Aargh! Names are a nightmare!

[StorFetHamster]

Need names last time we didn't decide until a day after she was born (on he first day we called her Chub!) and eventually settled in a name when she was two days old! DS and his names were decided until the day he was born, when we both instantly decided on another name on the list. We are BAD at naming babies

We don't know about sex (our first time not knowing, and I feel like I really, really need to know and all of that but another part wants to find out at the birth!)

DS is Benjamin Alexander (Benjy is his current nickname but probably when he's older and starts school it'll end up as Ben, DH sometimes calls him that already). Both common names, which we liked, popular and definitely not unique. Thankfully no known Benjamins which surprised us a lot actually, we thought it'd be common!

DD is Susannah Emily Aurora. I personal,y didn't choose Aurora- my beautiful friend had died two days before her birth, and her eyes,mat birth, looked so similar and I didn't want it as a first name (too princessy) but thought I'd love to honour her. DD is nicknamed Susie.

Boy names we like-
Isaiah (love this name loads!)
Evan
Zakris (Swedish)
Xander
Nathaniel
Kit (need suggestion for full names which aren't Christopher!)
Noah
Theodore (Theo)
Niall
Henrik (we are Swedish)
Finnvid (nn Finn, Swedish)
Finn (Fnnegan?)
Torfinn (Swedish)
Ivo (Swedish)
Lukaz (Swedish)

Girls list is a lot shorter- promise!
Phoebe
Emilia
Hanna (Swedish spelling)
Leija
Eve
Jessica
Kitty

SORRY for the long list. We think some names (Eve, Jessica, Emilia, Finn, theo, Noah) are very popular- do you care aout how popular the nameis?

Lovely list, my favourites are Emilia and Isaiah.
I think all of your Swedish names will work in the uk, if you are uk based.

My daughter is named one of the popular names that you mention and we've not met another one yet. My friend named her daughter something a lot less common and we now know 3 of them . She purposefully didn't choose something in the top ten...

I love Henrik, Ivo, Torfinn. I think: Henrik Ivo Theodore and Torfinn Zakris have a nice ring to them. Shame I'm not Swedish....

I alway s struggle with girls names and none of the above are jumping out at me.

I think you've got lovely taste in names and I'm sure from what you've said even if you do choose a final name for both boy and girl, you may well change your mind when you meet your baby .

However, just a thought, but as lovely as Hanna and Emilia are, I hear Hanna - Susannah and Emily - Emilia. Same with Xander - too close to ALexander. (altho maybe why you like them so much!)

Ben and Susannah = lovely, so I'm going to try to choose ones that are as nice!

Isaiah - ok
Evan - no
Zakris - sounds v 'foreign' compared to the other two
Xander - no
Nathaniel - ok
Kit (need suggestion for full names which aren't Christopher!) Like Kit as nn for Christopher but not sure what else
Noah - like
Theodore (Theo) -like
Niall - don't like
Henrik (we are Swedish) -ok
Finnvid (nn Finn, Swedish) - no
Finn (Fnnegan?) - no
Torfinn (Swedish) - no
Ivo (Swedish) ok
Lukaz (Swedish) ok but much prefer Lucas

Girls list is a lot shorter- promise!
Phoebe - no
Emilia - no
Hanna (Swedish spelling) - yes but not with Susannah
Leija - no
Eve - ok
Jessica - fine
Kitty - love it as nn but not as given name

My vote therefore =

Noah Henrik Ivo for a boy and Catherine (nn Kitty) Hana for a girl.

all lovely names, Id personally go for Ivo and Emilia, I think they go well with Benjamin and Susannah

From ur lists I love Henrik (although I've probably watched too much Holby City and that's why I love it!) and Phoebe :)

I think that as ur other 2 DC have British sounding names it may be nice to keep all 3 the same? In which case I'd choose Noah over Henrik,as Henrik is an obviously Swedish name but if ur really not bothered then I'd definitely choose Henrik! Noah is slowly becoming popular now (here in the UK anyway) but not so much that it would put personally put me off choosing that name (i dont like using popular/common names that i hear everywhere i go!) so its a good choice if u want something English sounding :) xx

First of all- thanks to everyone for the amazing, detailed and super quick responses.

To Iseeall currently are UK based (in Orkney, DH is from there) but are moving to an as yet unknown Scandinavian country (work- which has places in nearly all Scandi countries but nowhere else so we have to move...) but are moving in seven months! Also, thanks. DH suggested Emilia, so he's happy, and the name is growing on me however it's very likely that, if made redundant for example, we would move back- we are moving for the job more than anything.

Blast Thanks. Is Kitty too much nicknamey and would a name like Katarin (Swedish) or an English full name work better with that as a nickname? Or do you think it works fine as a full name? Sorry, I'm a real worrier! Yes, pronounced Leia. Thanks, I think it's pretty (DH thinks it might be too girly however/princessy?) also, get the reasons. So far,Ben isn't as popular as we thought, but we, at the time, considered Josh and have met six in one year group, so tbh, sometimes if a name is too popular I can see it, but sometimes I'm dithering over whether a name which is more unusual is better than a more common name if ever other kid is called that?

Also, BNmum we haven't really considered combos yet but I really love both combinations, love Henrik Ivo Theodore loads and DH loves Thorfinn Zakris

daisy yes, that's the problem! But, tbh, it might be because our names just wasn't good before, so really we want to cut them down to find a great one....and have some great alternatives too if we see the baby and suddenly think the name doesn't work, ifyswim? Hoping MN will give us guidance so the name will, this time, work! And thanks for the compliment. Sadly, this doesn't extend to animals sorry Lulu the tarantula but hey! I think you're write- I'm picking names which are very similar to my current ones. I think I could do Emilia possibly, because of having more than one middle name, but Xander is very close and MIL occasionally calls DS Sandy and Alexander (no tradition of it- guess she doesn't like Benjamin!) so I guess it's definitely food for thought! Hanna is VERY similar to Susannah, I agree. Well, my list is being pruned.

I like Noah Henrik Ivo. I think it flows very well, with all the different sounds, and has an English first name (but Noah is also used sometimes in Sweden so isn't too uncommon if we ever move!) and the more English sound of it makes it sound better with the foreign sounding second names. Also love Catherine Hana (but we like Hanna quite a lot too, so many variants of the name and I think I'm being too fussy). Worried that Catherine might become Cathy (which I don't like) but think Cath or Kate might also be nicknames if she wants to when she's an adult, so it's a great name. I think the sound of it is very beautiful too.

Oops, xposted.

Thanks idiot55 I think they contrast with the sounds of the ither names ifyswim? But as I mentioned above, Emilia/Emily might be too close?

MummyBurrows yes, we wondered about Holby. Although I like him in it quite bit (and yes I cried when Tara died ) it isn't my main reason for it. Thought Henry could be a cute nickname for him possibly, but I prefer Henrik as a full name.

I get your point- Henrik is very foreign sounding, and it sticks out from my other DC, which is a worry. I think Noah is a nice alternative, but will have to talk a bit more about the Swedish names 'sticking out' although if we move the other DC will stick out (although Susannah can be used in Sweden and other Scandinavian countries) and if it doesn't work as a sibling set

I cried when Tara died too! (Is it wrong that next week I'm still hoping there's been a mistake and she will wake up!?)

Henry would make a lovely nn for Henrik and if u ended up moving back here then he would probably get called Henry all the time by his friends and peers so it won't matter too much that his name would be Swedish :) I also think that while some people-parents rather than kids- may think of Mr Hanssen when they hear the name Henrik it certainly won't be an association that will last,plus it would only be made by us Holby fans so I cant imagine him having the Holby theme tune sung at him in the playground when he goes to school lol xx

Thanks both of you!

Thanks for the opinion on Katarin Leija! I quite like Serenity (and Serena). My step sister's party entertainment business is called Serendipity! But I love unusual names too, just not brave enough and I like names like Raven (for a boy) and similar, just don't think DH will agree, so we settle fr the middle and ones we both like.

I hope it's a mistake but at the end, wasn't Mo getting her ready to have her organs transplanted?! They can't come back from that I don't like Oliver (I bear grudges nd still do after his sister died although that was years ago) and I LOVE Jonny Maconie. He is the best.

I have a friend Henrik, who we call Rick and I knew a Ketil (Norwegian) who had Kit for nn. Both lovely.

I don't know,Mo was just standing there saying she'll look after her...but they're yet to turn her machines off do I'm still holding out a little glimmer of hope..... I like Ollie but I think he handled Tara's parents really badly last night! He was just soo short and rude to them,even when he was telling them Tara had died!!

Jonny Mac does make me giggle! The banter between him and Mo is great! I really hope him and Jac get back together,even though she is a right b!tch and talks to him like dirt....it's just soo obvious they love each other!xx

Sorry,we have gone completely off subject here but it soo nice having someone to talk to about Holby as my DH doesn't want to know lol xx

You could have Christian instead of Christopher.

Also by extension Kitty could be a nn for Christina or Kristin(a)

Kester for Kit?

Another Holby fan here, that's probably why my vote was for Henrik - as he's an absolute LEGEND!!

Henrik is a legend! He's just straight to the point and doesn't mince his words,but clearly cares for everyone,especially Tara-he is soo cut up about that no matter how much he tries to hide it!-and I think he has a soft spot for Ice Queen Jac too ;) Henrik is definitely an awesome name for ur DS op! :D xx

Henrik and Emilia are fab.

I think a name celebrating your Swedish roots would be lovely and like everyone says, Henry for Henrik would sound perfectly fine if you moved back here. Emilia is pretty.

Otherwise another Biblical name like Isaiah or Hannah to complement your other DCs' names could work well.

Whoops, Hanna.

Yes to him handling her parents badly! Yes, they were difficult and protective but he didn't seem to even care that they loved her too and seemed very rude to them....I like Jac, I feel sort of sad for her that her mother abandoned her (when she was 12 I think?) but she's so cold. Ice Queen, as you said, is the name for her! Jac doesn't deserve Jonny but equally they sort of go together in that they are so opposite! Hi to all Holby fans!

Ooh, never heard of Kester Caladria, it sounds very handsome. Will definitely consider that, because I love Kit, but I think it's too short and nicknamey, and Kester sounds great!

Thanks Donkeyi think Isaiah and Hanna do to better with Benjamin and Susannah- but as you say, I want to have a Swedish name too! Decisions, decisions....