Update (and photo) on Baby Girl or Boy Garrett-with-a-B ..read more

Hi Swistle! I am a long-time reader, first-time name-help-seeker. We have two kids, @lice and H@rvey. My older child @lice is five years old and has been pretty insistent about not being a girl since age three. We have been following @lice’s lead and using she/her pronouns but always saying “kid” instead of “girl,” etc. It was never clear to me if @lice is trans or nonbinary or something else, but over the weekend he finally told us that he is a boy and wants to use he/him pronouns. I am fully supportive of this, although I am terrified given the political climate in our state and the fact th ..read more

Update on Baby Boy Molina Maplepines ..read more

What sister names would you suggest for a Gemma? The Baby Name Wizard says Zara, Chloe, Gillian, Felicity, Fiona, Isla. But I wouldn’t go with Chloe: too big a popularity gap. And I wouldn’t go with Gillian: it feels to me like a very different style. I think Felicity sounds too light and tripsy with Gemma: the contrast gives Gemma an unearned stodgy feel. I might think the same about Isla and its lack of strong consonants. I think Fiona works. I’m undecided about Zara. It could be perfect: if Gemma was chosen because the parents like Emma but found it too popular, Zara could be considered the ..read more

Commenter ErinInSoCal had a good idea for a post. She commented on the post asking how much it bothers us to correct a mispronounced name, saying her daughter Beatrix is often called Beatrice, and her daughter’s nickname Bea (BEE-uh) is almost exclusively mispronounced Bee. Then she added: Oh well, she’s turning 18 soon and going off to college, so she has the chance to reinvent her name if need be! (Which, btw Swistle, could be another interesting thread — who started using a different version of their name when they moved/went to college/started a new job?)   Oh, I am SO interested to ..read more

Update on Baby Girl Raiserhöffer: Finding a Name that Works in Germany and the United States ..read more

Commenter Jaida had a fun idea for a post: I wonder if Swistle has ever done a reader poll to see how many readers have difficult-to-pronounce names and how much it bothers them to have to correct people. It seems like something we all worry a lot about as namers but my own experience is that mispronunciation causes a brief moment of embarrassment/correction and then everyone moves on and there is one more person in the world that knows how to pronounce the name (no shade to anyone more affected by it, I just hope it doesn’t prevent someone from using a name they love!)   There are two ..read more

Update on Baby Girl Beach: Finding Balance in a Name ..read more

We’re a French American couple and both like the name Salomé. As accents cannot be printed on most documents, we’re concerned about whether people will be familiar with the name or get it wrong all the time. We’re also wondering the pronunciations we can expect without the accent? Thank you all.   Oh! This is especially fun because I am only slightly familiar with the name: I have never encountered a Salomé in person, or in a way where I would have heard it pronounced (e.g., on a character in a television show). Before I look it up, I will make note of my first guesses. I know it makes ..read more

Update on Baby Girl Bailey, Sister to Oswald and Reuben ..read more