Reader Nicole already has a daughter with a beautiful name, Malin Rose. But she was stuck on a few finalists for her soon-to-be baby, and the clock was ticking:
I'm due in less than 2 weeks and we don't know if its a boy or girl and are struggling choosing a name this time. Here is our short list of names:
BoysGrayson JamesKai MagnusMason Walter
GirlsKendall EvaSamara MaeScarlett Mae
What do you like?
I'm loving Nicole's taste in names—Malin Rose is super cute (Malin is a unisex name that means either little warrior or tower). While I think any of the names she picked would be great, my favorites were Grayson James and Scarlett Mae.
On the boy front, I felt that Mason is too popular right now, and also too close in sound to Malin—Grayson is a little more unexpected, and while it has the two-syllable, end-in-n thing going, it's different enough that she won't always mix the two names up. I do like the multicultural mashup of Kai and Magnus, but for me, Grayson James was the winner.
As for the girls' names, I'm a big Gone With the Wind fan, so Scarlett as always been on my love-it list. Samara is pretty, but ever since it was used for the ubercreepy little girl in The Ring, I haven't been able to get behind it as a name for a kid. And to me, Kendall always feels like a name for a kid who's a little stuck up (maybe because Sarah Michelle Gellar played her on the snotty/whiny side on All My Children?).
What do you think of Nicole's picks? Do you agree with my picks—or should Nicole go another way?
And if YOU have a baby name dilemma, don't be shy—send it to me at lamilbrand@gmail.com, and I'll be happy to weigh in with a little guidance. And like In Name Only on Facebook to keep up with the latest in baby names!