Name Julie's Baby!

[FSUZeta]

barry

[honeychile]

Originally posted by Peaches-n-Cream
I don't really get your point. Please clarify. Thanks.

It's hard to explain. Your best bet is to read The Name Game by Christopher P. Andersen (paperback, 254 pgs., 1977). He explains the "value" of certain names over another, rhythms that names should have, etc. I don't have it here (it's at my house), but it's one of the first books which goes into detail of which names tend to be "money" names, "fun or popular" names, and the not so good names.

I've spent over an hour trying to find a website based on those findings and haven't really found one (that's free, anyhow). I know that one of the things said was that, even though O'Whatever and MacWhatever meant the same thing (son of Whatever), the Mac/McWhatever would probably make more money in the end than the O'Whatever. He then added what people tend to think of a first name to the last name for a value.

The author himself admits that he had changed his names.

Hope that helps!

[honeychile]

Originally posted by kddani
Yeah, i don't get it either?

PLEASE don't let someone name their kid something that can be gender confusing. Kelley, for example. Even Conor or Connor can go either way- I know males and females by that name. If not for the sake of the kid, for the sake of all of the people in the future that will need to write him or her a letter and because the name could go either way, doesn't know whether to put "Mr." or "Ms."

I agree with that, completely!! I once had a male intern named Robin who received samples of feminine products all the time, and HATED his name!!

[Tom Earp]

Name a Kid Damnit just like a Puppy! They probably desearve it!

Some of these names are attrocious and given no thought about how they will feel in Teen Life!

[CutiePie2000]

Originally posted by Tickled Pink 2
I like:
Conor (Except, I like Connor)

I like Connor too. I would pronounce "Conor" as Coner (like ice cream cone). And then the parents would get all snitty.

[a.e.B.O.T.]

Darby, Marne, Dorian

[irishpipes]

I know that one of the things said was that, even though O'Whatever and MacWhatever meant the same thing (son of Whatever), the Mac/McWhatever would probably make more money in the end than the O'Whatever.

They don't mean the same thing. One means "son of" and one means "grandson of." (Minor technicality.) If the last name is what kills the person's chances at success, what difference does it make what the first name is? Back when millions of Irish were coming to this country, many dropped the "O' " from their names because it branded them as Catholics and Irish (where the Mc could be Catholic or Protestant.) They didn't want the discrimination that came with that stigma BACK THEN.

[GeekyPenguin]

I think what honeychile means with the name thing is that there are "Americanized" Irish names - lots of people know a Michael McDonald or a Patrick Murphy or a Meghan O'Hara, but not as many people know a Ciaran Eiraan.

[honeychile]

Originally posted by irishpipes
They don't mean the same thing. One means "son of" and one means "grandson of." (Minor technicality.) If the last name is what kills the person's chances at success, what difference does it make what the first name is? Back when millions of Irish were coming to this country, many dropped the "O' " from their names because it branded them as Catholics and Irish (where the Mc could be Catholic or Protestant.) They didn't want the discrimination that came with that stigma BACK THEN.

True - but in Irish genealogy classes, it's said that most O'Whatevers happened on the boat as opposed to on the auld sod. It was a way of paying tribute to one's heritage.

[LightBulb]

Originally posted by irishpipes
They don't mean the same thing. One means "son of" and one means "grandson of." (Minor technicality.) If the last name is what kills the person's chances at success, what difference does it make what the first name is? Back when millions of Irish were coming to this country, many dropped the "O' " from their names because it branded them as Catholics and Irish (where the Mc could be Catholic or Protestant.) They didn't want the discrimination that came with that stigma BACK THEN.

I heard that Mc / Mac means "son of" (ie, McDonald = son of Donald), so O' means "grandson of"? I've wondered. Thanks in advance for your help, piper.

[DeltAlum]

This has been alluded to above, but please don't allow the parents instinct to be different name a kid something that is going to be a problem for the child due to all listed above.

Remember, it's the kid who has to live with it through school and for the rest of her/his life.

Don't saddle the child with your ego.

With so many "different" names and permutations thereof these days, I'd be tempted to name a baby John or Mary or something like that. There aren't that many of those anymore.

[adpiucf]

Thanks for the ideas! I passed them onto Julie. As I said earlier, she is looking for an Irish boy name that isn't necessarily in the Top 10--- so that her son isn't in class with 10 other little boys of the same name when he gets to be school-age.

But she's not looking for an odd or bizarre name, and I think the names presented on here (the tasteful ones suggested in the spirit of the original post) were great recommendations.

Thanks again! I'll keep you posted on what name they go with--- we have a few more months!!!

I also like the name Quinn, but it rhymes with their Irish last name, so I think that one is definitely out!!!

[_Lisa_]

I really like the name Eamon. Its easy to spell & common enough that people know how to say it!

And have them check out this web site for tons of fun:

http://babynamewizard.com/namevoyager/lnv0105.html

[EEKappa]

Originally posted by adpiucf
My co-worker and her husband are expecting their first child. They just found out they are having a boy and now comes the fun of sounding out names!

Their last name is one syllable, and Irish-- so they want to give their son an Irish name. They're open to suggestions. Their main concern is that they don't want it to be a name that is overly popular--- like in the Top 10...

Ooooh! Sorry I got here so late! Her situation is almost the same as mine -- we are having a boy in a month, have a two-syllable, very common Irish last name, and I also don't want a trendy name. (Love the names Aiden and Connor, but I'm afraid they'll be the Arthur and Earnest of this generation.)

I went to the Social Security website, which has been suggested in the thread, and copied and pasted the US results for 2003, as well as the results for our state and several neighboring states, into a spreadsheet. My cut-off point is #25 in popularity.

Baby Name Wizard, which was already mentioned, is a great resource!

Some of the names we considered were Ian, Declan, and Garrett. My co-worker who is due three days before I am is naming her son Griffin, which I also like. And didn't Ben Stiller and his wife just name their son Quinlen? Also a cool name!

We weren't tied to an Irish name, which gave us more options. Right now the front runner is Joel: easy to spell, easy to pronounce, not trendy, not common, and not even in the top 100!

Wish your friend luck with this process. It's turning out to be much harder that I imagined.

[FSUZeta]

eekappa, i think joel is a classy name.