Names, names, names

We put a lot of thought into choosing a name for Evelyn. There are plenty of lovely names out there in the world and we sifted through until we found the right fit. In our search for the right name, I realized that it was much easier to rule out groups of names than to say definitively what it was I actually liked. I prefer names that are either clearly feminine or masculine rather than androgynous ones. I wanted to stay away from names of my own generation-- it is way too soon for the names to have become a classic and they are too old to sound fresh. I don't care for names that are riding high on the waves of current trends. I didn't want a name with a negative meaning behind it. (It will only require minimal digging to unearth the popular name that means "bitter")

What do I like? Names that are pleasing to the ear. This may sound odd, but hear me out. Some names come tripping off of the tongue while others are just naturally easier to pronounce. A case in point: Gertrude (no offense to my late Great Grandmother). I like traditional spellings-- no need for a superfluous "e" or "y," especially when it will only give your child the lifelong "gift" of spelling out his or her name every time someone needs identification information (read: regularly!). In the end, I like the name Evelyn and I like the name we chose for her middle name (a family name). We made a decision that worked for us and we are happy with it. Now that we are choosing a sibling name for Evelyn, though, it seems that our work is a bit harder. We need a name that fits our criteria (a classic name, fairly traditional but not trendy or overly-popular, non-androgynous-- for lack of better term) and that relates well to the name Evelyn. Because honestly, I just don't understand why parents sometimes give one child an Italian name, another child, a name they've invented, and another a traditional English name. I like a sense of cohesion.

There is a nifty website that suggests sibling names, but I'm not sold on the sister suggestions for Evelyn. If we have a son, I think we'll have an easier time because we do have a short list of favorites (kept under lock and key! We're not sharing any names until Baby is born. . . there are too many strong opinions flying around and I really don't need to know that you once dated someone with the name we love and, wow, was that person a dud). The real reason it is so hard to think of a girl's name, I think, is that we already encountered plenty of names we liked but inevitably crossed them off the list and went with the name Evelyn. And if this baby is a girl, she deserves more than a scrap-pile name. One of the best pieces of naming-advice I've received is to shout a name out the back door, as though you're calling your child in for dinner. I also think it helps to write it down, whisper it, and imagine meeting a successful entrepreneur with that name; does the name work?