Swistle:
I had a plan: I was going to go into labor, meet this baby, and pick out a name once we could look it in the eye. Then, social isolation madness hit my husband, and he has spent the last two weeks of coming up with name lists, brackets, rankings, reading multiple name books cover-to-cover, and worrying that we don’t a plan. For the sake of household sanity, could you and your readers weigh in and save us from each other?This is baby #1 (and probably only), and is due first week of June. Baby is of surprise sex.
The challenge(s):
1) I’m Hispanic-Irish, my husband is Arab. This baby will be raised in a tri-lingual home, and will have immediate family who only speak Spanish or Arabic. I have a classic Irish name (Caitlin), but most of my life have gone by Catalina (the Spanish translation); or the nicknames Cate/Cati (CAH-tea). It doesn’t drive me crazy, but I’d rather give my kid ONE name that they could use with their whole family, if possible.
2) Baby will get a double-barrel last name- R0ss S@m@@n.
3) We have a strong preference for non-Bibilical/Torah/Quran names, as we’re both non-religious people in very religious families.
4) Middle names aren’t a thing in his family/culture, and I am already overwhelmed picking a first name, so options we’re leaning toward are “none” or “my favorite nurse during the delivery” or joke noun like “Trouble/Danger/Adventure”.Girl name we both like:
Cora: neither of us is CRAZY about this name, but we’re both happy with it as the overwhelming frontrunner for a girl.Also on his list:
Amani
Leila
Linnea
Lucy
Norah
Willa
YasminAlso on my list:
Xiomara: CEE-oh-mah-rah (This doesn’t really work in English or in Arabic, or with our last names, but it’s my favorite name of all time.)
RuthBoy names we both like:
??On his list:
Amir
Tariq
TheoOn my list:
Calvin
OscarI am definitely the person in this naming partnership who keeps shooting down ideas, so if I’m being ridiculous, feel free to tell me.
Thanks for any guidance you can throw our way-
Cate and Khaled
I almost didn’t answer this one, because it seems too easy for a girl, and too difficult for a boy (I don’t know how names would be pronounced in Spanish/Arabic). But I kept seeing it in the spreadsheet and at least wanting to do the easy part.
If the baby is a girl, the baby’s name is Cora Xiomara R0ss S@m@@n. You both agree on Cora, so I will assume it meets all the requirements about sounding right in the applicable languages. And it’s a great name, and you’re both happy with it. Then, it sounds like your husband doesn’t have any investment/interest in the middle name, and your favorite name of all time can’t be a contender for the first name, so let’s put it as the middle name so you can enjoy it there. I think you would be very happy every time you filled out a form for her, and X. is an extremely cool middle initial.
From your boy name lists, my favorites are Theo from his and Calvin from yours. I’m not crazy about how Oscar blends with the surname: the -r/R- issue plus the Os-/-0ss/S@- issue, but that sort of thing can be very subjective.
I assume since they’re on your lists that Theo and Calvin both meet the no-Bibilical/Torah/Quran requirement, but just in case it is important, I want to point out that name elements such as theo/thea/teo/tea are commonly considered to mean “God” (Theodore and Dorothea and Matteo and even Matthew are all considered to mean “gift from God”); and certain religious denominations would make an immediate leap from Calvin to John Calvin and Calvinism. I don’t think this should rule either name out: I am not a fan of name “meanings” beyond the pure fun aspect of it, and I didn’t know who John Calvin was until I was in college fulfilling my religious-studies course requirement. I still think Calvin & Hobbes and Calvin Klein long before I think of John Calvin, and would never assume a Calvin was named for John Calvin. But these things fall for me into the “not in any way a dealbreaker, but I would still like to have thought of them beforehand” category.
I think your husband’s girl-name list shows more potential for compromise than yours, and so if the two of you don’t want to follow my bossy instruction to use Cora Xiomara, I wonder if you might experiment with leaning toward your husband’s list if the baby is a girl, and toward your list if the baby is a boy. Are there names on your husband’s girl-name list that you could fall for, if you played the “What if I HAD to choose one of them?” game? Could he feel content with the name Calvin, if the baby were a boy?
I also wondered just briefly if you might want use R0ss as a first name for a boy. I think it is so fun when one parent’s surname works as a first name. But I hate to give up the double surname. I think I like the surname-as-first-name option better in cases where otherwise one parent’s surname would not be a significant part of the child’s name.
Name update:
Swistle:
One of your commenters suggested the name “Samir” and my husband looked at me and said “That’s it, that’s the name”.
Samir Felix R0ss S@m@@n arrived on his due date, and has been an extraordinarily calm baby since.
Thank you ladies- your conversation was really helpful, and found us a perfect name for our boy: a name from his Arab heritage, easy to pronounce in Spanish, got an easy Anglo nickname if he wants it, and we can call him Sami while he’s little and squishy.
Cait, Khaled, and Samir
I love “Tariq;” it’d be high on my name list if we had any right to it. (Though I suspect my Irish-born FIL would still look at us weird if we named our boy Ciaran rather than Kerry. ) 2nd in your list for me is Theo. Calvin is okay, too, but I tend to think of my old dog Calvin, named after the comic strip, and the strip itself. We were pretty keen on the strip; my father had all the books.
Tariq R0ss-S@m@@n
Theo R0ss-S@m@@n
Calvin R0ss-S@m@@n
What about David? I know it’s a very biblical name but it’s also been fairly popular for so long that everyone can think of a few they either personally know or are famous figues. My first thought is my stepfather (which leads to complicated emotions), then my husband’s fellow tenor in choir. King David of Israel is pretty far down the list, honestly. It’s pretty similar in English, Spanish, and Arabic, too.
David R0ss-S@maan
Cora. Theo. Great choices. Done! :)
(Very minor aside re: suggestion of David…if yours is a baseball crowd, David Ross is a pretty high profile ex-MLB player turned manager…assuming baseball ever comes back SOBBBBBBBBBB…so that may or may not be an association you want.)
I thought it sounded vaguely familiar but couldn’t place it. I usually only catch one or two a season. (I moved and my home team doesn’t often play the local team)
Two things that I didn’t see you mention that you might want to consider: 1) do you want your child to have a name that is easily recognizable asHispanic or Arabic? There are pros & cons to that which seem worth discussing. And 2) Do you plan to have more children, and if so, do you care about having a cohesive naming style? For example Tariq & David are very different, and Xiomara & Ruth are very different. You might want to discuss now whether that is important to you, and it might end up focusing your list.
As for my personal opinion, I love Cora Xiomara! (And Xiomara is the name of the great mom character on Jane the Virgin.)
Sorry, I missed that you said this is probably only baby! So, forget #2 above.
I LOVE Cora Xiomara R0ss S@m@@n so much! I love how Cate, Khaled, and Cora start with the same sound but are all very distinct. Seems like a very sweet family unit. With that said, Calvin fits in very nicely as well.
Agreed! Darling! And my only other recommendation was going to be Clara. :) We have friends who, similarly, wanted names for their children that would be both lovely and easy for their North American, South American and Middle Eastern families, and they chose Clara for their beautiful girl.
Can I suggest Xavier for a boy? It’s definitely fine in all three languages but it might fall in the category you have experienced of different names/pronunciations from different members of the family. There might be a Catholic connotation (St Francis Xavier) but I don’t think the name in itself has much religious significance. If you don’t get to use your favourite-girl-name-with-an-X this might work for you.
Also, Sebastian could work.
Different than the names on your list, but I’ve always found Maya to be a name that works in almost every culture across the world.
For a girl, Maya was my first thought, too!
Also: Amaya, Amara, Liana, Talia, Dalia, Dania, Noor, Nora, Samira
For a boy: Samir, Aziz, Malik, Rashid, Omar, Desi, Mario, Felix, Tomas
What about Lena (or Lina)? It’s kind of like Linnea, Lucy, Leila on his list. Lena Xiomara R0ss S@m@@an.
Or:
Nina
Serena
Elena
For a boy, what about Toby (or Tobias)? I feel like it’s a good blend between his list and yours (Theo + Oscar).
Or:
Adrian
Caleb
Elliot
Evan
Julian
Simon
Love Swistle’s response & some of the suggestions. Cora is a favorite of mine but my son has a Leila in his class & I love it!
I’m gonna suggest Zane/Zain/Zayn for a boy. Zain/Zayn is Arabic for “beauty/handsome” while Zane is the more popular spelling in America and is considered a variant of John. Zain/Zayn/Zane all have straightforward pronunciations regardless of the spelling and it’s nickname proof as well. Zane R0ss S@m@@n sounds great!
I was almost off the page when Omar came to me. It would work well in all three languages.
Love Cora Xiomara! Also, I really like Leila from your husband list. For a boy love the suggestion of Xavier. From your lists I like Theo and Calvin, but being a native Spanish speaker, the pronunciation in Spanish worries me a little.
Love Cora Xiomara. Norah Xiomara would also be a lovely choice. And Calvin is also outstanding.
Additional suggestions:
Zara
Ivy
Ada
Adele
Greta
OR
Tobin
Tate
Tarquin
Zeke
Dane
Just going to throw out Anaya or Anara for a girl.
Girl:
For Spanish + Arabic, please consider Nuria. It’s common in Spanish countries but its origin is Arabic, and it means “light”.
Boy:
Omar is a great option, because it’s similar to Oscar while being Arabic. Or Zaki nn Zak (it means “pure” in Arabic).
My first thought was immediately Maya too. It works in so many languages any yet blends effortlessly into English. Maya Xiomara R0ss-S@m@@n
I also really like Nora/Norah because of the association in Arabic to Noor which means light. Plus it works well in Spanish and English.
My suggestion is Aliana. I think it combines elements from both cultures into its own sound. The other Anglo/Arab families we know have also used Samara and Elia if those appeal to you.
Boys are so hard. The most established cross over is always Adam, but it is certainly religious. Nicholas is a bit of a cross over too and maybe with a nn of Cole, this would appeal? Calvin strikes me as religious and does Theo. Would Leo work as a substitute?
I love the Arabic name Faris. Don’t know if it’s a nice unity of sounds with your surname or too many s sounds but it has a nice universal sound. Ferris is a popular British Isles variation and I don’t think the pronunciation in Spanish is tricky, nor is there a more Hispanic version of the name to default to so you’d be “safe” for one name.
Yes for Cora Xiiomara! That is exactly what I was thinking before Swistle suggested it. It seems so simple and easy, and it sounds like that’s exactly what you need right now. Also, Cora is a lovely name and you both like it.
Of your other girl names. It occurs to me that your list (granted only 2 names) does not contain any names the follow your preferences. That makes me wonder if maybe letting go of some preferences wouldn’t help you find more names you like? IDK. This could also just make the decision making process harder by adding more names.
I am inclined to maybe suggest a similar approach for the boy name. Pick a name you both feel content about, and then maybe he can have the middle be something from his culture? I mention this because Tariq and Amir strike me as strongly Arabic the way Xiomara is strongly Hispanic. I think they’d both be fine for American English speakers, but I’ve no idea how well they “translate” to Spanish. I realize this suggestion may not be helpful since he doesn’t seem to be invested in a middle. Maybe you could find a name you feel content with and then you could use your absolute favorite for the middle?
From your lists, I would personally strike Calvin for being too religious. I was raised in a Protestant religion where Calvin would have been used as a nod to John Calvin. I think it’s a name where the association will vary greatly. For me, I think Theo and Oscar are the best bets as far as meeting all your preferences. Could you convince your husband to agree to you both picking your favorite boy first name and then agree to choosing between the two after you meet him? That strikes me as a reasonable compromise in this situation (assuming you can both be ok with each other’s top pick)
I think Cora and Leila are really nice for a girl.
Other girl name ideas that could work in your multi-cultural environment: Aisha, Amira, Dalia, Lana, Lola, Mona, Nova, Samira, Selma, Zara.
Calvin is my favorite from boys.
Other boy name suggestions: Adan, Felix, Idris, Karim, Leo, Nabil, Salim, Sami (or Sam), Victor, Zane.
I love R0ss as a first for a boy – just love it. However I’m really here today to recommend a middle name. It kind of captures the zeitgeist of these crazy times: “Exotic”.
R0ss Exotic S@m@@n
Theo Exotic S@m@@n
Calvin Exotic S@m@@n
My work here is done.
oh god, I’m hoping this is a joke! -____-
Omar is also the first name that came to mind for me, as one that’s commonly used in both Spanish and Arabic, and is also similar to Oscar.
I’ll also suggest:
Camila/Kamila/Kaamila
Selena
Naya/Nya/Naia
Nayara
Nefisa
Karina/Carina
Shakira
Kira
Isa
Mariam, Mariama, or Mariana
Salma
Jada
Jamila
Amadi
Lucia
Rafael/Raphael/Rafi (I love this one, maybe a little awkward with last name though)
Amal
Kamal
Karim
Hanan
Harun/Haroun
Tamir
I agree that Cora Xiomara would be a great choice, as would Leila.
I like Theo but I think it may be hard to say in Spanish(?).
I liked these suggestions too:
Maya (classic, can’t go wrong)
Aisha
Dalia
Talia
Amara
Samara
Samira
Samir
Adrian
Zane/Zayn
Sebastian
Cora Xiomara or Cora Ruth are both good choices, since it gets you a first name you both like and as Swistle said, you might as well choose the middle since he doesn’t care about it.
Since there’s no overlap in boys’ first names, how about some that sound like names on his girl list: Linus, Noah, William?
For me, Cora with R0ss S@m@@n, is difficult to say clearly. The “ra” in Cora and the “Ro” in Ross blend together too much. Cora is a great name but not in this case.
Instead of Theo, how about Teo (tay-oh), which works in Spanish? I don’t know enough about Arabic to know if it works in Arabic, maybe someone who knows could say?
Was excited to see Dalia come up multiple times in the comments. I love Cora but if for some reason you’d decide against it Dalia would work great. It’s my daughter’s name which we chose because we’re Jewish and it’s a Hebrew name so should also work as an Arabic name. My daughter also goes to Spanish immersion preschool and they pronounce it the same way we do (some others pronounce it dahlia) and I’ve met multiple Hispanic children with the name too so seems to be one of the few names I’ve come across that is common in these two communities and is non-biblical. I also like Leila a lot. Other names on my list that I think work in both languages: Gabriella and rayna/rina for girls, Nathan for boys
I like Omar, Haris, Idris — although I don’t think they work particularly well with the surnames in this case.
I like Tariq — combination of crisp fashionable sounds and straightforward enough that it isn’t going to be confusing even to people for whom it is new. Khalil is somewhat familiar from the poet, and “Friend” is a nice secular meaning. I’ve also had several students named Khalid and the name always surprised me with how pleasant it is to say.
I also really like Navid, or, uh, you could elaborate in a very scientific and not religious way with the familiar -vid ending and go for Covid. Perhaps as a middle name?
In girls’ names, just in case Cora doesn’t fit, can I propose Zoraida as a Spanish-Arabic name that sort of is a Cora-Xiomara adjacent name for me?
Congrats and welcome baby Samir! Beautiful baby and beautiful name!