Baby Girl Smith

Jen writes:

We are having our first baby, a girl, and can't seem to come up with the perfect name. (due date May 5)

With our last name being so popular, we are keen to have something a little interesting, without being too crazy.

I am half Swedish and have seriously considered a Scandinavian name. I have always loved Annika but my cousin's wife has that name. Damn! :)

We also quite like Astrid and Annelie in the Scandinavian theme.

Other than that we have recently become fond of Ivy but are not sure if Ivy Smith is too short of a name.

The middle name will be Michelle, after my mother.

My husband is fond of Mia, Ella, Molly and Maya but none of these seem quite right to me.

Ideally I am wanting something that gives a nod to my Swedish heritage (which my husband is also keen on) or something a little alternate/bohemian without being too out there. I also have a preference for names that lend themselves to a nick-name.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

If you've always loved the name Annika, and if your husband likes it too, I don't think a cousin's wife's name would have to rule it out. She's not a close relative, and she's in a different generation. Sometimes parents will choose not to re-use a name already in use (either to avoid confusion or because they know it will bug someone else), but names are multi-use items and the existence of another holder of the name doesn't automatically take it off the options list. The name Annika meets all your requirements: it's a little unusual, it's great with your surname and with Michelle, it has nicknames, it's the nod to your heritage you're looking for. If you will allow me this moment of bossiness, I think you ought to consider using it. If it feels awk to say, "Um, but it's not like we're naming her after YOU" to your cousin's wife, you could instead make a point of saying, "Oh, I've always loved the name! I think I was 12 [or whatever] when I first heard it, and it's been on my list ever since!" Subtext: "Um, but it's not like we're naming her after YOU."

If, however, your husband doesn't like it, I think Ivy Michelle Smith is a great name. It doesn't have natural nicknames and it lacks the heritage you were hoping for, but it's great with your surname and it's unusual.

I had a little trouble making the list of Swedish names I wanted to make. I used the Nordic section of The Baby Name Wizard, and also poked around a little on various baby name sites---but name origins are so iffy. One site says a name is Swedish, another says it's German, another says it's Greek. Any site might list a name's variation/spelling as being from the original name's country---even if that country has never used that variation/spelling. When we did a post about Scandinavian boy names, commenter Ashley mentioned this site, and I looked there too. So here are some possibilities that MIGHT BE Swedish, or might just be popular in Sweden without being Swedish in origin, or might be respellings of Swedish names, or might be mistakes!

Evelina Michelle Smith
Fredrika Michelle Smith
Jannika Michelle Smith
Liana Michelle Smith
Lina Michelle Smith
Linnea Michelle Smith
Malin Michelle Smith
Maren Michelle Smith
Marika Michelle Smith
Quinby Michelle Smith
Selina Michelle Smith
Stella Michelle Smith
Thora Michelle Smith
Viveka Michelle Smith

I really like Evelina. It's a beautiful name with lots of nickname possibilities. I also love Malin and Maren. Well, and Liana and Linnea. Well, and most of the list, really.

And now for a list of name possibilities that I intended to be non-Swedish, but it's VERY POSSIBLE I will have slipped up.

Bethan Michelle Smith
Bianca Michelle Smith
Bronwyn Michelle Smith
Cordelia Michelle Smith
Elodie Michelle Smith
Emerin Michelle Smith
Felicity Michelle Smith
Imogen Michelle Smith
Lorelei Michelle Smith
Mirren Michelle Smith
Sabrina Michelle Smith
Verity Michelle Smith
Willa Michelle Smith

(Phoebe and Petra and Philippa would have made the lists if they didn't make the initials PMS.)