baby name the one or did it grow on you

[themumfairy]

I've been looking at names for our expected #3 but none jump out at me as the one. my partner chose ds 1 and 2 so this time it's my turn
did everyone's baby name jump out at them or did it slowly grow on you?

No I am the opposite. My dd's name was chosen when I was 15. I didn't have her until I was 23 and stuck with it and possibly even more stranger, she came out with the name written all over her.
However I don't even like her name now. But it still suits DD.
Hopefully your little one will come with a name.

DC1's name jumped out at me the day he was born.

For DC2, we went with a name we almost used for DC1's middle name, but liked so much we decided to save it for another baby.

With DC3 I thought of the name early on & it gradually grew on us. The middle name came out of the blue & was a perfect fit because of its meaning.

DD1's name was my DH's suggestion and it took a while to grow on me. I absolutely love it now, bit different and so, so pretty. DD2 took a while to jump out, I chose it and my DH loved it immediately. Never regretted either, they suit their names perfectly. Sometimes it takes a while for the name to sound familiar I think. I wouldn't have gone with anything that I wasn't 100% certain of by the time the baby arrived - I was looking at names from 12 weeks!

It was a grower.

It spent twenty weeks as third on the list and then suddenly once we knew the sex it just felt right.

It wasn't a name I'd ever particularly liked (but not disliked) before I got pregnant.

After we agreed on a short list and could each veto any names suggested, I picked the first name for DC1, DC2 and DC3 and DH the middle name.

For each of these DH touted the same girls name as his favourite and each time I vetoed it.

When we found out DC4 - our definite last baby - was a girl he suggested the same name. 11 years after first suggesting it. It was the only name (boy or girl, and from both of us) that was consistently mentioned for each child. Name suggestions came and went for the, but this one stuck as DHs favourite.

I was inclined to veto again. It is a lengthy name that I didn't feel slipped off the tongue easily (Felicity). Whilst the nicknames I love, the full name I definitely didn't initially.

But I promised this time to consider it while I was pregnant. I mentioned it to several people and was always warmly received as a name. The more I said it outloud the more I liked it.

Felicity is now 10 months old and I can truly and honestly say she has the prettiest and most beautiful name of all my four children. Even though it was the one first name I didn't choose. I adore her name now, love it. I'm inclined not to even shorten it to a nickname because I love her full name so much.

DH's choice, I didn't like it at all first, then just felt a bit 'meh' about it but never had a strong candidate as an alternative so we went with DH's choice. It's still growing on me, I like the meaning and story behind the name more than the name itself. TBH my DS would be just as amazing with any name.

PS - Was speaking to a friend once about how she chose her child's name. Her answer struck me as very sensible:

It was the only name we both didn't hate. All other names produced a negative reaction, from mild to extreme, from one or both of us.

My DD'S name jumped out of a baby name book given to me by my best friend. It was just perfect the moment we said it out loud. My ds had a name until he arrived. He was huge and didn't suit his rather etheric name so I asked Mumsnet and one genius suggested his name. Much more suitable.

Ethereal not etheric!

With DCs' 1, 3, & 4, we knew as soon as I suggested the names that we both loved them and that we would use them.

With DC2, it was different. it took forever to come up with a name because my favourite was vetoed by DH, as were my next 3/4 choices.

In the end we went with a very common popular name that is everywhere. It does suit him, but I regret it to be honest, because he would completely suit my favourite name, and I've never heard of another one round my way with that name! .

Weirdly, I had absolutely no idea until he was born. I had a couple of girls' and boys' names, but the moment I held him, I referred to him by name. I love this name now, but struggle to believe I'll find a name I like as much for my second.

DH came up with DS1's name and we both went "it's the one" - we had a couple on the back burner just in case but I knew full well we'd go with it if he was a boy.

We knew around 22 weeks that DS2 was a boy and originally I only had one name on the list (that DH wasn't 100% sold on) but then another name came and slapped me in the face and when I suggested it DH said he liked it too.

So both their names are names I adored and still love now.

The moment we chose it, we knew it was The One. Best name in the known universe.