Since we're having so much fun in the middle names thread....

What will you (or did you) name your spawn?

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

Answers

Jack if it's a boy, Lillian if it's a girl.

In June. Uh, yeah. I am. Due in June.

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

I will name the girls, but Hubby will have a say-so, and for the first I am leaning toward Caroline + MyMaiden or Marjorie + MyMaiden.

The boys will be up to him, but I will have a say-so; I'm assuming he'll have family names we need to pull from.

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

Considering that the Estimated WriterSpawn Arrival Date is currently floating between 2005 and 2006, it's silly of me to do this now . . . but I'm a silly person, I guess.

Right now I'm all about Nathaniel for a boy and Rebecca for a girl. And like I said in the other thread, the first WSpawn gets Joseph or Josephine as a middle name.

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

Aidan! What? Shut up! Congrats!!!!

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

Oh, baby names. I love them. For girls, there's Amelie, Catherine, Caroline (love you, PG), and another one I have forgotten.

For boys, there's Cam. It cannot be explained. It just is.

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

Caroline is my grandmother's name, Marjorie my mother's. I figure Marjorie is a lot to stick a kid with, but she could be either Maggie (like my mom was) or even Meg (which would sort of be like my best friend Megan, who is namesake-worthy).

I love Katherine. But, the boy whose babies I want to have had two exes names Katie, and we had a heinous fight over one of them. So, if I spawn with him Katherine is not an option.

But, also on names... if I spawn with him, I can't really go with Caroline or Katherine or Marjorie, because both our last names are so long. The poor child would be in the third grade before she could spell the whole thing. So, spawning with that particular boy means Emma or Anna or Jane.

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

heh I don't think I'm spawning but cute names. Alexandra and Cassandra for girls. Lloyd and Cameron for boys.

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

May I express my utter hatred for the word "spawn"?

Thank you. Carry on.

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

I got The Smoker to agree: our son will NOT receive Austin, Tyler, or Cody as a name. Mainly because I thought those the three most likely names his brother and sister-in-law will use.

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

Yes! Congratulations Aidan!

As I mentioned in the middle names thread, my son's name is Matthew. He doesn't like Matt. If he had been a girl, it would have been Amanda. After my sister's cat. Well, I mean, I like the name and it happens to be the cat's name.

My husband liked the old-fashioned names out of his family history book like 'Ephraim.' Urgh. Ain't no way I was going to saddle a kid with what I consider a wierd name. I liked Ezra, but it's my father-in-law's name, and I thought it would just be odd to use it.

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

And Aidan, I am Dorky Dorkerson who had to read your post SIX TIMES to get it to sink into my self-centered head. Congrats! If my math is right, this means you're past the first trimester, yes?

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

Eleanor for a girl. The boy's name is Partner's choice, and it will be Francis.

If I have 2 girls, the second girl will be Abigail.

There is no god who would give me only boys. I need a daughter.

Yay Aidan! When can we see some progress pictures?

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

Girl: Kaylin Anazi (my mother is Kennie Lyn, my grandmothers middle is Anazi...) Boy: Christopher Wylie (my grandpa's middle name was Wylie, and Christopher could change depending on if I marry a Chris or not.)

Had 'em picked out since I was sixteen, y'all...

-- Anonymous, December 07, 2001

Aidan! Congratulations!! I love the name Lillian, by the way....feminine and strong at the same time.

-- Anonymous, December 08, 2001

Damn, PG, sometimes I think you're up in my head. I can't use my fave name either, Kathleen, as a middle name because of the evilness of the one who came before me. I may do it anyway, though.

And my other choices are Caroline and Jane. (Pronounced Caroline, not Carolyn.)

-- Anonymous, December 08, 2001

What's up with everyone stealing my names? (Emma, Caroline, Jack [but of course his name would be John] - all family names as well.)

I made the mistake of telling my friend that I used to want boy twins becasue I would name them Jacob and Joshua (Jake and Josh). You realize that this will never die, right? "Hey! How are Jake and Josh?" "What's up with ole Jakers and Joshie?"

-- Anonymous, December 08, 2001

I love Emma to whoever said that. So pretty. So Jane Austin.

Girls: Kate, Ryan, anything that sounds like a boy's name, although I know a girl named Livingston, so not that...poor girl Boys: Brian, Jake

-- Anonymous, December 08, 2001

Re: male names for girls -- I think it can work really well, particularly when the name gives you & your kid options for alternate forms.

I once made the mistake of telling my Mom I wanted to name one of my future daughters Emerson Louise and call her Emma or Emmylou. I felt like a total naming genius! I could get around the insane popularity of "Emma", give my kid a fairly normal girly middle name if she wanted to use it, and a strong literary name if she wanted that. My Dad was pleased, (he'd wanted to name my youngest sister Emma, but my his sister my Auntie said that she'd call the new baby "Enema" if he did that, and so Charlotte became the name of choice. Hee. Plus, he's all in love with Emmylou Harris, so there were points all around from him. Hi, this is turning into The Parenthetical Aside That Ate My Post.) but my Mom was all sniffy about Emerson being a WASPy name. Whatever. It's still one of my favourite creations.

-- Anonymous, December 09, 2001

Mary Cleo (who T has already insisted upon calling "Miss Cleo" for the poor child's whole life and Maggie Inez for girls. For boys I don't know yet.

Congratulations Aidan!

-- Anonymous, December 09, 2001

My daughter has a name that is both a boy's and girl's name, Schuyler. Mostly, though, it is sort of a "WTF?" name, at least until people hear it pronounced. ("skyler")

Whatever. If that's the worst I do for her, she's getting off easy.

-- Anonymous, December 09, 2001

My neice is Sage, and my father swore that everyone would call her Sagebrush Sam (wha? huh?) and tease her about her name throughout life until she died a cold and lonely death all because of her so- weird name.

All the time I worked in child care, I noticed that there were more "unique" names than classic. I can't count the Tylers and Taylors, Jordans and McKennas, Baileys and Storms. All of the children seemed to have unisex names except for the girls who had exceptionally traditionally masculine names.

I doubt the children of our generation will be scarred by the names we give them, as they'll be so occupied trying to learn the multiple spellings of Riannon and Airyana. Want to fuck your kid up? Name him Vagina. Anything less will just seem passe to the rest of his class.

-- Anonymous, December 09, 2001

And my other choices are Caroline and Jane. (Pronounced Caroline, not Carolyn.)

Yes, Allison, thank you thank you. I can't stand people that mix up CaroLINE and CaroLYN. And my child will be "Caroline," not "Carrie" or "Caro."

I know this makes me so 1950's, but I am all about very traditional first names, or surname-as-middle-name, and nothing else. When I meet someone whose middle name is a surname, I always assume that they are of the family with that name. Often I am wrong.

-- Anonymous, December 09, 2001

I have always wnted to name a daughter Anna. My mother's name is Bonnie Belle (a derivative of Bonnabe l), and I thought it would be precious to name my girl Anna Bonnabe l, and call her Annabelle. As I'm marrying a man whose last name starts with "Anna" (the sound, not the word), I just don't think I could pull it off. So sad. And HIS mother's middle name is Louise, so I've suggested Anna Louise. He still isn't biting, which is understandable, except...

He wants to name our first son Abraham Moses. C is a big Lincoln fan, so I get the Abraham part, and I do think that Abe is a precious name for a boy, and also for a grown man (how the name will look on a resume is something to consider, for sure). But Moses? C said that he will call the boy "Abey Mo." He's dead serious. And that's not all. See, C's last name - in addition to starting with "Anna" - ends with "wicz" (pronounced "witz). So, naming our son Abraham Moses _____wicz will sound a little Old Testament, you know? Which is fine, except we're Catholic, and I think that it might lead to spiratual confusion for poor Abey Mo that we might otherwise be able to avoid.

-- Anonymous, December 10, 2001

PG, I completely agree with you about first-name-first and surname- middle. It makes no sense to have all these little children named Sawyer, Layton, McKenzie, Palmer - even Emerson - leaving you have no idea of their gender, or anything else. A man at my office has three bright, precious children, Griffin, Spencer, and Layton. Which one is his daughter? Are any of them actual family names? Drives me nuts. Give me Anna Louise any day.

-- Anonymous, December 10, 2001

My fiancee and I have chatted about this topic casually. I adore my name and would love to give it to a daughter, but I think that may be too narcissistic. But then again, men do it all the time, so why shouldn't we? Anyway, if I do have a Catherine, she'll be called Cate, I think. My favorite uncle is a John-called-Jack, so I love that one, but I also think Sam is great. I'm also all about Grace.

-- Anonymous, December 10, 2001

I actually think Anna sounds fine with C's last name. Except Annabelle and his last night doesn't really go. Clash-of-cultures sounding.

And I don't care if Emma is getting trendy, I adore it. I want to name my daughter either Emma Jeannette (my grandmother's name) and call her Emma Jean, or Emma Kathryn (which is my great-aunt's exact name, but she went by Kate). [Although I'm not too sure I even WANT a daughter. Shocking, I know.]

I can't tell you my son's name because I actually want to use it, and I don't want to jinx myself. But it's already been given approval.

-- Anonymous, December 10, 2001

I hope that Emma becomes untrendy, because I'm partial to it, but will not be naming my child anything for which they will have to be forever known in school as Emma 1 or Emma 2 or Emma C. or Emma T. or whatever.

Unfortunately the women in my family at least four generations back all have long names, so if I marry That One Boy with the Long Surname, I will be screwed. My mother's middle name was Louise, which I've considered as a nice shorter first name, and also because I am partial to the nickname "Lucy", although I know it traditionally evolves from Lucille, and also will be hell for teasing. But, I just don't think it's appropriate to take a middle name from an older generation and use it as a first name.

Oy! too many decisions!

-- Anonymous, December 10, 2001

See, I'm kind of torn on that. One of T's cousins has a surname as first name and it's beautiful. If it's an actual family name, I'm okay with it. My grandmother's maiden name is Morrow, which I love like you have no idea. But I couldn't saddle a child with that as a first name, especially when you consider it would soon turn into a Laurl and Hardy sketch.

"Give it to Morrow."

"No, I really need to do so today."

"I know. Give it to Morrow."

"No. This needed to be taken care of yesterday!"

"So give it to Morrow!"

-- Anonymous, December 10, 2001

But, I just don't think it's appropriate to take a middle name from an older generation and use it as a first name.

I misread that. I was thinking surname as first name. Why don't you think middle name can be used as first name?

-- Anonymous, December 10, 2001

My grandmother's maiden name is Morrow...

Hannah: My mother's maiden name was Morrow. This is how, to this day, I remember how to spell tomorrow. Oh your L&H skit just cracked me up.

-- Anonymous, December 10, 2001

well, it's not that you couldn't use a middle name as first name. There's no rule! But with the pool of names that I in particular have to choose from, it wouldn't work out right.

e.g., my mother's name was Marjorie Louise. Why would I pick up the Louise, a name she never used and dropped when she got married, instead of the Marjorie? (margarine, marjoram) See what I mean?

Now, the Caroline is a middle name -- my grandmother's full maiden name was Christina Caroline Calloway. But she hated the Christina and never ever used it. In fact, I didn't know Caroline wasn't her first name till about three years ago. So, I feel okay about using that one.

But it seems odd to me to pick up a middle name that was almost nothing more than an honorary, and use that as a first name - as in the case of my Louise/Lucy.

-- Anonymous, December 10, 2001

The tradition, where i am from, of naming babies, is so complex that you need an advanced degree to breed, I swear.

It is all 'if/then' programming....If the first child is a boy, then his name is Dad's Full Name, II (or III, or IV, etc). If the first child is a girl, she gets whatever first name you want to give her, plus her mother's maiden name as a middle name. If the second child is a boy, his first name is his mother's father's name, and his middle name is either his mother's maiden name, or his father's mother's maiden name. If the second baby is a girl, you name her what you want for her first name, and your best friend's first name as her second name. Many of my friend's children have 2 middle names, to accomodate all of the family names that they want to bring down thru their kids, which is lovely, but screws up the monogram. You can't win.

I want to have two little girls, and name them Hilary and Jillian. Then I want to send them to boarding school until they are old enough to buy my cigarettes for me at the corner store.

-- Anonymous, December 10, 2001

First of all -- I'm sorry it seemed I ditched on the congrats, I took a much-needed vacation day yesterday and got my Christmas shopping done. Can I get a HALLELUJAH?

Second -- thank you guys for the congrats!! Yes, as of Thursday I will be past the first trimester. And yes, I have a progress picture because my OB-GYN couldn't find a heart beat. MILD PANIC. So I got an ultrasound at 10 weeks and I'll be happy to share even if it looks like everybody else's ultrasound pictures at 10 weeks.

The joy/sheer terror of this whole thing could be its very own thread, let me tell you.

-- Anonymous, December 11, 2001

And to bring it back on topic: a boy will be named after my husband (and my father, they happen to have the same name) but we'll call him by a nickname, Jack. Lillian would be after my deceased grandmother who I never got to meet, we would probably call her Lily. We haven't decided on middle names although I like William (husband's brother and father). I would like to honor my living grandmother, but her name is Ruth Mabel and it's kind of sad to saddle a baby with an old- fashioned first name AND middle name. I could give her my middle name, Elizabeth, but damn. That's kind of complicated with all those syllables. Y'all are really warming me up to Caroline. It's so pretty, but I don't like any of its nicknames. And as you can see, we're big on the nicknames.

I always said I'd name a girl Aidan (not my real name, obviously) but the husband vetoed it immediately. Hated it.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

I think Lillian Elizabeth is pretty, but I guess if you have a long last name if might be a mouthful.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

Oh Hannah! You'd have a little girl named Lilly Beth. I think that's the sweetest name I've heard yet.

I have a great love for Ls, and am currently trying to persuade the Partner to see the beauty in Lola, Lily, Lyla, and Loulou (stop laughing).

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

I think Robyn just named my daughter. Lily Beth! That's way better than Emma Jean. (Of course now Aidan's going to have to think of a new name.)

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

Sorry, HB, I think I can beat you to it. ;)

"Everyone, I'd like to introduce our son, Lily Beth."

Actually another option is my great-grandmother's name, Isabelle. I like Lillian Isabelle better than Lillian Elizabeth, even though it's got that "two old lady names" flavor. But Lily Belle??? Get out of here. This HAS to be a girl!

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

I love them both. What's your last initial?

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

P. OOOOO! LIP! Lillian Isabelle it is!!!

Of course now that I've got this all straightened out, it will be a boy. Of course.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

But then you could name him John Isaac (Issac?) and have "JIP."

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

Y'all, last night I dreamed The Smoker and I had two adorable little girls with curly blonde hair, a baby and a toddler. When we split up (meaning, when we had to go to two different places as dictated by dream events, not when we divorced) he took the toddler and I carried the baby, whom I called Lily.

Apparently my baby lust is stronger than I thought.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

I think we might single-handedly increase the popularity of the name Lillian.

-- Anonymous, December 14, 2001

Well, we're certainly doing it more favors than Once & Again . . .

Aidan, XanderTot's real name is Jack. Not John, Jack.

-- Anonymous, December 14, 2001

And I've been wanting to say forever that I love the names of the little girls on that show According to Jim - Ruby and Grace. How sweet is that?

-- Anonymous, December 20, 2001

I have a whole list of uncommon names I love, like Tiana, which is the name of my street, and Sierra, Adele, etc. I've always loved my name though, Kyra Josephine...I don't know, at least I don't have to make any decisions any time soon

-- Anonymous, December 27, 2001

There's been a small change of plans with the girl's name we have picked out. Now we like Lillian Jane, Jane being my husband's paternal grandmother's name. Maybe we'll call her LJ. Every time she makes a basket she can do the "L" thing with her arms.

In other news, I'm getting fat. Either I ate too much cheesecake over Christmas or the baby had a growth spurt.

-- Anonymous, December 28, 2001

Aidan! You're naming your baby after my paternal great-grandmothers (Pernie Jane and Lillian Adele)!

-- Anonymous, December 28, 2001

For boys I like...Devlin, carlin, cedric, and kayin(not kaylin, kayin) and for girls I like...amiina, avia, kendra, damita, adara, and kalle

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2002

I love my girls' names Nora and Olivia. Actually my husband named Olivia... I really liked Vivian for her... but we call her Livi. Lillian is a beautiful name. I especially like the way it looks written out on paper. I think that is of some importance when selecting a name.

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2002