Baby names

[jaspcwpbby1.livejournal.com]

We're trying to narrow down baby names. We still got plenty of time, but I'd like to have some opinions before we start working on middle names!

Comments

[tryyingtoevolve.livejournal.com]

I like: Mallory, Natalie, Olivia, Caleb, Dylan, and Mason.

Some of these are incredibly trendy -- Addison, Aidan, Hunter, Skylar, Ryleigh -- and others are simply impossible to see working on anyone over the age of 7 -- Ryleigh, Skylar, and Hunter for example.

Emma is okay, but super popular and hard for me to see on an adult, but it could be worse, and it's definitely better than Ryleigh or Abrielle.

I'd stick to the ones that are spelled correctly (as opposed to Ryleigh), actually names (as opposed to Abrielle), and that have the potential to grow up with your child (as opposed to Hunter, Skylar, or the aforementioned ones).

My favorites are Natalie and Caleb.

[freezemyazaleas.livejournal.com]

I agree with most of this, except I can't see Caleb on an adult. I can see Hunter on an adult, however, probably because the only Hunter I know is my age.

[tryyingtoevolve.livejournal.com]

I think that's more just a question of personal preference. The fact is, though, Caleb is a really old, classic name with a lot of history. Hunter, on the other hand, is a very new "invention" of parents who want to be different and is really trendy.

I'm not saying that you're wrong or something, just saying that the vast majority of people are going to feel the exact opposite of you on this particular subject, just like most people disagree with me that Oak can work as a name because it's my great-uncle's and nobody else knows somebody with a name like that.

[freezemyazaleas.livejournal.com]

Is your great uncle a Pokemon trainer?

[nothingtolose19.livejournal.com]

LOL! Professor Oak :D

[nothingtolose19.livejournal.com]

Wow, I just got a MASSIVE case of deja vu :S

Okay, I'm good :P

[freezemyazaleas.livejournal.com]

Also, I know it's an old, classic, biblical name, but so many babies are being named Caleb right now that it's starting to seem trendy, like Emma and Sophia.

[krosp.livejournal.com]

Yeah it is, although what sounds trendy now (and therefore maybe we can only think of it on little kids) is bound to sound dated and old-fashioned in 60 years! For all we know, people could've been having this exact same conversation about Shirley and Beryl a while ago. One day Mackenzie is going to be an old lady name.

[aquilinum.livejournal.com]

Wow. This is like a who's who of trendiness, with a few exceptions. I quite like Mallory, more than the others — principally because it doesn't OOZE current naming fashion. I'm surprised so many people dislike it, but then I shouldn't be; more people are naming their daughters Emma/Ella/Some Variation of Maddy/etc. than Mallory, so obviously more people are going to vote against it and names like it.

The worst ones to strike out immediately, if you'd like to avoid the trendiness and awkward date-stamping (Tiffany/Stephanie/Linda are good examples of generationally date-stamped names) are probably Ryleigh, Addison, Aidan, and Olivia.

Good luck with your baby and name journey!

[jaspcwpbby1.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your input. Some of the really "trendy" names have actually been on my list of favorite names for over 10 years, so figures when I go to name my kid everyone's using them. And I can thank my husband for taking off all the non-trendy names that I did like. So oh well, our kid is gonna be one of the masses...

[tryyingtoevolve.livejournal.com]

There's got to be SOME sort of overlap of nontrendy names that he does like? Are you open to suggestions? And what are the ones he crossed off and what were his reasons? Maybe something similar would work for both of you.

[jaspcwpbby1.livejournal.com]

This is our list of cross over names. We both like what's on this list. Some of the eliminated names: Eden, Jocelyn, Lorelei, McKenna. Bryce, Eli, Emile, Tristan, Wesley, Micah, Tanner. His rationale, too old sounding, or too weird.

[tryyingtoevolve.livejournal.com]

Would you be able to convince him of Jocelyn with the nickname Joey, or Josie? It's a GREAT name and both of those nicknames sound much younger, and much . . . hipper? On that note, Micah could also get shortened to Mike?

With Eli . . . Hmmm. I don't think it sounds old or weird at all! I love it, actually. Would he go for Elliot, maybe? Eli could still technically be a nickname, and it's much hipper these days, I think.

I love Eden, Jocelyn, Lorelai, Eli, Wesley, and Micah. McKenna is waaaaaay trendy and Bryce, Tristan, and Tanner are all either going that way at the moment (Tristan) or are already there (Bryce).

How about . . .
Adrian
Colin
Cole
Nico (on its own or as a nickname for Nicolas)
Leo
Nathan/Nate
Benjamin/Ben
Samuel/Sam
Lucas/Luke
Oliver
Adam
Cameron

Violet
Lily
Lena
Madeline
Lucy
Norah
Kate/Cate
Michaela (SPELLED THIS WAY PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD)
Mira
Annabel

[tryyingtoevolve.livejournal.com]

Also, what about other names, like Jocelyn, that are nice and classic but have hipper, newer sounding nicknames?

examples:
Josephine - Joey, Josie
Margaret - Meg, Maggie
Catherine - Cate, Cass, Cat
Matilda - Mattie

If you like the more classic ones like Olivia, Jocelyn, Eli, Micah, etc., but don't want it to sound too "old" it might be a nice compromise, because then it's got a nickname that doesn't sound old and that works well for a child, but that will also grow up really well with them as they get older.

One other idea:
Alexandra or Alexander. Alex is a great nickname, but the full versions work well, though. There's also Al, Xander, and Xan for a boy and Ally for a girl. I've also seen Andy/Andi and Xandy/Xandi or Xandra used, so those are always options.

[anapology.livejournal.com]

Olivia is pretty of-the-time, I agree.. but I think that's because it genuinely is a pretty name. At least it's steeped in Shakespearean history!
Ryleigh & Addison are definetely dated, they'll be done with in a couple of years & Aidan (and variants) seem like THE ONLY NAMES YOU'RE ALLOWED TO USE THESE DAYS!

[aquilinum.livejournal.com]

Olivia is pretty. Heck, Roald Dahl named his twin daughters Olivia and Tessa... heh.

It's unfortunate that its recent surge (http://www.babynamewizard.com/voyager#prefix=OLIVIA&ms=false&sw=f&exact=false) has most likely indelibly ruined its previous steady, "timeless" identification. I'm tempted to say that because its popularity has two peaks and is longlasting, it'll be even more shunned in later generations. The backlash is worse for those popular names that hold out in babies for several decades, like Pamela and Gary.

[anapology.livejournal.com]

Oh I agree.
Here in England Olivia is even more popular.
I can't imagine such a lovely name will end up feeling time stamped and dated, but in several decades it definitely will.

Tessa Dahl then named her daughter Sophie, which is my name!

[aquilinum.livejournal.com]

And said Sophie is a model! Who was, incidentally, FAR prettier when she was a "plus" size.

I'd only ever met two Tessas before moving to the UK, but I currently work with another — which is crazy enough. BUT! She is a twin! Aaaaand.... her twin sister's name is Sophie.

It's all one weird loop in the collective subconscious, I swear.

[anapology.livejournal.com]

That is a most bizzare coincidence!

I honestly used to think Roald Dahl wrote The BFG for me, sadtimes when I found out this was not the case!

[anapology.livejournal.com]

I only like Olivia & Caleb, I could deal with Cadence & Mason.

The others aer either blah, trashy, or too trendy.

We don't need anymore Aiden's!

[jaspcwpbby1.livejournal.com]

Well no need to worry about more Aiden's from me, at least for 5 more years. We're having a girl. Maybe next time around it won't be so popular. Just picking out a boy just in case.

[duckduckcaboose.livejournal.com]

For girls I like: Cadence, Emma, Mallory, Natalie, and Olivia.
I don't know what everyone is saying about "Emma wouldn't age well." Emma Pruett sounds cute for a little girl, but the first image I got was Kate Hudson in Alex & Emma (although her character's last name is Dinsmore).

For boys I like: Aidan and Dylan, and to a lesser extent Hunter, Logan, and Mason. I would advise against Chase at all costs as my aunt, a teacher, says that Chases tend to have lots of issues. She is always saying "I have never met a well-adjusted Chase." (She doesn't have much of a personal life)

[dearxannbellina.livejournal.com]

I can't get used to Addison on a girl. Addison is my fiances middle name. Although I will admit that Sophia Addison was on our name list as a way to honor him (Ryan is way too popular for us to use on a boy).

[nothingtolose19.livejournal.com]

My favorites of your names are Natalie, Olivia, Caleb, Chase, Dylan, Hunter, Logan, and Mason. :)

[murderprotocol.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean about current 'trendy' names being on your list for years. My favourite name ever is Lilly, and has been since I was about... twelve, I think, which is almost ten years. It does bug me a bit that it's rather popular these days, but I'm hoping by the time I have children Lilly won't be so popular.

As for you list, I really like Mallory, Natalie, Olivia, Caleb, Dylan and Mason. I'm not a huge fan of Emma, but it's a nice name.