@kantobean yes she is! It’s even a rare name in our culture - not very common in general. She always hated her name going to school as a new immigrant in the 60s/70s but Theo suits her so much
@EmilyLove25 Finn is also one of our top choices right now, and DS1 is Charles, named after DH and my dad. We call him Charlie. So obviously I like your choice.
I’ve completely fallen in love with the name Darcy for our little boy. Still working on H though. I like Bennet also and kinda coming around to the idea of Fitz. We really haven’t even talked about it since I threw those names out there a few weeks ago so I suspect we will be talking more soon. We have time though and we decided not to share with family until after he’s born so I’m not really stressing.
Our current DS is Tucker. Which is a family name and I’ve always loved it so we had it picked out before we even started TTC. It was so much easier knowing beforehand. Lol.
My husband and I had an agreement early on if baby is a boy he gets to choose the name if it's a girl I get to. We just found out we will be having our third girl. Her name will be Hazel Mae. Our other 2 daughters are Nora Kathryn and Lucy Marie.
@mommytimesfour I love the name Aria and love it even more from Game of Thrones... were you a fan? She was BY FAR the best on it!
@kagesstarshroom Hahahahah I totally get you on rules you have for your own name selection. I will say anything I've ever named (my dog, daughter, and son) all have names that begin with E... (my cats came with their names since I adopted them)... but I think we are going to veer off course because that was TOO restrictive. Since you are literary, are you considering a literature inspired name? (My daughter's middle name is Joyce re: my love of James Joyce).
@varimama Haha that is SO funny! What a coincidence!!!!
My son's middle name is also literary inspired 😊 (the first name of one of my favorite poets). Also going with a writer-inspired middle name for this baby (it's chosen but I just don't like to share since both names are quite unusual).
Well we found out yesterday it’s officially a boy. Of course we had our girl name picked out but are struggling with a boy name.
We have it narrowed down to 3 choices: Theodore, Callum, and Mortimer. Our only problem with Theodore is that it’s popular and DS’s name is very unique (rank >1000) so we’re worried the popularities don’t match at all. Mortimer is similarly ranked as DS’s name but all of DH’s family hate it (he had to share it lol), and Callum is kind of halfway between with popularity (I think rank ~650).
Me: 33 | DH: 34 Married: October, 19, 2015 EDD 2/22/17 DS1 born on 3/2/17 EDD 3/8/20 DS2 born on 3/10/20 EDD 11/24/23 (Formerly Marriedhamstermom Feb ‘17)
@varimama I really love the name Theodore! I think you should pick a name based on what you like and not necessarily what the popularity level is. If you like the names together, and it works for your family, I say go for it!
@varimama Theodore was on our short list for DS2 I'm personally not one to worry too much about name popularity if I really like a name. We went with Oliver for DS1 even though it is in the top 100 and so far, there haven't been any other Olivers in his preschool classes. I haven't personally met a kid named Theodore even for it being high on the list.
@varimama yeah I agree with the others on the thread - pick what you like and what feels right I don’t think it has to match popularity of DS1 either - I just think you happen to like a popular name.
Theodore was on our list if we were having a boy because of my mom’s name and I didn’t care if it was popular. And our name we will likely choose for LO I have loved for years and it just became more popular, but what can you do? Just pick what you love!
I do like Callum though! It reminds me of Callum Mackenzie from Outlander
@varimama I feeeel like once you get out of the top ~300 to~400, names are dispersed in such a smaller capacity that the difference between a ~400 and a ~700 ranked name isn't that much? My real name, for instance, was in the TOP 20 in the decade I was born, but I don't feel like I meet many ppl with it? It's definitely not rare, but not common enough that I ever sat in a classroom with another person of my name--and like I said, it was top 20! I suppose that's different than being the ONLY person with that name and NEVER meeting anyone with it. ANYWAY, if yall like Theodore, my point is, go for it--I suppose the in-balance may at some point seem unfair to your first kid, but then again perhaps he'll be super proud to have a unique name. I wouldn't pick Callum just because of DS1's name, even if it will be closer in rareness.
ALSO, it's really hard to predict that will become popular? That's why I like that NameVoyager tool bc it shows clear peaks and you can see when a name is headed up or down hill--but a TV show or movie could completely change that (typing in "Elsa" for instance is the best example of a super skinny peak lol--but it was still ranked 500 something & I've never met/heard of a baby named Elsa.) I DIGRESS.
@varimama, I'm having a similar dilemma with this LO's name.. my DS has a name outside of the top 1000, my DD has a name in the 800 range. (when I picked DD's name 13 years ago, it wasn't on the list at all). so.. kind of goes to show, like @kagesstarshroom was saying, a name could be relatively unknown and then all of a sudden it's on the list or gets popular. I am having the problem now where the name I like for this LO is higher on the list, so, like you, I'm wondering if it is really 'fair' for that LO to have a 'more popular' name than her siblings... or if I should keep looking. DH and I both like the name, so idk what we will do at this point.
I guess name popularity kind of means something to DH and I because of our own names. He grew up with a top 10 first name, and has a common last name - so he has run across a few people with the exact same first and last name as him. He really didn't like that, and felt his parents didn't put enough 'effort' into naming him. I, on the other hand, have a very unique name.. it cracked the list only in the early 80s when I was born, and disappeared right after. I have liked being the 'only one' that most people meet, because sometimes if a person has a negative experience with someone of the same name as you (as DH has experienced) then they get a bad feeling about you as well, through no fault of your own. So.. we both really wanted to give our kids names that aren't popular for that reason.
Sorry for writing a book.. lol.. but, one other thing I can think of in this day and age is that the 'top ten' names aren't used nearly as much as the 'top ten' names back in the day were used. It seems like more and more people are opting for unique names.. so even if you do pick a top ten name, it isn't quite as overused as maybe they were in the past.
We found out this week we are having a boy - whoop whoop! We have a son (5) and a daughter (3). This little dude is gonna fit right in. We've decided on the name Sullivan James (Sully) and I'm obsessed. My dad cracked me up...he goes "isn't that the little green guy on that monster movie?"
I'm reviving this thread because I'd love to hear some opinions. Our DD is named Ruth after RBG with a my grandmother's Japanese name as a middle name. This baby will be June (because I have a strange love for the "oo" sound) and my husband wants her to have a Japanese middle name too. There are no other family names we like, so we're branching out to other options.
My first choice is Emiko, because I think it is a pretty name. I don't think I want to choose it because if our kids ask, we'll tell DD1 that she's named after RBG and her great grandma. When DD2 asks, we'll be like "we just thought both names were cute."
Our other choices are Toshiko and Himiko. Toshiko Kishida was one of Japan's first feminists. Queen Himiko was the first named ruler (male or female) of Japan.
I'm not sure if it would be weird if one child was named after two people and the other was named after no one in particular.
I would love any commentary on this. I feel stuck because I haven't found a name that I love, that has meaning and isn't too hard for non-Japanese speakers to pronounce. Thanks!
@keeksie84 I think it’s possible to come up with a compelling “mythology” for any name. “It was a bright, beautiful June day when we were thinking about bringing you into the world, so we named you June Emiko!” As one example. Would you ever consider giving the same middle name to both kiddos? Then it’s something they could share. DD1 is Sylvia, which we just liked, but we also admire Sylvia Earle, who is a brilliant and brave marine biologist and environmental activist. Her middle name is Marin, which is a county in california that we were hiking in during the days after we found out we were pregnant. We’re choosing Alice for our second daughter, mostly because we like the name and its associations. We happen to love the chef (and environmental activist) Alice Waters, too. We chose Eden as a middle name, which kind of fits with Marin in that it’s an old name for the town in Maine where we were vacationing after finding out we were pregnant a second time. Anyhow! Go with what you like! My parents don’t have an explanation for my name, and I don’t have a problem with that.
@orbmaker and @lemonlove86 thanks so much for all your input!! @orbmaker I love the names you've chosen! Come to think of it, both my names were chosen out of a book and I don't have a problem with it either. @lemonlove86, Toshiko is my second favorite after Emiko, but I think it sounds masculine (like Toshi).
@keeksie84 I love both of the options with meaning! So cool. I think it’s fine either way, but Himiko to me sounds similar to Emiko phonetically (unless my pronunciations are off) - so if you are worried I think June Himiko is very pretty ☺️
@keeksie84 I love the inspiration behind all the names! I agree with @dunder_mifflin that Emiko sounds a good deal like Himiko to me? But I love all of these Japanese middle names!
We're still working to come up with a short list for DS2. Of course, we've always had a girl's name selected. LOL. I don't think I'll be able to commit until I meet him and we're not sharing much with people IRL because I don't want anyone to make me hate a name that we already like. Wesley is my favorite name, but DH vetoed it. He's leaning towards Connor, but I can't get Oliver out of my head, despite its popularity. It was #6 in my state last year, according to SSA. We like more traditional/classic names, so they tend to be more popular. Any feedback or suggestions?
@mrsvp614 I like Wesley and Oliver! My nephew is Oliver. I personally tend not to care tooooo much if they’re on the popular list. Just because it’s your kid, you will be the one saying their name multiple times a day. Pick it based off what YOU like!
@mrsvp614 if popularity or trendiness bothers you, I'd go with Connor. I feel like Wesley is on an uptick (although I like it), and Oliver is definitely popular. I personally feel like Connor is more timeless. Buuuut keep in mind that I'm firmly Team No Popular Names. My favorite girls' name is currently #80 in the US and that's borderline too popular for me
@mrsvp614 I also don't want to name the kid until they're born for similar reasons! DH is already attached to two names on my list, though, and I am not about that life. I feel like I said this before, but I feel like popular names aren't as frequently used because so many people name their kids sort of...wild things? Like, there were 4 Mikes in my 3rd grade class and two Laurens. I feel like these days there'd be, like, one Mike and one Lauren (or one Oliver and one Sophia or whatever) but like an Enzo and a Brixton and a Lear and a Titania to make up where there'd be that one name in the past? I could be wrong and there could be like four Isabellas in a class, haha, but I just feel like even though popular names are popular they are still... just not the same since so many people want/gravitate towards less traditional names, it seems? Thank you, the internet.
@mrsvp614 We named DS1 Oliver regardless of the name popularity just because we loved the name. So far in preschool he has been the only Oliver in his classes. I will add though that for some reason, Oliver is slightly less popular in Maryland - it is in the teens instead of top 10.
AFM, DH and I finally narrowed down our list of 1400+ 3 syllable boys names down to 4. Elliott, Elijah, Gabriel, or Finnegan. MN will be Henry. I'm leaning toward Elliott, and I suspect DH is leaning toward Elijah. No clear front runner yet but we'll eventually decide I guess! We were pretty last minute for DS2.
@kagesstarshroom Ha! Brixton sounds about right. Although here, I'm sure someone would spell it Bryxtynn, or some shit. I need to look at more infrequently used names, but all the ones that feel right seem to be pretty traditional, which naturally end up being pretty popular.
@kailanae We have very similar taste... Elliott, Finn and Henry are all on our list too! And good to know about your Oliver. William is #1 in my state, but yet, I haven't met any babies/toddlers named William here, so who knows.
@mrsvp614, I like Wesley, and I personally have never run across an LO with that name... but I do know a few older people with the name. I know a little Connor and a couple of little Olivers. All of those names are good names, though, IMO. you really can't go wrong with a classic name.
@kagesstarshroom , that is definitely true about name popularity. Throughout DD's school years, there has usually been an 'Ava' or a 'Sophia' or an Ellie/Emma/Emily in each class, but never more than one. I too remember the days of having multiple kids with the same name in a class.. I went to a small school (only 15 in my grade) and there were 3 Dustins and 2 Stephanies. LOL. Now it seems like every kid has a name that is a bit more unusual... it definitely seems that 'Unpopular' has become the new 'popular'.
@kailanae I like your narrowed down list! I started with a narrowed down list & DH picked the few he liked off of it, and then contributed one he knew I would like. I love a 3 syllable name, too--though I am fine with two. Since baby is getting my hyphenated last name, four is too many...
This may have already been discussed here, but DH and I both downloaded the "Kinder" app... where you swipe names that you like and then it lists all your matches. It's a fun way to look at names without just reading off a list.
Hey ladies!! I need some name ideas! My DH and I like the idea of naming our girls with the first letter of his name and boys with the first letter of my name! Gimme all the girl names that start with “L” and boy names that start with “W”! So far this is what we’ve come up with:
Boy: Winston Windle Wyatt Wells Walcott
Girl: Linden (Lindy for short) Lauriel Lark Lilly Lacey
@whittyuma I am/was toying with the name Wallace for a boy. I actually love it but DH pointed out "everyone" (not sure I agree) will call him Wally, which I hate.
@mrsvp614 Since I live in Cincinnati, a lot of my friends and family live in KY, and I don't know one person whose named their baby Oliver lately. I think it means something when a name sticks around in your head
@awrenn10 Ours will likely be Hazel Mae as well! Mae was my grandma's middle name, she passed away last year. Our boys are Charlie and Sam, and I feel like Hazel fits right in with the old school -but-still-cute vibe
Re: The Baby Name Thread
Married: 10.15.16
DS BD: 8.20.17
TTC #2 1.1.19
BFP #2 7.3.19
EDD #2 3.13.20
Our current DS is Tucker. Which is a family name and I’ve always loved it so we had it picked out before we even started TTC. It was so much easier knowing beforehand. Lol.
married 11.1.14
ttc #1 since 5.18
bfp 12.22.18 letrozole + progesterone
d&e due to trisomy 13/hydrops at 15wks
bfp 7.21.19 letrozole + IUI
little girl A born 3.26.20
We have it narrowed down to 3 choices: Theodore, Callum, and Mortimer. Our only problem with Theodore is that it’s popular and DS’s name is very unique (rank >1000) so we’re worried the popularities don’t match at all. Mortimer is similarly ranked as DS’s name but all of DH’s family hate it (he had to share it lol), and Callum is kind of halfway between with popularity (I think rank ~650).
Married: October, 19, 2015
EDD 2/22/17
EDD 3/8/20
EDD 11/24/23
(Formerly Marriedhamstermom Feb ‘17)
DS2 10/2017
DS3 due 03/2020
Theodore was on our list if we were having a boy because of my mom’s name and I didn’t care if it was popular. And our name we will likely choose for LO I have loved for years and it just became more popular, but what can you do? Just pick what you love!
I do like Callum though! It reminds me of Callum Mackenzie from Outlander
ALSO, it's really hard to predict that will become popular? That's why I like that NameVoyager tool bc it shows clear peaks and you can see when a name is headed up or down hill--but a TV show or movie could completely change that (typing in "Elsa" for instance is the best example of a super skinny peak lol--but it was still ranked 500 something & I've never met/heard of a baby named Elsa.) I DIGRESS.
I guess name popularity kind of means something to DH and I because of our own names. He grew up with a top 10 first name, and has a common last name - so he has run across a few people with the exact same first and last name as him. He really didn't like that, and felt his parents didn't put enough 'effort' into naming him. I, on the other hand, have a very unique name.. it cracked the list only in the early 80s when I was born, and disappeared right after. I have liked being the 'only one' that most people meet, because sometimes if a person has a negative experience with someone of the same name as you (as DH has experienced) then they get a bad feeling about you as well, through no fault of your own. So.. we both really wanted to give our kids names that aren't popular for that reason.
Sorry for writing a book.. lol.. but, one other thing I can think of in this day and age is that the 'top ten' names aren't used nearly as much as the 'top ten' names back in the day were used. It seems like more and more people are opting for unique names.. so even if you do pick a top ten name, it isn't quite as overused as maybe they were in the past.
No dad, wrong monster lmao but thanks
My first choice is Emiko, because I think it is a pretty name. I don't think I want to choose it because if our kids ask, we'll tell DD1 that she's named after RBG and her great grandma. When DD2 asks, we'll be like "we just thought both names were cute."
Our other choices are Toshiko and Himiko. Toshiko Kishida was one of Japan's first feminists. Queen Himiko was the first named ruler (male or female) of Japan.
I'm not sure if it would be weird if one child was named after two people and the other was named after no one in particular.
I would love any commentary on this. I feel stuck because I haven't found a name that I love, that has meaning and isn't too hard for non-Japanese speakers to pronounce. Thanks!
DD1 EDD 9/29/2015, Born 9/24/2015
DS1 EDD 1/3/2018, Born 12/26/2017
BFP #3 3/21/2019, EDD 11/29/2019, MMC/D&C 5/7/2019
BFP #4 6/28/2019, EDD 3/12/2020
I don't think I'll be able to commit until I meet him and we're not sharing much with people IRL because I don't want anyone to make me hate a name that we already like.
Wesley is my favorite name, but DH vetoed it. He's leaning towards Connor, but I can't get Oliver out of my head, despite its popularity. It was #6 in my state last year, according to SSA.
We like more traditional/classic names, so they tend to be more popular.
Any feedback or suggestions?
Married: 10.15.16
DS BD: 8.20.17
TTC #2 1.1.19
BFP #2 7.3.19
EDD #2 3.13.20
*Formerly LuND*
Me: 35 | DH: 37
TTC: 7/2016
Low AMH, mild MFI
BFP 7/29/17
EDD: 4/5/18
BFP #2 7/2/19
EDD 3/13/20
AFM, DH and I finally narrowed down our list of 1400+ 3 syllable boys names down to 4. Elliott, Elijah, Gabriel, or Finnegan. MN will be Henry. I'm leaning toward Elliott, and I suspect DH is leaning toward Elijah. No clear front runner yet but we'll eventually decide I guess! We were pretty last minute for DS2.
DS2 10/2017
DS3 due 03/2020
@kailanae We have very similar taste... Elliott, Finn and Henry are all on our list too! And good to know about your Oliver. William is #1 in my state, but yet, I haven't met any babies/toddlers named William here, so who knows.
Married: 10.15.16
DS BD: 8.20.17
TTC #2 1.1.19
BFP #2 7.3.19
EDD #2 3.13.20
@kagesstarshroom , that is definitely true about name popularity. Throughout DD's school years, there has usually been an 'Ava' or a 'Sophia' or an Ellie/Emma/Emily in each class, but never more than one. I too remember the days of having multiple kids with the same name in a class.. I went to a small school (only 15 in my grade) and there were 3 Dustins and 2 Stephanies. LOL. Now it seems like every kid has a name that is a bit more unusual... it definitely seems that 'Unpopular' has become the new 'popular'.
Married: 10.15.16
DS BD: 8.20.17
TTC #2 1.1.19
BFP #2 7.3.19
EDD #2 3.13.20
Boy:
Winston
Windle
Wyatt
Wells
Walcott
Girl:
Linden (Lindy for short)
Lauriel
Lark
Lilly
Lacey
@mrsvp614 Since I live in Cincinnati, a lot of my friends and family live in KY, and I don't know one person whose named their baby Oliver lately. I think it means something when a name sticks around in your head
DD1 EDD 9/29/2015, Born 9/24/2015
DS1 EDD 1/3/2018, Born 12/26/2017
BFP #3 3/21/2019, EDD 11/29/2019, MMC/D&C 5/7/2019
BFP #4 6/28/2019, EDD 3/12/2020
*Formerly LuND*
Me: 35 | DH: 37
TTC: 7/2016
Low AMH, mild MFI
BFP 7/29/17
EDD: 4/5/18
BFP #2 7/2/19
EDD 3/13/20
Mae was my grandma's middle name, she passed away last year. Our boys are Charlie and Sam, and I feel like Hazel fits right in with the old school -but-still-cute vibe
Ava Mary or Eva Mary??