29 July 2013

Wanna talk names? Okay, let's talk names.

Naming your 4th kid is not an easy task.  You want something that sounds great with your other kids names, while also matching the sort of style/theme that you've somehow created for your family.  But you also don't want anything too close/weird/out there, while remembering the basic rules of naming: (1) no crazy spelling initials (2) nothing too you-neek and (3) no porn star names.

But other than that, this is easy! Sigh. {I so love those porn star names, too.}

Okay, so, yesterday I think I identified my problem with this whole naming business. {Which is a good start, right?}  My problem is... I will never love another name as much as I love the names we've already picked.  And this is for 2 reasons.  (1) I've loved my current kids names for a long time. A LONG TIME.  Brynn since I was 11.  Reid for a good 4 years before he was born.  {Carter was the only name that gave us a little bit of trouble, but now that we're 3 kids deep, it's hard to compare that naming experience with this one because we could literally pick ANYTHING.} And (2) I love the names even more now that they are associated with… well, our kids. 

Do you see my issue??  Or am I just crazy? {Don't answer that.}

I think I just need to resolve to the fact that IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.  I'm just not going to love a name as much as I love the ones that we have now.  So I need to find a name that we both really like a lot and can grow to love. 

Obviously this will be a lot easier once we actually know what we're having.  But since I enjoy torturing myself, let's do this.

Girls
I think people automatically assume that our girl name is Emerson Mae, which was our name for Reid, had he been born a girl on September 10th {we were team green, remember?!} And while we still adore that name, I feel like it's only right to consider all of our options.  After all, when we originally picked it, we didn't have a Reid in the picture.  It was only Carter and Brynn.

Let me explain...

It's pretty obvious that I love surnames as first names.  This is not a "trend" for me.  This is something I've adored since I was younger.  And it actually works out perfect for us, given that our last name is a common first name. Obviously, Emerson is a surname, so it goes with both Carter and Reid, but it doesn't go with Brynn as much.  Before Reid came along, it didn't matter that it didn't match the style of Brynn's name, because it matched the style of Carter's.  But now that Reid is here, I'm sort of thinking we should just stick to the surname thing for boys and maybe find a girl name that more matches the style of Brynn's, which is a Welsh name {but also has English and Gaelic connections as well.}  I don't know. {Am I over complicating this?  Naming your kid is pretty important, so I'm guessing over complication is excusable.}  I'm not saying Emerson is off the table by any means, as I still adore it.  I just want to consider all of my options.

So given my aforementioned explanation, here is my girl list:

Charlotte {English}
Emerson {English}
Sawyer {English}
Seren {Welsh.. it's actually the most popular name in Wales}
Rowan {Gaelic}
Hayden {English}

This list changes on the daily. {I wish I was joking.}

Okay... here's the thing.  I've always {always} loved the name Charlotte.  I think it sounds great with our other kids names, and it would also be a nice tribute to my grandfather, who passed away a few weeks ago {named Charles/Charlie.}  But?  I'm worried about it's growing popularity. {#19 on SSA.} Although I'm a Jennifer, which was #1 from 1970-1984 and I survived {barely.}

But I'm not in love with it.

Emerson I think is great, obvi.  But I'm worried about it not going with our "theme" even though it's an English name. I think people recognize it as a surname before they recognize it's orgin.  And, before anyone says anything, I know that Emerson literally means "son of Emery."  I know this.  I don't care.  I'm pretty sure Carter's name means "to cart" and Brynn's name means "hill."  I honestly have no idea what Reid's name means.  Clearly, I do not pick names for their meanings.  Their orgins?  Yes.  Meanings? Hell no.

I still love Emerson though and it's at the top of our list. And I think if I did decide to go with another name, I'd try Emerson as a middle name.  Charlotte Emerson?  Hmmm.  Emerson Mae?  Crap, I don't know.

Sawyer I've loved since middle school.  I went to school with a girl named Sawyer, and never even realized it was actually considered more of a boys name until LOST started {OMG... drool. I know his name was James, but still. He'll always be Sawyer to me. Wait, what was I talking about?}  Anyway, I'd never use it for a boy, but LOVE it for a girl.  Bob's not really on board though.  I think.  Yet.

Seren, Rowan & Hayden get added, removed, and readded all the time.  I want to love Seren.  I just think it will get mispronounced a lot {even though it seems pretty clear cut... on paper.} Rowan is a local university, so I don't know how I feel about that. And I'm not loving the Reid/Rowan thing.  And Hayden.  I don't know.  I like it enough to put it on my list, I guess?

Anyone want to give me English/Gaelic/Welsh names to add to my list that follows my aforementioned rules above?

{Is anyone still reading this?}

Boys
Boys are a little easier for me, despite this potentially being our 3rd boy.  My name list is pretty short and maybe even settled.  I'm not sure. Again, I'm trying to stick to the surname theme, but I do enjoy Irish boy names.  Like, a lot.  So...

Lucas {this is a pretty clear front runner, but I'll name others I like}
Grayson
Asher
Ashton
Nolan
Gavin
Liam
Caleb
Keir
Declan

I can't kick the Irish names.  They end up on my boy list every. time.  But I think Lucas/Luke is still my fav.  Again though... I'm worried about it's popularity {#27 on SSA.} I just don't know if I care this time.  It's hard enough coming up with a name that I like enough to add to my list, let alone worrying about how popular it is {or might be.}  Anyway, I'm hoping that once we find out it's a boy... one of these names will just pop and be the clear cut winner.

I'm actually hoping the same thing happens on the girl front.

I'll let you know August 30th.

Oh, and just for good measure.... let me include Bob's name list in this post:

Girls:                               Boys:
1.                                     1.
2.                                     2.
3.                                     3.
4.                                     4.
5.                                     5.

That's not a typo.  Your screen does not deceive you.  Those are his actual lists. ;)

So this is fun, right?  Anyone want to name my kid?

68 comments:

Unknown said...

Here are my votes - Boy = Liam ( I adore this name, wanted to use it but someone in my family got to it first!!!) Girl = Sawyer (lol well its a pretty cool last name could be an awesome first name!) :O)

Unknown said...

I'm in the same boat... No name. But my problem is this is my 3rd boy and I've gone through the boy names a million times!!! I had a million girl names ready to go but no boy names! My husband and I do not agree on anything.

PS. I love Charlotte, Liam and Nolan

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Samantha said...

With #2 we wanted an Irish or English name and went with finnegan... It's a surname and I love it. We often call him Finn and I have met only one finnegan before. We like different but not strange names (Kwim?). We have had Charlotte on our lists for both boys and now #3 too. I loved Liam, but then we went to the zoo and heard it being called a billion times and decided against it. We loved Gavin too!

Erin S. said...

I'm sure it doesn't fit into your "rules", but what about Ivy for a girl? Since she would be your fourth aka "IV"? Cheesy, I know, but cute.

Libby's Life said...

I love Charlotte for a girl {It is number one on my list of girls names if we have another girl} and Asher is on my list of boy names so I love that name {but Axl is my number one boy name}.
I am on babynames.com right now and Asher + Declan are both "trending" names.
And Charlotte is the number one name for the year 2012 so it's VERY popular.

Clooney is a really cute name it's Irish and sticks with the Surname thing you got going on ;)


The Vronko Family! said...

I love ALL of your names...that being said my daughter's name is Charlotte Mae (born Feb. 2012). I love both Nolan & Caleb for a boy. I also love the name Rowan for a boy :). Good luck!

-Lindsay

p.s. My son's name is Carter James and was born 1 day after Brynn :)

Jenna said...

Love all the names you have picked, but what about making sure you have the same letters in their names. Like Carter, Brynn and Reid all have an R so including an R in #4's name? I am strange like that...I have Gavin and Ava. Both had to have a V. Good luck!! I can't wait to find out what you are having!!

Stephanie said...

I love Gavin because that was one of our boys names. (we're having twin girls). I love Sawyer...like a lot.

Stephanie said...

I love Gavin because that was one of our boys names. (we're having twin girls). I love Sawyer...like a lot.

Jenni said...

I have a Lucas so I'm partial. Lucas James. We call him Lukey. Or my son calls him Wookie. Still toats adorbs.

Charlotte...LOVE! Charlotte Mae. Yes. There you go.

Katie said...

I'm cracking up at Bob's list ;) I like Charlotte or Emerson for your girl name. And Lucas or Liam for a boy. Picking a name is SO hard!

SusieO said...

Hmmm..that is tough. I think you should stick with the last name thing for a boy. How about Finn, Larson, Anderson, Grant?
Girls: Gemma is big in Britain. I love Maeve and think it goes really well with Brynn even though it is more Irish. Sloane? Maren?
For some reason I think that it should be a short name to go with the others.
I do love Nolan--one of my favorite names.
Good Luck!

Sami Seibert said...

Hudson for a boy.

Kerrington for a girl.

Babygirl said...

OMGawd...I love the name Declan...just love it. Goodluck, I think all your names are beautiful!

Anonymous said...

Im with ya on the Irish/Gaelic/Surname thing. I have 2 boys - Gavin and Grady - and would highly recommend both. Ive got nothin' for girls. : )

Jessie said...

Emerson or Declan! :)

Colls said...

I'm a huge fan of your name lists. For boys, I LOVE Nolan, Declan, and Caleb. I know this is immature, but I always remember a Lucas I knew as a kid being called "Lucas Pukus Mucus" or "Luke Puke" or something lame. For your girls list, I like Hayden quite a bit. Have you considered Kennedy, Erin, or Maren for your girl list? Your other kids have GORGEOUS names and I'm sure Numero Cuatro will be no different.

Tanya said...

I like your name choices. How about Maeve for a girl?

Laura Payette said...

Kid naming IS hard! We were going to name our second daughter Scarlet but then I got cold feet. (We named her Natasha) I still love it, though!

Molly B said...

what about Charlie for a girl or a boy? In honor of your grandpa??

Leah @ ThreeFites said...

How about Sela (think Sela Ward). I love that name, I want a girl so I can use it.

cmacri722 said...

Baby naming is HARD. I never had set names when I was pregnant and so they just came to us at the end. I have 2 boys. The first boy name was loved by my husband and I, Colin. My 2nd is also a boy and it was TOUGH. I ran out of boy names, haha. Anyway, we went with Mason and I love it. Our names also have a theme. We all have basically the same initials (2 C's, 2 M's). If we had another, I would be at a loss for names (but i think we are done). I am SO picky.
For a girl name, out of your list, I really like Emerson, Charlotte or Hayden. Have you looked into Cameron? LOVE THAT NAME

For a boy, out of your list, I really like Grayson, Nolan, Gavin and Declan. Again, Cameron works for boys too.

Good luck! :)

Sarah @ Vol Family Life said...

So long as you don't steal my girls name I'm cool. Just kidding.

Here's my thing don't let the popularity issue become an issue. I am a Sarah and just like you are a Jennifer we both survived and both of our names are pretty. In fact I love my name so much if it wasn't my name I'd name a second girl Sarah Kate. If you love a name and it's popular it's ok.

I have always loved the name Emma. I mean like you and Brynn since I was little. Never quite as much as Evelyn, but almost. And despite its popularity (damn you Rachel!!!) if we have another girl she will propably be Emma. So that is just my $0.02

I am sure whatever name you pick it will be beautiful!

Sweet Little Lovings said...

I am team green with my third and we are having a hard time with names as well.
I love Emerson for a girl, and I am really starting to love Declan! But I think all of your names choices would be great!

Sweet Honey Mead said...

My eldest son's name is Sawyer (youngest son is named Silas), so I can't picture it fitting for a girl in the least, but I love all of your other picks! I don't envy you guys, though; hardest (also, most fun and frustrating) decision ever!

Jen said...

When I was pregnant I loved the names Aiden (went amazingly well with our last name) and the name Asher....Then I had a dream around 15 weeks (after an emergency ultrasound because I was bleeding AGAIN) and in the dream I got to watch my son grown up, he was everything you'd hope your son would be; sweet, kind, but manly too....and his name was Liam. So we named him Liam and never looked back (but didn't share his name until he was born)

Anonymous said...

I love Emerson & Sawyer for a girl! I wanted to use Emerson for my daughter, but my husband & I couldn't agree on it (her name is Kennady)

Boys names are always so tough with me. I always have a ton of girls names, but hardly any boys' names. I really like the name Lucas & I also love Gavin & Liam.

Naming kids is tough. I hope you guys find a name that you love :)

Krista said...

Love this post! We're having baby #2 and it's hard so I totally get why #4 is even harder! I love all the names you listed and think they'd all go well with your three. If it's a girl, I'd want to pick something that ends with "n" so it "goes" with Brynn.

Bryn said...

Ok. I think my say is super important... I mean since I am Bryn and all :)

Since you liked Brynn, I will give you the rest of my siblings names: Harper (girl), Kennedy (girl), MacKean (boy).

And to go with your theme... my son's name is Welsh/Irish- Rory! I think it would go great with your kiddos names too. Carter, Brynn, Reid, and Rory! (could be a girl or a boy!)

Katie @ Loves of Life said...

I just have to say--I LOVE that Declan has become a popular'ish name now. Cracks me up because for so long people were like YOUR NAME IS WHAT???? to my husband. They still do. It's great :) I love his name though!!

Anonymous said...

Ok here is MY English surname that I ended using as a middle name for my girl but was fully prepared to use as a first name for a boy:
Lane

I just love it and it fits my Chloe Lane perfectly!

Brittany said...

I only have two girls and my top girls names have been used. We have Cailey ( evn though I wanted Caileigh) Christine and Reece Aubrey. If we were to have another girl she would be Charlotte Lane. For boys we threw around Bennett, Everett, Walker, Mason. Good Luck!!!

Raising Baby Kiwi said...

Love your lists!! I am pretty partial to Declan for a boy! (I have a Carter and a Declan) And I do love Emerson and Sawyer for girls :-)

Moorhouse said...

Emmett? Still can't believe you are on #4. Need to come visit ya'll soon!

Andrea said...

Names are so hard! Girl names were the hardest for us and of course we had three of them.

Our three girls are Aubrey, Eliza, and Corrine. Obviously, your family likes one of our girl names (Hey Kacy!! Haha)

Eliza would be a really cute addition to your mix!
If our twins could have been boys they would have been Collin and Evan.

Good luck girl!

Shannon said...

I have 4 kids and know how hard it is. My oldest is also Carter (then Mason, Hadley and Graham).
Reid has been an all time favorite, but my husband never go on board with that one. If my Graham was a girl, he would have been Emerson.

i love Duncan too.

All great choices! Best of luck!!!

MySleep-DeprivedLife said...

What about Hadley for a girl? It echoes the "y" in Brynn but still feels in line with the others!

Amanda said...

I just fell in LOVE with Sawyer for a girl.

I'm partial to Nolan because well I'm due November 7th with my first boy and that is the name we chose, so of COURSE it is the best boys name on the list! I kid.

Best of luck.

I rarely comment but this post made me laugh. like a lot.

Unknown said...

I also love the name Charlotte, but then I don't want to call her, "Char"

My daughter's name is Violet and I think Brynn and Violet sound good together.

For a boy, what about Deacon?

Lily said...

I LOVE baby names. Like so, SO MUCH! But that didn't stop me from struggling with both my kids names- each a boy, team green both times, but once we came up with them I knew that was it, so we have an Easton and a Hudson. I love their names so much and struggled with girl names that we could agree on. I love Rowen (our girls name last time around)! I love Gavin with your boys names and Declan.

One name I have always loved (husband doesn't) and I think goes well with Brynn is Ainsley. Same type of name and feminine flair that Brynn has. Your kids names are great, so I know you will come up with something great!

Unknown said...

Some of our names are similar....I also LOVE Sawyer (for a girl only) but I'm not sure T would go for it.

IF we had a #3 I would name them Parker - girl or boy.

Girl - Parker Isabella (Since we got married 2 days after Hurricane Isabel)

Boy - Parker Douglas (Middle may change - it's Troy's grandfather's name)

Parker is my Great Grandmother's maiden name - and Brynnleigh's name had she been a boy.

Random thought, but your boys names are 2 syllables and 1 syllable, Brynn is 1 syllable, so I'd go with a 2 syllable for IV.

What about Stella? It's starting a new trend.

I do adore Charlotte, and would seriously consider it for a girl - there are so many nickname options.

I like longer girl names, and unisex names for girls, Tristen, Ryleigh, Kirsten/Kiersten.

What about Avery? Not two syllables, but I like it.

I could talk about names forever, if I didn't have to pay for the kids, I'd have a million just to name them, play with them, and snuggle with them!

Anonymous said...

My little guy will be here anyday and we are naming him Hudson Grey.

LOVE the name Charlotte for a little girl.

Or our girl name (Kenley Kae) which we'll never use, because we are done with babies once Hudson arrives.

Good luck, can't wait to find out what you are having and which name you pick

Mommy Time said...

I have this thing with the amount of letters in a name.
My husband is John=4
Mine is Nicole=6
Oldest Daughter Chloe=5
Youngest Daughter McKenna= 7

It had to be a pattern. Our youngest was going to be 3 letters or 7 no matter what way I looked at it just to satisfy my numbers problem!

Unknown said...

Ivy is of Old English decent. Just sayin'. ;)

Anonymous said...

I like Ivy more and more. I mean how cute is Ivy Mae <3

And with all the advice given above, it covers the syllable issue, having a Y in it like Brynn, and the number pattern with Carter having 6 letters, Brynn 5, Reid 4, and IVY 3! There I just named your girl baby for you ;) Naming is so hard!

thisisnotkacy said...

i think you should name him/her after your amazing sister. kacy for a girl. casey for a boy. problem solved.

Catherine said...

Sounds like you have lots of great options-so much fun! Just giving my opinion, but I wouldn't pick Sawyer for a girl, just because Tom Sawyer is such a famous boy literary character. But hey, if you want to go for it, go for it! Whatever you pick will be the right name.

Unknown said...

I love the name Cason. Just a suggestion!! Oh and Sawyer is adorable!!!

Krystle Wuethrich said...

I love that Lucas is a front runner because my little boy born last August (we were pregnant together) is named Lucas Parker! So of course I vote for that name! haha

Girls name are so hard. When we had our daughter (Abigail) I think we changed it 100 times before she was born.

Good luck and can't wait to hear what you are having!

Amy said...

Girl- Harper, Maren, Taylor, Annabelle
Boys- Griffin, Wyatt, Gavin, Hudson, Hunter, Asher

Mindi @ Simply Stavish said...

Gosh you gotta love husbands lists. This cracked me up! I love Sawyer. Unique enough but not far out there. And i love, love Nolan. Noah was either going to be Noah or Nolan. Since hubby liked Noah better Noah it was. Gosh if we end up having a fourth we will seriously struggle with another boy name.

Mandi Nivison said...

I am an Amanda so I get the popular name thing! Working in a hospital I have seen lots of names and some more used than others! I do love Charleigh for a girl and Grace. Sawyer is also so adorable! I have a friend Siobhan whose name I think it beautiful all though I believe it is Celtic. As far as boys Im in love with all of the names on your list. Lucas being my fav since its one of my cousins twin boys names (Carson and Lucas)!

Mandi Nivison said...

I am an Amanda so I get the popular name thing! Working in a hospital I have seen lots of names and some more used than others! I do love Charleigh for a girl and Grace. Sawyer is also so adorable! I have a friend Siobhan whose name I think it beautiful all though I believe it is Celtic. As far as boys Im in love with all of the names on your list. Lucas being my fav since its one of my cousins twin boys names (Carson and Lucas)!

Jessica said...

Grady for a boy! It's originally an Irish surname and I think it fits perfectly with the other three kids. It's my second son's name. :) And I'm rooting for Emerson if it's a girl.

Congrats by the way! I've always enjoyed reading your blog since you're first three kiddos are each a few months younger than my three but now you've surpassed me. Best wishes for a wonderful pregnancy.

Anonymous said...

Landry for a boy
Jaralyn for a girl

Jessica said...

Love Charlotte for a girl. For a boy we loved Lucas, but went with Liam.

Jessica said...

Charlotte for girl
Grady for boy

Anonymous said...

I wish my husbands lists looked like that! If we ever have another boy, I don't know what we'll do!

yoyomomma said...

Cute girl names: Teagan and Leah. Cute boy names you've chosen.

Jody said...

Just named our sweet baby girl Charlotte (well 9 months ago, lol) and we call her Charlee for short. It's such a sweet name!

Jody said...

Just named our sweet baby girl Charlotte (well 9 months ago, lol) and we call her Charlee for short. I love it!

T said...

My daughters name is Aislyn.

Rachel said...

Wow, you've gotten so many suggestions! I didn't read all of them, so here are a few suggestions.
1. try www.swistle.com/babynames for letters people write in asking for baby name advice. she's great! maybe write in yourself? she also has some good resources and ideas.
2. nameberry.com, the best naming website there is. I love it! they have lists of names in many different ways, and also forums, where you could ask people for advice.

I think you should pick a girl's name that 'goes' with Brynn. If I were to meet a group of children named Carter, Brynn, Reid, and Emerson, I might assume Emerson was a boy, simply because the name fits with the boy names.

So possible Welsh names...

Bronwyn or Briony. I know they both start with 'B' which might be too close to Brynn, but I love both of them (especially Briony).

It's Irish, but I love the name Aislinn.

What about Gwen? There are so many variations. Guinevere, Gwendolyn, Gwyneth.

I have a cousin named Rhiannon, and it's a really beautiful name! Too much R coming after Reid? Maybe, but the names are really different, so it might not be a problem.

Jenna?

Anwen?

Winifred, nickname Winnie? So cute.

More Welsh names here: http://nameberry.com/baby-names/172/Welsh-Names

As for English names, I really love Charlotte! Yes, it is popular, but no where near as popular as Jennifer was, for example. Other possibilities:

Alice
Matilda
Margaret, nickname Maisie
I love the idea of Ivy! Really cute nod to her being the fourth baby.

For boys:

I love Asher and Lucas. Probably my favorites from your list! Lucas is such a great name. Other possibilities...
Dylan or Dillon
Quinn
Everett
Sullivan
Flynn
Finn


Anyway, good luck! Naming is fun!

Anonymous said...

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Grayson for a boy. Like really, Love! Ashton I don't really like because of Ashton Kutcher, but also my sister is an Ashton lol.

Ana said...

Eleri - Welsh

Anonymous said...

Love your post :) I'm due with #3 (2nd girl) in November, and her name is Sawyer Mae. We have Aidan Christopher and Quinn Catherine, 10 & 3. I am so scared about popularity (I'm Nicole, there were 6 other Nicole's in my class!!!), and obviously Aidan has exploded in the decade since I named my son, so I'm crossing my fingers that my girl's names will remain unique enough they won't have that issue. Emersyn was on my girl list both times, but my husband hated it :( If #3 had been a boy, he would have been Cullen Daniel. Alas, third times the charm and there won't be a fourth :)

Unknown said...

My girl is Emerson Grace...our last name is Carter, so...lol=) I love Sawyer & Quinn for girls as well! Good luck=)

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