So the idea originally was to find a baby name that had a “th” in it that would compliment Theodore/Theo.
The only ones I could really come up with was:
Meredith
Nice, right? Meredith and Theodore. Not only do they both have the “th,” they both have the “d” sound and the “r” sound – they are even the same number of syllables. The name is classically familiar but not overly popular. I like it. But what I don’t like about it is that the nickname would surely be Mer or worse, Merry/Meri. Looking at it, those don’t seem so bad but I don’t love “Mary” for my baby and that’s what people would think her name was if they heard me talking to her. I know, I shouldn’t care what other people think. But these are the thoughts that dance around in my head so I’m letting them dance around on my blog.
Anthony
Okay, Anthony isn’t too bad alone. But again, the nickname situation. If we gave Theodore his name with the intention to call him “Theo,” I just feel obligated to do the same for baby #2. I don’t like “Tony.” What other nicknames are there for Anthony?
Edyth
I actually kind of looove this name (alternate spelling of Edith) with the nickname Edye. How cute is that? “Edye/Edie and Theo.” It’s got the oh-so-desirable, but not so obvious (with the nickname) “th.” Problem: the dada kind of haaaates it with the “y” spelling and isn’t hog wild about it, even with the “i” spelling. I can just picture EDYE’s little name in block letters on her wall above the crib. (The 2nd crib we purchsed in a year, that is). Ay ay ay. Trying to choose a name is more fun and more frustrating that picking out cribs, by the way.
Zanthie
Weird, I know. My sister came across this name in a book. It’s a girl name by the way. I initially rejected it mentally, then I said it a few times and it grew on me. I definitely would not have to worry about my kid having the same name as anyone else in her class – ever! But nicknames? Zanny? I don’t know about that. And it doesn’t matter because the dada HATES it with a passion. Reminder: I have to carry the kid for 9 months.
That’s the end of the “th” names for now.
Here are some others that could potentially be up for grabs, supposing I let go of the “th” dream.
Crosby
We both kind of fell in love with this name after hearing it on the show Parenthood. Couple of hang-ups: 1. Nickname “Cros” is not so bad to use casually, but would I hang it in block letters over my baby’s crib? No, it would be Crosby. 2. This is totally weird and I’m sure I’m the only one that would ever think it, but we decided on Theo one night while watching the COSBY show. I fear that CROSBY is too close to COSBY and the boys would get teased. Stupid, right? For something a little less paranoid, read on…
Calvin
I have liked this name for as long as I can remember. But now that we have a son named Theodore, I can hardly name my kid “Calvin.” A little too close to ALVIN…Theodore… get it? I can already hear the “Where’s Simon?” jokes.
Jayson
I have also liked this name for as long as I can remember, but I am like the ONLY one. Really. I don’t know anyone else that supports me in liking this name – including the only person whose opinion really matters. Sure it’s common…I get that. But it’s not popular. How many babies do you know named Jayson? I like to include the “y” because the baby’s paternal grandfather’s middle name is Jay and I think it would be a nice way to honor him. No dice.
Okay, just a few more…
Vivienne
Ah, Vivienne. I was in luuurve with this name for years, literally. I swore my daughter would be named Vivienne and yes, her block letters above the crib would be “VIVI.” What a sweet nickname. Then, that skank Angelina had to screw everything up. I’m talking about Angelina Jolie. She named her twin baby girl Vivienne and the name’s popularity has sky-rocketed ever since. I’m afraid that by the time my daughter got to Kindergarten, there would be two other Vivis in her class. I had it first, Jolie! I’m afraid Vivienne is off of my list. So sad about this!
Brenna (Brynna?)
I sort of love this name. It got brought up in conversation when my husband mentioned something about his co-worker while I was pregnant with Theo and before we knew he was a boy. I immediately liked the sound of the name, and I think the nickname is super-cute. Brynn or Brenn, depending on the spelling. My hubby, however, has a hang-up about naming his child after his co-worker. I tried to explain that he wouldn’t be naming her after his co-worker. Besides, if you were this said Brenna person, would you be offended if someone said “I liked your name so much that I named my child Brenna”?? I think not! This isn’t someone that he is friends with outside of work…it’s not like I’d be naming my child the same thing that my best friend or my cousin named their child. What’s the big deal?
Sabrina
This name is new to our list. Well, not completely new. We both liked it before but for some reason, it has really grown on me. But how would you spell the nickname, pronounced “Bree” … Bri makes more sense based on the spelling of the name but I don’t like how it looks and I wonder if it would get mispronounced.
Cameron
I like Cameron and “Cami” for the nickname. I don’t like Cameron for a boy, only if it is a girl. I don’t know why, but that’s all there is to it. That being said, I don’t LOVE this name. But I like it.
That’s enough for today, right?
~C~
