Edited to add this relevant and interesting article by The Baby Name Wizard: “Congratulations! It’s a…Uh Oh.”
Sarah mentioned in her post today that she and her husband have a really easy time choosing girl baby names, but a hard time choosing boy baby names. I commented that I think it’s because boy names are REALLY DIFFICULT—either too common or too out-there. It occurs to me, though, that not everyone would agree with that: perhaps some people find boy names easy and girl names impossible.
So please be so kind as to vote: Is it harder to choose a name for a boy baby, or harder to choose a name for a girl baby? You don’t have to have named any babies at all to venture an opinion. And please feel free to elaborate at length, as baby naming is one of my FAVORITE SUBJECTS IN THE WHOLE WORLD and I will be hanging on your every word.
Not that I have any kids, and normally my pet names are shot down as too lame, but…when we have those silly “what names do YOU like?” conversations, we always come up with about fifty million awesome boy names, but girls are harder. I think because I’d want something that sounds strong and different but not totally lame.
Oh my goodness… naming boys is SO MUCH HARDER!
I can say that because I’m in the process of trying to name our second baby (due November) who also happens to be our second boy!!! I’ve never had the pleasure of naming a girl as of yet.
Our first is named Oliver and we are trying to think of another boy name that is classic, but not over-used. It’s a hard task!
I give you credit, Swistle, for having named four boys.
I think it’s definitely harder to come up with boy names. This is a hot topic at our house right now, I think we finally settled on a potential boy name but it took many hours of discussion and perusal of the “2000 Baby Names” book–unlike the potential girl name decisionmaking, which was a snap.
We’ve named both a boy and a girl and found it much harder to name our son. So many of the traditional boy names have turned into girl names or can go either way (Avery, Leslie, Tracy, etc). We had a tough time finding a masculine name with little chance of becoming a girl name.
I absolutely agree that it’s harder to name boys. You can’t name a boy something too creative or “different” and most of the “normal” names are a bit boring. I have a stack of girl names ready at my disposal.
Fun fact- my cousin just had a baby and used the name (both first and middle name) that I’d been hoping to name my girl.
Boy names and boy clothes are much tougher to choose than girl names and girl clothes!
For us a girl name was challenging; especially after we loved the name Harper and my mom’s response was, “Is that a name?” We did finally choose it, but only after trying and thinking we’d settled on many other options.
When a boy comes it will be easy for us. My husband’s initials are MJM; as are my father’s and his father’s – so any boy of ours has to be MJM. It’s just too much to ignore that both grandfathers have these initials. Our fathers are also both named Michael and we would name a son Michael for that reason. I know that’s a fairly common name, but we would use Michael and not Mike, which makes it a little less common sounding, to me at least!
So here I am saying a boy would be easy, but then I had a flash today that, “Ohmigosh, what if I had twin boys? We’d probably still want to name one Michael and we’d probably want them both to be MJM, but what other M name would we use? And would the one named Michael feel all superior because he got to be named after the grandfathers?”
And then I remind myself that I’m not even pregnant, let alone pregnant with twins, let alone pregnant with twin boys for pete’s sake. And I tell myself I really should stop worrying about something with such an itty-bitty chance of happening.
(Though, now that I’ve written that, I will probably announcing that I’m pregnant with twin boys in another couple of months.)
And in case my vote wasn’t clear from all that. . . (barring a twin boy pregnancy) I think girls are more difficult.
I think that just names in general are super tough.
When we were pregnant, I was thinking that Ava or Lola would be such a unique and beautiful name for a girl and then I met about seven Ava’s. Then that stupid Denise Richards named her daughter Lola.
Boy names were equally tough. We chose Nathan because it was the only name that was not shared by family, ex-boyfriends, or celebrities (the ones we cared about, anyway).
And what is it about babies totally fitting their names? My Nathan looks like a Nathan, which completely confirms we made the right choice.
Weirdest thing ever to Kelsey – my husband is Michael and MJM as well. Cue creepy music.
Anyway, boy names ARE way harder. We settled on Charlotte for our daughter very early on – it was classic and pretty without being pretentious or too old-fashioned. (And we were flying into Charlotte airport the day we found out we were pregnant.) But to find a boy name in that category, you run the risk of making it too feminine or too fuddy-duddy. But the “modern” boys names seem to foo-foo and snobby. I am not yet on baby #2, so I guess I have some time to worry about this.
Boy names are harder to chose.
We had a girl name in mind early on in the pregnancy, but I only thought about the boy name we decided on late in pregnancy. We wanted something that could not be used for a girl, not to common, but not hard to pronounce or spell, and we knew the middle name would be Matthew (my husband’s first name).
Saying that, I do think it would be a trial naming a girl too. Mostly because I don’t like to settle on a name, so I kept coming up with different names all the time.
I think boy names are harder. There is no chance that I’ll be naming any babies soon, but I still can think of a long list of girl names that I like, but not many boy names.
when i was pregnant we had 3 girl names we liked but could NOT agree on a boy name. my husband kept coming up with all kinds of odd names! thank goodness when the baby came out the doctor said “its a girl” or our child still might not have a name 2 years later! HA!
so yes, i totally agree boy names are sooooooo much harder.
(in case you were wondering my husbands favorite boy name is brody vegas. yes, vegas! omg!)
I’ve only had one child, so my $.02 will only be worth about a penny.
I always liked my mom’s name growing up, and when she passed away I decided that if we had a girl, I would name her after my mom. Therefore, picking a girl name was easy peasy.
In my husband’s family, the tradition is to give the father’s first name to the son as a middle name. It was difficult to find a first name that went with “Gerald” as a middle name.
Also, I already have another girl’s name in “mental reserve” in case I ever need it, but no boy’s name. Therefore, boy names are way harder than girls.
: )
I have a whole list of boy names, and very few acceptable girl names.
Boy names were harder for us. There was ONE boy name we agreed on and we used it for Nicholas. (We would hav been screwed if Elise was a boy.) But then again, we came up with two girl names and our friends used the other girl name (they didn’t know it was one of our picks when they used it before Elise was born) so we’d be screwed either way if we got pregnant again! But anyway, I think we’d have an easier time finding another girl name than another boy name
I am shocked that anyone would say girl names are harder than boy names! I cannot tell you the long list of wonderful girl names I can come up with but boy names are so much harder. I think creative names are more acceptable if you’re a girl/woman.
We fell in love with the name Zoe before she was even conceived and as much as I wanted to think about my myriad other names on my much fussed over list, it was a done deal when we found out she was a girl. If we have a boy one day, we will be breaking out the name books early.
I never gave my girl name a second thought. When we were thinking of boy names I did a very stupid thing. I told my husband, in a fit of pregnancy induced lameness, that he could name the baby… His thought was to name the baby William (after his father) I HATE the name Bill (no offense. I know some wonderful “Bill’s”, my later father in law included…I just can’t picture myself as the mother of a Bill). So sly, cunning, and desparate me said,”Okay! As long as we can call him Will for short!” I knew this wouldn’t fly so we went with his second choice. My son’s name is James Christopher. I love it. He goes by James. No Jimmy, Jim or Jamie. I like the short sylable multi sylable combinations best. Now, if I had only thought a little further and realized that there would come a point when my brother would note that he could go by the shortened “JC”. NOT!
It seems to me that there are less boy names to choose from. I don’t know if that is true or not.
I don’t think that baby names are hard at all, but maybe that is because my husband was VERY outspoken as to what he wanted to name our kids. The first was either Darsie Ferrari or Robert Jeffrey. The second was either Elise (insert middle that was my choice – Adelaine) or Robert Jeffrey.
Boy names are DEFINITELY harder. You’re spot on about why, too- they’re either too common or too likely to get your kid beat up on the playground weird.
I had a tough time with both. While naming my two boys, I just found that I didn’t like ANY boys names whatsoever. I don’t know why! I kept thinking that naming a girl would be so much easier because I love so many girl names. But then it was hard for that reason. We settled on Ava knowing it was the Next Big Thing. By that point I just didn’t care that it was popular, I liked it, damnit!
I knew my daughter’s name, she must have told me because I could NOT GET OFF HER NAME even though it’s used by my first cousin. (who I never saw until we both had babies and now I see her all the time. go figure.) It was just a matter of convincing my husband.
For my son, we got so lucky. We made lists of names and he picked a name that I never thought in a million years he’d approve of, and I snatched it right up and that was that.
The third one is really really difficult and we are at an impasse… he hates the names I’ve picked and can’t even think of enough to come up with a list. so if anyone has any suggestions I’m all ears :) And for what it’s worth, to answer your question in a roundabout way… I’ve got more boy names this time around that I like, than girl names. but I think in my case it’s finding a name that goes with our last name.
Boy’s names were by FAR easier for us to come up with. We only liked 3 girl’s names and *still* can’t decide which order they would go in/which ones go together even though we know we are having a boy and theoretically shouldn’t even be discussing girl names anymore. Our boy’s name was decided in a simple and non-combative 5 minute discussion and we both agree that it couldn’t be more perfect.
We have a much harder time naming girls. I like girl names with L in them and it just does not go with our last name. It ends up sounding like a p0rn star. No good.
For whatever reason my husband and I had our girl’s name all picked out…then we found out we were having a boy. We couldn’t decide on a name (for the reasons you mentioned) so we each privately made a list of 25 boy’s names we liked. Out of 50 names there was only ONE that was the same on each of our lists. I know it doesn’t sound all deep and meaningful but that is the name we went with–Owen:)
We have a much harder time naming girls. I like girl names with L in them and it just does not go with our last name. It ends up sounding like a p0rn star. No good.
We have a much harder time naming girls. I like girl names with L in them and it just does not go with our last name. It ends up sounding like a p0rn star. No good.
We don’t have kids yet, but my husband and I have had many baby name ‘discussions’ already.
We’ve come up with two boys’ names we can agree on and only one girl’s name, and that one girl’s name took years of arguing back and forth.
So, boys’ names are marginally easier, but my husband is also ridiculously picky. ;)
We have found it very, very easy to pick a boys name for both pregnancies and VERY VERY hard to choose a girls name.
In fact, this time I had to fight tooth and nail to get the girls name I love and we had a boy anyway. Go figure.
Our problem is that we like the same style of names for boys, but different styles for girls. Big problem when you hate all the names your dh likes.
Boy names are impossible. My husband and I could not think of any that we agreed on for exactly the reasons you said… too common, too out there, or an alliteration.
I couldn’t be happier with my little girl (and her name – my husband and I both thought of it on our own, so it was meant to be)!
Boy names are TOTALLY harder to pick!
With my first pregnancy, since we knew we were having a boy, we did the thing where you each make a list of boy names you like and compare, hopefully coming up with a new list from the ones you had in common. My husband and I could NOT agree on any more than two or three names, and we still had not agreed on one at the time of our son’s birth.
I am 18 weeks pregnant with our second now, and I had a girl’s name picked out a few days after I found out I was pregnant! A girl’s name that my husband and I agree on, no less. I fear that if this child is a boy, he will be known as Baby Boy (last name) until he is 7.
Why are boy names so much harder to pick out? There are quite a few that I like one day and despise the next, and ZERO that both my husband and I agree on. And let’s not even get into all the comments/”advise” you get from family members and close friends when you (mistakenly) tell them what names you’re considering…
Boy names are much harder. Not only are there fewer of them, but the girls keep STEALING all the perfectly good boy names. Jordan has basically become a girl’s name now (even though I remember vividly the days when “Jordie” was one of the cutest boys’ names around), and now the girls are even starting to snatch up solid masculine names like Spencer and Owen. It’s just wrong, I tell you – wrong.
Girl names are easier, HANDS DOWN.
Seems like there’s more of them. Or is it just me?
Girls names have always come easier by me. But who am I to talk? I have no children and a live-in boyfriend who I swear to God wants to name his son Aristotle.
Did you get that? ARISTOTLE? And while I understand that he was the rough him up kind of kid, man there is no guarantee and if you an even slightly sensitive kid with that name, oh lord Jebus the teasing.
I would have to say that naming the boy was easier…we had decided the day of the 20 week ultrasound what it would be and that was it. With our girl, we couldn’t decide and finally settled on a name after she was born. It wasn’t what we thought it would be and I don’t like it that much anymore. Its really common and, while it does fit her, I can think of so many names that would be perfect for her. My favorite name ever that I wish I would have thought to name her would be Piper. She’d be the cutest little Piper ever!
Naming girls is completely and totally harder.
With boys, you have the classic names that are always good, and there are many of them. Look at the names of your own children! And I have 5 brothers and they are all just good classic names, but none of them on the Top 10 list.
With girls, they are so gosh darn trendy. Nobody wants to be the “Jennifer” right now, yet everyone loves the Hannah’s and Emily’s and Emma’s and Sofia’s etc. that are populating the top of the baby name lists right now. (Don’t even get me started on all the _____bel’s) I think its tough to find a girl name that is both pretty/cute as a kid and will grow up well with the child, especially if you want to stay off the Top 10 list.
AND, to add an extra dimension to it, I think it is MUCH more difficult to name the 2nd child, or any other subsequent children. You basically chose your style with Child #1, and then you’re pretty obligated to stay with it! (ie: it just wouldn’t work with a Robert and an Aristotle. Once you have Robert, you go with Edward, etc. ;) If you have an Aristotle, you have to think equally out there: Plato? Socrates?)
We picked our boy name long before we got engaged, and it stuck so it seemed simple.
It took us years to come up with our girl name.
BUT THEN – we found out we were having twins and so we had to pick two of each and that sucked.
I say they are both hard. Naming somebody seems like it would be a lot of fun until you have to do it and then it just seems like a massive responsibility.
Just like getting a puppy.
we’re exactly oppisite, always having boys names picked out before we concieve, and heming and hawing over girl names. to be perfectly honest i have a daughter right now that i still don’t care too much for her name, i wont mention what that name is, as god forbid she grow up, can read, and sees this, but to me, girls names are too “out there” (Tiana, Lotta, Granda, Hopeful, Asha: 4 kids in one preschool class my kid attended last year) or too “common” (Sarah, Hannah, Morgan, Megan). i love to see parents give boys names that are strong like Henry, now he has an awesome name. Boy’s names by rule seem to be easier to come up with that sound both strong and masculine (Jack, Sam, Ron, Dan, John) but can be very cute for a young baby or boy (Jackson (Jacky) Samuel (Sammy) Ronald (Ronnie) Daniel (Danny) Johnathan (Johnny)) thats my 10 cents worth
No question. Boys names are way more difficult. We have several girl names stored away in memory, all of which are great, classic, sturdy names. Which means of course that we’ve had to come up with names for two boys instead.
Is there more pressure for naming a boy? Is that it? Like you’re supposed to choose something masculine but not too much, traditional but not too much, nice-sounding but not too much, etc.?
But then again, it always seem easier for the other side. I’ve never gotten to name a girl.
We were the exact opposite: we had a boy’s name picked out a year before we were even married and interested in kids. We lucked out this time and we’re having a boy because honestly, we couldn’t come up with one single girls name that either of us really fancied.
Can’t wait to read all the other comments but here’s a vote for BOY names being harder to come up with.
We picked our girl options in a matter of minutes.
I tend to think that boy names are easier. We had a girl first and had a boy name picked out, but couldn’t figure out a girl name for the longest time.
I think girl names are either too cutesy/trendy or way too classic/common. I suppose the same thing could be said for boy names, but because a lot of times boy names are the ones that people (read: we) want to carry on it seems like those are easier to go with the more common ones and it’s OK. Plus just thinking of those people who go with Biblical names- they have a lot more to choose from in the boy department than if naming a girl with a Biblical name.
Besides, I’m sure you’ve heard this before but I was a teacher and it seemed like all of the popular girl names reminded me of students I didn’t want to be reminded of and it was more acceptable if there was a boy to not be reminded of with a common name because lots of boys had that name.
Hope that makes sense.
IMO boys are much easier to name. Then again maybe that’s just because I had a girl first. How’s that for another theory?
Boy names were harder for us. So hard to find something that’s not totally ordinary but not too out there. I have always liked Aiden, but all the lists said it was the #1 boy name so I thought, ok, we’ll find something else and avoid the “Jennnifer syndrome.” So I liked Hayden and was all set with it, until I told my mom. She went off on this wild cackling rant where she kept repeating, “I’ll just call him Hay! Hey! Hay! Hey, Hay! HEY, HAY! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!” and I’m all, oooooookay, mom, thanks for ruining that name for me.
Aiden it is.
All three of our kids were named after other family members. The easiest name we came up with was our first girl–two seconds flat. When we had a boy, there was much discussion over the middle name. I fought hard and won (So what if it sounds as if we named him after a rock star? It was imperative I get my Dad’s name in there somewhere!). The third pregnancy was really tough. We could agree on first names for a boy or a girl but went completely blank on middle names. After she was born, we spent over an hour on the phone while I was in the hospital trying to figure out her middle name–without offending other female family members getting left out of the equation. We finally picked a name and changed the spelling just a bit–to try to make it more fair. See the issues with naming kids after family members?
(And we had run out of male family members to name kids after, so it’s a good thing the third was a girl. And it’s probably a good thing we’re “done” as we’ve apparently exhausted all the girl names as well.)
Um, to get back to the real topic at hand, I agree the girl names are easier–when you’re not trying to honor some remote family member, that is.
Yes! For us, at least, boy names are more difficult! I’m due in November, and we had a girl’s name chosen pretty quickly, but last week we found out it’s a boy. We can’t agree on a name. DH keeps coming up with more and more outlandish ones.
I’m due tomorrow with my first baby (not that I’m waiting desperately for this to be over or anything). We had no problem coming up with a bunch of girl names, but boys’ names were a problem. I’m not sure why it was harder. There were a lot of names neither of us liked, and a lot of names that are too common, etc. We also had the additional challenge of finding a name that works both in the country we live in and in the US.
We did decide on a name pretty early on, so if the baby would just COME OUT ALREADY we can see if it fits.
So many comments, I couldn’t read them all, but I seem to be in the minority thinking that girl names are harder. So, of course, I have 4, yup 4, girls. My main problem is that I was a Jennifer, as was EVERY SINGLE OTHER GIRL born the same year I was. So I had to go by Jennifer M. in school. I swore that not one of my kids would have the same name as another child in his/her class. It is not easy to find a nice-sounding name (girl or boy) that other people aren’t using to death.
There were lots of boy names I liked, though, that weren’t too common at the times of my kids births. Reid was one, but I don’t recall many others now. There were enough good strong boy names in the family for naming after, too: Michael, William, Christopher, James, Paul, Joseph. My last child, had she been a boy, would have been Declan Joseph, Deck for short.
But I think we did well on the girls anyway. We have a Savannah Brooke, a Tessa Jane, a Sara Beth and a Jillian Lee. Evryone goes by just their first names except for Sara Beth, where we use both names.
In my case, BOY names are definitely harder. I have a list of girl names I like a mile long, and about 2 “meh” boy names scratched on some sticky note somewhere.
I don’t know what it is, I just can’t really GET FULLY BEHIND any boy names, you know? I look at a list of boy names, and I feel…nothing.
Boy names are much harder. My husband and I agreed on exactly one boy name over three pregnancies. Luckily we only have one boy. It was so dicey with my third (who turned out to be a girl, whew), that the week before I was due I was flipping through the phone book looking at last names to see if anything grabbed me.
I haven’t read all the comments yet, so I may be repeating here, but the problem with boy names is that they ALLLLLLL get shortened to nicknames. And, for instance, I LOVE the name Patrick. LOVE. But I HATE the nickname Pat. So, Patrick is just OUT for us. Same thing for David. I just don’t want the nickname “Dave” from some reason for a kid.
So, I agree. Girl names are so muc easier and so much more fun!
For us it was the opposite. We didn’t find out the baby’s gender before birth, but we had no girl name and a boy’s name picked out (with a back up, just in case he came out and didn’t look like the name we chose). This of course meant that we had a girl and we didn’t choose her name until the day after she was born.
Ugh, boy names are so hard. I’m pregnant with my second, and we’re screwed if it is a boy because we used up the only name we could agree on with our first (Alexander)!! Girl names are so much easier. The problem with a lot of “trendy” boy names is that they end up being used as girl names eventually – Dakota, Madison, Dylan, etc…at least this seems to be the trend.
SO. MUCH. HARDER. We had a girls name picked out for years. I knew this kid would be a girl. So much so that we only did a cursory glance at boy names. So, when, at 35 weeks, we found out we were having a boy, we did a mighty scramble. And it made us both want to cry and wail and hit our heads hard. I still don’t think we did the best we could, but it is what it is, now!
I think boy names are harder.I agree that they are either too common or too out there. To find a strong classic boy name is tough.
boys are harder, no question. i could name 50 girls.
Girl Names are harder, simply because there is so much variety. I mean, when there are 5 whole boy names in the universe, it is easy to pick. But there are a gagillion girl names.
Ever notice how masculinity is SO limiting?
The first time around, coming up with a boy’s name was easy. He would be Edmund Mason, the same as his father, who is named after both of his grandfathers. Although Edmund was never my favorite name, this was decided upon long before we had even seriously considered having kids. I’m ok with it now; Eddie is the perfect name for my 3-year-old.
When I found myself pregnant the second time the first thing I thought was “what the hell will we call this baby if it’s another boy???” Knowing that our boy would be Edmund, I had never even considered boy’s names. After much deliberation, we’d decided that should we have a boy, his name would be Andrew. Andy for short and never Drew, because Ed thought a guy named Drew would be a prick. (Don’t ask)
Baby number 2 ended up being a girl, and we agreed easily on a first name, Caitlyn. We argued for weeks on the spelling before we settled on the “y”. Her middle name is still a subject of debate—Ed hates it. Her full name is Caitlyn Renee, but we just call her Cait, which is perfect.
Naming the girl was so much easier for me and here’s why:
I spent my whole life wishing I had a different name. Much like Jennifer, I was one of 7 Sara(h)’s in my graduating class. I was miserable to find out that my parents actually wanted to name me Elisa, and changed it at the last minute. I kept mental notes of names that I loved, and moreover, wished that my name was. (Back then it was Constance, Juanita, and Precious Redwine)
I think that’s got to be the reason we have an easier time naming girls…we are girls. And every one of us must have played and pretended to have different names.
Incidentally, my list of girl’s names now is completely different than what I would have named my daughter when I was 12, but I have a list.. Callie, Grace, (or Callie Grace perhaps), Olivia…..and still just the one name for a boy.
Great topic, I could also talk about baby names for days on end.
I have no kids at this point in my life, but I think picking a name boy or girl has got to be tough. Being a teacher, I know to think of all the possible nicknames a kid could get from a name before giving them that name. I went to school with a boy whose dad’s name was Harry…any guesses on his last name…DICK! Were his parents drunk when they named their son Harry Dick or did they just not think of all the trouble he would go through in school. So making sure no bad nicknames could come from the name alone would be my main concern. I also have a thing with “cute” names…don’t ask me exactly what a “cute” name would be but my child must have one.
I have a few boys names and a few girls names I like…My mom passed away and I would like to give a daughter her middle name, but I’m not sure Julie makes a good middle name!
Interesting discussion Swistle…I like it!
I took my daughter to kindergarten visitation day and there were four other girls there. Cordelia, Niveah, Felicity and Lourdes. Makes me think my daugther’s name, Tessa (which we picked because it is classic and simple), won’t fit in with such fancy-ish names.
All the boys have nice solid names… Thomas, Robert, Michael, Joshua.
Maybe naming boys IS easier. (???)
I think it’s hard to name kids in general, of either gender. A lot depends on your last name and how names you like fit with it, how trendy or classic you want to be, and then there are family name considerations and of course you and your spouse have to agree. It’s also hard for my husband to like certain names because he’s a teacher and has bad associations with the names of kids that are bratty and annoying.
Boy names = Hard as hell
Girl names = Very easy
We ended up with boring common name that I LOVE. Matthew. He is a Matthew and I find unusal boy names a bit… odd. I am not a fan of them. I guess I feel the same way for girls too but it is easy for Lemonade Buttercup to get away being all cute then Tractor Jones ever would be able to. I am a dork…
Boy names = Hard as hell
Girl names = Very easy
We ended up with boring common name that I LOVE. Matthew. He is a Matthew and I find unusal boy names a bit… odd. I am not a fan of them. I guess I feel the same way for girls too but it is easy for Lemonade Buttercup to get away being all cute then Tractor Jones ever would be able to. I am a dork…
Boy names = Hard as hell
Girl names = Very easy
We ended up with boring common name that I LOVE. Matthew. He is a Matthew and I find unusal boy names a bit… odd. I am not a fan of them. I guess I feel the same way for girls too but it is easy for Lemonade Buttercup to get away being all cute then Tractor Jones ever would be able to. I am a dork…
When we were picking out a name for our boy, my husband and I printed out the list of allowed names in Iceland (yes, there is a committee of names here which I suppose is good if you try to call your child say Ugly or something) and separately read through it and wrote down 20 favorites. Then we compared lists and each vetoed 10 names. Then we checked which names overlapped and ended up with a list of 5 names ready for his birth.
An added issue here in Iceland is that every name means something. Like say Brynjólfur a pretty normal boy’s name, it means Armored Wolf or Geir which means spear. And names often double as words in daily use like Dagur (day) or Máni (moon). So most often names aren’t given to children until a goodly bit after they are born. You have to be sure that the name fits the person.
On that note we have already picked a likely girls name… just goes to show. Boys names are way more difficult.
For us, boy names are easy and girl names are HARD!!! So, I’m hoping that this child is going to be a boy. Won’t find out for another 9 weeks or so though…
I think boys’ names are harder too. In my case, I think that when the time comes around it’ll be hard either way because I’ll have spent SO MANY YEARS thinking about it already. We seriously have about ten boys and girls names at the ready. Too many options can be just as hard as none!
I loved the name Aidan. It is from the celtic word for fire. So when my husband told me I was pregnant with our first child and it was a boy(yeah, you read that correctly!) we had a name. Now there are a ton of Aidan’s running around. His middle name was easy. It is Lynn after my father.
When I became pregnant with our second child( same as above! it is a little freaky!) we discussed first names and came up with Quinn. Don’t laugh, but my husband wanted to name him that after the song “The Mighty Quinn”! I liked the name and figured what the heck. His middle name is Allen after a very dear friend of the family who passed away before he was born.
We didn’t have any trouble. I do have a girl’s name picked out. Just in case. I would like to try for baby number three later on this year.
I LOVE talking about baby names and reading how people came up with them.FUN topic!
I think its harder to find unusual boys names, so if you are interested in a classic name there are lots of good choices but if you want something a little different its much more challenging than with a girl. Especially since the girls keep stealing some of the better boys names.
Its easier to come up with pretty girls names but I think once you have a list its actually harder to choose one. They seem to vary more in personality and style and there is more of a range from super feminine to very tomboy, very simple and classic to way out there. So while a list of good names might be a mile long…well then you have to actually choose from that list of names.
With a boys name its like if you can actually find one you like, you just go with it :)
I ended up with a very unusual name for my #2 boy somehow though, even though I hadn’t really intended that. I wanted something a bit different…not in the top 50 names, but something that would sound familiar to people and have some resonance and would start with the same hebrew letter as #1. Well somehow I assumed that since his name is bibilical and was more common in our great grandparents generation that people would know it, though it isn’t in the top 1000 names on the social security website. Instead everyone is always saying “well where did you get that name?” No matter, we love it anyway.
I love names. I’ve always had a “thing” for them. I’m the one who is always giving ideas to people who are pregnant, helping out with a good middle name, etc… We don’t have kids, YET. Girls names have been easier for us to choose because my husband doesn’t really mind what I pick. He likes Sunshine, though! We have a definite girl name picked. He is adament about naming our first son Herschel Walker, after a football player. I hate this name, it’s awful. Walker as a first name I can compromise on but, no Herschel. We both really like Holden.
I was convinced mine was a boy and was going to name him “Blaise Thomas.” It wasn’t until my friend Ashley arrived for my shower and insisted that I prepare for a girl. So I had everyone vote, and Sophie she is. I couldn’t think of a more perfect name for her:)
The only difficulty I ever have is narrowing it down. I have, probably, about 50 names per gender that I like and would possibly use. Although actually, I didn’t have too much trouble once it got closer to time, I just had a sense of what named was a good fit for each child.