A. writes:
Hi-I need some serious help with my daughters middle name. I am due May16th-or sooner!-and can’t decide. With my last daughter it took us a year and a half to pick her middle name (Charlotte Michelle-Charlotte is after my grandmother and Michelle is what my 9year old son picked out). We’ve chosen Josephine as the first name. I would like to honor my other grandmother in the middle name but it just seems like too much, or the rythm is off or something. Her name is Catherine and she goes by Kay. I thought about Josephine Kay-but then it sounds like an initial and not an actual name. So I’m thinking of adding a second middle. Josephine Catherine ___ Etch….ry or Josephine ____ Catherine Etch….ry. I don’t want it to sound too stuffy or formal, or too frilly and it would be nice to use something that has an interesting meaning. Help, I’ve looked through the name book 500 times and am numb! Any suggestions would be so helpful.
I think Josephine Catherine is wonderful. There is slight visual confusion (because the ine/ine endings appear to rhyme but don’t), but nothing that would be deal-breaking for me considering the family connection. You may be able to make the rhythm more to your liking by adjusting how carefully you pronounce the name Catherine: it can be three syllables (CATH-er-rin) or two (CATH-rin).
I think Josephine Kay is also wonderful. I know what you mean about Kay/K., but again, I think the family connection makes it worth it.
I think either one would be a good choice. Let’s have a poll over to the right [poll closed; see results below], and also take further suggestions in the comments section.
Poll results (234 votes total):
Josephine Catherine: 97 votes, roughly 41%
Josephine Kay: 137 votes, roughly 59%
How about Josephine Cate?
I was going to suggest that too Abby! I like Josephine Cate as well, but I also like the original Josephine Catherine.
You could change the spelling of Catherine to Kathryn which has the K like Kay (actually all three letters of Kay) and changes the ending. I think Catherine works too though!
My middle name is Kaye (my mom’s is Kay and for some strange reason she added an e to my middle name to make it different) and I actually like it – it has never bothered me that it sounds like ‘K’ – it makes it different than most middle names. Besides, in the grand scheme of middle names – they all get shortened in the end to the initial…this way I can use my middle initial and it still sounds the same when pronounced.
Good luck!
I think Kaye is really cute and maybe more meaningful because it’s actually what grandma goes by.
I like Kay for the middle name as well. It would make for a cute nickname if she goes by Josie…”Josie Kay”…cute!
I pronounce Catherine with 2 syllables, and when pronounced that way, I think Josephine Catherine is fine. I like Josephine Kate as well, but since it sounds like your Grandmother never used Kate, I don’t think that would be as honoring as Josephine Catherine or Josephine Kay. Either, I think, would be fine.
I like Josephine Catherine and think the two names are beautiful together. My husband’s favorite aunt was named Katherine Josephine, and I’ve always thought she had one of the best names in her family of 6 sisters. (Her older sister Elizabeth Christina had an especially lovely name too.)
I think Josephine Catherine is a great name. I no problem with it at all.
I think Josephine Catherine is beautiful but if by chance Josie would be used as a nickname I LOVE the suggestion above of “Josie Kay”.
I really like Josephine. Thats a beautiful name. For my first we had to mull over many names. I used lots of baby name sites such as http://www.bounty.com/babynames to find something original. GOOD LUCK!
I like Cate, too. Honors your grandmother, but isn’t so long. Kay is good too, and has the bonus of being a more direct honoring of your grandmother.
I like Josephine Kay! Josephine Catherine does feel a little too similar to me – both nine letters, ending in e(r/ph)ine.
I am naming my daughter Josephine Alexa! I think Josephine Kay will be perfect…sounds like you are looking at it from every angle and syllable just like I did :-) I am also happy to see there will be another Josie her age!