*sob*

[morphinae.livejournal.com]

So it dawns on me as I'm getting ready to design some baby announcements that I perfectly HATE the middle name we've picked for our baby. So much I actually dread publishing it, and am sort of embarrassed to have it seen. It just sounds horrible to me in combination with the first and last name. Problem is, my husband really wants to use it as it's his late grandfather's name. I feel awful and don't look forward to telling him I hate how it sounds. It's important to him and really, I don't have anything better in mind. It's just a middle name. But it's been nagging me that I've settled with it, and now I'm just at a point where I hate it. I'm wondering if it's not just pregnancy induced insanity. Ugh, I can't wait until this kid evacuates and I can go back to at least a fairly normal thought pattern and psyche.

So am I overreacting? or is Rowan Calvin Anderson really just yuck? Does it even matter in the long run?

Edit: Do most of you pronounce Rowan with at long A? I've always heard it pronounced more like Row-in.

Comments

[decembermalice.livejournal.com]

Tell your husband if you really dislike it. It's not fair to you to use if you really don't like it.

Maybe you can compromise with another C name, like Colin. That's similar yet totally different.

I don't think the name is that bad but all the 'n' endings aren't my style.

[morphinae.livejournal.com]

I think the 'sing-songy-ness' (today this shall be a word!) is definitely part of why I don't like it.

[mop-top417.livejournal.com]

I think that Rowan Calvin sounds very nice, but if you aren't crazy about it, don't settle. Ask him in there is another compromise you can make-- did his grandfather have a middle name? Is there another family name that you like more?

[morphinae.livejournal.com]

Haha, I tried that. Apparently the poor man's middle name was Glover...yeah.

:)

[solagirl.livejournal.com]

I don't think it sounds bad, but if you don't like it, tell your SO.

I wonder if Rowan Anderson will be hard to say though...RowANderson.
Personally I really like Calvin Anderson as a first and last name. Good luck!

[morphinae.livejournal.com]

You'd think so looking at it written out, but it's mostly pronounced as Row-in, so it rolls a bit easier. Which I think is why I dislike the middle name, it also has a bit of an -in ending.

[solagirl.livejournal.com]

OOOOhhh. I was pronouncing it Row-AN. Hm. I can see the "issue" with Row-in Cal-vin.

I actually like Rowan Glover Anderson. Is Calvin Glover his paternal grandfather? Can you use his last name as a middle name?

[morphinae.livejournal.com]

Haha! I wish, it was Banton - same ending almost!!! That family just has too many damn N's.

Rowan Anderson

[lindsalope1.livejournal.com]

I just wanted to chime in to say that Rowan itself is a wonderful name :) and it's not common. So it's interesting to find someone else interested in the name since it's on my and Daniel's list as well. We've a long list though since it includes many family names! Good luck :).


Cheers,
Catherine

[after-the-ashes.livejournal.com]

I think you should let him have the middle name and that you're just being a bit pregnant about it, lol. But if you're not and it's seriously bothering you, talk to him about it. I think it sounds fine. I agree that Rowan Anderson is difficult to say.

[plaidpineapple.livejournal.com]

What about putting another middle name before Calvin? That way, it breaks up the "en-in" sound. Something like...

Rowan Jacob Calvin Anderson

Just an idea!

[kitchen-poet.livejournal.com]

I actually like Calvin better than Rowan! ;) Especially because the "sing-song" part to me is Row-IN-AN-der-SON. It all blends together.

BUT, my point, if you hate it enough to be embarrassed to publish it, *don't* use it!! I totally agree with another "c" name, or maybe something connected to Calvin---like the past president's middle name if you don't like Glover? Or something.
My grandfather's name was Irvin, which I don't want to use, but we want to name any male children after him. He was born in this tiny town called Carrie, so "Cary" and bingo!--we avoided Irvin. ;) Good luck to you!

[pythianlegume7.livejournal.com]

I agree with all of this comment. I LOVE all of the names individually but I personally wouldn't use either Rowan or Calvin with the last name Anderson. But I wouldn't use Calvin if it really bothers you that much.

[thejoysofjess.livejournal.com]

He could go by Rowanderson. I grew up with a girl in high school whose name was Kim and last name start with Im (her parents likely didn't notice because her full name was Kimberly) and so she just went by Kim(restoflastname) instead of Kim Im(rest of last name).

[joereaves.livejournal.com]

Personally I think Calvin's a great name, but I hate Rowan. Partly because it's not the type of name I like anyway and partly because to me it's a girl's name anyway.

And I can't see how you get -in out of it instead of -an but presumably that's an accent/geographic thing since I'm English and you're not.

[joereaves.livejournal.com]

Wow, too many anyways in that lol.

[rotf-lmao.livejournal.com]

You know, I really don't think, first of all, that an awful middle name is that big a deal, and second of all, that Calvin is that bad. If it's a family name and it means a lot to your husband, that to me would be a good enough reason to go ahead with it. My middle name isn't my favourite (Helen) but it's in honour of my paternal grandmother who died when my dad was only twelve, so I understand the importance of it. And you know, no one knows my middle name anyway, outside of immediate family, so it's not like I ever got teased for it.

I just think you're kind of overreacting a bit. In the grand scheme of things, this is not something to devote much of your time to.

[red-inuzuka.livejournal.com]

I think it depends on how much you hate it. It IS his middle name, so it's not like you're going to be calling him Rowan Calvin all the time, just Rowan (or I would assume at least, haha), so you won't be constantly reminded of it. But, if it bothers you that much, that even writing it is a problem, then change it. I think it sounds fine, tho. And I pronouce Rowan like you, 'row-in', but I have heard the 'row-wan'/'row-an' before

[shortbutfast.livejournal.com]

i don't think it flows but i also don't think middles names really matter as they're usually just on paper anyway.

[xpaniic.livejournal.com]

I pronounce it Row-in.
I'm going to have to agree with you though. I don't like Calvin with Rowan.

[h-hope.livejournal.com]

I like Rowan Anderson, I think it flows well and I can say it just fine.. you just have to make sure to annunciate a bit. Now, throw the Calvin in there and I think its too much repetition, but I can understand your husband's desire to use it. What about how someone above had mentioned and use two middle names? Do you have a male on your side you would like to honor as well that doesn't end in the -in/-an/-on sounds??

[morphinae.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm not understanding the Row-wan or Row-aahn thing. It's just so forced and hard to say. Plus people don't seem to have this pronunciation issue with similar names, IE; Tristan, Aidan...etc.

[daydream11.livejournal.com]

I'm prouncing it Row-in, like you. And it does sound iffy, since you have a two same-syllable names that end the same way. I kinda like Calvin Anderson on its own, as a first name-surname combo, actually.

No, you're not overreacting.

[requiem-morrow.livejournal.com]

I pn it like you...ro-an

[ladymela99.livejournal.com]

I always associated the name Rowan with Rohan (LOTR) I'm really not sure why. Anyway, I believe the Tolkien pronounciation is Rho-han (I could be wrong about that). So I would guess it would be Ro-an as the person above me stated. However, you can pronounce a name however you want to. I always loved the Acacia (I said Uh-Case-cee-uh)I found out later it's uh-case-shuh. I didn't like that much.

[tryyingtoevolve.livejournal.com]

I love Calvin. And I pronounce Rowan with the -a- sound, instead of -in.

[thejoysofjess.livejournal.com]

I don't like the similar endings, but I do like Calvin. Unfortunately, I think if you've picked Rowan, we won't be convincing you to change that one. I do pronounce it Row-in, but I've also only really seen it spelled as Rowen.

Possibly just Rowan Cal. I like the sound of that.

[sweatydog.livejournal.com]

I think Rowan Calvin is a nice name.

I tend to pronounce things (like any word) however I heard it last. So if someone says it ROW-an or ROW-in I'll pronounce it how they did.

o.O

[dustkitty.livejournal.com]

I like all the names separately, but they don't flow very well in any order, IMO. I think the problem with Rowan Calvin Anderson is that they can all sound alike, depending who's saying it, so you end up with row-in-cal-vin-an-der-sin, or row-un-cal-vun-an-der-sun, etc.

Rowan rhymes with Owen when I say it, but I'm not sure what vowel sound that is. It's sort of indistinct, between an -ah and an -uh, I guess.