6.07.2007

Baby Names

So the baby name panic button kicked in yesterday. As a writer, it's my job to come up with a clever name for my child. You would think I would be good at this, but given the debacle with my first child's name, I'm gun-shy. (It turned out OK, but the fact that we announced her name as one thing, and then caved to the groans and changed it to a name that's more common (albiet, beautiful) still smarts.)

(Our first-born's name is Ava Isabel Frost. A nice name that rolls of the tongue, but there's about a million Ava's in Portland these days... Our original name was going to be Wilhelmina Marmalade Frost--it's tough to tell whether Ava would have pulled it off, or hated us forever for that one, but it was certainly more bold.)

There is the added stress of us choosing not to find out whether it's a boy or a girl, so I have to come up with TWO good names.

Adding to the grief, I discovered a website that has a forum in which some so-called baby experts will review your name. So, of course, I listed my names there. The first woman shot them all down. (Although, I took some comfort in reading her profile. She's in her late forties, and her sons are named the rather generic Michael, Patrick and Robert)

Anyway, here are some of the names we are thinking about. Feel free to leave a comment with your suggestions. I'm a glutton for punishment...

GIRL NAMES:

Beatrix Riona (nickname Bee)
Marguerite ______ (nickname Maisie)
Zia or Zaida ______ (middle name?)
Astrid _______ (middle name?)

BOY NAMES:

Ezra Rainier
Atticus ______
Jasper Rainier

5 Comments:

Blogger David Rochester said...

I vote for Zia, or Beatrix but without "Bee" as a nickname . . .it's so . . .buzzy.

07 June, 2007 17:49  
Blogger David Rochester said...

And on second thought, why not "Rainier" as a first name if it's a boy? "Rainier Frost" has quite the ring to it.

08 June, 2007 11:54  
Blogger Vixie said...

I love Beatrix for a girl. I have a crusty older German man named Rainer for a neighbor so that has a different association for me, but a very cool name none the less. A similar name (and Andrea knows him, I think) is Rane...who is the outstanding 18 year old son of a *different* Andrea. Best wishes and love!
V

09 June, 2007 14:59  
Blogger Jen said...

I love the name Ezra, and I am seriously considering it if we have a son (that's how I found this site - searching for info on Ezra's). But it's hard to find a good middle name to go with Ezra. Rainier is just a little rough in how it flows off the tongue when coupled with Ezra.

17 July, 2007 14:26  
Blogger bigdumbjim said...

I know what you mean. Ezra Frost just didn't sound right, with the double "r." We ended up choosing Atticus as his name. I like how it's both suitable for an athletic child or a more intellectual one. It also fits the trend of Biblical-sounding names without actually being a Biblical reference, which is something I liked.

Anyway, good luck on your name search!

17 July, 2007 14:57  

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