name game

By now you all know I like talking about/reading about/thinking about names.  (This remains one of the most popular posts on the blog.)  I love names in general, whether we're talking about future kids, characters on a show, characters in a book, etc.  Sometimes I think it's a little nutty to love talking about baby names, but then I come across things like this and I'm comforted by the fact that there are others out there!  Woooo, I'm not alone!   

 

I'm going to get around to that article (and of course divulge triplet name choices) but first enjoy some name-related links and a random assemblage of name-related thoughts.  (Or just scroll to the bottom for the fun part.) 

I've mentioned it before, but I really love this blog.  Every Monday there's a new "name consultation" and Kate, the author, gives naming advice and suggestions to parents expecting a baby.  The suggested names match the style of older children and often have special meanings/connections to saints.  There's a lot of other great stuff that goes on over there throughout the week, such as history of a name or discussions regarding naming trends, but the consultations are my favorite and I always look forward to them.  

Here's another site that offers name advice and daily spotlights on all kinds of names. My favorite thing I've read over there is this post discussing potential names for North West's sibling.  Totally kind and thoughtful and... I never imagined I'd say this, but I hope Kim and Kanye name their son Wild West.  Not going to lie, I rolled my eyes when they decided to name their human child North West.  But it's their style, not mine, and if they're going to roll with it then I think Wild West sounds awesome as a brother to North West. 

Also, check this out.  Another example of great names in movies.  (Annie also happens to be one of my faves.) 

Do you remember the Youtube sensation, Charlie Bit My Finger?  Their children are named Harry, Charlie, Jasper, and Rupert.  I think those sound perfect together. 

Other great namers: Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick.  Their kids are named James Wilkie, Tabitha Hodge, and Marion Loretta Elwell.  I remember reading somewhere that the middle names were family names.  

While at my cousin's fifth grade graduation we overheard the name Fritzraldo.  I'd never use it but I loved it immediately.  

This little girl is named Heavenly Joy.  Normally I'm not for that much play on names.  Somehow, she ROCKS it.   

One of my best friends, Olivia, has a family chock full of great names.  Olivia is a great name and she has a brother named James (one of my personal favorite boy names).  Her dad is named Edwin and he has brothers named Michael and Francis.  Her Uncle Fran's boys are named Brian, Michael, Frankie, Pauly, and Terrence.  They remind me of Good Will Hunting - the scene where Will says he has 12 brothers named Marky, Ricky, Danny, Terry, Mikey, Davey, Timmy, Tommy, Joey, Robby, Johnny and Brian.  Big Irish family!       

J.K. Rowling is great at naming her characters.  I swear, I read HP and all the sudden names like Albus, Rufus, and Neville seemed great to me.  I particularly love the names of everyone in the Weasley family.  (In case, for some grave reason, you're not familiar with them, the parents are Arthur and Molly, and their children are Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny.  Not sure if Bill, Charlie, Percy, and Fred are short for William, Charles, Percival, and Frederick - if so they still sound great together.  We know Ron is Ronald and Ginny is Ginevra.)  The only names I don't really like in her books are, go figure, Harry's kids' names.  James Sirius, Albus Severus, and Lily Luna... eh.  The names are all fine, but they don't sound great together.  I saw something once that said, "Harry named his kids like some nerd who had just finished reading Harry Potter."  Quite right. 

Speaking of Harry Potter - is Hermione out of the question for names?  I think it's an awesome name - it's long, it's got a great history, there's a saint Hermione - but does that universal association with HP make it less wearable?  (At the very least, I think people would assume you were a Harry Potter nerd, and that there was nothing else behind the name choice.  Maybe for a middle name, though?)  

Parenthood is one of my favorite shows.  (Naturally, I started watching just before it ended - good thing Netflix exists.)  The four Braverman siblings are named Adam, Sarah, Crosby, and Julia.  

At first, it bothered me a little that Crosby seemed like a totally different style than the other names.  (I started this blog post by saying that I'm nutty, so don't judge me too harshly for analyzing names in tv shows, okay?)  After watching for a little while, though, I started to feel differently, and now I think it's totally fine to mix up name styles for siblings.  They can still sound perfect together.  (This is different to me than naming one child something really out there while giving the other child(ren) very traditional or common names, though.  Theo, Michael, Amos, and Claire - yes.  Different styles, for sure, but still lovely together.  Theo, Michael, Skyscraper, and Claire - no.  That just seems mean [and strange] to me.)

Buuuut where were we?  Styles.  I'm glad that Parenthood came along and changed my mind because I like a lot of names that aren't necessarily matching styles.  Catherine, Elizabeth, Suzanne, Anne - all great.  But then I also like Margot, Loretta, Evangeline, etc.  Hell, I even like Beatrix and Winnifred from time to time.  We're talking years down the line, obviously, but when I have to start naming kids I'm cool with combining styles, both within each name (different styles for first and middle) and between siblings.  I'm also totally into the idea of two middle names - you get to use more names plus it's easier to include saints names, or family names if theoretical future husband wants family names in there.  

One last thought before the article's prompt.  

When it comes to names that invoke a sense of power, I think there's an imbalance between names for boys and names for girls.  

Heavy-hitters for boys: Augustine, Alexander, Theodorus, Miximilian, Maximus, Ignatius, Aquinas, Leonardo, Nicodemus among many, many others.  

Heavy-hitters for girls: ....it's hard to think of any that give the same feel as the names above.  I think Victoria and Elizabeth come closest because they're royal names.  Anastasia and Antoinette close behind.  But still, none of those seem to pack the same punch as the male names.  I mean, Maximus???  

I think it's probably a result of history being written largely by and for men.  So maybe we'll see a shift.  

(Alexandria and Cleopatra also feel like contenders, but then you might not be able to escape the feel of Egyptian influence.  Not a bad thing, but not what everyone might be going for with a name.)

There are plenty of powerful and influential women to name girls after.  The names themselves just don't seem as grand.  

OKAY.  So, that link.  It's a Nameberry prompt to name your theoretical triplets.  My kind of people.  I'd be terrified at the thought of carrying and birthing triplets, but naming them?  f-u-n   

There are a couple hundred responses so far.  I haven't read many, but I did read one from a woman who loves Frederick, Theodore, and Edward - but then has the Fred-Ted-Ed dilemma.  I feel her.  I love those names as well.  

IF I had triplets, I'd probably try to incorporate the archangels in their names.  You know, groups of three and what not. 

(If I had to name triplets, I might not necessarily use the same names I'd pick if I were to have le singleton or twins because if I had multiples I'd want to connect their names in some way, which means I might pick different names based on sound.  Example - I love the name Harriet but might not use it for triplets since I'd want to use the Archangels' names and I don't love the sound of Harriet paired with any of them [Michael, Gabriel, Raphael].)

Triplets - three girls

Starting with the archangels - Of the three, Michael is my least favorite name when it comes to the feminine forms.  I wouldn't use Michelle (nice name, just not my taste) and I'm not overly fond of Michaela, either.  But... would scrambling some of the letters in Michael to form a new name count?  Because if so - Alice is a nice name, and includes all but two of Michael's letters.  The other two options I'd consider would be just using Michael, but making it a middle name, or using Mico/Miko.  (Miko is a real name - I don't know if Mico is, but Nico is so it's not that far-fetched.)  I like both Gabrielle and Gabriela, and Raphaela is nice, though I'd only use it if I found myself having to name triplets.

Margot Raphaela Elise 

Mico Grace Victoria (probably would go by Grace or Victoria)

Catherine Rose Gabrielle (or possibly Catherine Gabriela Rose)  

While I like the names, I don't love the cadence in all of them.  I guess that's what happens when you feel the need to include three masculine names.... 

Triplets - three boys

Gabriel Francis Owen (would go by Gabe) 

James Patrick Michael (possibly nicknamed Patch)

Hugo Lewis Raphael     

If I'm using the archangels in the names, I definitely prefer the boy options.  

Two girls, one boy

Margot Raphaela Elise 

Mico Grace Victoria 

Gabriel Francis Owen

Two boys, one girl

Margot Raphaela Elise

Gabriel Francis Owen

James Patrick Michael 

If I didn't try to use the names of the archangels (which... after seeing how difficult it is, I probably would not) the names that come to mind first are:

All boys: Teddy, Sam, and Arlo.  

(Well, Theodore and Samuel, but you get it.)  Those might change after looking for middle names that sound good, but that's another day's post.  

All girls: Madeleine, Loretta, and Vivienne. Again, might change with middle names.

I asked Liz what she'd name theoretical triplets.  Her choices are swoon-worthy. 

All girls: Abigail, Felicity, and Genevieve 

All boys: Samuel, Alexander, and Oliver 

She and I have some overlapping taste in names.  

(Nameberry also did a what-would-you-name-quintuplet-boys - maybe we'll tackle that another day.) 

Longest post ever?  Possibly.  

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Charlotte