@beckylookatherbump@modoodles@blaf322 thank you for sharing the ideas! A bunch of these have been discussed so on the same page... we like Waylon but only ever heard of it when our good friends gave the name to their baby, so that’s be weird... and I love Forrest, but we’re both runners and my husband is convinced that it would forever be associated with “run, Forrest, run,” and says no. 😕 Everett used to be my favorite, but we’ve known a couple people we know use it since I first thought about it.
I’m Im kind of liking Hudson now that you mention it - I have an acquaintance with a son named Hudson but don’t think that would stop me if I wanted to go for it.
@Pascal86 I have no advice since I feel similar to you re: boy names. DH and I had a convo about it a couple of nights ago and he rejected everything I threw out there because he still likes the boy name we chose when we were team green with our first. I like it too, but I just don’t really LOVE any boy names. So I’ve resigned myself to the first name and am now just agonizing about the middle... womp womp. I will say that we discussed several names where we liked the shortened version (like what you are saying with Cal or Brad) but we didn’t love (or in DH’s case even LIKE) the full, non-shortened version. So unless you are committed to calling the kid the short name out of the whom, you really have to like the long version just as much!
@meanjellybean totally - I’ve always felt like if someone wants to use a nickname forever, they should just make that the name. But now I’m seeing what people mean when they say they want the longer / more formal version too.
@Pascal86@meanjellybean We're team formal name but probably using a nickname forever. Right now Beauregard Samuel is in the lead and we plan on calling him Beau. I think some nicknames don't work for both kids and adults but luckily I think Beau does.
H's sister has a nickname and has largely gone by only that her whole life. I think her husband even used just her nickname in their vows on their wedding day.
I had a stupid made up name and went by a nickname my entire life. We used my nickname in our wedding vows and I legally changed my name to the nickname.
My daughter's name is Alexis, and I planned on calling her Alexis and not using a nickname, but when she was a newborn Alexis just seemed like such a bug name for a tiny baby, so she's gone by Lexie ever since, although I think she did choose to go by Alexis at school. She answers to both.
@modoodles yeah we gave our DD (now 2) a name where we liked both the "long" version (it's not that long) and the common nickname. Over her two years of life it has gotten to be where we end up calling her both, and she calls herself both, which is cute lol. I figure that will make it easier as she gets older and chooses what she wants to go by. I like my first name but it is kind of long and there isn't really a common nickname that doesn't sound dumb. I always wanted to make sure my kids got names that were nickname-able or could be shortened if they wanted.
@Pascal86 I definitely think boy names are harder than girls. There are less options, or at least it feels that way. We haven’t fully settled on a name yet either. Our top contenders have been Henry, Charlie, and Oliver. Henry is my number one, but DS name is William. So that would give us a William and Henry. Awful close to Prince William and Harry 🙄. Also, Harry’s real name is technically Henry. I’m not sure I’m prepared to hear people make that comment for the rest of my life.
@meanjellybean@modoodles I definitely like names that have nickname options! I think you end up calling them what fits them best, but I like that they have a more formal option as they grow up.
PS I have no idea if I’ve already mentioned this in this thread. It’s been a while since it’s been active and I have major pregnancy brain. So forgive me if I’m repeating myself!
@Pascal86 I'm with you, naming this kid feels like an impossible task....
To get started with the brainstorm, H and I used app called "kinder" where we each swiped right and left on names and it saved every time we matched on one.
We now have a big list of like 20-ish boy and girl names each and the next task is whittling it down to 2 each (team green & I want options in case I spend 37954336 hours in labor and decide I hate one of our choices lol)
@mehugg Kinder! My husband's best friend used an app (I assume that one) to name their twins and I've been meaning to ask them the name of it. Now I don't have to! I love the premise of it. I guess it's a good thing you agree on so many names! Although, it makes it harder to narrow it down.
I'm having a hard time with my self-imposed naming rules lol. The boy name we had picked out for our first is still my favourite name.. however, it just happens to start with the same letter as my daughter's name. I never wanted to have my kids' names start with the same letter. I'm having a hard time coming up with another boy name that I like as much. My daughter's name is Ruth and I love the name Russell. I'm kinda wishing our first had been a boy so we could have used it for sure . Ruth and Russell, it just seems a bit much, I don't think I can do it - what do you guys think?
@mrsdrez I have the same self-imposed rule about not using a name that starts with the same letter, but turns out I'm really drawn to E names! Ugh. I think if you find yourself comparing all other names to Russell and none of them live up to iy, throw the rule out the window. Your kids won't always be lumped together for the rest of their lives. I think it's more important to name each one something you really love vs worry about how they sound together.
(Side note: my big hang up on naming siblings something with the same initial is because my mom labeled our underwear tags with our first initials so she knew whose was whose (4 daughters in our house). I'm over here like, "But we can't name this one another E name because how will I know which underwear belongs to which kid?!" I literally cannot move past this. hahaha)
@mrsdrez I don't think it's too much at all!! The only issue I would have is if you want a 3rd (especially if you don't want a 4th)... b/c then I'd feel this stupid obligation to name the 3rd baby with an R so they don't feel left out.... and then if you end up having a 4th, later on, you're stuck in a Duggar situation with 38487389287 kids with names that all start with the same letter
@mrsdrez I think my issue wit’s Ruth and Russell would just be confusing their names all the time. We already call each kid the other’s name constantly, and I think the more similar the name, the more that would happen. But just in terms of how their names sound / feel together, I think it’s totally fine!
@s@stlbuckeye132 I’d like to avoid names that start with the same letter for generally the same reason. My husband and I are both CC (I wasn’t before, but married into it), and that’s already a little confusing sometimes. Although it won’t be a deciding factor if I find a name I love, because this is way too hard already!
@mrsdrez I don't think that two names with the same letter is too much, but I agree with @Pascal86 that I worry about mixing up the names. I've thought of one or two boy names that I kind of like but start with the same letter as DD1's name, and I can see myself getting them so mixed up! I'm sure it will happen all the time anyways though, lol. I wouldn't let that hold you back if you don't like anything else as much.
@mehugg I hadn't heard of that app but it sounds helpful! We still haven't really talked names for this baby, and I'm not excited to bring it up because we disagreed on SO many names before. This might help.
I'm more on team no nicknames, lol. Our girls' names don't shorten well, and I'm happy with that. MH's family is BIG on nicknames so that didn't stop his mom from coming up with something for DD1, although she hasn't really tackled DD2's name yet, haha. MH has gone by a nickname for most of his life, and it's totally different than his legal name (which he uses every once in a while). I definitely think you need to like both versions of a name or just go with the shorter nickname version if you don't like a more formal name.
I mentioned it before, but MH has suggested the name Theodore so we can call him Teddy. I don't like the nickname Teddy - it's fine for a little kid, but I feel like once he hits junior high or so, it feels too babyish, plus the association with teddy bears is also babyish. Am I overthinking this - would the name grow with him better than I'm imagining? Before you're an adult and hanging out with more people who don't already know you by a certain nickname, switching away from that name is really hard, so I won't count on that as an option. I don't hate Theo but don't love it, and IDK if MH really just likes Teddy or also likes Theodore. I'm also not thrilled with the lingerie association of teddy.
I'm sitting here eating Cocoa Puffs straight out of the bag, though, so my choices may be questionable!
2/13 Blighted ovum, D&C -- 6/13 MC -- 8/14 DD born -- 3/17 MC -- 9/18 DD2 born Expecting again -- EDD 7/27/20
@treeofcheem yeah I think Teddy is really cute but agree it sounds babyish. But maybe that's because I don't know of any adults named Teddy in my life? I like Theo as a shortened version of Theodore though. I feel like it's cute for kids but also transitions to adulthood well.
@treeofcheem i looove the name Theodore! but ya, the Teddy nickname is a hard one to know how itll fit past a certain age. the good thing is when hes old enough he decides what he wants to go by, so as an adult if he doesnt like Teddy he will go by Ted or Theo or whatever. the true crime lover in me doesnt like the name Ted though....too many connotations of Ted Bundy
married to DH on March 15, 2018 TTC since May 2018 dx: PCOS, hypothroidism tx: timed intercourse with meds (dexa, clomid, letrozole, metformin, trigger shots)
First TTGP: 5/9/19 BFN, 6/21/19 BFN, 7/29/19 BFN, 8/1/19 started a break from tx, 11/16/19 surprised with a BFP! LO born 7/7/20 Second TTGP: started meds for first cycle of tx on 10/13/21
@knockupthestock your post reminded me that when DH and I were talking names a few nights ago we were saying how much we love DD's name and how it's perfect. And then I was like god I hope there isn't some female serial killer out there with her exact name. He just looked at me like wtf is wrong with you why are you even thinking that
I'm going to say that it doesnt matter how similar or different your kids' names are, you will definitely still call them by the wrong name/mix their names up. None of my four start with the same letter A,L,G & C and I still call them all the wrong name. And I call them the dog's name on occasion.
@modoodles I thought the same thing... I cycled through 3 different names for DD this weekend and I don't even have any other kids Two were dog names and one of those dogs isn't even alive anymore
Agree with @modoodles about mixing up names regardless. My sister went back and forth on the name of her second because their favorite started the same way as their oldest (and both are one syllable). They were worried about mixing them up, but then my sister remembered my parents mixed us up all the time and we all have different letters, so that's just a normal part of parenting. *shrug*
@mehugg I’ve never heard of this app! I’m really excited because dh and I don’t agree on any boy names though we surprisingly and miraculously chose a girl name right away. We didn’t name either older kid til the day we left the hospital and it stresses me out!
what?! I'm surprised so many haven't heard of the app! I feel like we talked about it early on and that's how I knew about it! While it didn't help DH and me a ton (we liked the names that matched, but didn't love them), we went through several hundred names and ended up with a short list... so that's helpful.
Thanks folks! We are team green so it may not even be an issue lol. Thankfully we have a bit more time to think about it, and my husband moved on from Russell fairly easily so either he didn't love it as much as me or he really believed me when I said we couldn't use it
Thank you for app! Hubby never offers ideas (kid 2) and we are team green again. We have possible girls name from last time but need boys names.
I got excited because I thought he liked a bunch of mine. I realized it was my likes. He and I had 2 matches (boys). However, he only did it for a few minutes.
@Fullhandsfullheart beautiful name! There’s something so nice about the way Kate finishes off a name
@mayisch nothing wrong with recycling lol. We were prepared with the same girl name both pregnancies but are having a second boy. I would still consider it if we go for a third!
Both DH and myself have agreed on the first name of James but trying to pick a middle name. I like James Finley and DH suggested James Collins (Collins is a family name on both sides but not very important to me.) I suggested James Finley and calling him Finn for short.
We finally decided on Rhett. We thought we'd wait until he was born to see if he looks like a Rhett, or one of the other few choices we had, but we both love it so much.
Re: Baby Names- Drop 'em here!
Westley
Wyatt
Waylon
Emerson
Everett
Carter
Dean
Graham
Mason
Other names on our list have been
Cooper
Bennett
Grady
Forrest
Walker
Colby
Grant
I’m Im kind of liking Hudson now that you mention it - I have an acquaintance with a son named Hudson but don’t think that would stop me if I wanted to go for it.
H's sister has a nickname and has largely gone by only that her whole life. I think her husband even used just her nickname in their vows on their wedding day.
My daughter's name is Alexis, and I planned on calling her Alexis and not using a nickname, but when she was a newborn Alexis just seemed like such a bug name for a tiny baby, so she's gone by Lexie ever since, although I think she did choose to go by Alexis at school. She answers to both.
@meanjellybean @modoodles I definitely like names that have nickname options! I think you end up calling them what fits them best, but I like that they have a more formal option as they grow up.
PS I have no idea if I’ve already mentioned this in this thread. It’s been a while since it’s been active and I have major pregnancy brain. So forgive me if I’m repeating myself!
To get started with the brainstorm, H and I used app called "kinder" where we each swiped right and left on names and it saved every time we matched on one.
We now have a big list of like 20-ish boy and girl names each and the next task is whittling it down to 2 each (team green & I want options in case I spend 37954336 hours in labor and decide I hate one of our choices lol)
I'm having a hard time with my self-imposed naming rules lol. The boy name we had picked out for our first is still my favourite name.. however, it just happens to start with the same letter as my daughter's name. I never wanted to have my kids' names start with the same letter. I'm having a hard time coming up with another boy name that I like as much. My daughter's name is Ruth and I love the name Russell. I'm kinda wishing our first had been a boy so we could have used it for sure
(Side note: my big hang up on naming siblings something with the same initial is because my mom labeled our underwear tags with our first initials so she knew whose was whose (4 daughters in our house).
@mehugg I hadn't heard of that app but it sounds helpful! We still haven't really talked names for this baby, and I'm not excited to bring it up because we disagreed on SO many names before. This might help.
I'm more on team no nicknames, lol. Our girls' names don't shorten well, and I'm happy with that. MH's family is BIG on nicknames so that didn't stop his mom from coming up with something for DD1, although she hasn't really tackled DD2's name yet, haha. MH has gone by a nickname for most of his life, and it's totally different than his legal name (which he uses every once in a while). I definitely think you need to like both versions of a name or just go with the shorter nickname version if you don't like a more formal name.
I mentioned it before, but MH has suggested the name Theodore so we can call him Teddy. I don't like the nickname Teddy - it's fine for a little kid, but I feel like once he hits junior high or so, it feels too babyish, plus the association with teddy bears is also babyish. Am I overthinking this - would the name grow with him better than I'm imagining? Before you're an adult and hanging out with more people who don't already know you by a certain nickname, switching away from that name is really hard, so I won't count on that as an option. I don't hate Theo but don't love it, and IDK if MH really just likes Teddy or also likes Theodore. I'm also not thrilled with the lingerie association of teddy.
I'm sitting here eating Cocoa Puffs straight out of the bag, though, so my choices may be questionable!
Expecting again -- EDD 7/27/20
dx: PCOS, hypothroidism
Second TTGP: started meds for first cycle of tx on 10/13/21
I think Ruth and Russell go very well together. ❤
I got excited because I thought he liked a bunch of mine. I realized it was my likes. He and I had 2 matches (boys). However, he only did it for a few minutes.
about mixing up names, I am an only child and still my mom would call me my cousins' names
even now, my dad has called my DS "wall-e" (my schanuzer)
@mayisch nothing wrong with recycling lol. We were prepared with the same girl name both pregnancies but are having a second boy. I would still consider it if we go for a third!
Expecting again -- EDD 7/27/20