Brette writes:
We are in a bit of a pickle- we are stuck on 2 different names and can’t seem to agree! (But we still have time, our baby is due in Feburary 2014.)
My husband and I are currently pregnant with our second baby, a little girl! Our son just turned 2 and we named him Cruise James. Our last name is Knaute, and is pronounced “Kah-naughty”. My husband has a very common name, Christopher, and I am a female with the name Brette. After growing up having a more masculine name, I tend to really lean towards a very feminine name for our daughter.
We have both fallen in love with a different name. I love the feminine and sweet Cosette Claire, while my Husband is set on Collins Annabelle. I don’t mind the name Collins, but after growing up with a more masculine name, I know it can sometimes be confusing for people who assume you are not female after reading your name. I love that both names are unique and not overly used.
My husband doesn’t mind the name Cosette but he worries people will always ask us to repeat it, and she will have to spell it constantly.
Some other names we like but haven’t really won us over are: Kira, Reina, and Tessa.
If this baby had been a boy his name would have been Beckett Christopher.
We aren’t set on a name starting with C, but we do like the phonetic sound that a C or K name has with our last name. So please help us choose if we should have a Cosette or a Collins!
Thank you!
I wonder if you would like Cosette Collins. This gives you the more distinctly feminine first name you’d prefer while still including Collins; and I think the shared sounds go well with Cruise James. It would also be a fun way to get Coco as a nickname if you wanted it, though you could also get that from Cosette alone. I like the way your son’s name would tie in with his father’s (the Chr/Cr starting sound) while your daughter’s name would tie in with yours (the -ette ending).
Or perhaps the middle name ideas could be combined to make Clara Annabelle or Annabelle Claire.
I agree with your husband that with an uncommon name like Cosette, you and she will likely need to repeat it and spell it. I think this will also happen with the uncommon name Collins, though, so it seems like a point against both finalists.
If your husband “doesn’t mind” the name Cosette and you “don’t mind” the name Collins, it doesn’t sound like either one of you is about to leap to the other one’s choice. It may be that you’ll need to cross off both names and look for something else. Perhaps if one of you likes a new name candidate just a little more than the other one does, Cosette or Collins could be used as the middle name to balance things out.
Would you like the name Colette? It seems like a good combination of Cosette and Collins.
Or Calla? It’s similar to Collins, but more feminine.
Calista, too, has some of the sound of Collins.
Or Corinne has the -in- sound of Collins while having the rhythm and Frenchness of Cosette.
Or Campbell. Campbell is also currently used for boys in the United States, but it’s used more than twice as often for girls. (The nickname Cammie might be what makes it feel feminine.)
More possibilities:
Cambria
Camilla
Carissa
Carrigan
Carly
Carys
Clarissa
Cleo
Kinley
Kyla
I absolutely love the name Cosette Collins! Adorable! Especially with your first name and to go along with your son’s name.
I’m kinda with your husband. I love the thought of Collins Annabelle. It’s such a great name.
I really love Collins Annabelle. To me it sounds pretty feminine and dainty.
I really love Cosette. Very sweet and pretty, and sounds good with Cruise. If I saw a Cruise and Collins together, I’d assume brothers. Althoigh Annabelle softens it, it’s rare that you see or hear the first and middle name together. Swistle had some other cute ideas–I like Calla, Corrinne, and Clarissa.
When I read the name Collins I immediately think of a girl. I looked it up on the SSA and in 2012 it was the 960th most popular name- that was the only item that cam up about it. To me, Collins is kind of like Addison or Harper. I think it’s a great name.
I think that since neither of you are super excited about the name, you should try thinking of some other alternatives- maybe there’s something else out there that would make you swoon? What about Clara? Charlotte? Chloe?
I thought of Colette immediately too, and it’s probably a little more known than Cosette as a name. I don’t dislike Collins, but I prefer a more feminine name to go along with Cruise. That said, if you love it, use it.
Good luck!
Totally agree with Swistle! Love Cosette Collins, nn Coco. Coco and Cruise…so perfect! If I heard Cruise and Collins I would think brothers. Good Luck!
You two have plenty of time to consider other names. Both Cosette and Collins are great names and either would likely suit your daughter well. Why end the fun of considering names when you have until Feb and you are not totally in agreement?
Colleen
Claudia
Jacqueline
I also thought of Colette.
My favorite of the current suggestions is Cosette Collins, with the potential nickname of Coco.
I’m in the start over wagon, just because you both sound lukewarm about each other’s choices. I liked a lot of Swistle’s alternatives (Colette, Calla, Calista, etc.) Or how about Colleen? It’s very like Collins, but more feminine.
I definitely think Collins is masculine. Cosette is pretty, Cruise and Cosette is definitely adorable and obviously a brother/sister. I think my favorite is Calla though. Cruise and Calla!
Cosette, like from Les Mis? The character is not necessarily one of the biggest, but her name is in so many of the songs! I would think for a lot of people it would be a reaction of “Oh I’m not sure I’ve heard that name on an American child but yes of course I know it and have a very pleasant feeling about it!”
Or maybe that’s just me.
Collins isn’t my style, but I see the appeal. I do wonder if it sounds even more masculine next to your older son, but it that even a concern? I think of Mr Collins from Pride and Prejudice and Tom Collins (the mixed drink) so perhaps that is why it feels more masculine to me.
My hunch is that you should not take these names off your list, but keep looking. You may realize after considering other names that you like your original choices even more.
I also immediately thought of Colette as the perfect cross between the two names. However, I also agree with others who have said if you are each lukewarm about the other’s choice, I would start over instead of choosing one or the other when one of you doesn’t like it all that much.
Have you talked to your husband about your strong preference for a feminine name for your daughter?
My good friend has a daughter named Cosette and they love it. She was really worried at first how the name would be received but it has been nothing but positive. Those close to her call her Cosie which I think is adorable. The first reaction they get when people learn her name is “Like in Les Mis?” and then the second response is “How pretty” or “Oh I like that”. They have never had any reason to regret naming her that. The only confusion I can forsee with the spelling would be whether or not there are 1 or 2 s’s and 1 or 2 t’s.
Thank you for your response! I love hearing about people who have had personal experience with the name! :)
Although Collins Annabelle is adorable and unless you call her by both names, she will mostly be Collins Knaute and most will likely assume she is male. I think she will go through her life seeing people’s shocked reaction when they see she is female rather than male.
I personally love Cosette. I don’t think it is that unknown (Les Mis) and I don’t think many will question or ask to repeat it for clarification. Swistle nailed it, Cosette Collins. So adorable. But if your husband isn’t on board, then perhaps I would suggest looking at different names all together.
My favourites:
Cleo. Cleo and Cruise. So cute.
Calla. I love this suggestion that Swistle made. Not very common but so feminine. Love.
Cora.
Good luck!
I adore the name Collins, and think it could go either masculine or feminine. But I think in this case, the way it sounds when said with the last name, the “s” gets lost and we’re left with Collin Skah-naughty.
Looking at Cosette, then. COH-sette KUH-naughty. The repeated kuh-sound and the repeated emphasis on the first syllable, it just sounds harsh to my ear, and isn’t my taste. (But of course, preferences differ and this might be precisely the allure for others.)
I like my children to each have different first initials, because I label EVERYTHING of theirs with their first initial. I don’t know what I’d do if I had two Cs! To some that would seem like a silly consideration to make, but to me it’s important. That said, the names I’d throw into the hat would be…
Beatrix Knaute (Trixie; Cruise & Trixie)
Lena Knaute (Cruise & Lena)
Talia Knaute (Cruise & Talia)
Calla Knaute (Cruise & Calla)
Stacia Knaute (Cruise & Stacia)
Magdelena Knaute (Maggie or Lena or Lane; Cruise and Maggie/Lena/Lane)
Lorelei Knaute (Cruise & Lorelei)
I think Swistle’s suggestions are all great too!
I agree that Collins sounds masculine (see Pride and Prejudice comment above)… especially since Collin itself IS a boy name (ooh, another Pride and Prejudice connection: Collin Firth).
Cosette is incredibly feminine and really darling and, also like some have mentioned above, has become familiar to the American ear due to Les Mis.
But if you two decide to go back to the drawing board, do you like any of these options?
Castile (as in Spain)
Camille
Calista
Caprice
Carina
Corinne
Clarette
Claudine
Colletta
Coretta
Cameo
Celeste
Cassia
Cannelle (means ‘cinnamon’)
Clarissa
Coralie
Cosima
Cressida
Great choice on your son’s name! You two will find just the right blend for your daughter’s, too. All the best to you and your growing family!
Yeah, I’m afraid I personally wouldn’t go near Collins for either a boy or a girl owing to the Pride and Prejudice character.
I like the suggestion of Colette a bit better than your existing favorite of Cosette. I think of the French writer and the fact that she was a strong, iconoclastic woman. Cosette for whatever reason also sounds like one of those names with less potential to wear well on a grown woman.
Good luck!
There’s a little girl at my school who’s name is Camieo. Pronounced cam-ee-o that may fit your style too, just throwing it out there.
I hate to say it, but I really REALLY dislike the names Collins on a girl. I feel as though I never heard it before this year and now I’m hearing it everywhere. It must be a micro burst in my area because I know 3 Collinses in my circle of acquaintances! And it is just not my cup of tea at all, my immediate association is MAN, specifically the unpleasant Pride and Prejudice character. I greatly prefer Cosette, it sounds much more timeless. For some reason, moving Collins to the middle makes me appreciate it more. I really like Cosette Collins, nickname Coco. I think your feelings about having a more masculine name growing up should be a major deciding factor. Brette is believably unisex whereas Collins is a harder sell, and if you found Brette difficult then I think Collins might be worse. I also feel like using Collins limits you to more unisex/masculine names for any future girls.
I feel like my opinion could potentially be way off, I know it was the name of the daughter in “The Blind Side” so maybe it’s about to hit it big with the girls?
Thankyou! I knew I had heard Collins for a girl in a movie somewhere and just couldn’t think where! I even googled it and didnt get much luck so thankyou it was bugging me!
I don’t mind the name Collins for a girl but for some reason with a sibling name of Cruise I would think it was two boys.
I also thought Collette would be the perfect compromise name but may I also suggest Cassidy it is unisex but a little more feminine I think.
I do love Cosette and would think that les mis has made it familiar enough for your daughter not to repeat or spell her name constantly.
I think that since your son’s name is short, I would pick a short girl’s name too. No real reason, just my preference. So, for that reason I immediately thought of the underused Anna. Someone above suggeted Talia, which is also lovely.
Personally, I would also avoid Collins… also due to the disagreeable Mr. Collins.
I would keep both names on the list and keep looking. You have plenty of time and neither of your should have to settle on a name you don’t love at this point. I would consider K names to avoid both children having the same first initial. With Cruise, I like:
Kelsey
Karina
Kenzie
Kyra
With your last name, I also like names that have the hard c or k sound somewhere in them.
Scarlett
Skylar
Skye
Echo
I think I’m in the start over camp. For me, Cosette is what I’d call hyper-feminine, while Collins does feel too masculine. Perhaps something in the middle would satisfy both of you? Something definitely female, but perhaps not quite as sweet as Cosette?
I like Clara for you. Colleen sounds like Collins but is definitely girl. Cora, Coraline, Coral, Chloe, Camille, Cleo, Kiley,
I agree! Cruise & Collins seems like brothers to me. I, too, am not a fan of unisex names for girls. Collins seems very boyish, but this is the first time I’ve heard of it, and it’s my first impression. Cosette, on the other hand, is super feminine. I like the ideas made by the above poster. Coco is about the cutest nickname ever, if you can somehow manage to make that work!! Cleo is also a favorite of mine.
Cruise is such a great name. I love it!
This might aound crazy, but I think I’d personally avoid all K/hard C sounding names solely due to the fact that the alliteration with K-naughty sounds like a porn star name. It was the same reason we avoided a certain consonant with our last name (which sounds….less than pleasant), after others pointed it out.
Collins K’Naughty.
Cosette K’Naughty.
Im sorry, but all I hear is the name of a centerfold.
That sound is lost with a different consonant/vowel beginning.
Annabel Knaute.
Isobel Knaute.
Cosette is super cute! I like Collins too but it does sound all boy to me.
I’d like to suggest Cadence nn Cady/Cadie. Cruise and Cadence Knaute. Love it!
Or maybe Kinsey? Cruise and Kinsey.
Really loving the name Twyla at the moment too. Cruise and Twyla perhaps?
All the best!
Start over camp too. I like someone’s suggestion of Twyla. Annabelle as a 1st name would do nicely. What about Brooke (maybe too close to Brette)? Lila? Isla? Juliette? Isadora? Mira? Good luck!
I wonder if you plan on having more children. If if you pick a boyish, modern first name like Collins, it immediately restricts you — Cruise, Collins, and Campbell (g) is logical; Cruise, Collins, and Beckett (boy) / Cruise, Collins, and Annabelle are not. You seem to like mostly feminine names so I wonder if Collins is really an outsider in your naming style.
Cosette is a good compromise. Les Misérables was a great hit and I’m sure most people would be familiar with its main characters. I like how it connects with Brette. Colette is also a good suggestion.
Another option is Coline — a crearly feminine name that gives you Collins as a nickname.
More ideas:
Constance
Corinne
Cosima
Clarette
Claudette
Camille
Callisto
Clemence / Clemens
Coral
–
Nicolette
Odette
Everette
Eliette
Cruise and Charlie. So cute Charlie Kaa-Naughty. I like a girls name to be Sporty yet feminine!
An issue I have with Cruise and Collins as a pair is that Cruise makes me think of Tom Cruise, which then makes me add Tom to Collins and then you have a Tom Collins, the cocktail. Add in the fact that Tom Cruise starred in the movie Cocktail, and it’s a weird association for me. I do love Cosette Collins, though.