Wendy writes:
I’m hoping you can please help tilt our value scales one way or the other and provide some late trimester peace! Our dilemma is whether to pick the name I like best, with a little funny meaning, or his favorite, a more common choice with a really nice meaning.
We’re due this Memorial Day, about 4 weeks, with our 3rd girl and last child. We have an Adrienne Elizabeth (6), Valerie Grace (4), and Joshua Jeremiah (2). I like classic names, but as a teacher also wanted less common names, so the girls’ names are less common with classic middle names. (Josh was and is the right choice for this kid, regardless of popularity, his middle is a family name). Our last name is pronounced Pa-Donny, which to me, rules out most girl names ending in a long e to avoid rhyming. Their names follow a 3-4-3 or 3-1-3 syllable pattern. We like Rose for a middle name. It’s 1 syllable, is classic (goes with Elizabeth and Grace) and I just like it.
We finally landed more or less on Meredith a few months ago. I like it a LOT, it tops everything else, but I don’t quite LOVE it yet. It’s uncommon but not out there, 3 syllables and I think, goes well style wise with Adrienne (richly blessed) and Valerie (strong and gracious). We got a 3D picture of her from our ultrasound and that’s what I think when I look at her. BUT the name means “Sea Lord” or maybe “Great Leader or Lord.” Plus, it was originally a boy’s name, which I know most people don’t know, and which doesn’t bother me too much. But we met a lot of Adrian boys after choosing Adrienne for a girl, so it’s a teeny tiny factor. I’ve been sooo close to settling on it, but the meaning and background nag at me just a little.
Recently my husband suggested and now loves Lydia. It’s 3 syllables, a little uncommon and doesn’t rhyme with our last name. Better, it means “noble, beloved, beauty” and sometimes “seller of purple cloth” depending on the source. A Lydia Rose could have purple roses associated with her name, which I think is pretty, but also with a strong character reference.
I’d love to know what you recommend in this type of dilemma. And your thoughts on our choices as they fit with her sibling’s names?
Meredith Rose Padonny (nn Em, M, Mere) Meaning: Great leader, rose
Lydia Rose Padonny (nn Lyddie or Liddie) Meaning: Noble, beautiful roseAdrienne, Valerie, Josh and Meredith
Adrienne, Valerie, Josh and LydiaWe’re open to other name suggestions that fit our patterns as well. We sometimes use A and V, and J as nicknames, so we avoid names beginning with A, V or J.
Thanks! I really appreciate your help if you get to our letter!
Although I did know Meredith used to be a boy name, I know it the same way I know Vivian and Ashley used to be boy names and that pink used to be a boy color: i.e., it doesn’t matter to me, now that they’re used for girls. The terms “boy name” and “girl name” and “boy color” and “girl color” refer only to usage, not to something inherent or unchangeable about the name or color.
As for the meaning, it depends on how you feel about name meanings. Do you, for lack of a better phrase, “believe in them”? I am pretty far on the “no” end of the spectrum: too many baby name books make up meanings, or come up with them based on very loose connections to words or to other names. Many name meanings come from characters in Bible stories—but what did did the name mean before that story was written? And even when a name has what I’d consider a “genuine” meaning, I still don’t think that means anything about the name or the person bearing the name. Cameron means “crooked nose”; Rachel means “ewe”—but what does the word “means” mean in this context? Most names are series of sounds we’ve decided make up a name; they may have connections to words or stories, but the name’s real meaning is “a name.”
Even way over at this end of the spectrum, I would pause if a name had a really terrible meaning. But Meredith, according to The Oxford Dictionary of First Names, is from the Old Welsh name Meredudd, which is “from an unexplained first element + iudd ‘lord’.” So it means “[something unknown] lord.” That doesn’t qualify as terrible. In fact, to me this moves it securely into the “doesn’t really have a meaning, it’s just a series of sounds we use as a name” category.
According the The Oxford Dictionary of First Names, Lydia means “woman from Lydia, an area of Asia Minor.” The purple connection comes from the woman from Lydia in the Bible, who worked for a company that sold purple dye and/or cloth. Her name was not Lydia; she’s just called Lydia in the Bible story because she lived there. I don’t know why her actual first name isn’t used—maybe by the time the story was written down no one remembered, or maybe it wasn’t considered polite back then, or maybe it was for her own privacy and protection (a single woman letting a bunch of men sleep over would not necessarily have benefited by having that published), or maybe at the time just saying “a woman who sold purple dye in Lydia” would have immediately communicated exactly which woman they meant—but the upshot is that Lydia is a place name which, because of its use in a story, has also come to be associated with purple dye and/or cloth.
If name meanings are important to you, if you believe they’re significant, if you enjoy them, if you often use them and refer to them and buy framed plaques for your children’s rooms that list their names with their meanings, then the meaning DOES matter and you should go with a name that has a meaning you like. The meaning becomes an important element of how you feel about the name—just as important as the style and the popularity.
If, on the other hand, meaning is just one of many details you find interesting but not among your most important preferences, then I’d ignore the meanings and choose based on which name you prefer. Or perhaps I’d let the meaning be one of the many, many smaller details that add up to helping you choose, just as you might lightly consider the number of letters in the name, or the number of letters or syllables shared with the sibling names, or a celebrity with the same name, or other fun things like that.
Stepping away from the meanings and looking directly at the particular names involved, I think both are great. Both go beautifully in the sibling group and meet your other preferences. With meaning removed, the issue becomes whether to choose the name you prefer or the name your husband prefers, which is a much different issue and may require choosing a different name entirely, or going with a lovely compromise such as Lydia Meredith.
Name update! Wendy writes:
Thanks again for posting my letter a few weeks ago. We loved reading the comments and had plenty of time to consider our baby girl’s name, as she came 12 days late. I had extra non-stress tests and ultrasounds to make sure she was staying healthy. (My midwives were pushing a “just because” induction – what is it with rushing babies out these days?) It was during one of those appointments that my husband and I had some quiet moments to ourselves and landed peacefully on Meredith Rose Padonny. We love it. And it fits her. And it fits with her siblings names as well. They’ve been calling her Mere Bear, Mere and Meri.
And for extra confirmation . . . we were at Target when I (finally) felt the first contraction and our check out girl’s name was Rose. I complimented her on it and she said that she hated it as a kid but LOVES it now. Then this week my neighbor/friend told me that in junior high she’d written “Adrienne Meredith” on a piece of paper and kept it in her desk for 15 years planning to use that name for her first child (her husband didn’t love it so they didn’t). Adrienne is our oldest’s name and neither name is very common, so it was fun to hear that these names would be someone else’s top picks. We’re really pleased. Thanks again!
As the recent aunt of a Lydia, I have to put in a plug for that name! It’s a really lovely one, Lyddie is a great nickname for a kid, and I think it goes well with your other children’s names. Adrienne and Valerie both (to me) have a bit of a fantastical feminine vibe that Lydia fits well with. The one thing that gives me pause is putting the nickname together with your surname (Lyddie Padonny). To me, that’s a bit sing-song-y, but not necessarily in a deal-breaker sort of way—and especially not if you keep Lyddie as a family nickname rather than what your daughter goes by every day.
Meredith is also lovely, though to me it is a (slight!) style stretch, since I generally think of Meredith as a bit stronger than I would Adrienne and Valerie. Still a gorgeous name, though!
They’re both lovely. classic names! Lots of parents go in with a couple of options and choose when they meet their little one for the first time. Maybe she’ll just look more like a Meredith – strong and feisty or sweet and calm like a Lydia?
Or maybe you could let your kiddos choose between the two? That could be a great family tiebreaker and a sweet story for the baby of the family!
I like them both quite a bit, but I tilt toward Lydia in this sibling group.
I am a Meredith, and I love seeing my own name being considered! I was just thinking last week that I had never seen anyone on this site say that they were thinking of using Meredith, so this is exciting to me.
I have not had any issues relating to the fact that Meredith was once a boy name. No one has ever assumed I would be a man, for example, upon meeting me after hearing my name. The meaning of my name has never really been an issue, either. When I was young, the definition I found was “keeper of the sea” — but I would also take “great leader”; that sounds pretty good. But it really doesn’t influence me, personally, though I know name meanings are more important to some people.
The only (slight!) down side to Meredith is needing to spell it (which I think is true for a LOT of names, even very common ones, like Allison/Allyson/Alison/Alyson, Sarah/Sara, Sophia/Sofia). And when I was a kid, I could never find pencils or bike plates with my name on them, but thanks to the Internet that is no longer a problem for any name under the sun.
What I’ve loved about being a Meredith is that it is classic, strong, and unique (but without being weird or made up). I have never had another Meredith in my class or at my workplaces, and in my lifetime I’ve only known a handful of others with my name.
When it came time to name my own daughter, I wanted to find a name very similar in style, uniqueness, and sound (we went with Felicity), because my own name has served me well. So in sum, I think it’s a great name!
My niece is named Meredith and my daughter is Rose, so I have to say I think Meredith Rose would be a perfect name for your daughter. :)
I like Lydia too, but I do know a few little Lydias, so I think it might be getting more popular (at least it is here in new england). I don’t know any other Merediths. My niece is 7 and really likes her name. She likes it even more now that she found out it is the name of Taylor Swift’s cat because she is a big Taylor Swift fan. :)
Good luck!
Love Meredith for you! I like Lydia too but Meredith has that familar but not something you hear everywhere element that Adrienne and Valerie have. I hear Lydia a lot more often!
I love the name Meredith! It was on our short list when we were having a girl and we had a tinge of name regret when we didn’t use it. It’s pretty and underused. Plus, you already think of her as Meredith!
Good luck!
Just wanted to say ‘Hi!’ because I am a Lydia and my daughter’s name is Meredith! Love these parent’s naming style! ;)
My Meredith Mae is 12 months, and mainly goes by Meri. My middle name is Grace. I like Swistle’s suggestion of pairing the two, but would probably flip them. Meredith Lydia. Then the classical, biblical, name is in the middle, and I like the flow of Adrienne, Valerie, Josh and Meredith a tiny bit more. Looking forward to the update on this post!
I’m like Swistle regarding name meanings. I find them very interesting in an academic sort of way, but they were of almost zero importance when I chose names for my kids. But really, “something Lord” isn’t a bad meaning, and I think a slight change to “something ruler” or just “ruler” would eliminate the masculine Lord in the meaning.
Looking at Meredith & Lydia, what I notice is that Meredith seems to fit better style-wise. Adrienne, Valerie & Joshua all seem like they could be any age from their 40s to little ones now. (Baby Name Wizard calls them New Classics I think) I knew kids with those names when I was growing up. I also knew a Meredith. However, Lydia is more of what I’d call a vintage-chic name. It would have been considered very “old lady” when I was growing up, but it’s coming back into fashion now.
You also mentioned you were concerned about popularity. I think Meredith meets your criteria better here. It has been steadily declining over the last 10 years & was #668 on the SSA list for 2012. Lydia has been steadily gaining in popularity. The 2012 stats have it listed at #95.
I adore both names and long have, but Meredith holds a special spot in my heart. I think it’s really perfect with your sibset.
I really love the idea of naming her both. Rose is a charming name, and Meredith Lydia sounds so beautiful, but Lydia Meredith kind of makes my heart sing.
In my family we have a tradition of going by whichever name we like (first, middle, last, or something like “Buzz” or “Rusty” or “Sissy” instead), so were she my darling I’d name her Lydia Meredith and call her Mer or Merry.
You have gorgeous taste.
“but Lydia Meredith kind of makes my heart sing” …… that was perfectly described :)
completely agree with all of this comment! i love the pairing idea … either way, but particularly the L. M. way.
As you can see, I’m a Meredith and I love my name. It was a little weird growing up in the 90’s and not being a Jennifer, Jessica or Ashley but I really do appreciate the fact that I was usually the only Meredith, except for one class in college where there were 4 of us but we were all equally shocked by it.
Lawyerish’s comment hit all the key points on the head. No one has ever none that Meredith was originally a boy’s name until I’ve told them. I’ve always thought the meaning was “keeper/guardian of the sea” which for me makes the name even more fitting because I live in the “Ocean State” and have spent my entire life in and around water and I’m a Scorpio which is a water sign. And she will probably always have to spell it for people but who doesn’t have to spell their name nowadays. It’s a great name and has served me well but I think it could also serve your little one well. The flow with Adrienne and Valerie is really nice.
As a side note, Lydia is one of my favorite names but it definitely is becoming more popular. Whatever you chose is going to be the right name for your little girl. Most people are not name nerds like us and won’t know most of the background details to a name. Meredith Rose and Lydia Rose are both gorgeous names and I’d be tempted to use either on my little girl (if I weren’t a Meredith) or suggest them to a friend.
If “good character” meanings are a really big deal, I wouldn’t choose either name as Lydia just means “from Lydia” and as Swistle said, Meredith is some form of Lord. Both are lovely names though and if I think both are great choices.
Meredith Rose is gorgeous! I would want that name for myself. My sister’s name means “haystack” and the heather plant is more a bush than anything, so needless to say name meanings have never held much sway in our family. I agree with Swistle that most meanings are so debatable in origin that you can’t let them rule out a name you love. I like Lydia but I agree with other posters that it’s getting quite popular. Rubys (Rubies?) and Lydias seem to be popping up more and more in my area. I love Meredith for you, alongside the other children and just in general!
My name is Meredith, and I love my name. I’ve always felt like it was a strong name, in sound and meaning (I grew up running it meant Lord of the Sea, but years ago with the help of the internet found that its origin is actually disputed, but no matter), and I liked that it used to be a boy’s name. BUT I’ve also always loved the name Lydia! how’s that for a coincidence? This might not be helpful, but I had to share! I’d vote for Meredith, if I had to pick. Best of luck!
I like both names and Meredith is on my short list for a future girl. I love that it’s not common but totally known and both strong & pretty, and have loved hearing from the above Merediths about loving their own names. I was going to say Lydia seems more a style fit with your other girl names – a little softer and sweeter with vowel endings. But it seems like you can’t go wrong, including using both, if you can part with Rose. Good luck, and please update!
I do know a 10-year-old boy with the name Meredith, but this is most unusual and the choice raised a number of eyebrows when he was born. (I’m writing from a town in coastal Maine.) I don’t know his mother well enough to have ever asked how having this name is working for him, though….
I agree with the above commenters that Meredith would be the more unusual choice of the two you’re considering. I know several babies/girls/women named Lydia, but only two other Merediths–one now around 30, and the other from my high school class (who I remember had a best friend named Maida). I find the name Meredith to be practically in a category of its own because although it is classic in some senses of the word, it isn’t classic in the vintage chic way that Lydia and Pearl and Edith are. The more I think about the name Meredith, the more I love it. I’ll just add that if the name does actually mean “great leader”, that’s awesome.
I like both names, but Meredith really jumped out at me, especially when put alongside the sibling names. Meredith Rose — love!! (Meredith Lydia would also be pretty, if you went that route.)
I’ve always loved the name Meredith, nickname Merry/Meri. We have a little girl due in July, but just couldn’t sell my husband on the name :/ we are thrilled with the name we have chosen though! Best of luck!
I want to chant MEREDITH! MEREDITH! MEREDITH!
I love it. :) One of those names I KNOW but NEVER see!!! It goes perfectly with Adrienne and Valerie!!
Lydia, on the other hand, seems way overused to me- in the last three years I’ve had a niece named Lydia and four friends who have named their daughters Lydia!
I love the name Meredith and coupling it with the middle name Rose is beautiful!
I hope you and your husband come to love it. Lydia is also wonderful, but I do think Meredith meets the classy/less common feel of your children’s names.
I know a sweet, smart, feisty little girl named Lydia Meredith!
I lean towards Meredith, it seems much more unusual these days, and it goes so well with your other kids’ names!
Another Meredith here who had very similar experiences to the rest of the Merediths! I have always loved my name and also always read that it meant “guardian of the sea” (which I, too, as a name nerd was surprised to see later was perhaps inaccurate). I love the description above of Meredith as strong and feisty. Definitely how I would describe myself!
I grew up thinking there was no nickname for Meredith until I lived abroad and was called Mery for a few years, which I ended up loving. Now I’m Aunt Mere Mere.
Like one of my Meredith comrades, I’m thrilled to see someone contemplating using the name. Do it!! (P.S. I like Lydia as well, so you can’t go wrong.)
I love the name Meredith too and Meredith Rose nn Merry is adorable!
Lydia is pretty, and I do like it a lot, but it always makes me think of Chlamydia. I know, terrible right?!
Meredith is much less common than Lydia, which is flying up the popularity charts, and will be a lovely surprising name on a little girl. Goes so well with your other children’s names too!
All the best!
My husband, as a horrible teenage boy, referred to a classmate as Chlamydia Lydia!!! He of course feels awful about it now!
I prefer Lydia! I love this name and it’s on our list. Considering its popularity I’ve only known one Lydia my entire life, and she’s about 30 or so. I don’t know any babies named Lydia, which is surprising, but it could also be regional (I’m on the west coast – it could be more of a New England trend). However, I’ve never known a single Meredith in real life, only the character Meredith from The Office!
Philippa also came to mind for you, as its also of Greek origin. Would you also like Beatrix, Cassia, Elowen, Geneva, Honora, Serena, or Junia?
I love the name Meredith, but with sisters named Adrienne and Valerie, I’d be inclined to go with Lydia, for 3 reasons.
1. You said that the fact that Meredith has been/can be a boys name is a teeny, tiny factor.
2. Meanings seem to be important to you, and the feel of the different meanings of Lydia also seems to match the meanings of Adrienne and Valerie.
3. You also say you don’t LOVE Meredith, and that your husband loves Lydia… that factor alone would be enough to tip the balance in favor of Lydia.
A lot of commenters have mentioned the fact that Lydia is more popular than Meredith. Based on your post, that seems less important than the other factors you mentioned. You named your son Josh, which is a popular name, but the name felt right to you then and still does. Lydia isn’t overly popular, and it doesn’t have some of the features that seem to make girl names skyrocket these days. It is vintage-y and very feminine, but so are Adrienne and Valerie, so that actually makes for a great set.
I prefer Meredith Rose in this set. I like that it would give each name a unique ending (whereas Lydia would share an ending with Joshua) and I think the style fits better. Joshua and Lydia together seem very biblical to me, like the parents became religious midway through the sib set, lol. Meredith is pretty and underused.
Thanks, Swistle and everyone else for all of the great comments! They’ve definitely helped us think through our options, and get a feel for thoughts on both names. This is a great forum, as we’re not discussing names with people we know (except my 6 year old, and not sharing the names with others is killing her, but she’s doing it!). Sheri, my husband noticed your comment: “Maybe she’ll just look more like a Meredith – strong and feisty or sweet and calm like a Lydia?” It made him think that her name may indeed be a game time decision, which let me know he’s still a little open to both. We’ll let you know and thanks again!