I know you want this. :-)

We’re not going to announce the name until the birth of our baby, but in the meantime I wanted to share our current options. Because it’s fun to help friends pick out baby names, I think!

Here are the stipulations:
1. In general, I love multi-syllable names and dislike one-syllable names. However, I’m sensitive to the fact that our last name is 3 syllables long, so I want to make sure the name doesn’t sound TOO long when said altogether. One way to get around this is to have a shorter nickname – i.e. from Elizabeth to Beth.
2. No names beginning with “B”. (Which knocks out Elizabeth/Beth. :-))
3. No names of immediate family members, though I do like the idea of honoring someone special in my family.
4. A name that’s recognizable, but not every-third-child popular. No weird spellings to make the name “unique”.

Here is our current list. I seem to have a thing for A names, though I promise not to name all my children starting with “A”. :-)
1. Analiese
(I really like this name when spoken, but I’m worried that it’s too hard to spell. Also, Paul’s sister is named Anna.)
2. Alison
3. Lilian (call her Lily)
(I like this name on multiple levels. For one, I think Lily fits really well with our last name. Two, my great-grandmother’s name was Lilian. Three, my mom’s name – “Susan” – means lily, so it would be honoring a very special woman. My biggest hesitation is that “Lily” is very popular these days – I feel like I’m always coming across girls named Lily.)
4. Caroline
(My grandmother’s middle name is Caroline, so this is a way of honoring her. Paul doesn’t like this name as much.)
5. Savannah
(I like this name a lot, but I’m concerned with it being too long with our last name, especially because it isn’t easily shortened.)
6. River
(I have to add this to the list because it’s Paul’s top choice. He *LOVES* the name River, and has for years and years. I like the name – for someone else’s child. He hasn’t convinced me yet.)
7. Zoey
(I named a dog we had for two months Zoey. Is that weird? I love the name. Perhaps we should add Kaylee and Inara to the list as well…)
8. Rachel
(This name means “ewe”. Our last name means “lamb” in Spanish. I think it’s kinda fun to have the meanings be the same. :-) Rachel is a very popular name, though, especially among Christians who name their kids biblical names. We’ve also thought about going with the Spanish variation – Raquel.)
9. Annabel
(I like this name, but Paul’s sister is named Anna.)
10. Elaine
(This isn’t a first-name option, but my and my mom’s middle names are Elaine so it would be fun to carry on the tradition. I’m not tied to it though – I’d consider it if I like how it flows with whatever first name we pick.)
11. Sparkleberry
(Just kidding!)
12. Abigail
(Another really popular name. Also, I don’t as much care for the nickname Abby, and the nickname + our last name don’t flow as well together – too many B’s right together. But, it’s a pretty name and it’s biblical!)
13. Natalie
(Natalie is a special name for me. It’s higher on the name rankings than Lily, but I haven’t heard it too often. But does that make it too popular?)
14. Rebekah
(I like this name and this spelling, but the common nickname Becky breaks our second stipulation. Also, Paul’s aunt is named Becky, which breaks our third stipulation, though I think we can get away with Rebekah.)
15. Amelia
(I love this name! But four syllables – is that too long?)

Okay that’s enough for now. I might add more to this list. Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?