DISCLAIMER: If any of your children are named any of the names I said we don't like in this post, I do apologize! I am sure your child is a wonderful example of that name and if I knew them personally I'd probably love the name and want to use it! ;)
OK, so we had decided to name the baby Gemma Veronica. It was all decided and we've been telling people that is the name [with some much less than enthusiastic responses too :( ].
Now I have decided that I don't really like the name Gemma.
This is just throwing everyone up in an uproar and I don't know why I feel this way really - I started reading the biography of St. Gemma and .. I hesitate to say this ... but I don't really like her much! Isn't that awful? But she's one of those Saints apparently who was "perfect" from birth and never struggled with sin or did anything wrong. I just ... I can't relate to that, you know? How hard is it to be a Saint if you never have to struggle with sin?!!!
DH says we *should* name the baby after her for sure then, because our children's personalities have been *eerily* like those of the Saints we dedicate them to and name them after!!! LOL! He says we could use a "perfect" child after having our little spit fire Angelica - who is JUST LIKE Mother Angelica - God bless her! LOL! [I know Mother Angelica is not yet a saint and is still living, but she's a great example of holiness and our "Angelica Helena's" actual patron Saint is St. Faustina - Helena Kowalska - who was also a spirited, though holy, child].
And now I'm all worried St. Gemma is gonna be angry with me, even though I know Saints aren't prideful & spiteful like that LOL!
I've also just been getting *really* negative responses about the name - nobody has said "Oh, I just love that" and many people are saying the opposite. I know it is my baby, but I don't want to name her something people hate either. And then I looked it up on the SS website and it isn't even in the top 1000 names - they have no record of it, which means it is a pretty "out there" name... I don't want her in the top 10 of names, but I don't want her having a "weirdo" name either.... and several people have said that it sounds like the name "Jenna", which I despise with great passion. LOL!
We really can't agree on any name now. We have the guidelines set that all of our daughters have been named after Saints/holy people and all their names end in "a". That narrows the field quite a lot - maybe we wouldn't have done this if we'd known we'd have FIVE daughters, but we don't want to change it now and have this one daughter be completely different from her sisters.
I really like "Francesca" but my husband doesn't love it and Monkey1 hates it. I am thinking of giving in on "Veronica" as the first name, but my mom has been VERY negative and opinionated on that name - she despises it. [It kind of makes me annoyed that she's so opinionated about what we name our kids actually - SHE already got to name her stinking kids! LOL!]
"Katerina" has been thrown out [for St. Catherine of Siena] and I like that but again, not sure how "weird" it is. We all really like "Juliana" but we already have a "Julia" in the family, so we don't feel "allowed" to use that one.
Monkey1 and I like "Josephina" but we don't really like the english pronunciation.... and DH doesn't like it pronounced either way LOL!
Everyone has decided they don't really want "Magdalena".
DH wants "Michaela" but I despise that name too - I really can't stand it, though I love the name "Michael" so this makes no sense to my DH. I'd consider "Raphaela" but he won't. LOL!
ARGH.
I feel all in a panic now because we will probably be having this baby in the next 9-11 weeks - we need a name!
Also, I am feeling almost superstitious about "changing" the name - I've even been praying for the baby using the name "Gemma". My grandmother always said that if you changed a dog's name it would die - and I know that is A) not true and B) superstitious and trusting to other things besides the Lord, but it is still scaring me for some reason.
Ideas? Suggestions?
Oh, and here are the names we've already used or that family members have used or that multiple friends have used to the point that we aren't able to use these:
Maria
Julia
Cecilia
Teresa
Helena
Samantha
Angelica
Isabella
Gabriella
Christina
Gianna
Clara
Also, these are the Saint "a" names that DH has vetoed outright:
Perpetua
Faustina
Philomena
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16 comments:
I *love* the name Gemma.
I think the thing to do when naming your baby is run it past one or two trusted friends just to make sure it doesn't rhyme with something horrible you hadn't thought of, then keep it to yourself. My mother said very bad things about Mira's name when I told her, and I decided she would be the last person I'd tell until after Mira was here. People are much more likely to like a name, and much less likely to malign it, once it's given to a child who is already here.
Katerina is lovely. I don't think it's weird at all. As for Julia, how close is the relative with that name? When I was born, my parents named me, despite a cousin of mom's recently naming a daughter "Kristi", I named my fourth child the same thing a cousin named his daughter (I haven't seen her since 2000, so I didn't think it would be a big deal) and my sister named one of her daughters after a cousin of ours, so I think closeness of relatives could make a difference here. And lastly, is Raphaela in the top 1000 names? I know you already discounted it, but I'd have a hard time believing that many of the names you've been considering are in the top 1000, so who cares? In fact, that would make me MORE likely to use a name. Although, the m's in Gemma and its similarity to Jenna would make people get it wrong constantly, (even in typing this, I mixed up the m's and n's on the keyboard) and that's a strike against it. I used a more traditional spelling for one of my children, and she'll be fighting it her whole life. Although I prefer what I chose, it would be easier for her if I'd just gone with the flow.
My vote's for Katerina! Or what about Katrina? Oooo, hurricane. Nevermind.
We didn't name Nathaniel until he was born -- we had about 3 different names in the "running" and didn't decide until we saw his little face. Colin & Lydia we both named before their birth -- and, hey, there's always Lydia -- it meets your ending in "A" criteria, it's a bible name - she was the first named female Christian convert and was supposedly wealthy as she was was a merchant who sold purple dye (very expensive back then.)
I do agree that other people's opinions about naming your children is tiresome! My mom was the same way and VERY vocal about our choices, which is why I didn't tell her until after the fact with Nate & Lydia - even though she had PLENTY of opinions about what we should name them!
I'd let it go a little bit - your babe will have a name and I know it'll be lovely. Relax on it for a bit and let it flow . . . God will whisper the right name to you!
oh! faustina *and* philomena are both names i considered! but you already know that if charlie turned out to be a girl...he'd of been "gianna" which you "cant use"!!
some of these "i like" and some "you may like" - forgive me if i offer one you've already discounted!
[pulling from a saints' name book]
Emma
Erika
Veronica [instead of a middle...]
Michaela [trendy, yet meaningful]
Emilia
dorothea [hey, i said "*you* may like them!! lol]
dorinda
dominica
Davita
Rita
Clementina
Crispina [martyred, married w/children - even mentioned by st. augustine]
Clara
Clarissa
Carlotta [could use after JPII]
Lolita
natalia
Gita [variation of St. Brigid]
Benedicta [hey, pope benny!!]
benita [variation of benedict]
Thomasina [oh, i think this is a cute name!]
theresa [;o)]
stephana [st. stephen - first martyr -- could call her stephie or stephanie]
SOPHIA [:O)]
PAULA OR PAULINA
olivia
nicola
natasha
monica [bam! - powerful!]
Melania [means 'black haired'...eh, not for you!]
matilda
mattea [female of st. matthew]
martina
marta
mariana
maria
marietta
marisa [last four...variations of our lady]
marina
magdelena [this was one of my names...maggie for short]
lena
louisa
lucia
lucinda
leona
leonora
laura
loretta
justina
okay - i have to get dinner on the table...i'll be back [hey! Arnolda!!]
Hi. I am glad to have found you again! We used to be on Crunchy Catholic Mammas together. Congratulations on your baby, I am praying for you.
I have a list of St. names for you: Victoria, Priscilla, Kiara, Ava, Sarah, Deborah, Martha, Anna, Joanna, Natalia, Antonia, Monica, Sofia (feast day Aug 1st) and Emma. I love Emma, and it is close to Gemma, maybe she won't mind!
Oh, and you could always give a nod to St. Dymphna, the patron saint of mental illness :)
also, and this *just* dawned on me. i know i mentioned "Paulina" - and this is a Jubilee year...St. Paul's year!! i thought that was neat :o)
I sure like the suggestion of Paulina! My niece, Polly is awesome!
I'm partial to Katrina, of course (sister, daughter named after sister)
But I think the MOST perfect name for your new girl could be:
Mariella (I spell it with one "L" but you could use two)
That's my Mari (pronounced "Mah-ree")
Everyone LOVES it (I've NEVER had anyone give a funny look or say anything bad about it. They mostly sigh and say how pretty it is). It's weird enough to be not repeated. It's got no certain ethnicity attatched to it (it sounds sort of Latin-America-ish but could actually be Greek), and it sounds pretty when you say it. Also, it is a version of Mary (MY version anyway), and it has no negative connotation because I'm sure you don't know anyone with that name? It goes lovely with Veronica.
Mariella Veronica
Yep, that's a purdy name alright!
I agree with your thinking about how you can't really relate to that particular saint (Gemma). I named a few of my children lots and lots of times (tried them out in prayer, like you did) before I settled on the perfect name. Mariella sounds like it could be the name of the GIRL archangel (if there were one).
I think whatever your heart chooses, you SHOULD keep it to yourself until AFTER her name is on the birth certificate and when people ask you what her name is? You should blurt it out with pride. Trust me, no one will criticize your final choice (in front of you, anyway) and it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.
They all sound like a bunch of buttheads.
I knew a nun named Gemma so for me, I think of a roly-poly nun lady when I hear that name. If I knew a little baby girl with that name...I'd think of the little girl and not that nun.
SO...
Katrina Juliana
Mariella Veronica
Katerina Maria
Mariella Cecilia
Paulina Lucia
Laura Maria (heehee, that's MY name!)
or Gemma Veronica
she'll be a beautiful baby with a big ol' head that everyone will love no matter what you decide!
Love your good pal,
Laura Maria (mother of 5 big-headed babies and one normal size- headed baby girl named Mariela Katherine)
We have the same issues about names here. Hubby alwasy teaszes me with names that we would NEVER name our child and I beat my head against the wall stressing. But we have always changed our minds. We would tell everyone a name and then when the baby is born it would be completely different. So no bad mojo there!
One thing I want to tell you. When I had my first we were set on Emma. I loved that name (still do) but I let some people talk me out of it. I regret it to this day. I think my eldest looks like an Emma. But I chickened out. So if you really like the name Gemma then you shouls name her Gemma. It is a lovely name and it will be all hers.
Oh, more big headed babies... so glad I am not the only one!!
Here are the ones I found at Catholic.com that fit your criteria. I love looking up baby names:
Alena
Adela
Adelina
anastasia
Anysia
Aurea
Antonia (I know, it's St. Anthony, but . . .)
Eudocia
Eva
Flavia
Kennera
Kiara
Lelia
Marcella
Modesta
Bl. Olivia
Patricia
Rasalia
Sabela
Sara
Seraphina
Sophia
Tabitha
Tatiana
Ursula
Valeria
victoria
Zita
I dothing Gemma Veronica is very pretty, and I also like Veronica as a first name. She's my oldest daughter's confirmation saint.
As an afterthought on family names, my husband has three brothers named Jose. We also have at least five nephews named Jose, and more named Jesus. I think we're the only family without a Maria.
Perhaps you could use Gemma as a middle name if you have decided against it for a first name, since you said you have already been referring to the baby with that name. There have already been so many names suggested to you, so I will decline from giving you another list. But, of course, Lisa is a wonderful name. LOL!! My daughter's name is Katharine, but if I ever had another girl, my next name choice was Julianna. Good luck with it! It is so hard sometimes!
I thought that Gemma was cute because it's close to gamma! It reminds me more of Emma than Jenna (which I also hate!). I'm not really up on my saint names but I read over the lists that others have posted and my top picks would be Natalia, Nicola, and Mattea. I also like the idea of Paulina but calling her Polly. Polly is just adorable!
I'm sure something will click. When I was pregnant I prayed and told God that He already knew my baby's name to please just let me know so that I wouldn't agonize. Then my little boy's name just came to my husband one day at work and we knew that was it. I'm sure that you guys will pick the exact right name!
Felicity?
Monica?
Joanna?
When I was pregnant with my now 15 yr old daughter, we told family that if it was a girl, her name would be Rio Vienna. My mother hated the name & told us so. One day she snapped "What if I call her sh*t-head?" My response? "You'll still love that little sh*t-head."
And yes, we did name her Rio Vienna. A lot of people have been very enthusiastic about her name. There have been a few "Oh- that's different", but not many. Today, I (& my extended family) couldn't imagine her with any other name. It fits her & she likes it. After all- I have my own "babbling brook"! :)
So follow your heart & don't worry about what everyone else thinks. They'll love her no matter her name.
don't worry about what others think - IMO, not even your dd. it's your baby, you carried her for 9 mo, you're resposible for her soul, so YOU get to choose. period! i like both Gemma and Veronica and it'll grow on those who so-called 'hate' them!
and you've been really quite. what have you been thinking?
what about graciela?
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