Asking For It!!!

Something about naming a person who will be living in the three-dimensional world is a completely different process entirely from just choosing names on a "someday when I have a girl, I'll name her this" basis. I get bogged down with questions of a name's relevance and finding that perfect balance between something unique (but not bizarre) and not overly popular.

Really, the fundamental issue isn't one so much of finding a name that fits these criteria. It's mostly that I've spent hours on sites like nameberry and books like Beyond Ava & Aiden--and still, I have no name that I really LOVE for this little girl. If I had a name I was crazy about, the top 10 list wouldn't matter quite so much.

So, Chris and I have decided to have a name of the week. We'll cease to refer to this little one in euphemistic terms like "baby sister" or "little girl." We'll try names on for size and see how they fit. (My mom's word of advice is to imagine yourself yelling the name out the back door for dinner time. Can you still stand it?)

This week, we're calling her Ada Jane, a rollover from being pregnant with W. I got the name from reading the book Cold Mountain. I loved Ada's character and thought the name was sweet. But in the current naming climate I have concerns. Is Ada too old-fashioned? Do people know how to pronounce it just by looking at it, or will she spend her whole life explaining, "It's like Ava, with a 'd'?" And if we actually call her Ada Jane, is that too countrified like the way Mary Jane and Mary Beth sound? Will people inevitably call her A.J.? Perish. The. Thought. There's also the possibility in this scenario that her name would be Adelaide Jane, calling her just Ada.

And so, I am doing something that may turn out to be a big mistake: asking for your advice. Each week, I'll let you know the name of the week. And I want you to give me your honest impressions (just remember that while I do want honesty, I will eventually have to name this girl something so don't make me hate everything I throw out a you). NOTE: This does not give you permission to include anecdotes about someone you hated who had that name. This is irrelevant and unhelpful. Just, you know, when you hear a name, what is the image the name conjures up? Are my concerns about a name valid? Are there obvious embarrassing potential nicknames I've overlooked? So let me know how you feel about Ada.

And feel free to proffer names you like as well. We've had requests from family members to consider Adelaide, Catherine (Cate), Elizabeth (Betsey), and Jane. Since I'm none too opposed to any of these names, they've earned a spot on what I wish I could call the short list. We'll see how this goes.