{"id":16125,"date":"2023-01-11T09:34:11","date_gmt":"2023-01-11T13:34:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swistle.com\/babynames\/?p=16125"},"modified":"2023-04-26T09:14:26","modified_gmt":"2023-04-26T13:14:26","slug":"baby-girl-or-boy-mavis-with-a-d","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swistle.com\/babynames\/2023\/01\/11\/baby-girl-or-boy-mavis-with-a-d\/","title":{"rendered":"Baby Girl or Boy Mavis-with-a-D"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi Swistle –<\/p>\n

Long time reader here! I never thought I would have to be sending in a request, but alas here we are with a baby due in April\u00a0needing name help! The baby will be taking my husband’s last name, which sounds like M@avis, but with a D. We are waiting to find out if it’s a boy or girl and are having some difficulties with the boy names!<\/p>\n

We have agreed on Josephine (nickname, Joey or Jojo) for a little girl. Her middle name will likely be Lee, my mothers middle name or my last name (a yellow condiment you put on burgers). I am not too fussed about the middle name. As a reference, the other girl names we liked were Quinn (dont love for a boy) and Penelope (nickname, Poppy).<\/p>\n

Boy names are where we start to have some issues. I have always loved the name Reid and my husband is not too keen on it. I also don’t mind\u00a0(not in love) the names<\/p>\n

Jack – family name, too popular?
\nRobert – nickname Robbie, family name
\nFletcher (is this too random?)
\nRory (meh)<\/p>\n

My husband only likes Rory so far and I am just not in love. He’s not even that sure about it.<\/p>\n

Middle name will probably be Robert, Neal (my mom’s maiden name), or my last name.<\/p>\n

Would love to hear any suggestions from yourself and readers if you are willing!<\/p>\n

As an avid reader, I can 1000% promise I will send an update :)<\/p>\n

Thanks in advance!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

I like the name Reid, and I like it with a possible future sister named Josephine. My only hesitation is how it goes with the surname: the -d\/D- creates a little issue. I don’t think that has to be a dealbreaker: I think it would be very natural to put a little pause in there. But where I feel like it becomes a larger issue is when the name can be misheard as a different name. The first name Ree is not at all common, so this isn’t like our acquaintance Liam Mason who is often mistaken for Leah Mason; but it still does make me hesitate, especially since your husband isn’t keen on the name Reid anyway. (But if he suddenly comes around, as so many men seem to do on names they’ve previously rejected, then I say GRAB THE OPPORTUNITY. If once in a blue moon someone mistakes the name for Ree, then you will correct them and move on with life!)<\/p>\n

Jack is nice with the surname. If you are planning more children: do you mind repeating an initial? Do you like Jack and Josephine\/Joey\/Jojo together?<\/p>\n

I don’t think Fletcher is too random. I think it will be perceived as trying to find something a little more unusual to spice up a common surname.<\/p>\n

One of my favorite things is when a baby will be given one parent’s surname, but the other parent’s surname works as a first name; traditionally the way this has played out is that the baby is given the father’s surname (which, traditionally, the mother has also taken), but the mother’s maiden name is something that works as a first name. I can’t help but notice what a perfect first name your husband’s surname is. There’s no chance you’d want to reevaluate the surname decision, especially since you’re having some trouble with a boy name? Mavis-with-a-D Yellow-condiment-you-put-on-burgers.<\/p>\n

When a couple is struggling to find any names they feel enthusiastic about, I do think a family name is a nice solution: the name will be satisfying even if it doesn’t initially make your hearts pound. Are Jack and Robert names from your side of the family, or from your husband’s, or from both? It’s not always possible (sometimes one side of the family doesn’t have anyone the parents want to honor; sometimes one side of the family doesn’t have any names the parents are willing to use), but when it IS possible I think it’s nice to balance the name: if the surname comes from one side of the family, it’s nice if the honor names can come from the other side of the family.<\/p>\n

I’d like to put in a vote for using your mother’s birth surname Neal as the first name. Not only does it give the name Honor Balance (especially if you use your surname as the middle), but it’s also a great name. Neal Mavis-with-a-D! I really love it. And Neal is great with a possible future sister named Josephine\/Joey\/Jojo. This is my favorite option by far. I am having to suppress the urge to PRESSURE you to use it.<\/p>\n

I wonder if you would like the name Calvin. I like the repeated V-sound with the surname. I like that he’d have the nickname options Cal or Vinnie. I like it with possible future sister Josephine.<\/p>\n

Or Clark. It’s snappy like Reid and Jack.<\/p>\n

Elliot was one of my own favorites; we couldn’t use it because we couldn’t agree on spelling. Elliot Mavis-with-a-D.<\/p>\n

Or Nolan? I have an acquaintance with a son named Nolan, and I notice that (1) it pleases my ear when she says it and (2) I don’t know anyone else with that name. Nolan Mavis-with-a-D.<\/p>\n

But overall, I feel like there isn’t enough here for me to get a grip on your boy-name style: we have one name you love, and then a few names no one loves. It sounds to me as if what’s needed here is one of those apps where you each select all the names that appeal to you, and then the app tells you which names you agreed on. Or maybe some browsing through The Baby Name Wizard, with each of you looking at the name categories and seeing which categories TEND to be the ones you like, and then seeing if there are any shared categories and any shared name candidates within those categories.<\/p>\n

If you do that, though, and there are still no names either of you feel particularly enthusiastic about, I want to reassure you that it is absolutely fine to end up choosing a name you both just feel is a Good Solid Useful Name (Neal? how about Neal?); in time, I feel confident you will end up feeling Name Love for it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Name update:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hi Swistle and Readers! <\/p>\n

Thank you for all your help. We chatted, deliberated, and researched. Our beautiful baby boy, Robert \u2018Bo\u2019 Neal arrived this past weekend. We think he suits Bo perfectly and if that changes down the road, he has a number of nicknames that will work. We really appreciated all your thoughts!<\/p>\n

Grace<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi Swistle – Long time reader here! I never thought I would have to be sending in a request, but alas here we are with a baby due in April\u00a0needing name help! The baby will be taking my husband’s last name, which sounds like M@avis, but with a D. We are waiting to find out […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16125","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-name-update"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3iyiG-4c5","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.swistle.com\/babynames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16125","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.swistle.com\/babynames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.swistle.com\/babynames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swistle.com\/babynames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swistle.com\/babynames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16125"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.swistle.com\/babynames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16125\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16290,"href":"https:\/\/www.swistle.com\/babynames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16125\/revisions\/16290"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.swistle.com\/babynames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16125"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swistle.com\/babynames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16125"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swistle.com\/babynames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16125"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}