It's a very special edition of the L&TM5K this week, as you the reader have been invited to participate in the naming of an actual human child!!!
Longtime readers will remember the former blogger ChuckDaddy, and may also remember that he left blogging two years ago shortly after the birth of his son, Elliott (AKA "Easy E.")
Well, once again the late summer finds Mrs. ChuckDaddy great with child. This time, however, there is a crisis: the happy couple find themselves completely unable to settle on a name for their imminent bundle of joy. (Despite, I might add, any number of suggestions from me, all of which were awesome. But whatever.) In their moment of need, they turn to the greatest concentration of brainpower known to humanity: the L&T readership.
Parameters
1) If you believe children should be labeled from birth with a marker that perpetuates the subtle tyranny of gender expectations, you will want to know that this is going to be a girl baby. That's right: a sweet, beautiful daughter, gentle and good.
2) "These," says Mrs. ChuckDaddy, "are our top five names":
3) Mrs. ChuckDaddy further asks us to attend to the following criteria:
4) Finally, the ChuckDaddies ask that "If your readers have reasons for liking or disliking the names, perhaps they might say why? If your readers have other suggestions perhaps they might want to share them?"
Editorial Interjection
Although she didn't specifically ask me to mention this, you will want to know that Mrs. ChuckDaddy goes by a "street name" -- Marsha -- that is not only quite lovely and charming, but has been represented in her family for the last six generations. Oddly, I do not see it on the list above, despite that Mrs. Chuckdaddy is an only child and thus the only person capable of continuing this wonderful and venerable tradition.
Now, I would certainly never want to imply that Mrs. ChuckDaddy has a "duty" or a "responsibility" to honor this precious tie with the past, and I'm not implying by any means that she is "betraying both her ancestors and her offspring" by breaking the sacred chain. By no means. I just feel that you, the L&T reader, should have all the facts available when making your recommendations.
Having Said That...
It's time to Name That Baby!
Leave your suggestions and comments in the, well, comments.
Longtime readers will remember the former blogger ChuckDaddy, and may also remember that he left blogging two years ago shortly after the birth of his son, Elliott (AKA "Easy E.")
Well, once again the late summer finds Mrs. ChuckDaddy great with child. This time, however, there is a crisis: the happy couple find themselves completely unable to settle on a name for their imminent bundle of joy. (Despite, I might add, any number of suggestions from me, all of which were awesome. But whatever.) In their moment of need, they turn to the greatest concentration of brainpower known to humanity: the L&T readership.
Parameters
1) If you believe children should be labeled from birth with a marker that perpetuates the subtle tyranny of gender expectations, you will want to know that this is going to be a girl baby. That's right: a sweet, beautiful daughter, gentle and good.
2) "These," says Mrs. ChuckDaddy, "are our top five names":
Fiona --347The numbers are the current ranking of the names among baby girls. No doubt they got this info from the Baby Name Voyager, which is absolutely the killerest app on all the internet for looking at 20th Century American cultural history. It may also be useful for baby naming.
Norah --476
Penelope --358
Sophia --7
Stella --186
3) Mrs. ChuckDaddy further asks us to attend to the following criteria:
- The name should go well with the baby's last name, which has already been settled on: Boone.
- The name should go well with her brother's name, Elliott. Because... you know how kids get picked on when their names lack resonance with those of their siblings? I guess?
- It should "suggest intelligence, confidence, and maybe even some sauciness thrown in for good measure."
4) Finally, the ChuckDaddies ask that "If your readers have reasons for liking or disliking the names, perhaps they might say why? If your readers have other suggestions perhaps they might want to share them?"
Editorial Interjection
Although she didn't specifically ask me to mention this, you will want to know that Mrs. ChuckDaddy goes by a "street name" -- Marsha -- that is not only quite lovely and charming, but has been represented in her family for the last six generations. Oddly, I do not see it on the list above, despite that Mrs. Chuckdaddy is an only child and thus the only person capable of continuing this wonderful and venerable tradition.
Now, I would certainly never want to imply that Mrs. ChuckDaddy has a "duty" or a "responsibility" to honor this precious tie with the past, and I'm not implying by any means that she is "betraying both her ancestors and her offspring" by breaking the sacred chain. By no means. I just feel that you, the L&T reader, should have all the facts available when making your recommendations.
Having Said That...
It's time to Name That Baby!
Leave your suggestions and comments in the, well, comments.
63 comments:
Here are my favorites from the list, in order of preference:
1. Fiona - not very common, a nice, simple sound. I can just hear Mrs. ChuckDaddy's voice pronouncing it - seems quite natural.
2. Penelope - love the name's long form, but would worry that people'd want to shorten it to Penny. But they could always be corrected, if Penelope was the preferred version. May be a little too long. Doesn't roll off the tongue quite easily, but it is beautiful & sounds GREAT w/ brother's name. Penelope & Elliott. Very literary.
3. Sophia - have always liked the name. Even the nickname Sophie, but, alas, it is just too common now.
I ever so humbly urge the ChuckDaddy family to scrap their list and go with... Cassandra. It's classical, has a certain verve, abbreviates well, and sounds really right to my ear in the context of, say, "Elliott and Cassandra, put down that [fill in the blank] and get in here right now!"
My first choice would have to be Stella. It just feels good in the mouth to say Stella Boone. And, even though she's younger, I find it particularly pleasing to put her name before Elliot's, "Stella and Elliot." Try it. It's very nice.
I'm not a big fan of Fiona, generally speaking, yet I too can imagine Mrs. ChuckDaddy enunciating it and making it sound completely lovely. Fiona Boone. Seems very Welsh.
Norah's nice, too, I suppose, but as someone with a soft mushy "R" in the middle of her name, I've discovered that most people in the world have difficulty pronouncing it.
Penelope and Sophia are lovely names, but I think better suited to dark-haired movie stars, which you are not likely to produce.
Although, Trena has a very good point.
I had an ancestor named Mahalia or Mahala (sources differ), which I like a lot. "May" for short. Mahalia Boone sounds good, but I know it's an odd name.
Of the choices, I like Norah or Penelope. Penny Boone. Cute.
penelope boone sounds the best when said out loud, but man, she's gonna grow up to be a wuss.
never name your kid stella. too many connotations. it's a beer and a very famous line in a movie. plus, it's so...rough sounding.
i have a friend who has a donkey named fiona, so she's kind of ruined that name for me, but i do like it. it seems a little exotic and goes well with the last name.
norah is sultry and smoky and mysterious.
sophia is classy and elegant.
my vote would be for norah or sophia.
i also like the name emma for a girl. sweet and kind and wholesome.
OH, how fun! Babies are great!
Historic background: we went with Laura Elizabeth--names from a great-great-grandmother and a grandmother, envisioning a sweet, gentle, good daughter who would go by "Beth." This child emerged screaming in rage and embarked on a career that still resonates in history: Attila the Baby. One Never Knows. Plus, about every other baby girl born in 1980 was named some version of Laura/Lauren/Laurel! Who knew?
Baby #2 was named for his two grandfathers: Nathaniel Emery, and spent the next two decades berating us for choosing "a name that NObody has." It did create the difficulties routinely attributed to unusual names. Plus, people persisted in shortening it to "Nate" (short for Nathan, NOT Nathaniel)...and Nat, Natty, 'Than, and "Jimmy" (based on a joke) are the names he goes by now.
Sorry for the digression, but all this is by way of illustrating (again) that the best-laid plans can prove to have unintended and unexpected outcomes...even when it comes to names.
Unless there is an ethnic connection, Fiona does not have that "ring" for me. Ditto Norah ...and the spelling will be a lifelong struggle. Sophias and Stellas are currently thick on the ground. I note that FOUR of the five names end with the soft A sound, so this indicates a preference.
Penelope...actually, Nelly is fun, but this is not a name I find lovable.
Marsha is...well, dated. It has been the subject of many jokes (John and Marsha)... and, while it fits elderly ladies, on a baby it bags and sags. However, middle names are a convenient place to park a tribute. Is there a variant or "meaning" of Marsha that could be substituted?
I propose:
Alexandra (variants: Alexis or Alexa)
Susan (variants: Suzette, Suzannah/Susanna)
Melanie (Melissa, Melinda)
Potentially these will work with a middle name of Marsha.
These are pretty to look at and match well with Boone and Elliott.
I think we can count on strong opinions and at least two new name suggestions per comment! this will add to the confusion! (How long before this baby makes her appearance??)
Danielle
I strongly believe that she should be named Marsha. This is why: My grandfather's family had a tradition going back to time immemorial of naming one's first-born son after his grandfather, so that the names went along merrily: George, John, George, John. My grandfather (John) ruined this by naming his first-born son John. Little Johnny died from an accidental overdose of anesthesia during a routine tonsillectomy at age 9. I wasn't going to mention this, because it's morbid and there's obviously no causal connection between the parents' hubris and the child's untimely demise. However, now that this question has been brought to my attention for a second time, I do feel a certain obligation.
Sophia is way, way too common to use. My sister was named Madeleine at a time when (unbeknownst to my parents) Madel(e)ine was a very popular girls name. She was thus doomed to a lifetime of duplicate Maddys. I would also be concerned about Stella, especially since it's the name of a pop-culture phenomenon.
I would think that whether it sounded good with the brothers name which depend very much on which order they went in. Personally, I think names ending in vowels are kind of awkward linked with names beginning in vowels, especially with "and", but I guess that's something that the parents in question will have to sound out for themselves.
The overall effect of this short list is interesting. The last named Boone has associations with the wild West for me, perhaps because of Daniel Boone, and they seem to be following the general trend of going back to old-fashioned names. So all of these little girls have a pioneer flavor to them. Except maybe Fiona, which does sound as though it has an ethnic connection.
Norah Boone is sweet and simple, and relatively rare for now. So I guess that's my favorite. Penelope sounds good too, although as someone else said, not lovable, so I think they would have to decide ahead of time on a nickname they felt comfortable with. (It also sounds better with Marsha as a middle name, should they decide on tradition after all.)
Pippi Longstocking
Bilbo Baggins
Gimli
Those last three names were jokes.
Here are some real ones:
June
Olivia
Eliza
Natalie
Fiona sounds like a nice name.
Regarding Karin's suggestion, I think it's only fair to point out that every time I ever saw Stella Boone, as long as we were both alive, I would shout "Steeelllllllla!" and then drop to my knees and let out a second, heartbreaking cry of "Steeeellllllllllllllla!!!" And I'd think it was a hoot. Every time.
Also, I will say that Rafe's status as a Very Young Person means that his vote should get extra weight, as he will not be far removed generationally from this girl we are discussing. Of his suggestions, I like "Pippi" the best.
I like Fiona, it matches pretty well with Elliot, and its not so close that it sounds the same, but it fits well together. Naming kids is hard.
Fiona, Norah, Sophia and Stella seem to be very popular names at the moment.
I like Penelope, because it doesn't end with the "uh" sound. It suggests intelligence, for sure! (No offense to Marsh-uh. My full name is Andre-uh.)
I suggest looking for a name that doesn't encourage gender expectations...
Michael5000, I once met a young woman whose doting parents had named her....Daisy. (Whether influenced by "Daisy and Demi" of Alcott's fiction or the maid in "Upstairs, Downstairs," or just a favorite garden staple, I know not.) In any case, in the 70's women were in the early days of struggling to be taken seriously, paid equally, and promoted deservedly...a battle not yet won...and Daisy felt that her given name was not helpful, to say the least. I thought it was an interesting cautionary tale.
Pippi, then, is playful, but it is more of a nickname. Think about whether you'd like your heart surgeon to introduce herself as "Doctor Pippi Boone..." Juuuust a little too frivolous?
This IS hard!
As a Kristin, I know how much it sucks to have a common name, and I know 3 Fiona's that were born in the last year. I love the name, but it might not be as uncommon as it once was thanks to Shrek. Also, she could be called an ogre...
I hate Norah Jones, therefore I cannot support that name either.
Love Sophia and I think it sounds great with Elliott, plus even though people think it's common, I don't know anyone with that name.
I also love the name Stella. (And Grace and Vivian - but since those aren't on the list, I guess that doesn't matter... but how awesome would Stella Grace Boone be?)
Hello, from soon-to-be-cousin Nick (age 10)
Stella is his 'favorite" because he thinks Stella Claire sounds better than Penelope Claire (we are assuming middle name is Claire - but not sure!)
He suggests: Amber
* Elliott & Amber - they go together like Max & Ruby - kid show)
Hi from Fanny (Charlie's sister/aunt-to-be)
* I like Stella a lot but I thought Mchael500 had a point about Stteeelllaaaa!
* Love Sophia but I see the "It" name factor
* Penelope is cute but I think you'd have to be very strict on people using full name or it'd end up as Penny
* Fiona, I think I could get to like this
* Norah with an 'h' will drive her and you crazy, if you really like Norah just spell it Nora! Not my
I'm betting this blog will not necessarily help you with name dilemma, but it's cute & fun : )
Sue Boone- mom/mother in law
I like Nora without an h, just because you will always have to say "with an h", just like you now have to say "Boone with an e" . I also like Stella and Sophie.
agreed. nora without an h. i had a friend named noah boone. worked for him.
i just say, though, i'm a little shocked that blythe isn't on th list since it's pretty much the most kickass name ever. no? it's not? in any case, i vote for more blythes in the world, so blythe boone! (i'm a b squared too, it rocks)
I'm not excited about any of these names; however, I have a GREAT name in mind. I think it should go well with her last name of Boone, and express her commanding and forecful nature. Therefore, let's throw BOOM-BOOM into the hat! Think of it... nay, let it flow off the tounge. BOOM-BOOM BOONE!
Badass, walking down the street with her head held high without a care in the world, that's my gal Boom-Boom.
Sure, you could go with some vanilla name but both you and your soon to be born daughter will regret every moment of it.
Go big, go bold, go BOOM-BOOM!
Apologies to everyone named Sophia, but not only has this become a widely popular name for humans it's also like the number one name for dogs and cats. Bleh.
All I have to say is try to choose a name that MEANS something to you. After 35 years of being a Melissa (which was the #7 most popular name in 1974) I am still cursing my parents.
Oh, and Nora (sans superflous H) gets my vote.
We have friends who got much earlier starts with the Baby Business...and who are now grandparents. We are congratulating people on brand-new Sophie/Sophias, Stella/Stella Roses, Graces, and even a Fiona.... so I agree that these have become very popular and oft-used.
My last few years of teaching, all of the young teachers were starting families, and they were naming their girls "Camdyn, Ashlyn, Kaylee"-- names that were a stretch and that will perhaps not wear well. There IS something to be said for "names that are in the family."
I liked Claire, suggested above. That IS pretty...and not too "out there."
I've always liked the name Elan (pronounced ay-LON, not like "Ellen"), which means "ardor inspired by passion or enthusiasm" (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/elan).
The list of the top five names contains names that are all beautiful--but, in my opinion, a bit overused right now (with the possible exception of Penelope). Penelope might me all right if not shortened to Penny, which I've never really liked.
Alright, I've been very circumspect up to now, but it's time to tip my hand. I don't like the top five:
Fiona -- where are we, County freakin' Claire?
Norah -- =Jones. Bleh. Like picking "Celine."
Penelope -- The "Penny" factor.
Sophia -- This one seemed all right, but apparently it's this generation's "Mary." Who knew?
Stella! -- STELLLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAA!
--------
So, moving on to other possibilities:
Cassandra -- I like it. Solid.
Mahalia -- Not bad. Although, maybe a little "February is Black History Month"? It's hard to say Mahilia without an implied "Jackson."
Emma -- Dude. Awesome.
Atilla the Baby -- Original, but maybe too Barbarian.
Danielle -- not bad.
Pippi -- as indicated above, awesome. Could you better conotate smarts, confidence, and sass? (And, with regards to how I would feel about a doctor named Pippi, I'll just say no worse than I feel about my ear, nose, and throat man, Dr. Flaming.)
Daisy -- aww...
Grace -- awesome
Amber -- not bad
Blythe -- OK, I didn't think anything could shake me from the obvious conclusion that of course MARSHA is the right name for this tyke, but I could definitely accept Blythe. It's a righteous name. I shall press this case further in person.
Boom-Boom -- I like.
Camdyn -- Really? That's a name? Well, I kind of like it, even if it sounds like a Pennsylvania mining town.
Elan -- Hmm, it's pretty, but do you really want your daughter to be the spirit of the French military?
MICHAEL5000's TOP FIVE as of 1 p.m. Tuesday
1. Blythe
2. Marsha
3. Grace
4. Pippi
5. Emma
6. Mahalia
7. Cassandra
OK, as a Susan born in the heyday of Susans, I just gotta say: I never found having a common name in any way emotional scarring. I've never even found it a nuisance, really. I made a phone call once at the age of nine or ten, in which I learned I was not always the first Susan that came to someone's mind. Memorable, obviously, but on the whole I don't think it was such a bad lesson for my young ego. I tend to feel a quirky sense of kinship with other Sues and Susans.
I think this is an important point if you're thinking of rejecting a name simply because it's popular. I do like Sophia, and I don't think your daughter is likely to doubt her unique place in the world just because she runs into a Sophie or two or three. I don't think the name has the hyper-trendy lameness of Madison or Brittany. It's pretty classic. Nor should you fear your friends and neighbors sneering at you for your lack of imagination, IF that's what you decide you like.
OK, more thoughts:
On what pairs well with Boone, I think you've done really well. I think it should be 2 or 3 syllables, because in English you don't want to be at the end of your full name after only 2 syllables. IMHO. Also nothing too rhymey-cutesy, no June Boone or Bonnie Boones. Or Boom Boom, sorry. I also thinking ending in a vowel sound is a good move before the B.
I'm afraid I've argued against Blythe Boone on all three counts here.
Of your top pre-screened picks, my top two would be Sophia or Norah/Nora. I know you like the pop-star spelling, and it does look prettier, though I'd ask you to at least consider the plainer, bookish Nora. I suppose Elliott With Two T's and Norah With an H do go well together.
Fiona's pretty, too, though my first reaction is, yes, a wee too Irish, and my second is, yes, feisty ogre love-interest.
If you'd ever been in the car with M5K and I when we drove through Stella, Washington, the cartoonish method acting shtick would have you fleeing the choice "Stella" in a blind panic. It is, in all other respects, a lovely name.
Finally, Penelope seems a surprise favorite with the crowd. I'm perhaps cursed by the Saturday mornings of my childhood to associate it with the pink-clad damsel Penelope Pitstop of Wacky Races fame. I've never known a Penelope in real life to get past that, though I have met several Pennies. Also, consider what you invoke with the mythological Penelope: the ultimate put-upon stay-at-home wife, most famous for tearing up her needlework every night while Odysseus is off making war and sleeping with enchantresses. Noble, maybe, but not my first pick for a 21st century role model. Also, Penelope Boone is quite microphone-unfriendly.
All that said, whatever you choose, she'll be great.
Then there IS the "sib factor." See how Elliott is wont to pronounce the name(s) under consideration.
This is how our elder child, Laura came to be "Lawa" en famille. (The NatMan took nearly eight years to get the R sound-- not unusual. So.. Sooner or later you just go along with the program.) Baby Girl Boone could end up being "Soapy" or "Gwace."
I think the name Susan is beautiful; in fact, had Nathaniel not been a boy, he was going to be Susan Carol. (Feel free to borrow.)
Maybe the Native American approach--wait for the personality to emerge and then pick the name? Then again...Attila the Baby might have been hard to outgrow. (And Laura did turn out to be just a lovely person ...eventually.)
The poor, poor ChuckDaddy-s are no doubt so very sorry they started down this path...
i like old-fashioned girl names like Josephine (Josie) and Eleanor (Nell) and Rose. Too bad it's not 1909.
Re: Mahalia -- they could go with the variant, Mahala. Ma-HAY-la. Mahala Claire Boone. I like it!
Really good feedback, and am secretly thrilled that Norah with an "h" is being so hated upon (I'd always imagined it w/o an "h").
Sue's impassioned defense of popular names was also very convincing, and has put "Sophia" back near the front for me (sorry Melissa).
And I'd never really thought of "Boom Boom" before (it's not in any of the baby books), but it might be a better middle name. Or perhaps I should just let that happen organically if she becomes a boxer.
But, clearly, nichim made the strongest argument. It has to be Marsha or she will die of tonsilitis by the time she is 9. Maybe we do Marsha "Boom Boom" Boone and just always refer to her as Boomy.
If you name her Boomy she will have explosive diarrhea for the first 2 years of her life.
What if you subdivide?
Mara Shoshanna? Mara Susanna?
Nora is dear, but then Marsha...it won't scan. (Who is Claire? Nora Claire works. Even Marsha Sophia Boone--M. Sophia Boone--is intelligent and confident, if lacking in sass. Aisde: I have found sass is under-appreciated, frankly, although entertaining for the sassy one.)
This baby will never believe what you have gone through! (None of them do.) Ah, well. Once you're in love, what's in a name?
I will call your daughter Soapy....
It's the fruit of your loins so call her what you will...
I like Stella a lot -- but prepared for years and years of "STE-LLLLLLAAAAA!"
Penelope is a beautiful name, but I agree that Penny is... not so much.
I like Blythe, Emma and Cassandra, too.
I love baby naming. Of all the names mentioned, my favorite name is Claire, which was almost the name of my second daughter, Aven. But "Boone" calls for 2 syllables in the first name and Claire for the second name.
Since I don't know the Chuckdaddy family, may I suggest the name Aven? (Rhymes with haven.) It is unusual and has an old-fashioned feeling about it that looks like you are going a little bit for the dried lavender and rose petal names.
Let's test my choice:
Aven Claire Boone. pass
Aven and Elliott pass
Elliott and Aven pass
Although Boom Boom Boone is really awesome too.
Norah makes me think of the Ibsen heroine whose husband abandons her when he finds out that she has conspired to save his life. Penelope I always want to pronounce to rhyme with "See the rope." Sophia evokes Sophie's choice. My only encounter with the name Stella is the wife of Fenton Harcourt Mudd on a not very good Star Trek episode. So I nominate ...
Fiona Marsha Boone
yessss! score two for blythe. i might mention that for some reason i named my dog claire. it's been one of my better decisions.
Okay final comment.
I'm glad there are a few Claire (or Clara) supporters. That has always been one of my fav's even if there is a pup or two with the same name. :-) The Claire's I've known have always been sophisticated yet grounded.
I also really like Aven...
Has this been useful at all to the ChuckDaddies?
Hey, Kristy here. I REALLY like Nora without the h, it's good with the h too but so pretty and simple without. It has the ability to be both cute and sultry (for when she becomes a dark-haired movie star) and it rolls off the tongue and even makes "Boone" sound slinky and mysterious, and not at all western.
Stella will make me laugh every time you scream "StELLAAAA! Quit hitting your brother", etc. Which could be good. But just know that you will find yourself yelling "stella!" at some point.
Sophia...I did like it, but the main sophia in my life has always been a Golden Girl. I just can't get that out of my head.
I love the name Penelope, but it would totally be shortened to Penny, and it sounds super-western even though it is cute.
Fiona, not so much for me. Would probably be shortened to "Fi". What about Ona? I guess it kind of sounds like a whale...oh wait, that's an Orca.
I like Claire, but I like Clara even better. But I'm trying to follow instructions as best as I can.
So Norah (Nora) totally takes the babycake for me, for all the reasons other folks have said. Other runner-ups include "Boom-Boom" (although that is Batum's nickname, you will soon learn, when we watch basketball together), "Sonic" (as in "Sonic Boone"), and "Sugar-Baby". But this is your child, after all. I will probably call it sugar baby for at least a month.
PS...on further thought...
Again...Nora Claire? Adorable.
Elliott and Nora? Love it.
Plus, I bet Elliott can actually SAY Nora. Which might discourage a lifetime nickname like "Peepee", "Soapy", or "Tee-tah", which is what my sister called me (that's ess-challenged childspeak for sister).
I'm with Michael5000 on the screaming of Stella!!!! you know I will. And you can't do cassandra, it's too close to a certain casserole I know.
I think I have extra say because another Kristin already posted (before my first post, a few minutes ago, by the way).
Or you could name her Leia, and wait ten or so years for that moment of horrified realization, someday when she's watching old classic movies.
Ooooh, I just thought of a GREAT name for a girl. The capital of Slovenia! Ljubljana! It sounds really cool, and I'm almost sure you'd have the first one on the block!
I like someone's suggestions of
Olivia Boone and
Alexa Boone.
Elliot and Olivia
Elliot and Alexa.
Olivia Boone is marvelous in every way. Call off the dogs right now. The hunt is over. Olivia Boone.
If you don't agree, then you have lost your minds completely.
I named my kids in each case "after" someone (one a Famous Person From History and one An Ancestor), plus a family middle name (one my mother's name, one my own middle name), PLUS retained some or all of their Chinese birth names, so I may be suffering from multi-syllabic name fatigue when I find myself disagreeing with Sister-in-law5000 about a two-syllable first name and finding myself strongly in support of the lovely, emphatic Blythe Claire Boone. Imagine it on the dust jacket of her first published book. Or this: "Representing the State of Oregon (or The Defendant), Your Honor, will be Blythe Claire Boone." Or on the cover of the Rolling Stone, (where it may become just "BCB"). I could go on, but clearly I need not. This name is the bomb.
I see the debate still rages. Have the ChuckDaddies not weighed in with a decision?
M5000 has clearly gone frivolous (and I think misspelt Ljubljanka) in addition to overlooking Djibouti and Byzantium as possibilities.
Mrs. 5000 had a very good point about the syllables, obviously having the heart and ear of a poet. Blythe Claire Boone is too abrupt, with those stops and bumps; no flow. And I am not just saying that because I am the one who suggested Alexa.
If the voting lines are still open, I want to plug Marsha as the first name, with Baby Girl Boone using her middle name...in the tradition of F. Scott, for instance, and not a few Presidents. Many pretty middle names have been proposed!
Doesn't that make it easier?
Name that Baby! and release us from our obsession, please!
After 24 hours of thought...
My son was going to be Hannah if he had been a girl, so that is the name that I am throwing into the ring.
If we are just voting on those given - Nora (with ot without the "h")
Is voting still on? My two cents . . .
Sophia - a wonderful name that means 'wisdom' in Greek. Plus you get a great nickname with Sophie. I hear that it's very popular now. I, however, only know 3 - my cousin, my friend's dog (oh, well), and Sophia Loren.
How about Alexandra? Alexandra Boone. It sounds classy and for sassier versions, you could call her Lexie, Allie (Ali), Alexa (already mentioned) or even Alex.
I also like Emma, Abigail, Olivia and Marsha (that's gotta get in there somewhere!). I'm also partial to alliteration in names, but I'm not fond of many girl's names that start with b. How about Belinda? Belinda Boone - ???? meh
the best baby name i've come across in a really long time is keats alder for a boy. it always makes me think that it's too bad there aren't more trees that you can name people after.
willow is nice for a girl. willow boone.
but i think i'm with karin. olivia boone is awesome.com.
Re: Tree names: My younger daughter had a classmate in pre-school named Sequoia. I also know of a Cedar.
Sequoia got sent home a lot.
way to go sister jen. that really did make me laugh out loud. which happens rarely. kudos.
Olivia is out of the question for a human baby. It's a pig's name.
How about Sycamore for a tree name? Has a certain hippie je ne sais quoi...
And for the record, I did not misspell Ljubljana. C'mon! It's one of my favorite capitals! Right up there with Ouagadougou and Ulaan Baator, both of which I would like at this juncture to add to the list of potential names list. "Ouagadougou Boone." "Ouagadougou and Elliott." Awesome. I think we're done here.
Of the ones on the list, I love love love Fiona.
My personal favorite girl name (and what I would have named my daughter if I had a girl) is Charlotte so I'd like to throw that into the mix. I think it would sounds lovely to have Charlotte Boone. And Charlotte and Elliott sound good together. Plus, if she is tomboyish, you could call her Charlie. If she is girly, she'll love Charlotte. And who doesn't like "Charlotte's Web." That is my case.
Maybe none of the "Fiona" fans are also Lyle Lovett fans? Do we not worry that someone would sing constantly to the tyke all the lyrics to "One-eyed Fiona" (as I do to my daughter's friend Fiona?) Also, in a "charming family film" we recently endur--uh, watched, there was a pig named Fiona. So it goes the way of Olivia.
As a reader (if not a taker) of the Thursday quiz, I wonder that we have not yet considered Opha Mae Boone. Maybe--??
Ohhhh, Ouagadougou! Love that! :)
OMG, yes, Djibouti Boone! Elaine, you are brilliant! I love that even more than Ouagadougou Boone and possibly even more than Olivia Boone.
Although, she could never actually go to Djibouti because she'd be mocked when introducing herself because people would think she'd made a syntax or grammatical error. Unless she could follow up with, "My parents named me that."
Otherwise it would sound like, "I am Portland." Or, as I've heard a lot teaching ESL, "I am job," which is really funny, but not at all accurate.
Eleanor Marsha Boone. Names go in cycles, and Eleanor is due for a major comeback. It's old and it's new. It's the Caitlin of 2013. Marsha is obvious for a middle name. The key thing is having a three-syllable first name (with a one-syllable last name). Having studied hundreds of thousands of names, I have learned that the tempo and cadence are best with this arrangement (given the one-syllable last name is a given).
Elliot and Eleanor. Sweet! EMB is not an acronym for anything too dreadful.
Or Elinor as the spelling. OR, wow, Elinora? Then you can choose a nickname (Nora or Elin or even Linnie)...and Marsha could be either first or middle!!!
(Sob-- I have NO middle name, unusual for a Southern-born girl, but they wanted a boy. A lot. I have suffered NMN status for over 60 years! Does this pitiful story not mean my suggestions should carry more weight? I am obviously heavily invested in this topic!)
When IS this baby due?
What about Marcy? One of my friends (in her mid-20s) has that name. It could be a nod to the family name of Marsha but with a little twist.
Elaine -- Look on the bright side: you have a first name. I was not given a first name, just a middle name. It was horrificably embarrassing to fill in NFI (no first initial) on forms. And, many forms don't even bother asking for a middle name, so I would end up with just my last name. So, one name, but not a star's name like Cher or Sting: just my real last name -- Gayle. Sometimes Gayle, sometimes NFI Gayle. And I'm male!
Consider yourself lucky....
Cracking up here, totally! You could use this one in a stand-up routine.
Oh, and I had a second cousin--a male-- whose given name was Gay (a maternal family surname.) Back in the Forties it no doubt seemed harmless, but just imagine HIS dilemma as modern vocabulary evolved!
Thank you everyone for their feedback! It was actually quite helpful, and if we do go with Nora (now even more the leading contender) we can thank the Michael5000 community for avoiding future countless spelling errors.
We're going to wait until the last second for the final decision (b/c, who knows, maybe another great one like Ulan Bator Boone will be thought of), but will let you all know what the final determination is. Thanks again!
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