https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 17 May 2026 21:31:50 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1883888 Wed, 01 Oct 2014 08:18:11 +0000 Mamaof2 1883888@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My DD's middle name is my grandma's name - I would never have chosen that on my own but I love that it honors my grandma :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1883880 Wed, 01 Oct 2014 08:14:26 +0000 LuLu Mom 1883880@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It's not that I don't love LO's middle name but it wouldn't have been my first choice. I used it because it honored several people on my mother's side of the family (it was my great grandma's last name/grandma's maiden name) and the tradition has been to use it for the first girl born. I can't imagine her with any other middle name. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1883857 Wed, 01 Oct 2014 08:03:11 +0000 loki 1883857@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Jone0603: ya people do say you might change your mind when you see the babe! trying not to get too attached to any one name and instead just have a top three or something. it's so precious you're using a nickname of a family name for your daughter... so it's unique but still ties into the history. i love that! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1883403 Tue, 30 Sep 2014 19:46:28 +0000 Jone0603 1883403@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@loki I get liking traditional names. We were lucky that the name we wanted for our daughter is a nickname for a family name (great grandma, grandma, and cousin). None of them use our particular nickname so it works. Her middle name is also a family name (aunt and great grandma) on the other side. </p> <p>We had another name picked out too (not family at all), but at her birth I just knew...even though the non family name was our pick for the past 7 years. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1882171 Tue, 30 Sep 2014 07:40:39 +0000 loki 1882171@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Jone0603: i did the same thing but my taste is soooo traditional that i found it hard to like any of the other variants/options. </p> <p>@catlady: i think if it flowed well it would be easier for me to use it. our #1 name right now is Rose. Rose Dawn just doesn't flow nicely, in my opinion. so sorry about your loss :heart: i think it's beautiful your daughter has your mom's name!</p> <p>@Mamasig: she didn't really have a nickname. my dad always calls her dawnie but that doesn't really make me like it more! haha. </p> <p>@Ginabean3: i considered that and even looked up other names that mean glory... it's just totally not my taste. i think that's my struggle, overcoming my taste for the meaning. i know the meaning is way more important and my taste could change in the long run! but right now i'm conflicted.</p> <p>thank you so much all for your input. i need to think about this much more... who knows, maybe we'll have a boy and i won't have to worry about it. part of me thinks i should go with my gut and instead, honour my mom by using Elizabeth. If we ever do have a boy, his middle name will be my maiden name, which was also my aunt's... so in that way i'd be honouring her. i appreciate you all weighing in though. we've got about 6 months to figure it out :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1882084 Mon, 29 Sep 2014 22:43:38 +0000 candymum 1882084@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I really like Dawn ! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1882072 Mon, 29 Sep 2014 22:08:09 +0000 Jone0603 1882072@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What about other names that mean dawn or sunrise. I googled "names like dawn" and found a bunch of cute ideas. Oriana, for example, means sunrise. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1882068 Mon, 29 Sep 2014 22:00:13 +0000 shopaholic 1882068@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mamimami: My immediate first thought as well! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1882067 Mon, 29 Sep 2014 21:56:36 +0000 Mamasig 1882067@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Did she have a nickname that she used that you like?</p> <p>With DS2, we named him Leonardo after my grandfather. I love the name in Spanish but not as much in English. However, I liked the nickname Leo so that's what we use in English. </p> <p>We don't have a girl but we always knew her middle name would be my MIL's nickname as a young girl. I'm not a fan of her real name but do like the nickname. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1882029 Mon, 29 Sep 2014 20:48:02 +0000 catlady 1882029@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My mom passed away a few years ago and there was no question that I'd use her name as a middle if we had a girl. I never liked her name, and I don't even know if she did! But now that LO has her name as a middle, I really love it. So you might surprise yourself. I think it helps that we chose a first name that we love and that flows really well with the middle and our last name. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1881977 Mon, 29 Sep 2014 19:35:51 +0000 sapphire 1881977@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My grandma hated her name and refused to let anyone reuse it because of that :) if I didn't like the name, i wouldn't use it!<br /> Lots of other ways to honor family. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1881878 Mon, 29 Sep 2014 17:20:02 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 1881878@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Does she have any other names you can use? Like a middle or maiden name that's more pleasing to you? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1881845 Mon, 29 Sep 2014 16:28:45 +0000 artsyfartsy 1881845@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm honestly not a huge fan of T's middle name. It's my dads middle name and the name my dad goes by. I wouldn't want to name him just this name because it's older and not my style. But the fact that he shares the name with my dad and it flows well with his name makes me love it. If that makes sense? Lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1881753 Mon, 29 Sep 2014 15:25:19 +0000 Astro Bee 1881753@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH's grandma is the only family member that calls him Pete, and if we have a boy the most amount of pressure to call him Peter will come from her. I do like her, but it's OUR baby. It's ridiculous that someone's choices 6 generations back, who I never even heard of 8 yrs ago, are affecting my decisions today! Crazy pregnant lady rant!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1881742 Mon, 29 Sep 2014 15:19:59 +0000 Astro Bee 1881742@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My husband is the 6th Peter &lt;last name&gt; in his family, so it's definitely a family name! Problem is I've always disliked the name. And can't see me calling my kid that. My husband uses it only professionally, but among friends and family goes by Zeph, the nickname his hippie parents have him (it's short for Zephyr, meaning west wind, but is also the monkey fr Babar). </p> <p>I guess I could see doing that, but it makes for awkward conversations, when two circles interact. I initially met him as Pete. I do know a lot of people, especially french, that use their middle names. I would consider Peter Michael, and callinf him Mike, if I had a boy. Michael is a family name on both sides (both our dads' middle names, and goes back 100+ years). </p> <p>Maybe something similar (either the middle name or unique nickname) would work for you? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1881740 Mon, 29 Sep 2014 15:19:53 +0000 galore5 1881740@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i struggled with this a lot with naming both of my kids. we used middle names to honor family members, but i got really hung up on finding a "perfect" name that flowed well. with my son, we ended up changing "arnold" to andrew (as a middle name) to honor a grandparent with the first initial, but not use the name (which i really hated). i now kind of wish we had just used the name.... andrew as a name has no meaning for us! with my daughter, i went with the name that didn't "flow" well, but honored my mother and i am SO glad we did. her name is unique and important to us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1881730 Mon, 29 Sep 2014 15:12:41 +0000 Ginabean3 1881730@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What about Glory? I feel like it would sound good with a one syllable first name......and it would be a nod to Gloria? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1881710 Mon, 29 Sep 2014 15:03:07 +0000 loki 1881710@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs. wagon: her last name is.... very masculine. and i strongly dislike her husband... i feel like it would be honouring him more than anything which i do notttttt want to do. especially because everyone in my family refers to him by his last name! ah. dawn is actually her middle name, her first name is gloria but she's always gone by dawn. we MAY consider gloria but i just think there's other names that would be so much nicer. Elizabeth is a big family name so we might just go with that.</p> <p>eta: her maiden name is my maiden name and we will use it for a boy if we have one! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1881705 Mon, 29 Sep 2014 15:00:43 +0000 mrs. wagon 1881705@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@loki: what about using her last name or her maiden name? I love the thought!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1881638 Mon, 29 Sep 2014 14:28:25 +0000 loki 1881638@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs.Pinecone316: really good point! it would be weird to know my mom didn't like my name so why would i do that to a LO?! i think that's probably the way i'll lean... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1881602 Mon, 29 Sep 2014 14:06:06 +0000 Mrs.Pinecone316 1881602@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think I just wouldn't use it. There are lots of family members I love and would like to honor but there are no names I like either. If I grew up with a name I didn't care for, and that my mother didn't even like I don't think I would be very happy. lol. Maybe just use the inital D? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1881330 Mon, 29 Sep 2014 11:56:03 +0000 Bluemasonjar 1881330@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I really want to honor my great aunt but her name is Patricia and I am just not a fan of that name or any variation. But her middle name is May which is the same as DH's grandmother so we have settled on using it as a middle name if we have a girl. There are a lot of ways to honor your family members. I think some of the suggestions here are great alternatives! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1881321 Mon, 29 Sep 2014 11:52:35 +0000 Pirouette 1881321@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>we used my grandma's initial for her middle name because i hated the name - i dont feel it honors her any less! we also couldn't agree on a name with that initial because we just generally hated all the names with that initial and we literally waited until we were about to leave the hospital to turn in her birth certificate! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1881307 Mon, 29 Sep 2014 11:48:33 +0000 Anya 1881307@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would either use a name with the same first letter, or look into name meanings and choose something with a meaning that represents a quality you loved about your aunt </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1881291 Mon, 29 Sep 2014 11:40:25 +0000 loki 1881291@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@TemperanceBrennan: @pinkb: i'm totally with you, i love the idea of passing on a name of someone so special. i'm so so heartbroken my aunt couldn't be here to meet my little one and i think it would mean a lot to my dad (her brother) too. I really wish it was beautiful in Welsh... But it's Gwawr, which is decidedly worse than Dawn. haha. The first names we love are also all one syllable names and it just doesn't seem to flow nicely so i'm struggling.</p> <p>My mom's name is Elizabeth and I feel we will probably end up using that... which is equally special I guess!</p> <p>i love hearing other's perspectives though. i'll probably keep struggling with this until the day the little one is born. Maybe we'll find out it's a boy and it'll be a non issue! Then he'd get my maiden name which would be kinda like honouring my dad AND my aunt :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1881269 Mon, 29 Sep 2014 11:27:47 +0000 pinkb 1881269@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I use to hate my own middle name, Patrice, but when I got older it felt very special to named after someone my mother looked up to and held in very high regard.<br /> We gave DD my grandmothers middle name that she went by, Eileen. I never really cared for the name but now I LOVE it. </p> <p>We find out in a couple days if LO #2 is a boy or girl. If it is a girl her middle name will be Mercedes. I hate the name, I hate that people automatically think of the car. But it was DH grandmothers name and she was his absolute favorite person. So I know I will love it if we use it.<br /> I just love the meaning/ feeling behind passing on family names. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1881241 Mon, 29 Sep 2014 11:18:56 +0000 TemperanceBrennan 1881241@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are going to use my grandmother's name (Dorothy) for a middle name for a girl. </p> <p>I don't love the name at all, but I love my grandma so much that I really want to honor her, and for us, using a variation/middle name/nickname doesn't feel the same. </p> <p>We will just let our lo know where her middle name comes from and how awesome her namesake was. Middle names are almost never used and I think I could get use some fun nicknames (Dot, Dottie) so I've completely come to terms with using a name I don't like. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1881207 Mon, 29 Sep 2014 11:05:51 +0000 loki 1881207@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Well Dawn actually is her middle name but she went by it all her life. Her first name was Gloria so I've considered that but don't particularly love it either. It would flow better with the first names we like. </p> <p>@babynumber1: glad i'm not the only one! i didn't want to offend anyone because i know it isn't a bad name, at all, it's just not my taste and has always bothered me haha.</p> <p>@kiddosc: I love Mae, wish we could use that ha!</p> <p>@mamimami: I actually do!!! I'll run it by DH... thanks! haha just asked him before submitting this post... it's actually the name of a nearby town so he was not having any of that!</p> <p>@hilsy85: good idea, i should look into D names! Or even G names for Gloria. Her mom's name (my nana) was Gwen (but a longer, welsh form) and we like that but more as a first name than middle name. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1881164 Mon, 29 Sep 2014 10:51:35 +0000 MaryM 1881164@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with considering middle names. My grandmother's name was Alverna. No one was going to use that name. But my sister did use her middle name for her daughter. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/incorporating-a-family-name-when-you-really-dont-like-the-name#post-1881148 Mon, 29 Sep 2014 10:41:23 +0000 kiddosc 1881148@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What was her middle name? Is that something you could use? If we have a girl, I'd like to honor my grandma, but her name was Doris and I don't like that name. Her middle name was Mae though, and I could use that :happy:<br /> Honoring someone with a name can be done however you want. Pick another D name, or use a nickname, or the name of the street she lived on. </p>