The name game

D Sr. and I have been struggling somewhat in choosing a name for our daughter-to-be. We seem to be having a much harder time selecting a girl name than a boy name. Part of the problem is that we don’t agree on too many girl names and part of the problem is that we both want a name that has “cute” options for childhood, but is also a serious and respectable name for our daughter when she is practicing law or neurosurgery. Add into this that we don’t want “too girly, prissy or frilly,” “too common,” or “too weird,” and it just gets out of hand.

When we were selecting boy names it seemed easier because there were not that many that we both liked and we both liked the same names. Even now, if this child turns out to be a boy (there is always that 1% chance!) we only have three possibilities and one more likely than the others: Owen, Jacob and Joseph. We are most partial to Owen, the issue being that apparently my grandmother loathes the name!

So, we are finally down to two name possibilities, which I am not sharing here. However, I thought I would share the ones that were on our final list which we have recently eliminated!

The Names	Why They’re Off the List
Simone	D Sr. thinks it’s “too French.” I like it a lot, but there’s no cute nickname/childhood name. Simmie makes me think of Simian (I want no monkey references for my possibly hairy, Mediterranean-gened daughter). Mona makes me think of Billy Idol.
Jacqueline	D Sr. liked the other names on our list more. I really like it and like “Jacquie,” but conceded that if D Sr. liked other names significantly more, then there was no point.
Yvette	We both like this name but again, perhaps “too French” and perhaps too weird. The only Yvettes I have ever met are in their 50s/60s and live in small-towns, yet I really like this name and like the Eve, Evie nickname possibilities.
Ivy	I think D Sr. would have gone with this name if it weren’t for me. I like it A LOT and I think it is cute and feminine, but can also be a grown-up name. I just can’t shake the “Poison Ivy” connotations – I actually get the song in my head every time I think of Ivy.
Carmen	We both love this name, but agreed it may be too grown up for a little girl and we do not want the nickname “Carma” – we are not hippies.
Adriana	We both love this name and this was almost our pick, but we do not want our daughter to have the nickname possibilities of Anne, Annie, Anna due to D Jr’s name. Danny and Annie . . . gag. Otherwise, I have no problem with Anne, Annie, Anna .

There you have it – it is actually cathartic too have them all listed here. Now that they are out there, there’s no going back and waffling. A final list of two it is!