Hi!
My husband and I are currently battling each other for the winning name for our future baby girl due august 15.
We have a son already named
Hudson Alfie Campbell. (Alfie after deceased grandparent) Nicknamed Huggy, Huds, Huggleberry Finn. We choosw Hudson as it was the 1 name on my husband’s list I didnt mind and it grew on me. He viteod all of my names as I wanted him to be called Cohen Frankie (after my father Frank)
I love my sons name very much and it suits him. Our next son was going to be Cohen Frankie as my husband now likes the name! But we are having a girl… so…My husband is very much set on the names
Savannah Lilly Campbell (nickname Savy)
Im not loving it, whilst I loved Savannah a while ago, now along with name Hudson I feel its too much. I am not keen on Lilly as it has no family ties.I absolutely love Alba Frankie for a girl, my husband likes it but feels Savannah is more feminine without being to girly. I love that Alba is quite uncommon as opppsed to Savannah. I love thats its short and sweet and we can name her Alby.
Other middle names I like (family names) June and Amy.
We have always struggled with girls names and we never imagined we would be blessed with a girl as my husbands family is long lines of men only.
Please help with any suggestions!
Forever Appreciative! Belinda
If it is down to two names, and one of them will be chosen, it seems fair that it would be your choice: last time your husband got his way, so this time it makes sense you would get your way.
Savannah is indeed significantly more common than Alba: #37 in 2013, while Alba is not in the Top 1000. In that sense, Savannah is more compatible with Hudson, which was at #87 in 2013. But Savannah feels less fresh to me: it has been in the Top 50 since 1996, while Hudson is more recently popular.
Savannah is compatible with Hudson in that both are familiar place/river names. Alba is compatible with Hudson in that both are surname names.
Sometimes when it comes down to the battle between two finalists, both names have to be scrapped. I wonder, are you planning to have more children, so that you’d like to save the name Cohen? If not, maybe we could find a girl name similar to the name you’d agreed on. Rowan, for example, or Bronwyn, or Simone, or Zoe, or Noelle, or Fiona, or Colette, or Corinne, or Cleo.
Or perhaps tweaking one of the two finalist names would make it more pleasing to both parents. Susanna instead of Savannah, for example, or Alma instead of Alba. Or Avalon, which has a little of both names, and could have Avvie (like Savy) as the nickname. Or Waverly, or Shelby, or Olive, or Vera, or Vienna, or Albany, or Abilene, or Sabina.
Or I’d suggest Francesca with the nickname Frankie.
Or June as a first name would be nice: short and sweet, and you could call her Junie or Junebug or Juniper-berry.
If you both have lists from before you each chose a finalist, I’d go back and look at those again. Maybe one parent will love the other parent’s second-choice name, or maybe there will be more material to work with to find new candidates.
Or, since you still have approximately four months, I might advise eliminating Savannah and Alba from the running for now, and both concentrate on finding new names to consider.
Francesca nn Frankie is a genius suggestion. A family name, unusual, feminine like Savanah with a spunky nickname. Love it. Frances would also be lovely. I think Drew Barrymore named her little girl Frankie.
Love, love, love Susanna with the nn Sunny!
Avalon nn Avie is a great suggestion too!
Fiona, Adair, Ainsley, Airlie or Ailsa, with your surname, for a Scottish feel.
Really love Adair and Adair Campbell sounds awesome!
Airlie June is pretty too!
All the best!
Francesca nn Frankie sounds perfect!
Can we talk you out of Cohen for a future son? Or at least that spelling of it? There’s a lot of debate about it being offensive, in case you didn’t know.
http://appellationmountain.net/name-of-the-day-cohen/
I remember a debate about this, and I think Cowan was much less controversial than Cohen.
Yeeeah….I didn’t want to be the first to bring it up, but I would never use Cohen knowing that it’s insulting to an entire religious group. I’ve heard it compared to naming your child “Christ” or “Pope”.
As Brooke said, some variants are fine, but please do your research before putting the “Cohen” spelling on the birth certificate!
That said, I really love the name Alba. It’s lovely, and I agree with Swistle, this time around you should get the final say! It’s only fair.
I am a religious person and I completely disagree that someone would advise the writer of not naming a future son Cohen because of this. You can take about any name and give it an awful nickname or offend someone with a name. You can’t please everyone in the world so it only makes sense to name your child what you want. Before you copy and pasted the link about the “debate” I had never heard of it and don’t expect to hear about it other than on a name blog!
Since the letter-writer has not asked for advice on the name Cohen, and since she is having a girl and we don’t know if they are planning more children, I suggest we link to the post where it was discussed last time in case they are interested in reading more, and not discuss it any more here. The post where we discussed it last time.
Based on the word choices, I’m betting the writer is not American, and so I think that would skew the popularity data…
Which words? I’m curious?
Aubrey might be a name both of you would like since you like Alby and he likes Savy. Or perhaps you’d like Sabrina or Selena or Gabriella.
I just had another thought. What about Sally? Sally sounds a lot like both Alby and Savy. It is traditionally a nickname for Sarah, but I’ve known it to be a stand-alone name as well.
Sylvia nn Sylvie is another beautiful name to consider.
I liked the idea of using Francesca nn Frankie. Francesca June would be nice.
Some great names have been suggested! I’ll just put in a plug for one of my favorites: Isla. Like Hudson, it is an old name that is newly popular and sounds very compatible with your last name.
Alba!!! It’s beautiful, works well with Hudson, and has an adorable nickname.
And it’s your turn. You mentioned that your husband DOES like it (kind of how you liked Hudson, but didn’t love it at first). Seems like a similar situation – just reversed. I’d push hard for this one, if I were you. Alba! Alba! Alba! (I’m cheering you on.)
I second the LOVE for Alba Frankie. This combination is just fabulous on many levels. I hope your husband can come around to it just like you did with your son’s name.
I also love June Frankie. Just like Alba, so simple and sweet and fresh and spunky.
Swistle put forward a ton of great suggestions. I love Fiona. Olive. Vienna. Noelle or Noella.
I will put forward a few others: Ada, Eve/Evie, Etta, Lola, Pearl, Thea, Rose, Odelia. That being said, I still think that Alba flows the nicest with Frankie. I do like the sound of Fiona Frankie and Noella Frankie as well.
Good luck and keep us posted!
I definitely vote for including Frankie in your daughter’s name. Either as a middle name or as a nickname for Frances or Francesca. That would be adorable and meaningful.
I also would be playing up the “We picked #1 on your list last time around” angle, in order to chose a name that you especially like. :P
love the idea of naming her Frances or Francesca and calling her Frankie.
FYI, Cohen is considered very offensive to use if you aren’t Jewish.
What about June? I think it’s the best complement to Hudson, and it’s such a lovely name as well as fantastic with your surname. And a family name to boot! Junie is an adorable nickname too.
I also love the suggestion of Susanna/Susannah. So fresh. Lots of cute nicknames too– Susie, Sukie, Sanna, Annie, Zuzu, Zan, Zandie…
I love Alba Frankie not to common and goes well with Hudson. I’ve always thought Savanah is pretty but comes across as very trendy which puts me off.
I actually like both Savannah amd Alba with Hudson. I do find Alba (C) ampbell a bit of a tongue twister.
I diffiently don’t think your husband should get to dictate the whole name and since Lily is not of any significance then I think Savannah Frankie would work well. (Savannah June and Savannah Amy are also lovely.) However, I don’t think you should give in on Savannah if you don’t love it.
I do prefer Francesca with the nickname Frankie than Frankie itself. It would give your daughter more options while still honoring your father. Francesca June or Francesca Amy sound great.
Oooh
Isla was an inspired suggestion.
If you take swistles advice to take both names off table for now, Isla might work
But Alba is awesome
Alba is an awesome name, one of my favorites. And Alba Frankie rocks. But here’s the thing: Really no one except you will know her middle name is Frankie, and what you’re left with is Alba Campbell, which I, at least, cannot say more than twice in a row without getting it all messed up. It’s a whole different kettle of fish than saying Alba Frankie Campbell–Frankie breaks the two names up nicely.
I do love June Campbell, though. June Francesca Campbell is gorgeous.
Savannah just isn’t my style. I put it in the same category as Cheyenne & Sienna & Mesa, etc. But I think I’m with everyone else who has so far mentioned that maybe this time, you get to pick your first choice. (Though I think I just recommended that you not :)
Good luck with the decision, keep us in the loop.
I suggest Alma or Esme. Good luck!
I’m totally biased on this one – my name is Susannah and my daughter’s name is June. I have always loved my name. I barely run into anyone with it and even though I never really went by a nickname, I enjoyed a short stint of being Susie in college. As for my daughter’s name, everyone always “awwws” over it when I tell them her name. :) We call her June or Juni.
Hi all, just an update.
I won! Little Alba Frankie was born in August..
she is called Alba or Frankie depending on how we feel on the day… Frankie is kind of her nickname. It suits her down to a tee. She is a very determined baby who knows what she wants when she wants!