We are having a BOY! Big sister is Paige Irene. Last name is phonetically Hayworth.
Boy's middle name will be Clay (Irene and Clay were agreed upon as family honor middle names before we knew Paige was a girl).
Criteria: No noun/verb names. I totally broke this one and only criteria with Paige and I love her and her name but regret that because I HATE saying "turn the page, Paige" etc. Oh, and Clay clearly breaks this rule as well but middle name, family name, whatever, can't worry about it.
Other criteria: Not a name prone to nicknaming. I want a name where he is called by his full name on a regular basis (I like this about Paige's name). The other thing I like about Paige's name is that everyone is familiar with it and it feels common enough without feeling super trendy. I know girls/women of many ages with the name
Paige.
Back to boys: when we were first married we somehow agreed we both loved the name Tyler and promptly named our new puppy Tyler so that's out. And we have very close friends with a son named Ty so that's out. I think that's the only boy name we've ever agreed on. I do not like the name Tyson.
Very early in this pregnancy the name Quentin was brought up and I agreed I kind of like it and now hubby is CONVINCED our son is Quentin Clay. End of discussion. Meanwhile all my initial reservations are resurfacing: We live near San Quentin prison (death row) and that is the first connotation that comes to mind for me AND Quentin Tarrantino whose films are so violent is the second. It makes the perfectly nice name, Quentin, sound very violent to me. Oh, and I don't want to end up with the nickname Quinn. On the up side, Quentin is my father in law's middle name so it would be another naming honor. But also for his side of the family so it's a double honor to dad's side while Paige's middle name is a single honor to my side and my mom, love her,
but she's sensitive to such things.
And there we've stalled out. Hubby is set on Quentin and I am not.
Having obsessively read Swistle Baby Names and paid close attention to names in general since the start of this pregnancy I've decided I only like girl names. The only boy name I like that comes to mind is Cade and that doesn't work with Clay.
Help!
and:
An update on this naming situation: Quentin is off the table, criteria and middle name Clay remain. Our 'fetus name' is Oscar and we don't want to use it for real but I do like the sound of the name if not the many cultural references.
We find we're drawn to names with a K/C/Q sound. I don't mind the repetition of sound with Clay; it's more important the the first and last names work together than first and middle. Nobody uses their middle name much.
I've checked out the Baby Name Wizard from the library and here's what we've got. We seem to like the "Brisk and Breezy" style where Paige's name is found and the "New Classics" for their timelessness. The "Nickname Proof "list was also helpful. On our list:
Drew (verb name). We like Andrew but so nicknameable I'd rather use just Drew (or Andy?)
Lucas (very nicknameable to Luke but I don't love just Luke)
Colin (seems fine--maybe we should just use it?)
Lincoln (after our boat engine, not the president. Hubby and I get a kick out of this inside joke but nickname Linc seems really possible and the name's a bit out there)
Kyle (I like, hubby is a teacher and it has bad connotations for him so it's out)
Carter (this one seems really bad with the middle name--even though I said that didn't matter. Much.)
Eli (seems fine but don't love)
Any other ideas or thoughts?
Thanks!
This is a name that probably doesn't fit your style AT ALL but I want to mention it anyway because I've recently started thinking of it as one of those "Why isn't anyone USING this GREAT NAME?" names: Pascal. It has a similar sound to Oscar; Paige and Pascal is adorable. But it definitely fails the criterion of being familiar and common.
Another one that might be too unusual but I want to suggest it anyway: Felix. Felix Hayworth, Paige and Felix. And it's a little in-joke on the name Oscar if you ever watched The Odd Couple.
A more likely suggestion is Scott. It too has the "sc" sound of Oscar, but it's definitely more familiar. Scott Hayworth is wonderful, as is "Paige and Scott." Because the name was much more common in the 1960s and 1970s, the main downside is that it's a bit of a "dad name." On the other hand, I know a little elementary-school-aged boy named Scott and it didn't seem ODD to me---the way it DID seem odd when I once ran into an elementary-school girl named Kristen.
From your list I think Kyle is a wonderful idea: close to Tyler, but without duplicating your friends' use of Ty. Lyle is another similar possibility, since the name Kyle has teaching associations. Or there's Kyler, or Schuyler. Which makes me think of Spencer and Parker.
I wonder if you would like the name Caleb? It's somewhat similar to Cade and Kyle. I'm not sure if it works with the middle name or not (the L sounds and the AY sounds might get too tangley), but my inclination is to think it's cute and works well enough: Caleb Clay Hayworth. And I like the matching vowel sound with the sibling name: Paige and Caleb.
Or Isaac? It has that nice hard-C sound, which runs into the C of Clay just a little but I think it's fine: Isaac Hayworth, Isaac Clay Hayworth, Paige and Isaac. No automatic nicknames (though he'd have Zac and Ike if he wanted them), and familiar at different age levels.
Do you like Charlie? I was just mulling Hayworth and Paige and it popped into my head. Charles Clay Hayworth. Paige and Charlie.
Or Keegan? Keegan Clay Hayworth, Paige and Keegan.
Or Ian: Ian Hayworth, Paige and Ian.
Or this is a stretch, but I got to it by looking for other names that started with a sound similar to Ty: Milo, or Miles. Paige and Milo is so cute I can hardly stand it. Milo Clay Hayworth.
Same thing with this name (Ty to Sy): Simon. Simon Clay Hayworth, Paige and Simon.
Or Wyatt: Wyatt Clay Hayworth, Paige and Wyatt.
Oliver has the O beginning and the R ending of Oscar: Oliver Clay Hayworth is handsome. Paige and Oliver.
Grady is similar to Cade but is better with Clay: Grady Clay Hayworth. Paige and Grady.
Similar to Quentin but without the issues is Benton. Downside: Ben is such an easy nickname. But otherwise, it's so good: Benton Clay Hayworth, Paige and Benton/Ben.
Less similar but still within reach is Edmund: Edmund Clay Hayworth, Paige and Edmund.
Or Kent or Trent, but they don't work well with Clay. Well, maybe Trent does? Trent Clay Hayworth, Paige and Trent?
I also love Lincoln from your list. I think it will continue to become more common, which might make it more comfortable to use.
(screenshot from the Social Security Administration)(click it to see it larger)
Would you like Eli better as Elias? Elias Clay Hayworth, Paige and Elias. I like the pleasing mirror symmetry of their ai/ia.
