Tag Archives: choosing baby names

They Don’t Really Love Any Names! What Would You Suggest For a Brother or Sister to Polly?

01 Saturday Aug 2015

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Melissa and Ben are expecting their second child. They already have a daughter named Polly – Ben chose her name. The family surname is a short familiar one beginning with R.

So far Melissa’s name lists look like this:

Girls
Liza
Cleo
Ines
Marguerite
Stella

Boys
Jack (a family name, but more common than Melissa would usually go for)
Fergus
Douglas
Ned
Sidney

If it’s a boy, the middle name will probably be Linton, as this is a family tradition. If a girl, there is no middle name chosen, but Mary is one option that Melissa likes – it’s a family name. Polly also has a family name in the middle.

Generally Melissa prefers names that aren’t highly popular, and she likes names that can be easily shortened or have a nickname eg Liza nn “Lulu“. Melissa and Ben are not fond of overly “girly” names, and don’t want something that will sound “old ladyish” next to Polly.

They are very open to hearing fresh ideas, because so far there is no name that stands out from the pack, or which they really love.

* * * * * * * * * *

It’s tough when you have no shortage of possible baby names, but none that jump up and down in front of you, shouting, “Pick me! I’m the perfect name!”. It’s a problem that especially seems to affect parents expecting their second child.

Naming the first baby is often so easy: you get to use your favourite name since always, or the right name seems obvious from the start. We tend to second-guess ourselves when the second child is due, worry a lot more about it, and also have to think of something that will sound okay with the first child’s name.

I would take the pressure right off yourselves and have some fun. You’re actually in a good position, because you are both in a similar head-space, and not disagreeing with each other. This seems like an opportunity to get creative and open yourselves up to the possibility of all kinds of names.

Why not make a game of it? You could go for the “random name choice” idea where you flip coins or pull names from a hat or open a baby name book at random. Or you could have a “play off” type name where two names compete against each other, and you both eliminate the name you like least – “It’s time to go … Douglas”. Or pretend you’re talent show judges: “Cleo, it’s a yes from me”. Or go on “dates” with your name list, trying them on for size, until one of them gets a rose. Feel free to be as silly as you like!

So I will look at your name list, but I really want you to have a few giggles together as well.

GIRLS

Liza
This is quite different name to Polly. Polly is a relatively uncommon name, but you hear it enough that it seems like a regular name – so far this year I’ve seen three new babies named Polly. On the other hand, I have never met even one person of any age who had Liza as their whole name. So while Polly seems fresh, underused, and up-and-coming, Liza seems extremely rare and possibly a bit dated.

I can also see potential pitfalls, with people mistaking it for the popular Eliza, or reading it as Lisa, or not being sure whether it’s said LIE-za or LEE-za. You seem to want the name so you can use Lulu as the nickname. Could something more obviously Lulu-like be the answer, like Lucia, Louisa, Eloise, or Talullah? (I was going to say Lucinda, but Polly and Lucinda is a bit too much like Polly from the nursery rhyme who sat among the cinders!). Or could you use Lulu itself – Polly and Lulu are utterly adorable together.

Cleo
This is a cool name, and I think makes a wonderful match with Polly. It suits your wish for a name that doesn’t make Polly appear “old ladyish”, because Polly and Cleo seem young and hip, not fusty and vintage. Interestingly, I have seen the exact same number of baby Cleos as baby Pollys, so they feel like a good match popularity-wise.

Ines
That’s a really pretty name, and manages to sound exotic-but-not-too exotic. Weirdly, it doesn’t sound that strange with Polly either. I can foresee pronunciation issues though – I’m not sure myself whether you would say it IN-es, or EE-nes, or ee-NES. It might also be confused with Innes, which is sometimes given to girls.

Marguerite
How elegant and chic! I love Daisy as the nickname for Marguerite, but you might think Polly and Daisy is too old-ladyish, or too cutesy (same with Maisie?). What about Margot? Polly and Margot is a gorgeous sibset.

Stella
A pretty, starry, classic name, and the fact that it’s also popular (which you don’t normally go for) makes me wonder if you like it more than you think? Polly and Stella does have a very strong L sound though.

BOYS

Jack
I wouldn’t worry about the popularity if Jack is a family name that you like and have strong positive connections to. This is a good, solid, unpretentious name that sounds very manly with your surname. Nothing could be more down-to-earth than Polly and Jack, and both being popular nursery rhyme characters adds a touch of whimsy.

Fergus
Very handsome and rather hip. It sounds both aristocratic and rugged, and I love it with your surname. Gus would make a cute nickname.

Douglas
This is the kind of name that parents don’t often consider, but it’s a classic and is still in some use. It’s not hip like Fergus, but has something of the same sturdy vibe.

Ned
This sounds great with your surname, and Polly and Ned is just too cute!

Sidney
This is quite similar to Polly – a vintage-style name that is coming into use more and more, so I think they make a great match.

Other Names You Might Like
Adelaide
Anneliese
Daphne
Marigold (a spin on Mary, but might need a different middle name)
Meredith
Nora

Hugh or Hugo
Campbell
Barnaby
Magnus
Finlay
Alistair

I think the names you have thought of already look pretty good, and maybe one of them is a name that will grow on you until you love it, or one name will suddenly seem perfect once the baby actually arrives.

I hope that blog readers will suggest as many names as possible for you to consider – one of them could be the perfect choice!

Readers, what what do you think of Melissa and Ben’s name lists? What do you think you should do when no name really stands out? And can you suggest any names that go with Polly without seeming old-fashioned?

Name Update: A Gem of a Girl

27 Monday Jul 2015

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Tessa and Patrick were expecting a second child, and Tessa wrote in to the blog asking for feedback on their name lists.

Not long ago, they welcomed a daughter, a little girl they have named

GEMMA MARGUERITE,

a sister for Lucas.

Gemma was always their front-runner, and doesn’t it sound pretty and elegant matched with Marguerite? Gemma was also the public’s favourite name from their list, and Tessa enjoyed watching the polls, so thank you to everyone who voted.

Congratulations to Tessa and Patrick – and to Lucas, who is loving being a big brother.

Wintery Name News: From Frozen to Ice

25 Saturday Jul 2015

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Baby It’s Cold
It’s official – the name Elsa has become more popular since the movie Frozen came out in late 2013. In Victoria, the number of babies named Elsa doubled in the year following the film’s release, from 19 babies named Elsa in 2013 to 38 in 2014. However, the numbers were increasing even before the film, with 11 in 2011 and 22 in 2012, so it seems as if the movie was jumping on a trend (or else pre-publicity for the movie doubled numbers too). So far in 2015, there have been 6 babies named Elsa.

The article goes on to say that the number of babies named Anna has held steady in Victoria. Anna has returned to the Top 100 in Tasmania and was one of Queensland’s biggest risers in 2014, going up 19 places, and also in Victoria, where it went up 25 places. So although overall numbers haven’t changed much, the name Anna had a definite boost in the rankings after the film, which is significant for a name that peaked in the 1980s, and which you would expect to be on a slow decline.

The Victorian birth registry cannot reveal how many babies have been named Kristoff, Olaf or Sven, because if less than 5 babies have a name, the information must remain confidential.

Naming Babies in the Lebanese Community
Journalist Antoinette Latouff had an entertaining article at the start of the year on being pregnant with her second child as part of the Lebanese community. Bad bits: lots of pressure to have a boy (Antoinette was pregnant with another girl), tons of interference. Good bits: oceans of love, support, and practical help.

It’s the norm for grandparents to expect to name the baby (one mother-in-law just started calling the pregnant belly John), while in some cases the eldest son is expected to name his children after his parents – which might mean Osama is your child’s default name. Antoinette says sometimes it can be a challenge finding a name which sounds good with your exotic surname, and name sharing is very common in extended families.

The Trouble with Amelia
Yusuf Omar, a Muslim poet from Somalia, wrote about when he and his wife Khadijo were expecting a baby girl. On the advice of a young Western-educated Somali friend, they considered the name Amelia, as being beautiful, easy to pronounce, and fitting in well with Australian society. Unfortunately, the older generation amongst the Somali-Australian community felt hurt and betrayed by their choice: it was especially shocking as Muslim poets are supposed to be cultural custodians.

They were told that the name Amelia was “non-Muslim”, but Yusuf protested that there is no such thing as a “Muslim name”, and that names are neutral. He came to realise there is no such thing as a culturally neutral name, especially after meeting a Mohammad who goes by Moe in order to find employment.

He also notes the number of converts to Islam who change their names, even though this isn’t called for by Islamic teaching. The prophet Muhammad never asked that his followers change their names, unless the meaning of it was offensive to Muslim belief. In fact Muhammad himself kept his original name, which was a traditional pagan name. Yusuf notes that whenever someone changes their name they risk obliterating their own history and culture.

In the end, Yusuf and his wife named their daughter Eemaann, meaning “faith”, on the advice of his mother-in-law. However, the young people call her Amelia.

Legal and Illegal Name Changes in the News
Dorothy Barnett was recently sentenced to prison in the US after kidnapping her baby daughter Savanna from her home in South Carolina in 1994, and eventually bringing her up in Australia. Savanna Todd, now aged 21, grew up believing her name was Samantha Geldenhuys, and that another man was her father. It’s been a very high-profile case of changing a child’s name by illegal means, but Savanna still goes by Samantha, and has been supportive of her mother. She says that a name change does not change who you are, even though this is a case where a name change did indeed obliterate her history and culture. Dorothy’s most common alias was Alexandra or Alexandria.

Gable Tostee, who was accused of murdering Warriena Wright after a Tinder date, and in an unrelated matter gaoled for traffic offences, has changed his name to the more generic Eric Thomas. Police are baffled as to why someone would change their name while legal proceedings are still underway, rather than at their completion in order to start a new life. However, they stress there is nothing illegal or sinister about it.

Choosing a Baby Name on Struggle Street
Did you watch the confronting series Struggle Street on SBS? Before it had even appeared on television it was condemned as exploitative “poverty porn“, but by the time the first episode aired, it had been hailed as a powerful, poignant, complex, thought-provoking insight into the lives of those affected by terrible hardship.

Probably one of the most difficult things to watch was young mother Billie Jo Wilkie, who had a horrific start to life herself, giving birth at home with the aid of illegal drugs, and the assistance of her mother Carlene, who was also on drugs.

At one point, they discussed possible baby names and liked the idea of the name Crystal – after crystal meth. This shows context is everything, because Crystal is a perfectly nice, normal name, but what an appalling reason to choose it.

I don’t know what name they eventually chose, but Billie Jo’s child, her third, was taken into care soon after birth. And in what seems to be something of a pattern for this Name News, Billie Jo shortly afterwards ended up in a women’s prison, on remand for traffic offences.

POLL RESULTS
Nearly everyone (91%) thought that Elsa would keep becoming more popular. 54% thought it would probably become more popular, while 37% were absolutely sure that it would. 9% thought it probably wouldn’t become more popular, and nobody was definite that it wouldn’t.

Name Update: Last Minute Inspiration!

07 Tuesday Jul 2015

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Elizabeth and Thomas were expecting a second child, a sibling for their son. Elizabeth felt that she was sorely lacking baby name inspiration, and wrote in to the blog for help.

While I was able to offer some help on girls’ names, unfortunately I wasn’t much use with boys’ names. Nothing daunted, Elizabeth went right through the entire blog to find a name that she loved, and eventually she hit on it – Bede! However, Thomas didn’t like Bede at all, so it was back to the drawing board.

Elizabeth and Thomas welcomed their second son last June, without having a name picked out for him. There’s nothing like having an actual baby to focus you though, and eventually they put their heads together and called him

PATRICK GEOFFREY “PADDY”,

brother to Xavier.

Congratulations to Elizabeth and Thomas! And this is a nice reminder that even if I fail you, and the blog fails you, and no inspiration strikes, and you can’t agree on any names with your partner, and you don’t get a name list done before the baby is born – you will work it out and find the right name. We all have perfect faith in you.

What Would You Call a Brother or Sister to Lucas in an H-Free Zone?

04 Saturday Jul 2015

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Tessa and Patrick are expecting their second child in a few weeks, a sibling for their son Lucas. They already have middle names picked out – Marguerite for a girl, and Philip for a boy. These are both family names, and Lucas has a family name for his middle name too.

Tessa loves lots of names which start with the letter H, but the family surname also begins an H eg Howitt. She thinks names such as Henry Howitt or Hannah Howitt sound very sing-songy and she doesn’t like them at all. This has made choosing baby names a bit more challenging for her.

So far their name lists look like this:

Girls
Gemma (front runner)
Jemima (Tessa loves this name but Patrick doesn’t)
Zoe
Imogen

Boys
Felix (front runner)
Milo
Toby
Charlie
Oscar

Tessa wants to know what people think of their name lists, and if they can suggest any other names they might like that sound nice with Lucas and don’t start with H.

* * * * * * * * * *

Bad luck with the surname issue, which can indeed change what names you decide upon (my husband outlawed anything ending in S or X). Luckily there are 25 other letters in the alphabet, leaving you with plenty of choice.

GIRLS

Gemma
Very pretty (Gemma Marguerite is lovely), and it sounds like a great match with Lucas. It also seems like an excellent compromise for a couple where one person loves the name Jemima and the other doesn’t.

Jemima
I also love this name (so stylish), and feel sad you’re not allowed to use it. I’ve noticed dads often can’t get into the name Jemima.

Zoe
I like Zoe Marguerite a lot, and Lucas and Zoe make for quite a modern-sounding sibset.

Imogen
Imogen and Lucas are wonderful together. Somehow this reminds me of both Gemma and Jemima, so it almost seems like another good compromise choice.

BOYS

Felix
I love this name, and like how it sounds with your surname, and with Lucas. However, if you don’t like alliteration, how do you feel about Felix Philip?

Milo
This actually sounds really good with Lucas, even though Milo is a bit more daring. To me Milo sounds like a very energetic young boy – maybe because you “go and go and go with Milo”, or because his initials would be MPH (miles per hour). Pretty cool.

Toby
You’ve picked another winner as a match with Lucas, because Lucas and Toby just sound brilliant together.

Charlie
Adore this with your surname – it just sounds so breezy, yet competent and trustworthy. Amazingly I couldn’t find any examples of people using it online, so even though it sounds completely normal, it doesn’t appear to be common.

Oscar
I like Oscar Philip as a name combination, and I like that it’s an Irish name, like Patrick’s.

Other Names You Might Like

Annika
Clara
Eloise
Isabel
Romy
Stella

Dexter
Jasper or Casper
Jonah (it means “dove” like Jemima)
Maxwell
Rafe
Rafferty (if Rafe seems too stuttery next to Philip)

These names all seem stylish, yet are simple and fuss-free, which I think might be what you and Patrick are looking for. Although I think you have a nice shortlist already, and with only a few weeks to go, adding more names to the list may not be what you really need at this point.

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

POLL RESULTS
The public’s clear choice for a girls’ name was Gemma, with 35% of the vote. The top choice for a boy was Toby with 26% of the vote, but Milo and Oscar were close behind, with 24% and 21% of the vote each.

Name Update: A Pearl of a Girl

06 Saturday Jun 2015

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Kathleen and Michael wrote in to the blog when they were expecting their third child: with two sons already, they were stuck for boys’ names.

As is becoming quite a pattern lately, they had a girl instead, and her name is

PEARL JUNE,

little sister to Alfie and Ned.

Congratulations to Kathleen and Michael on the birth of their daughter – Pearl June is one of the sweetest names I have heard, and makes a delightful addition to Alfie and Ned. If Pearl had been a boy, her name would have been Otis Arthur.

Name News – Name Stories Edition

03 Wednesday Jun 2015

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894442-3f7723a6-e3f6-11e4-a3c3-bea7019da5adLin Zhang and her husband Cheng-Hung Tsai met each other in Darwin, and bought their first house there. The house was on Charlotte Street, so they named their daughter Charlotte. They loved the old-fashioned feel of the name, and liked the idea of a link between the first house and the first baby. Charlotte was the most popular girl’s name in the Northern Territory the year Charlotte Tsai was born, and it’s a nice reminder that even the #1 name can have a good story behind it.

A baby boy born in Cairns was delivered at home with the help of paramedics named Jeremy Lawrance and Alex May [pictured]. His parents Kurt Caulton and Georgina Saltmere had a very easy decision to make choosing a baby name – his name is Jeremy Alexander after the paramedics who were there to bring him into the world.

Sydney barrister Julie Taylor was 19 weeks pregnant when she was taken hostage in the siege at the Lindt Cafe last December. Although she managed to escape minutes before police stormed into the building, her best friend Katrina Dawson lost her life during the exchange of gunfire. Julie’s daughter was born last month, and she is named Emily Katrina in honour of Ms Dawson.

Journalist Josephine Cafagna had a rotten time in 2014, losing five loved ones. But there was a beautiful ending to the year, when she welcomed a grandnephew named Alessio Luke, the first person of the new generation born in their family. Josephine’s mum, now a great-grandmother, showed Alessio’s parents a piece of paper where she’d written down her three favourite names for the expected baby. Being a good grandmother and not wanting to impose, she kept her thoughts to herself, but one of the names was Elisio, which she found in the Bible (it’s the Italian form of Elisha). The middle name Luke is after an uncle who died as a teenager in a terrible accident, and is still deeply missed.

Earlier this year I wrote about New South Wales tightening up their birth registry legislation after a couple of tragic events involving newborn babies. One of them was a baby girl whose remains were found buried on Maroubra Beach in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, and her parents never located. Maroubra local Bill Green, and his wife Filomena d’Alessandro, read that the baby girl would receive a destitute burial, and were determined that not happen. They officially “adopted” the baby, and arranged a memorial service in her honour, giving her the name Lily Grace. Every year there will be a ceremony for Lily, and children like her, who have died without a known family.

This year is the centenary of Anzac, and it will also be the 100th birthday of Anzac Dowker in November. Her mother Elizabeth had six children, with Anzac being the second-last born, and she was having trouble thinking of names for the baby. The man at the registry office suggested Anzac as a name they might like, so she was named Bessie Anzac. However, she didn’t like her first name, and has always gone by her middle name, Anzac. Anzac is very proud of her patriotic name.

Names from The Best Gift of Life

Yolanda Lionheart “Yoli“: Parents Lena and Carlo picked Yolanda because it is a Spanish name; they met in Spain, and Yolanda was conceived there. The middle name came about because when Yolanda was a newborn, she made squeaky little roaring noises like a lion cub. It’s a name that melts Lena’s heart every time she says it, but unfortunately the name didn’t get approval from the grandparents. Yolanda has a big sister named Francesca.

Ace: Ace’s dad is named Radley, nicknamed “Rad”, and mum Jess felt sure that someone named Rad needed a son named Ace! Luckily Rad agreed.

Narayan: Narayan’s dad James belongs to the Hare Krishna movement, and he is named in honour of his father’s personal guru. Narayan is a Sanskrit name for Vishnu (God), meaning “the essence of all”. Narayan’s mum is named Krystal.

Sisters Taleah and Emmi-Belle: Mum Nikki had picked out the names Sofia and Daisy for her daughters, but dad Chris insisted that they were Taleah and Emmi-Belle. Dad won both times, and luckily Nikki agrees he made the right decisions.

Henley Violet: Mum Emma had her heart set on a flower name, because floristry and gardening is something she loved sharing with her mother. The names Dahlia, Rose and Ivy were all considered, but didn’t seem right. So it was decided the middle name would be a flower instead. Dad Tim had fallen in love with the name Henley after watching a movie (maybe Now You See Me, with Isla Fisher in the role of Henley Reeves), and started calling his daughter Henley before she was even born. Emma was worried about the possibility of “Hen” as the nickname, but she now often calls her daughter “little Hen”.

Shayla Tigerlily: Mum Tegan was going to be called Shayden if she was a boy, and had always wanted to call her son Shayden. She had a girl instead, but considers Shayla a feminine form of Shayden. Tigerlily was chosen as a middle name because Tegan loves nature and flowers.

Theodore Luca: Dad Oliver liked the name Ted and mum Charlotte loved the name Theodore, so the name worked for both of them. They like that it means “God’s gift”, and they believe that Luca means “light”.

Name Update: By the Luck of the Irish

01 Monday Jun 2015

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Imogen and Charles were expecting their second child, and although they had already picked a boy’s name, were having trouble deciding on a girl’s name. As it happened, they had a boy on August 30 last year, and were able to use the name they had chosen. Imogen wanted to share it, because it’s a name they were very excited about, and his name is

FITZPATRICK SCOTT “PADDY”,

little brother to Allegra.

The couple wanted an Irish name to honour Charles’ ancestry, and it had to be a strong name that wasn’t too common. Imogen came across the name Fitzpatrick on Nameberry a few years ago, and it fit the bill perfectly, while the middle name honours a family connection. Fitzpatrick’s nickname is very Irish, and Imogen can even imagine him being called Fitzy when he gets older. If Fitzpatrick had been a girl, his name would have been either Margot or Greta.

Congratulations on the birth of your son Imogen and Charles – what a handsome and even noble name, perfectly chosen to honour his Irish ancestry, and with a handy nickname for everyday use.

Could Oscar and Scarlett Be Brother and Sister?

23 Saturday May 2015

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Aimee and her husband are expecting a baby girl in a few months; they already have a son named Oscar, so are looking for a name that will complement his.

Aimee really likes the name Eloise Josephine, but unfortunately her husband doesn’t like the name Eloise. The other two names that Aimee likes are Scarlett and Stella, however, she thinks they are a bit too similar to Oscar’s name. SCARlett has the same SCAR as oSCAR, while Stella is also two syllables and ends with an -uh sound. She wonders if other people agree that Scarlett and Stella are too much like Oscar to work as possible sister names.

Aimee thinks Charlotte would make a good alternative to Scarlett, as they end in the same sound, while in Charlotte the SCAR is softened to a SHAR. She really likes the way Oscar and Charlotte sound together, even though she always thought she would avoid a name in the Top Ten. However, so many of the popular names are really nice!

At the moment, her shortlist is:

Eloise
Scarlett
Estelle
Stella
Charlotte
Liliana

She wonders if anyone else thinks that Eloise works well with Oscar, and would be grateful for any feedback on her name list, or any suggestions of other names that she might like.

* * * * * * * * *

To answer your last question first, I think Eloise is a very pretty name, and works well as a sister to Oscar. I also like the name combination of Eloise Josephine. However, I’m not the baby’s parent, and I don’t get a say in it, so that’s probably not much help to you. Your husband doesn’t like the name Eloise, and unless he changes his mind, Eloise has to get crossed off the list. I know it must be disappointing, as your favourite name is a perfectly nice choice, but that’s how it goes.

I will keep my fingers crossed for you, and fathers have been known to change their minds when left alone, so don’t give up all hope.

To me Scarlett and Oscar are not too alike, because you don’t pronounce Oscar as o-SCAR – it’s Osk-uh. I often see brothers and sisters named Oscar and Scarlett in birth notices (it seems to be a rather popular combination for siblings), and even seeing it written down, I’ve never thought it seemed strange in any way. Now having had it pointed out, I rather like it: it seems like a nice little link between the names that isn’t too obvious.

I can see what you mean about Stella and Oscar – they’re both two syllables with the stress on the first syllable, and both end with an -uh sound. I guess that does make them a bit alike, although I certainly wouldn’t have thought anything of it without prompting. I don’t know if it’s a huge issue, unless it really bothers you – does it seem funny or hard to say when you call both names together, or do you just hate the idea of sibling names not being completely distinct from one another?

Charlotte does seem like an alternative to Scarlett, although you are right that it’s very popular. It’s sensible not to be too bothered by popularity for a name you really love, but I’m not sure the Top 2 is the first place to go when searching for an alternative to a name you love. I think I’d be more enthusiastic if Charlotte was your first choice, rather than your third or fourth, because it is a lovely name, and does sound nice with Oscar.

Estelle and Liliana are both very pretty – I can see that you prefer feminine names for girls, although Liliana is a bit frillier than your other choices.

Some other names you might like:

Elodie
This pretty French name is a bit similar to Eloise (EL-uh-dee), but hopefully not so similar that your husband dislikes this name as well. It’s losing popularity in France, but gliding elegantly up the charts in the UK. Could you get on board with Elodie Josephine?

Elise
Another French name similar to Eloise, not quite as popular.

Emmeline
Emma is the feminine equivalent of Oscar in popularity, and fashionable Emmeline gives you that French three syllables shared with Eloise, as well as the sensible feel of Charlotte.

Violet
Another popular colour name which ends in an -et sound, like Scarlet and Charlotte. For some reason, the combination of Oscar and Violet really appeals to me.

Hazel
A colour name like Scarlett, and a popular name rapidly climbing the charts. As with Violet, I find Oscar and Hazel a completely adorable sibset.

Juliet or Juliette
Another -et sound ender, and three syllables like Eloise, but less popular. The Juliette spelling might appeal to you as having more of a French look.

Sylvie
A sweet and pretty French name – Oscar and Sylvie strikes me as a delightful combination.

Clementine
A very fashionable French name, which might seem like a more daring alternative to Charlotte. I do like Oscar and Clementine together.

Vivienne
Another fashionable French choice, very much in line with popular choices like Olivia. I like the sound of Oscar and Vivienne.

Well there’s some other ideas to mull over, but since you’ve been forbidden to use your favourite name of Eloise, I’m rather hoping you will decide your second choice of Scarlett isn’t too similar to Oscar after all.

NAME UPDATE: The baby’s name was Scarlett!

POLL RESULTS
91% of respondents thought Oscar and Scarlett were not too alike for siblings’ names. 46% thought they were a good match, 29% thought they sounded just fine together, and 16% thought they were a little bit too alike, but not enough to worry about. Only 9% thought that the SCAR sound in both rendered them unusable as names for a brother and sister.

86% of respondents thought Oscar and Stella were not too alike for siblings’names. 35% thought they were a good match, 31% thought they sounded fine together, and 20% thought they were a little bit too alike, but not enough to worry about. 14% thought they were too similar to be usable for a brother and sister.

The public’s choice for the baby’s name was Scarlett, with 29% of the vote, and Eloise was the second choice, with 22% of the vote.

Name Update: It’s a … Boy!

11 Monday May 2015

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Emma wrote in the blog last year because she and her husband Matt were expecting a baby, and were considering the name Lillia if they had a girl.

They welcomed their baby last November, and he was a boy, so his name isn’t Lillia, but

ARTHUR GENKI.

Arthur is a name that Emma loves, and she is also fascinated by the meaning of “bear man”, as there were many bear references around at the time. The middle name (said with a hard G as in Gilbert, not like Jen) honours his father’s Japanese heritage, and baby Arthur helped to choose it himself before he was born – any time the word gen was mentioned, he would give a little kick! Matt chose the ki part.

In Japanese, you can choose the meaning of a name yourself depending on which kanji (characters) you decide on. In this case, gen means “bowstring” (for archery), while ki means “season”. The reference to bows and arrows was chosen because Emma’s family heritage is Scottish, and her ancestors were famed as skilled archers. Maybe Arthur instinctively knew he was descended from a line of great bowmen!

Congratulations to Emma and Matt on the birth of their son, and what a wonderful name story that honours both parents’ heritage so beautifully.

(Photo of bear with bow and arrows from Bridget’s Bears)