Less exciting, if more immediate, baby names

[colliemommie]

Oh the joys of naming babies.

This whole making a "short list" for names is much harder than I expected. Apparently, somewhere in the back of my mind I assumed I'd marry someone who was Ukranian like me, or at least some brand of Slavic. I like Ivan (Vanya), Istvan, and various versions of Nicholas for boys and Irina, Elena, Anastazia, Theodosia, and Sohpia for girls.

Problem is, I married Mr. WASP (well, WASC now, he covnerted to Catholicism). Seriously, the family tree his mother has constructed has over 21,000 people on it, goes back to before the Norman Conquest, and contains names like Holland, Howard, Kendall, Neville, deQuincy and Arden. Grandmothers with shady pasts? This family has Katherine Swynford, nee deRoet, aka John of Gaunt's lemain. My baby wil also be the sixteenth-generation grandchild of St. Thomas More. While that makes me really happy (I love More), Istvan does not go with our last name, to put it mildly.

Plus the fact that Bruce has come up with some really nutso names. They say that you never really know a person until you live with them...I say you only truly know someone after you try to name a baby with them. I apparently managed to fall in love with a man who thinks Penelope is the greatest thing in girls' names. These sort of things need to be disclosed before any legal ties are enacted.

He also likes Lucius, Kyle, Nicolette, Mercedes (Mercy), and Glencora. Now I have nothing against Glencora. I really like Trollope, the Palliser novels especially. It has a nice Scots feel to it that goes great with our last name. I like the nickname Cora. However, we have a 5 year-old collie named Glencora. I do call her Button half the time, but this is not a stupid dog. She knows what her name is. Down this path madness lies.

We also have the additional issue that Bruce would really like any boy to be Robert Bruce K the third. Oh dear lord. Why? Can't he be Robert John or Robert Nicholas? I'd really like one of the baby's names to be from my family. Any and all children we have will have his last name, and call me selfish, but I'd like something in their names to be mine. Plus Bruce hates his name. Never has liked it. So why would you do that to your child? And the whole "third" thing. Anyone who calls the hypothetical RBKIII "Trey" will have their ass kicked by Mrs. RBKII.

I understand naming boys after their fathers. I am all for it. My brother is John Matthew, dad is John Nicholas, grandpa was John no middle name, great-grandad was Nicholas. I'm Nicola after him. 

Mom's side has my grandfather, Joseph Francis, my uncle Joseph Thomas, and my cousin Joseph (I think William). I just don't get the identical names with the numbers. Seems a little self-important to me.Plus the practical side: you would not believe what issues it causes with the government and credit ratings to have two people with the same name at the same official address for nearly 30 years. Huge pain.

Girls names, again, are tricky. The really Slavic-sounding ones are out, and Sophia is too popular. I found English versions of some names that I like, but Bruce hates Irene and Helen. We do know that the middle name would be Elizabeth. I made deals. (Not really. But I've always liked St. Elizabeth, and she's the patron of barren women and women who have difficulty having children. Incidentally, she got to name her son John, instead of after his father. Maybe I need to page an angel to talk to Bruce. hmm...)

So no joy on boy's names. He wants RBKIII, and I want Robert John or Robert Nicholas.

We do have two front-runners for girls that we both like: Elena Elizabeth and Christina Elizabeth. I like Elena best, but Christina isn't bad. It reminds me of the girl from Flambards, and she had a lot to recommend her.

Comments

[duckduckcaboose.livejournal.com]

Well, obviously, I am partial to Elena... it being my middle name/grandmother's name, but EEK... well, those are not great initials, even for an alien baby.

[colliemommie.livejournal.com]

I know, but funny initials are the least of my concerns right now. I'd rather that than inflicting Penelope on a baby, or stealing my collie-baby's name.

[duckduckcaboose.livejournal.com]

It's not that bad anyway. Seriously, though Elena or Christina would be nice. Of your husband's girl's names, Nicolette isn't bad.

[colliemommie.livejournal.com]

Well, it's nice that he wants to name a girl after me, but Nicolette really screams "skank" to me. Visions of bleached hair and bad veneers.

I told him if he wants to name a baby after me, I'd love a son named Nicholas/Nicolas.

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

I, er, um, like Penelope, actually [d,r]. Glencora, not so much.

I do find this post fascinating, though. One of my favorite things has always been naming my pets and fictional characters, but I've never had to take someone else's opinions into consideration. Seems like that would take all the fun out of it [sigh].

Elizabeth is a very good middle name, if only because if the kid decides at some point that she really hates her first name and decides to go by a nickname, the possibilities allowed by Elizabeth are almost endless.

Good luck!

[colliemommie.livejournal.com]

I like Penelope just fine for cats, horses, and dogs with the right attitude. If we ever have a lady cat I want to name her Penelope. I just would hate growing up with that name. Bruce and I have a long-standing relationship with the Palliser books, so that's a lot of the reason we like Glencora.

I'm right with you on Elizabeth. There are so many variations, and most of them are still very nice (except Bessie, who would want to be a Bessie).

You're right, stupid other people's opinions...taking away all my fun. Plus you have to consider the last name, and that limits things considerably.

Part of the reason I get so het up about this is that I've always loved my name, and I'd hate to give a baby a name it grows up hating.

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

Well, if it makes you feel any better, nothing is set in concrete even after you make a decision -- my father (who was Joe Bob, not Joseph Robert, and went through a lot of hassle because of it) wanted all four of us to have names that wouldn't give us trouble.

So we're Susan Elizabeth, Nancy Jean, Ann Kathleen, and Mary Margaret. Two of my sisters changed the spelling of their first names, and I quit going by mine in my twenties. Not to mention that I've never, ever been a Catholic. My parents were Southern Baptist and clueless [g].

I'd rather be a Bessie than a Lizzie, but that's just me (and too many rereadings of Laura Ingalls Wilder as a child -- there was a character whose nickname was Lazy Lousy Lizzie Jane).

I enjoyed the Palliser books, too, but I am decidedly grateful you're not considering Plantagenet if the baby's a boy...

[colliemommie.livejournal.com]

Wasn't it Liza Jane?

Rawdon the collie was almost named Plantagenet, but I vetoed that. Then I made Bruce watch the really good BBC Vanity Fair, and presto---dog is named Rawdon!

[ciaobellamamma.livejournal.com]

Your name is Nicola? Wow, that is so petty. I love all of the girl names you like.

Boy names are always the hardest... Ben's (my husband's) favorite boy names were Cato and Meegz *gag gag gag* and mine was simple and traditional Caleb. We definitely had to come up with a compromise.

[colliemommie.livejournal.com]

If that was supposed to be "pretty" then thanks!

If you really meant "petty" then :-P *raspberry noise*

[ciaobellamamma.livejournal.com]

teehee wuuuuupps!!
Yes, I meant "pRetty"

[cutecoati.livejournal.com]

I totally support Elena - it's a beautiful name! :D

[colliemommie.livejournal.com]

As long as we don't tell Bruce it's the Russian for Helen, we're safe!

[jellybeener.livejournal.com]

My middle name is Elana...feel free to name your child that ;P

funny

[(Anonymous)]

Heh, this has nothing to do with baby names. Cam just saw the heading on your blog, and proceeded to recite the whole passage from R&G Are Dead, impromptu. He doesn't do things like this very often. Highly amusing. --emily