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Names are all the discussion in our home right now. Long gone are the days when I just picked, Papa nodded his head, and it was done. There are now 3 women in our home that have pretty strong opinions. Papa still gives a nod of acceptance, {usually} but he has veto power, and he's not afraid to use it!
Both Sunny and Liv's given names are pretty trendy and although the names fit them perfectly, I'm pretty sure we don't want to go trendy this time.
Patch and Boo have family names. One common and one very unused in the last 40 decades. Over the years, they are names that I have come to love more and more.
When we adopted T&J, we had narrowed it down to a short list of possibilities, and after we met them, the names fell into place within a few days. Actually Jude's name was settled quite quickly, within a day I think. Tess's name however took a long while to settle on. It changed altogether once several days after we had it all figured out. And we ultimately selected a name that we would not have chosen if we hadn't met her and gotten to know her personality.
But in the China adoption process, the child's new name is determined months prior to meeting your child, so waiting to meet our kiddos prior to deciding on a name, isn't really possible.
All this to say, we're having trouble deciding!
Help please? Oh really. Please help.
Would you consider brain storming names for our lil potsticker?
Some tidbits about names we ususally like-
---------
---------I love long, lyrical names that roll out of your mouth. Like Cecelia and Emmaline.
---------Nothing that would cause anyone to say hu? or wha? after you said it.
---------I also adore a full name that also has a good nick name(s). As y'all probably know. At least half of our family members are called by their nickname most of the time.
---------Family names rock and usually turn out to be my favorites over time. 6 of the crazy 8 have family names somewhere in their names. Ironically, I was perusing the blog around the time period of the lil potsticker's birthday and ran across this. But a family name is necessarily required.
---------A good meaning is the icing on the cake, but not necessary.
---------Nothing too popular. Nothing in the top 100 (or 200?) for sure.
Suggestions are SO appreciated! Think old fashioned underused names. We can't call her our lil' potsticker for ever! Ok, maybe we could, but she might take revenge and start calling me Old Crazy Lady!
I'm really serious about this. Both Papa and Liv are starting to roll their eyes at me when I bring up the subject. They've gone to just agreeing with everything I say. I threw out Cornwallace yesterday and Papa said, sure.
















i LOVE the name clementine! here is my humble suggestion: find an hour or two of alone time, go get a coffee* and head to the bookstore. find "the baby name wizard" (have you already heard of this?) and page through it. it is a name book organized by common names, like if you look up the name "ruby" it lists common brother and sister names, so you sort of get ideas in the genre that you like. so many times we've tested it with friends and it has correctly listed their sibling's names.
ReplyDelete* you don't have to go on your own or get a coffee, but that is what i am craving right about now. :)
ps. of course you could use the online version too, but it might not be as nice as flipping through pages. http://www.babynamewizard.com/voyager#
ReplyDeleteps. i did meet a beautiful girl at the library this morning named penelope. her parents nicknamed her "poppy"... :)
ReplyDeletePam- That's funny 'cause I have Name Wizard pulled up on my computer right now!
ReplyDeleteI love you're kiddos names! So I'm hoping you'll suggest a few!
She looks like a Lucy.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful little girl!
Congrats!
I'm partial to Jillian. Jillian Grace to be more specific...okay, it's my daughter's name. I liked Jillian because it sounds more classic to me and Grace because she had serious health issues in the womb, but by God's grace we made it through and she is perfect, without the major defects we were told she'd have. We call her Jilly for short.
ReplyDeleteBut Cecilia was considered...it was my great grandmother's name. I also love Dolores which is my grandmother's name.
How 'bout Beatrice? (That was my grandma's name...and I'm sort of joking. Unless you actually like it.) My kids' names (and mine) are VERY unusual--not everyone's cup of tea--so I'm often no good at helping others name kids. Having to name the Chinese kiddo so early was tough on us too!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love the name Heidi. It's not to common now a days, and it reminds me of the movie Heidi i used to watch when i was like four years old (:
ReplyDeleteA couple other names are Abriella, Acadia, Adabelle, and Kalei
Oh I'm in the same boat! I need boy name suggestions, I'm lost trying to pick one that will 'fit' when I can't meet him first!!!
ReplyDeleteI do love Beatrice! I like the 'old' names that have substance!
For some reason she reminds me of a 'rose' type name:
ReplyDeleteRoselie or Rosaleen? Or you could go all out on your Irish connections and pick Roisin (pronounced Ro-sheen, with accents on the o and 2nd i) but I guess she'd have to spell that for everyone for her whole life!
Esme (with an accent on the second e-can't do it on this keyboard) is also nice.
Sarah? Not sure if that's popular over there or not?
She also kind of reminds me of an Emily too :-)
I'll try to think of some more!
Just thought of some more:
ReplyDeleteSusannah
Harriet
Ramona is pretty cute I think?
Beatrice is also adorable.
Evelyn (like Ev-uh-lynn. And btw, the Ro in Roisin Is like Roh. I forgot it earlier).
Sophia
I love Emmaline too, so pretty!
Georgina
Louisa
Amelia
Rebecca
Can't wait to hear what you decide on!
Adelaide, Cecilia, Evegeline, Evelyn, Amelia, Pearl, Genevieve, Claire, Rosalee, Melody
ReplyDeleteoh and viriginia
ReplyDeleteEsme, Luisa, Pearl. I LOVE old fashioned names like crazy! :) check out http://www.babynamesdirectory.com/old-fashion-baby-names.htm for a list of 'em. I love naming babies!!! What a precious time for your family! Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteCandace
How do you pronounce Esme? I think I like it?
ReplyDeleteIf we hadn't decided to go with celtic version of family names, a traditional name that I would have advocated for was Winnifred. You've got Winnie or Pooh Bear for a young child, then Winn when she gets older and then the full name.
ReplyDeleteEsme is pronounced like Es-may. Es as in like the spanish word for "is" then the me like the month of May
ReplyDeleteHow about Adele
ReplyDeleteBelle
Birdie
Clarissa (very pretty)
Cara
Eleanor (I can see her as an Eleanor)
Geneva
Hattie (very sweet)
Lenora
Lillian
Lorene
Miriam
Neva
Pearl (pretty connection to China)
Sadie
Stella
Adeline
Francesca
Gwendolyn
Miranda
Helena
Naomi
Cordelia
Clarinda
Loving Beatrice for some reason :) and Naomi. And Lillian!
ReplyDeletelet's see........
Noelle
Margaret
Emily
Norah
I got nothing, you know that :)
Well.....Ruby!!
I love the name Esme, as well. But I wonder if it has/will become popular in the years to come because of the Twilight series???? Beautiful name, though!
ReplyDeleteFrench names -- Jacqueline? Bernadette? Giselle? Flower names -- Violet? Daisy? Lily? Marguerite? Old fashioned names -- Lillian (nickname Lilli)? Virginia? Estelle? Victoria? Carolyn? This is fun.
ReplyDeleteEmmamei
ReplyDeleteLillianna
Cailyn/Kylin
kelci bell
I love picking out baby names! Have fun with it and I am sure you will find the perfect name when the time is right.
I really see Cecilia when I look at her. Cecilia Mei sounds so pretty, Josephine is also beautiful. I knew a girl named Esme, it's a very pretty name but she resembles more of a Cecilia. Good luck can't wait to find out what you decide
ReplyDeleteGenevieve! Lots of great nicknames, love this name. Genny, Viv, Vieve, Jen, Ginny...
ReplyDeleteOooh-I am liking Lucy too
ReplyDeleteI have it!
ReplyDeleteTheadora...it means "gift of God".
And you could always call her Thea for short.
Or Dorothea is and option too... meaning is the same.
We are naming our new baby girl, Thea Agnes. It mean's "God is holy".
Hope that helps.
I also like:
Evangelina - messenger of God
Beatrice
Jovia - Joy (or called Jovi)
Laurel - Victory
Hope that helps!
Nancy for the love of God please don't name her Esme. Isn't that from those Twilight vampire books? Don't go there, it will be like you are 15. So sorry to whoever suggested it, perhaps you know someone lovely or it's a family name. In that case, I am an idiot.
ReplyDeleteReally liking Harriet, Mara, Winnifred (Winnie is the best nick name ever! I had a friend in HS nicknamed Winnie so I am partial to it). Can't wait to see what you pick!
Ha! I just read someone else suggested Winnie. Sorry I am of no help.
ReplyDeleteokay, I am officially on a kick! :) But I forgot one of my favorites... Wilhelmina, with the nicknames Willa or Minnie. Okay, another one or few. Talena (tah-leh-nah) with a nick name of Tillie, or Tallie I suppose. I like Mabel, it means "lovable." Eliza is nice too. My niece is actually named Eliza and is often called "Liza Lou." The name Millie is super sweet too, short for Mathilde. Adelaide, Lydia, Ina, Susan, Alethia(ah-lay-thea,means "truth"), Althea, Thea(if you take it from Dorothea, it means "gift of God")...
ReplyDeleteOh, and Esme is pronounced es-mae. Ahhh... and it means "to love." Though, they have a point with the Twilight thing.
My 3 great aunts were Wilhelmina, Talena and Johanna - Tillie, Willie and Jo. :)
Someone else beat me to it, I was also going to suggest Eleanor and Adeline. Both very sweet. I can see her as an Eleanor.
ReplyDeleteMy brain is on a naming kick today;
Vivienne? Maybe too like Livy for nicknames.
Clara or Claudia? Or Claudine? Or Celeste?
Most people don't seem to like Frances, don't think Francesca has been suggested yet?
I also love Eloise!
And Lucia - it means giver of light :)
Not sure what you think of Yvonne or Yvette?
I also think Nancy is pretty cute! ;)
I'm done now, I promise! Can't wait until you all decide! Would you mind sharing when you do? It would mean a lot!
I haven't read the suggestions but here are mine:
ReplyDeleteRamona. I love this name.
Elizabeth
Isabelle (frequently used but, it's my great great Scottish grandmothers name so I love it).
Johanna
Adelle
Margaret
Meredith
Muira
Moira
Good luck!
Okay, here's my 2 cents:
ReplyDeleteCELINA
BERNADETTE (she could be a Bebe)
(have to start with my 2 dear grandmothers' names)
JOSEPHINE or JOSEFINA(lil' potsticker could be JOSIE,FIONA, FEENA, or, be still my heart...FIFI!)
WILLA
MABEL
I do love PEARL and ELEANOR as well. ELLIE could suit her.
I'm still giggling at the BEATRICE references since I worked so hard to choose a unique name for my daughter and now I've met 3 litle Beatrices ( Or Beatrix in one case) in the past 2 months and people are starting to like that name, so maybe I've unconsciously jolted that name back into popularity!
We worked long and hard on a name and, in the end, I looked at a names list with meanings and covered up the names and searched first and foremost for a meaning that I liked, then checked the name to see if that could work. In the end, "Blessing from God" and "Voyager through life" certainly suited a name we liked the sound of already. I know you'll choose a great one.
But I'm rooting for Josephine....
I like old names too. Three of my grand-daughters are Jocelyn Suzanne (could be a Josie), Juliet Rebecca Katherine (after myself and my mom) and Jenavieve Elizabeth. I do like Clementine. Also Dinah. I love Suzanne for a middle name - we have a Dryscha Suzanne.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth and Isabelle are my favorite 'old' names for a girl :)
ReplyDeleteI don't know if these have already been suggested but Ella, Olivia and Madeline are several of my favorite old fashioned names.
ReplyDeleteI love names. I have different names for my kiddos as well. I really like the vintage names Annabelle, Violet, Hazel (no kidding), Esther, Helen, Opal, Marian, & Elsie.
ReplyDeleteI have a RUBY and I love that name. If I didn't have a "Ruby" already I'd probably name my next girl "PEARL" but we can't be all about the jewels. I'm digging BEATRICE as of lately and just call her "Bea". (That's my sister's nickname so it has got a family connection.) The other name that we named a little girl we thought was ours and then wasn't (sad story) was HAZEL. I still wonder if I could use it on our next little girl. I still love the name. Also I think MABEL is stinkin' cute. Best of luck. I'm sure you'll nail it.
ReplyDeleteMy dad is still rooting for Esme for our little one, but I told him we can't torture her with a name from Twilight!
ReplyDeleteI like Lucy.
ok. I LOVE naming babies! =) Sooo Here are a few idea's you might like..
ReplyDeleteArabella Gracelyn
Arabelle Charlotte
Ariana Elizabeth
Emmaleigh Elizabeth
Claire Elizabeth
Lilly Mae
Charlotta Mae
Emmaline Grey
I could go on forever! =) But here are the ones I thought of first! No matter what you pick it will be perfect!
I love the name Josephine.
ReplyDeleteIt is the feminine form of Joseph, meaning "The Lord increases" (appropriate, no?).
Theodora (God's gift) and Charlotte are lovely too - but Josephine is my favorite (I need another daughter!)
My favorite old fashioned name is Frances. Franny, Cessie, or just the beautiful Frances. So many good suggestions!
ReplyDeleteAs an aside, I too love the name Beatrice, but I must say we have two Beatrices at F's preschool. Interesting!
I have another suggestion. I think it might be a good one too (if I do say so myself :). Here it is: Charrlotte. She could be called "lottie" and named after lottie moon as missionary to china.
ReplyDeleteOur little girl is Josephine. I love this name: it's a family name, old-fashioned but definitely feminine. And there are so many cute nicknames; we call her Josie, but her siblings usually call her JoJo.
ReplyDelete