Bored at work...

[songspell.livejournal.com]

Six months ago, my husband and I welcomed Zachary Alexander into the world. :-)

We decided to not find out the sex before his birth, so we had both a boy's name and a girl's name picked out, both of which were secrets. The girl's name is still a secret to our friends and family, but I'm going to share it with you all now (actually, I've shared it with you before the birth, too, but that was a while ago), because it is the crux of my question. Our girl's name was Zoe Sophia.

I know it's not everyone's style, but we both really loved the name.

Baby #2 is a few years off right now, but I'm mulling over names already, because that is what I do. If we had another boy, the name would probably not start with Z, but if we had a girl...

1) Should we stick with Zoe Sophia? Or was that Zachary's "girl name", and we should pick two totally different names for Baby #2?

2) If we did stick with Zoe, would we need to find another "Z" name for a possible third/fourth child? (Yeah, I know, I'm buying myself trouble here.)

3) On the other hand, it's mostly the sound of the name I like, so, if you had to pick one:
Zoe Sophia
or
Chloe Sophia?

What say you, baby_names?

Comments

[sandtree.livejournal.com]

I'm really not a fan of matching names for siblings. Sometimes you just love two names, and they just happen to start with the same letter, but Z is an 'uncommon' letter, so with two Z names, it ends up looking like you're going for a theme. Zachary and Zoe are just way too matchy. I would go with Chloe instead, or another name that doesn't start with Z.

[thellamaqueen.livejournal.com]

I like Zoe Sophia, but I think that Chloe Sophia is muuuuch better with Zachary because of the whole 'Z' thing.

[lind-saay.livejournal.com]

I like Zoe better than Chloe, but I would probably go with Chloe, personally, because:
1) Two Z names is a bit much.
and
2) If you do have a third child and then name him Matthew or her Julia or something, the names are going to stick out a bit.

[gipro2003.livejournal.com]

I love Zoe Sophia, but I think then you will definitely have to continue with a Z theme. Chloe Sophia is beautiful also.

[a-tergo-lupi.livejournal.com]

1. I'd give a new baby new name options.
2. Maybe. Maybe not. But there are plenty of nice Z names.
3. I very much dislike Chloe. It sounds to me like a perfect name for a miniature poodle.

[http://users.livejournal.com/___heyvanity/]

1. I would pick a different name... or maybe use one of the names you picked for (either Zoe or Sophia) and then go with it.

2. I would say no because I think it's too much to have matching sib-sets.

3. I'd pick Chloe Sophia personally... Zoe and Zach are too matchy in my opinion.

[b-gum.livejournal.com]

1) Should we stick with Zoe Sophia? Or was that Zachary's "girl name", and we should pick two totally different names for Baby #2?

I kinda feel this - even though he's a boy and Zoe wasn't used it was still "taken" if that makes sense.

plus, Chloe Sophia is pretty :)

[hwar.livejournal.com]

I like Zoe better than Chloe. I think if/when you get pregnant again, it will either feel right or wrong to use Zach's "other" name. You'll know when it's time. Never hurts to have some backup names on the list though!

[smallandneedy.livejournal.com]

1. I don't think there's anything wrong with keeping a name you chose for him. My sister, who was born after my brother, got the name my parents had planned when mom was pregnant with my brother. Why toss out a name you like just because you planned to use it if the other kid had been that sex?
2. No, you don't have to. Again, using my siblings as examples, they both have names starting on S. Mine starts with M. Being a name-freak I sort of do wish mine started with S as well, but it's not like I feel left out or anything. I just like cutesy "matchy" names more than most people on here, haha.
3. Personally, I love the name Chloe, mostly because my best friend is named that and I love her so...
Zoe Sophia is really cute, but again, personally, I think there is a lot of "So..." sounds in it. However, I think that it's a great name and Zoe is probably not going to be as popular as Chloe, so I would go with your original choice.

[heavenisnearyou.livejournal.com]

Well since Z names are so uncommon it might give you more to choose from if you lessen the criteria to say, names with Z in it. Or X names. To me, it seems themed but Idk. I think if you liked the name Zoe Sophia so much to name Zachary that it can understandably be applied to your future girl's name so someone can use and you can enjoy that. If you do have another boy, I just wanted to share that I have a friend named Zeb, always liked the name.

[harinakshi.livejournal.com]

I think the real question is do you still feel the same way about Zoe as you did when you were pregnant with Zachary?

My kids are:
Elijah
Amelia

Their opposite names were:
Jocelyn
Elliott

Jocelyn didn't have the same feel to it 4 years later and my husband didn't like it

My husband and I really fell in love with Elliott...

So when I got pregnant again we immediately had our boy name picked out, regardless of the E theme that could have been possible. But, we ended up with a girl and she will be Esme. So now our kids are/will be:

Elijah (two middle names)
Amelia (two middle names)
Esme (one middle name)

If I were to have another baby, if it's a boy, he will be Elliott. A girl? Who knows. We really liked the name Coraline, we might go with that, or I'll continue trying to break him and let me name her Leila finally. One or two middle names? *shrugs* depends on what sounds good with the name we pick.

My point in this personal rambling is...who cares about "themes" If you LOVE Zoe, go with Zoe, and if you have a third or fourth, go with whatever name calls to you, don't limit yourself to a certain sound or letter or syllables, etc, etc. If Amelia had been a boy she'd be Elliott, and this third child would have been Amelia, I wouldn't feel forced to stick with an E theme. It's said a lot here, children are individuals. Give them their individuality by giving them the name that you see in them, not something just to match, or not match their siblings. I mean, obviously you shouldn't go with the names Louie and Louise for your sibset, but, you know, everything within reason and common sense.

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

I like both names - Zoe is a bit stronger and fresher IMO but the matching factor (which normally I'd say is ignorable, but not so much with Z :) is a tad daunting...

How about switching them round to Sophia Zoe? Sophia is elegant and wears beautifully, especially once she grows up.

[unmowngrass.livejournal.com]

I think, wait until the time comes. I wouldn't rule out Zoe just BECAUSE it's a bit matchy, but think when the time comes if "Zach and Zoe"/"Zachary and Zoe" is something you want to be saying for the next twenty years.

[wolfbane.livejournal.com]

I don't think it would be a big deal to have two Z named children and then one with a random initial. I doubt that the third child would feel left out, as long as you didn't make it into a big deal.

That said, I love Zoe. I don't think you should discard it, since Zachary isn't using it!

[starskye.livejournal.com]

I agree

[alexandria-skye.livejournal.com]

1. if it were me, i'd pick out different names, but i think that's more of a personal thing. i'd probably refer to the baby as "zach or zoe" all the time, so it'd be too attached to him for me to use zoe on another child.
2. i'm gonna go with yes, simply because the family next door to me have spencer, sydney, and zoe, and it's weird to me that she's left out. i generally don't like that matchy of sibsets though.
3. i like both, but in the interest of said aversion to matchy-ness, i'd go with chloe. :)
you have a few years to figure it out though :)

[babyjess8.livejournal.com]

I like Zoe Sophia. If you like it, then use it. While two 'Z' names are considered matchy, it's not like you're giving them the exact same initials or naming them Zachary and Zacharina or something :P

If a third came along I would encourage not to follow suit, becuase then it IS too matchy. My name is Jess and my younger brother is Jamie. Our youngest brother is Matthew. He doesn't feel left out, and the fact that there are two of us with "J" names has never been a weird issue or anything.

[starskye.livejournal.com]

1- At the time, if you feel the same way about Zoe that you do now, then go for it. Don't discard it just because it was Zachary's "girl name". Only discard it if you are not "feeling it" anymore. If you don't have another child for several more years, you might like a whole bunch of other names then. If Zoe still feels #1 to you when that time comes, then go for it. Don't discard it...you might regret it later that you never "got your Zoe" ya know? Also, since you did not tell anyone the name, no one will know that you would have used it previously.
2- I don't think that you would need to continue a Z theme. I think you should just give your child the name that feels right. If it just happens to be another Z name, no big deal. So what if two children have Z names and another child does not? I know families where two children have "A" names and one child has an "L" name or whatever. I don't think it's a big deal. You should just choose the name you like.
3- I like Zoe much better than Chloe. I actually really dislike the name Chloe. It does sound nice with Sophia as a middle name though, so either one "sounds good", ya know? It's just my personal preference.

[corielcries.livejournal.com]

I'm not a fan of Zachary but I love Alexander!

I don't think two Z names would be a problem. I wouldn't purposely go with a third or fourth Z name just so all my kids have the same first letter. It gets to be a bit much. Go with names that you love!

I would pick Zoe Sophia.

[satunian.livejournal.com]

Zoe "sophi" sound too much alike, reminds me of Amelia Bedelia type names. Both names are fine on their own (and I've grown to love Sophia lately) but I do not like them matched together. I think Chloe Sophia sounds much nicer. plus, I was never a fan of all kids having the same first initial, even if that wasn't the main intention, so I'm hands down in favor of Chloe

[duckduckcaboose.livejournal.com]

I agree with this.

Plus, I love the name Chloe.