” Everyone liked DS’s name (or so they said), but I don’t think that would’ve been the case with DD, so I’m glad we didn’t tell.
@chasingroygbiv DH’s family was incredibly obnoxious when it came to names. They kept suggesting names, telling us names they didn’t like and even told me it was “tradition” for babies in their family to be named by the family. We (I) decided that no one would know his name until we said so. His family was the very last to know and found out during my baby shower when everything said his name on it, which they made clear in the beginning that they didn’t like. They haven’t made a peep about names this time around, but we still may not tell them if we pick a final name.
I love both of those names! I'm leaning towards Wyatt. For middle names I keep thinking of verb beginnings, like Everett, Aiden, Evan. autocorrect suggests Ardan which I like.
@sarahhedger7 I vote Wyatt! One of my fav boy names.
So, DH and I had decided on Katherine Mae, but that was pretty short lived because he remembered his aunt Kathy who everyone dislikes. Now we're on Eloise, with the nickname Ellie. I need middle name help...
I think we have our first name: Harper. Now we just have to figure out a middle name that sounds great with it, but also doesn't give funny initials. Our last name also starts with an H, so an O middle name is out of the running, lol. Any suggestions, ladies?
Married 5/12/2007 DS 6/3/2016 MC 1/12/2017 BFP 7/19/2017 EDD 3/31/2018
So, DH and I had decided on Katherine Mae, but that was pretty short lived because he remembered his aunt Kathy who everyone dislikes. Now we're on Eloise, with the nickname Ellie. I need middle name help...
Eloise Grace Eloise Kate Eloise June
Any opinions or suggestions?
Those are all beautiful. In my totally random opinion I like Eloise June the best. It has a nice sound to it.
So, DH and I had decided on Katherine Mae, but that was pretty short lived because he remembered his aunt Kathy who everyone dislikes. Now we're on Eloise, with the nickname Ellie. I need middle name help...
Eloise Grace Eloise Kate Eloise June
Any opinions or suggestions?
Those are all beautiful. In my totally random opinion I like Eloise June the best. It has a nice sound to it.
I agree, Eloise June is great.
***March '18 October Siggy Challenge: Halloween Costume Fails***
Okay, DH has come up with a middle name for baby’s first name, I’m not so sure. First name ends in A, middle name starts with A. Example Kayla Annamarie. Too many A’s? Be honest.
Also, for names like Annamarie, Mary Kate, etc., does on hyphenate that? Does hyphenating make for issues in life such as paper work or anything like that?
Okay, DH has come up with a middle name for baby’s first name, I’m not so sure. First name ends in A, middle name starts with A. Example Kayla Annamarie. Too many A’s? Be honest.
Also, for names like Annamarie, Mary Kate, etc., does on hyphenate that? Does hyphenating make for issues in life such as paper work or anything like that?
@chasingroygbiv the A to an A sounds like it flows well if it does like the example you gave! If the middle name starts with the same letter as the end of the first name and is only one syllable, however, it sounds choppy (e.g., Kayla Ann). But that's just me!
Regarding hyphenating, I'd vote no. I have four names (since marriage) and chose not to hyphenate. When it comes to first and middle, it's fine to leave them as-is and then just put them on the proper line/in the proper box when filling out paperwork.
@chasingroygbiv I agree that avoiding hyphenating in any part of the name, when possible, is usually easier in the long run. I've never met anyone with a hyphenated first name. In fact, everyone I know who has a hyphenated last name eventually dropped one of the last names for simplicity and the fact that it is still a legal part of their name when they don't use it IRL is confusing for paperwork (according to them).
@chasingroygbiv I agree that avoiding hyphenating in any part of the name, when possible, is usually easier in the long run. I've never met anyone with a hyphenated first name. In fact, everyone I know who has a hyphenated last name eventually dropped one of the last names for simplicity and the fact that it is still a legal part of their name when they don't use it IRL is confusing for paperwork (according to them).
I hyphenated my last name when I got married and I've found it to be extremely simple. Legally you can write one or both of your last names on any paperwork and it's still perfectly legal. So like I never changed my last name at my bank but it doesn't matter. Legally I don't have to. I do casually just go by my maiden name but that is 100% only because my husband's last name is Chinese and most people cannot figure out how to pronounce it. If it was like Smith or something I would use it.
@antoto That's cool that works for you. The people I know who don't like their hyphens and said it was a PITA both had them from birth, so it wasn't a personal choice they made for themselves. That might be a factor for some people. I never had one, so I can't say. When I got married I ditched my middle name, which I never really liked, and replaced it with my maiden name so that I could avoid a hyphen. But that's just me.
I just didn’t know if it would seem like a super made up name (it kind of is made up, it has a special twist for a meaning we are hoping to somehow use with her name) if I combined the two names together verses hyphenating. I guess it’s kind of a silly question on my part as I kept my maiden name as a second middle name— no hyphen, but it couldn’t be one name obviously, it’s two. Now just to decide if we should mesh the names or keep them separated. DS has 2 middle names, DD has a middle name similar to Annamarie so it’s longer, but not two names. So many decisions.
I don't like the idea of squishing two names together into one. Say the name is Ana May or whatever, just do that. It can be two names. You don't need it to be Anamay. See how that looks way more silly and made up?
@chasingroygbiv I agree that avoiding hyphenating in any part of the name, when possible, is usually easier in the long run. I've never met anyone with a hyphenated first name. In fact, everyone I know who has a hyphenated last name eventually dropped one of the last names for simplicity and the fact that it is still a legal part of their name when they don't use it IRL is confusing for paperwork (according to them).
I hyphenated my last name when I got married and I've found it to be extremely simple. Legally you can write one or both of your last names on any paperwork and it's still perfectly legal. So like I never changed my last name at my bank but it doesn't matter. Legally I don't have to. I do casually just go by my maiden name but that is 100% only because my husband's last name is Chinese and most people cannot figure out how to pronounce it. If it was like Smith or something I would use it.
I live in a heavily Hispanic area, and last names are different in Mexico. They take the last name of each parent and hyphenate to make it their full last name but often shorten it when speaking and go by the first last name, whereas other cultures seem to go by the second last name when shortening a hyphenated name. Super off topic but interesting.
***March '18 October Siggy Challenge: Halloween Costume Fails***
@chasingroygbiv I agree that avoiding hyphenating in any part of the name, when possible, is usually easier in the long run. I've never met anyone with a hyphenated first name. In fact, everyone I know who has a hyphenated last name eventually dropped one of the last names for simplicity and the fact that it is still a legal part of their name when they don't use it IRL is confusing for paperwork (according to them).
I hyphenated my last name when I got married and I've found it to be extremely simple. Legally you can write one or both of your last names on any paperwork and it's still perfectly legal. So like I never changed my last name at my bank but it doesn't matter. Legally I don't have to. I do casually just go by my maiden name but that is 100% only because my husband's last name is Chinese and most people cannot figure out how to pronounce it. If it was like Smith or something I would use it.
I live in a heavily Hispanic area, and last names are different in Mexico. They take the last name of each parent and hyphenate to make it their full last name but often shorten it when speaking and go by the first last name, whereas other cultures seem to go by the second last name when shortening a hyphenated name. Super off topic but interesting.
I actually have a system where I think everyone should hyphenate like this:
Every child has a hyphenated last name - one masculine name and one feminine name. When they are born they take their father and mother's names. When they marry they take the feminine/masculine name of their SO. The woman carries the feminine name and the man carries the masculine name.
So if Mary Long (after her father) - Smith (after her mother) marries Joe Johnson (after his father) - Simmons (after his mother) They would become Mary and Joe Johnson-Smith and their kids would have that last name as well until they got married.
Of course this obviously only works for people who identify on the binary and marry someone of the opposite sex. BUT for hetero cis couples I like this system. It just bothers me that only men carry names and women just lose their history. Tracking women through history is SO much more difficult than men because of this.
Re: Name Thread 2.0
@antoto I love Elise! DH vetoed because we have a niece named Ella and thought it was too similar.
EDD March 12, 2018
ETA Also she was not born in the US or Canada.
https://www.behindthename.com/name/ada
We (I) decided that no one would know his name until we said so. His family was the very last to know and found out during my baby shower when everything said his name on it, which they made clear in the beginning that they didn’t like. They haven’t made a peep about names this time around, but we still may not tell them if we pick a final name.
DH and I have FINALLY narrowed it down to 2 names. Help!
Wyatt or Logan?
And maybs a middle name suggestion for each?
For middle names I keep thinking of verb beginnings, like Everett, Aiden, Evan. autocorrect suggests Ardan which I like.
Wyatt James... Wyatt Michael... Wyatt Jackson.. Wyatt Joseph.. Wyatt Anthony .. hmmm
So, DH and I had decided on Katherine Mae, but that was pretty short lived because he remembered his aunt Kathy who everyone dislikes.
Eloise Grace
Eloise Kate
Eloise June
Any opinions or suggestions?
DS 6/3/2016
MC 1/12/2017
BFP 7/19/2017
EDD 3/31/2018
Also, for names like Annamarie, Mary Kate, etc., does on hyphenate that? Does hyphenating make for issues in life such as paper work or anything like that?
Regarding hyphenating, I'd vote no. I have four names (since marriage) and chose not to hyphenate. When it comes to first and middle, it's fine to leave them as-is and then just put them on the proper line/in the proper box when filling out paperwork.
Every child has a hyphenated last name - one masculine name and one feminine name. When they are born they take their father and mother's names. When they marry they take the feminine/masculine name of their SO. The woman carries the feminine name and the man carries the masculine name.
So if Mary Long (after her father) - Smith (after her mother) marries Joe Johnson (after his father) - Simmons (after his mother) They would become Mary and Joe Johnson-Smith and their kids would have that last name as well until they got married.
Of course this obviously only works for people who identify on the binary and marry someone of the opposite sex. BUT for hetero cis couples I like this system. It just bothers me that only men carry names and women just lose their history. Tracking women through history is SO much more difficult than men because of this.
Married: 5.27.16
Baby Boy Due: 3.18.18