Keryn writes:
We are due with our second baby (gender unknown) November 26. This baby will be younger sibling to our son, 3-year-old Griffin Kenneth Wilson. I’m having the most trouble with girl names, and I could use some help. We have decided for sure that we will use my grandmother’s name, Angela, as a middle name. For this reason, and also because we aren’t really drawn to the “girlie girl” names, we don’t want a name that ends in “a.” I like the surname for first name trend, and I also like names that are a little unisex. That being said, I don’t want a “trendy” name, if that makes sense. Here is our current list:
Emery Angela Wilson – I love this name but my husband doesn’t really care for it.
Berkeley Angela Wilson – I actually came up with this one and my husband loves it, but I’ve read some posts online where people hate the name Berkeley for a girl! I think it’s cool. I’d like some feedback on this name in particular.
Keaton Angela Wilson – Both my husband and myself have names that begin in “Ke” (Ken and Keryn) so I’m afraid this would be weird for Griffin to have the rest of us have matchy “K” names (am I overthinking this?)We’re really stuck here and I would LOVE some additional suggestions. Don’t even get me started on boy names (although if anyone has some cool boy’s name suggestions that would go with the middle name “Strummer” I’d love to hear them. We’ve picked that middle name in honor of Joe Strummer, who we both love.)
Thanks a million!
If you and your husband both love Berkeley Angela Wilson, I think you should ignore the element of “some people hate it.” The thing is, there are some people to hate EVERY name.
For boys, I like Otto Strummer Wilson and Harris Strummer Wilson and Emmett Strummer Wilson.
Name update! Keryn writes:
I wanted to let you know that Griffin got a baby sister on November 23 and we named her Harper Angela Wilson. She’s an angel.
Thanks for all the advice!
I agree – go with Berkeley! It totally matches your requirements of surname/unisex and I think it sounds great with your last name.
Swistle’s right – some people just hate some names. I don’t see anything universally offensive about Berkeley!
Berkeley Angela Wilson; Griffin and Berkeley. It looks like a great fit for you! I might suggest Cameron and Regan but I think you’re all set.
And for a boy: Dawson or Clayton. Clayton Strummer Wilson; Griffin and Clayton.
Good luck!
Berkeley is not my style at all, only because in British English “berk” is slang for “twit.”
ps the wiktionary for “berk” may actually be worth looking at: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/berk
If you love Berkeley, use it!
Other Ideas
Emery reminds me of Ellery and Elodie
Keaton makes me think of Kendall and Kenedy (though too much with Ken?)
I love the name Berkeley, I’ve actually liked it since I was a little girl. I say go for it! Not everyone is going to like every name, if you like it then use it.
P.S- I do know a little girl in real life named Berkley and she is absolutely adorable!
Number of American babies named some spelling of Berkeley in 2009:
Girls:
Berkley 160
Berkeley 56
Berklee 34
Berkleigh 14
Berkli 6
Berklie 6
Boys:
Berkley 30
Berkeley10
I think these stats tell us some things about the name:
1. Berkeley is being used far more for girls than for boys.
2. With the “lee” ending, the name will most likely be increasingly female.
3. The name holds appeal for parents who like non-traditional spellings (my spell check only likes the name spelled the way you do).
Keaton sounds like a boys’ name to me, not really unisex. In 2009 794 boys were named Keaton, ranking the name #380 in the SSA Top 1000. Only 41 girls were given the name Keaton.
Some other possibilities for you:
Larkin
Kerrigan
Ellery
Teagan
For a boy:
Duncan
Declan
Ronan
I almost always advise going with what you love, so Berkeley has my vote.
Dane Strummer Wilson
Lewis Strummer Wilson
Rhys Strummer Wilson
I love StephLove’s suggestion of Rhys with Griffin. Both names have Welsh roots and sound great together — compatible yet not overly matchy as a name ending in -in/en would be.
Griffin Kenneth
Rhys Strummer
Griffin and Rhys
Excellent!
Thanks so much to everyone for your feedback and suggestions! I love the boy name suggestions and I’m thinking about them all. I like Harris, and Ronan, and Rhys particularly. Cool.
Thanks also for the feedback regarding using Berkeley for a girl. I will not be afraid! It’s funny that two people mentioned the name “Ellery” for a girl – that has probably been my favorite all along but I had to scrap it after my husband pooh-poohed it over and over. Of course, this is the same man who keeps insisting that the name “Galahad” is a viable boy’s name and won’t let it go. Seriously. I could not make that up. So I have a bit of an uphill battle here!
I very much appreciate everyone taking the time to make such great suggestions. I will keep you posted! (Thanks, Swistle!)