Dear Swistle community,
Thank you for considering our baby naming adventure!
To say we are thrilled to welcome this baby at the start of August is an understatement. Our journey to this point was a long and hard one and we are so grateful to have this little one in our family at long last. This is our first and I have been baby crazy for oh say 20 years with a long list of names I loved to refine through the years. Through all the years I had the tendency to think about names in groupings – a little duo of a first and middle name.
That’s where the fun twist comes in. To shorten a long and personal story, during an especially dark time of the TTC (trying to conceive) journey my cousin who is like a sister had a dream that I had a baby named Remi Sunshine. I latched onto her dream and it pulled me through an extremely tough time – I made Remi Sunshine all my passwords, my visualizing exercises and my efforts to have some trust and faith that our Remi Sunshine would make their way to us had me using this name for 5 months before I got pregnant…and then once pregnant I knew this was our little Remi Sunshine. I’ve been through so much with this name I can’t leave it behind now, and luckily my husband is on board to incorporate Remi or Sunshine as either the first or middle name.
This makes my list pretty tricky since so many of my favorites had already been considered a pair.
We are both fans of the name Remi for either boy or girl and I do think Sunshine could be really sweet for a girl. Baby’s last name will be my husband’s last name, Kormushoff, so not exactly a free flowing last name.
We’re having a hard time deciding whether to incorporate Remi as a first or middle name, though we at least know that if it’s a girl Sunshine feels best as a middle name.
Our favorite boy names:
Calvin
August (Gus)
Hugh or Hugo
Louis
RomanOur favorite girl names:
Louisa
Gemma
Willa
Georgina
Genevieve
Marigold
Mirabel
OpheliaWe are open to additional names to consider (particularly boy names because we find those harder) and would love thoughts on how to combine Remi or Sunshine for a name that feels like its own intentional duo.
Thanks so much!
Brenna
I gave this a little time to simmer, and I can tell you that for myself, if this were my situation, I think there are three ways to handle this that would satisfy me.
- Give the child the first/middle names Remi Sunshine.
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Give the child “Remi Sunshine” as the middle name. A child who doesn’t like any part of that middle name can drop one or the other on forms as they get older, but the whole name, as you have been using it, is included and intact. Calvin Remi Sunshine Kormushoff. Louisa Remi Sunshine Kormushoff. (Don’t be alarmed by HOW MUCH NAME this is. Middle names are used on the birth certificate and birth announcements, and then it’s pretty much just First Last from then until high school graduation. My daughter’s name, for example, is 30 letters long, divided among four names, and no one has ever said “Wow, that’s a lot of name!”—in large part because they only know her by her first/last.) (Not that “a lot of name” is a bad thing, even if someone DID think/say it! Think of the royals and their fabulous names that never quit!)
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Give the child a name that does not include Remi or Sunshine, but then call the child Remi Sunshine interchangeably with their given name, as a special nickname that others may or may not pick up on. I’d probably make it a whole THING: personalized wall art with that nickname; “Remi Sunshine” on a baby blanket; etc.
For ME (and this is going to be HIGHLY SUBJECTIVE, and it’s only YOUR OWN subjective that matters here, but input from others can help clarify your own feelings), it would not satisfy me to, for example, use Remi as the middle name without Sunshine, or Sunshine without Remi; the special name, to me, feels like it is “Remi Sunshine,” the whole thing.
In your case, since you say you’ve always imagined names in first-middle pairings, that second idea (using “Remi Sunshine” as the middle name) may not be what makes you happy. Or you might find that breaking up the firsts/middles (especially when this is no longer a fun pre-baby game but is instead a two-parent job for a baby on the way) is one of the things you’re willing to do to make baby-naming work for this child and for this particular special name. It happens for most of us that there comes a point when two preferences are in opposition to each other, and in those situations the preferences need to be weighed: which is more important to you, giving this baby the name Remi Sunshine, or sticking with specific name pairings you came up with before the dream, before this baby?
I would like to add a possibility that you have likely already considered, but that many women don’t DEEP-DOWN consider until much later when they wonder why they didn’t: it doesn’t have to be your husband’s family surname. It could be yours, if yours is nicer and/or works better. It’s not too late for this idea, even if you took your husband’s family surname when you married; that’s a decision that can be re-made at any time.
Because I had to look it up, I want to give some U.S. usage data about the names Remi and Sunshine. I think of Remi as a boy name (despite not knowing any children named Remi), but in the U.S. its usage is currently unisex leaning girl: 2,185 new baby girls and 312 new baby boys named Remi in 2020; the spelling Remy was used for 610 new baby girls and 865 new baby boys. (Did the dream specify the spelling? or is “Remi” your cousin’s interpretation of the spelling? or is it YOUR interpretation of the spelling?) The name Sunshine, which could theoretically be a neutral noun name, and certainly should be usable as a middle name for boys alongside a trend of giving baby girls middle names such as James, was used in 2020 for 71 new baby girls, and there is no recorded use of it for boys (though of course we don’t know about middle-name usage). For better or worse (it’s worse), we as a culture think light pretty names are great for girls but not for boys. Still, I would feel comfortable using it as a second middle name for a boy, especially with the story to explain it. If he feels the negative pressure our culture asserts on topics such as this, then on the rare occasions when “What’s your middle name?” comes up, he can just say “Remi.” (But frankly, I would find it entirely charming to find out that a man’s second middle name was Sunshine, especially if he was kind of charmingly bashful about it, like he knew the information would surprise and delight.)
FYI the name Remy was used for 865 boys and 0 girls last year. Soft yes, but would likely be presumed masculine.
Sunshine fails, for me, the test of whether or not I would want it to be my name. But Sol or Soleil etc work fine for me. Remy Sol is beautiful too.
Sorry, commenting in between kidterruptions—to clarify, Remi Sunshine Kormushoff I’d read as female, Remy Sol Kormushoff I’d read as male.
I do think integrating it with one of your other favorites (Louisa Remi Soleil Kormushoff, or August Remy Sol Kormushoff) would be lovely, but if this baby feels Named, that’s beautiful. Remy, Ophelia and August feel like siblings. So do Remi, Calvin, and Willa.
We had an uncertain, griefy period before our oldest arrived and it’s awful. I’m glad you had the idea of Remi Sunshine to hold on to.
I have different data on this: I’m using the SSA downloadable data file, and I’m seeing that in 2020 the spelling Remy was used for 610 new baby girls and 865 new baby boys in the U.S.
Awesome, thanks! I was on the website and may have misinterpreted.
I love this story! I would do Remi Sunshine for a girl and Remy Sunny or Remy Sol for a boy. Congratulations!
Aw Congratulations! I love your story so much. I agree with the others that a name of the heart does not have to be a name on paper largely because I would not want the name Sunshine for myself. I love it as a nickname. But if that’s the name for you, then go with it.
I would drop the Sunshine (sorry, it feels a little cartoonish to me) and use Remi as a first name.
Remi Hugh, Remi Luke, Remi Jude, Remi Vincent, Remi August, Remi Felix
Remi Louisa, Remi Genevieve, Remi Grace, Remi Claire, Remi Ophelia, Remi Violet
And you can use Remi Sunshine as a nickname!
I think you have to be careful about changing the name too much with honor names because you might not know how honored an older relative might feel with a variation on their name…but this is a different situation because the significance is very personal and what matters is whether you feel a connection. And maybe your cousin…who I suspect, being someone who dreams baby names, might be a little predisposed to feeling connections.
It seems like potentially that even though you love the sentiment of a dreamed of baby name, your actual taste is a little more towards classic names in the first spot. So I will say, first off, that Remy feels very classic to me for a boy, and similar to Roman which is already on your list. If you wanted something more familiar though, Jeremy or Jeremiah might work well.
For girls, there are shockingly few names with “rem” in them. But you might like Areminta? There’s also Jeremine, which is beautiful but too daring for me, but maybe not for you, especially if you think you might use Remi as a nickname most of the time.
I probably wouldn’t pair Sunshine with Marigold, but I think it makes a great middle with your other choices. On a boy, it might be a bit of a statement…but a good statement. If you wanted more subtle, Cyrus and Samson both have meanings connected to the sun. Or if you happen to have any Spanish speaking heritage, Heliodoro is an awesome name.
There are so many amazing suggestions here that I am not sure what I would do in your place. But I think I would be into names connected to the sun instead of actually using Sunshine. If you find that you are too, the name Heliodoro mentioned above has a slightly less daring Russian form, Liodor. It sounds incredibly on trend, what with the popularity of Leo and Theodore, and if it were in the middle, you wouldn’t have to worry too much about people thinking you invented it to be trendy. Roman Liodor called Remy?
Sunniva is a girl’s name that also means “gift of the sun” and could be paired with some of the other commenters’ suggestions for girl names that nickname to Remi. Romilly Sunniva called Remi? Rosemary Sunniva called Remi?
Oh, I love your boy name list! I had Calvin, Hugo, August and Remy (I agree that I would spell it this way for a boy) on my own list. My youngest would have been Hugo if she was a boy. Other names I like, in case they appeal: Maxwell, Felix, Otis, Toby, Rory.
I’m not good at first/middle combos, so I don’t have suggestions there.
Oh my gosh, this is such a sweet story! Congratulations on finally getting your baby!
I think that Remi/Remy Sunshine is a sweet name with a nice story for a boy or girl. Kerry Walsh-Jennings named her son Sundance (first name), which would be a cool and slightly more masculine middle for a boy.
If you like the idea of using Remi as a nickname:
For a girl, perhaps Rosemary or Rosemarie? Has the R + em + y so it feels natural to me. I also like Ramona, Romilly, and Rosamund for names with R + m. More of a stretch, but I could see Remi as a nickname for Gemma because of the “em” sound. Now I’m really doing the splits, but it could even work for Marigold or Mirabel because both have m + r. FWIW, I think Marigold Sunshine is the prettiest name I’ve ever heard. While it’s a bit fanciful, it is fanciful in the best way, and to me, it passes the “is this a name I’d want for myself?” test.
On the boys side, Roman called Remy feels extremely natural to me! Like, I wouldn’t bat an eye if I met a Roman on the playground whose mom called him Remy. It feels very much like the Older Sibling Couldn’t Say His Name nickname a lot of kids have. Doesn’t matter that he doesn’t have an older sibling since so many kids will have similar ones. Could also see it working for Redmond or Raymond, but neither of those seem your style.
And this is getting to be long, but if your preference is to use first/middle combos you already had in mind, Remi Sunshine makes a very cute nickname. You could sing the baby you are my sunshine as a lullaby to cement the nickname.
My favorites for you are Roman “Remy” Sunshine/Sundance and Marigold “Remi” Sunshine. Please let us know what you choose!
I say use Remi Sunshine Kormushoff exactly as it is for a boy or girl. I’m a teacher at a big school so I get a lot of name exposure and I know boys and girls named Remi/Remy, some as their full name and some as a nickname (Remington, Emily, etc). The name feels very gender neutral to me.
Sunshine is a fabulous middle name for a boy or a girl because it’s a lovely surprise during the few times that middle names are used or needed. At graduation this spring, I discovered that a student that I have known for years, and who has a very traditional first and last name) has “Peace” for a middle name and you could just see everyone sort of light up a bit when his name was read out loud.
I’m echoing a lot of what @Emmy said. I like the idea of a R first name that could maybe lead to Remi. Rosemary, Ramona, Romilly all strike me as fitting in with your name style. And Roman is perfect. If you pair it with an S name that fits your style (Ramona Sadie or Roman Sawyer) then call them Remi Sunshine as your special nickname! RS formal and RS informal.
But. I did want to say that this child will always be your Remi Sunshine, no matter their name on paper. So don’t feel restricted by incorporating Remi or Sunshine. You can always call them that and tell them that story. When we finally had our sticky baby there was so much pressure to choose a perfect name because what if she was our only, and I love names. Use all the names.
CONGRATULATIONS!! And good luck with naming your Remi Sunshine.
I just love this story. But i wouldn’t use Remi Sunshine as is. I’d use just Sunny for a girl (maybe Sunny Mirabel) or Sunshine as a middle (like Ophelia Sunshine). I’d use Remy for a boy middle. I like August Remy.
I know of both boys and girls named Remy/Remi as well as Sonny/Sunny so those could work for either gender. However, while Remy seems to fit in with your boy style, it doesn’t fit with your girl style. So if you’re set on using Remi Sunshine as is, Sunny is an option for her call name. Otherwise, I would echo some suggestions already made. I would use Remy Sunshine/Sol/Sundance for a boy. I would suggest using Remi Sunshine as a double middle if you have a girl. Unless you choose to go with Gemma. In that case, I would suggest going with just Sunshine in the middle.
If it were me, I would choose an entirely new name and have Remi Sunshine as one of many at home nicknames.
Calvin Hugo called Cal, Vinny, Huey, Hugo, Remi Sunshine, Remi, Sonny, Buddy, Bug etc
Louisa Marigold called Lou, Lulu, Weezy, Lucy, Goldie, Mare Bear, Remi Sunshine, Remi, Sunny, etc
Oh my gosh! Can I just say that not everyone has such an amazing naming story as this could be?
My suggestion is: go with Remi Sunshine (girl) or Remy Sunshine (boy).
If you are hesitate that “Remi/Remy” feels too nickname-y, then find a longer full name that can be shortened into Remi/Remy.
Our youngest is Jeremy on his birth certificate but we call him Remy 100% of the time. He is two now and that is the only name he currently knows. Remy is a fantastic name in and of itself, but if you want to include a more formal naming option for your child when s/he grows, then here are a few names that can be shortened to Remi/Remy:
Boys:
Remus
Remington
Jeremy
Jeremiah
Efrem
Girls:
Carem
Jeremia
Laremy
Remedy
Remington
If none of that suits you, then I stand behind Swistle’s suggestion of making Remi Sunshine (girl) or Remy Sunshine (boy) a double middle name. I have a double middle (Jean-Marie) and love it! It has never once given me any trouble. As Swistle says, most of the time it is on birth certificates and some formal documents but most daily things just require First and Last.
And Sunshine is a great middle name for a girl OR a boy. It can easily be nicknamed itself down to Sunny or Sonny.
I just love your naming story behind Remi/y Sunshine, and I feel it would make any child proud to carry such a name. It is a little unique but not unreasonably so.
I know women named Sunshine and Remy, both love their names. I’ve also met two boys named Remy through my children. I’ve heard Remi as short for Remington as well for a baby girl. I think it’s an adorable name & would go for it. Even as two middle names it is adorable. Good luck!
I love this story! I noticed that your preferred names are all very traditional.
Remi (with an i) reads trendy and feminine to me, while Remy (with a Y) reads traditional and masculine. I personally prefer it in the masculine form. I’m not sure I’d use it for a girl; it would sound too trendy to me as a girl’s name.
I knew a girl named Sunshine in high school, and no one ever used the nickname Sunny. People shortened it to Sun sometimes, but not regularly. As a result, Sunny (or Sonny) sounds distinctly masculine to me.
If it were me, I’d use Remy for a boy and Sunshine for a girl. I’d pair these with a more traditional name, which is more in line with your usual taste. You seem to really like G names, and I agree that they look and sound good with your surname. My personal favorites from your list:
Remy Louis Kormushoff
August (Gus) Remy Kormushoff
Sunshine Gemma Kormushoff
Genevieve Sunshine Kormushoff
I’d also suggest:
Gordon (Gordo) Remy Kormushoff
Remy Gilbert Kormushoff
Gwyneth Sunshine Kormushoff
Sunshine Greta Kormushoff
Congratulations!
In my very extended family there is a man named Forest Sunshine. He was born in the late 60s so probably a hippie/flower child name. I have no idea how he feels about it but I have always been utterly charmed by it. Use the name! Tell the story – it’s a lovely one, and enjoy every minute.
I support Remi/Remy as the baby name, with any assorted middle, and then Sunshine is sort of like the soul name-the unspoken name. I see a yellow room, a strong bright tone to the name, greeting your little one with “good morning sunshine,” etc. It doesn’t have to be a Name on a Form to be a Name of the Heart.
I adore the idea of keeping your beloved Remi Sunshine for a boy or girl, and would suggest (in case it doesn’t ring the same bells of joy for a boy) using Sonny Remington for a boy. You could still call him your Remi Sunshine as a sweet nickname, and I’m partial to the name Sonny of course since it’s my biggest kid’s name :)
Congrats on this long awaited babe. Enjoy the rest!
Hi, I just wanted to comment that sometimes what you refer to the baby in utero doesn’t end up becoming their name, though might be a little nickname for them.
For example, we referred to my first daughter as “Dot” while she was in utero because she started out no bigger than a dot. However, her real name has nothing to do with Dot, Dorothy, or any similar name.
For our second daughter, my best friend said “I really feel like Emma or Gemma is her name” while I was pregnant. Though we did consider both Emma and Gemma, that didn’t end up being the name we chose.
So, even though your relative dreamed up a certain name, or you’re using a certain name in utero, that doesn’t necessarily have bearing on what their name will be when they are born.
I also wanted to add that Beyonce has an alter ego “Sasha Fierce” and it could be that your baby gets a name and “Remi Sunshine” becomes their alter-ego or superhero type of name.
Alternatively, you could totally end up using Remi Sunshine as the real name, and I don’t think anyone would bat an eye thinking it was odd. Both Remi and Sunshine are valid names.
From your lists, I love Mirabel for a girl (because it sounds like miracle, and all babies are miracles, specially ones who took a long time and effort conceiving). The nickname Miri is super cute!
For a boy, I gravitate toward August “Gus” from your list. I think it sounds nice with your last name, and the nickname Gus is cute for any age (I can picture a baby Gus and an old man Gus, as well as a middle-aged Gus!)
August Remy (or Remington) is a great combo. Probably wouldn’t go for August Sunshine since that just sounds descriptive, the sunshine in August.
Mirabel Remy (or Sunshine) also sounds great!
I actually know a man named Sunshine and it was odd the first time I met him but I very quickly got used to it and it suits him! He goes by Sunny. It’s not even his birth name, just a nickname that has now become his default name in pretty much all areas of life. It might be less jarring where I live (in the UK) because we are very used to nickname names for boys (Freddie, Alfie, Charlie, etc) so Sunny doesn’t feel particularly feminine. Also i know several little boys called Sonny so the sound feels masculine to me. Not necessarily saying that you should use Sunshine as a first name but just to point out that it doesn’t have to be exclusively for a girl if you want to keep it! I think Hugo Sunshine is great although I would also love it if you kept the whole name as Remy Sunshine
How cool!
I think I’d be inclined to incorporate Remi/Remy as a middle name, and use Remi Sunshine as a special family nickname. Like:
Roman Remy K.
Louisa Remi K.
Calvin Remy K.
Ophelia Remi K.
I admit that I personally would very much dislike having Sunshine as a middle name, which is definitely colouring my response here, but I love all of your first name options and I think they all work really well with Remi/Remy!
I honestly wouldn’t bat an eyelid at a boy or girl Remi (or Remy). I think of the male French name first but it reminds me a lot of Romy so it doesn’t feel like a leap at all for it to be a girl name. As for Sunshine – I grew up in a pretty hippy area. If I met someone with the middle name Sunshine and the beautiful story you’ve described as a kid, I wouldn’t have been surprised or found it feminine on a boy – and that was 20+ years ago when naming was much more conventional. I think it all comes down to whether you’re comfortable a) with less traditional names and b) letting go of your previous choices, but I think Remi Sunshine is a lovely name for either gender with an incredible amount of significance to you. And as Swistle said, very few people mention their middle names in daily life.
But if you can’t quite let go of your other choices, I love August – Remi August? And Willa. Willa Remy Sunshine as a double middle? Willa Sunshine? Or Rosemary Sunshine nn Remi?
I also think Sunshine is lovely for both genders in the middle name spot. I did want to say that by itself I would hesitate to use it with some of your names. For girls I would not use sunshine with Ophelia (she is such a gloomy character.) Marigold Sunshine seems like a paint color. Willa Sunshine sounds a little like a punchline because Willa can sound like will the Sunshine?
For the boys August Sunshine sounds like a hot summer day and Roman Sunshine sounds like a travel brochure.
Remi Sunshine is a lovely name or middle name. Congratulations on your little baby miracle
I am so glad you are having a happy ending after so much heartache.
I had a dream after two losses that I had a son named Dacian. I grabbed onto that and thought often about that child. Ultimately, I didn’t use that name (it isn’t my style) and I haven’t regretted the decision. If anything it is too tied to a hard time now to think about (I feel a knot in my stomach writing this). Occasionally we remind him he could have had a different name and we laugh because it seems strange now.
My other son has a name with a common feminine form that I LOVE. I occasionally use that form as a nickname (think something like Josie for Joseph). As he’s grown I use it less and now only as an affectionate form like when he’s sick and I’m stroking his hair. I think Sunshine could be used like that – as a pet name between the two of you. It doesn’t have to be a legal name. My son wouldn’t like to be called ‘Josie’ but he doesn’t mind from his Mum (when he’s in the right mood).
Another story that may or may not be relevant… :)
I read a story once about a man who’s father died in WWII before he was born. Before he died he had sent home the sheet music to ‘you are my sunshine’ so his widow named the baby Raymond and called him her Ray of sunshine. I always thought that was beautiful. Your story made me think of that. Remy called Ray (of sunshine).
I love Remi/Remy Sunshine in full and would go for that as a first name/middle name combo or a double-barrel middle name. It’s such a sparkly and happy name. So, for me, I’d vote #1 or #2, depending on if you want to have a different first name for your baby besides “Remi/Remy.” From your list, I love Hugh, Louis, Louisa.
I think of Remy as a boy name (I know two adult men named Remy, one older teen, and two younger boys, it must be more regionally popular in my pocket of the world than on a whole).
I think of Remi, with an “i”, as a girl name, that is because in the US names ending in “i” tend to be girl names, or signify the girl spelling of a gender neutral name.
I think the way I would PERSONALLY handle it is to give the middle name Remy if a boy, and either the middle name Remi or the middle name Sunshine for a girl.
From your boy list the only one I don’t think sounds nice with Remi/y is “Roman Remi/y”; too much “r”. The other ones are all nice! Calvin Remi/y! August Remi/y!
I think every girl name on your list is very charming with Sunshine, and I think you could use Remi instead if you prefer. But Marigold Sunshine is very pleasing, for instance.
Oh another though if this doesn’t feel like too much of a departure from the honor, is I do know several boys/men (the oldest being my age and the youngest being a preschool at my son’s school) named Sunny. It is not, to my knowledge, short for sunshine, but it COULD be short for sunshine.
As data points for why does Jenny know so many people named Sunny and Remy, I live in a hippie place with lots of nature names as very popular, and I love names so I always key in on and notice them :-)
I know a girl in her late twenties known as Remy (her parents couldn’t explain why, they just loved that name. It’s not short for anything.) She’s been a friend of my cousin for years. There is also a popular youtuber who named his daughter Remi. I think if you choose that name, it will work well for either sex. I think it is a perfect nickname and in utero baby name. However, if your taste runs to another style or if you just want to use a different name. Remi Sunshine is a lovely standalone nn.
The dream and name have given you so much hope, but you also have lists of names that you truly love and have for years. I have only one daughter and used an honor name for her first name. I wonder sometimes, if I had realized that she would be my only daughter, if I would’ve used a name I loved for it’s own sake in the first name spot and used the honor name in the middle? I truly love the honor name too, and it’s definitely “hers.” But I also miss the fact that I never got to creatively come up with an original first name a little bit too. Just to say…if you want to use a name you’ve loved for years and years in the first name spot, you should. I would use Remi Sunshine as the middle. I love a double-barrel middle name.
My favorite combinations are:
Louis Remy Sunshine (if pronounced Lewis instead of Loo-ey only because Loo-ey Remy is a lot of two-syllables ends in “y” sound).
August Remy Sunshine
For the girl names, I think all of the three-syllable names sound especially rhythmic (and i like all of them!) and it makes me think perhaps a boy name with three-syllables would flow better to you as well? Like:
Theodore Remy Sunshine
Sebastian Remy Sunshine
Phineas Remy Sunshine
Harrison Remy Sunshine
(etc, but you get the idea).
Anyway I am so happy for you! Congratulations and can’t wait to hear an update.
I think Remi would be a name I’d enjoy very much. Sunshine would be harder to live with. I think the story of the name, which is so hopeful and inspiring, will always be with you, even if you don’t use the whole thing. As you meet Remi and get to know her or him as a person, the exact honorific will become less important. But what a beautiful story of endurance and love!
I love several options which is absolutely no help whatsoever.
1. Name him/her Remi Sunshine!!!!
2. The boy name August Sunshine caught my breath. <3
3. Othername Remi Sunshine Lastname
I personally believe you already have first name – Remi is perfect and looking for another in my opinion is a waste of time.
Sunshine on the other hand might be a bit much particularly if you are planning future babies who won’t have similarly out there middle names. So I’d probably go with an S name
For a girl I think Sunniva , Sophia , Sabrina or Selene would be perfect. For a boy Sullivan , Sutton , Silas , Simon & Sid.
I’m a bit late to reply here but I never thought I would have my Sylvia Summer (who I had named for years, another “dream baby”) and when she finally arrived I really thought about other options but in the end I kept her name as I had imagined it, and I’m glad I did. Congratulations!!!
It’s also valid to give your child a name that you have loved for its own sake for years, and nickname them Sun/Sunny/Sunshine, and to use a sun as their little symbol, and pick out clothes with sun patterns and give them cool stuff with suns on it, and so on.
But _I_ happen to like Remy as a man’s name, so Remy Sunshine Kor_____ff is a really rad name. It also has a nice simple given and middle for a more complex surname.
For a girl’s name, I feel this ranges farther than what your general taste is. If you’re planning for another child, then perhaps picking a girl’s name that nicknames to Remi (someone suggested Rosemary which is *darling*, Rosemary Sunshine Kor______ff!) but also, I think Marigold is the best one from your list to be evocative of sunshine.