Need help with baby names

billydx24

My wife is due any day now with our son. We are having no luck picking baby names. We've scoured the websites and looked through books, but nothing is clicking. Does anyone have any suggestions? I know that's a broad question, but we just seem stuck. We want something we both like, nothing common, but nothing too "out there". I'd love a comic connection (I suggested Jack Kirby, and while she thought Jack was ok, Kirby didn't fly as a middle name), but we are really open to anything. Thoughts?

kfreeman

I think asking this group is dangerous. You're going to get lots of "Logan" "Bruce" and the like.

My choice: Gilligan. :)

WetRats

Ohotmu!

Miraclemet

whats the last name we're working with here? I think Kirby as a first name is sweet!

Dan_Cap

"My name is Chance......'cause my momma took one" -JCVD Hard Target 1993

RedRight88

How about Kirby Simon, then you get both creators of Captain America?

electric_mayhem

Oooo... I loved picking our baby names. Watch out for the 3-letter abbriviations that come with to. Like DOG, BOB, or even divinly GOD... hehehe.

I tend to watch the credits of movies for ideas (there is nothing else to do while one waits for the end teaser) but since we are on CGS, how about Bryan, Shane, Jamie, Peter, Matt (my favorite but I spell mine with one "T," Mike, and Kevin (who?)

Although you really should venture forth with a "Pants" One never knows what sticks!



and Congrats! Sleep now, cuz later you won't.

DoctorDoom

Joe Ker. =))

Miraclemet

Sleep now, cuz later you won't.

@electric_mayhem truer words were never spoken... Im three years in on #1 and she still doesnt sleep thru the night...

mwhitt80

I'm the guy who prefers tradtional Biblical names like Othniel, Samson, or if you think he might be creative name him Ehud (he was a left handed Judge that was pretty awesome).

However the geeky Biblical name that might work best is Luke.

mguy1977

Names are important & while I have never been married nor have any kids of my own. I feel the name should be unique but not TOO unique & not after a dang celebrity. I have the same middle name as my father & grandfather but not the same first name & is from the Bible. Just don't make it a popular first name take it from a person who had 4 Matthew's in the first, the second, sixth & the eleventh grades growing up. In my Spanish class & club, I took a different first name to be unique in a sea of other Matthews in that class. I had a high school population of 1,100 to 1,200 during my four years. If a name is too common they will likely go by their middle name. My mom & her father (my other grandfather) both go by their middle names as their first names in public. Hint never name your child to be Sylvia or Louis as a first name. And yes, I love my first name it is unique to me but sometimes growing up it can have its drawbacks. I hope this advice helps you.

Matthew

electric_mayhem

@electric_mayhem truer words were never spoken... Im three years in on #1 and she still doesnt sleep thru the night...

Ouch.... Our 2nd, 8th month old, doesn't and goes through spurts of just wanting his mommy more than being fed. Our 1st child sleeps hard and spoiled us. The 2nd one, not so much. Having a full Day Care in the house doesn't help either. I feel your pain, @Miraclemet. I feel it.

David_D

One of my many business ideas would be a consulting service that empanels a group of 8th grade bullies to focus group baby name ideas. You give them a potential first and last name, and see what they can do to mock it. If they can't immediately come up with something, then your name idea has passed that important test.

That said, I would never tell someone what they should or shouldn't name their child, but since you asked for this sort of advice--

I would say things to think about are names that both you and your wife have either a positive feeling about, or at least for which there are no negative feelings connected to people from the past.

It may be that you want a name simple enough that you can imagine yourself saying it in love, anger, and alarm (e.g. "Constantine! No!" when a child is about to touch a hot stove might be tough)

Google your ideas- first and last name, just to make sure the name you picked is not already the one of a porn star with a huge following (more of a concern for girls names) or a serial killer or person who runs a hate site (more of a concern for boys) or something like that. In the ever-growing world of Google, it is actually a real concern.

The movie credits idea, to just see a bunch of names scroll by, is a clever one. Also go looking at old family trees-- your own, or just the trees of strangers on the web. Part of how we got the name we chose was that it was one we both liked, but also it was the name of one of my wife's great aunts. Not a super close relation. We were not really naming her *for* her (though we let her believe that-- I mean, she is a lovely old widow in assisted living, what's the harm in her getting to show this little kid around and tell her fellow residents she is her namesake?) but she had always been a nice and positive person in my wife's life, so it is not like there was any negativity around the name.

I also think- and this may just be us- but we didn't let anyone else but the two of us have input. It is a big decision, but it was OUR decision. We didn't, for example, tell my mother-in-law, and find out something like 'Oh, but then my mother (the great aunt's sister) might not like that because there is some tension between her and her sister...' and blah blah blah. All of that would be well-meaning, but it was nothing we needed to think about. The decision was ours, and it was all about what we thought was best for our child. If there was some tension between our daughter's great-grandmother and great-great aunt that even her parents didn't know about, well, it will be ancient history by the time she would be old enough to understand it.

So bringing anyone else in on the decision just adds things to worry about and gets in the way of your instincts-- this is not planning a wedding. It shouldn't be about family politics. This is something for you and your wife to decide, and to announce at the birth, a time when the child is now present, and no one in their right mind would do anything but be excited for them, whatever their name is. To involve anyone else when it is all still up in the air and hypothetical is, I think, only adding worries and complications.

One last thought (boy, for someone who hesitated to give advice, I certainly have gone on about it) when it comes to picking a name that is to do with things you like (characters from fiction, authors, etc.) I think that is all fine and good, so long as you could imagine being a kid and being psyched about having that name. You know what I mean? Because for all the ways you may want to celebrate or honor the stuff you like, this will be the name someone will be living with their whole life. So make sure that- even if you are picking something you like, or you think would be cool to name your kid- the real emphasis is on their need.

Which is good practice-- because you are about to be overwhelmed by their needs. Sleep! Sleep now!

And all the best. Looking forward to you sharing your good news.

WetRats

@mguy1977: A Sea of Other Matthews sounds like it should be an emo band.

Miraclemet

Unique names to avoid: Adolph, Osama...

Name that will not be as unique as you think it is in 10 years when your kid is in 3rd grade with 3 other kids with the same "unique" name

1. Suri
2. Anything related to Twilight, Jersey Shore or True Blood
3. Pippa

mwhitt80

@mguy1977: A Sea of Other Matthews sounds like it should be an emo band.

@wetRats
"why should I change my name he's the one that sucks" thanks for just making me a Michael Bolton

mguy1977

Matthew Horton was nicknamed fat Matt because he had a fat face growing up
Matt Mitchell wore glasses nicknamed geeky Matt
Matt Watts well he was off the wall & class clown
as for myself, I was smart in class w/ the funny looking right hand (Cerebral Palsy)

Matthew

KyleMoyer

Here's a few names to try

Palpatine
Thermos
Motherfucker
Bob

EDIT - looking at this list, your wife might not go for Bob

jaydee74

Well, one question I would ask you is what is your last name? You wouldn't want your kid to have an unfortunate initials. For example, I had an ex whose sister's initials were PMS. Not the most thrilling of initials. Some names I would suggest that have a comic or geeky reference include:

Peter (Parker)
Jim or James (Kirk)
Luke (Skywalker)
Kyle (Rayner)
Rick (Grimes)
Clark (Kent)
Jimmy (Olsen)
Logan (Wolverine)
Harry (Potter) (Dresden)
Scott (Summers)
Jordan (Hal)

In the end though, you gotta find a name that you and your wife love. It took my wife and I months to come up with the name Adina for our daughter but when we saw it and we said it a few times, we knew there was no other name that it could be. You'll figure it out. Sometimes, when you see your child for the first time, a name will suddenly seem right to you. Hang in there.

Krescan

Have you thought about Legend as a first name?

It's kind of like naming him Sue without the gender confusing connotations?

Either he becomes a legend or lives his life a failure

#toughlove

John_Steed

Sleep now, cuz later you won't.

@electric_mayhem truer words were never spoken... Im three years in on #1 and she still doesnt sleep thru the night...

I'm 18 years in on #1 and she goes out to party a lot.....and I can't find any sleep......You might never ever have a peaceful sleep again..... (:|

jaydee74

Never again? Dammit. I'm almost 10 months into #1. That's disheartening to hear.

Nick

How about some more Indian type names:

-Roy
-Gaurav
-Sethu
-Aditya
-Lakshmi

Not sure if you are of Indian heritage, but they are unique in America (at least currently).

KyleMoyer

You could also go for traditional names, but give them unique spellings. That's the trendy thing to do these days.

Xthgn - John
Qpfvg - William
Bbbbbbbb - Matthew

Get creative. It's hip. It's what all the cool people do.

WetRats

You could always name him Cthulhu.

The other kids wouldn't dare mess with him/

fredzilla

"Jack" for his first name, eh? How about "Danger" for his middle name? I can't believe no one has said that yet.

Neutron11

Keep in mind that whatever name you pick (and for whatever reason you pick it) has some special meaning for only so long; very quickly the name 'becomes' your child in a real way. Right away (after the child is born) when you say the name it becomes something else. The name becomes a symbol in your gut more than it will mean 'the name of a hero I like.' I admire interesting and old fashioned names; pick one that feels good to say and imagine it written in crayon on your child's drawings.

That being said, I think Kirby is a great first name. :-)

mwhitt80

That being said, I think Kirby is a great first name. :-)

So did Rob Liefeld in Youngblood/Prophet.

I'm sorry that was was mean.

Miraclemet

That being said, I think Kirby is a great first name. :-)

So did Rob Liefeld in Youngblood/Prophet.

I'm sorry that was was mean.

crossing fingers that your kid has more realistic feet thank anything associated with Liefeld... Or maybe it just means he'll be born with a 16 pack for a stomach.

I say go with Kirby, then name your second kid Lee and teach kid #2 to keep taking all the credit for things kid #1 says/thinks of....

mguy1977

That being said, I think Kirby is a great first name. :-)

So did Rob Liefeld in Youngblood/Prophet.

I'm sorry that was was mean.


crossing fingers that your kid has more realistic feet thank anything associated with Liefeld... Or maybe it just means he'll be born with a 16 pack for a stomach.

I say go with Kirby, then name your second kid Lee and teach kid #2 to keep taking all the credit for things kid #1 says/thinks of....

Funny but true. If "Lee" wears glasses & beats up on "Kirby" & takes his lunch money it is too late.

Matthew

Miraclemet

I'd spend all my time trying to get Lee's first word to be "Excelsior!"