Baby Girl Moreanne, Sister to Grady

112 Replies

Dear Swistle,

I’m Hillary, my husband is Shawn, our son is a 4-year-old Tiny Dictator named Grady, and we’re expecting Lady Baby in May. Our last name (I gave up my maiden name) sounds like more-ANNE but is consistently pronounced incorrectly as MORE-an (this is important later). This will be our last child.

Grady’s full name is Grady Shawn more-ANNE. Shawn’s family has a longstanding tradition of giving the first son his father’s name as his middle name and while I don’t love the tradition, I felt less strongly about breaking the tradition than Shawn felt about keeping the tradition. Grady’s first name was a name I had come across and didn’t initially love. Shawn loved it from day one and it came down to Grady or Max (the name I felt most bonded to). In the end, I was able to get on board with Grady because I found significance (Willie Nelson’s guitar player’s name is Grady, my dad introduced us to Willie Nelson music when we were kids and some of my favourite memories are of us ripping down the highway on the way to the lake singing “On the Road Again”) and I have no regrets. Grady is Grady and it’s made me a little more relaxed on this name search because I realize that in most cases, there isn’t going to be one magical, perfect name out there; the little person makes the name perfect. With that being said, I feel like I should get a bit more of a say in this baby’s name as Grady’s first was influenced by Shawn’s love for the name, his middle name is Shawn’s name, and the kids’ last name is Shawn’s surname.

There is not much overlap in our naming preferences. I’m drawn to old-timey, sweet and sassy names while Shawn’s suggestions have included names I think of as being very 80s or 90s (Jillian, Kennedy, etc.) or just totally out there in Sci-Fi Fantasy world.

We’ve managed to pull together a short list of possibilities and I thought we had a definite frontrunner, until my husband met a woman with the same name last week and she ruined it for him. Our list (in no particular order because I’m still holding out hope that my husband will forget about the awful woman and fall in love with my frontrunner and I don’t want to sway your opinion with my strong preference):
Scarlet
Holly
Mabel
Edith
Belle
Evelyn
Cora (my grandma’s name, I love it, Shawn is quite fond of it, it sounds terrible with our last name especially when you consider how people frequently mispronounce it).

I love but my husband has vetoed:
Ruby
Violet
Clover
Beatrice
Birdie
Marigold
Georgia
Margaret
Olive
Stella (we wasted this on the dog who I know will not be around forever, and in fact now lives with my mother-in-law, but it seems to upset Grady to think of his baby sister as Stella so we haven’t spent too much time considering it)
Greta (love this name but it feels too similar to Grady)
Grace (ditto)

My husband loves but I have vetoed:
Many Game of Thrones names
Penelope (I like the style but I had only read the name, not heard it, until I was a teenager so it will always be pronounced “Peen-uh-lope” to me.)
Luna
Annika
Astrid (Michael Scott and the Office have ruined this name for me forever)

Grady insists his sister’s name be one of the following:
Light Bolt
Beautiful Cake
Ginger
Rosie

Obviously he is not getting a true vote but I’m willing to include him in the process because it’s hilarious.

I have many naming preferences but I wouldn’t call any of them deal breakers:
– 2-syllable name followed by 1-syllable middle
– No hard G names
– Not easily nickname-able
– Alliteration does not bother me (I think it may actually appeal to me) but I don’t love rhyme-y names
– No top 100 names (for reference, we live in British Columbia, Canada http://www.vs.gov.bc.ca/babynames/baby2014.html)
– I’d prefer to stay away from A names (there will be 7 cousins all born in the space of 5 years and so far 3 are A names and 2 are unnamed)
– I love quirky middle names

My questions :

What other first names would you suggest based on our list of possibilities? I feel like there’s a name I’m missing. I love my frontrunner but I’m willing to accept that there’s a better name out there, I just don’t think it’s currently on our list.

What quirky, one-syllable name would you suggest with our list of possibilities? Maybe having a fun and quirky middle name decided would cement the first name choice for me. My current favourite middle name is Bloom but this will be a hard sell for Shawn. Further complicating the middle name decision is Grady’s honour name. Shawn wants to choose a middle name from my family so the lady baby has an honour name too, which I understand but don’t feel beholden to. My mom’s middle name is Ruth; my mom is lovely and worthy of honour name status; Ruth is 1-syllable which checks my box…but it feels like we’re just throwing it in there because it fits. Is a fun, quirky, and meaningful middle name as significant as a family name?

Thank you for any advice, suggestions, comments you and/or your lovely commenters can provide!

Hillary

 

I would love, love, love to see your first name as this baby’s middle name. Obviously this will depend on many factors. But I would love it, and so I am putting in my vote for that if it works out.

I’d take the family-name-versus-fun-and-quirky-name decision on a name-by-name basis. That is, if you choose a first name that has some quirk appeal, a lovely family name such as Ruth (or Hillary!) might seem like the better choice; whereas if you choose a first name that is on the solid/traditional side, a quirky middle name can make the entire name more delightful (Margaret Marigold, for example).

I think too that Ginger and Rosie might make great middle names, depending on the first name.

I’m so sad that Cora doesn’t go well with the surname. It makes me want to redo your family surname situation: your husband and Grady can have HIS surname, you and Cora can have YOURS. Well. It doesn’t have the bonus of being an honor name, but Cora makes me think of Clara. Clara Hillary Moreanne, Clara Ginger Moreanne, Clara Rosie Moreanne.

I think also Cora could be added to the middle name list: it bothers me so much less if a middle name has issues combined with the surname.

I’m hoping the commenters can come up with some good quirky one-syllable middle names. I find I have two mostly-non-overlapping categories: one-syllable names, and quirky names. For sassy/one-syllable, I like names such as Jo, Jean, Jane, Sue, Lou, Eve, Mae, Kay. For quirky, I like names such as Marigold, Clover, Primrose, Penelope, Clarity, Valentine, Emerald, Hermione.  In the overlap: Fern, Jude, Spring, Bee.

If I were looking at your list of finalists and considering them with your surname and with the sibling name and with your preferences (I don’t know why I said “If I were,” since that’s precisely what I AM IN FACT doing), I would put them in this order, from strongest to weakest candidate:

Mabel
Holly
Edith
Scarlet
Evelyn
Belle
Cora

Some of those in the middle (Edith, Scarlet), I kept rearranging, so this list isn’t solid—but at first pass Evelyn and Belle feel too common, Cora feels like it’s out because of the surname, and Mabel and Holly would be my own top two for you, with Mabel taking a strong lead.

You wouldn’t want to consider Maxine, would you? Sassy as a hat, and it ties into your first choice of Max from last time. Maxine Hillary Moreanne. Maxine Rosie Moreanne. Maxine Cora Moreanne.

I find I am drawn to Mabel Maxine Moreanne or Mabel Margaret Moreanne. They give me a happy feeling. Sassy without being lightweight, alliterative without being silly, and a fun and distinctive monogram. Grady and Mabel. You know what, I just feel like I want to call it: the baby’s name is Mabel. I won’t push, but Mabel. MABEL. I also like Mabel Ginger, Mabel Grace, Mabel Jo, Mabel Louise, Mabel Sue.

I wonder if you’d like Polly instead of Holly. Polly Moreanne; Grady and Polly.

Or Ivy. Ivy Moreanne; Grady and Ivy.

Marigold and Edith make me think of Meredith. Meredith Moreanne; Grady and Meredith.

I would like to see more of the name Esther. Esther Moreanne; Grady and Esther.

 

 

 

Name update!

Dear Swistle,

Thank you so much for your help (and the help of your readers!)

Our baby naming situation changed slightly after I wrote to you, in that the name Evelyn became the only name Shawn could see our daughter having (in the same way that Mabel was the only name I could picture giving to her). We ended up in this frustrating cycle of trying to have a baby name discussion and only suggesting our top name, over and over. Finally, in a fit of “What Would Swistle Do?” desperation, we both decided to forfeit our top names. Evelyn and Mabel were off the table. Initially I was a little disappointed to lose Mabel but I ended up being surprised by how not devastating it was to give up my favourite name.

Before tackling the Baby Name Wizard again (which seemed like a daunting task at a million weeks pregnant), we decided to seriously consider every name (apart from Evelyn and Mabel) on our “maybe” list. I kept coming back to the name Penelope. My reasons for not liking it (having pronounced it “Peen-uh-lope” as a child, feeling like “Penelope” could be my baby but “Penny” definitely wasn’t, wanting to avoid easily nickname-able names) become non-issues when I discovered that Poppy is a nickname for Penelope. Poppy is a name I love but hadn’t included on my maybe list because it seemed a bit too whimsical as a first name. I could picture a baby Poppy but not a brain surgeon Poppy. Penelope became the perfect solution. I’ve got my baby Poppy and she can chose to use Penelope in the future if she wants (and she may chose to use Penny but that’s fine too – I have nothing against the name Penny, I just couldn’t picture my baby being Penny). And since Poppy is already a nickname for Penelope, we avoid the issue of people giving her a nickname (it turns out I don’t dislike nicknames in general, what I dislike is other people giving my kids nicknames).

As for the middle name, I tried to make an honour name work but it felt forced. I didn’t want to use Hillary as a middle name (I like middle names that are short and snappy). I considered using my middle name (Dawn) or part of my maiden name (West) or even Eve as a play on my middle name. But in the end, we used Bloom. It checks off a lot of my middle name preferences (short, one-syllable, quirky) and it’s a noun that holds a lot of meaning for me. It’s an honour name without honouring a specific person and if in the future she asks why her brother is named after their dad and her middle name is just a weird word, I have a heart story to tell her that will hopefully satisfy her curiosity (or maybe she won’t care – who knows?).

So, without further ado, please let me introduce Penelope Bloom.

image2

Thank you again for your help!
Hillary

112 thoughts on “Baby Girl Moreanne, Sister to Grady”

  1. BSharp

    Oh, I love the sound of Cora Moreanne. In fact, my favorite option is Cora Ruth Moreanne. I think Ruth is sweet and quirky and underused; I’d consider it as a first. Ruth Moreanne. Ruth Cora Moreanne. It gives me happy tingles.

    Honestly, do people call you the Morrens more than once? It’s not like they get to redefine your name. So friends will get the hang of it really quickly, and strangers don’t actually matter. And Cora Morren doesn’t bother me, for some reason. I notice it, but it doesn’t annoy me or seem wrong.

    Clara is perfection. Clara Ginger Moreanne and Clara Hillary Moreanne are both lovely. My sole reason for preferring Cora is the honor aspect.

    Polly is very cute. I love that Maxine would give you your Max, and it seems to fit with your other favorites. Maxime, the French, is also charming. Mabel is appealing, and I like the older Amabel even better. Amabel Cora Moreanne. Amabel Ruth Moreanne. Amabel Hillary Moreanne. Amabel Ginger Moreanne.

    You’re going to have such a well-named baby!

    Reply ↓
    1. BSharp

      Meredith! How did I miss Swistle’s mention of Meredith! Meredith Cora Moreanne is amazing. Meredith Ginger Moreanne is pretty darn cute too.

      Reply ↓
    2. Hillary

      Thank you!

      People do call us the Morrens All The Time. It’s like they see the name, their brain goes to “moron” and the pronunciation follows. And it drives me crazy every single time.

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  3. Molly

    I think Rose or Rosie would be a perfect first name! Fits your overall style and has the bonus of the charming story of being chosen by her big brother.

    I’d also like to offer up my own name as an option — Molly. Like Holly, but alliterative! Molly Moreanne. Adorable.

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    1. Emily

      Rose was my first instinct, too. Sweet, sassy, old-timey, and pleases the Tiny Dictator. ;)
      Grady and Rose
      Grady and Rosie
      Rose Hillary Moreann
      Rose Moreann

      I like it a lot!!

      Reply ↓
    2. Hillary

      I love the idea of using Rose (Rosie) as her first but Shawn is less enthusiastic. He finds a lot of the old-timey names that I love to be quite stuffy so getting him to agree to my style has been difficult.

      I LOVE the name Molly but it was vetoed. I think he’s worried about a baby Molly being adorable but a grownup Molly hating her twee name. Have you ever felt like your name was too “cute” as an adult? (For the record: I *don’t* think Molly is too cute AND I don’t think being too cute is a bad thing. Just curious.)

      Reply ↓
      1. Molly

        I’m almost 30 and still love being Molly :) I never considered it too cute, it’s just my name, you know? With my middle name (Emma) it reads a little cutesy, but it’s not like I use my middle name in adult professional settings. I second (or third or forth) whoever recommend Molly Bloom! Love it.

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  4. Katie

    My eldest is Evelyn and my newborn is Mabel, so I think we have similar tastes! I love them both, though Evelyn has definitely gotten way more popular since I first fell for it 7 or 8 years ago. I have gotten some double-take reactions to Mabel’s name since it’s so “old-timey” but I don’t care, I love it anyway.

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  5. Angela

    You vetoed all the Game of Thrones names? But why? Haha just kidding. But I could totally see Arya or Dani as a pretty, quirky middle name.

    Other fun middle names you might like:
    Poem
    Story
    Lyric
    Juno
    Sky
    Fae

    If Stella is out, what about Estelle or the Spanish Estrella (Eh-stray-ah)?
    Your taste also reminds me of
    Helena
    Ingrid
    Imogen
    Sigrid

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  6. HereWeGoAJen

    We let Elizabeth choose Alex’s middle name (we had veto power, but as it was a middle, used it only sparingly) and I love that we did. She picked a flower name like her own (Elizabeth is Elizabeth Rose, Elizabeth from my side of the family and Rose from Matt’s side) and she picked Lily. It makes such a nice story and it made Elizabeth feel so connected to her baby sister. (Plus it doesn’t hurt that Alexandra Lily is a pretty name!) We also let her pick between our last two finalists which was also so fun and a nice tie breaker between Matt’s favorite and my favorite. So I vote that Grady gets a strongish vote towards middle name!

    And I love Scarlett! And Mabel! And Maxine! Man, your baby is going to be adorable.

    Reply ↓
    1. Hillary

      I LOVE Alex’s naming story. It makes me really want to give Grady *some* naming power because I feel like that in itself is an honour name (which is great because I am strongly opposed to using Hillary as Lady Baby’s middle name). It’s actually what’s keeping me from deciding on Scarlet (well, that and I keep spelling it with both 1 T and 2 Ts and can never actually remember which is correct) – I just couldn’t do a Scarlet Rose, you know? Too much.

      Reply ↓
      1. Elizabeth

        I think “Lady” could be a cute middle name since that’s what you’re calling her now. Would be better with a less cutsy first name (and Scarlett would definitely be out), but “Evelyn Lady” is such a cute name

        I also think Honora would match your style really well

        Reply ↓
  7. Celeste

    If you’d be open to three syllables, Virginia Ruth or Eugenia Ruth. (I am sold on Ruth for the middle name.). If you wanted a nickname, you would have the soft-G names Gina or Ginny, and Genie.

    Congratulations on your lady baby!

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  8. Betsy

    My favorite from your list is Mabel, though I also love Swistle’s suggestions of Clara & Polly. I also love the idea of using one of Grady’s choices as middle name. Mabel Rose. Clara Rose. Polly Rose. Heart eyes emoji!

    I love your suggestion of Edith, but wonder if it would inevitably get shortened to Edie which sounds a lot like Grady. Even if *you* wouldn’t call her Edie, others might. Would that bother you?

    Good luck! You’ve got a lot of great options to choose from!

    Reply ↓
    1. Hillary

      Oh I hadn’t thought of people shortening Edith to Edie. You’re right – it’s close enough to Grady that it would drive me bonkers. Thanks!

      Reply ↓
  10. Christine

    I love Mabel, but since you feel like you’re still missing the ONE and our naming styles seem similar, I’ll throw out my favorite that my husband keeps vetoing and I keep bringing up – Iris. I love it, it sounds great with MoreAnne and nice as a sibling to Grady. Iris Hillary MoreAnne

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  12. Lucy

    I still love Cora for you. It doesn’t bother me at all with your last name. And I just really love that it’s a family name! Cora Belle! Cora Bee is great too!

    I also love someone’s mention of Virginia — we almost had a Virginia (nicknamed Ginger) and I just really love it. Instead, we had a Georgia, which I saw in your list.

    Please update us on this one!!

    Reply ↓
  13. Renee

    Lady baby! Love it!

    So I’m from BC too, and if you don’t want Top 100, Scarlet and Evelyn are out – Evelyn is Top 20 in fact. I’d discount Belle too, if you add up all the longer forms that get to Bell, she’s quite common.

    If you don’t want easily nicknameable, Edith and Mabel seem suspect. So, Holly! One of my favourite names ever. Love Grady and Holly together. Plus, Holly seems like a nod to you – sharing the two LLs and H beginning, Y ending.

    But you said your ‘rules’ aren’t dealbreakers. I love Mabel too. And Edith, but only if you’ll call her Edie.

    Have you considered Sally? Maeve? I think Cora is fine. And I love the suggestion of Maxine!

    Here are some combos:
    Holly Pearl MoreANNE
    Mabel True MoreANNE
    Maxine West MoreANNE
    Maeve Cora MoreANNE
    Sally Bloom MoreANNE

    I think if your hubby wants to honour your family and / or acknowledges your son’s name is heavily influenced by his preferences, he can give you Bloom. Or whatever else you want! Good luck! Looking forward to heading what you choose.

    Reply ↓
  14. Alexandra

    I actually find Cora to be just fine with your last name (pronounced correctly) and would love for you to use it (I also love Swistle’s suggestion of your name as the middle name!) And who knows – using Cora might even sway people away from the default mispronunciation.

    Reply ↓
    1. Hillary

      I like how Cora sounds when said with the correct pronunciation of our last name but I feel like the repeated “ora” would almost prompt people to pronounce it the wrong way.

      Reply ↓
  15. sarah

    Hmm. Larkin was a favorite preschooler I taught; great name. I also adore Dare as a middle name (Virginia Dare is big here in NC). I think Adele could fit your criteria, but it might be gaining popularity. I feel like D names go well with G names. Della Rose? I also love color names. I know a Lillie Gray. And there was a runner named Micah True which I also love the sound of. I also knew a Girl in college who’s name was Mittie Margaret and OH that was a fun name.

    Reply ↓
    1. Hillary

      Larkin is beautiful but maybe too unisex for our preferences? I don’t know. Is Larkin a unisex name? I’ve never actually run into it before.

      Reply ↓
  16. Sheri

    Definitely loving Mabel and Meredith – A friend of mine is named Meredith and I’ve always loved her nickname Merry =)

    Quirky one-syllable middle name with a fun story could be Rose – her brother Grady picked it, he can still call her Rosie as his special nickname for her!

    Mabel Rose Moreanne or
    Meredith Rose Moreanne

    Congrats on your Lady Baby <3

    Reply ↓
    1. Hillary

      I love the thought of Grady picking her middle name but I worry that Rose is a default middle name, you know? Like in my generation, it feels like everyone either has Anne or Marie as their middle name. Rose feels like it might be this generation’s go-to middle name (though I have no idea what I’m basing that on).

      Reply ↓
  17. beeejet

    My favorites from your list are in this order:
    Evelyn
    Mabel
    Scarlett
    Edith
    Holly
    Belle
    Unfortunately I agree that Cora is out b/c of the last name, otherwise it would be my first choice.
    The first two are more like 1a and 1b in my order of preference, but I see that Evelyn is top-20 for BC that that might reverse the order.

    Of the Names suggested I LOVE Polly! Polly Ruth! Adorbable!!
    Molly comes in as a very close second Molly Ruth, Molly Brooke, Molly Bloom.

    As for Middle name suggestions, these may not be quirky enough for you, but what about
    Fern
    Olive
    Sage
    Brooke (too 80s/90s?)
    Lark
    Jade
    Briar
    Blythe
    Ever
    Wren
    Lyric/Lyra

    I can’t wait to hear what you choose! Please do update us!

    Reply ↓
  18. Andrea

    I think honor names are super important, but not all-important. You gave a lot of ground with Grady’s name and you appear to be fairly laid-back in the naming department. That being said, you don’t always have to compromise! If you want Bloom in the middle–do it. That makes a fantastic story for baby girl just as much as any other story. I love Cora and Scarlett. I like Scarlett even more with Bloom in the middle spot–Scarlett Bloom, gorgeous. I also love Mabel Bloom. Good luck!!

    Reply ↓
    1. Hillary

      I think I’m over-thinking the honour name because my little brother has two honour names for his middle names while my sisters and I have totally random “they just sounded nice” middle names. It really bugged me when I was a kid.

      Reply ↓
  19. Auntie G

    MY lady baby’s name is Mabel and Margaret was her runner-up name, and many of your finalists were on our list as well. I cannot recommend Mabel enough, but here’s another option/nickname: our Mabel’s brothers call her Maisie. Which is coincidentally the name of one of the leading actresses on Game of Thrones JUST SAYING WORK EVERY ANGLE. ;)

    Reply ↓
  20. Ash

    What about Claire MoreAnne? For what it’s worth, I actually like Cora MoreAnne and even like Corinne.

    Here are some other suggestions:

    Adler MoreAnne (Grady and Adler)
    Celeste MoreAnne
    Jovie or Jolie MoreAnne
    Emsley MoreAnne
    Lucy MoreAnne
    Chloe MoreAnne
    Camille MoreAnne
    Greer MoreAnne
    Gentry MoreAnne
    Calla MoreAnne
    Ayla MoreAnne
    Reegan MoreAnne

    Reply ↓
    1. Hillary

      I love Lucy but it’s off the table for us, unfortunately. I was hoping I could swing Clover by suggesting the nickname “Chloe” but Shawn doesn’t like either.

      Reply ↓
  21. kathleenicanrah

    I love the Polly suggestion but what I REALLY want to push is BONNIE. Bonnie and Grady. and for the middle name- Bee. Bonnie Bee More-anne I LOVE IT.
    (I also think your list is wonderful and you kind of can’t go wrong. Yay lady baby!)

    Reply ↓
  22. Dr. Awkward

    Since so many of your favored names (Edith, Cora, Violet, Marigold) crop up in Downton Abbey, what about:

    Elsie
    Beryl
    Sybil
    Daisy
    Phyllis
    Ivy (another vote for Ivy!)

    Some other thoughts, going heavy on alliteration:

    Eleanor
    Hazel
    Lucy
    Maeve
    Maude
    Mavis
    Meryl
    Saffron

    I also like Clara for you.

    For middle names, my first thought was Wren.

    Happy choosing!

    Reply ↓
    3. Hillary

      I’m waaay behind in Downton (watching on Canadian Netflix so I think I’m up to season 3) so I didn’t realize so many of my names were Downton names! It makes sense though. I like old-timey British-y names.

      Beryl is actually my grandma’s middle name :)

      Reply ↓
  23. StephLove

    Someone he met last week ruined a name for him? How horrible was she? It’s not like a ex-girlfriend or an abusive relative or someone who had a big influence in his life. Maybe that will be passing feeling.

    Meanwhile, from your front-runners list, Holly seems like an outlier in terms of style. The others are more old-fashioned. Does Coral instead of Cora solve the last name problem? Maybe. Maybe not.

    I like Ruth or Hillary for a middle. Or Rose. So how about:

    Coral Ruth
    Edith Hillary
    Evelyn Rose
    Mabel Hillary
    Scarlet Ruth

    Also, maybe if we all agree you deserve a bit more sway this time around, we can dust off the vetoed names list and consider them for middles, too.

    Coral Stella
    Edith Marigold
    Edith Olive
    Evelyn Margaret
    Evelyn Ruby
    Evelyn Violet
    Holly Georgia
    Mabel Beatrice
    Scarlet Grace

    Reply ↓
  24. The Mrs.

    How does Mira suit you? It’s not high in popularity, cute with your last name, and means “peace, wonderful, prosperous”.
    It’s also a star! Like a big deal of a star! (Little nod toward Lightning Bolt and Stella.)
    The downside is that it doesn’t work well with Ruth. BUT that leaves room for an unexpected middle name!
    Say, Bliss? Love? Pearl? (Ooh, Pearl has sass!)

    Best wishes!

    Reply ↓
  25. Marelle

    You said it yourself – the little person makes the name perfect. So is your husband really going to let a woman he met last week ruin the name for him? Unless it’s his new boss or something, chances are once Lady Baby owns the name he will forget all about this woman. After all, how many times do you think of Willie Nelson’s guitar player when you hear the name Grady?

    From your list I like Holly and Cora. I also think Rose would be a pretty good first name as well.

    I want to do something with the name Penelope to find something you can both agree on. Daphne perhaps? Sylvie?

    As far as a quirky middle name, what about Max? You already love it, and it’s quirky in that it’s not expected.

    I also love the suggestion of Skye – Scarlet Skye Moreanne. And loving Bonnie and Beryl too.

    Good luck.

    Reply ↓
    1. Hillary

      Very good point. I think he could get on board with my front runner and ignore the association with the random awful lady but HE needs to think he can get on board :)

      Reply ↓
  27. TB

    Maryn Moreanne
    What would your maiden name be like as a middle name? That would incorporate your family as a namesake.
    I also really like the middle name Ruth, Rose and Bella.
    Maryn Ruth
    Maryn Rose
    Maryn Bella
    Grady and Maryn look and sound great!
    I also thought of Willow Ruth Moreanne.
    Other suggested that would be great are Evelyn, Ivy, Mabel and Maxine.

    Reply ↓
  28. Laura

    If your husband had meet a distasteful Grady, his opinion of his son’s name wouldn’t have been affected. I don’t think he should give the lady he met that much power over the name.

    Reply ↓
  29. Alexis with a G

    Too many great fn options for me to choose one, but middle name…. Maybe crazy, but quirky if you would run with the Willie Nelson theme? More than one syllable but fun ideas:
    Willa or Nellie
    Reeeeally out there… His guitar was named “Trigger”
    And that song ‘On the Road Again’ was recorded for a movie… “Honeysuckle Rose.”
    Or to honor the memory of the road trips and your dad… Laken?

    Reply ↓
  30. Reagan

    Holly is my favorite from your list for you though Holly Bloom is too cutesy. Holly Ruth is lovely and Holly and Grady are great together. I do like Mabel as well. Mabel Rose MoreANNE, Mabel Bloom MoreANNE, and Mabel Ruth MoreANNE. If one of those is the name your husband soured on, he needs to get over it.

    Clara is another great suggestion.

    Other ideas:

    Martha
    Liza
    Mary
    Theresa

    I do like Ginger as a quirky middle name.

    Reply ↓
  31. Lashley

    #1 Thank you for writing. This letter is amazing and I loved reading it.

    #2 I have heard someone mispronounce Mabel as May-BELLE, which I feel like would be extra annoying with your last name situation, if it were to happen to you. I’m not sure if the accented syllables help or hurt each other in your case.

    I’m going to stop using numbers now. I think you should get to choose your whimsical middle name from your list. I know someone who named their daughter Evelyn Bird, but frequently refer to her as Birdie. You could also use Wren or another one syllable bird name and still call her Birdie! Or you could use Marigold, nn Goldie. All possibly moot since you don’t want anything too nickname-able. Pax? LIke Max, but maybe a bit less gendered (and means “Peace”).

    Extra first name suggestions (some are repeats from above): Daphne, Eliza, Magnolia, Margot, Elsie, Willa, Frances

    Reply ↓
  32. Jd

    I love Mabel and think Ruth would be the sweetest first (little Ruthie!)

    If you pick a traditional first, what about using Grady’s suggestion for a middle: Cake. Mabel Cake Moranne? Ruth Cake Moranne? She will never meet another kid with Cake for a middle!

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  33. Trudee

    I love the suggestion of Molly Bloom! I’m not usually into quirky names but this one just jumped out at me. Definitely my favourite! I also love Meredith. We had a family friend (child) with this name and my dad called her “Dithy”. Looks terrible in writing but I always thought it sounded so cute.

    Reply ↓
      1. Vanessa

        Molly Bloom’s is/was an Irish pub in Guelph, ON. Since you are Canadian, I thought that you might want to be aware of the connection since you might get a couple “like the pub?” questions… it would make that name combination unuseable in my house, but is otherwise very pretty!

        Reply ↓
        1. Vanessa

          Oh, Guelph is a popular university town with Grads who go everywhere (particularly the veterinarians) in case my comment was too obscure for non-Canadians. :)

          Reply ↓
  34. TheFirstA

    My first thought was something like Ginevra or Genevieve, just so that you could still have Ginger as a nickname, at least once in a while. Rosie is also very workable, perhaps not as a given name, but as a nickname for Rose, Rosalie, Rosemary, Rosa, etc.

    I really don’t think I’d worry too much about Cora. I just don’t think I’d eliminate a name based on the mispronunciation of my surname. But I imagine everyone is different in this regard. Perhaps something like Cordelia instead? I also thought of Coraline, which sees like it would appeal to your husband. However it’s much more likely to be nicked to Cora, so I’m not sure it eliminates your concern.

    I think it’s nice that your husband wants to use an honor name from your side of the family. However, I also think that he should stay out of it and allow you to pick whatever middle name you want. Please don’t feel pressured to go the honor name route if it’s not really what you want to do.

    I’ll suggest Lucy, Juniper, Anabel, Hazel, Ivy & Flora.

    Reply ↓
    1. Hillary

      I AGREE! The honour name is a nice gesture but why not just LET ME HAVE MY WAY. I’d like that MORE ;)

      Juniper made it on my list of contenders last week and it hasn’t been outright vetoed but I suspect Shawn is just indulging me because it’s been a tough week.

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  35. Jamie

    From your list, my favorites are Mabel and Evelyn. I like Cora, but with your last name, it gets a little jumbled in my mouth. Have you considered Coraline? Definitely has the quirk/sassy factor (it is the heroine of a Neil Gaiman book) but still feels sweet and vintage. I live in the South, so Scarlet is really popular around here and the character Scarlett O’Hara looms large for me. I also find the color name aspect of Scarlet challenging when trying to pick middle names. I prefer Ruby…but I seen your hubby vetoed! I like Edie, but Edith still seems a little fusty to me. These names give me the same vibe as Edith but feel a little fresher: Arden, Agnes, Ada, Daphne, Helen, Florence, Louise
    Belle and Holly are interesting. I associate Holly with Christmas babies, which makes me think of Noelle as another possibility for you. I might also suggest Esme, Phoebe and Thea as other possibilities in this category.
    Quirky 1 syllable middle names that come to mind: Quinn, Reese, June, Elle, Skye, Faith, Blair, Blythe, Rose, Eve, Nell, Maude, Pearl, Tess, Mae, Luz, Lark. I love the suggestion of Wren as well…it’s my daughter’s middle name :)
    Some combos because that is always my favorite part. Big brother Grady Shawn and little sister:
    Mabel Skye Moreanne
    Coraline Rose Moreanne
    Scarlet Reese Moreanne
    Ruby June Moreanne
    Daphne Pearl Moreanne
    Thea Lark Moreanne
    Esme Noelle Moreanne

    Reply ↓
    1. Hillary

      I find Scarlet really challenging too. I am not a fan of the colour + noun aspect of so many of my favourite names (Scarlet Bloom, Scarlet Bird, etc).

      I LOVE the name Eve, especially since it feels like an honour name (or at least honour name adjacent) because MY middle name is Dawn but it sounds funny with Mabel. Mabel Eve makes me think of “make believe” or “maybe it’s Mabelline” and both bug me.

      Reply ↓
  36. mjb

    Our daughter is Cora Evelyn, so I love seeing those next to each other on the list! How do you feel about Hazel? It seems to go with your style.

    Reply ↓
  37. Candice

    I love the suggestions of using Coral or another name that has Cora in it. Always liked the name Meredith too.
    But I really wanted to throw out Maeda instead of Mabel. It’s an old name that is never used but I really like it, it helped that I knew the sweetest little lady by that name!
    For a one syllable middle how about Fawn? It’s quirky! The closeness to Shawn may or may not be likeable.

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  38. Kelsey D

    AH!!! I’m so glad Swistle suggested it, it was the first name that came to mind while reading your letter: Esther. I love this name and is definitely not that common.

    I would second using Rose or some variation for the first name – Rosamund is kind of spunky. SO is Rosalind. Our two daughters are Rose and Juliet, I live in Saskatchewan, and we haven’t come across anyone with the same names. Rose is common for a middle name, but less common as a first.

    If you like Evelyn and Margaret, I wonder if you would like Eleanor or Lenora?

    What about Esme? (pronounced Ez-mae) Grady and Esme. They actually look really good together and they sound great together. OH… this might be my favourite.

    Have you considered Pearl? I know it might seem really far out there, but I actually love it. Would love to get my husband on board with it….

    What about Opal? I think I prefer Opal to Mabel.

    Would your husband be opened to Estelle? Then you could conveniently slip in Stella as a nickname?

    I like Scarlet as well. Brigitte? Juliet? Thea?

    What about Vera? Vienne or Vienna? Viola?

    Good luck and keep us posted!

    Reply ↓
  39. JMV

    So many of your names do seem to slant towards Christmas for me. Holly, sleigh Belle, Christmas EVElyn, scarlet (red color). It’s just sort of odd.

    – Holly and Grady seem very well matched to me. It’s my favorite for you. I like the repeating H and LL from your name.
    – I also love the idea of Mabel Beatrix with nickname possibilities Belle or Max.
    – Lorna seems like a name that should be added to the list. Lorna Bloom, Lorna Ruth, Lorna Belle, Lorna Wren, Lorna Lark, Lorna Rose.
    Good luck!

    Reply ↓
    1. JMV

      Since your son has dad’s name as the middle, I like your daughter having an honor name or something tied to you. Of course, that could be just the name you like best. There’s Ruth. You could use Hillary, but I noticed Beatrice on your list that hubs rejected. Would he revisit that?
      The meaning of Hillary is cheer or merry. Basically happy. Beatrice’s meaning also has to do with happiness. I like the symmetry there. Subtle honor. Other names that could be a nod towards Hillary:
      -Bliss
      – Merry
      – Joy
      – Blythe
      – Felicity

      Since you like Bloom and your son likes Rosie, how about Posy (or Posey)?

      Reply ↓
      1. JMV

        Oh, because you like Cora and the name Birdie, I thought of Zipporah. You could totally use the nickname BirdIe with Zipporah because it means bird.

        Reply ↓
        1. Hillary

          I love Poesy so much but Shawn isn’t a fan. Weird about the Christmas tie-in; I hadn’t noticed it but now that you mention it I do see it. Holly is actually one of my least favourite names from our list of contenders because the persnickety part of me thinks Holly is for winter babies!

          Reply ↓
  40. G

    With Grady, I love Poppy or Quinn. My favourite name from your list though is Evelyn (just for the nicknames primarily).

    Grady and Poppy
    Grady and Quinn
    Grady and Evelyn

    Reply ↓
    1. Hillary

      I love Poppy but I worry that it feels nickname-y to me. Like she might want a more “serious” name to use as an adult or in a professional setting. I’m a baby name overthinker. It’s a problem.

      Reply ↓
  41. Laura

    MABEL. Pick Mabel! It is my #1 top choice name for a girl and my boyfriend has vetoed it so please use it!!!

    Ahem, ok that’s selfish but still my vote is for Mabel. My other choice is Holly, because I think that flows so well with your surname no matter how you pronounce it and goes well as a sibling match for Grady. Ruth is a great middle for either Holly or Mabel. Holly Ruth More-ann. Mabel Ruth More-ann. Such good flow!! Holly Bloom would be a bit too much plant for me in one name. Mabel Bloom would bug me a little with the repetitive -bel -Bl sounds. Rosie would be cute as a middle name as Grady’s choice.

    Let’s see, other quirky, sassy one-syllable middle name options:

    Lark
    Lane
    Wren
    Quinn
    Belle
    Blythe
    Frost
    True
    Dove
    Snow
    Elm
    Blanche
    Branch
    Cloud
    Lace

    Reply ↓
  42. Laura

    Oh, just another thought… I don’t know if you’d like this, but what about lengthening Cora to Coralie, and then use Cora as the nickname? I actually love both very much.

    Reply ↓
  43. Kim C

    Loving Mabel and Meredith from your list.

    I too, like your son, love the name Rosie. What about the name Rosanna? Annie is a great nickname too!

    The name Lake has always been a favorite of mine and would make a great middle name. Rosanna Lake perhaps?

    Cora Moran sounds fine to me but I can understand where you’re coming from there on the whole pronunciation thing. What about Cara! Very similar to Cora and Clara. Cara Bloom Moran is sweet! Or even Cara Hillary!

    Matilda (Tilly), Imogen or Fiona are other suggestions I’d like to add.

    All the best!

    Reply ↓
  44. L

    Carrying on the Willie theme, some quirky idle possibilities:
    Blue (eyes crying in the rain)
    Gypsy (like a band of gypsies we go down the highway)

    Reply ↓
  45. Deborah

    I strongly agree with the suggestions that you use your first name as your daughter’s middle name. Even if you don’t love your name or the honor doesn’t matter to you, it sets an example to your children that mom is equally as important as (if not more than!) dad. At the very least, give your middle name as her first or middle. I think Scarlett Hillary Moreanne is great. So is Edith Hillary Moreanne or Evelyn Hillary Moreanne.

    What if, instead of a fun and quirky middle name, you use a fun and quirky first name?
    I like… Clementine, Pippa, Eloise, Juniper, Bay, Veda (and all sound great with your fn as a mn!)

    Would you consider an alternative version of Cora? I think Cordelia Moreanne is lovely.

    Reply ↓
    1. Hillary

      In theory I agree that it’s important to send the message that mom is just as important as dad but in practice I’m unwilling to use my name just to make a point. If I LOVED my first or middle name then I would feel more positive about it but I don’t love either. My middle name is Dawn so I’ve played around with the thought of using the middle name Eve (and that is a close enough association that it *would* feel like an honour name to me) but it sounds kind of funny with my frontrunner first name. So my choice comes down to: forfeit my favourite first name, live with it bugging me that the first name and middle name sound funny together, or find a different middle name that isn’t necessarily an honour name but is still meaningful.

      Reply ↓
      1. Erin Beth

        My favorites from above:

        Meredith Eve (possible quirky nn: Merry)
        Holly Ruth (great flow)
        Edith Lark

        I also love the multiple connections of the middle name Fawn.

        All of your choices are great. Good luck!

        Reply ↓
      2. Erin Beth

        My favorites from above:

        Meredith Eve (possible quirky nn: Merry)
        Holly Ruth (great flow)
        Edith Lark

        I also love the multiple connections of the middle name Fawn. And the name Muriel has been growing on me recently. Muriel Fawn?

        All of your choices are great. Good luck!

        Reply ↓
  47. Karen L

    I’m guessing you aren’t feeling Maxine since you haven’t commented on it but I love it. There’s a pre-schooler a few doors down from us and it works so well!

    Maxine Ruth Moreanne.
    Grady and Maxine

    I don’t usually love repeated sounds but here I love it. The matching M’s at the beginning, matching N’s at the end, and matching R’s in the “middle.”

    Reply ↓
  48. Molly

    I wonder if you would like Mary as an unexpected vintage gem. Mary Rue is beautiful, honors your mom, and gives you the nicknames Molly, Maisie, and Mae to choose from. Also works great with your last name.

    Molly Bloom makes me think of James Joyce–not a dealbreaker, but wanted to mention the connection.

    Reply ↓
  49. Shann

    Your list makes me think of Heidi for some reason. Heidi fawn, Heidi star?

    You would share an initial and I think it is spunky because of these great character. As a nod to Dawn you could also use Aurora or Venus?

    Reply ↓
  50. Maureen

    Penelope Bloom! I love it! Whimsical without being over the top. Congratulations, and thanks for the update! :)

    Reply ↓

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