Lisa writes:

We are due with our third May 30th 2010. We have always struggled with boy names and up until now we we were lucky to have girls. Now we are having a boy and difficulty coming up with a name both of us really like.

Our daughters names are Mallory and Mykaela (pronouced like michaela)

We don’t need to stick with an M to start the name but it would be nice. The middle name will be David and our last name is Thorsen. We can’t do Matthew, Michael or Mark because we have so many of them in the family currently. Our two top names are Marshall and Mitchell, I am ok with them but they are not jumping out at me like the girls names did. We like names that are fairly uncommon but not unusual.

I think my favorite M boy name is Malcolm. I love that name. I’m not sure it’s smooth with Thorsen, though: Malcolm Thorsen, hm. A little hard to say, for me.

Oh, wait, no: my favorite M boy name is Milo. Our Henry’s runner-up name was Milo. And it’s GREAT in your family: Milo Thorsen, Milo David Thorsen; Mallory, Mykaela, and Milo. That’s my top pick. Miles would be good, too.

I’ve been drawn to the name Miller ever since I first heard it (when Stella McCartney named her son). It’s unusual, yet not a bit hard to spell or say, and it goes with all the other trades names (Hunter, Carter, Cooper, Parker, Tanner, Sawyer, Tyler). Miller Thorsen is really good. Mallory, Mykaela, and Miller. That’s my second pick.

Another favorite is Malachi: Malachi Thorsen, Malachi David Thorsen. Mallory, Mykaela, and Malachi. But I think maybe it shares too many sounds with the girls’ names. It’s almost a rearrangement of the sounds in Mykaela.

I like Maclean, too. The main trouble is that it can be said mac-CLEEN or mac-LANE, and I greatly prefer mac-LANE—and that’s harder to get people to say. Spelling it Maclane would help considerably.

It’s too bad Mason rhymes with your surname. Micah and Marcus are both good, but perhaps too close to Michael and Mark.

So, my top two picks are Milo and Miller.

Michelle writes:

Our due date is May 30, 2010. We have two other kids with Celtic/English first names and our last name is McCartney. It’s not too important that our son be named a Celtic/english name, but to have a name that doesn’t clash too much would be good. I do however LOVE British sounding names that aren’t too popular)
The list/questions we have:
1. Atticus ( I know, it’s totally not Celtic so it’s a hesitation for me and I don’t care for nn ati an also, does it sound like we are trying too hard?)
2. Lucan (it’s ancient,although it sounds made up)
3. Miles (nn Milo)
4. Alastair (but despise the nn al and ali, and Alic is boring) also with this name I would live to insist he just be called his full name, but I’m doubtful that can be adhered to in such a nickname loving society as a whole **sidenote: what do you think about my thought on full names with this in mind** also, some people see this a “whimpy sounding name”
5. Duncan (btw with Duncan, Milo, Lucan they gravitate to me because they sound warm yet strong AND they are not too popular which is attractive)

****These last two are more popular, but they are classic and English enough that I would consider them I think****
6. Oliver
7. Henry (my current infatuation and the one I think I’d like the most input about please) I wonder if it’s too popular that it will sound humdrum. To me it sounds strong, rustic, yet classy and even though popular, it doesn’t seem like it would turn out to be a bore of a name. Like a beautiful classic style leather arm chair you know?
I would sooooo appreciate your thoughts as I’m coming down to the wire now with our impeding birth!!!
Thank you for taking the time to help me!

The 2009 baby name data is up!!! Obviously this is a very exciting day for all of us.

Noah is in the top 10! So is Jayden! So is Chloe! So is Mia!

Isabella is #1, kicking Emily to #6 and Emma to #2! And I know an 8-year-old Isabella whose parents named her that to be “unique,” because they’d never heard the name on anyone before! That is FAST TRAVELING, my friend!

There’s a new changes in popularity chart! Cullen, Emmett, Jasper, Zayden, Braylen, Kason: UP! Maliyah, Aliyah, Aaliyah, Ayla, Aniyah, Mya, Maya, Malia, Amiyah, Jaliyah, Mila, Isla, Lyla, Lilah, Lila, Laila, Nyla: UP! Adelyn and Adalyn: UP! Mis Alternate spellings such as Isiah and Issac: DOWN! Celebrity names Kimora and Miley and Danica: DOWN! Mikayla and Makenzie and Mckenna: DOWN! Caiden and Aidan and Hayden and Braden: DOWN!

Megan writes:

I came across your site while researching baby names and thought I’d reach out for help. Our second daughter is due on May 14 and we still can’t decide on a name. We have a lot of names that we like, but none that we love or totally agree on, and we’re running out of time! Our daughter’s name is Alexandra Kathleen. We call her Alex (and sometimes Allie). We want something that sounds nice/flows with Alex, although it doesn’t have to be too similar. Our last name sounds like Florio. Our finalists are:

1. Catherine Elizabeth (Cate) (I like the way this sounds with Alex, but not sure if Catherine is too close to Alex’s middle name)

2. Grace Elizabeth (Gracie) (We both like this name a lot, but is the style too different from Alex?)

3. Ella Margaret (I love this but my husband isn’t wild about it and I’m worried about popularity)

4. Emilia Margaret (Emmie) (I love this but my husband is not sold)

5. Lindsay Margaret (my husband loves this but I’m not sold)

6. Margaret Grace (Molly or Maggie) (Margaret is a family name. My husband loves it. I don’t love it on its own but like the nicknames. We’ve also considered doing Molly on its own.)

My husband is very picky. He doesn’t like anything that sounds too trendy or too old fashioned. (Very frustrating!) Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated!

I think that of your finalists, Cate, Molly, and Maggie are best with Alex.

Some more possibilities from the space between “too trendy” and “too old-fashioned”:

Bethany
Bridget
Cassidy
Clarissa
Claudia
Elise
Gabrielle
Genevieve
Jessamine
Jillian
Jocelyn
Julianna
Liana
Marissa
Sabrina
Samantha
Tessa
Veronica
Victoria
Zoe

Because long feminine Alexandra is so different from short boyish Alex, and because it would be nice if a sister name would fit with both, I’m most drawn to the names on my list that have short nicknames, either boyish or sassy: Cassidy (Cass), Gabrielle (Gabby, Bree), Genevieve (Evie), Jessamine (Jess), Jocelyn (Joss), Sabrina (Bree), Samantha (Sam), Veronica (Nic), Victoria (Tori).

I’m also inclined toward Zoe. Zoe is a name that to me is both feminine and boyish, and although it doesn’t seem as if a three-letter name would need a nickname, it’s still two syllables and the nickname Zo adds even more sass. I like the way there’s a Z sound in both Alexandra and Zoe. Plus, I admit I like the A-to-Z thing.

From my list, I think the best fit is Samantha. Alexandra and Samantha, Alex and Sam—it’s just about the best sister set ever. Both are long feminine names with short boyish nicknames, and I love Samantha with your surname. I think I would do Samantha Margaret: Alexandra Kathleen and Samantha Margaret.

I also like Veronica with the nickname Nic or Nicki: Alexandra and Samantha, Alex and Nic.

And it’s hard to beat Genevieve for beauty and sass: Alexandra and Genevieve, Alex and Evie.

[I am so far behind I will never catch up, and now I’m far enough behind that babies are being born before I get to the questions. But I hate to just DELETE questions, so I’m posting some of them here for us to work on together, and by “us” I mean “just you,” and by “together” I mean that I will write this little intro and hit publish.]

Jen writes:

We need help! Baby boy due May 15. Our last name starts with “F”, so no “F” first names. This is our 3rd baby – daughters are
Emmersen Kate (Emmy)
Adilyn Grace (Addy)

Dad likes traditional – Daniel is his favorite. Mom likes more unique, with mainstream nick names. Mom’s loves Kelden James – dad won’t budge!

Help!!!!!! We are due May 15.

[I am so far behind I will never catch up, and now I’m far enough behind that babies are being born before I get to the questions. But I hate to just DELETE questions, so I’m posting some of them here for us to work on together, and by “us” I mean “just you,” and by “together” I mean that I will write this little intro and hit publish.]

Ingrid writes:

Hello!

I am expecting my baby girl on May 10. I am Swedish, and my husband is English – so we’d like to honour my Scandinavian roots with some Swedish names. This is our first baby, so we’re struggling with names… We also like names that are a bit old-fashioned, though nothing too crazy or with funny spelling.

For example, our short list includes;

Evelyn
Elisabeth
Mathilde
Clementine
Helene
Rose
Liv
Louisa

Our last name is Gunnarson, which we feel is a bit of a mouthful.

However, it is tradition in my husbands family to have three middle names. I am struggling a bit with this concept!

I was just wondering if you feel the name Liv Helene Mathilde Anne Gunnarson is FAR too long. I like the sound of it all together, and adore the name Liv.

So far, our front runners for baby Gunnarson are Liv and Evelyn, which we both adore.

Ideas?

[I am so far behind I will never catch up, and now I’m far enough behind that babies are being born before I get to the questions. But I hate to just DELETE questions, so I’m posting some of them here for us to work on together, and by “us” I mean “just you,” and by “together” I mean that I will write this little intro and hit publish.]

John writes:

Greetings from a soon-to-be father!

We are open to first and middle name suggestions. Thank you for taking
time and consideration.

Background info:

– My wife and I are expecting our first baby May 14th.

– We have yet to learn the baby’s gender.

– We are searching for fresh-yet-classic names. Preferably unique,
timeless and/or poetic names that can handle the schoolyard, as well
as adult pursuits.

– We enjoy Latin, Germanic, Hawaiian, British-based names…and a bunch
of other cultures I’ve failed to mention.

– We are avid travelers, both to international cities and the great
outdoors, thus we hope the name(s) resonate from mountain to city to
sea.

– We live in California. However I grew up in the US Midwest and my
wife grew up in the US South. As such the names shouldn’t be too crazy
or our families will scoff.

– The month of May is Taurus / earth / emerald.

– We will exclude faddish names (e.g. Skylar, Aiden, Brayden), and
probably exclude Top 100-200 names (e.g. Jacob, Ethan).

– Perhaps shorter (e.g. one or two syllable) first and middle names
would complement our three syllable, Polish last name. Our last name
starts with “D” (“_ubra_ski”)

– Girl names we’ve considered, but for whatever reasons they have yet
to fully resonate:

Adrienne, Amelie, Eva, Giovanna, Giselle, Katya, Maya, Mila, Penelope,
Rosemary, Sienna, Sierra, Uma, Terra, Vera, Victoria, Vivian…

– Boy names we’ve considered, but for whatever reasons they have yet
to fully resonate:

Andre/Andrei/Andres, Beck, Bryce, Charles, Conrad, Cosimo, Cyrus,
Enzo, Ferdinand, Graham, Harrison, Huxley, Kai, Kier, Lachlan, Layton,
Leonardo, Mason, Miles, Milo, Nolan, Parker, Pierce, Taj, Townsend,
Tyson, Vaughn…

***We are very open to new suggestions, or perhaps your thoughts on
the names listed above.

Thank you and we look forward to your response.

Hope writes:

Hi there. I am due any day now (early baby) and was all set to name this baby Silas Henry Lawrence. We have another son named Hudson Graham Lawrence. However, all along I was just saying “Silas” (I love the name) and did say “Silas Lawrence” too often and I just realized that it is a bit awkward to say.

So now we need a name.

Husband is Australian with English parents. I am American. We live in the US but will likely move back to Australia one day.

We like less common names. No interest in James, Jack, Thomas, etc. Hudson was named after NYC where we used to live. We love the name Hudson and it is a perfect fit.

Our thoughts now are:

Alistair
Dashiell (nickname Dash)
William (Husband’s thought – I am not crazy about it).
Callum (just saw it on your site)

Really – we have nothing. I think Lawrence is hard to work with. There are names that I don’t mind (Ethan, Owen, etc) but nothing that I love. I really like Silas but don’t think it will work. (Thoughts?)

Any thoughts on names that sound good with Lawrence? Something a bit unique but not too crazy?

Baby could be born tomorrow so please respond soon!

I think two things:

1. It is normal to panic about the choice of baby name at the last minute.

2. Silas Lawrence is great and you should use it.

POSSIBLY if you had written early in the process I might have said Silas Lawrence was a little bit difficult for me to say, but by “for me” I would have meant “But, meh, just because it’s hard for me doesn’t mean it’s hard for other people” and I would have added “But not enough to rule it out AT ALL,”—AND I might not have EITHER noticed OR mentioned it.

Mya writes:

Baby boy is due on May 2nd. I have not found a single boy’s name I like. Last name will be Gibson and Middle Name will be Isaac (after a dear relative who passed away). My name is Mya and my husband’s name is Chris. My father is Russian and my mother is Romanian and I was born in Israel. I want a name that is not in the top 100 and has an ethnic flair. We have considered the names Oliver and Oscar but worried they will keep rising on the popularity charts. If I was having a girl, we would either choose Nina or Paloma–both names we love without hesitation. I am looking for a boy version of one of these girl names and have had no luck over the last 9 months. I am worried we will be leaving the hospital with a nameless baby.

I would suggest Pablo (it has the round warm sound of Paloma), except that gives you the initials PIG. I would suggest Nico (it has the short bright sound of Nina), except that gives you the initials NIG. The middle initial is a problem: I would definitely avoid first names starting with N and P and I would probably also avoid first names starting with B, C, D, F, G, J, R, W, and Z—but that’s just my own preference to not have the initials spell anything.

Would you consider Isaac as the first name? I think it’s a wonderful name, and great with your surname: Isaac Gibson. I love it.

I’m not sure which ethnicity to pursue for flair. I think I will just look for names that have ethnic flair to ME, and perhaps commenters can give more suggestions.

Andreas
Arno
Auberon
Boaz
Carlo
Casper
Cyrus
Dominic
Felix
Hugo
Joah
Judah
Malachi
Marcus
Marek
Matteo
Otto
Rufus
Sebastian
Soren
Titus
Tobias
Torben
Torsten
Xavier

Jen writes:

We are having our first baby, a girl, and can’t seem to come up with the perfect name. (due date May 5)

With our last name being so popular, we are keen to have something a little interesting, without being too crazy.

I am half Swedish and have seriously considered a Scandinavian name. I have always loved Annika but my cousin’s wife has that name. Damn! :)

We also quite like Astrid and Annelie in the Scandinavian theme.

Other than that we have recently become fond of Ivy but are not sure if Ivy Smith is too short of a name.

The middle name will be Michelle, after my mother.

My husband is fond of Mia, Ella, Molly and Maya but none of these seem quite right to me.

Ideally I am wanting something that gives a nod to my Swedish heritage (which my husband is also keen on) or something a little alternate/bohemian without being too out there. I also have a preference for names that lend themselves to a nick-name.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

If you’ve always loved the name Annika, and if your husband likes it too, I don’t think a cousin’s wife’s name would have to rule it out. She’s not a close relative, and she’s in a different generation. Sometimes parents will choose not to re-use a name already in use (either to avoid confusion or because they know it will bug someone else), but names are multi-use items and the existence of another holder of the name doesn’t automatically take it off the options list. The name Annika meets all your requirements: it’s a little unusual, it’s great with your surname and with Michelle, it has nicknames, it’s the nod to your heritage you’re looking for. If you will allow me this moment of bossiness, I think you ought to consider using it. If it feels awk to say, “Um, but it’s not like we’re naming her after YOU” to your cousin’s wife, you could instead make a point of saying, “Oh, I’ve always loved the name! I think I was 12 [or whatever] when I first heard it, and it’s been on my list ever since!” Subtext: “Um, but it’s not like we’re naming her after YOU.”

If, however, your husband doesn’t like it, I think Ivy Michelle Smith is a great name. It doesn’t have natural nicknames and it lacks the heritage you were hoping for, but it’s great with your surname and it’s unusual.

I had a little trouble making the list of Swedish names I wanted to make. I used the Nordic section of The Baby Name Wizard, and also poked around a little on various baby name sites—but name origins are so iffy. One site says a name is Swedish, another says it’s German, another says it’s Greek. Any site might list a name’s variation/spelling as being from the original name’s country—even if that country has never used that variation/spelling. When we did a post about Scandinavian boy names, commenter Ashley mentioned this site, and I looked there too. So here are some possibilities that MIGHT BE Swedish, or might just be popular in Sweden without being Swedish in origin, or might be respellings of Swedish names, or might be mistakes!

Evelina Michelle Smith
Fredrika Michelle Smith
Jannika Michelle Smith
Liana Michelle Smith
Lina Michelle Smith
Linnea Michelle Smith
Malin Michelle Smith
Maren Michelle Smith
Marika Michelle Smith
Quinby Michelle Smith
Selina Michelle Smith
Stella Michelle Smith
Thora Michelle Smith
Viveka Michelle Smith

I really like Evelina. It’s a beautiful name with lots of nickname possibilities. I also love Malin and Maren. Well, and Liana and Linnea. Well, and most of the list, really.

And now for a list of name possibilities that I intended to be non-Swedish, but it’s VERY POSSIBLE I will have slipped up.

Bethan Michelle Smith
Bianca Michelle Smith
Bronwyn Michelle Smith
Cordelia Michelle Smith
Elodie Michelle Smith
Emerin Michelle Smith
Felicity Michelle Smith
Imogen Michelle Smith
Lorelei Michelle Smith
Mirren Michelle Smith
Sabrina Michelle Smith
Verity Michelle Smith
Willa Michelle Smith

(Phoebe and Petra and Philippa would have made the lists if they didn’t make the initials PMS.)