Genie's Mailbag
Can't find your message? Some mail not answered by the Baby Name Genie is submitted to our community of baby namers for answering.
Becky in MI
If I name my baby girl Kirsten, I am concerned people will
mispronounce it continually. I like "Keersten" not "Kersten"
as the pronunciation. What do you think?
Baby Name Genie:
I prefer the pronunciation "Keersten." Friends and family will take their cue on how to pronounce her name from you. As for strangers, its not that big of a deal if they say her name slightly incorrectly. The upside to the name is that it could help her identify telemarketers more quickly (if they are still around in the year 2030).
Jami in KS
I think you should respond to more letters. I'm sure you
get tons of questions, but pregnant ladies are often moody and unreasonable
and can be down right frantic in their search of the perfect name. We need all
the help we can get...and you're so great at your job...help out more!
Now, what is a good middle name for a baby girl named Riley? My husband likes
Bay (or Bae) but I'm pretty sure that's an animal noise. Thank you.
(Please don't make me "eat a big piece of chocolate cake")
Baby Name Genie:
Do you even like chocolate cake? As long as your last name is not Townsend, Amanda will make a superb middle name for your baby girl. If your husband is stuck on the "ay" sound though, please use Rae instead of Bay, you'll be glad you did (By the way, on the animal sound thing on "Bay" is pretty obscure--unless you are confusing it with "bray").
Lori in MN
My husband and I are having a baby boy in Sept. and we are using the name
Ethan for his first name and I wanted to use Lyle for his middle name after my
grandpa. Our last name starts with a "K" so his initials will be ELK.
Is this too weird?
Baby Name Genie:
Too weird would be PIG, GUT, or GAS. With your baby being a boy, when he gets old enough to care, he is more likely to think ELK is a cool set of initials.
Michelle in Florida
I'm adopting a baby that I've been fostering. She is two months old
and has the same name as my dog, "Chloe" (a name I love). Every time I
say her name the dog comes running. I'm afraid at some point the baby
might get hurt. The dog won't understand a name change and I'm not
getting rid of her, so I'll be changing the baby's name. Her middle
name will be "de Hart". Any suggestions?
Baby Name Genie:
I have little sympathy for you since you broke the #1 rule in pet naming: "Never name your pet a name you want to name a future child." Nonetheless, I think you will find the name Nicole to be a suitable alternative.
Renee in Sydney,
Australia
I
have searched my baby name book of 750,000 names and cannot seem to find a
middle name for Chanel. I just want a nice middle name that sounds like
it's meant to go with Chanel. Thanks.
Baby Name Genie:
You must have skipped over the name Monroe -- Chanel Monroe. Sleep on it.
Ashley in IL
We are about to have a baby boy and decided on the name Sean but we have no
idea about the middle name. We were thinking about Michael but would want
something more original. Any ideas?
Baby Name Genie:
I assume when you say "original" you are not referring to supposedly "creative" spelling variations, gender neutralizations, or name mashups. Wesley goes nicely as a middle name... and its not overused--yet.
Rhianna in USA
Is the
name Haven Skylar Barclay a beautiful name?
Baby Name Genie:
Somehow, it seems, there is always someone somewhere who thinks something is beautiful. In this instance, I am not that someone.
Jessica in California
My husband and I chose the name Gabriel for our little
boy, but that is the end of agreement. He wishes for our sons full name to be:
Gabriel Knight Booth. He feels it is a strong name. I hear the name Knight and
I remember Jordan Knight from New Kids on the Block.... needless to say, I
can't handle that. Can you please help me find a middle name that my
husband and I agree on?
Baby Name Genie:
Here is a name your husband will agree has the right stuff: Gabriel Klayton Booth.
Kendra in Missouri
My baby boy is supposed to be born
in seven days and the name is still undecided! I am so stressed! We like the
name Matthew, but I also like the name Trey. I wanted the middle name to be
James though. Could I use the name Matthew Trey James Lewis. Or is that too
much? I don't want him to have a hard time in life because of the two
middle names.
Baby Name Genie:
Could you? Yes. Should you? No. But only because Trey James does not flow well. People don't have a hard time in life because of two middle names, its much more complicated than that. But even if it did make life hard, you can rest in the thought that adversity breeds character (Don't even think that gives you permission to name him Matthew Sue!).
Shari in Alabama
Can you please help me find a middle name for my first
child/son Ian? My baby is due in May. I relied on my husband to find a perfect
middle name. No luck so far. We both have a very active, creative, and unique
lifestyle. If you would incorporate that in the name. It will sure help the
headache that me and my husband have.
Baby Name Genie:
Try Tylenol for the headache and Koda for the middle name.
