My Naming Rules List

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So, just for fun. Here's my list. I left off the #1 choice. Out of superstition or fear or anxiety. I don't know. But if you're curious about the names I'm liking . . .

(#1 kept secret)

Rosalind

Vivian

Lenore

Lillian

Daphne

Phoebe

Veronica

Nora

Nina

Linnea

Leona

Fiona

Lilith (love it but won't work with last name)

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So, we're pretty close to deciding on a name, BUUUUT . . . I'm curious what ideas other people have, and I want to think about EVERY POSSIBLE NAME before pinning this down.

First, the baby's a girl. 

We like names that are traditional (some would say old fashioned) and spelled traditionally . . . because . . . no need for confusion.

This doesn't mean common. Everett's traditional/old fashioned, but it's in the 300s in popularity.

We like elegant names not cute names because we're both tall, thin, people with dark hair. Brian's half Mexican, I tan easily, and we both have big noses. We don't think our kids could pull off cute, especially as adults! 

I prefer female names that were not made from male names. Some names were made by taking a male name and making it more feminine by adding an "A" or something. like Victoria, Josephine, Alberta, Leona, Georgia, Phillipa, etc. 

Nothing too biblical/saintly. Bible names/saints are fine as long as it's not the #1 association for most people.

No repeating of first letters. No B (like Brian), C (like Christina), or E (like Everett). The E's very important, because I use the initial E all the time to text/write about him without spelling out the whole name.

No names ending in "ett" or "ette," since . . . Everett. While we're at it, no names that sound like Brian or Christina.

The name needs to sound good with our last name. No to Cecilia (same first sound). No Lilith (the "th" with with the "cis" is a mouthful).

I'm picky about how possible nick names/short versions sound. But it would be too complicated to explain why I like certain nick names and not others. 

Nothing too hispanic/latin sounding. Since our last name is hispanic, and our kids are only 1/4 Mexican . . . it just wouldn't work for us. Everett's name is English. We'd love to hear options that represent other parts of our heritage: German, Scottish/Irish, Swiss . . .

No names off the 50 most popular list.

No names that have been used by friends/family members.

No names OF close friends/family members. No Rachel, Henry, Katie (Katherine), etc.

We like using family names as the middle. 

I'll give you an example of a name that got me really excited. I was looking for names with a feminist twist, and I came across the name "Lilith." Apparently, in Jewish folklore, Lilith was Adam's first wife. She was made of the same earth as him, and because of this, when he wanted her to be submissive, she refused. She was cast out of Paradise, and her offspring with Adam became the first demons. Because of this story, Lilith is considered the first feminist. There's a Jewish Feminist Magazine called Lilith. And the Lilith Fair was named for her (I believe). Lilith is also often used as a name for demons and vampires on TV, which is kind of fun, since we like a lot of shows/movies in that genre. 

BUT, Lilith sounds AWFUL with our last name. It's a mouthful, and just doesn't "flow."

I know our daughter can be strong and awesome with any name, but I just got a kick out of the story. 

And I would appreciate hearing names with similar histories. Or just names from mythology or literature where the woman is strong/courageous/smart and not victimized/raped or a murderer. 

Thanks! If you're as much into naming as I am, you'll love this post, so I won't apologize about its length. (;