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Baby names

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Original poster

Determined not to have nameless baby, please help! (Eve or Evie?)

36 replies

pobletsmum · 09/02/2008 20:18

DH and I are struggling to find a name for our 2nd child, due on wednesday.

We both like Eve, but I don't think it works with our choice of middle name, May, and our 1 syllable surname ie. 'Eve May xxxxx'. I think it's all too '1-syllablish'! DH can't see a problem with this.

We also quite like Evie, which goes much better with May and surname ie. 'Evie May xxxxx'. However, we prefer Eve, because it can be changed to Evie while baby is little, if we like, whereas I think we're less likely to ever be able to change Evie to Eve.

So... please tell me what you think of the '1-syllableness'/lack of flow for 'Eve May xxxxx', whether you think 'Evie' is ever shortened to 'Eve', and failing all else, can anyone think of a different, pretty, multisyllabic middle name that does go with 'Eve'? (although I would be very reluctant not to use 'May', which is a family name).

Thanks!

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Original poster
pobletsmum · 11/02/2008 08:55

Thanks everyone for your feedback. I think I'm veering towards 'Eve (another name) May xxxxx'. I don't want to change May because it has been passed down the family (eldest daughter) for generations, and I like it. I didn't really want to add a 2nd middle name, because I have 2 middle names and always wished I only had one. However, I'm still not sure about 'Eve May xxxxx'. I can see the debate (between DH & myself) carrying on after the baby is born...

stanleysmother - I agree about the 1 syllable 1st and last names - ironically DS' name is only 1 syllable and sounds great! His middle name is longer though, so flows well when we say his full name.

OP posts:
CalifrauQuoteoftheWeek · 10/02/2008 18:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ConnieDescending · 10/02/2008 18:18

I think Eve is a lovely name, Evie will always be a nickname imo. Totally agree that the 'flow' of Eve May is wrong and if you dont' like longer versions of Eve (what about Evangeline btw????) then why not change the middle name instead???

You could have Eve Maya, Eve Mya, etc or you could add another mn to improve the flow e.g. Eve Olivia May, Eve Matilda May, Eve Elizabeth May, Eve Jessica May etc etc

stanleysmother · 10/02/2008 10:13

I think that the amount of times she would go around using her middle name is so limited it doesn't really matter and 1 syllable names for first and surnames sounds great... it works for Kate Moss and I bet she got called Katie when she was a kid!

cleaninglady · 10/02/2008 10:07

Understand about the "one-syllable-ness"
so Evie May sounds better when said out loud although I prefer Eve as the first name !!
My GD is Eve Annabelle which flows nicely but gets called Evie all the time!

pigleychez · 10/02/2008 09:20

I prefer Eve.

Im a Nursery teacher and know so many Evie but not one Eve.

Eve May is a lovely name.

Plus like others have said its not often your middle name is used. I hardly ever use mine.

lennygrrl · 09/02/2008 21:15

Message withdrawn

Heated · 09/02/2008 21:15

If you like the flexibility of Eve, with Evie as the likely nn, then go for it.

Eve May does sound lovely imo. The only other realistic alternative I can think of is, could you go for a variant on the mn? E.g. Maia/Mabel instead of May or even have 2 mns, Evie ..... May?

Original poster
pobletsmum · 09/02/2008 21:08

That's the thing lennygrrl - if we're going to use Evie, we might as well use it from the start (getting away from the string of single syllables), although I'm not sure she could shorten to Eve when older if named Evie.

Heated & Maverick - we'll definitely stick with either Eve or Evie - we just aren't keen on the longer versions.

Why oh why is it so difficult to decide?

OP posts:
lennygrrl · 09/02/2008 20:56

Message withdrawn

Maverick010506 · 09/02/2008 20:53

My daughter is called Evelyn (emphasis on Ev and not Eve). We shorten her name to Evy (although we really liked Evie before she was born!) I think Evie May is lovely..... so too is Evelyn May... Lots of people thought she was called Evelyn (Eve-Lyn) before we corrected them! but we could just have easily called her Evy as we nearly always use the shortened version of her name.

Heated · 09/02/2008 20:44

Evelyn, Genevieve, Genevra, Vivienne...

Can all be shortened to Evie or just go with Evie!

alfiesbabe · 09/02/2008 20:44

Oh i know - alfie, millie and ellie are up there too in the top 20. But it doesnt change the fact that they're abbreviations.

suwoo · 09/02/2008 20:44

Evie is very 'now', don't know if this is a factor for you? I love the name Evie, it was to be DS middle name, had he been a girl.

Original poster
pobletsmum · 09/02/2008 20:37

This is really helping thanks.

Not keen on Evelyn; DH doesn't like Eva.

I agree neolara that 'Evie May' is gorgeous, but worry about what themildmanneredjanitor said about it being cute for a baby, hence wondering about shortening when baby grows up (but think Eve isn't an automatic shortening of Evie, somehow). The silly thing is that as a baby, we will almost definitely call her 'Evie' anyway.

Alfiesbabe - not sure about Evie not being a proper name - it's among the top 20 or so names for girls for 2007.

As for the syllables, most of you seem to be siding with DH about it not mattering (glad you agree with me myotherpersonality ). I suppose what I'm thinking about is that the first time we tell everyone DD's name, we'll be telling them all 3 names, so people will notice/remember if it sounds odd.

Now watch me have a son, not the daughter I'm expecting! (We have boy's name sussed!)

OP posts:
noonar · 09/02/2008 20:35

i much prefer evie. i also think that a 1 syllable name and surname can sound a bit 'abrupt' iyswim. never mind the middle name- i think a 2nd syllable would sound better.

dh has a popular name that is often abbreviated, but when using his surname too, he uses the longer version of his name, as it flows better. for example, i think david smith sounds better than dave smith. (thats not dh's name- though- just a very bad example!)

Lauriefairycake · 09/02/2008 20:35

I love Eve and Evie (I want to call my daughter Evie Grace). I think they both go with May but there is obviously a tiny possibility of getting the piss taken with Eve May - kids chanting "Eve May" as in Eve does........

Ava May would also be lovely

PortAndLemon · 09/02/2008 20:32

Ah, right -- you mean Evil-Lyn!

That's impressively obscure...

Sidge · 09/02/2008 20:31

I prefer Eve to Evie but Eva May flows better.

My granny is called Evelyn, so even though I think it's a pretty name it has old lady connotations for me! (sorry)

I also like Eve Alice and Eve Elizabeth.

PortAndLemon · 09/02/2008 20:29

I don't think so (more than you ever wanted to know about He-Man).

MyOtherPersonalityIsTheSaneOne · 09/02/2008 20:28

Hope nobody noticed the inane comment(s)

NutterlyUts · 09/02/2008 20:27

Another vote for Evelyn May here

MyOtherPersonalityIsTheSaneOne · 09/02/2008 20:26

Yeah but Evelyn - wasn't she a character in He-Man?

Aero · 09/02/2008 20:26

Eva May sounds nice. My nice is Eva and I love the name. I like Evie too though. People grow into their names, so I wouldn't worry too much about it not seeming a suitable grown up name. I know an Evie who's about 70. It suits her fine, and believe me, she's a strong woman indeed.

MyOtherPersonalityIsTheSaneOne · 09/02/2008 20:25

Erm...i agree with the OP about the syllables, sorry. But then that's why DD3 has got two middle names! And DD1 and 2 have none. DH also has no middle name and his first name is 1 syllable.