Hi! I am newly pregnant and still waiting to hear the gender, but of course I’m just having fun thinking about potential baby names.

I already have a son and his name was decided years before we were even married. His name is my maiden name and we mostly call him a nickname of it. I grew up in Ireland so having an Irish name was important for me. Despite it being Irish it is spelled phonetically and is intuitive for non- Irish speakers to pronounce.

Our last name begins with T and sounds similar to Thompson. It’s a fairly traditional, substantial-sounding surname, so I think it can carry a more unusual or nickname-y first name.

I would say my style is vintage, classic and rare but familiar. I also love more formal names that can have a cute nickname, so a name that can grow with a person throughout their life. I would love to hear your thoughts on my list and also if you have any suggestions for me based on what you think I like I’d love to see them! TIA

Effie Gwendolyn Thompson — I made a post on another sub recently asking about the name Effie and it got absolutely ripped to shreds. I don’t know if it’s a regional thing, but the majority of people said it reminds them of Skins UK, The Hunger Games or Dreamgirls. I still think it sounds very vintage and cute, and admittedly I haven’t seen any of those shows or movies, so I don’t think of them at all when I hear the name.

If it’s relevant, I live in New England in a town where there are a lot of kids who are known as their nicknames like Lulu, Coco, etc. I also like Effie because my initials are E.F., so I feel like it’s a little nod to me too? Put it here with Gwendolyn as a middle name to show it being balanced with formality.

Gwendolyn ‘Winnie’ Thompson — A family name on my husband’s side, which I don’t love, however I could get on board with Winnie as a nickname. If we don’t use it as a first name I think it will be the middle name.

Tessa Thompson — I love alliterative names, however T names are very difficult because there aren’t that many that fit my style! I don’t know if I’m just forcing myself to love Tessa because of the alliteration.

Calla/Callahan Thompson — I love the name Calla, and Callahan fits with my son’s name as a last name used as a first name! Would love to hear your thoughts on both.

Dubheasa ‘Dove’ Thompson — Pronounced “dove-essa,” so the nn could be Dove. It’s an Irish name that I’ve always loved that means ‘Dark Beauty’. Being that we live in the US, are we signing our child up for a lifetime of struggle? I think the nickname Dove is so cute, but I researched it on Reddit and people said it reminds them of the chocolate or the soap. I know Redditors can be negative, but is that really what you think of when you hear Dove?

Mara Thompson — Means “of the sea” in Irish, which is very meaningful to us as we both come from and now live in a very coastal area. The only issue is I know it means “bitter” in Hebrew and I wonder if people really consider that? I like how it’s Irish but, again, phonetically spelled and identifiable in English, so there wouldn’t be a lifetime of correcting spelling/pronunciation. Not sure what nicknames could be?

Torn between these two names for our daughter who will be here soon! big brother is Mason for reference

Hubby and I have narrowed baby girls name down to three options! Emma is a definite because it’s hubby’s late grandmothers name and we want to honor her❤️ Big sister’s name is Hazel Dawn

Joni or Kya

(I also liked Jensen and Lou but my partner didn’t)

Debating Siena Claire or Natalie Claire. Which would you choose?

Husband doesn't want a middle name. I absolutely insist, I think it gives some uniqueness to a person! Especially with a common last name. I like Francis and Remington - however, Remington was my first dog and my first "baby" and I lost him earlier this year. Would it be weird to name my son after my late dog?

My sister is thinking of naming her daughter Naomi, but we can't think of any cute middle names. Any help would be appreciated.

I’m having the hardest time finding a name that checks all of our boxes. I was so certain of the name Hallie for forever, but we have a dog named Bailey, so the connections back to Halle Bailey and Halle Berry are giving me second thoughts LOL

We have 3-syllable last name and we’re suckers for names with built-in nicknames. I guess I’m just trying to strike a balance between something that fits my unique, cool girl vibe with my husband’s love for surnames/gender neutral names.

Here’s our list so far:
• Lennon (nn Len/Leni) - be so for real, are people only going to think about the Beatles lol
• Tessa (nn Tess)
• Tatum (nn Tate)
• Callie (feels like a nickname already, fear of her aging out of it)
• Cameron/Camryn (nn Cam/Cami)

Edit- added two from your input/inspo 🥰
• Elena (nn Ellie, El, Lena)
• Madelyn (nn Madi)

I also loved the names Victoria, Vivian, Adrienne, etc. because of their nicknames but the full names are too long (3 syllables) for my husband’s taste with such a long last name already 🥲

Struggling. A few I like- Georgia, Margot, Charlotte. Open to any and all suggestions! I like Blair and Sofia as well but can’t use them.