Swistle! I’ve been following your blog for so. many. years, through numerous fertility issues, through a breakup, though years of not even trying to conceive and through a miscarriage that I never thought I’d actually need anyone’s advice because during all this time, I was honing all my name nerdiness by reading your blog and and following name trends and data. But now that I am preparing to name an actual real life human I desperately need your help. This is serious business!
My partner and I are over the moon that we are expecting our first (and probably only), baby due in April, gender unknown. I would like to have a few solid names for each gender so we can say them out loud to this little one before making the final decision. We have finally decided on a last and middle name. This took months of discussion and thought, as we do not share a last name. We decided to use my last name for this baby’s last (sounds like O’Burn), and his mother’s maiden name as this baby’s middle (Row, spelled differently). I am so happy about this! So much woman power in this babe’s name!
For girls, our top contenders are:
Ramona
Marigold “Goldie”
LorettaI love this every name on this list. There are a few issues with these names, however. His favorite is Ramona, but it was also the name of my lovely cat, who died 5 years ago. It just feels like my cat’s name.
I love Goldie, and would probably call her this exclusively with Marigold as a backup but the issue with this name is that all but 2 of our 7 nieces all have an -ie or a -y ending to their names and this bothers me a little because: 1. Goldie so rhyme-y with of their names and 2. All these names sound a bit diminutive. He is lukewarm on Loretta.For boys, our top contenders are:
Remy
Hayes
EeroI don’t love this list like the girl list. The issues with these seem like dealbreakers: I’m afraid that Remy (partner’s favorite) and Hayes are too trendy, and that while Remy/Remi/Remington is unisex, it’s leaning more heavily toward the girl’s side, especially with all the alternate spellings (is this a problem? I can’t decide). The -y ending doesn’t bother me on a boy for some reason.
Then there is Eero. I LOVE it so much, he’s unsure. I’ve love Arrow too, but prefer Eero (it’s not a weapon, doesn’t feel trendy, and the Saarinen reference is a pleasing one). The issues here are: 1. Spelling/ pronouncing issues, which I think won’t bother me so much (as there are more common names like Aaron, Madelyne, Louis where pronunciation and spelling can be up for interpretation/confusion), but I don’t want to saddle the babe with a lifetime of irritation over this. 2. Eero Row is repetitive. Initially this bothered me but my partner likes them together, however, he’s not in love like I am with Eero.
Are their other boy names that are just as cool and uncommon but with less issues? I know that the perfect name doesn’t exist, but can you and your readers help give your opinions on these issues/recommend other boy names?Other names I like but can’t/ won’t use:
Cleo
Sunny
Vita
Zola
Clark
Frederick/Freddie
Soren
TeddyOther names he likes:
Archer
Arlo
Hugh/Hugo
Jude
OliverThank you so much for any advice and I promise to send an update (those are my favorite)!
Best,
Melissa and Niko
My first impulse was to push you to like Arlo: it’s a great name, and it has almost all the upsides of Eero without any of the downsides. My main hesitation is that I don’t like the -o ending with the O- surname; I don’t like it with Eero, either. Arlo O’Burn. Eero O’Burn. Combined with the -ro/Row issue of first and middle, Eero Row O’Burn would be completely out for me: my mouth and ear can’t make heads or tails of it. Arlo Row O’Burn has a similar set of difficult sound combinations. I don’t like to say them or hear them. I realize this sort of thing is highly subjective, however, and that someone else might love the repeating sounds.
Hayes feels contemporary to me, and it’s part of the surname-name trend, but I don’t know if I would call it trendy or not. It feels pleasingly old-fashioned, too—like, I would not be surprised at all to encounter an elderly gentleman named Hayes, whereas I would be surprised to encounter an elderly gentleman named Cayden. It does blend into the surname, but I think you’d just get used to putting a little pause there.
Let’s look at the current usage of Remy. This is from the Social Security Administration for babies born in 2017 (the 2018 data will be available in May):
Remy: 497 F, 678 M
Remi: 1262 F, 186 M
Remmy: 20 F, 60 M
Remmi: 50 F, 5 M
Remington: 754 F, 1497 M
Remmington: 27 F, 20 M
I don’t know what I’d advise. I was not expecting the numbers to look like that: I don’t know anyone named Remy/Remi, so I had very little to go on, but for some reason I was expecting to see it less unisex than that, with heavier usage for boys. Usage of Remy and Remington is rising for both boys and girls; this may be a name like Avery or Riley or Cameron, where we will expect it for either sex.
I’d love to find some names without so many overlaps in sound: Row O’Burn already has the repeating long-O and the repeating R; Remy adds a third R, Eero adds a third R and a third long-O.
Calvin
Davis
Dawson
Emmett
Felix
Gage
Lawson
Malcolm
Thompson
Wesley
Zane
An option that doesn’t avoid repeating sounds is Harvey. I love it so much. Harvey O’Burn. Harvey Row O’Burn.
Another pet favorite of mine that repeats a sound: Alfred. Alfred O’Burn. Alfred Row O’Burn.
Or I think Alistair is nice. Alistair O’Burn. Alistair Row O’Burn.
Or Merrit. Merrit O’Burn. Merrit Row O’Burn.
Here’s one that leans into the sound repetition but with some nice strong consonant sounds to give it structure: Gibson. Gibson O’Burn. Gibson Row O’Burn.
Or Franklin. Franklin O’Burn. Franklin Row O’Burn.
Turning to girl names. Ramona is again a lot of repeating sounds: Ramona Row O’Burn; three Rs, three long-Os. It is too much for me, but I’ll say again that I know such things are very subjective, and it would not surprise me to hear that the overlapping sounds were a delight to someone else’s ear. It does seem to me like much less of an issue than with Eero Row O’Burn, I think because the name Ramona is very familiar and also because it has some nice strong consonant sounds to help break up the Rs and Os.
My top favorite from your list is Marigold. Three Rs and three Os again, but the O sound is not obvious, and it helps that the R is not the first initial. Also, again we have some nice strong consonants to break things up. Goldie is adorable, and I don’t care two figs about the cousin names ending in -ie. The diminutive nature of the nickname is another story. I will say that Goldie does not have the lightweight/silly sound that draws my attention to a diminutive ending, and for me that makes a big difference. It also makes a big difference to me that it’s the nickname and not the given name.
The girl names on your list make me think of:
Agatha
Celeste
Cordelia/Delia
Esther
Florence/Flora
Frances/Frankie
Gloria
Harriet
Hazel (similar to Hayes)
Henrietta/Hennie/Etta
Imogen/Midge
Ivy
Louisa
Louise
Mabel
Magnolia/Nola
Margaret/Greta
Marilla
Matilda
Sabrina
Theodora
Winifred/Winnie/Freddie
Name update:
Thank you, Swistle, for posting my question, and thank you to all the commenters for all their thoughtful responses. I immediately added Swistle’s suggestion of Imogen/Midge (love!) to our girl list, and a reader’s suggestion of Desmond/Desi/Dez to our boy list. Then, a bit reluctantly, I let go of Eero, as the overwhelming response from your readers was that this name would not only cause confusion over pronunciation/spelling, but also it doesn’t sound pleasing with the last name. Thank you for talking me down from that ledge. Eero will always be a name I love but sadly will never use.
Well, our little boy was born on April 17th and it took us 5 days to decide on his name. To my surprise, none of the names we considered during these 5 days were the names I wrote to you about! We finally decided on Quincy Row O’Burn. I stumbled upon Quincy while researching Desmond (thank you to the reader who suggested this!), and I love love love it. It’s so fun to tell people his name — we’ve gotten such positive responses to it — some people even sing his name back to us. We love it. It’s perfect. Also, I really appreciate the ease with which people recognize and appreciate his name, which wouldn’t have happened with a name like Eero.
Thank you!
Melissa, Niko and Quincy
We gave one of our 3 children a name that was pretty unusual and difficult to “place” when said aloud. Our now adult child likes her name, but it has been challenging at times. At stores or coffee shops, she uses a different name, because the “what?” just gets old. In a crowded room or anyplace with a lot of ambient noise, it’s difficult for people she doesn’t know to understand her name when she introduces herself. This difficulty never occurred to me before she was born, so I commend you for thinking about it. And it is just one of the things that make naming a real person different from all the years of thinking about names. From this point of view, all your girl names absolutely work and are wonderful choices. But as much as I (and you) like Eero, I think it might be difficult to understand when spoken, both alone and with the last name. For me, that would mean grieving a much-loved name, but moving on to Hayes or Remy or one of the many other lovely names mentioned above. You may make a different decision, but at least you’ll be doing it aware of this possible issue.
Congrats!! I LOVE Ramona, and Loretta is pretty great, too. Similar are: Lorna, Mara, Tessa, Lola, Fiona, Harriet, Lilah, Jacinta, Scarlett.
They’re all great with “Row.”
Marigold, imo, is hard to take seriously. Not a name I’d want myself. Goldie (cute!) can be a nickname for Gabriella or actually, really, anything. It’s very Jewish, fwiw.
Eero… sorry, the Eeyore and zero references are way too strong to me. I like your other options way more.
Also if you don’t want Arrow b/c of weaponry, why consider Remington?
Along with Swistle’s great suggestions, I’ll throw out there: Lachlan, Connor, Colin, Devon, Asher, Julian, Kai, Ridley, Leo.
The letter-writer is considering Remy, not Remington. I included Remington when looking at usage, to see how/if it differed from Remi/Remy/etc.
I’m with Swistle that Eero Row O’Burn is very difficult to say and to hear.
Since you like Clark and Frederick, do you like any of these?
Frank (could be Franklin) (for a girl, Francesca)
Alec
Dominic
Alaric
Cormac
Mac
Roderick (mm Rory)
Other possibilities that seem like they could work for you:
Marcus (I really like this with O’Burn)
Graham
Martin
Grant
Dean
Callum
Reuben
I love the name Ramona, but do think Ramona Row O’Burn is a bit of a mouthful, and understand your feeling that the name belongs to your cat. Loretta is great if your husband comes around, and Marigold is great.
How do you feel about:
Lena/Magdalena
Antonia
Serena
Vivian/Vivienne
Valeria
I had to look up who Eero Saarinen was, but I wonder if neo-futurist architects might be a good place to go looking for more cool and uncommon names. Like maybe Eames? Or Arne (Jacobson).
Or maybe you just like Finnish names. Armas? Erno? Osmo? I think I’m on team you can’t have too many R’s and long O’s
As in, there’s no such thing as too many R’s and long O’s.
For a girl, maybe Leonie?
I fell in love with Marigold recently after watching and reading a written version of the movie Coco (which involves the actual flower-highly recommend if you have not seen it, my son is obsessed with it). I am done having children and it wouldn’t fit with my kids’ names anyway, but I do love the sound of it. Goldie sounds kind of like a pet’s name to me, but I still think I would be charmed to meet a small person with the nickname if it fit.
In any case I will be fervently hoping for an update on this one.
I agree Eero/Arrow/Arlo don’t work with the middle and surname. Just too many of the same sounds. It’s all kind of smushy and a bit tongue twistery for me.
Ramona shares a lot of sounds with the middle/surname as well-but the extra syllables & consonants make it soo much better. Any interest in Ramon/Ramone for a boy? Or maybe Reuben? Of the boy names mentioned, my favorites are Archer, Hugo & Jude (full disclosure-your partners name style is very similar to my own). I’ll also suggest Sterling, Arthur, Walter.
I adore Marigold and don’t find Goldie too diminutive at all. I mean, nicknames are technically diminutive, so…? I probably wouldn’t use Goldie as a full name, but it’s fine as a nickname. I also do not see an issue with her nickname being rhymey with the cousin names. It really seems like you may be overthinking this one.
I also like Ramona, and I want to say the cat doesn’t matter. The cat is long gone, and the baby will quickly take over as your primary association for the name. Logically, I know all this to be true. But I also think I would have a real problem naming a baby a former pets name. I had issues when my grandparents named a new dog the same thing as a dog they had when I was a child! So I can understand if you just can’t move past it.
Loretta is fantastic! But as much as I like it, if your partner isn’t on board it sounds like maybe it should be eliminated.
So many Rs, so many Os… I can’t decide if I want to lean into it or run away. So I’ll do both!
Lean in:
Sayer/Thayer Row OBurn
Astrid Row OBurn
Marion Row OBurn
Orly/Orla Row OBurn
Orson Row OBurn
Lorcan Row OBurn
Runaway:
Benedict “Ned” Row OBurn
Duncan Row OBurn
Dawson Row OBurn (it’s time to reclaim Dawson!)
Cassius Row OBurn
Simon Row OBurn
Willa Row OBurn
Neve Row OBurn
Phillipa “Pippa” Row OBurn
Isla Row OBurn
Bellamy Row OBurn
I agree with others that Eero Row or Eero O’Burn don’t really work well out loud. I also find Hayes O’Burn difficult to say too. I think Ramona O’Burn is fine, and even though the flow of Ramona Row isn’t great, it also wouldn’t be said often enough to be a problem. However I agree with you on the cat issue. I wouldn’t want to replace the memory of my cat by reusing her name.
Some other suggestions:
Instead of Remy … Micah
Instead of Hayes … Lane
Instead of Eero … Eamon
Instead of Ramona … Bronwyn
Instead of Marigold … Aurelia nn Goldie
Instead of Loretta … Etta or Esther
Good luck and congratulations on the long-awaited baby.
First off, CONGRATS!
It is challenging naming an actual little human. My pre-sticky-baby list was thrown out when we we began choosing names for our eldest. However, even some of the ‘rules’ I developed were thrown out for our youngest.. so I say take it seriously, but not too seriously.
The Cat – only you can judge how much this would bother you. My partner liked the name of his parents deceased dog a lot. We even asked them if we could use the name. But i’m glad we didn’t, because there are pictures of her everywhere at their place, and a plaque on their property. Plus, it is a fairly common dog name. Ramona is not a common pet name. However, that may make it even harder to transfer to a child as that is the only Ramona you’ve ever known.
The Marigoldie – I think it’s kinda cute that your kid’s nickname would be part of a larger -ie cousin gang. If you had to drop all names that led to an -ie nickname, you’d be discounting a lot. So about the comments about the name not being suited to an adult. I once subscribed to that camp. Even hearing Poppy these days, I kinda wonder. But the landscape of names these days is so so different. And if her name is Marigold on paper, she can go by Goldie or Marigold or Mari or Mary or M.Rowe. (My youngest has a nickname name and we did a lot of anecdotal research with people with nickname names on paper, and those who go exclusively by their middle names etc and came out of feeling just fine with the name we chose. And I’m going to pioneer a new trend that i don’t have a term for yet – the nock-name maybe? Where an Ellie can call herself Elizabeth any time she wants.)
Eero/Arrow/Eeroroweo – this is too tongue-twisty. I don’t count middle names as much with first names, because they are not often said together unless you’re being intentional. So Eero O’burn. The ro-oh just isn’t good. And the spelling will be tricky. I’ve actually met at least three Arrows within the last 5 years, so I think the spelling (while entirely legit) won’t help.
Remy – I’m really surprised by that data!! I just know one, a kindergartner Remi (short for Remington – boy.) But if it bothers you that it’s leaning more ‘girl’, then I’d avoid.
I loves Hayes but maybe it’s too short for your taste – maybe you’d like Hamish nn Hayes? And I love Loretta. Is your partner a nicknamer? Would finding an awesome nickname for Loretta help (beyond Lori or Etta, like Lola or Red?)
Similar names that might interest you:
Romilly
Morganna
Mirabel
Lorelai
Aurora
Calloway
Darius
Loic
Stellan
Torin
Also – I assume you’ve already discussed this with your partner, but have you considered putting Row up front by lengthening it to Rowan or Rowena? Or Roman? Ronan?
Since you apparently don’t mind some foreign-sounding names, I would like to suggest one of my favorite Polish names: Kalina.
It literally means viburnum, so it has a nice flowery meaning like Marigold, but not ultra-feminine like Rose or Daisy or Lily. Kallie could be a cute nickname. And I quite like how Kalina Row O’Burn sounds together.
Another option could be Karina or Marina – they are a bit similiar in style to Ramona but without that problematic long O sound and late-cat’s-name issue.
A few years ago I’ve stumbled across (in the depths of Internet) a young couple that named their daughter Golden nn Goldie and I really liked it. But I’m not sure whether it will work with your last name or not: Golden Row O’Burn.
As for boys names, I agree that Eero could be confusing (I’m not sure how to pronounce that “ee” at the beginning: like in “eel”, like in “eye” or like in “ever”?)
What about Ezra instead of Eero? Ezra Row O’Burn
Or maybe Ewan? Ewan Row O’Burn
Marek (Polish version of Mark) could be nice too: Marek Row O’Burn
Oh, I have yet another idea: Briony/Bryony
Briony/Bryony Row O’Burn
flower/plant meaning – check
cute nicknames (Bonnie, Ronnie, Bee?) – check
familiar but not too common – check
R and O sounds without being too tongue-twisting – check
Maybe it could work well?
*Bree
How about Corina? She’s underused but classic. She also contains the sounds you obviously love. Nicknames include: Cora, Rina, Carrie, etc.
Corina Row O’Burn
Corina O’Burn
If you use Eero, you’ll be duplicating the last sound for the next name… Ee-RO ROw O’Burn.
Hayes is well-known but not popular. He is a really great idea. Hugh might suit. Or perhaps Corbin. How do you feel about Nolan?
Best wishes.
I love all your girl names! Ramona is my fave but I don’t think I could get past the cat and the repetition. One or the other, probably, but both is a bit much.
I know a little baby Marigold and it’s such a sweet name! They intended to nn her Goldie but it didn’t stick so she goes by the full Marigold. I also know a baby Magnolia nn Maggie and my own daughter is Rosemary…the flower names are definitely current right now.
Loretta is sweet and feels like it fits into the antique revival trend. Other antique revivals I love that it reminds me of are Genevieve, Evelyn, Sylvia, Vivian, and Cordelia.
For boys, Eero seems problematic. I want to pronounce it like “Euro” but can’t tell if that’s right, and combined with the middle and last name it sounds like a tongue twister. Someone above suggested Ewan which makes me swoon. It reminds me of a few favorites like Rowan and Wyatt and Wesley. What about adding another middle name and making Row a second middle? Since its your first there wouldn’t be any unfairness over getting an extra name. :)
Remy reads girl to me just because of personal connections though I can see it as unisex. It also feels more like a nickname compared to the others on your list.
Hayes feels familiar and fits the surname trend, but it doesn’t feel trendy to me at all and I haven’t met any kids named Hayes in my area. This is probably my favorite of your boy options! I also think it sounds best with the middle and last names you picked.
Congrats and good luck! A difficult name isn’t the end of the world as long as you love it!
My first thought for the name Eero was that if I was a schoolyard bully I would call him Eros. I wouldn’t choose Eero for that reason.
Congratulations on your baby! Goid luck with selecting his or her name !!
What about Eric or Rosalind?
What about Rowe as a first name for a boy? Rowe O’Burn.
I do find Eero, Hayes, Ramona etc difficult to pronounce with the surname. Maybe try the starbucks test (or something that requires a full name).
Leaning in to the Os and Rs:
Bowman Row O’Burn (instead of Eero/Arrow/Archer? It’s a LOT of O), Bo/Bowie
Jacoby Row O’Burn
Corbin Row O’Burn
Torin Row O’Burn
Cormac Row O’Burn
Holden Row O’Burn
Theodore Row O’Burn
Joseph Row O’Burn
Nolan Row O’Burn
Noah Row O’Burn
Owen Row O’Burn
Jonah Row O’Burn
Lenore / Leonora Row O’Burn, Nora/Lennie
Eleanor Row O’Burn
Cora Row O’Burn
Josephine Row O’Burn, Josie/Posey
Jolene Row O’Burn, Jo/Jolie
Jovena Row O’Burn, Jovie
Dorothy / Dorothea Row O’Burn, Dot/Dottie/Dory
Dolores Row O’Burn, Dolly/Lolly/Lo
Georgia Row O’Burn
Violet Row O’Burn
Eowyn Row O’Burn (pronunciation / LOTR warning)
Clover Row O’Burn
Harlowe Row O’Burn, Lo/Harley
Just chiming in to say that I love Dorothy Row O’Burn.
Arvo is another option from the Baltic region, if you’re looking to inject a consonant! I know it from the Estonian (minimalist, incidentally) composer Arvo Part:
Arvo Row O’Burne
I once met a young Oren at a bookstore.
Oren Row O’Burne
Have the Rosa- names ever tempted you, girl-wise?
Rosamund
Rosemary
Roselinde
All great names in addition to Marigold. Rosamund Row O’Burne. Dang it, that’s pleasant to say!
Cora Row O’Burn
The long O/R thing is addictive!
1st of all I love all your girl options. Since Ramona was your cat and your SO is unsold on Loretta, Marigold seems the clear winner to me. I would not worry about her being too matchy with your nieces for 2 reasons: 1. Her name is Marigold. Even if she always goes by her nickname, her full name does separate her from any pattern. 2. My sister has 4 kids. All end in N. This was her “theme”. She was very insistent after her first 2 that any further children would also have names that end in N. So I didn’t want my kid names to end in N and seem part of her theme. Guess what. 2 out of 3 of them have names that end in N. And now that they are real people so completely separate from my sister’s family…. It’s so not a big deal. Or even a little deal. Any repition of sounds within your social circle or extended family may seem big now, but in reality , your life with your kids is going to be so much bigger than the time you spend with your nieces. I say that as someone very close to my sister and her kids.
Okay, I had a lot to say so I pressed send on my girl comments and decided to come back for the boys.
I like the name Hayes. But, I don’t love that it sounds like the word haze… And with your surname I like it even less..it sounds like Haze or burn….
Earo I agree us going to be problematic in terms of spelling, pronunciation his whole life. And I really don’t like the flow of the entire name.
I find Remy on a male charming, old fashioned with international flair. On a girl, I find it trendy. As a nickname for Remington I find it trendy. But as a standalone boys name, it has a lot of history and is a sophisticated choice. My oldest son has a name with a significant male international history but is now more popular for girls here in the states. (His name is Lennon. Though admittedly Remy has MORE of a male history so is an even better example.) Will he someday meet a girl with the same name? Yes. Do I see it as a problem? No. He is being raised to know women are strong and every bit as significant as men. And to not want to give him a male’s name because it’s going to the girls implies that women are inferior. That we don’t want our boys to share an identity with them because it’ll make them appear weak. Your child has a lot of girl power in his middle and surname just due to where on his or her family tree they came from. I think giving him a name that has recently become unisex and saying who cares? Our boy will respect women enough to graciously share his name with a few of them is an AMAZING way to complete that name.
So, I have no further suggestions for you because I really really love Marigold and Remy.
I also hear Hayes O’Burn funny—my mind jumps straight to Hayes Or Burn —> Razor Burn.
I think Goldie sounds divine with the surname and Loretta works well too. Ramona is trickier and given the previous association, that would be my last choice for you. I quite like Hayes; that is my favorite option for a boy. Remy works also but I share pp’s reservations about Eero.
I’m on team, go with ‘o’ or ‘r’ but in a slightly subtler fashion :).
My two suggestions: Reuben Row O’Burn, Naomi Row O’Burn.
All the best and congratulations!
How about Emory?
I love Ramona for a girl.
I know a boy named Aero (like aerodynamic!)
I find Eero Row O’Burn to be exceptionally hard to say.
My favorite from your girl list is Marigold.
The only Remys I know (sample size: 4) are male, and I find the name charming. I know a baby, a kid, a 25yo, and a 50yo. They all spell it Remy.
I am very familiar with Eero, because I lived in a dorm designed by Eero Saarinen in college and I love his furniture (not that I can afford anything but knockoffs), but I still wouldn’t choose it for a baby’s name, mostly because of the middle name choice, but also because it’s SO unfamiliar that he’ll get questioned constantly.
Some of your names overlap with our list, (surnames are our jam!) so I wanted to offer up our final winner boy name: Desmond. I didn’t think I was a nickname person, but he is usually Dez or Desi. Desmond Row O’Burn… love!
As for girls, Ramona is so spunky, she sounds like someone I want to be friends with. For a repeating, (strong) name, how
about Raina or Rayna (Raina Row – swoon!)
Congrats! Baby name dilemmas are the best kind of dilemmas. :)
Here to second Desmond
My favorite from your list is Ramona! Followed by Marigold. Both are beautiful.
I’m not digging your boy names as much. With a last name starting in O, you need a name that doesn’t run together. Rufus O’Burn.