Category Archives: Name Updates

Name Update: They Completely Changed Their Minds

28 Saturday Dec 2013

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Louise and Ross planned on naming their first child Barnaby, but were worried that their pet dog Barney would clash with this, or make it seem ridiculous. Louise wrote in to ask for people’s opinions, and also to see whether they liked their second choice for a name, Jasper, any better.

When they went to the hospital, they were quite convinced that their baby’s name was either going to be Barnaby or Jasper – they even considered Barnaby Jasper or Jasper Barnaby as options. However, once their little boy was born, something happened – they both knew that neither of those names was right for him! They looked into his eyes, and he didn’t seem like a Jasper or a Barnaby at all.

Louise explains: We both love Barnaby and like Jasper, but as it turned out, we didn’t love or like those names for our son. They were perfect on paper, and would be lovely for someone else, but not for our baby.

They started their whole name search again from scratch, but this time it seemed much easier, because it was a practical exercise, rather than a theoretical one. Suddenly all kinds of names they had earlier rejected seemed possible.

Within two days of leaving hospital they had decided on a name, and their son is

ARCHER LENNOX.

The name Archer suggested itself because their son’s zodiac sign is Sagittarius, and Lennox is a family surname which gives Lenny as a “back up” name if needed. Louise and Ross are big believers in Plans B!

They have had mostly positive feedback from friends and family, who have nearly all immediately dubbed the baby “Archie“. Louise and Ross are completely happy with the choice they made, although things didn’t work out exactly as they expected.

Congratulations to Louise and Ross on their first child, who has a handsome name even if it did come as a bit of a surprise!

Remember that it’s a great idea to take a little list of possible names to the birth of your child, but you’re not obligated to stick with any of the names after the baby is born. It’s just a list, not a contract, and you are completely free to change your minds.

Have you written into the blog with a name dilemma and then changed your minds once the baby was born? We don’t mind a bit if you ignored our opinions, or went in a completely different direction – we just want to know that you’re happy with the name you eventually chose. Send us your name updates! 

Name Update: Nameless No Longer

26 Thursday Dec 2013

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Nina wrote in to the blog because she and her husband Hamish had a six-week-old baby daughter who still didn’t have a name, and the date for registration was growing closer each day.

Nina had her heart set on Annie, but at the last minute Hamish said he wanted the baby to be named Sarah, after his mother. The longer it took them to resolve their differences, the more other people felt they could offer their own opinions on the matter, which made the decision seem even more complicated.

After the couple compromised by agreeing on the name Anne, Nina wrote in again to ask for help on choosing a middle name.

Just before Christmas, Nina posted off the registration forms for their child’s name, so they got in before the deadline with about a week to spare, and their daughter’s name is

ANNE ELIZABETH KATE “ANNIE”,

baby sister to Edie and Alistair “Mac”.

Anne is the middle name of Hamish’s mum, so they found a way to honour his mother and still get to the nickname Annie. Nina is pleased, because she loved the Anne of Green Gables books as a child (as well as the musical Annie).

Nina chose the middle name Elizabeth because so many people suggested that they name the baby “what she looks like”, and Nina thinks her youngest daughter looks most like an Elizabeth – a name they had also considered. If Anne ends up going by her middle name and being a Betsy, Nina won’t mind that at all.

Kate is a family name that had also been on their list, and was the middle name she favoured for a baby Annie.

Nina says she wasn’t brave enough to use as many middle names as Clive Palmer – and there wasn’t enough space on the form anyway!

They have had mixed reactions from family and friends, with most people saying they should have just gone with Annie as the official name. However, Nina loves her baby’s name and thinks it is perfect for her.

At the moment, it is not entirely sure whether Anne will be called Annie or not. Mac hasn’t been able to pronounce the name Annie yet, and sometimes calls his little sister Peg. Nina still just calls her Baby. However, Nina recently discovered that Annie was the middle name of her great-grandmother, so maybe it is fate that she be an Annie in the future!

Congratulations to Nina and Hamish on their new daughter! I think Anne Elizabeth Kate is a lovely simple, unpretentious classic name that is perfectly familiar, but these days, not common at all.

Remember that you have sixty days to name a baby, so don’t be afraid to take longer to find the perfect name if you need to. You will get there in the end, even if it doesn’t feel like it at times.

Name Update: August Arrived in November!

02 Monday Dec 2013

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Olivia and Dale were considering the name August for their son, and wrote in to the blog to ask if many people would connect the name to the month.

Their son arrived a couple of weeks ago, and after a little hesitation, they decided to go with the name they picked out, and so

AUGUST LEANDER JAMES

has arrived, baby brother to Innes and Abigail.

August’s parents absolutely love his name, and I’m so glad they went with it, because this is such a handsome name and name combination. It was very well received in the polls, with 81% of respondents approving of it, and none strongly disapproving, so I’m guessing this will be a widely popular choice.

Name Update: They Stayed True to Their First Love

26 Saturday Oct 2013

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Elise and Alex had already decided on the name Digby for their third child when someone else in their social circle used the name for their son. Feeling obliged to look for something else, Elise wrote in to the blog to ask for ideas on boys names.

In the end, they decided that they didn’t like anything else as much as Digby, and no other name was right for them, so they went ahead and used Digby for their baby, as they had planned.

Unfortunately, they were met with a frosty reception from the parents of the first Digby, and things have been a bit awkward between them ever since.

However, although disappointed with how the other parents have chosen to react to their news, Elise and Alex couldn’t be happier that they stuck with their favourite name, and know that they made the right choice.

Congratulations Elise and Alex, and welcome Digby!

You don’t have to abandon your favourite baby name just because someone else used it first, and this is yet another warning that it’s unreasonable to expect to have a name all to yourself, even if it’s not common.

Name Update: His Name is Henry

01 Thursday Aug 2013

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Hannah and James contacted the blog a couple of months ago; although they are from the United States, they were willing to let me have a look at their name list for their third son. Hannah and James liked both classic names, and newer names as well, and in the end they decided upon

HENRY MICHAEL

brother to William and Griffin.

Henry is such a handsome name, and a classic like William, while the sibset of William, Griffin and Henry sounds very masculine and even noble.

They are completely happy with the choice they have made, and the name fits their son perfectly. Hannah has written to say that she does feel that writing in to the blog was helpful in their search for the right name, and wishes to thank both me and the blog readers for assistance. I seem to recall that Henry was rather a favourite in the polls.

Congratulations Hannah and James, and welcome Henry!

Name Update: Bugsy Has a Brother!

08 Saturday Jun 2013

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jem finchMia wrote in to the blog a couple of months ago, wondering what kind of name would suit a sibling to her son Bugsy, whose name was chosen by his dad, Lachlan.

Mia wrote in again to say that she was considering the name Marlon for the baby if it was a boy. However, she set her heart on a girl’s name which starts with Mar-, so she abandoned the idea of calling her son Marlon.

Mia and Lachlan’s second son was born on May 22 weighing 5 lb 3oz, and at first the name Thatcher (nicknamed Ted) seemed like the right one for him. But somehow Mia was not 100% convinced that he looked like a Thatcher, and when she talked it over with Lachlan, he confessed he didn’t really love the name.

It took a couple more weeks to make the final decision, but now Mia and Lachlan are absolutely sure of his name, and he is called

JEM RICHMOND,

little brother to Bugsy.

Mia and Lachlan like that it is short and nicknamey, easy to spell, and a regular name that won’t be a hassle, while still being just unusual enough to not stand out next to Bugsy. James is an important name on both sides of the family, so they feel that it is honouring the Jameses, although they didn’t set out to do that. Everyone loves Jem’s name, so it’s been a complete success.

Interestingly, Bugsy is a name from a movie (Bugsy Malone), while Jem is also from a movie (Jem Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird), so they seem a very well-matched pair of brothers. They’re both vintage names, and both quite boyishly cute and casual as well.

Another interesting snippet is that when readers were polled on what kind of name would go best with Bugsy, most respondents picked “A name from the 1920s/30s” – To Kill a Mockingbird is set in the 1930s.

Not only is Jem gorgeous, the rise of hip Atticus and Scout make Jem seem like an undiscovered Mockingbird name – I think people will really “get” Jem, and a couple are going to be kicking themselves they didn’t think of it first.

I love the middle name Richmond too – very sleek and handsome. It made its way onto a name list two years ago – oddly enough, it was published May 22. Spooky!

Congratulations Mia and Lachlan for choosing the perfect name for your son, and putting so much love and thought into the choice. Thanks also for showing people it’s okay to have a change of heart about your baby name, even after the baby is born.

(Photo shows Philip Alford as Jem Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird)

Name Update: No Need for Change

21 Tuesday May 2013

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560439_301491526625203_581050121_nA few months ago, Laura wrote in to the blog asking if she should change the spelling of her baby daughter’s name, which is Lijsbeth, pronounced LEES-bet. People had trouble pronouncing it, and Laura was getting so tired of correcting everyone that she wondered if changing the spelling might help.

After giving the matter a lot of thought, Laura decided not to change the spelling after all. They live in an area where there are many children with unusual names, and she didn’t think Lijsbeth’s name would really stand out in their neighbourhood.

Laura also talked to family and friends about the issue, and most of them said they liked Lijsbeth’s name, and didn’t want the spelling changed. Since then, they are making more effort to pronounce Lijsbeth’s name correctly.

Laura would be happy to change the name or the spelling if Lijsbeth herself has problems with it in the future, but she is going to leave that decision up to her daughter.

I think Laura has made a very wise decision, and also did the right thing to communicate with others that it was bothering her. It’s a good reminder to us to always try a bit harder if a child we know has a difficult-to-pronounce name, because as you can see, it can really stress parents out when we keep getting it wrong.

Name Update: Master Lewis Waltzes In!

28 Monday Jan 2013

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chocolate-names-lewisKate and Steve didn’t think they’d ever be able to choose a baby name, because she liked old-fashioned names, and he preferred something more modern. However, within a few weeks of writing into the blog, they were able to agree on both a girl name and a boy name.

Kate had a strong hunch that she was going to have a boy, and it turns out she was right. Their son was born early and unexpectedly, but in good health, on January 8, and his name is

LEWIS JOHN

little brother to Madeline.

Kate saw the name Louis amongst the celebrity baby name announcements on Waltzing More Than Matilda, and thought that an anglicised Lewis would make a better fit with Madeline. Both names are English versions of French names, and both are classics in Australia, with a similar level of popularity. The middle name is a family name, chosen to honour a loved one.

Congratulations on your baby boy, Kate and Steve, and for not only reaching agreement on a baby name, but finding one which is such a perfect match with his sister.

(Picture is the name Lewis written in chocolate)

Name Update: Miss Isadora Waltzes In!

03 Monday Dec 2012

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isadoraEmily and David found choosing a name for a second child a bit harder than for a first, and Emily wrote in because she was having doubts about a couple of names on their shortlist.

After receiving lots of helpful answers, the shortlist was whittled down to just two names, and they decided to wait until the baby was born before making the final choice.

Their daughter was born last month, and her name is:

I$ADORA MATH!LDE

little sister to Clementine.

Cressida was the front-runner on the list, but once their little girl arrived, they could see that she was an Isadora. Emily and David absolutely love her name, and have received several compliments on it already.

I can understand why, because Isadora is a gorgeous name, and goes beautifully with Mathilde, as well as being a lovely match with her sister.

Congratulations on your new daughter, Emily and David, and good work on choosing the perfect baby name!

(Photo shows an album cover for a band named Isadora)

Name Update: Master Jack Waltzes In!

29 Monday Oct 2012

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Anya and Tom were looking for a short vintage name to match with their daughter Isla, and they recently welcomed their son

JACK

The name Jack was one that big sis had picked for the baby, and she is tickled pink that she got to choose her brother’s name.

They weren’t sure what to do about a middle name, and in the end they put Anya’s surname in the middle position. It’s a very unusual (non-Anglo) name, and it sounds really amazing as a match for Jack.

Congratulations to Anya and Tom on the birth of their son – Jack is a perfect fit with Isla, and just slots in nicely with all the family names.