the name game

Friday, February 28, 2014

Dear Olive, 
We need help! We're struggling to come up with a name for this next baby. With you, I came across the name Olive when I was about 14 weeks pregnant, and it was the only name I had for the rest of my pregnancy; there was smug comfort in knowing that if we had a girl, she'd be called Olive (and funnily, enough, we never decided on a boys name at all). You suit Olive, and Olive suits you, and even though it's growing popularity is a teeny tiny bit irritating (I'd never even heard of another Olive before you!), I still really love it. With this pregnancy, there's been no single name in my head the whole time. And the added complication this time, is that on top of Shane and I having to agree (which is tricky enough in itself), it feels like the new baby name somehow needs to match a little with yours. Unfortunately, prior to getting pregnant, my top names were all other foods. (I can't really have an Olive and a Basil, or an Olive and a Ginger, can I??) The other tricky factor is that we seem to know so many people with kids, that it feels a little as though all the good names have already been used up.
You've been of no help - you cried when we said we probably wouldn't use your suggestions of Rainbow Butterfly or Sparkles. My friend Claire, however, has been hugely helpful - sending me bunches of long texts, overflowing with name ideas (nicknames included!), many of which I adore. And now Imi is getting in on the name list action, sending me a long and comprehensive list too! (Thank you - keep them coming, ladies.)
While there are some definite front runners, somehow, we can't seem to settle on The One. (Well two, seeing as we need one for a boy and one for a girl.) Perhaps I need to let it go, that it's ok if this baby is just be "the baby" for it's first few days or weeks of life. THE name will come eventually ... right?

What names are you loving at the moment? Want to take a guess at our top names or help us out with some suggestions?

34 comments:

hello milky said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
hello milky said...

We've known since way before I was pregnant what our baby will be named if it's a girl. I find boys a bit harder and since our last name is Kelly and my favourite boys name is Ned, unfortunately I've had to come up with an alternative... (Ned Kelly would be cruel, right?) x

oscarlucinda said...

Love a good naming post - my favourite ;)

I struggled with boys names. When I was pregnant with Sass we loved the name Sonny for a boy. My mum, who is normally so laid back and not an interfering type, would not hear of it! We then realised that we kind of wanted a name that wouldn't be so 'foreign' for K's Brazilian family and so when I was pregnant the second time, the name Félix had started to grow on us. If he was to be a girl, we had picked, and fallen in love with, the name Lucille.

(Other names I liked, but were scratched for one reason or another: Paloma, Ophelia, Lucio, Amos & Kitty…come on, use Kitty! Wouldn't she be a hoot of a gal!?) xxx

Luisa Esquire said...

My friend named her son Silas, which I thought you might like. Poppy for a girl?

Luisa Esquire said...

There was also a Tigerlilly at the playground last week...I live in San Francisco.

Lou said...

Oh names! How I love them - except when it comes to naming actual babies...that's *much* harder!

Some names that are still floating around on my wish list...

Juniper (oh had Cedar been a girl, this would have been THE ONE - now we can't really use it...I mean, two trees in the family?)
True
Tallulah
Reverie
Ottilie
River
Crusoe (I'm a sucker for literary names!)
Wolf (and animal names!)
Jude

...

I may be back with more ;)

Nicole said...

My sister named her third baby Clancy Raine. I've always thought that name was awesome. What about Willow for a girl?

I think Basil or Ginger would be absolutely fine :D

Astred*designcherry said...

I'm the same with Archer. Before he was born we didn't hear of anyone called archer or Archie then bam! Ever second kid on the playground is an Archie.
I am with the comment above, Kitty is a delicious name.

I was going down the birdie track with my girls names

And YES you can have two food names, love Ginger. Love it!!

Unknown said...

I love my boy's name - Jude. I also love the name Olive but because it was my Nan's name I would feel like I am pinching her name, so it will probably end up as a middle name if we ever have a girl.
I love name post's - so many good ideas!
Check this out for ideas
http://www.swistle.com/babynames/

Unknown said...

When we found out we were having a boy this time around, we were a tiny bit disappointed...we knew if it was going to be a girl we would have called her Freya (or Fraia). We are having a boy and have no idea about names other than I love the name Arlo but not sure if that will work with our last name (but leaning towards yes). I know what you mean about matching to their sibling. Our girl's suggestion was Frank..no idea where she got that from but she is pretty adamant about it.

Eliza said...

Names can be so hard can't they. What about Marlow for a girl.
Olive and Marlow sound good together I think.
Olive and Louie
Olive and Billy

Anonymous said...

Names we loved but didn't end up using

Juniper
Priya
Octavia

Magnus was the only boys name we both liked and Ty's cousin has since used it.
I also loved Lupe but Ty disapproved of the double wolf in the name.

I love Ginger and Basil, but could never use Basil as we had a pet sheep named that.

Ginger is really lovely and not too matchy with Olive.

Coraline is a lovely one that a friend used.

I'm sure the feeling will come that you've found the name if not while pregnant when you see their lovely face.

KERRY said...

Names are so tough - I feel for you! Just like you, I had one name throughout my first pregnancy - Maisie. So lucky for me, she was a Maisie. So we have Maisie Ellia, Albert (Bertie) Cecil, and Otto Caspar.

Boys names for us are a nightmare - we hardly like any at all! Although since having Otto, the name Atticus has come to light, but Dan doesn't like it....not that we're having anymore (I think.....). We were so convinced that Otto was going to be a girl...we had the name ready - he was going to be Pippi Ena (my gran is Ena). I also like Primrose and Hetty.

Good luck! I am so familiar with your predicament! xxx

tea with lucy said...

Well I'm pretty sure we are done at 3 babies so you can have the ones we didn't use! Edith Maude was our girls name and the big kids wanted Oscar to be johnny handsome. Go on. Do it!

Rachel xx

Project Rabbit said...

I'm much better with girls names, but getting my husband to agree is another thing. He came up with Darcy and I do love it, although I'm hearing it more these days. We also have a Finley (Finn for short). We are expecting another in July (boy) and trying to convince my husband on the name August.

Joanna said...

Well this is a timely post as I'm currently 39 weeks, and still no decision on a boy's name! We have a girl's name but are still up in the air for the boy. But I don't feel overly stressed about it which makes me think that perhaps we're having a girl... or perhaps I'm just in denial?!
Boys names have always been hard... Leo was unnamed for almost a week. And now of course it suits him to a tea (though we have the same thing as you, where it's become more popular since we had him). It's just so hard having to agree, and having to find something that works in both English and French. We have lots of lovely French names that just sound terrible in English!
Anyway, I'm obviously no help to you... but am reading comments here and on instagram with a keen interest! Good luck! xx Jo

Unknown said...

I wanted Beatrice (so I call my little girl 'baby-beets') but my husband wouldn't have it. We chose Eden (Edie). Now I love the name August for a girl and

Unknown said...

(Cut out) Obadiah for a boy.

Iliska Dreams said...

We had Jagger picked out if our bump was a girl. Jagger Ma. Just worked, plus it was my partner's great grandma's name. But then the song "moves Like Jagger" came out and I knew we could not use it. On the way to the hospital to give birth we heard and interview on the radio with Cosmo Jarvis. Some how it clicked and as soon as my tummy wash cut open we knew you were a Jarvis.
Justin and I both had a list of three and we thought we would wait to meet you. So maybe you need to meet this little one and they will 'tell you" their name?

akenney said...

When we were looking at names, we spent a fair amount of time looking up things from nature: tree names, plant names, flower names... I found some really sweet ideas. My son's name is made up and my daughter's name is Scottish decent and gained from a novel I read years prior. You'll find what you are looking for in the strangest places sometimes. :)

akenney said...

When we were looking at names, we spent a fair amount of time looking up things from nature: tree names, plant names, flower names... I found some really sweet ideas. My son's name is made up and my daughter's name is Scottish decent and gained from a novel I read years prior. You'll find what you are looking for in the strangest places sometimes. :)

tonia said...

Ginger was floating around when i was playing the name game. Its a beautiful one!

Nikki Fisher said...

River or Sol :) Isla and Lola were on our list had we of had girls. A friend named her little girl Clover which I think is sweet. I do like Rose. But yes, the name comes along eventually and even when you have your short list you generally want to wait to meet the babe before deciding. I noticed Wolf mentioned in a comment, Pete suggested that when I was pregnant with River and I said there was no way I was going to be breastfeeding a baby named Wolf!! xx

Anna said...

What about Frida vor Rosa for a girl and Pepe or Levi for a boy? I always loved those names. However for our own two girls we chose Klara and Luise. But I'm from germany, so maybe these names would sound totally strange in Australia :)

Kezia-Eloise said...

If I were to have a little boy right now I would call him Felix or Vincent.

Babies do have a habit of naming themselves though so I wouldn't worry too much about it, lol.

keziaeloise.blogspot.co.uk

Kezia-Eloise said...

Or Tobias.

Col | Hello Olive Designs said...

Rewind a year and I could have written this post! With my first son we also had a name chosen very early and we were absolutely certain it was the right one. With no.2 it took ages to decide, and you're right, the names have to 'match'. No. 2 had a nickname when he was in my belly and for ages afterwards it felt weird calling him by his real name - the odd nickname felt much more natural. I love his name though so don't worry, you'll get there in the end :-)

livingwiththefolks said...

I think Basil is great - and it goes so well with Olive!!!

I have always liked the name Chester, and I haven't heard that one getting used lately.

Imogen Eve said...

So many lovely suggestions – I particularly like Ned, Arlo, Jude, Frank, August, Leo, Edith, Ginger and Frida. Any of those would make lovely sibling names with Olive.

When I think of Olive, the first namesake that comes to mind is Olive Cotton (whose middle name is interestingly Edith). Any of her contemporaries would also make a great sibling name imo!

Boys ideas – Max, Fred, Harold
Girls – Thea, Tempe, May,

I also love the idea of Coral or Hazel, if you don't mind both your children having colour names.

It's funny, when your pregnant and choosing the name it can feel so daunting. Looking back now though I can see with clarity that my children couldn't be any other name!

ps the names that got away for me were Fern, Margaret and Horace ... Rodge couldn't stand any of them.

Lori said...

My friend has a son named Ever, which I just love!! My son's name is Murphy and I'm pregnant and also feel that this baby's name must "match". The girl name I like the most right now is Anna. I love the name Olive. I think Millie sounds good with it, for a girl. Those are my dog's names - Millie and Olive! Don't be offended please!

Victoria said...

The names I like now are nothing like those I would have chosen years ago when our girls were born. For a girl how about Clementine, Hazel, Lanie, Mylah, Lilla, Sandrine, Tully, I have no boys and believe it was fate because we could never agree on a fella's name! We came up with Griffin and Nate, but couldn't agree on either. I liked Cole and Lloyd but my husband assured me they were names of older American bankers!

rmforde said...

My daughter is Ramona, but Ivy, Lark and Hazel were also in the running. Boys names though...they are hard. Although friends just had a little boy called Ruben which is really sweet.

Unknown said...

I've been dreaming of names since we started our first Ivf treatment.

I even wrote a list, but lost it. So if I'm lucky enough to get pregnant, I have to write a new one.

My problem is that I like SO many names that is not typical in Norway. Names my man NEVER would call our child. hehe..

the SAGA by Steinsdotter.

evie dear said...

I love naming babies, I've got Evie and Dexter. The boys names I didn't get to use are Aubrey, Gene, Kit, Oscar, Clay and Jude. And I'm still loving Agnes (Aggie) for my imaginary next babe :)

 

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