Aren't names interesting? I mean, think about it. Our parents decide on a name they like and they think will fit us and the family we are born into, and we are (usually) called it for the rest of our lives. Sort of crazy, right? And then, if and when we become parents ourselves, we are given the same responsibility. So... how do you choose? I would love to hear how you've chosen names for your kids: have you gone the route of passing down meaningful family names? Did you use a traditional baby name book/website? Did you use the name you always thought you would, or change it at the last minute?
I was supposed to be Carolyn or Kimberly, but when I was born my parents looked at me and pivoted. And, of course, now I can't picture being called anything but my name.
I often get questions about my own kids' names. They're on the more unusual side, though not unheard of -- and actually, Hadley's name is becoming a bit more popular I think.
Here are the stories: neither are family names, just names we liked and "felt right." We literally flipped through a baby name book at Barnes & Noble when I was pregnant with Carrington and when I spotted her name and suggested it to Steve, we both liked it right away and that was it from then on. The only other one we had considered before finding her name was Eva. I love that it's different without being hard to pronounce, and that she has a nickname she can choose to use. We probably call her Carrington and Carrie equally as often, and she'll answer to both without blinking. It just fits her! If she had been a boy, she would have been Owen Xavier.
As for Hadley, I had heard her name in the time since having Carrington and loved it. When we found out she was a girl, it popped into my mind right away. The only other name we considered for her was Arden. Here's how we decided which was meant to be: we had Carrington say each. When she said "Hadley" she pronounced it "Haddie" (which is still her nickname!), and we just knew that was the one. If she had been a boy, she would have been Maxwell Dean.
By the time you have the third baby of the same gender, it gets a bit tough to choose a name! By that time, you've already chosen four names you love: two first names and two middle names. When we found out this sweet baby was a girl, it took some brainstorming and searching to find her name (which we are keeping a surprise until she's born). Steve and I both have pretty strong opinions on names and would shoot down each other's suggestions. We did both like Alexandria, with a nickname of Andi, and thought that would be the one. But the more we considered it, the more it just didn't feel like her. It's funny how you can just get a feeling either way about someone you haven't even met. Her name was one that wasn't even on our radar, and yet once we said it out loud, that was it!
Some of my favorite names, besides my own kids' names, are:
Girls
Gillian
Collins
Alexandria
Lyla
Estella
Reese
Georgia
Paige
Boys
Maxwell (Max)
William (Will)
Sullivan
Dean
Dawson
Dalton
Your turn! What are your kids' names and/or some of your favorite names? I'd love to hear!
