Well, I feel a little better already. A lot better, actually. So I guess probably not the flu. Well, we'll see. No point in worrying about it, I guess, although that won't stop me of course. But the lady at the lab today said Parovirus 19 (Fifth's Disease) tests take four or five days to process, so I won't know until at least Monday. Therefore, we shall distract ourselves with... baby names!
One of the reasons I really wished for a girl is that while there are plenty of nice, solid boy names that I like just fine, there seem literally to be none (and believe me, I've looked) that thrill or tempt me quite like all the beautiful little girl names I've been drooling over like chocolates in a box for the last, oh, five years. Pretty much ever since the ink was dry on a certain Adelay Isabelle's birth certificate.
We have no official list yet, so bear in mind that these are simply a few of MY favorites. However, since Jim got final choice between our two favorites with the last baby, I'm thinking this time I should get that final vote, right? So, here's a sampling of the type of names I'm fantasizing about, along with (ridiculously lengthy) notes on each:
Bellamy (Means beautiful friend in French. So far this name is getting weird looks from the kids, but I love it so. The nickname Bella actually gives me pause though because of the Twilight reference, which to me is, uh... NOT a plus.)
Bronwen (I think the spelling Bronwyn is prettier, but it's a Welsh name and the -wyn ending is masculine while the -wen ending is feminine. The reverse is true for Irish names. Just a little PSA! I want to stick to the correct Welsh form since the origin is one of the things I like about it- Jim and I both have some Welsh background.)
Cambria (I really like the nicknames Cammy and Bria so that's an extra in favor of this name. This name sort of makes me think of Cambridge University, but that's not exactly a BAD connotation, it's just THERE.)
Calista (I have always loved this name, and I like the nickname Cally, but I do think pronunciation might be an issue- for example the actress Calista Flockhart: I've heard her name pronounced both "Ca-LISS-ta" and "Ca-LEES-ta." Anyone know which is correct?)
Evelyn, Everly (I like the general sound of both these names and love the nickname Evy, but can't decide which I prefer- the one seems a bit TOO old fashioned and the other a bit TOO modern to me. I also feel a little hesitant about repeating a first initial, so I'm sort of trying to steer away from A, E and J names. It's not a total deal breaker for me though. Just a preference.)
Felicity (Ok, this is the name I have been in love with forever, basically ever since she was my favorite American Girl doll. However Jim has always been decidedly against this name, at least as a first, so my best hope is to sneak it in there as a middle name. This is really okay with me, since I also prefer any name choices to have at least one cute and obvious nickname, and Felicity is kind of tricky in that way. The only one I can think of is Lissy, which rhymes with Sissy, which happens to be one of Adelay's most common monickers around here. Any of you have suggestions?)
Isla (Love this, but there is a pretty clear lack of nickname-ability. Also I imagine frequent explanations on how to pronounce it (EYE-la, for the record.) This one is in good standing for a middle name though.)
Marlayna (This is the German pronunciation of the name Marlene/Marlena, which I find gorgeous in its original spelling, but would probably alter because I do not wish to have to say "No, not Mar-LEE-na, it's actually Mar-LAY-na" to every receptionist and secretary for the next eighteen years. I also adore the nicknames Marly and Layna. Two drawbacks- Jim finds this name extremely old fashioned, and it repeats the "lay" sound and spelling in Adelay's name. I don't know if I like or dislike this fact. Thoughts?)
Tansy (This is one Adelay suggested out of the blue, and I found it unusual and charming, and endearingly, rather than off-puttingly, old fashioned. There's no nickname possibility, though, and it doesn't fit very well with our pattern so far of three syllable names, so this one is more on the middle name list.)
Feel free to offer opinions on these, or suggestions of others that you think might suit our style! Or just tell me YOUR beautiful girl's name that got away- the one you always had on the back shelf but never got to use for whatever reason.
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26 comments:
Whatever you do, don't choose Sophia. Sigh.
Bellamy makes me think of Bill Bellamy and that isn't good for a sweet little girl. I also cannot get past Flockheart for Calista (which I say in the LISS way). & I love Bronwen, Cambria and Felicity.
Ooooh this is fun! & so glad you're feeling better (knock wood)!
Mrs. Irritation: I KNOW about the Bill Bellamy reference. Forgot to throw that in the (already lengthy) notation re: that name. What a bummer. As for the Flockhart reference, I always get it too, but I'm betting our kids' generation will have only a very vague, if any, idea of who she is.
Also! For the record, Adelay's name would have been Sophia if I'd had my unhindered way. Alas it was another (along with Olivia) that I loved and Jim just couldn't get on board with.
OOH! I love Marlayna due to my unabated Marlene Dietrich crush. :)
Cambria is a Minnesota-based company that makes countertops, so my mind immediately goes to their annoying commercials.
One of my friends named her daughter Evelyn. I like it.
I agree with the Bill Bellamy connotation.
That is a really, really good list.
It makes me so cranky that Bronwen is correct in the real Welsh when Bronwyn is so much prettier. I use the y-spelling when I suggest it, because the Y is more feminine in the United States---but if you like it for the Welshness, I agree with you: better to use the -en. Which is ALSO a nice ending, admits Swistle-actually-Kristen.
Another nickname for Felicity is Fliss.
Another name from the Evelyn/Everly category is Ellery. Oh, and I think Elowen would be verrrrry pretty. Oh, or Elodie!
I think Madigan would be nice.
Ooo, or Lorelei! Adelay and Lorelei!
Or Imogen!
I'm sad not to get to use Genevieve, Annabel, Eloise, Eliza, Beatrix, and Clara.
Evelyn or Marlayna are my votes. I would use Evelyn if Adam would let me ;)
Bellamy, Cambria and Bronwen are just too out there IMO. They don't fit as well with your other kids' names to me as some of the other choices.
I like Everly, it's just different enough without being "celebrity" different. Tansy is cute! - you will no doubt have quite a lengthy list to mull over before your little lady arrives.
Swistle: I LUUURVE the name Lorelei, but I have a sister named Laura, and one of her nicknames (can it be a nickname if it's LONGER?) is Lorelei.
I also like Madigan but the obvious nickname of Maddie would be way too similar to Addy.
And I heart Imogen, too, and have suggested it many times to Jim to no avail. It gets a wrinkled nose every time.
I ALSO like the Ellery/Elowen/Elodie suggestions very much, and have actually mulled them over before, but came to the sad conclusion that (along with the names Elise and Eliana) they just sound/look a little too similar to Eli/Elias, especially if she was to go by the nickname Ellie, which is likely.
I love Evelyn or Everly, also Bronwen and Marlayna. I don't think that it's a bad thing for the sisters to have similar sounding names. I have two nieces (sisters) called Koren and Loren (or Korie and Lorie) and they loved it!
I went to school with a Marlana (no y) and she is the sweetest person ever! I like Everly but understand about the E. On the other hand, having the "lay" in both girls names would give them a common link....
Also, TANSY?! Is the cutest thing ever. I think no matter what you name her, that HAS to be a nickname for her!!!
I really like Bronwen.
(Unrelated, but sorta: Welsh spellings are difficult. The Boy is Rhys because it's the Welsh spelling and the poor child gets called Rice 9 times out of 10. I don't care, though. It suits him and I love it.)
Anyway,if we'd had a girl she would have been Tenley, which has been RUINED by stupid reality TV. Middle names were either Jane or Caroline. I still love both of those, but don't think they suit your naming style.
Since reading Hardy years ago, I've loved the name Thomasin, nn Tommie.
I know a girl named Tanzy, and she is sweet and cute.
Felicity is one of my all time favorite names.
I get Bill Bellamy out of Bellamy as well.
I agree with you on Calista---we think Flockhart, but I don't thin their generation will. I love it, especially with your last name.
We have a town here called Cambria, and it is pronounced came-bria. I like it for a name, but I don't know if you would avoid pronunciation issues.
Is Elena too close to Elias/Eli? You could get Lena (Layne) or Ellie out of that.
I also think Eleanor goes very well with your other names with nick names of Ella, Ellie, or Nora.
SQUEE!! A GIRL!!
Ok! To add to your list, I have to throw out two names that I absolutely LOVE but get those same weird looks from my family. Those are Siobhan (English) and Mariska (stolen and admired because of Mariska Hargitay, but gosh darn it, I love it and the fact that Joan Crawford was her mother is just an added bonus!)
Have fun! =)
My favorite from your list is Tansy. The fact that her big sister suggested it just seals the deal from me.
I also really like Evelyn/Everly and Felicity from your list. Good luck choosing one!
Stacy- Oh, my mom has always loved the name Siobhan. It's pronounced "Sha-VON," right? I do like that.
Oh, and Hilary! I actually love the name Jane. I wouldn't use it for a first name, but it's definitely a possible middle if we go with a longer, more elaborate first name.
Sometimes you just have to wait until they arrive to know what you should name them. Courtney was a Kelly right up until they placed her in my arms and Kelly was just not the right name. My favorite name is Anna - it is so classy and it fits a 2 year old or someone 98 - however it's a little close to Addy. I'm anxious to see what you ultimately pick.
Actually, Mariska Hargitay is the daughter of Jayne Mansfield, not Joan Crawford.
I love that you have so many styles. Bellamy reminds me of Amelie, which is pretty, but gives you another A name.
I wonder if you would like Briarly? You could get the nicknames Brie, Bria and Briar and still keep with the 3 syllable thing.
I like Calista and don't see the Flockhart thing as an obstacle. Calista makes me think of Kalea and Celia.
I stand corrected....Anonymous was correct with Mariska Hargitay's mother.
I do know however that Siobhan is pronounced Shih-VON. And some people/website/baby books will state its origin as Irish, not English. (Not sure that it matters anyways.) But it does mean "God is Gracious". =) How fitting!
Great names!
My favs with your family are Bellamy and Felicity, but really I don't think you could go wrong with any of those choices!!!
Congrats!
For the record, in Australia, people with the name Felicity are normally nicknamed to "Flick". Not sure if that's a positive or not, but just FYI :)
BEAUTIFUL list BTW!
Oh my gosh, my brain is swirling over all the lovely names in your post and in the comments! I can't wait to hear what you choose!!
OK -- returning because I had a thought this morning while I was getting ready: What do you think of Hillary?
I normally never ever suggest my name because it just seems too egotistical. Plus, I love it, but there's now that strong Hillary Clinton connotation for people and also, it's not a very common name.
However, I was thinking about your name potentials and it occurred to me that Hillary sounds quite a bit like Everly only without the E problem. As for nicknames, a few people call me Hill and my mom and sister occasionally call me Hilly. That was pretty common as a kid.
No offense if you hate it. Just an idea.
Oh! I love Felicity, too! But I didn't even TRY to put to get my husband to agree to it.
And I'm on board with Swistle and her suggestion of Imogen--which is another name on our "top 10" list for OUR baby. But...I am also hesitant to name another baby with the same initials as a sib. (Oh--and now I see that your hubs doesn't like it. *sigh*)
A name I'm trying to plug to my husband right now is Sophia. Three syllables AND nickname-worthy. EH?
AGAIN: A GIRL! YAY!!!!!
(P.S. If you need 0-3 mos summer clothes, I've got a pile for you!)
First of all, I don't even remember if I said congratulations on this new baby! (Hello! I'm a jerk!)
So. I am just like Shelly, I can't get past Bill-Two-Ls-Bellamy. I also can't get past Calista Flockhart.
Marlayna-I don't even want to mention this because it's so silly, but Marlena is a character on Days of Our Lives who became possessed by the devil. I had to stop watching Days because of that storyline. FREAKED ME OUT.
I can see the issue with Isla, but oh how I LOVE that. Also really like Bronwen. Swistle's suggestion of Lorelei is a good one, too, but I can see how with a sister named Laura you may not want that-or that maybe it would be perfect. Hmm? And LoriD's suggestion of Amelie-so pretty!
I feel like I should mention that my opinion matters not one, solitary iota. Any name you choose for her will be perfect!
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