Step Right Up! Name This Baby!

Baby naming is not the easiest task for me or Sam. It's not that we don't like talking about names, because we do, and we have for years and years. In fact, I have been following a blog, Baby Name Wizard, long before our first pregnancy. It's fun to read discussions and analyses of baby naming from someone who really studies, analyzes, and puts a science to it.

We just aren't passionate about any one name, and we have definite opinions about what we don't like. And then there are just so many names that are mediocre to us.

With Winston, we kind of narrowed down a list and kept them all in mind as we welcomed him into our arms the night he was born. It still took a few hours, but Winston Jack was the final choice--even though when we asked for some opinions, we didn't get the most exciting responses. But that's just the parents' prerogative, right?

The girl names we considered before we knew Winston was a boy don't really hit our fancy any more. I was kind of hoping this baby would be a boy, because of all the names we considered for Winston, there is one and only one other that I still like, even more than I did 3 years ago. But, that name will have to wait, I suppose.

While Sam and I do disagree on some names, more often our problem is that we don't really like any specific name.

Here are some I like (note: I didn't say "love") that Sam has totally vetoed. 

- Ellanora

- Ebony (he says no because it is the color black...)

- Mariella

- Cora

- Coral

Here are some Sam likes that I totally vetoed.

- Lilyana (I do actually like Lily...but it's too popular for me)

- Natalia (it sounds too much like "nutella")

Sam really also likes Scarlett. I had to consider that for a while. Mostly all I could think of were things like, "though your sins be as scarlet," The Scarlet Letter, the color red (see Sam's veto above about Ebony...), Scarlett Johansson, and scar. Plus, it's a name climbing high in popularity, which we always shy away from, anyway. So, eventually I got that one off Sam's list. I still kind of like it, but all those connotations stand out in my mind first.

Here's a small list of others we considered for a short little while, that eventually have left our list of consideration.

- Winter (I don't think I want both a Winston and a Winter)

- Sunshine (kind of a joke to begin with, but it kind of grew on us, but not enough to seriously consider)

- Solana (that's sunshine in Spanish) 

- Star or Starlet

- Eloise

- Annabelle

- Violet

- Maeve
- Constance (as a joke)
- Hazel

- Evangeline

- Vivian or Vivienne

Along with the fabulous Baby Name Wizard website and blog (which has great charts to show the use of a given name, an awesome data base of names, and also a section with sibling names common with a name, plus more!), there is a great book The Baby Name Wizard by Laura Wattenberg, who is also the genius behind the website. 

This book is not a book with lists of names and their spellings and definitions. It includes definitions, common sibling names, popularity of the name, and also categorized names into styles. This was really cool. I loved the styles part. I found that the names we liked showed up in a few styles: "modern meanings," "charms and graces," and "why not?" The "why not?" style was one of my favorites--and the main reason I borrowed the book from the library. These names seem to fit in with fashionable and trendy names, but for whatever reason are not popular or common. Like "Max" is popular, but "Rex" is not. It's an interesting list, with lots that I like.

At the beginning of the pregnancy, I downloaded a few baby name apps on my phone. We spent a few minutes each night flipping through names. I randomly came across Juniper and laughed. We decided to joke around with this name as being a name of choice. Put it with our last name and it is even more hilarious. Some people's reactions have been well worth the joke.

But a funny thing happened. The name actually grew on me. I guess it's a good thing we have the last name we have, because I might be seriously pushing for Juniper. And what makes it even more funny is that it shows up on the "why not?" style list. Ha.

We often ask Winston "Where's the baby?" He usually giggles and says, "In mom's tummy." Then we ask him, "When is the baby coming out?" He replies, "When papa goes back to work." A little while ago we started asking him what we should call the baby. He came up with "Baby Alligator" all on his own. So, we've considered variations of Allison, but we're not satisfied.

So that's kind of the end of it. We still don't really have a favorite. Here's our very short list of possibilities--but we're still not in love (sigh).

- Belle

Wha ha ha. The kicker is that I really only want it as a middle name.

So, now we ask for your thoughts and input. We know everyone has opinions, and you know from Winston that we may or may not regard your opinion. But, we still want them.