And the name is....

[h-hope.livejournal.com]

... (hopefully) going to be Dannon Michael MacDonald. Thoughts?

I'm 32 weeks pregnant with our first son who will join my daughter Ashlyn Hope.
The only thing we're really unsure of will be the spelling of Dannon. I like it as is, hubby thinks it should be spelled differently than the yogurt brand.

Dannon
Dannan
Dannen
Dannin

We like that throughout different stages of his life he can be called Danny, Dan or Dannon. Gives us some nickname options, as well as going for the full name when we need to get his attention (lol) and his own choices for what he would like to go by as he grows and in a professional life.

Having a name that feels strong, yet is not very popular or common was important to me in choosing a name.

Comments

[dingastar.livejournal.com]

Dannon or Dannan. I think Dannon

[thaaatsmeee.livejournal.com]

i like the way it sounds, but not a fan of the name Dannon. All I think of is yogurt, no matter how it's spelled.

[indicinderelly.livejournal.com]

This. I like it, but I keep thinking of the yogurt Dannimals :P

[th3-unicorn.livejournal.com]

The yogurt brand is Danone. I don't think there's any way it could be mistaken.

I guess my vote goes to the Dannon spelling.
How did you come up with the name? I don't think I've ever heard it before.

[adamantplatypus.livejournal.com]

Dannon is spelled "Dannon", sorry. (http://www.dannon.com/)

[adamantplatypus.livejournal.com]

I was born on St. Patrick's Day. I've heard the "Are you Irish?!" and "Why didn't your parents name you 'Patty'?!" question so many times I want to punch people at this juncture, and I'm only 27.

Dannon is a yogurt. I can just imagine the jokes and ribbing that would come with this name, and I couldn't in good conscience subject my kid to it. Sorry.

[lustdumpster.livejournal.com]

iawtc. it sounds like yogurt regardless of the spelling.

[shechoselove.livejournal.com]

I dislike it and agree with the above comment. D: Sorry.

[sandtree.livejournal.com]

Sorry, but all I can think of is the yogurt.

[sarahness.livejournal.com]

All of the other spellings of Dannon look awkward to me. :\

I think if you spell it differently, he will have to correct people's spelling of it for his whole life.

Besides, it will still sound like the yogurt brand no matter how it's spelled. At least Dannon looks normal, ya know?

Anyway, it's a cute name.

[daydream11.livejournal.com]

Not only do I second/third/fourth the yogurt-related comments, but the name also has the same ending as your daughter's name. That's overkill, the name-ending thing. Dannon and Ashlyn are too matchy-matchy.

[ashleyyynoel.livejournal.com]

I also only think of yogurt.

[h-hope.livejournal.com]

I do completely realize the yogurt connection (seriously, not where I got the name though, I only buy Yoplait yogurt, lol)

I think Dannon is really the only spelling that looks right, but hubby... because he's a man and really not that on top of things thinks that as long as its spelled differently it will be ok. I've only just recently convinced him of the name itself.. If need be i'll just spell it the "correct" way on the birth certificate and that will be that.

I do understand we could use Danny/Dan if we went with the name Daniel. But I really dislike Daniel, just not the style I prefer.

Most of the other names we have considered also end in the "n" sound, I personally don't think its too matchy-matchy with Ashlyn, just I guess what we like; Gavin, Cameron, Brendan, Mason...

I love the opinions though, no where else could I have gotten 18 answers this quickly, thanks!

[pythianlegume7.livejournal.com]

Are you really attached to Dannon? I like all of your other names SO much more. But obviously, its your opinion that matters the most :).

[laminy.livejournal.com]

I don't like Dannon or Michael, but agree with your hubby that it shouldn't be spelled the same as the yogurt. Just hearing the name, I would think Dannen.

[azelmaroark.livejournal.com]

THIS. If this even slightly annoys you, imagine what your kid is going to feel hearing it in real life every day of his life.

[h-hope.livejournal.com]

I do think that out of the "alternative" spellings the only other acceptable one might be Dannen.

Michael will be his middle name regardless of first name in tradition of my hub's family. It wouldn't have necessarily been my choice, but I do like honoring some family traditions.

Gavin is the other name that I LOVE, but it really bothers me that its now #15 on the 2008 popularity list. I'm Hailey (which i know is trendy now, but never was when I was young) and my husband's name is Clifton, so we've both never had to go by a last initial when there have been more than one of the same name in a class or on a team.

[lind-saay.livejournal.com]

Which 2008 list are you talking about? The only one you should trust is the Social Security Administration's list here (http://www.ssa.gov/babynames). If you're going by the babynames.com one or something, it's toooootally wrong. That's based on how many people have it on their list, NOT how many people actually ended up using it.

The 2008 list for the SSA hasn't come out yet, but in 2007, it was #32. That may seem like a lot, BUT:
- 11,726 babies were named this in 2007
- divide that by 50 and that's 234 per state. That's not very many.

I think anything higher than 25 on the list is fine in terms of popularity. There might be a couple other Gavins in his class, but he's certainly not going to be one of six or seven, and take it from a Lindsay born in 1987 who ALWAYS had to go by a last initial, there are worse things in the world. I think he'd rather be Gavin P. than always have to say, "Hi, I'm Dannon. Yes, like the yogurt."

[jmomonique.livejournal.com]

I think it's a lovely name. I like the "Dannon" spelling but as an alternative I prefer "Dannan."

there are always going to be people that have issues with whatever name you choose, even if it's as generic as "John" so I wouldn't worry too much about the yogurt thing.

[cure-rocker.livejournal.com]

lol @ Dannon

[anapology.livejournal.com]

you want a professional sounding name?
don't go with Dannon/an/en/in.
It sounds really made up and is just a new one to add to the two syllable -an/en/on craze.
At least it doesn't rhyme with Aiden though.

Dannon MacDonald sounds very sing songy.

[azelmaroark.livejournal.com]

Oh man, this, too!

I totally missed the 'professional and unique' part after being distracted by lolyogurt.

[h-hope.livejournal.com]

The 2008 name list I saw might have been on babyzone or babynames or something like that, I know that Gavin wasn't quite as high on the SSA 2007 list. I guess I'm just assuming that it will have gained in popularity in 2008. LOL, we all know what happens when we assume though...

It will probably come down to Gavin or Dannon... but then again I could potentially have 8 weeks left of this pregnancy. I just don't think he's going to hang out that long and I want to have a name decided before we're staring at the birth certificate in the hospital.

[lilmizmombassa.livejournal.com]

I like Dannen; just think it looks good!!

[chirpygirly.livejournal.com]

I agree with others about the name.

Have you heard about the name Ludano? I think it's more of a last name, but I don't think it's that popular. When I came across it not that long ago I didn't know it was a last name, but I still think it would make a great first name. It can have the same nick name possibilities you're after, "Dan", "Danny", and even the nick names "Lou", and "Dano". I think Ludano would make a better alternative, that would both be masculine and 'unique' enough without freaking some people out haha.

[awoodnymph.livejournal.com]

Ludo is another possible nickname. That's what the French foreign exchange student went by back when I was in high school.

[deer-lanterns.livejournal.com]

Yogurt = Daa-NON <<

What? I've never heard anyone pronounce it differently from Dan-in.

[unitedwedont.livejournal.com]

What about Dealon (prn Day-lon) kind of like dannon but without the yogurt connotations. You could Anglicize the Irish spelling to make it more eaily pronounced too.

[freezemyazaleas.livejournal.com]

Yogurt.

[freezemyazaleas.livejournal.com]

Though I do love the sound of it. It's a shame it's a yogurt brand. I love the nickname Danny but hate Daniel.

[soph-posh.livejournal.com]

I personally didn't think of the yogurt, but that's probably because it's called Danone over here.
I searched babynames.com for names starting with Dan- and found Danton...I don't know anything about that name, but it might be an alternative?
That said, I agree with what a poster above said....it just doesn't sound good with your last name...

I like the name Gavin very much :)

[so-there.livejournal.com]

I like it with the -en.

[aquilinum.livejournal.com]

As I was reading this post, I got to "Dannon" before I got to you mentioning yogurt. And I was seriously just like... "YOGURT?!?!?!?!?!???? BWA HA HA. This community doesn't get snarked often, but who would..."

— and then I saw that you are aware of the yogurt and still want to use it.


Really? Really really? I mean, above all other male names in the great glorious world? Dannon? Like the yogurt?