We need some help!!

[elizebethjoy.livejournal.com]

Hello! I'm new and excited to be here. A little background on us:

My husband and I are currently trying to concieve. We've been going to a fertility doctor for a few months now and we have high hopes! We're not picky about the gender; though my husband would really like at least one daughter. Since I've been taking hormones to help promote ovulation, there is a slight chance of multiples, so that's something to consider when thinking of potential names. We're also a "mixed" couple; he's Chinese/Malasian and I'm Polish/Swedish, so we have many options for inspirations; we also have close ties to Hawaiian, Irish, and Middle Eastern cultures. Our last name is Tong, which limits what names we can use.... there are lots of names that just sound awful with Tong!

We know what names we like, but we're stuck on how to mix and match them to sound nice. Would you care to give us a little assistance?

Girl names!

Top of the list:
Amira
Carmen
Kaiya
Carolyn (family)
Kira/Keira
Linnea
Jenna
Laurel
Kaida

Other ones we like:
Maura
Samira
Aislin
Brenna
Kamea
Lynn
Malia
Samara

Boy's names!

On the top of our list (I've had Tyme approve them, too)
Rowan
Conner
Xavier
Merrick
Darius
Bain or Bane (Tyme's favorite :) )

We also like:
Drew
Oak
Damien
Garret
Logan (family)
Li -means strength in Chinese
Shen -means deep thinking in Chinese
Addison
Ash
Forrest (family)
Gray
Keahi
Coran
Gareth

Regarding popular names...
No, I don't care if it's popular or not. We're not specifically looking for weird names or ones that no one else is using. I just don't want our kid to be in a class where he or she is one of four Aidens or Emilys.

I'm probably jinxing us, but I don't care. I'm trying to stay positive. :)

Comments

[a-purple-dream.livejournal.com]

I like the names Samira, Kira(Cira),Xavier, Darius and Mira.

As for names with the last name what about: Jin, Jun, Jia, Lin, I like these names but I am not Asian so I probably won't use them on my future children unless their father happens to be Asian.


I hope this links will help you somewhat
Swedish: http://www.behindthename.com/nmc/swe.php
Polish: http://www.behindthename.com/nmc/pol.php
Chinese: http://www.behindthename.com/nmc/chi.php
Irish: http://www.behindthename.com/nmc/iri.php

[elizebethjoy.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much for the links! I'll have to take some time and check them out for more potential names.

I like the name Lin, too, but Tyme nixed it for some reason he can't put his finger on. :(

[cleddy.livejournal.com]

i love the name Kaida-its actually on my short list if I ever have another girl
Kaida Lynn is cute together

[krazyhippie.livejournal.com]

i LOVE the sound of Shen, especially with the last name.

[glitterberrys.livejournal.com]

Good luck, first of all :)
Names of yours that I like:
Linnea, Laurel, Brenna, Samara (I guess the evil little girl from The Ring could be an argument against it, but it's such a pretty name!), Conner (I prefer "Connor" but either one is nice :) ), Xavier, and I like Merrick but it's so connected with Donald Sutherland in the Buffy movie that I can't quite get past it. But then, it's my fandom, so it makes sense, eh? Either way, nice name. And I love Addison for a girl, and Gray for a middle name.

[glitterberrys.livejournal.com]

I also like Shen, particularly for a middle name. It's got such a great sound :)

[popchex.livejournal.com]

Good luck!

My advice is to decide on a first name to go with your last name, then a middle name. We picked Benjamin Joseph for our baby if it's a boy...and it sounds great - Benjamin Joseph Franks...

Until you take away the Joseph and have everyone in your American family making cracks about Ben Franklin. :/ But we're stuck on it, and in Australia, so it's not that big a deal. :)

For your names, I personally wouldn't go with a name ending in N for the first name. For some reason, it makes me stutter with saying your last name. That could be just me though. heh

I really like Amira, Malia and Samira though. I think the A sound at the end rolls nicely into Tong. :)

[quiet-recluse.livejournal.com]

Amira
Kaiya
Kira/Keira
Kaida

Other ones we like:

Lynn
Samara

Boy's names!

On the top of our list (I've had Tyme approve them, too)
Rowan
Conner
Merrick
Darius
Bane

We also like:
Drew
Damien
Ash

[evelnnsmom.livejournal.com]

i love the name amira i know a little girl with that name and it's on my name with elise as a mn...it would work good with your last name too :)
other names i like off your list are~
kira/Keira, maura, and samira for the girls
connor, merrick, and gareth for the boys

[artfuldodger.livejournal.com]

I don't have any real dislikes on your list, so I'll just list my top three favorites:

Girls:
Maura
Linnea
Laurel


Boys:
Rowan
Forrest (I think it's safe enough despite Forrest Gump)
Coran



One note about the name Ash: although Ashley was originally a boy's name, since Ashley has become a girl's name, the nickname Ash is usually assicated with girls. In elementary school this may prove to be bothersome for him.

Good luck!

[dionysia.livejournal.com]

I think that Carolyn Tong would sound great.

[composure.livejournal.com]

Of your girls names, I like Carmen, Jenna and Laurel. Especially the latter.

I'm not particular about any of your boys names, although I think Bane would make a good middle name. Conor Bane maybe?

[scintillated.livejournal.com]

Heyyy, my name is Brenna!

I also like Carolyn, Aislin, and Linnea (I've always liked that name).

Out of the guys' names, I like Conner, Logan, and Drew.

[elizebethjoy.livejournal.com]

That IS really nice together... putting that on our "potential" list!

[elizebethjoy.livejournal.com]

I like it, too! It's not too.... foreign. Just a hint of the exotic. Do you have any suggestions as to what I should pair it with?

[elizebethjoy.livejournal.com]

That's funny about Merrick. I've never seen the movie, nor heard of the character; is he evil, good, stupid, smart? As for Samara, I get the feeling that by the time she's old enough to be picked on, her peers won't be huge "Ring" fans. After all, plenty more "Jasons" have been born since Friday the 13th parts one through 20 were released. ;)

I like Gray for girl or boy... I'm so overwhelmed with names and options!

[elizebethjoy.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your advice! Time to get a spread sheet going... and I can have my husband program a random generator for us, too. ;)

Dictionary definition makes it inadvisable...

[neroli.livejournal.com]

I don't mean to be critical and run away, but has he checked out the dictionary definition of the word "bane"?

bane (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=bane)

1) Fatal injury or ruin

2) a) A cause of harm, ruin, or death.
b) A source of persistent annoyance or exasperation.

3) A deadly poison.

[elizebethjoy.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your input! Do you prefer Conner or Connor, and why do you like one over the other? We hadn't yet considered other spellings for it yet; actually, I didn't know that another spelling existed!

[elizebethjoy.livejournal.com]

I think so, too, and my Grandmother would be thrilled!

[elizebethjoy.livejournal.com]

Laurel is also the name of a good friend of ours that we admire greatly. I'm hoping to be able to sneak it into a birth certificate somewhere down the road. :)

Re: Dictionary definition makes it inadvisable...

[elizebethjoy.livejournal.com]

We sure have; we thought hard and long on all of the names, and many that we liked the sound of didn't make the cut because of what they mean. Bane is one that slipped through the cracks because my husband just really loves it. I'm not sure what his infatuation is with it, but I'm hoping to at least eek out another spelling so that we can get the sound without the meaning.

He also loves "Tristeza" which means sadness, just like Tristan, another popular boy's name right now. ::Shrugs:: It's hard to change his mind; he's stubborn!!!

[elizebethjoy.livejournal.com]

I love the name Brenna! Do you know the source behind your name? I mean, did your parents pick it for a specific reason?

[elizebethjoy.livejournal.com]

Funny you should mention that... my parents were going to name me Ashley Rex if I had been a boy (GAG). Thank the gods I was born a girl!

Ash will be ok, I think, as a middle name. That will give him the oppotunity to use it as his "call" name if he chooses to later in life. It's hard to pick names that kids won't make fun of, as they can find a way to pick on any name if they try hard enough!

My middle name is Joy, and when I got stuck with the nickname "Joy the Boy" in 1st grade, I hated it so much that I insisted that people start to call me by my first name, which is Elizebeth. They still found ways to make fun of it, but I ran out of options. :P

[krazyhippie.livejournal.com]

Ooh, that's a toughie. Maybe something else chinese or malaysian though, because a random english sounding name between shen and tong would probably sound weird. lemme test it out: shen andrew tong. hmm maybe it's not too awkward since it sounds sort of like shawn. lol sorry i'm not much help!

[elizebethjoy.livejournal.com]

PS- I like your koala!!!

Re: Dictionary definition makes it inadvisable...

[neroli.livejournal.com]

Most people aren't that familiar with what names mean, so you run into people with names meaning "crooked nose" or "ugly head" or what have you, and almost nobody's aware of it. When the name is a word that is found in the dictionary then it becomes a little more complicated, to my mind. Then you're banking on your child and his peers not having a broad enough vocabulary to notice. But even if the kids aren't big readers, all it takes is one smart alec to open his or her mouth. Do you see what I mean?

I am not intending to give you a hard time, here! I think most of the names you've mentioned in your post are interesting and substantial and creative. This is really the only one that gives me pause. (Perhaps it's because the rest are so cool that I am posting - so take it as a compliment, if you would?)

I wonder if he would like Bay or Dane (or another rhyme) or something like that?

[ifancylust.livejournal.com]

some possible combinations..
kaiya lynn tong
carolyn brenna tong
carmen amira tong/amira carmen tong
jenna aislin tong

bane merrick tong/merrick bane tong (i prefer this spelling..just because "bain" means "bath" in french.
darius gray tong
rowan darius tong
forrest addison tong
logan drew tong
garret ash tong
conner merrick tong

here are some other suggestions you might like:

girls:
ainsley
autumn
carys (rhymes with paris)
cora
coral
dasha
devin/devon
ella/elle
evan
fern
finley
fiona
grace
kyla
liv
maeve
marielle
maura/moira
mia
neve
nora
teagan
tierney
willow

boys:
allister
atticus
cade
cillian
cooper
devin/devon
evan
finley/finn
gavin
heath
hunter
james
kai (rhymes with ty)
kieran
mason
nathan
reid
sage
scout
teagan
tierney
tyler
wes/wesley/weston

[glitterberrys.livejournal.com]

Merrick was a very smart guy, actually, Buffy's "watcher." I'm sure most people wouldn't make the connection, I'm just a huge nerd.
You're right about Samara - and anyway, it's a gorgeous name. My friend's girlfriend is named Samara, and I've always thought it was beautiful.

[evelnnsmom.livejournal.com]

i prefer the spelling connor mostly because that's how i learned to spell the name and because conner kinda looks like coRner when i look real fast

[cathkitten.livejournal.com]

bane (bān) pronunciation
n.

1. Fatal injury or ruin: “Hath some fond lover tic'd thee to thy bane?” (George Herbert).
2.
1. A cause of harm, ruin, or death: “Obedience,/Bane of all genius, virtue, freedom, truth,/Makes slaves of men” (Percy Bysshe Shelley).
2. A source of persistent annoyance or exasperation: “The spellings of foreign names are often the bane of busy copy editors” (Norm Goldstein).
3. A deadly poison.

[Middle English, destroyer, from Old English bana.

In French, "Bain" means "bath"


Neither is very pleasant.

[scintillated.livejournal.com]

My mum used to work as a paralegal in a local attorney's office. She found it in a HUUUUGE book of names. It was the only name that my mum and daddy agreed on (I was supposed to be a Beatrice...EEEP).

Re: Dictionary definition makes it inadvisable...

[elizebethjoy.livejournal.com]

I don't feel like you're giving me a hard time. I knew I opened a can of worms when I stuck that name on there for consideration. I was, in some ways, hoping that someone would raise their hand about it so that I can show Tyme that it may not be the best on the list. :)

I will absolutely take it as a compliment, and thank you for the rhyming suggestions!

[elizebethjoy.livejournal.com]

See two entries above.... Thank you, though!

[elizebethjoy.livejournal.com]

All of your combo suggestions are great! Thank you so much; you've really gotten me started on pairing the names and getting a better feel for what comes first.

I also really like many of the names on your list. Funny... Ferne was my other grandmother's name, and I love it, too! You really seemed to pick up on the style of name that I love.

[ifancylust.livejournal.com]

glad i could help. :) let us know what you finally decide on.

[sweetpeathebaby.livejournal.com]

I love being named Carolyn. It's one of my favorite things about me ;)