Musings

The last couple weeks I've been caught up in a name that's a little unusual for me- kind of trendy, kind of gangster, but entirely lovely: "Mahalia." Mahalia is Hebrew (hence the trendiness- Hebrew names are quite popular right now) and means "Tenderness," which is very sweet. I can't imagine using the name myself, but someone should, because it would make me happy. If you happen to already have a daughter named, say, Kale'a, for example (ahem, Laura), "Mahalia" would make a very appropriate sibling name!

Other names on my radar:
"Laurel-" A lovely, feminine name suggested by a friend as an alternative to the very popular "Lauren."
"Gage/Gauge-" I have a weakness for manly, old west names. Blake trained in Phoenix last week with a Gage from Texas (figures)- named for the shotgun, of course!
"William-" It's my granddad's birthday today. He's a "Bill," and though I'm more partial to "Will" as a nickname for "William," it's a name you can't go wrong with. Unless your last name is Williams or something. Or the baby is a girl.

Premeditated Naming

Blake and I are very much of the "have the name ready long before the baby arrives" mindset. It never even really occurred to me that "Aurora" might not be an "Aurora." Of course she would! If she wasn't, than she could become one. In fact, we have our son's name all set, just waiting for his October arrival. What if he doesn't look like a __________? Whatever, he'll be all nice and pink and wrinkly, and ___________ will suit him just fine.

However, I realize many people take a different, more diplomatic approach at the hospital/birthing center/home: have some names in mind, but go in with no expectations. For instance, my sister (who's baby girl is due any day) and her husband have three full names selected. They plan on seeing their daughter before deciding on one. Lindsay hopes they'll take one look and just know, but she's practical enough to know this does not always happen. Their strategy? They have one name they classify as very "delicate and beautiful, quite feminine," which they'll use if she has very fine, pretty features. The next name is reserved for a "cute, chubby, smooshy" baby. And the last? Well, they just decided on the last a week or two ago, mainly because Lindsay strongly felt they should go in with three names, not two. The last is their least favorite, they admit, but they like the meaning of it the best. Supposedly if the other two names seem not to fit, this last will work for a wide variety of babies. I'm most partial to their smooshy name myself, but all three are lovely, and I can't wait to find out who she is!

I also know of several people who did indeed go to the hospital etc. with a name all good and chosen, only to cast eyes upon their offspring and know instantly that the name would never do.

Another option is having no idea whatsoever what to name the baby, until two days after its birth you have to sign the birth certificate before leaving the hospital, so you grudgingly agree to your husband's favorite name, only to regret it for the next two weeks before finally accepting it (I'm not naming names here...).

Ultimately this leads to the much-pondered question, "does the name grow to suit the person or the person suit the name?" That is a discussion for another day.

Certainly there is no right or wrong method here, and I'm curious as to your thoughts: Be set on a name prior to the birth, have several options, or wing it?

Naming Subsequent Babies: Part 3

Here are some final (for now) thoughts on naming subsequent babies. I'll add more to this series on occasion, but must move on!

---One way to end up with names that "go" together is to select names from the same era. This allows for a pretty broad range of names, while still providing some continuity. By "era," I don't necessarily mean a specific year or two, more than names that give the same vibe. For instance, I have a friend with two little girls, the first named "Claire" and the second named "Audrey." Both names have a kind of retro, sweet sound to them. The parents are expecting their third child, and they'll likely want to stay away from modern, trendy names that lack the whimsy of their first two names. Names that evoke the same vibe? Perhaps: Phoebe, Gemma, Lucy, Pearl, Sadie. For a boy, they'd want to keep the retro-sense, but avoid the sweetness. Something well established, recognizable but not too common would fit the bill: Todd, Victor, Simon, Quinton, Lucas, Thaddeus, or Winston would be some examples.

---Chatting with a friend yesterday, we discussed a less-themey take on a theme: keep a consistent sound to begin the names, but not necessarily with the same letters. This friend has two sons (Kiefer and Cooper). Were they to have a third child, a fun way to keep the "k" sound would be going with a "qu" name: "Quinton" or "Quincey" for a boy, or perhaps "Quinn" for a little girl.

---One friend commented on an earlier post that the only thing connecting their potential baby names is that they are all unusual. Really, this is an entirely acceptable approach to naming, and obscurity is as a good a connection as anything. As long as Siren, River Rock, and Caesar don't have a little brother named "John," people are unlikely to grumble that their names don't go together (though they're likely to find other reasons to grumble).

---Finally, spend some time rattling off names to see how they flow together. If your oldest child is "Shane" and you're planning on naming your new baby "Erin" or "Aaron," practice saying, "My kids, Shane and Erin." To me, "Shane and Erin" doesn't flow well- it's too full of "n's" and is awkwardly rhythmically. A better sounding combination would be "Shane and Olivia," or "Shane and Dierdre." That doesn't mean Shane shouldn't have a little sister Erin, it's just a word of caution.

Since for the next four months I'm still the mom of just one little one, what are your experiences with naming siblings? What factors did you consider or disregard? Any regrets?

Naming Subsequent Babies: Part 2

Themes, of course, are not the only way to have a bit of continuity among sibling names. Another factor to consider is the sound of the names together. The goal, of course, is not to necessarily find names that sound "good" together so much as to avoid names that clearly sound BAD. Many names will sound just fine with when paired with the name of your first child, but undoubtedly you'll come across a few options that will make you cringe. Examples?

Aurora and: Flora (Rhyming is practically never a good idea); Doria (Too many "r's" and similar vowel sounds); Kay (very short and masculine next to the flowery "Aurora")

Rory and: Tori, Laurie, Corrie, etc. (See above); Riordan; Riley (Too similar)

Evan and: Evangeline (Seems obvious that one name should not contain the entirety of another); Alvin; Ivan (Share many similar sounds); Laban (I don't know why you'd name your kid after this guy, but especially don't do it if you already have one named "Evan.")

Abigail and: Gabrielle (The chance of having an "Abby" and a "Gabby" is just too high); Able (Imagine sputtering "Abigail" and "Able" if you're upset..."Ablegail!"

Able and: Cain (Good twin, bad twin. Good idea? Bad idea!!)

Michelle and: Barack (Naming siblings after husbands and wives is really, really weird to me.)

You get the point. Consider any potential sibling-related ramifications before bestowing a name on your second child, considering the melodiousness of the names (rhyming being too melodious) and any weird associations with the name of your first child.

Next time: Naming Subsequent Babies: Part 3!