Joy asked:
We are due for our 5th baby end of June and have absolutely no names picked out! We don’t know the sex. We like unique names. Any ideas for us??? My fave name forever has been Prairie Rose but hubby hates it! He thinks Prairie is weird. Lol
These are the names of our 4 children:
Jack (family name) Wyatt
Corwyn Joy
CheyAnne Faith
Ainsley Eden
“So close!”
Which name do you think Joy should choose to join these siblings? (Choose carefully– you can only choose once.) Names are not divided by sex, they are in random order, and the suggestions came from me and from fans.
There is definitely a sort of modern cowboy/prairie feeling here, as fan Angel pointed out on our page. The style is definitely modern but inspired by dusty boots Americana– I call it Western nouveau. It can be really charming and you can take your inspiration from ancestors in the South during the 1800s, state, city and county names (appropriate to geography and era), and outdoorsy concept words.
Now some tips...
- Try to avoid overuse of brand and object names next to each other (Lincoln Axel might sound like a car part).
- Be cautious when choosing Native American words– especially if you are not a tribal member and are using an authentic personal name. It can be disrespectful or ignorant. Although many Native American names are also place names and you may be naming a child after a place and not a tribe, being aware of the true origin of a word and its meaning will help you navigate its usability. Your best bet is: whenever in doubt, steer clear of trends. Our fan Joy named her daughter “CheyAnne”, and while in many cases I would refer to something like this as a “bastardization of a Native word” and lecture on cultural integrity, this time it actually serves us well by changing the name enough to make it her own. In this sense, CheyAnne is closer to Shy Anne (good old shy Annie of the plain) than any original word referring to an “Indian” tribe.
- Listen to the sound of things. Although some fans recommended Owen and Meadow, the last name will be Owens. An alternative to Prairie or Meadow might be Savanna or Dusty.
- If you love the name Prairie, consider this thought from fan Aileen: “Well…you wouldn’t want anyone calling a beautiful girl Prairie Dog lol. Maybe he’s right, there are other nice cowboy themed names.”
- Middle names Rose and Dawn would be popular choices for this theme. Virtue names Love, Hope, and Grace seem
next in line. One of the suggested first name choices was Felicia, but perhaps Felicity would be more keeping with the theme. Another virtue name that could work would be Amity. It’s seldom used and has a good meaning, and fits well with the theme (could that be because it reminds us of Calamity Jane?). - Fan Angel said, on Juniper: “I thought it was a nice tie in with June and the middle name style.” If you are due in June and enjoy this style, June would be a great middle name. For something a little longer with more modern and fresh appeal, Juno or Juneau works (but not next to surnames like Owens).
For more on Cecily or Cece Lia, make sure you check out When Names You Love Mean Bad Things.
If you’re curious about Silas, we have a post about that, too.
If you’re into vintage Southern names, try this.
One fan recommended the name Phoenix for either sex. What do you think? Is it unique enough? Does it fit well with the siblings? What middle names would you pair with Phoenix for a boy or a girl?
UPDATE, JUNE 30, 2014: Joy shares, “Our baby boy was born at home on June 24th. He’s 9# 5oz!! And we actually came up with a name for him after he was born….
Weston Arrow
Weston is his daddy’s middle name, and Arrow for psalm 127:4,5 of the bible. he is the …last arrow in our quiver of five children. “
Weston was actually also recommended by us. (Combo Weston Huck, as seen in this post, got the top boys vote.)
Congrats, Joy and family!
First & Middle Baby Names 