Hi--My husband and I are due with our first child, a boy, on March 13, 2011 and we need help! My husband is Italian and I'm English. We disagree on almost all names and seem to be getting nowhere! For girls names we liked boys names that you can put a feminine twist on or classic family names-I feel like naming a girl might have been easier! Our last name is Rita and I feel like this eliminates most if not all 'R' names (We named our dog Riley bc it was my favorite girl's name, but I felt like Riley Rita would never be a good match for a girl). We also agree that the name have a nickname. However, most other things we disagree on...my husband tends to like more common names; Joseph (I do like Joey, but not Joseph), Matthew, Nate, Tyler (and what he likes for names is very limited and is concerned about names not sounding masculine enough and when he's older). He definitely has said he doesn't like names that he considers more trendy: Aidan, Mason, Caden...My suggestions that he's vetoed have been: Beckett, Boden, Giovanni (no nn?), Maximo, Maxwell, Milo (love this one!-husband vetoed bc might not be masculine enough as he gets older?). I also own a preschool so I feel like there's some names that just aren't a good fit because I've known several children with certain names...
We have a super small list of options that we agree on so far:
-Callen (too feminine? Callan?) nn Cal
-William (too common in our area? but this is also a family name) nn Will
(we do not have a middle name picked out yet either so are open to suggestions here too)
First names we love but cannot use: Brian, Andrew, Anthony, James, Daniel
As you can see, we don't have much to go on so far and are coming down to the wire. Hope you can help!!!
Thank you!
If Callen seems too potentially feminine, Callum might work. Callum Rita is nice. Or Calvin, or Callahan, or Caleb. Or I think my favorite would be Malcolm.
If you like Joey but not Joseph, I wonder if you'd like Josiah? Or I've liked the name Joel ever since a nice boy named Joel in 4th grade. Or Jonah might still have the slightest smack of whale, but Jonas works now that The Jonas Brothers have made it mainstream. Or I love the name George with the nickname Geordy---not quite Joey, I realize, but something of the same sound. Your choice of Giovanni also has the nickname Joe and perhaps Joey, though I'm not sure how I'd spell them: Gio doesn't have at all the same flavor as Joe.
If you like James, may I put in a good word for John? The name is so familiar, it's too easily dismissed. It feels over-common, and yet it's increasingly uncommon to run into actual little boys named John---especially since often if they ARE named John, it's a family name and they go by something else. This gives the name the unexpected freshness of a name like Mary: the mind glosses over it while perusing the baby name book, but on an actual child there is a feeling of pleasant surprise.
My favorite William alternative is Wilson---but then you lose the family connection.
Perhaps you could get your husband to reconsider Milo. I don't see any reason it would lose masculinity as the child grew. Would your husband like Miles better? Or Leo?
If you both love Daniel and your husband likes Nate, perhaps Nathaniel?
Or Isaac?
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17 comments:
Growing up, I knew a boy called Gino (gee-no). It popped into my head when I saw that you like Giovanni and Milo. Nameberry has it listed as a "Stalwart Italian classic".
I'd definitely consider Milo masculine. I like the suggestion of Callum too.
Yes, Callum is a good one, of course, and Milo is very masculine. Nathan/Nate is great as well. Those are my favs for you.
How about Willem instead of William? Or William in the mn slot, since there is a family connection?!?
I suggest:
Conner or Craig
Lorcan or Declan
Calvin or Quentin
Good luck!
i know a little callan, and find the name very handsome. callan james rita, perhaps? he could go by cal or c.j. even...
if james is out, what about jameson? jameson daniel rita? he can go by james, jamie, jem, j.d.
my first thought for you, even before i read into your message, was max. maxwell joseph rita. maybe your husband will reconsider if you use one of his choices in the middle? and for the record, not many names out there are more masculine than max! :)
i also really find swistle's suggestion of john really refreshing. john daniel rita. john andrew rita. john anthony rita... now there's a winner! unless you have a problem with the initials spelling j.a.r. :/
good luck!
I have a student in my class named Giovanny, and he goes by Geo (Gee-o). It seems like it's a nickname that would age well, too.
I really like Callan! Callum is also very nice. In that vein - would you like Kieran, Kiernan, Calder or Camden?
Also, what about Jasper? Jasper William Rita?
I vote for William. You both like it and there's a family connection. True, it's popular, but it has too long and distinguished a history to be considered trendy.
That said, I like a lot of Swistle's suggestions, particularly Nathaniel and all the Jo-names.
How close to the names you love but can't use would you be willing to go? Andres for Andrew? Antonio for Anthony? Byron or Ryan or Bryce instead of Brian?
I meant to put Jameson on that list, too.
I know of a Giovanni his last name also starts with an R. He goes by GioGio = Joe Joe. It's a great name :)
William, nn Liam Rita is just perfect.
i know someone with a Giovanni. they call him either Gio or Gianni (sounds like Johnny). Gi, Vanni, etc could work as well.
I knew a boy named Giovanni that went by Johnny. I always thoguht it was neat.
I LOVE the name John for you. Short and simple.
John Daniel was on my list but alas I have 2 girls :) Pick a middle name you love and call him both names
Love the suggestion of Josiah with Joey as the nn.
Callen/Callan aren't feminine to me and I like them both! I also really like Callahan.
Nathaniel (nn Nate) is great too.
I find your name hard to match names with though - Wow!
I like the sound of Callahan Rita or Nathaniel Rita the best.
Someone just named their boy Luca - apparently that is Italian?
Also Swistle - I feel like the Joel in 4th grade was a shout out to me, so I'm gonna claim it. :) Can't wait for my Joel!!!
I have to agree that Milo doesn't sound masculine to me. Cute baby name but sounds wimpy for a teen.
I really like Giovanni or Leo
Ma
I think with a last name that is a woman's first name, the first name should be unmistakably masculine and also not a surname. As someone with a maiden name that is also a first name, I can't tell you how many times I was called by my last name because someone thought it was my first name. It's other people's careless mistake, but for a boy to be called out in school as Rita, that would really be embarassing.
Many of the names on your list made me think of the name Charley or Charlie. Charlie Rita. But is that too feminine for you?
How about Vincent? Vincent Rita.
James makes me think of Jacob, which I know is common in the US, but I still love it, as well as the nn Jake. Jacob (Jake) Rita.
What do you think of Theodore? Theodore (Theo, Ted, Teddy) Rita? I love this but I'm not sure which nickname, if any, fits with Rita! Your suggestion of Milo reminds me of Theo, but does Theo Rita flow?
My favorite is Jacob:
Jacob Calvin Rita
Jacob Callen Rita
Jacob William Rita
you could do Giovanni with nn "Van"?
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