Closer to My Due Date

[perfectcherry.livejournal.com]

...and not much closer to a name!

The closer to my due date I get (October 6th), the more I feel certain we're having a boy, but I'm still at a loss for most boy names. It doesn't help that my husband hates my name choices and I hate his; he was beginning to warm up to Felix, but then my Father-in-Law came over and started singing "Felix the cat! The wonderful, wonderful cat!" to our black cat, so now I'm having second thoughts about it.

Behind the cut I've listed our most agreed-upon male and female names. Please tell me what you think and feel free to offer suggestions for other names you think either of us might like!

Criticism is just as appreciated as praise, so don't worry about hurting my feelings.



The last name is one syllable and begins with a B. We're of mixed background, I'm half-Danish and he's Black with a lot of Irish and French ancestry, but I'm much more influenced by my cultural heritage than my husband is by his; we both grew up in New Orleans, so we both have a fondness for French and Spanish names. Allen is his and his father's middle name, so it appears fairly frequently amongst the male names, mainly due to lack of inspiration.

Boys
Felix Allen
Theodore Clark
Jason Clark
Gordon Chase
Patrick Allen
Frederik
Gavin
Simon

Girls
Zinnia Faye
Zinnia Simone
Celia Marguerite
Marigold "Mary" Abigail
Marigold "Mary" Ada
Sylvia Pearl
Stella Irene
Leda Simone
Andrea Simone
Diana Rose
Eleanor Rose
Beatrice Rose
Ada Celeste
Autumn Celeste
Gertrude Irene
Arabelle/Arabella Iris
Arabelle/Arabella Irene

As you can see we're doing much better coming up with a selection of feminine names, so I really feel we need help with masculine names.

Comments

[lindiohead.livejournal.com]

Are there any that you really like above the others? I like Simon, and Autumn.

[perfectcherry.livejournal.com]

At the moment my favorites are Theodore, Clark, Arabelle, Autumn (although I do have reservations about naming my child after a season), Zinnia, Gertrude, and Stella. I still love Felix, but I am questioning it.

[miss-tee.livejournal.com]

I like Simon from your boys list and Stella Irene, Autumn Celeste and Eleanor Rose from your girls list.

[justuschickens.livejournal.com]

I love Zinnia, but I have a love for Z names that borders on the pathological.

[perfectcherry.livejournal.com]

I'm curious, what are your most favorite Z names?

[moshimoshi-13.livejournal.com]

Favourites for the boys are Theodore and Frederik. I like Eleanor the best of the girls. Nothing BAD to say about any of them though. :)

[lilacmermaid.livejournal.com]

I like Theodore, Gavin and Simon a lot. I like Clark as a middle name for any of them but Allen would work fine as well.

For the girls, I like Stella, Leda, Andrea, Diana and Eleanor. I really like Iris and Rose as middle names for those, but I like most of the other middle names you picked.

The only name on your list I really dislike is Gertrude, it has to be my least favourite name ever. I'm also not a fan of Irene or Pearl.

[perfectcherry.livejournal.com]

heh, Irene and Pearl are on the list because they were my great-grandmother's names, but I by no means feel obligated to use them and I'm not in love with either name.

[tryyingtoevolve.livejournal.com]

Felix Allen - I really like this combo, and I like the contrast between Felix and Allen.
Theodore Clark - Love this one, too.
Jason Clark - Jason seems very dated and 1980s to me. The others are more timeless.
Gordon Chase - I've never liked Gordon, probably because it's so close to the word for "fat" in Spanish.
Patrick Allen - I love it.
Frederik - I like Frederik in theory, but not sure how I feel about it in practice.
Gavin - too trendy.
Simon - love it.

Zinnia Faye - I like to say "stay away from flower names." If your daughter is a tomboy she'll hate it. There are other names that would fit a girl regardless of her tomboy status.
Zinnia Simone - same
Celia Marguerite - Love it.
Marigold "Mary" Abigail - same here with the Zinnia.
Marigold "Mary" Ada - same.
Sylvia Pearl - Love it.
Stella Irene - I love this.
Leda Simone - I prefer Leta as a spelling, but it's okay.
Andrea Simone - Love it.
Diana Rose - NMS, but nice.
Eleanor Rose - Love it.
Beatrice Rose - NMS, but nice.
Ada Celeste - Love it.
Autumn Celeste - I say stay away from month/season/day names - they aren't actually names.
Gertrude Irene - Um, it's okay, but I think you have better options.
Arabelle/Arabella Iris - I like Arabelle, but I think you have better options.
Arabelle/Arabella Irene - same.

I'd go with Simon, Patrick, or Theodore for boys and Eleanor, Stella, Andrea, or Celia for girls.

[perfectcherry.livejournal.com]

I'm a passionate gardener and zinnias are my favorite flower, which is why I'm considering the name; I have to admit that I wasn't aware that flower names are "in," nor do I seem to grasp the concept of "ironic" names. Sylvia is old-fashioned, but I do tend to like old-fashioned names, which is something I'm fine with.

I have to point out that Marigold is both old-fashioned and a flower name, so I'm curious as to why it made it on to your list of likes.

I'm liking Arabella/Arabelle/Arabel more and more, but I do worry that it's too similar to all the variations of Isabelle that are so popular right now.

[perfectcherry.livejournal.com]

I don't care for Alana, personally, and I have a cousin named Lana, so it would be a bit odd.

[my-little-voice.livejournal.com]

I love the name Theodore nn Theo.

As for the girls, I like Stella, Eleanor, Iris and Simone.

[blue-suspenders.livejournal.com]

Congrats on the baby :)

I like Felix Allen a lot. Theodore, Frederik and Simon are nice as well.

For girls I like Zinnia Faye.

[perfectcherry.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Zinnia Faye was the first name that came to mind when I began seriously considering baby names after I made it through the tenuous first twelve weeks and so it's remained in my top five, so if we have a girl, that may just be the one.

I love Felix Allen, too, I just need to stop thinking about that adorable cartoon cat.

[queenb833.livejournal.com]

I dont know if this is an option but i think Simon Chase sounds really nice

[queenb833.livejournal.com]

Oh and for girls I dont like any of them. I like Andrea but not with Simone and Autumn sounds a little outdated to me. The rest of the names just remind me of old ladies.

I think Andrea Stella is cute though or Abigail Rose or Andrea Rose

[amspeck-myworld.livejournal.com]

Theodore and Patrick are my favorites from you boy's list, and I love Stella Irene!

[0o-faerie.livejournal.com]

From your boy names I love Simon but I'm not too fond of the rest. How about Simon Clark, or Clark Simon?

Of your girl names, I love Celia Marguerite. I think it's pretty, classy, and nice on a kid as well as an adult.
I also really like Eleanor and Diana, but Diana Rose immediately reminded me of Diana Ross. How about Diana Faye? I like Faye.

Ada, Gertrude, Zinnia & Beatrice all strike me as old lady's names, to be honest.

[perfectcherry.livejournal.com]

I'm glad someone else likes Jason Clark, because so far I've been the only one.

[sandtree.livejournal.com]

Felix Allen - I do think of the cat, to be honest
Theodore Clark - I like this one the best
Jason Clark - Jason is very 80s
Gordon Chase - Whereas Gordon is very 50s
Patrick Allen - Eh
Frederik - Nice
Gavin - Kind of popular, but nice
Simon - Not really my thing, but not bad

Girls

-I like both the Zinnia names, and both the Marigold names

Sylvia Pearl - Nice
Stella Irene - Not so into Stella, but I love Irene
Leda Simone - Nice
Andrea Simone - Andrea is kind of dated
Diana Rose - Okay
Eleanor Rose - Beautiful
Beatrice Rose - Okay
Ada Celeste - Love it
Autumn Celeste - Love it
Gertrude Irene - I really don't think Gertrude is a good idea

-Both Arabelle/Arabella are fine

So really, I would just say don't use Jason, Gordon, or Gertrude.

[aquilinum.livejournal.com]

I'd get rid of the -belle and -bella stuff, as well as Ada — and Rose as a middle, because those all seem WAYYY too trendy for you, given the rest of your list. If your taste reaches beyond the pedestrian, why even go there?

Same thing on Gavin (and possibly Jason), for the male name list.



My absolute favorites (though I like a bunch of yours) are Patrick, Marigold, Zinnia, Diana, and Sylvia.

I like Gertrude, but I think it's still at least half a generation from escaping the "stodgy and old and ANTIQUATED EW" reactions, for most people.

[perfectcherry.livejournal.com]

Yeah, until the recent resurgence of Isabella/Isabelle as an extremely popular girl's name, I always thought of it as being rather timeless. Now, however, it's just like Jessica or Jennifer were for my age group.

I still think of Jason as timeless, but I don't care for Gavin; it's on the list because it's one of my husband's top five.

Your favorites of mine are also some of my most favorite, aside from Diana, which is another of my husband's suggestions. I agree with you about Gertrude, but I think it's a lovely name, although I don't pronounce it with the "Grr" sound and I know that's how it will most often be pronounced.

[charlotteattack.livejournal.com]

I like Theodore and Simon for boys, and Celia Marguerite, Autumn Celeste, and Stella Irene for girls!

[emtotherescuee.livejournal.com]

My favorite for boys is Theodore Clark, with Patrick as a close second.

For girls, I like Autumn Celeste the best, with Eleanor Rose (if she had a nickname like Ellie), though I think Rose is too simple to pair with plain ol' Eleanor. Middle names are a great opportunity to be really artistic and cool, you know? Rose is so...common.

[emtotherescuee.livejournal.com]

*with Eleanor rose as a second choice

[ollivander.livejournal.com]

Felix is such a fun name. I know an 11 year old named Felix and he is so cool.
Also love Gavin and Frederick. And CELIA! I love Celia.

[azelmaroark.livejournal.com]

Boys
Felix Allen -- It's growing on me, but I still think Felix the Cat.
Theodore Clark -- I love Clark, would use it as a first name if I didn't love Lex a lot more. =P I don't think this flows; I'd reverse the names.
Jason Clark -- Don't like the flow, but both names are good.
Gordon Chase -- I really hate Chase; it's a bully's name to me.
Patrick Allen -- Okay.
Frederik -- Bit too old-fashioned for me.
Gavin -- Ruined by personal experience, but alright.
Simon -- Favorite! Love!

Girls
Zinnia Faye -- Not a fan; seems a bit out there.
Zinnia Simone -- I like this combo better.
Celia Marguerite -- Like it.
Marigold "Mary" Abigail -- I'm iffy on how Marigold will age, but cute nickname.
Marigold "Mary" Ada -- Flows well, but see above.
Sylvia Pearl -- NMS but nice.
Stella Irene -- NMS but nice.
Leda Simone -- I don't really like Simone, but Leda is cool.
Andrea Simone -- I like Andrea.
Diana Rose -- Like it, although Rose is a bit of a filler mn.
Eleanor Rose -- Ditto, and I love Eleanor.
Beatrice Rose -- NMS but nice.
Ada Celeste -- Like it.
Autumn Celeste -- This sounds great, to me.
Gertrude Irene -- I really dislike Gertrude. Way too old-sounding for a child.
Arabelle/Arabella Iris -- Arabella makes me think of Harry Potter, and Arabelle just looks like too much. Love Iris, though.
Arabelle/Arabella Irene -- See above

Suggestions:

Clark Simon
Gavin Clark
Simon Felix

Stella Irene
Autumn Celeste
Eleanor Andrea
Eleanor Irene

[perfectcherry.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the suggestions! I love Eleanor Andrea.

[krysteener.livejournal.com]

I Like: Jason Clark, Simon, Felix Allen, Marigold "Mary" Abigail, Stella, Arabelle
I Love: Patrick Allen, Celia Marguerite,

I like Sylvia too even though it is kinda old lady-ish. With Pearl, though, it's really old lady-ish.

[kittyvegas.livejournal.com]

I love Eleanor Rose and Beatrice Rose.

I like Theodore, but I like it better with Allen as a middle name than Clark.

[perfectcherry.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I agree with you about Theodore. I'm also beginning to think that Clark just sounds too harsh with our last syllable - saying them together reminds me of a dog barking.

[freezemyazaleas.livejournal.com]

I like Jason, Patrick, Andrea, and Diana.

[solagirl.livejournal.com]

So many great names!

I like:
Boys
Gordon Chase
Patrick Allen
Frederik

Girls
Celia Marguerite
Stella Irene
Leda Simone
Diana Rose
Eleanor Rose


But I LOVE:
Felix Allen
Theodore Clark

Zinnia Faye
Marigold "Mary" Ada
Sylvia Pearl
Beatrice Rose

It is funny, you have SO many of my family names on this list. We have similar tastes, and you've given me some I ideas for my list. I would suggest Gideon, Silas, Saul, Franklin and Destry for boys and Rosalie, Garnet and Helen(a) for girls - not that you need more cool names :)

[perfectcherry.livejournal.com]

You know, my husband really likes the name Gideon, but he didn't include it on his list because he's afraid that it's too "out there." He may be right, but I think I'll add it anyway.