Baby Names

I’ve always had an interest in names, so I’m all kinds of excited about the idea of naming baby. I even have a tendency to lurk around Yahoo! Answers in the Baby Names section. ^_^ So this morning I asked for opinions on some of the names I like and everyone has been really harsh. And that made me sad, so I’m coming here, where people know and love me… or at least tolerate me. So if anyone here would like to give me useful opinions on these names, I’d appreciate it. What I’d really like to know is what images come to mind when you hear these names? Is the person pretty, tomboyish, geeky, weird, intelligent, athletic?

The middle names are family names, so feel free to mix them up, but not to discard them outright. For anyone who doesn’t know or doesn’t remember, the last name is Slinsky.

GIRLS…

Jessamine Courtenay "Jessa" or "Minnie"

• Jessamine: (French) jasmine JESS-a-min
• Courtenay: my paternal grandmother’s name, as well as my aunt’s, and a number of other female (and occasionally male) relatives

Anika Katherine "Ani"

• Anika: (Czech) familiar forms of Anna AHN-i-kah (I think someone on Y!A thought this was pronounced uh-NEE-kah, because she said it sounded "black")
• Katherine: my maternal great-grandmother’s name (Katherine Kelley Taylor)

Westerleigh Taylor "West"

• Westerleigh: (English) a form of Wesley. Definitely the weirdest of all of my names. It’s the name of a street in New Haven and everyday when I drove by I would think "That would make a really cool girls’ name.’
• Taylor: my mother’s maiden name

Mina Mackenzie

• Mina: (German) love, a short form of Wilhelmina (resolute leader) MEE-nah
• Mackenzie: my maternal great-grandmother’s maiden name (Valena Goldie Mackenzie)

Lydia Kelley "Liddy"

• Lydia: (Greek) from Lydia, an ancient land in Asia
• Kelley: my maternal great-grandmother’s maiden name (Katherine Kelley Taylor)

Rowan Elizabeth

• Rowan: (English) tree with red berries, (Welsh) a form of Rowena
• Elizabeth: my name, my aunt’s name, my grandmother’s name, and also Alan’s grandmother’s name.

Harper Lee

• This is the only name that I am taking whole from another source. Obviously, famous author of To Kill a Mockingbird. In all seriousness, someone on Y!A thought I didn’t already know that.

BOYS…

Jeremy Robert

• Jeremy: (English) a form of Jeremiah
• Robert: my late cousin’s name

Baxter Jonathan "Bax"

• Baxter: (English) a form of Baker
• Jonathan: Alan’s father’s middle name

Elliott William

• Elliott: (English) form of Eli, Elijah
• William: Alan’s father’s name. Also both of our grandfather’s names.

Beckett Zachary "Beck"

• Beckett: (English, Scandinavian) brook
• Zachary: Alan’s brother and uncle

Theodore James "Teddy" or "TJ"

• Theodore: (Greek) gift of God
• James: Alan’s maternal grandfather and great-grandfather (both James Peter Kastl)

Hunter Willis

• Hunter: (English) hunter
• Willis: my father’s name

Edward Richard "Eddie" or "Teddy"

• Edward: (English) prosperous guardian
• Richard: Alan’s paternal uncle. Also Zach’s middle name.

Griffin Reed "Grif"

• Griffin: (Latin) hooked nose
• Reed: my maternal grandfather’s middle name (William Reed Taylor)

And here’s my namesake rant. It’s very common on both sides of my family to use last names as first and middle names and to use name over and over with slight variations. My grandmother is Courtenay. My aunt is Courtenay Ann. My great-great grandmother was Courtenay Claire… and they really did use their middle names on a regular basis, just for clarity, so you knew who someone was talking about. Unfortunately, it means there are very few options. Elizabeth, Courtenay, Valena, and Katherine for the girls. William, Walter, Samuel, Addison, and Willis for the boys. A lot of those overlap with Alan’s family. So the next logical step would be to look at the odder middle and last names. Unfortunately, those seem to be ridiculously popular right now. Mackenzie, Taylor, Addison, Emmett, and Austin. It’s a little aggravating when I want to name my future kids after family members and all of a sudden those names are everywhere! It loses some of it’s specialness.

Anyway, like I said, I’d love to get people’s impressions of these names. Not just yea or nay, but what you would might expect these people to look like and be like.  Help is much appreciated.

~Liz