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Right now, we're thinking about Rebecca or Elizabeth. My mom is inexplicably set on Halley, and my grandmother has suggested Rose. Anybody else got any suggestions? Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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This is out of the blue, but I've always liked the name Evangeline. It's my grandmother's name (they call her Angie), and it is old fashioned, but I always thought it was a very pretty name.
Posts: 3852 | Registered: Feb 2002
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I'm a fan of giving girls somewhat exotic names. As the owner of one myself, I've found it's been incredibly useful in life. I always have something to talk about with strangers, and it gives guys something to compliment right away. I also have a theory that giving a girl a unique name helps encourage her to be an individual, rather than just another Suzy Smith.
But then, I've met plenty of strong and individual Annas, Kates, Beths, and Jills. Posts: 2220 | Registered: Jun 1999
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I really like Elizabeth, but maybe more as a middle name. How 'bout Rose Elizabeth?
(My little sister is Kate (Katherine) Elizabeth, which I like)
My cousin is called Rose, and her older sister is called Ella... It wasn't until my aunt got home from hospital that she realised her daughters combined to make a Rosella (an Australian parrot)!
At least you have no Hepzibah suggestions (this was my Mother's serious contribution to my little sister's name. We put it down to pregnancy hormones )
Posts: 4393 | Registered: Aug 2003
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Quick off the topic question: why is it that the English and Australians seem to say that "he's called Mike" while Americans tend to go with "his name is Mike"? Sorry, just curious, carry on naming.
Posts: 3852 | Registered: Feb 2002
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Don't go with Halley - it's about to be the new Jennifer. We have 3 of them in my program.
Out of Rebecca, Elizabeth, and Rose, I like Rebecca the best.
Would you use nicknames? Don't forget to take those into consideration. For example, if you like Rebecca, but hate Becky, then you should pass b/c people will inevitably call her Becky.
Posts: 3037 | Registered: Jan 2002
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This is my first daughters name and I think it is awful purtee. It is also somewhat more popular than I would have imagined. Sylvester Stalone's daughter has this name and a friend of the family just had a daughter and named her this as well.
Posts: 1294 | Registered: Oct 2003
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Number one: Like makeup and clothing styles, people suggest names based on what was pretty or fresh when they were naming children. I've found help mostly from people who have kind ten years or younger.
I would avoid Halley. It's been top 10 for the past several years, and even disregarding my instinct for trying to avoid trendy names, there is a high probability that she would be Halley D. in school because there's so many other Halleys.
Rose is THE middle name right now. It's super-hot, but I still love it. It's short and sweet and gently old-fashioned.
Rebecca and Elizabeth are two of the very most classic girls' names. (Others being, say, Mary, Sarah, etc.) You can't go wrong with those. No one will say "What a weird name!"
(Though my name is one of those and I'm still asked to spell it all the time. You pretty much can't avoid the spelling question, in this day and age of Brianna being spelled Breeyanah or what have you.)
Classic, old-fashioned names are coming back in now. I think it's because (not that you asked) people have started paying more attention to baby naming in the last couple of decades, and the rise and fall of names happens not over a century or hlaf century, but generally to within 5 years. Given your birthplace, one's name can generally be dated to within 5 years. Or, given the time, you can guess at the region. (Names are "quarky" that way. Heh.)
And I'll bet you money that in 30 years people are going to sigh and say "Halley is SO early-century." It doesn't have a lot of staying power. Names were very fluffy in the 80's and 90's but the trend is starting to reverse now.
Unique names are more in than they've ever been, as are ethnic names. Is there a nationality in your family you want to honor? (In my family, it's the Japanese heritage.) Any ancestors? What kind of impression do you want your child to make? Think about that first, if you want a feminine name, an ambiguous one, or a very unique one.
If you want to look at name trends, either to follow or avoid them, start in England and see what people in London are using. Also, people in Hollywood, and whatever is on soap operas right now. A couple of years later, names hit New York and urban California, then about five years later, it's in the American Midwest.
Utah is, as always, an anomaly.
Turn of the century names are big right now (Julian, Sophia, Clara, etc.). The general rule for bringing back names is of 2 generations; revival names are usually from the great-grandparent's era. The next generation of babies, in a couple decades, will name their kids Ethel and Clarence, and think they're being really avant-garde, the way Evangeline and Mabel are right now.
Personally, I love Puritan names like Comfort and Honor, but I think that's been influenced by the books I've read.
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Sophia Maria is very pretty too... And I also like Evangeline. Named my 1st steroe that because it's a Cocteau Twins song.
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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I think Rebecca is classy. I was going to choose that name, but I married into an all "J" family, then my cousin took it, so I couldn't use it for a middle name. Rrrrr...
I think the nicest name is Jolie, but it's difficult to tear away from the Angelina Jolie thing. It is beautiful though.
And: No, no, Halley Davidson is just BEGGING for motorcycle puns. If you have to use it, make it her middle name.
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Allright, I almost hate to suggest it, but I love the name Eponine. You don't have any French in the family, do you?
Posts: 3852 | Registered: Feb 2002
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Mrs. M, everyone says that about names that can be nicknamed, but it's not a foregone conclusion. Everyone told me when I was going to name my son Christian that people would call him Chris. There might be a few, but they are totally clueless -- he is Christian, period. He'll tell you so.
FWIW, I like Rebecca too. It's my middle name.
I like Rose also, but love the name Grace. Rayne would have been Grace, except for my strong desire to keep up a family tradition on my husband's side of naming children with RDR initials. I'm glad we did...the grandfather who started the tradition died while I was carrying her, and knew what her name was going to be.
Posts: 5948 | Registered: Jun 2001
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For a girl we considered Elizabeth and Rebecca. We won't use Rebecca now since Pop's brother is marrying a Becky. We don't need two Becky Sloans.
Do you already have a middle name picked out?
When we do have a girl, it will probably be between Elizabeth Anne and Nicole Frances.
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Rebecca and Elizabeth are two of our top options when we have a girl. Oh, I'll face the facts -- her name will be Elizabeth. I don't think Mama will be swayed on the issue. I think they're both great names, though. Rose Davidson also sounds great -- I think the shorter (1 or 2 syllable) names go better with a longer last name.
Are middle names on the table, too? Must keep in mind the initials. And her Hatrack name will probably be just her name, so that's not much of a discussion, is it. Rebecca is taken already, though, and I thought there was an Elizabeth, but if there is she must have registered after I made my list last April. Plus, if you go with Elizabeth, and what with her being the daughter of you and Christy, she's certain to be smart, so we'll call her Smart Elizabeth, and then we'll get her confused with Elizabeth Smart, and....
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We have a Jillian, and no one calls her Jill. (Although, in the privacy of her boudoir, I do refer to her as Jilly Bean. )
Posts: 6367 | Registered: Aug 2003
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OTOH, naming books often recommend that short first names go best with long last names, and vice versa. Rose Davidson works well that way. Then again, if you don't mind the nickname, so does Liz Davidson.
I insisted on giving each of my kids a middle name. It's a necessary alert system. When your parent calls you "Firstname Middlename Lastname" you know you are in TROUBLE!
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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I think Elizabeth Rose would be a lovely name.
If you name her Halley Davidson the poor girl would never survive high school with her psyche intact. The possibilities for cruel jokes there are just horrendous.
Posts: 9866 | Registered: Apr 2002
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When I was younger I always intended to name my first daughter Kirsten. Not so sure anymore - we'll probably go with Jennifer and call her Jenna. That'll work nicely with the middle name system I've decided to follow, if it continues that long - my grandma's name is Marlene, and my middle name is Marlena. My mom's name is Vickie, so my daughter's middle name will be Victoria. Hopefully, she'll give her daughter Julia as a middle name, and her daughter will give her daughter Jenna, assuming we go with Jennifer.
Umm...that was really complicated, written out, and has no bearing whatsoever on how you name your baby.
My vote is for Elizabeth, I think. There are lots of nice nicknames to choose from with that name, too, which I think is a bonus.
Posts: 2661 | Registered: Apr 2002
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Why not Margaret? Or Petra? Or Valentine? Or Novinha?
Sorry, had to throw in the obligatory OSC references.
My vote is for Rebecca, because while Becky is OK, I really like Becca. And since everyone seems to be going towards making Rose a middle name, why not Becca Rose?
Posts: 3852 | Registered: Feb 2002
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quote: I'm a fan of giving girls somewhat exotic names. As the owner of one myself, I've found it's been incredibly useful in life. I always have something to talk about with strangers, and it gives guys something to compliment right away. I also have a theory that giving a girl a unique name helps encourage her to be an individual, rather than just another Suzy Smith.
Yeah, I have one too, and I agree with that... but make sure you have one that people can pronounce. Posts: 7877 | Registered: Feb 2003
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I'm not saying this is a good suggestion for a name that someone will have to bear for the rest of her life, but you gotta like the way "Veda Davidson" rolls off the tongue. Or "Daisy Davidson." It kinda has the same ring to it as "Jenna Jameson."
Posts: 3056 | Registered: Jun 2001
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I really like the names Mackenzie, Marisa, and Madison. I don't think Madison would go with Davidson though.
My wife and I considered Joy for a middle name. I think we had settled on Marisa Joy if our second had been a girl, but my wife also really liked Chloe.
Our first is named Leandra Jade and I really like both of these names.
Posts: 1336 | Registered: Mar 2002
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My friend is named Rebecca. and is definetly not a Becky and my own name is very, very unique and is never on one of those license plates.
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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Javert, sometimes the name is changes to make reference to another person. The prominent middle name in my wifes family is Lynn. So, we took the Lynn and changed the spelling of Madelin to Madalynn. It sounds alot better tham Madelin Lynn... Doesn't it?
Posts: 1660 | Registered: Jan 2000
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