Terra writes:
A friend told me about your blog, and I have really enjoyed reading through the posts. I am having an extremely difficult time deciding on a name for our baby girl, due in a month! I am Terra, husband is Josh, surname is Patterson. Siblings name is Grady Owen (call him Gray). He is named after my husband’s grandfather (and my husband and his father also have middle name Owen). We both tend to like older, more traditional names. We don’t want anything too common, but also don’t like very odd names. I would like to use something from my side of the family this time since we don’t plan on having anymore children. Basically the only family names I have to work with are Hazel (great-grandmother), Jacqueline (grandmother), or Harper (mother’s maiden name). My favorite name of these options is Hazel, simply because I like the name.
Our finalist list:
Catherine Hazel (call her Cate) – This is probably my number one pick. Have always loved the name Cate (with a C), but my concerns are that it is too plain and common (especially with Gray). Also not sure if the “ate” sound and fact that it is one syllable bothers me after saying it over and over.
Lucy Sutton (call her Lucy) – Sutton is a family name of my husband’s that we love, but then I won’t be using anything from my family. My other concern is I’m not sure I see Lucy growing with her. Is it too little girl sounding?
Charlotte (not sure about middle name) – We both like Charlotte well enough. Worry about it becoming too popular, and it is also fairly new on our list so not sure if I’m in love with it yet.
Others that we both like: Eliza, Annabel, Carly.
Names that got ruled out either because a friend has used it or because it is a color (don’t want them both to have color names since we call our son Gray): Olive, Violet, Ruby, Pearl, Caroline. Love several of these but can’t get past the color thing…Didn’t realize when we named him that we would have this issue!
So, I need your help and feedback on our final list and other potentials. I keep coming back to Cate, but then I start to wonder if it just isn’t right since I can’t commit.
HELP! :)
Since you have always loved Catherine/Cate, I think this indecision is likely to be normal baby-naming jitters. Baby-naming is a big deal, and we only get so many babies to name—it’s normal to feel uncertain. I do wonder if you might call her Catie, and might call your son Grady? Then you’d have a rhyme, which would be fine if it didn’t bother you, and maybe even fun since it would be an optional, avoidable rhyme.
Lucy Sutton is super cute, but it does seem unfair to have tons of family names from your husband’s side (not to mention the surname) and none from yours. I like Lucy Harper. I think all the other Lucys will help to make Lucy seem like a grown-up name when they all ARE grown-ups (just as the name Jennifer now seems like a woman in her late 30s), but there’s also Lucille or Lucia or Luciana or Lucienne or Lucinda.
I like Charlotte with Harper (I like the repeating “ar” sound).
My far and away fave from your very good list is Catherine Hazel nn Cate so I vote go for it!
Love Cate. Also, if it helps, I know a grown-up Lucy and it never seemed too little-girly to me. My favorite, though, is Eliza Harper.
Terra knows my input on this, wink wink, but I think Harper was off my radar.
What about Harper as the first name? Harper Cate Patterson, Harper Sutton Patterson, Harper Charlotte Patterson?
I like Gray and Harper as a sibling set, too!
Anyhow, there’s probably a reason you don’t have it as a first name option, so I will say I like Lucy Harper & Charlotte Harper best of Swistle’s suggestions. Lucy better, I think. I like Lucy & Gray together.
Yay!
I like Catherine, nn. Cate. So much in fact that I would use it if our last name didn’t also start with a “cat”.
I also really like Charlotte and Lucy Harper. I think Lucy will grow up with a person, although I do find both Lucy and Charlotte popular in my area (northeast).
Since we seem to have similar taste in names, maybe you’d also like Evelyn? Evelyn Harper or Evelyn Hazel is nice and I think it works with Grady.
Good luck!
Charlotte Hazel Patterson is a versitle, darling, and charming name.
She has the nickname options of Lottie, Charlie, and Dot.
Cate is so high-end to me. Elegant and classy.
Do you like Hazel Jacqueline Patterson? It sounds musical.
Best wishes to your growing family!
I’ve always liked Lucy, but thought it a little childish (in a cute way)–I also had a hard time seeing it on a grown up.
However, I have a friend who recently named her daughter Lucia (they almost went with Lucienne), and they call her Lucy. I love it. Cute little girl option–Lucy. Grown up, business card option–Lucia. Gorgeous.
I love Catherine (Cate/Catie) too but with Grady/Gray I think Lucy is a better choice for your family. Lucy Hazel would be lovely.
Best Wishes!
My daughter’s name is Hazel Catherine! She’s named for my great grandmother (Hazel) and my mom (Catherine). We call her Hazel Cate or Hazie Cate much of the time. Obviously, I think you should pick Catherine Hazel. ;-) Great choice!
My favorite from your list is Catherine Hazel. Grady and Catherine Patterson is a good sib set. (I also think that Hazel would be great as a first name.) Charlotte Hazel would be great too! (Charlotte is popular, and on the upward trend, though)
Good luck!
Catherine Hazel nn Cate is very beautiful and goes so nicely with Grady Owen! i don’t think that it is plain or ordinary in any sense. i love the nn Cate as well, and i think Cate and Gray are so sweet together! :o)
After further thought, I changed my vote back to Catherine (Cate). It’s the name you love the most, and really there’s no reason *not* to use it. You plan to call her Cate, and even if she’s sometimes called Catie and Gray, Grady, I don’t think that matters. I don’t find Cate too plain and definitely not too common when spelled with a C. For me, Catherine is one of the loveliest and strongest female names, with nn Cate, spunky and independent.
I loved the name Catherine best of all too and named my first daughter that, calling her Cathy which was then a popular nn for Catherine. She goes by Catherine as an adult. Catherine named her second daughter Catrina — and that’s our Cate, very much as I described the name above.
Grady and Catherine, Gray and Cate — very fine together. I’d stick with Catherine Hazel.
Love your names. I voted for Catherine. I love Cate. My daughter’s mn is Kate and I love the spunky, strong feeling.
I also love Lucy and Carly. I would probably give Lucy a longer name and call her Lucy…more options for her.
Good luck!
I vote Catherine/Cate. I’ve always thought it was such a pretty name and Charlotte is becoming very overdone and trendy in my opinion.
Love Catherine Hazel!!! Also love the suggestion Eliza Harper. Good luck!
I voted for Catherine in the poll, but Harper and Hazel weren’t up there! Harper with middle name Eliza would be my choice from the names you provided. Harper Eliza is quirky yet will grow up well, I think. Harper Catherine is good too.
Hazel is a great name, though there’s a wee bit of a color association there. You mentioned vetoing color names… Maybe you didn’t notice it? I think plant before I think color though, so I don’t think it should be a deal breaker. Hazel Sutton or Hazel Charlotte would be my picks.
If you go with Catherine (and no, Cate is not too boring, it’s appropriate at any age!), your suggestion of Catherine Hazel would definitely be my pick.
I think Gray and Cate are endearing paired together! Catherine Hazel is a fabulous name…it’s timeless. Alas, if you’re not sure, I’d personally go with Charlotte or Eliza. I do, too, think that Lucy is too little girl sounding. Best of luck!!
My husband and I also have a Grady and are expecting a girl early next year. Katie was high on DH’s list, but I don’t like the rhyminess of Grady & Katie. I think Charlotte, Eliza, or Lucy are all beautiful choices.