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Seriously. Our second baby is due in less than a month, and we’re stuck. Will you weigh in?
Alex and I used to watch movies at night. Now we stay up late discussing baby names. For girls, we’re all set: Jane. But for boys, it has been oddly tough…
Luckily, we’re not alone. Alex actually wrote an article called The New Baby Name Anxiety this past weekend about how a lot of people find it tricky. One set of parents even created complicated Excel spreadsheets!
My dad says we should wait to meet the baby, at which point the right name will become obvious. But the nurse leading our hospital tour told our group of prospective parents, “Babies look like…babies. Come to the hospital with your name ready.”
Julian was our top name for ages. But it’s getting popular—look at the spike!—and it was one of top 100 baby names of 2012. Plus, our close friends just named their sweet son Julian, and we wouldn’t want to step on any toes. So we’re back on the hunt.
Here are three tests we use: NameVoyager will tell you how popular any name has been since the 1880s, and whether it’s getting more or less popular. (Warning: The site is totally addictive.) We also do the blind-date test, where you imagine someone being asked in twenty years, “Hey, you want to meet my friend ____?” It’s a good way to gauge the first impression of the name. And we also think: How does the name sound with Toby?
At the end of the day, here are six names we’re still debating. What do you think?
* We like Sasha, which is a nickname for Alexander. But does that sound like a girl’s name? Would he be teased?
* We like Nicolas, but it’s my brother‘s name. Would that be confusing, day-to-day?
* We like Elias (and the cute nickname Eli), but then our kids would be “Tobias and Elias.” Too much?
* We like Porter, but then it might sound like he has three last names. (Porter Goddard-Williams)
* Alex likes Rhys, which is Welsh, but I think the tricky spelling combined with a hyphenated last name might be too much for a little guy.
* And, of course, we still love Julian. But is the popularity a deal killer?
(By the way, if you say we’re overthinking it, you’re probably right:)
I’m so curious: Which baby names are your favorites these days? Do you care if a name is popular? How do you brainstorm names? Have you known your names forever, or did it take you ages to pick, too? We’d LOVE to hear any advice! THANK YOU!!!!
P.S. The top 100 baby names of 2012. And would (or did) you change your last name after getting married?
(Adorable baby from J.Crew)
