https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 25 Jul 2026 01:51:50 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name/page/2#post-1324246 Tue, 07 Jan 2014 05:08:48 +0000 SugarplumsMom 1324246@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The name I fell in love with and hoped to name my daughter ended up being a family member's middle name. I did not want to make her a namesake. It's also a very common name around these parts and I do not like he way they pronounce it. The hassle behind it would have been too much, and so I said goodbye and chose a different name. I have absolutely no regrets! I'm actually very glad I let go because knowing what I know now, it really, really would have bothered me if I stuck with it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name/page/2#post-1324170 Tue, 07 Jan 2014 00:24:33 +0000 Arden 1324170@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd recommend tabling the discussion and not deciding anything until birth. My husband flat out vetoed my middle name choice, Wren, so we were planning on a totally different name. But then she was born, and DH said "She's totally a Wren." And he LOVES it now. </p> <p>So you never know. ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name/page/2#post-1324164 Tue, 07 Jan 2014 00:16:34 +0000 wonderstruck 1324164@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@avivoca: Yeah, that's true! When I was a kid I would scowl at and then correct anyone who shortened my name to Court, and that included family members! My mom never even had to say anything, I would just pipe up and say, "I don't know who you're talking to, because that's not my name." Sometime's my dad's family would try to argue, pointing out how it was my name just shortened, and I'd say, "Nope, my parent's did not name me Court, they named me Courtney and I like that name!" I think I was about 6 when I started correcting people like that, haha. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name/page/2#post-1320902 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 16:42:08 +0000 avivoca 1320902@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Sapphiresun: I know a Zachary that is extremely adamant about being called his full name (he's seven). So it may work out that your LO's may prefer to be called by the full name too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name/page/2#post-1320656 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 13:29:10 +0000 Tidybee 1320656@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@night cheese: I've always wanted a Henry and DH vetoed it. I was kind of glad when DD came out and she was a girl because I didn't LOVE our boy name. DH didn't love my #1 choice for girl so we compromised. I love my DD's name but we've already agreed that DD #2 (if ever!) will have my top choice name because I still long to have a daughter with that name. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name/page/2#post-1320363 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 07:42:13 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 1320363@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@night cheese: I know some very successful Simons, but Henry is a winner too in my book between the two. Your husband's famiky is already honored with the middle name, so I'd leave ithe discussion alone for a little while. And then reserve the right to change your mind later. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name/page/2#post-1320357 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 07:36:36 +0000 swedishfish 1320357@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@cascademom: @wonderstruck: Declan was my favorite boy name until my family ruined it. I'm over it now so it's back in the mix if we ever have a boy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name/page/2#post-1320303 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 02:56:37 +0000 lamariniere 1320303@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For my DS, I got both names that I wanted, but they were both DH's middle names, so he was fine with it. </p> <p>For DD, we just couldn't agree. DH suggested DD's name, but it wasn't his first choice as I didn't like his first choice. I do love our DD's name, it's just not what I originally wanted. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name#post-1320247 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 01:04:29 +0000 wonderstruck 1320247@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@cascademom: I LOVE the name Declan! My DH isn't into it either though :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name#post-1320230 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 00:26:16 +0000 jedeve 1320230@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What about Thomas Henry? I don't want to step in, but it seems since you were going to have a twin named Henry and lost that one in a way, it would be a way to honor that twin. </p> <p>I wanted Molly for a girl and we went with Mabel. But we had a boy so I don't know how I would've felt in the end! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name#post-1320228 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 00:21:58 +0000 NurseMommy 1320228@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had to work on my husband to warm him up to the name I loved for like five months. I was so convinced he wouldn't like it that I ordered a name decal with the other name before she was born. But when she got here, he agreed 100% with me that her name should be the one I loved. </p> <p>My parents tried to compromise... It didn't work so well, lol. They ended up changing my name, legally, when I was a month old. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name#post-1320218 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 00:05:36 +0000 sandy 1320218@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My husband and I had a #1 name when we were dating for our unborn daughter. It became super popular and we had friends that used the name. So we decided on a new #1 name that we just loved and everyone we shared with loved it so much...but it became so popular (#1 for several years when we were TTC)...so we came up with another name we both loved. And now that LO is here I can't imagine her with the other two names...her name fits her just perfectly :). It is gaining in popularity though...I guess I just like super common names </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name#post-1320183 Sat, 04 Jan 2014 23:25:25 +0000 lemondrop 1320183@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We each had our favorites and compromised on a name that we would both be happy with. It turns out that by the time we got to the 30 week 3D/4D ultrasound, the compromise name ended up fitting the little boy we saw on the screen even better than either of our first choices. I can't imagine him with any other name now! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name#post-1320171 Sat, 04 Jan 2014 22:59:35 +0000 .twist. 1320171@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>There weren't any boy names that DH and I could agree on. We didn't even have a top 5 list. The name we chose was one we hadn't even considered until we found out we were having a boy and we NEEDED to make a decision. I never did feel the love for a boy name like I did for our girl choice. However, now, I do love, love his name!</p> <p>Eta: Simon is my husbands name, he's a pretty cool dude :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name#post-1320167 Sat, 04 Jan 2014 22:51:49 +0000 lovehoneybee 1320167@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just posted this in another thread, but Evan wasn't even in my Top 5. It's a family name, and would have been used as a middle if not a first...that was super important to D. </p> <p>We decided that we both had full veto power over names, though. His favorite boy (and girl) names got nixed because I wasn't crazy about them, and vice versa. Evan was pretty much the only boy name that met all of our naming criteria AND that we could agree on, so we went with it, even though it wasn't a first choice (for a first name) for either of us. </p> <p>That said, admittedly it took a month or two but I LOVE his name now and couldn't imagine him being named anything else. He's totally an Evan. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name#post-1320157 Sat, 04 Jan 2014 22:41:20 +0000 cascademom 1320157@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO's name was a second choice. We had a list of names on my phone before I delivered. I really liked Declan and Liam, but DH didn't. I wanted to name him after my brother but he didn't look like it. It took awhile, but I love it for him. I can't see him as anything else. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name#post-1320093 Sat, 04 Jan 2014 22:06:44 +0000 MamaCate 1320093@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@night cheese: my LO has my "second choice" name. Now that she is 2, I can't imagine her with any other name. Here is what happened: I had a favorite name that I lived and DH hated. He then found a name he loved and I hated. Every time I tried suggesting a new option, he would just say "no, I like [his name] better. Eventually I developed a strong second choice and DH agreed it was his second favorite too. We finally decided on this mutual second choice name but it took a while!</p> <p>I know that many people told us to wait until the hospital but I know how stubborn we both are and knew that would not work for us. I could totally see the baby coming out and us both proclaiming that she looked like our preferred name! :happy: </p> <p>Good luck! Out of curiosity, if DH was willing to consider Henry for a twin, what is his objection now? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name#post-1320081 Sat, 04 Jan 2014 21:49:46 +0000 Sapphiresun 1320081@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@wonderstruck: Haha, she's 5 months, so not referring to herself as anything quite yet. But I definitely intend to teach her to introduce herself by her full name when she's old enough to speak. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name#post-1320057 Sat, 04 Jan 2014 21:31:43 +0000 wonderstruck 1320057@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@swedishfish: I agree!</p> <p>Zachary is actually my DH's and my agreed upon name that I don't really love for if we have another boy, haha.</p> <p>@Sapphiresun: How old is your daughter? If you and your DH always call her by the non-shortened version of her name and she refers to herself by that, other people shortening it may lessen in the future. That would annoy me too though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name#post-1320053 Sat, 04 Jan 2014 21:28:37 +0000 swedishfish 1320053@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Sapphiresun: I think you could definitely name a boy Zachary. My name and my sisters' names all end in the same sound and no one even notices. They comment on the common ethnicity of our names though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name#post-1320048 Sat, 04 Jan 2014 21:26:29 +0000 Mrs. Tiger 1320048@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@night cheese: Aww, Henry is DS2's middle name, I love it :) DS1's first name wasn't really my first choice, but we actually just never found a name we loved, so his name was in a group of "we'll think about it" names up until he was born. But as others have said, once they're here you'll know what to do :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name#post-1320045 Sat, 04 Jan 2014 21:23:34 +0000 spaniellove 1320045@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Was Simon a name that you suggested or your husband suggested? I was wondering because Penelope and Henry seem to have a similar style but Simon doesn't seem to "match". Do you think you might be happy if you could find another name more like Henry? </p> <p>LO is not here yet but Penelope was our girl name and Henry was a top choice so we ended up choosing a name with a similar style. DH didn't absolutely love the name I loved, but he warmed up to it and chose a middle name. After I heard him say it a few times I started to love the combination. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name#post-1320028 Sat, 04 Jan 2014 21:10:05 +0000 Sapphiresun 1320028@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@swedishfish: Well, we'd narrowed it down to a "top three" that had my 2nd and 3rd choice names and Natalie, but after she was born he thought she didn't feel like either of the other top two, and didn't want to go completely back to the drawing board. And I actually like Natalie as a name, but my husband's name is Matt, and my reservation was that it would be confusing to have Matt and Nat. So, I agreed on the condition that she's Natalie, NOT Nat, and that hasn't worked out so much as EVERYBODY automatically shortens it, despite me constantly correcting. And then I dislike it more because it hasn't worked out that well, and my favourite boys name (Zachary) is now off the table for future babies because we definitely can't have Matt, Nat and Zach. So, I kinda feel like I (pre-emptively and possibly irrationally) got ripped off on both my #1 picks for each gender. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name#post-1320006 Sat, 04 Jan 2014 20:56:33 +0000 swedishfish 1320006@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Sapphiresun: he wouldn't budge at all? The name Natalie has really grown on me the past few years. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name#post-1320001 Sat, 04 Jan 2014 20:51:24 +0000 wonderstruck 1320001@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If we have another boy this is how it will be. DH agreed with me on one of my favorite names (which we already used) but hates the other. So while I haven't experienced it yet, while I agree that it's a bummer - it would be an even bigger bummer for your DH to hate his child's name, right? I wish we could just magically make them love it, but unfortunately not possible. Obviously, lol.</p> <p>I'll be honest, I'm hoping we have a girl so I don't have to deal with this. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name#post-1319978 Sat, 04 Jan 2014 20:40:29 +0000 Sapphiresun 1319978@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH vetoed my entire top 20 list that I came up with including my girl's name that I'd been set on for like 20 years. Our daughter actually wasn't named for almost a week after she was born because I thought maybe after he saw everything I went through to get her here, he might cave. He was dead set on Natalie, and I don't love it... might still even dislike it a little bit but we needed to get a name on her before she was given a default name by the government and he wasn't budging. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name#post-1319915 Sat, 04 Jan 2014 20:05:14 +0000 Mrs. Sunshine 1319915@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We totally compromised!! I wanted to name our daughter Jessalyn...&amp; our compromise was Jessie Lynn. I intended on calling her by her first &amp; middle name because it's so close to what I wanted but I usually call her Jess or Jessie. I definitely think it fits her personality (but she's only 3.5 months, what do I know? Lol) but I definitely feel like when we have other kids we will need to stick to more "plain" names because hers isn't super "fancy". All in all I don't regret it, I think her name is perfect for her </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name#post-1319895 Sat, 04 Jan 2014 19:54:53 +0000 T.H.O.U. 1319895@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Could you at least see if he would leave Henry on the table as an option and agree to decide after birth? We didn't love any boys names (without settling) so we just had a short list. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name#post-1319892 Sat, 04 Jan 2014 19:52:39 +0000 swedishfish 1319892@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH vetoed a lot of names I loved but I did the same to him. I think you should keep looking until you find a name you both love. FWIW, I love both of those names! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/settling-for-a-second-choice-name#post-1319866 Sat, 04 Jan 2014 19:39:59 +0000 mrsbookworm 1319866@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Dh didn't like any of my favorites and I didn't like his. It took us forever to come up with a name we both liked (but neither of us loved). However, now that we have LO I just associated the name with him and I love it because of him if that makes sense :) </p>