Nov
19
19
here come the names
Filed under: baby | Tags: | November 19th, 2006
Ok so here are the girl names we have chosen so far. The one that really has stuck with us is Evelyn, but we’re not 100% convinced yet. Also I want at least two syllables since our last name is already quite short AND it has to sound relatively good with our last name. I know how easy it is to choose a name that you think sounds good only to find out later it’s a name that everyone makes fun of or the initials spell something embarassing (for example my mom new a lady whose first name sas Penny and last name was Ennis, so her name, when shortened, looked like P.Ennis – oops!). So – are there any problems with the names below? Any favourites? Variations?? Alternate suggetions?
- Evelyn
- Ada(h) as in Ada Lovelace, the first computer programmer
- Adelle/a, but the daughter of the sister of our friends is already called Adèle, so it might not be a good choice
- Elise/Elsie/Ilse
- Johanna
- Gwen – but she would be named after two people we know, which although I do like the name feels like we’re cheating her a bit since I want her to have her own identity
- Cecelia (Oh Cecelia, you’re breaking my heart…). Hmm that one’s a bit tough to spell
- Adeline
- Abigail
- Sonja
- Mira(h)
- Annick – this is a name I never encoutntered before moving to Quebec and think it’s very nice
- Arian(n)e
- Aveline
- Charlotte
- Eloise
- Madeline
- Nadine – it’s fairly common here
- Nathalie – the French Canadian spelling adds an “h” which makes it sound much softer
- Simone
- Charis/Karis – I met some aid workers from Afghanistan who named their daugher Charis
- Rebecca
- Havilah – suggested by Julie, named after one of the daughers in “Fiddler on the Roof”
So bring it on!
Tyler H. | November 19th, 2006 @ 7:24 pm
I think Mirah has a nice ring to it, and Evelyn is the name of my grandmother and my aunt, so I like that one too. I remember Julie telling me how by naming their daughter Amira, a whole bunch of friends she met in Lebanon would think she was named after them!
Oh, dear! I wonder if Penny Ennis’s e-mails ever get to anyone? I’ve seen that mispelling in many a spam, often with a period after the P! As for the name Arianne, I knew a girl in Montreal named Arianna. The most hilarious part is that her mother is Spanish and her father is Quebecois. Her two sisters look very spanish while she has blonde hair and I think blue eyes, making her the Aryan, or Ariann if you will, sister.
sofi | November 19th, 2006 @ 11:58 pm
I’m definetly a big fan of Evelyn…(It happens to be my middle name and I’ve had a good life with it
Ada and Adeline are also high up there for me. As, I’ve always liked the name Adelai/adelaide and variations…. 
There are so many good names in your list. Good luck in your decision! Maybe seeing what she looks like will help you decide
Anik | November 20th, 2006 @ 12:46 am
Here are a couple good sites for decided which names not to pick:
Most popular baby names 2005 – USA
Most popular baby names 2005 – Canada
As someone who had two of the top 20 names for her own birth year, I can assure you it is no fun being referred to by number by your teacher because there are two others in your class with your first name and three others with your middle name!
Speaking of which: are you going to go with just one name or a first & middle name? We have a little baby-naming journal in stock which provides this very useful advice: “Make sure the first and middle names, when yelled in tandem, instill the appropriate level of fear. ‘Shelley Jean, take that out of your mouth NOW!’” XD
Jenna | November 20th, 2006 @ 10:11 pm
Hi Karen,
its afternoon here at my afterschool center and so my kids have voted for your name. They like Abigail. Two girls vetoed the Evelyn because they knew someone whose name was Evelyn “and she was really mean”.
Sanan | November 21st, 2006 @ 2:17 pm
At first, my mind kept going to names like Hannah/ Holly/ Haley to go with your last name – then to something like Meagan which makes for a nice rhyme scheme. On a more serious note, I kinda think Karis H. has a nice ring to it – Charis means gift or grace (like charismatic) – I’ve also known a Charissa – but I like using the K to match mommy. At this point, I’m leaving the door open to pick a few other favorites too.
karen | November 22nd, 2006 @ 1:00 am
I think two names, that way if she really hates the first one she can always use the other, kind of like my mom who ended up going by her middle name for most of her life. Jenna, that is so awesome you surveyed the kids – they can pick out a bad name better than we can!
I found out today that the meaning of “Evelyn” is “lively” and I have to say it is appropriate.
In grade 7 there were three boys named Adam in my class (of about 35 people) and we were talking about nuclear wars and how nuclear bombs work. The teacher explained that it was when two atoms were fused together, and as soon as she said that two of the three Adams, who were on oppiste ends of the room, said “hey Adam” to each other.
Sanan | November 23rd, 2006 @ 1:15 pm
Elise definitely has a nice ring to it too. Beethoven’s “Für Elise” (for Elise)is an amazingly simple yet hauntingly beautiful melodic tribute. Unfortunately, it tends to be overused (on cell phones, for example.) Here’s a quirky version played on a ScanJet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S53Mly3A8c8
Andrea | November 23rd, 2006 @ 3:39 pm
My grandmother’s name was Evelyn and her lifelong nickname was Evie. I like it. I would avoid Charlotte or Madeline just cuz I know a couple little girls with these names, so maybe those names are gonna be super popular. Julien’s sister and her husband named their daughter Olivia – and then were a bit disappointed to find that it was among the top five girls names in the USA (they live in Iowa). Ilse reminds me of Emily’s best friend in Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Emily of New Moon series (my childhood favourite, but as a kid I thought it was pronounced Eel-See). I also like Ada, and Mira (but isn’t that the name of that Quebec guide dog organization?). This is fun!
Edith | November 25th, 2006 @ 2:28 am
I like Adèle and Cecilia. I am not found of Evelyne. But that’s me.
Lisa | December 4th, 2006 @ 2:08 am
Hmmm…I like Adelle, Eloise reminds me of the fun rambuncious child from books named after that character. ( thsi si a good thing.!) I also know someone who named their baby olivia, it’s probably best to avoid it.
You’ve got a very god list karen. I like everything except Havilah.
Lisa | December 4th, 2006 @ 2:12 am
I vote for Evelyn or Eloise, but you’ve got a good list here.
I like everything except Havilah.