Baby Name Fun (boneyjean)

My list of girl names is always three times as long as boys!  Most of my favorite names are Dutch names so I doubt this is any help but I bet these are not very popular: Willem, Kees (case), Thijs (tice, short for Matthijs), Schuyler (skylar), Dirk, Jacob/Jake, Dieter, Rene, (male Renee) ...

You are not allowed to use Elias. *laffin hysterically*

I have always liked Ian, Tarquinn (Quinn for short), Peregrine (Perry), Seth, Gareth, Garion,  Jarred, Nicklas, Jeremy, Rand, Roland, Nathaniel, Micah, Samuel, Jonas,

as you can see, most of my names come from book characters and literature. I like old sounding names, names that are to be reckoned with. I don't like folksy names or names that make people feel at ease right when meeting you. I like to think of the man a boy child will become and give him a name to deserve as opposed to one that will keep him a boy forever. It's nice if they have a diminuative "Perry" "Quinn" etc but I'd like the kid to have an option when old enough to have a "man's" name.

That is why I love Eli's name because it fits him now when he is an awkward somewhat cuddly approachable boy...but the name Elias is more formal and to be reckoned with. It's a man's name and I hope he grows into it well! I used the same method naming Lily tho I had a family name in mind. I did like the sound of it as it fits either a young girl or a grown mature woman in an equally feminine sort of way. It is the name of a "lady" and that is how I always want her to view herself AND how I always want others she comes in contact with, to treat her.

Is there a man that either you or your hubby feel like was a mentor or a very important influence on your lives as you were growing up?  I always thought it would be awesome to honor a special teacher or employer or friend or someone that was unaware of their influence by naming my child after them.  There would be an attached story about how that name was chosen.

ETA: my son's first name is his father's name....his middle  name is Heath.  Not that he was an influence but named after Heath Barkley the handsome fictional character I was in love with from the Big Valley :)

I like the name Jack.

 I think something with 3 syllables might sound best...Benjamin, Samuel, Kassidy, Dominic

Personal note: 

I tend to be like Gina -- I like literary names. 

However -- from PERSONAL experience, please don't ever name a child something that can NOT be "nicknamed".  Because someone WILL.  And if the name isn't easily nick'd then whatever others (kids, friends, teachers, co-workers) often isn't complimentary and can really cause grief.

I know some folks have a real problem with a child being "nicknamed" ... but let me promise you, when there is no 'nick' available, imaginations can become unbelievably cruel.

My given name is not easily nicknamed (and it is nothing like "Callie";), but I can tell you the nicks I got as a child were positively scarring -- my first name and middle name were pretty close to a queen who got beheaded, and my last name was a popular pancake restaurant.  When kids have to "think up" a nickname it tends to get cruel and those become taunts.

Every time I hear someone say "Oh, I hate nicknames - -I want her to be called her whole name so I deliberately chose a name that couldn't be easily nicknamed."  I want to shake them and tell them to join the real world, 

I like Nathaniel -- you can nick it short (Nate) or it settles easily to Nathan if they decide later on Nathaniel is too long. 

But look at the initials -- see if when you say the initials if it doesn't become something else in kid's eyes.  Thank Heavens my mother relented and did NOT call me Carol.  My initials would have been   C ... R .... P (then think about that 10 year old boy pointing at you and gloating he could look and "see 'r pee";)

LOL Callie, I'm so the opposite (and so was my mother apparently), we just name based on the names WE like and how WE like to be called and don't give a fork what anyone else thinks or how someone might misinterpret it.  Rarely a day goes by that I am not asked about my name multiple times.  I really don't mind the mis-pronunciations as long as people don't try to call me something that is blatantly wrong (some people will call me "Lisa" and I don't even respond because one of my best friends is Lisa so I am used to hearing that name).  When someone I don't know and will never see again asks for my name - like waiting for a table at a restaurant or for an order at Panera - I give the name "Liz".  I've found that often people just don't know how to spell or say my name and are genuinely embarrassed themselves and I don't like putting people in that spot.  Other than that, I don't harbor any resentment towards my parents for giving me a ridiculously Dutch name and plan to do the same (if not worse) to my future children.  My teachers and professors have always asked everyone to write their name phonetically on the class roster including whatever call name they prefer.  I know a lot of Michaels, Catherines, Lucases etc that have never been shorted to Mike, Kate/Kathy, or Luke.

calliecritturs

and my last name was a popular pancake restaurant.

Callie, your last name was I-Hop? 

Just being silly.  I am no help.  I have a hard time naming pets, coming up with usernames, etc.  Something will hit you, Sarah, at just the right moment and all will be well.

sharismom

Callie, your last name was I-Hop? 

 LOL Tina! That's exactly what I thought. 

Before I was even pregnant with Willa, DH & I had settled on the name Elias. But then I made a comment about calling him Eli, and he didn't like it. Then we decided on Otis Ian. We kept that name for Sonja, just in case, but obviously she was a girl too! We had a heck of a time agreeing on names both times. Both girls' middle names are family names that I picked.

I think I still have the list somewhere... I think it's in the room Sonja is napping in right now.

ETA: Here's my list of favorite boy names...

Otis
Elias
Oliver
Simon
Kellen
Keane
Sullivan (Sully for short)
Finley

haha Callie!  I thought of I-Hop too! lol

Derek has his mind set that if he or I ever have q boy, his name will be Xander Alex  Get it?  It's not Alexander... hehehe

I really like the name Seth, I also like Tucker (but wouldn't use it as a first name).  Other than those to, I'm drawing a blank

No, I don't see an ethnic name as ridiulous at all.  Nor are family names.

Nope - my maiden name was .... wait for it ........ waiiiittt for ittttttttttttt)

PERKINS.

There were no I-hops in western NY but bazillions of Perkins Pancake House LOL.

IN fact, it finally GOT funny when I was teaching and I had kids call me Miss Pancake kindergarteners tend to have food on the brain anyway).

The last name wasn't so bad (since it was a good place to eat anyway).  It was just that no one COULD nickname my first name no matter how hard they tried, so it always came out something nasty.

Great ideas guys!  And I know all about the nickname thing.  My nickname has been Boney (pronounced with a long o) for all my life so you can imagine what kinds of things people came up with in middle and high school when they realized that is what my family called me!  Our family is the best with nicknames and they usually have nothing to do with your actual name, although, my dad hasn't come up with one that is too original for Devin yet. 

But like Gina said, I do think about how this name will look when they are an adult.  If you guys have more you don't mind sharing, throw them out there!  There are actually a few in here I have thought about but I think I will bring back to the table!