We think we have names. We're trying them out (talking to the babies and just saying them over and over) before announcing them to the world, but I figured I'd go ahead and start using them here as part of that process. It's been 2 days, after all, and I think we're good.
Itsy=Atticus Lawrence
Bitsy=Damien Elliot
Lawrence is my father-in-law's name. He goes by Larry. I'm not overly fond of the name, but my husband wants to use it (especially since neither of his nephews is any way named after his dad), so of course that trumps all. And it's not an awful name, I just don't like it with my husband's last name (which sounds like, but is not, 'Lame').
We're using my husband's last name instead of mine, because mine is long, ugly, and always misspelled. Seriously always misspelled. It ends in -son and more than half the time gets -sen. Including, which drives me fucking nuts, on half of my school records. I kept my name for career purposes, and also because we went to Jamaica for our honeymoon and I didn't want to worry over the logistics of a name-change and a passport, and then when we got back, well, driver's licence, social security, car, house, etc. Easier to just keep it, even though I've never really loved it.
I do love our boys' names, though. We wanted names that were not extremely common but also not weird, names that could be pronounced in French and English, names that sounded good together but not matchy, and names that we felt they could grow up.
Atticus was originally a middle name, in my mind. After Atticus Finch, of course. I simply cannot imagine a better role-model, and To Kill a Mockingbird just might be my favorite book ever. (Might. I do have many favorites, but it's always consistently in the running.) But the more we said it, the more we liked it. It turns out that Atticus has been in the top 1000 names since 2004, and is currently at about 550. So he won't be the only one. And most people have heard of it (from the book or movie), so I don't think it will get a "ummm, ok, whatever" response. We think it might be a touch nerdy, but we don't think it's a name an athlete could never have. We think he might get called "Atty" when he's little (probably not by us), but that's pretty neutral.
Damien carries a bit of the "devil child" stigma. But we love it anyway. I've never actually seen the movie--I just know he's the devil's kid and thus, presumably, is very naughty. But it's a pretty popular name (70s in the Social Security rankings), and I can think of several famous Damiens (including the awesome musician, Damien Rice), so it's not like we're actually naming him Lucifer or Satan. And it's such a pretty name. In fact, if it weren't for the evil connotations, I might think it was a touch girly.
Elliot is just a name we both like and think flows well. We tried, for a while, to come up with middle names to honor my step-father, but we eventually gave up. In no small part because he hates his own name (and I actually really love it) and always tells people it's something different, and goes by his initials anyway. So we figured, in the end, that it was ok. And also, my step-brother and sister-in-law are having a boy and won't be sharing his name, and it's likely he'll be named after my step-dad (and let's hope, because when they were pregnant last time, they said after the birth that had she been a girl, they would have given her my husband's name, which is also my SIL's dad's name, and I just really hate that, because although it's clearly after her dad, it's my husband who is in our family and would be sharing the name).
Anyway.
We talked about waiting until they're born to assign the names to each baby, but part of the joy of having names is using them. And Damien, my little kicker, my speed-grower, just seems to fit Bitsy, whereas Itsy, my little fighter, my measuring-behind, my almost-no-heartbeat but then BOOM--heartbeat, never looking back, and will be first-born if vaginal, well, that's clearly Atticus, fighting the good fight and leading the way.
I love my little frat boys so very much. And I want them to stay safe inside for a while yet, but I'm so very much looking forward to holding Damien and Atticus in my arms.
10 comments:
Ooh I love Atticus! Great choice and definitely a great character.
Great choice in names :) Different and lovely. We have names picked and I thought about waiting until the baby is born for everyone to know, but I really don't think I want to wait. So once we find out the gender in December, we'll announce it. Plus, I think assigning names earlier on and talking to the babies using their names is so special :)
i love atticus!!! and i of course love Elliot. that's my sons name except with two t's on the end. Very distinguished names you've chosen.
Isn't it fun to start talking names once you find out the genders? Matt and I have been talking non-stop since we found out about names. We have one nailed down but the other one is still "up in the air." We are having fun talking and are excited to name them once and for all so we can start calling them by their names! Love the names you chose BTW!!
I'm a huge huge huge name nerd so I am really excited to read a name post, especially one with such thoughtful, nice names!
Our eldest is named after the protagonist of my favorite book (or one of them, anyway). Like Atticus, it's a name that is intensely associated with that book (and rightfully so, as the book dragged the name out of medieval obscurity). We've taken lots of pictures of him with the enormous tome as a size reference as he got bigger, so I think you should definitely get a nice copy of TKAM for the nursery.
I really like that you have two very nicely coordinated, consistent names that nontheless avoid twin matchiness of the sort that many people go in for but that irritates me greatly (http://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/twins.html)
Atticus is a name I hear fairly often in these parts on playgrounds (and yes, often shortened to Atty), so I think it's one of those names that has a lot of regional variation -- in some areas it'll be really unusual and in other areas it's very on-trend. I definitely don't think you should worry about the weirdness of the name, and think it's a perfectly nice first name choice!
Damon/Damian/Damien is my brother's favorite name of all time, and I'm hoping that his name tastes don't change too much so I can enjoy a nephew by this name sometime in the future.
(And if you buy that Damien has the same origins as Damon, it as a really nice meaningful backstory too! When I looked it up in my Oxford Dictionary of First Names for my brother, I got:
Damon -- From a classical Greek name, a derivative of daman 'to tame', 'to subdue' (often a euphemism for 'kill'). This was made famous in antiquity by the story of Damon and Pythias. In the early 4th century BC Pythias was condemned to death by Dionysius, ruler of Syracuse. His friend Damon offered to stand surety for him, and took his place in the condemned cell while Pythias put his affairs in order. When Pythias duly returned to be executed, rather than absconding and leaving his friend to his fate, Dionysius was so impressed by the trust and friendship of the two young men that he pardoned both of them. The name was not used in the early centuries of the Christian era or during the Middle Ages. Its modern use dates from the 1930s and is due at least in part to the fame of the American short-story writer Damon Runyon (1884–1946). It is sometimes taken as a variant of Damian.")
Love the names, especially Atticus. What a great role model : )
Lovely choice of names! I am so impressed (and envious) that you and your hubby have been able to make a decision with names. Myself and hubby cannot agree on ANY names and it's beginning to frustrate me..I think we will end up with a nameless child at this rate!!
I love your name choices. We decided pretty much right after we found out genders what names we are going to use. I call the boys by their names all the time (27w), it helps me feel a bit more connected to them.
I think both of your name choices sound very distinguished.
I love the names. Very different. There are a few Damiens around here, but I've never heard of an Atticus outside of TKAM. Probably because I'm not down South, and I always thought it was a Southern name :)
I had one boy name and one girl name chosen, but when we found out we were having twin boys I was at a loss for the second one. I let my husband come up with a list. Names are so difficult! But fun, too :)
Those are both really nice names. Plus, you have such lovely stories about them.
Can you believe that it took one of my friends 6 weeks AFTER her baby's birth to name her? Definitely NOT an IF baby (it was a whooops baby!).
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