Tag Archives: choosing baby names

What Name For Isabel’s Brother or Sister?

02 Saturday Apr 2016

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I’m sure you remember Sarah and Rupert – Sarah wrote in to the blog in 2013 just days before their daughter was born, and, despite some doubts, named their little girl Isabel. Eventually the doubts went away as Sarah realised they had chosen the right name.

Sarah and Rupert are expecting a brother or sister for Isabel next month, and are still not sure about names. Sarah is especially stressed about boys’ names, as she has a strong feeling that the baby will be a boy. The couple have decided not to continue a five generations long tradition of giving their son a certain name customary for eldest boys in Rupert’s family, and have not discussed this with the family, so that may be contributing to Sarah’s worries.

They like Frederick and Finnegan, but have ruled them out as the initial F looks rather like a rude word when combined with their surname.

Boys names they are considering:

Edward – both like the name, but Sarah can’t help thinking of Twilight when she sees Edward matched with Isabel! She wonders if other people will too.

Archer nn Archie – Sarah really likes this, and Rupert is okay with it, however when matched with Isabel she thinks of Henry James’ A Portrait of a Lady, whose heroine is Isabel Archer. Sarah wonders if other people will be similarly reminded, or if she’s being paranoid.

Charlie – the first name Sarah and Rupert agreed on, and Sarah will always like it. However, over the years it has lost some of its shine as she encountered quite a few people and pets with the name.

Other names they’ve thought of: Henry, Harry, and Oscar. They don’t have any clear front-runner at the moment, and would welcome name suggestions.

Girls names they are considering:

Camilla – a name that was on the list for Isabel, and Sarah still likes it with the nickname Millie. However, as a back up for Isabel, does it already feel “used”?

Imogen – a name that has recently made its way to the top of their name list, and they are seriously considering using it. Sarah is slightly concerned that Isabel and Imogen both start with I, and are too similar.

Lola – both really like this name, although the meaning of “sorrows” turns Sarah off slightly. She isn’t sure whether it fits the style of Isabel either.

Vivienne – Rupert isn’t as keen on this as Sarah, and Sarah wonders if the spelling is a bit much compared to the simplicity of Isabel.

Other names they’ve thought of: Madeleine, Gwendolen, and Juliet (last one definitely crossed off).

At the moment, they think the choice is between Camilla and Imogen, although Lola and Vivienne haven’t been ruled out.

Sarah really wants a name which matches Isabel in style, and something which goes well with a short surname.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Sarah and Rupert, hardly anybody abandons a family naming tradition which has lasted five generations without thinking about it very deeply and carefully, so I feel sure that your reasons for deciding not to continue it are sound and well thought out. Please try not to get stressed over your decision, as it is completely your choice what to name your baby. And let’s face it – at some point every family naming tradition has to end, especially when a name that’s been popular for over a century has become dated.

Feel excited that this is your chance to choose a name for your son that is truly his, chosen for him alone! I’m very confident that he will be happy with the choice you made, and you should be confident too.

You’ve come up with some great names for boys that are probably less problematic than you fear. I don’t think Edward and Isabella from Twilight are enough to rule out Edward as a brother for Isabel, but if it really bothers you, what about Edwin or Edmund? I think Isabel and Edmund sound amazing together.

I love Archer as well, it sounds so strong and derring-do with your surname. I have read A Portrait of a Lady and saw the film with Nicole Kidman as Isabel, so I’m familiar with it. And guess what? I never made any connection between Isabel and Archer. Even after your prompting, I still only had a vague feeling that there was a connection there, and got it mixed up with Archer Newland from Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence (the films came out within a few years of each other, which might be one reason why).

And even after being reminded, I still couldn’t see anything wrong with it, as Isabel Archer is beautiful, intelligent and spirited, even if she does have a pretty septic time, like everyone else unlucky enough to be the heroine of a Henry James novel.

I would be very surprised if more than one or two people at most say anything about Henry James after introducing your son as Archer, and wouldn’t be surprised if the number was zero. Isabel and Archie sound really nice together too.

I feel for poor Charlie, which was your first choice, but has been seen too often to still feel fresh. Would it make a difference if the name was Charles, with Charlie as a nickname? I think Isabel and Charles sound lovely together. I have a feeling that you will think Charles too short with your surname though.

I also think Henry and Harry seem great, although you don’t seem as keen on them, and although I like Oscar, for some reason it sounds vaguely comical with your surname.

I almost wish I could hypnotise you into choosing Henry, which seems an absolutely perfect match with Isabel – both royal English-yet-French under-the-radar classic names, and sounds good with your surname. However, I also adore Archer, and wonder if Edmund might work for you if you can’t commit to Edward (does Edmund seem too old-fashioned next to Isabel)?

Other names that might work are Arthur (instead of Archer), Alfred (nn Alfie), Louis or Lewis, Alexander, Elliot, Leo, and Maxwell (is the nickname Max a problem with your short surname?).

You seem pretty set on either Camilla or Imogen for a girl, and I can’t see anything stopping you from using either name. I wouldn’t worry a bit about Camilla being considered for Isabel before she was born – you shouldn’t think of the name as being used or discarded. It wasn’t the right name for Isabel, but it might be the right name for her little sister, and those past name lists can be an invaluable resource when selecting sibling names. Isabel and Millie are very sweet together.

Imogen is a bit similar to Isabel, but I don’t think to the point where they couldn’t be sisters, as long as you feel comfortable with that.

I think Isabel and Lola sound very spunky as sisters: I don’t think they have a hugely different style really, I can imagine them both on sisters from the 19th century as well as now.

I adore Isabel and Vivienne and think they seem like a perfect match as sisters (also LOVE Vivienne with your surname); however it does sound as if Rupert is not terrifically enthusiastic.

This is your chance to choose the name you really want, so instead of looking for potential problems with every name, remember to focus on what you love most about it. Write down all the reasons you love each name, and remember those reasons when the time comes to choose the name. Allow yourself to fully embrace the possibilities of each name without worrying about any issues, and see where that takes you.

It’s more important that you choose a name that you love, and that works for you, rather than a name without any discernible problems. And don’t let other people rain on your parade: just because someone else criticises a name, it doesn’t mean you made the wrong choice. This is your child’s name, and you get to choose it, not them!

POLL RESULTS

The public’s top choice for Isabel’s brother was Archer or Archie, gaining 35% of the vote. They liked Camilla for a sister, with 36% of the vote.

41% of people said siblings named Isabel or Edward didn’t remind them of Twilight, and 29% said it only reminded them a little bit. That left 30% of people who thought that Isabel and Edward were a strong reminder of the Twilight series.

87% of people said siblings named Isabel and Archer didn’t remind them of A Portrait of a Lady, while 7% were reminded a little, but didn’t think it was an issue. 6% of literature lovers couldn’t see Isabel and Archer together without thinking of the Henry James novel.

(Photo from Lifiekind Photography)

Is This Name Too Short, or Too Unusual?

22 Tuesday Mar 2016

Posted by in Naming Assistance

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Tara and Andor are expecting their first child in a few months, and easily thought of plenty of girls names they both liked. However, they only agreed on one boy’s name that they both liked equally and felt was the right fit for them. As it happened, they discovered they were having a boy, and now that one name seems very real.

The one boy’s name they have both agreed on is Fox. Tara admits this possibly wasn’t a good idea, but she mentioned the name to her mother and sister, who were surprised by it and not very impressed.

Her mum thought it sounded “too Mills & Boone”, and was concerned that if their son had red hair (which runs in the family), the name Fox might seem rather cruel. She also didn’t like the connotations of being sly that the word fox has.

Tara’s sister just didn’t like it, as her taste in names is much more traditional. Tara is too sensible to worry overmuch about her family’s reactions, and hopes that they come around once the baby has actually been born (and is a super cute and cuddly grandson and nephew for them).

The main thing that is holding Tara back from committing to the name Fox is that the baby will have a one-syllable occupational surname, such as Clark, and she feels that Fox Clark doesn’t flow particularly well. She also wonders if it might be a bit too unusual, as Fox seems to be gaining popularity as a middle name rather than a first name.

What Tara and Andor would most like in a name is something which isn’t highly popular, and will be suitable for all stages of their son’s life. Tara likes older style names, and both of them love nature names as well. Tara is a teacher, and has ruled out many names too strongly associated with past students.

Andor has an unusual name, and both he and Tara like that it’s out of the ordinary – they both like the name Oliver, nicknamed Ollie, but have ruled it out because it’s the #1 name. Archie is also becoming a name they are seeing too often on other people’s children to keep on their list.

Other names they have thought of are Felix, Arlo, Louis, Banjo, and Sonny. Tara really likes Theodore, nicknamed Teddy or Theo, or just Theo as the full name, but she hasn’t been able to convince Andor. The baby’s middle name will be Steven, which honours a loved family member.

Tara wants to know – is Fox too short for a one-syllable surname, and is it too out there as a first name?

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Last year a mum-to-be wrote in to the blog because she and her husband had agreed on only one name for their daughter – Grace. Because they had a one-syllable surname, like Cooke, she was worried that they couldn’t give their baby girl a short name to match it. When their daughter was born, they decided that Grace was the perfect name for her after all.

Just as I couldn’t see anything horribly wrong with Grace Cooke, I don’t believe Fox Clark is too dreadful. More than that, I actually like it – I enjoy that it has a snappy, brisk sound, like the bark of a fox. I also like the juxtaposition of the two nouns in the name Fox Clark, which is very evocative. The name sounds smart to me – clever and wise, rather than cunning and sly.

I found a young man on Facebook with the name “Fox Clark”, so someone else has used it. I had a very clear picture in my mind as to what someone named Fox Clark would be like, and this man (unsurprisingly!) looked completely different – and yet I at once thought, “Oh yes, he looks exactly right for a Fox Clark”. And I’m sure I could see another Fox Clark, and another, and they would all suit their name in different ways.

As to whether Fox is too unusual a name or not, that comes down to opinion. It’s certainly not a common name, but nature names and animal names are on trend, and so are names for boys ending in an X like Tex or Hendrix. The name Fox is also rising steeply in the UK and US, so I think you can safely assume there are more Foxes being born here too.

You’re right that the name is much more common in the middle, but rising names often start out in middle name territory. Parents like them, but don’t feel bold enough to use such a “different” name in the first position: not yet, anyway. Short names like Fox also appeal as middle names because they sound good with longer first names.

But what you probably wonder is whether other people will think that Fox is too weird, especially after your family’s reaction. The feeling I most get about Fox when I talk to people about it is that it’s a “cool name” – one that’s different, but in an interesting way.

If you look at people’s opinions online, so often they say Fox is a guilty pleasure name: one they wish they were brave enough to use. Sure, you might have a few people who don’t care for the name Fox, or think it’s strange, but I think there will also be some admirers, and secret admirers, out there.

Even your mum’s comment that it’s a “Mills & Boone” name suggests that she thinks it sounds sexy and bad boy. She might not like it, or perhaps thinks it’s inappropriate, but it’s interesting that she immediately connected the name to romance and fantasy. Perhaps when you met Andor, you likewise found his name intriguing: I like that Andor has an unusual name too, so it feels like the start of a family tradition.

Fox is an up and coming name that isn’t widely familiar yet. That’s an attraction for a teacher, for as yet you haven’t had many (perhaps any?) students named Fox to colour the name for you.

That means it doesn’t have an ageless quality but eventually children grow up, and their names inevitably grow with them – at some point, Arlo will be your doctor and Sonny will handle your insurance claim. Once upon a time, Clarence was a “little boy” name that people could no doubt never picture as a lawyer, journalist, or old man in a nursing home.

If you continue to have nagging doubts about naming your son Fox, perhaps you could use it as a nickname. Looking at your name list, you have considered the name Felix, which seems the easiest to turn into a long form of Fox – “His name’s Felix, but we call him Fox for short”. Really, Fox seems like the kind of name where you could choose any name you wanted and add, “… but we call him Fox”.

However, I must say I hope you decide to stick with Fox. It’s a name you both like equally, and the only name you have both agreed on so far, so it just might be the right name for you.

POLL RESULTS

87% of people thought Fox was okay to use with a one-syllable surname. 48% thought it sounded quite good, 21% that it sounded okay, and 18% that it didn’t flow particularly well, but was still usable. However 11% of people thought it was too awkward to be usable, and 2% weren’t sure.

85% of people thought that was Fox wasn’t too weird to be usable as a baby name. 30% thought it was a bit unusual, but that others would soon get used to it. 20% didn’t think it was very unusual as it fits in so well with current trends. 15% said it was too unusual for them to use, but they would find it interesting on someone else’s child. 13% thought it was very unusual, but that was a positive thing as it made the name cool and different. 7% of people didn’t think it was unusual in the least. 11% thought maybe it was too unusual as they couldn’t imagine it on a real person, while 4% were convinced it was an extremely weird name.

Name Update: All About Eve

21 Monday Mar 2016

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Jane and Dylan were less than two weeks away from welcoming their second child when Jane wrote into the blog having last-minute name nerves. They had more or less decided on Finn for a boy and Eve for a girl, but Jane didn’t feel 100% sure they had chosen the right names.

Jane and Dylan’s second daughter was born a week ago, and they had no problem at all in naming her

EVE ERIN,

sister to Lila.

Jane feels very comfortable with the choice they made, and everyone has commented on what a lovely name it is and how great Lila and Eve sound together. A few people said they had seen a movie on Netflix called Lila and Eve (Jennifer Lopez plays Eve), so obviously the film-maker thinks the names sound good together as well!

Congratulations to Jane and Dylan on their baby girl, and thank you to everyone for voting on the polls and leaving comments. That validation really helped Jane feel better about her decision.

Is She Over-Thinking Their Baby Names?

19 Saturday Mar 2016

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Bianca and Daniel are expecting their second child in a few months, a brother or sister for their son Arlo. They have a name list in place which they are pretty set on, but as the pregnancy progresses, Bianca finds herself thinking them over more and more, until she begins to wonder if she is overthinking them.

They have several possible names for boys selected, including Eli, Ezra, Remy, and Chet. Daniel loves the name Eli, and that’s the name they will probably choose. However, Bianca worries that Arlo and Eli might be too matchy as a sibset. Bianca likes the sound of Ezra with Arlo, but is worried about people’s reactions to it, as she thinks it is very uncommon in Australia.

For girls, they love the name Elke, but now Bianca is starting to worry about spelling and pronunciation issues. Bianca likes the traditional spelling of Elke, but not the traditional pronunciation, which is rather like EL-ka – she prefers EL-kee.

Bianca wonders how most Australians will read the name Elke if they see it written down – as EL-ka, or EL-kee? Should they change the spelling to Elkie to avoid confusion? And does Elkie look okay, and not like a made up name?

Other girl names considered are Nell, Edie, Romy, and Ayla. Nell has been Bianca’s favourite name for many years; Daniel won’t agree to it, however. Bianca also likes Edie, and thinks it might be a better option than Elke. However, Bianca and Daniel have a niece with a name that ends in -die, such as Sadie, and she wonders if Edie and Sadie might be too much alike.

Bianca isn’t quite sure about Romy, but does love its spunkiness. She worries it might sound a bit funny with their surname (which is slightly similar in sound to Google), and Daniel isn’t quite sure about it. Daniel loves the name Ayla, but Bianca isn’t quite as keen, and feels it is too close to Arlo.

Bianca would love some suggestions for more girls’ names, as she isn’t sure about any of their choices. Her favourite girls’ names are short, simple, and sweet – and not too common.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Gee Bianca, I would love to tell you that you’re over-thinking things and to stop worrying about it all. The trouble is that would be very hypocritical, because if I was in your position, I would be thinking and worrying about exactly the same things. Maybe I’m an over-thinker as well (a blog on the subject could very well be a symptom of that).

I can see what you mean about Arlo and Eli – they both start and end with a vowel, and have an L sound in the middle, so they sound a little alike. However, I don’t think they necessarily sound too matchy, and from what I’ve seen, parents who like Arlo often like Eli as well, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there are other brothers named Arlo and Eli out there.

I tend to agree with you that Arlo and Ezra are an awesome match. They sound great together, and have a cool, intelligent vibe that’s rather hip. Ezra isn’t that uncommon in Australia – it’s not popular, but you definitely see it around. It’s already Top 100 in New Zealand, and is rising very steeply in the US and UK, so it feels ready to take off (maybe like Arlo a few years ago?). I can’t promise you will never get any negative reactions to it, but I think overall it might be better received than you think.

However, if Daniel loves the name Eli then it might be hard to get him to change his mind. And I wouldn’t blame him – if I really loved a baby name, and my spouse and I had both agreed on it, I would be a bit miffed if the name was changed to something else. Loving a baby name is something that could trump a name being hipper or making a better match: giving your child a name that you love over all others is a wonderful gift.

So that’s something for you and Daniel to discuss together, but I think either Eli or Ezra would be fine. You can’t go wrong whichever you pick.

I can see that Elke is giving you some problems with spelling and pronunciation, and I’m not really sure which pronunciation is more common in Australia. I often see people spelling the name Elka or Elkah, as if they’re more worried about people trying to put an EE sound on the name. It’s less common for me to see the name spelled Elkie but I have a few times. I don’t think it looks terrible or anything, but to me it looks as if Elkie means “little elk”.

The trouble is that you prefer the Elke spelling, and I can imagine it might grate on you to see your daughter’s name spelled in a way that seems wrong to you. On the other hand, having people sometimes pronounce it EL-ka would no doubt be an annoyance to you.

I must admit that my own prejudices are at work here, because I’m the sort of person who doesn’t mind names with alternative spellings, but balks at ones with alternative pronunciations. I wouldn’t have any problems explaining again and again that it’s Stephen not Steven or Isobel not Isabelle, but would become almost instantly stressed about Louis said like Louie or Emmeline to rhyme with Caroline. In my experience, people are much more likely to not understand or “hear” a pronunciation they’re not familiar with, or even to tell you that “you’re saying it wrong”.

If you decide that Elke is too much of a hassle, I think Edie would be an excellent alternative. It’s a sweet, hip little name, and makes a great match with Arlo. I don’t think a cousin called Sadie or Bridie should be an issue – it’s hard enough trying to co-ordinate sibling names without having to worry about “cousin sets”! However if the cousin is named Addie, that might be just close enough in sound to Edie to cause some mix ups.

I also love Romy as a match with Arlo, and I can’t see anything wrong with Romy Google. I agree it’s very spunky. To me Arlo and Ayla are perhaps a little too much alike – I can see that Daniel really likes vowel-heavy names with a strong L though, but not Alice!

Some other girls’ names that seem like a nice match with Arlo:

Thea – last year blog readers voted Thea and Arlo their favourite baby names from the Name List category. I have to admit, they seem like natural siblings.

Willa – it’s another name with a L sound in it, but less vowel-y. It seems hip to me, but might occasionally be confused with popular Willow.

Nora or Norah – I think Arlo and Nora sound adorable together. I guess another set of parents did too, because when I did a web search for “Arlo + Nora”, I found that Arlo Guthrie has a sister named Nora, a music producer. At least you know it works in real life!

Iris – I love the sweetness of Iris, and how it sounds with Arlo. I wonder if it’s too much like Alice for Daniel?

Sylvie – another sweet name I’m seeing more and more of. It’s another name with an L in the middle. Arlo and Sylvie almost seem characters from an urban fairy tale.

Elva – this vintage name is coming back into fashion. It has an Irish connection, like Arlo, and struck me as a possible alternative to Elke. Etta would also be nice, but I wonder if Arlo and Etta is too much of a musical theme for you – it feels as if the next child has to be Miles or Lulu.

Well Bianca, I don’t know if I’ve helped with your over-thinking, or just given you more things to think about! I think you are pretty much right for boys’ names, having two good choices at least, while I agree that you might need to consider girls’ names a bit longer. Luckily you have a few months to make a final decision.

UPDATE: The baby was a boy, and his name is Ezra!

POLL RESULTS
80% of respondents didn’t think Arlo and Eli were too matchy as brothers. 47% thought they were a bit matchy but still usable, 20% thought they were hardly matchy at all, and 13% thought they weren’t matchy in the least. One-fifth of people were sure that this combination was too matchy, and overall that made 67% of people who leaned towards thinking it was matchy to some extent.

There was a slight majority of people who preferred to say the name Elke as EL-kee, and it didn’t make a huge amount of difference whether you were Australian or not. 59% of Australians said EL-kee, while 41% said EL-ka; 53% of non-Australians said EL-kee, while 47% said EL-ka.

The public’s choice for Arlo’s sibling was Ezra for a boy, which gained 53% of the vote, and Edie for a girl, which got 43% of the vote.

A Sister or Brother for Tillie and Texas

12 Saturday Mar 2016

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Jenny and Sam are expecting their third child in a few months, and already have a daughter named Tillie and a son named Texas.

Their favourite girl’s name is Saffy, and they also like Daisy, Violet, and Georgie. They would like two middle names for a girl, with the second middle name being Lynda to honour a beloved family member who has passed away. (Tillie also has two middle names).

Jenny is not sure what middle name should come before Lynda. So far she has thought of Saffy Lucy Lynda and Saffy Primrose Lynda, but isn’t set on either of them.

Jenny and Sam’s favourite boy’s name is Rafferty, and they also like Rowdy, Darcy, and Sullivan. The middle name they like is Theodore.

Jenny wonders what names sound the best together, how the girl’s middle names should be handled, and if there are any other great names they haven’t thought of that would make a good match with Tillie and Texas.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

I think Saffy is good choice – it’s one of those names that are unusual, yet don’t feel particularly strange. It makes a nice contrast with Tillie (not popular, but not uncommon) and Texas (rare, but nickname Tex is on the radar). Most importantly, it’s your favourite name!

I itch to know what Saffy is short for: a question you would probably hear from time to time. I think of Saffy from Ab Fab, which is short for Saffron, but lately have seen a number of baby girls named Sapphire, nicknamed Saffy or Saphy.

Georgie feels like a natural match with Tillie, but to me sounds a bit odd with Texas, as Georgie is usually short for Georgia. If I’d just been introduced to your family, I would wonder to myself if you’d called your children Georgia and Texas!

Daisy and Violet are nice too, but take your childrens’ names firmly into a “normal names for girls, unusual names for boys” direction. Which is fine, but does seem a departure from Tillie, Texas, and Saffy.

Other girls’ names that might fit in with Tillie and Texas are Posey, Romy, Winnie, Sadie, Scout, Cleo, June, Maisie, Mabel, Mae, Libby, Liv, and Luella.

I love the combination Saffy Primrose Lynda! Primrose has become a new go-to middle name; a style update on Rose. I think Saffy Primrose Lynda sounds very British, and a nice match with Tillie. Saffy Lucy Lynda is nice too, but a bit tongue-twistery for me to say easily.

Other middle names that are unusual botanicals include Saffy Marigold Lynda, Saffy Bluebell Lynda, Saffy Maple Lynda, Saffy Aster Lynda, Saffy Plum Lynda, Saffy Blossom Lynda, and Saffy Juniper Lynda.

Other combinations that might appeal are Saffy Clementine Lynda, Saffy Pearl Lynda, Saffy Juliet Lynda, Saffy Beatrix Lynda, Saffy Penelope Lynda, and Saffy Emmeline Lynda.

Rafferty Theodore seems absolutely perfect as a boy’s name – Tillie, Texas, and Rafferty is so cute. Rowdy also seems an awesome match with Texas, while Darcy is perhaps a bit popular next to it. I love Sullivan, but if you call him Sully for short, Tillie and Sully might perhaps be an issue – it would be circumvented if you nicknamed him Van instead.

Other boys’ names that might be cute with Tillie and Texas include Iggy, Ziggy, Alby, Dash, Zeke, and Otis. But I really think Rafferty Theodore hits the spot.

You still have a few months to firm up your baby name choices, but it sounds as if you are already doing pretty well. I can’t see you having any problems once the baby arrives.

UPDATE: The baby was a girl, and her name is Saffy!

POLL RESULTS: The public’s clear choices for the baby’s name were Saffy for a girl (52%), and Rafferty for a boy (58%). Their choice for a girl’s first middle name was Primrose (87%).

Urgent Name Help Needed: Baby is Due Soon, and They Only Have ONE Name For Each Sex – Are They the Right Ones?

05 Saturday Mar 2016

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Jane and Dylan are expecting their second child in less than a fortnight, a sibling for their daughter Lila. They don’t know the sex, and Jane is especially nervous about boys’ names.

They would both like a name that is short, strong, easy to spell and pronounce, not in the Top 30, not made up, not too unusual, with a clean, classic feel that doesn’t seem either too feminine, or too stuffy and pompous. Jane and Dylan’s surname is vaguely similar to Bolter.

For a boy’s name, they are considering Irish or Italian style names as a nod to their respective heritages, but that isn’t essential.

Even though Jane and Dylan are fully in agreement on all these criteria, so far they have only managed to agree on one name: Finn. Jane likes the name Finn, but worries that it’s not classic enough, doesn’t go with Lila, or will become too popular in the future.

Jane loves Ronan, Roy, Angus, Dean, and Leo, but Dylan doesn’t like any of these. He prefers Lachlan, Callum, and Nate, which Jane dislikes.

Both Jane and Dylan love boyish nicknames such as Jack, Tom, and Charlie, but have ruled them out as being too common. They can’t use the names Michael, Dominic, Paul, Mark, Ryan, or Sean.

For girls, Jane loves the names Ruby and Nina, but thinks Ruby is too popular, while Nina seem too similar to Lila. Jane loves the name Alice, but Dylan doesn’t like it. Jane thinks that they have agreed on the name Eve for a girl.

So it’s Finn for a boy and Eve for a girl – or is it? Jane just doesn’t feel 100% confident that these are the right names. She wonders if anyone can reassure them they have made the correct choices, or give them ideas for different names.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

It’s not at all uncommon for parents (perhaps especially mothers) to experience last minute worry about their chosen baby names, so your situation seems very normal, Jane.

You’ve only managed to agree on one name for each gender, and I can see that might feel less comfortable than having a short list to choose from when the baby arrives. However, one name is all you need, and you might have hit on the perfect ones.

For what’s it’s worth, I can’t see a single thing wrong with either Finn or Eve, which seem to tick absolutely every one of your boxes.

Finn isn’t exactly a classic name, but you don’t really want a classic – what you want is something that feels classic. Now that’s very subjective, but I do think that Finn is clean and stylish, and feels like a modern classic in the making.

I think Lila and Finn sound wonderful together – they seem like a great match. I really wouldn’t worry too much about what popularity does in the future, as none of us have crystal balls to tell us what will happen. But I can’t see any immediate reason to panic about Finn.

Its popularity seems to have stabilised in the bottom half of the Top 50, and there are no signs of it going up and up in an alarming way. Similar names such as Flynn, Finlay, and Finnian have probably helped to slow its progress somewhat.

I can’t see any reason to go searching for another name, unless you can agree on something else that you both like more. With less than two weeks to go, that doesn’t seem very likely, but isn’t impossible either.

I’m intrigued that both of you absolutely love boyish nickname names, but have rejected them as too common – even Tom, which isn’t at all common as a full name, although all the uncounted Thomases called Tom would make a difference.

This style of boy’s name is very fashionable at the moment, thanks to British name trends, and there are a number of names like this gaining in popularity. Could you consider something less popular, such as Sam, Will, Billy, Ned, Mac, Alfie, Jimmy, Jake, Alby, Gus, Ted, Teddy, Freddie, Paddy, Johnny, Joe, Tommy, Bobby, or Dan?

Other names that occur to me that seem to fit your criteria are Jude, Miles, Rowan, Arlo, Rory, Ari, Owen, Caleb, Jasper, Toby, Rhys, Wyatt, and Declan.

I know you are much less nervous about girl’s name, but I probably feel a little more nervous about them, as you say you only think you have both agreed on Eve. That doesn’t seem quite definite enough, and I hope by now you have become firmer on it, because Eve also seems to be exactly what you are looking for.

It’s a clean, stylish, short, and simple modern classic which isn’t highly popular, and makes a great match with Lila. It isn’t Irish or Italian, but doesn’t seem out of place either, because Eva is used in both Ireland and Italy (and Eve is a popular name in Ireland).

It’s hard to think of other names you might like, because there appears to be so few names you have considered – Dylan doesn’t seem to have suggested even one girl’s name!

Other simple names I think sound nice with Lila are Violet, Audrey, Maisie, Maeve, Mae, Niamh/Neve, Claire, Daisy, Evelyn, Hope, Tess, Eden, Daphne, Phoebe, Sylvie, and Rose.

Luckily, I think you have chosen two fantastic names that work perfectly for you, so even if you do nothing at all, your baby will still have a name when it arrives.

UPDATE: The baby was a girl, and her name is Eve!

POLL RESULTS: Nearly everyone thought that Finn and Eve were good choices for the baby’s name. 99% of people approved the choice of the name Finn, with more than half saying it was the perfect name which sounded fantastic with Lila. 98% of people approved the choice of the name Eve, with almost 40% saying it was the perfect name which sounded fantastic with Lila.

Name Update: Theodore Has Arrived!

29 Monday Feb 2016

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Kate and Daniel were expecting their second child, a boy, and looking for a vintage-style name that wasn’t too popular. Kate wrote in to the blog to ask for opinions on their name list, and got a very positive response from readers.

Kate and Daniel welcomed their son at the end of last year, and after some discussion, they decided to name him

THEODORE ADAM,

brother to Matilda.

Matilda is adoring being a big sister, and Kate is very happy with their son’s name: they get compliments on it all the time. I think readers will be impressed too, as Theodore was one of the favourite options.

Congratulations to Kate, Daniel, and Matilda on the new addition to the family! I just love how Matilda and Theodore sound together. Thanks to everyone who helped out with opinions and advice.

What Name for a Wild Colonial Boy, Brother to Arabella?

20 Saturday Feb 2016

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A couple of weeks ago we had an English-born mum and an Australian dad looking for a baby name; this time we have the same situation, but with the genders reversed.

Eloise is Australian, and her husband George was born in the UK; they already have a little girl named Arabella. Next month she will be getting a baby brother, but George and Eloise still haven’t decided on a name for him.

Eloise loves strong, masculine boys’ names of English and Scottish ancestry. Both Eloise and George like the idea of bushranger and outlaw names, as both rural Australian and British in flavour.

Eloise’s favourite boys names are William (nicknamed Will or Billy), Archer, Archie, Henry, Wilfred, Jock, and Mack. She also likes Rafferty, Albie, Angus, Dougal, Hugh, Hugo, Rory, and Toby, but George isn’t so keen on them.

George’s favourite names and William and Henry, and he would also consider Archie, Oscar, and Stirling.

George doesn’t like the idea of Jock or Mack, because they already have a close family member named Jack, and he thinks the names are alike enough to be confusing.

Possible middle name choices to honour relatives are Walter, Frederick, Jack, and Guy.

Eloise and George’s surname is something vaguely similar to Hudgett, and Eloise wonders if Henry Hudgett or Hugo Hudgett might sound a bit too much.

At the moment, their front runner is Archer Jack or Archie Jack – Eloise showed George the blog entry for Archer, which proved persuasive!

She wonders what people think of the name Archer Jack Hudgett or Archie Jack Hudgett?

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Archer Jack Hudgett is great! I think I would prefer Archie as the nickname, just so you can keep the Australian connection to Archer. I also love that this has a British connection, thanks to British officer “Mad Jack” Churchill, who was the last archer in Britain to kill in battle. Not only does this link Archer and Jack together, but in the film Gallipoli, the heroes are Archy and Jack.

Arabella and Archie is definitely a very Scottish-sounding sibset! I did try to find a bushranger called Archie, with no success, although it seems quite a popular name for fictional ones.

If you don’t go with Archer or Archie, it sounds as if William and Henry would also be possibilities, since both of you have picked them as favourites.

William is very handsome, and I like William Frederick, William Jack, and William Guy. William sounds nice with Arabella, and there is a famous convict and bushranger called William Westwood – he went by the name Jackey Jackey, oddly enough. He was known as “the gentleman bushranger”.

While I do think Hugo Hudgett is a bit much, Henry Hudgett seems perfectly fine to me. Henry Walter and Henry Frederick are both very handsome (although Henry Jack and Henry Guy could also be used), and Arabella and Henry sound good together.

There is a famous bushranger called Henry “Harry” Power, said to have helped inspire the career of Ned Kelly, and another called Henry Maple, known as “the boy bushranger”. In fact there are quite a number of bushrangers with the name Henry, and coupled with bush writer Henry Lawson, this is a good choice for an Australian-themed name that is also very English in style.

I do think that Jock and Mack have to be knocked off the list because of Jack. I know plenty of families where this would not be a problem at all, and who would happily cope with names even closer than Jock and Jack or Jack and Mack. However, I think it has to be George’s call, and if it’s uncomfortably close for him, then that has to be respected.

I like Wilfred as well – it’s such a lovable name. It reminds me of the Australian journalist Wilfred Burchett, who was the first western journalist to enter Hiroshima after the bombing, and was so forthright when reporting on the wars in Korea and Vietnam. He remains controversial to this day, and is something of a folk hero. It might remind people of the dog in the absurdist TV comedy though.

As Wilfred has similar nicknames to William and Frederick (Will and Freddie), could William Frederick “Wilf” be an acceptable alternative if George vetoed Wilfred?

Oscar and Stirling are both great names too, although I find that I stutter over Oscar in combination with your surname; it’s strangely difficult to say. Stirling is definitely very Scottish (especially with a sister named Arabella), and also reminds me of the British pound sterling. It sounds good with all your possible middle name choices – except Guy, as Stirling Guy seems rather comical.

George and Eloise, you’ve got a good list of names together, and have already agreed on a few names. At the moment it seems as if Archer or Archie could be the right name, but in just a few weeks you will be meeting your little bushranger, and things will seem even clearer then.

UPDATE: The baby’s name was Angus!

POLL RESULTS: Archer Jack received a good response, with 52% thinking it was great. However, Archie Jack wasn’t as popular, with 40% believing it wasn’t that good. The public’s choice for the baby’s name was Archer, gaining 25% of the vote.

(Picture shows the cover of The Littlest Bushranger by Alison Reynolds; the “bushranger” is named Jack and has a big sister Lil)

What Names Would You Pick for Mason’s Twin Siblings?

13 Saturday Feb 2016

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Rachel and Nicholas have a son called Mason. They absolutely love his name, and get compliments all the time on how strong and masculine it is. They like that his name is in keeping with the trends of his generation, but isn’t too popular, because Mason is the only one with his name in his class.

As baby namers, they’ve done a great job, but their skills are about to be put to the test, because they’ve just found out that they are going to be welcoming twins later this year!

It took Rae and Nick a long time to choose Mason’s name, so they are hard at work thinking of names for twins. They already have two girls’ names picked out that they love: Aurelia and Edeline. If they have a pair of twin sisters for Mason, everything’s golden.

However, they might be having two boys, or a boy and girl; in which case they still have some decisions to make.

Rae is is very firm that the twins’ names be individual and not matchy at all: they shouldn’t “go together” any more than siblings’ names usually do. She doesn’t want them to start with the same letter, or end with the same sound, or be linked by any sort of theme.

Rae and Nick really want the names to have a nickname for everyday use: for example, Mason is always called Mace. They don’t like names that are already nicknames, such as Harry.

Rae and Nick have a handsome surname that sounds slightly like Carfox. They don’t want a name starting with C, and they also don’t want any of the children sharing initials. That means no names starting with M, because that’s Mason’s initial.

Boys names they have considered so far:

Archer
Aston
Augustus
Bennett
Caleb – loves it, but clashes with surname
Camden – loves it, but clashes with surname
Fletcher
Hamish
Harvey
Hudson – loves it, but worry it’s too matchy with Mason as they end with the same sound
James
Leland
Lincoln
Linden
Llewellyn
Thomas
Saxon – Nick loves it; is it too matchy with Mason?

The front-runners are probably Archer, Bennett, Fletcher and Harvey, but so far nothing is standing out.

They don’t have any middle names picked out. If they have a girl, they would like to honour a beloved relative named Lorraine Maree. For boys, everything is open.

Another issue is that Nick works in the legal system, and has been put off many names because he associates them with criminals. He wants the names to sound normal and law-abiding!

* * * * * * * * * * * *

I did smile to myself over the names that have been given the heave-ho because of criminal associations. You’ve chosen well by generally preferring names that have only begun to be popular or familiar recently, because most people with these names haven’t had a chance to do anything terribly wrong yet, still being very young.

It’s great to have your own “name rules” – everyone does it, and it’s a useful way to whittle down your name list. However, it bothers me when someone’s rules end up throwing out the names they love the most. In this case, names you love such as Caleb, Hudson and Saxon are on the chopping block, while you are left to choose between names you like, but with no real stand-outs.

I won’t try to talk you into Caleb and Camden (I admit Caleb Carfox is a terrible tongue-twister), and to me Saxon sounds unusual with your surname – perhaps too striking for a twin – but are you sure Hudson isn’t possible? I do think Aston has to be removed from the list, as according to your rules, it can’t be matched with either of your girls’ names, and really does sound quite a lot like Mason.

I probably wouldn’t use long-popular names like Thomas, James or Hamish to match with either Aurelia or Edeline, as they seem like a style mismatch. Although how reassuring that these common names weren’t associated with criminal activity – what a bunch of solid citizens they must be!

With the middle names, it seems as if the easiest thing to do if you have twin girls is to name them Aurelia Lorraine and Edeline Maree. Even if you only have one girl, you could still stick to these combinations, and feel that you had honoured your loved one.

With boys, as you have a fairly long list of names, and no middle name ideas, it seems sensible to pick unusued names from your name list for the middles. This could be a good way to include a name that is perhaps too problematic to have as a first name.

You already have your girl/girl combination sorted, so now it’s just two twin combinations to choose. And because you have such clear guidelines, it shouldn’t be too difficult to match up the possible names.

GIRL AND BOY

Aurelia and Bennett
Aurelia and Harvey
Aurelia and Hudson
Aurelia and Leland
Aurelia and Lincoln
Aurelia and Linden
Aurelia and Llewellyn

Edeline and Augustus
Edeline and Bennett
Edeline and Fletcher
Edeline and Harvey

Aurelia seemed to match up most easily with more possibilities, suggesting that if you only have one girl, this would be a good first choice. I think Aurelia and Bennett sound rather handsome together, and both have lovely meanings: “golden” and “blessed”. I also really like Aurelia and Hudson, and Aurelia and Linden, which sounds very soft and gentle.

TWO BOYS

There are a LOT of possible combinations for the boys’ names, so I stuck with combinations in which at least one of the names was a front-runner. That left about 25 possible combinations, and these were my favourite matches:

Archer and Bennett
Archer and Hudson
Archer and Lincoln
Bennett and Augustus
Bennett and Fletcher
Bennett and Harvey
Bennett and Hudson
Bennett and Lincoln
Bennett and Thomas
Fletcher and Hamish
Fletcher and Harvey
Fletcher and Hudson
Fletcher and Lincoln
Fletcher and Thomas
Harvey and Lincoln
Harvey and Thomas

I really liked Archer and Bennett, Archer and Hudson, Bennett and Fletcher, Bennett and Harvey, Bennett and Hudson, Fletcher and Harvey, Fletcher and Hudson, Fletcher and Lincoln, and Harvey and Lincoln.

Because your front-runners are all surnames, they match together very easily without sounding overly matchy, and they also sound like natural brothers to Mason, which is another surname. That suggests you won’t have any trouble putting possible names together.

With the middle names, it’s just a matter of trying possible combinations until you find something that pleases you. If the leftover names on your list aren’t working for you, then a go-to method is to look at classic names like James, John, Henry, William, Leo, George, Charles, Joseph, Louis, Robert, David, Peter, Oliver, and Samuel. These make a good balance for surname names – a reassuringly solid counterweight to contemporary style.

A few combinations which occurred to me:

Aurelia Lorraine and Edeline Maree
Aurelia Lorraine and Bennett Oliver
Edeline Maree and Augustus George
Archer Caleb and Hudson Samuel
Bennett Aston and Fletcher Camden
Fletcher Saxon and Harvey Lewellyn
Harvey James and Lincoln Thomas

I’m sure various other combinations will also occur to you, and please you better.

Rae and Nick, you are organised people who like structure and order. That tells me that you will work calmly and logically through all your options until you find the right combination of names. As with choosing Mason’s name, it might take you a long time, but you will get there in the end.

As far as not loving any of the names on your list just yet, I’ve found that 90% of the time, when a couple has several names they like, they discover that by the time of the birth one of those names is perfect for their baby. I think that when the right set of names click into place, you will love them just as much as Mason’s name, and they will receive plenty of compliments too.

UPDATE: The twins were a boy and a girl, and their names are Charlotte and Bennett!

(Painting is In Good Hands by K.M. Berggren)

What Name For Alfie’s Brother or Sister That’s Both British and Australian?

06 Saturday Feb 2016

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Samantha is originally from the UK, and is married to an Australian named James. Sammie and James are expecting their second child next month, a brother or sister for their son Alfie. They picked a name for their son which is popular in in the UK but not used as much in Australia, which has worked out well (once James’ family recovered).

Sammie would love another older-style name which sounds familiar to British ears, but isn’t too common in Australia. Sammie loves the names Ted and Reggie – however, they have friends with these names, and don’t fancy seeing them on their son as well. At one point they settled on Jude, but when they shared this with Alfie, he kept saying Judy, which put them off.

James is really keen on Clarence, with the nickname Clarry or Clary, but Sammie doesn’t like it at all. This has become something of a sore point, and James is now being very critical of any name Sammie comes up with. As a result, Clarence is still on their baby name list in order not to antagonise James.

Sammie quite likes the name Digby, but James doesn’t think you can have two sons with their names ending in an EE sound.

The middle name for a boy will be either Leonard or George, which are both family names. Sammie liked the idea of combining them as Lenny George, but James says Lenny is a “nerdy” name in Australia.

Girls names will be much easier. They had picked out the name Elsie if their first child was a girl, but now Alfie and Elsie seem a bit much together. Their favourite is Daisy, then Florence and Maisy. Sammie likes Nellie, Betsy and Nora, while James prefers Georgie and Rosie. The middle name will either be Sylvia or Norma, which are both family names.

(Sammie feels that this baby is a boy and hasn’t been too bothered about girls names, but she thought Alfie was a girl, so wasn’t well prepared with boys names last time).

Sammie and James have a surname which ends in -son, like Richardson, so they don’t want a name ending in N, such as Nathan or Hayden.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Sammie I feel for you, because you have a natural desire to find a boys name similar to Alfie, and it doesn’t seem difficult to do – except all sorts of blocks keep being placed in your path.

The first thing to get out of the way is that the popular names in Australia and the UK aren’t that different, so looking for a name like Alfie, which is very popular in the UK yet not used that much in Australia, gives you a fairly short list of choices.

Other boys’ names which fit this pattern are Freddie, Finley/Finlay, Theo, Arthur, Harley, Reuben, Kian, Stanley, Jenson, Frankie, Teddy, Louie, Bobby, Elliott/Elliot, Dexter, Ollie, Frederick, Albert, Leon, Ronnie, Rory, Jamie, Ellis, Sonny, and Joey.

James doesn’t like the idea of another name ending in EE, so that eliminates Freddie, Finley/Finlay, Harley, Stanley, Frankie, Teddy, Louie, Bobby, Ollie, Ronnie, Rory, Jamie, Sonny, and Joey.

Some of these names seem like such perfect matches with Alfie that I wonder if James could rethink his policy? Alfie and Freddie, Alfie and Sonny, Alfie and Rory, and Alfie and Stanley seem utterly adorable, and quite manly or laddish as well, rather than cutesy.

Both of you don’t want a name ending in N, which would eliminate Reuben, Kian, Jenson, and Leon.

That leaves you with a choice of Theo, Arthur, Elliott/Elliot, Dexter, Frederick, Albert, and Ellis. Albert and Arthur could leave you with Alby or Artie as nicknames, which seem uncomfortably close to Alfie, while Elliot and Ellis have such a similar sound to Alfie that they might even be confused with it (a bit like the Elsie issue).

You’re now down to Theo, Dexter, and Frederick, all of which seem like perfectly reasonable choices. Theo seems like a good choice for someone who liked Ted, but wasn’t able to use it, and Dexter a fair alternative for someone who liked Digby but had had it vetoed.

I’m pretty sure Frederick would be shortened to Fred or Freddie/Freddy, which I think is a lovely match with Alfie. Then again, both Alfie and Freddie are nicknames for Alfred, so you might feel as if you’d given your sons the same name! If so, you now have a choice of just two names that fit your hoped-for pattern.

The other trouble is that your dear old other half is being a bit difficult. I’m wondering if he was as keen on Alfie’s name as you were when you chose it, especially as you said his family had some trouble adjusting to it. As you didn’t discuss boys names too much last time, thinking Alfie was a girl, was it a rushed decision? Did James feel that his views didn’t get enough of an airing?

I just wonder if some lingering resentment is what’s making him rather unreasonable this time around – and let’s face it, he is being unreasonable. Vetoing all boys names ending with an EE sound is extremely restrictive, and doesn’t make any sense considering that you’ve already agreed upon Daisy and Maisy for girls. I just can’t see any logic to this at all, and Digby would be an awesome match with Alfie (although it might make having a Daisy later seem less easy).

He’s also wrong that Lenny is a nerdy name in Australia – it’s not far outside the Top 100, and is a fashionable name. I know a lot of Australians who consider it an unsophisticated choice though, probably because it’s strongly connected with sport. Some prefer it as a nickname for Lennox or something similar.

On the other hand, his championing of Clarence is slightly odd, as this really does seem quite nerdy, in that it’s a vintage name which hasn’t had a comeback as yet (James is ahead of the curve). I think Clarry is rather cute, and doesn’t seem too strange a match with Alfie, but the fact is that you just don’t like it. I think it might be a bit too vintage Australian for you rather than vintage British, and as a Brit, I wonder if Clary reminds you too much of comedian Julian Clary?

Maybe this is James’ point – that Alfie was a very British-style choice, and he is pushing for a more Australian-style choice this time. If so, this isn’t an unreasonable request; he might just be expressing it in an unreasonable way.

I think the two of you need to have a talk about what you both really want. Last year we had an Australian-born woman married to an American write in to the blog who wanted a name which worked in both Australia and the US. Their first son was named Felix, a name more popular in Australia than the US, but still fashionable and rising there. They ended up naming their second son Sage, which is better known in the US than here, so they got a nice mix-and-match.

Perhaps James would also prefer a situation like that, where Alfie’s brother has more of an Australian vibe to his name. James’ love of Clarence/Clarry makes me wonder how he feels about Clancy, which has a wonderful literary history in Australia, as he is a character from a poem by Banjo Paterson. The name is not unusual here, although not common either.

Even though James says he doesn’t want a name ending in EE, he has suggested the name Clarry as a nickname for Clarence. Not only could Clancy work as a nickname for Clarence, but this suggests that James might be one of those people who prefer having a long form of a name on the birth certificate, and a nickname for everyday use.

This means that you might be able to have a cute boyish name after all – just with a longer name attached for formal use. Again, I think this is something you need to have a chat about.

I also can’t see anything wrong with Jude, and wonder if you were put off too easily by Alfie’s attempts to pronounce it. Is it really that big a deal if Alfie calls him Judy for a short while, or are you worried that it’s an unwanted nickname that will stick? Jude is a name popular and rising in both the UK and Australia, so another name like that might be a choice that works well for you.

Names I would suggest you consider, or re-consider:

Clancy possibly nn for Clarence
Frederick nn Freddie, Freddy or Fred
Theodore nn Theo
Jude
Dexter
Digby
Lewis
Rafferty
Fletcher
Campbell
Lennox nn Lenny
Maxwell
Rex
Tobias nn Toby

As for girls, I think you are pretty well set. Daisy, Florence, and Maisy are all great choices that sound wonderful as a sister for Alfie. I especially like the combination Daisy Sylvia. It would be very useful if you were wrong again, and in line to have a baby girl!

UPDATE: The baby was a boy, and his name is Ted!

POLL RESULTS: The public’s choice for the baby’s name was Clancy for a boy (18%), closely followed by Jude (16%), and Daisy for a girl (44%).