WDYT?

[erikalyn.livejournal.com]

How do you feel about the name Miguel?

My boyfriend has "decided" that this is what he wants to name our baby boy (due in April) and, while I don't hate it, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it.

He said that I can have free reign over the middle name and, since my daughter has a family middle name, I would like him to have one as well but the only male names in my family are Michael (Miguel Michael, uh, no) and Eric - which I'm not really fond of.

So, does anyone have any middle name suggestions to go with Miguel?

Comments

[envyed.livejournal.com]

I think Miguel is adorable! :)

[cure-rocker.livejournal.com]

miguel andres sounds really nice despite my dislike for miguel

[lind-saay.livejournal.com]

I like Miguel, but I would only use it if you are from that culture. I mean, it's going to sound kind of odd if your child's name is Miguel McCarthy or something, you know what I mean?

If you don't like it, don't give in. Your boyfriend shouldn't be able to just DECIDE things like that, especially since YOU are the one who is pregnant and going to give birth and most likely do most of the care-giving (for the first few weeks at least). You should have just as much of a say in the name as he does, and it should be a name you BOTH like.

[erikalyn.livejournal.com]

I suppose you're right. This is what I told my mom when she raised her eyebrow at the fact that we're considering Miguel because she was pushing for Michael to be included somewhere in his name. I think I just feel like middle names are supposed to be family names because that's typically how it goes in my family but I guess it doesn't HAVE to be, especially when the first name already has a family connection.

[pinkysmith.livejournal.com]

my husband is Michael but my family and I call him Miguel/Miguelito so i say you can do that as well. As for middle names Miguel Luis and Miguel Angel (pronounced An-hel) came to mind but almost anything can go.

[erikalyn.livejournal.com]

This is why I'm iffy on the name.

The last name is Portuguese, so Miguel would sound and look fine, but neither my boyfriend or I are actually Portuguese and I just worry that everyone will always expect him to be hispanic. Is that even a problem, though? I mean, as long as the name flows. My boyfriend is Indian, so he will be half brown, just not the "right kind" of brown?

[erikalyn.livejournal.com]

This is the problem I'm running into. Every name I find that I like with Miguel is very obviously Spanish/Portuguese, when neither myself or my boyfriend are (though my boyfriend has a Portuguese last name). Maybe I just need to get over myself and pick a name that I like without worrying about how "ethnic" it sounds.

[pinkysmith.livejournal.com]

that would be my advice (pick a name you like regardless of ethnicity). my family has some interesting names once you look at us and that's because of the whole ethnicity/culture thing.

[moldycelery.livejournal.com]

Miguel Christian
Miguel Joseph
Miguel Theodore
Miguel Gasparo
Miguel Rodrigo

It's hard to find something that goes with Miguel that isn't Hispanic in origin. The last two examples above are Italian, which flow better than any more "English" middle names (probably from the Romance origin). Although, if you're boyfriend is Indian, maybe look for an Indian middle name?

And I'm not sure what people are talking about, Miguel is totally the Spanish variant of Michael, so you could keep with the family tradition that way.

[lind-saay.livejournal.com]

If you're iffy on the name, don't use it. Like I said, your boyfriend has a say in the name, but not the ONLY say.

I think that's a gray area, haha. I mean, it'd be really weird if the kid was named Miguel and was like, red hair green eyes and freckles with an Irish last name, but with a Portuguese last name I don't think it would sound so weird. However, people WILL expect him to be Hispanic and will probably assume that he speaks Spanish or Portuguese and his family is from there, etc. So it's really a question of how YOU feel about it. My personal feeling is that people shouldn't go with explicitly ethnic names (that really only fit in one or two cultures, or one or two languages) unless they ARE that ethnicity and the child will be raised within that culture, at least to an extent. That is, I think it's really weird and kind of inappropriate when someone who is quite obviously Irish or Italian or something names their child something that is very explicitly Japanese, you know? But it's really up to the family.

[kilobites.livejournal.com]

Well, Miguel is definitely the Spanish version of Michael so that's honoring your family too!

I really like moldycelery's suggestions of Miguel Christian or Miguel Gasparo!

[sarahness.livejournal.com]

I think Miguel is okay if you're Hispanic. It would seem awkward on a baby of another culture, in my opinion.

[erikalyn.livejournal.com]

He will have a Portuguese last name but my boyfriend is Indian and I am white.

[crosseyedcookie.livejournal.com]

Awww. I'm Portuguese, and my former puppy love was a boy named Miguel Filipe.

[azelmaroark.livejournal.com]

Your boyfriend shouldn't be able to just DECIDE things like that

This. The idea that he "decided" without your consent is really unsettling to me. That would not fly if it were my child. I think you need to forget the middle names and go back to the drawing board.

[chirpygirly.livejournal.com]

If Miguel means Michael, then why is it you're expected to accept Miguel as is, but he can't accept Michael?

I've heard of some people doing a double first name, as in the first name is the same as the second, only different languages.
So, what about compromising by going with something like Michael Miguel Eric Last name. And further compromising with a nick name like Micky, or just Mick, as it wouldn't be clearly indicative of either Michael or Miguel.

Or, what about using Michael as the first name, with that spelling, but using a different pronunciation which is closer to Miguel. I know that Michael pronounced in other cultures is more "Mick-uh-ell", which sounds very similar to Miguel.