Baby names with a special meaning

[teachermummyme]

I'm 36 weeks pregnant with our second child. Unfortunately, four weeks ago I was diagnosed with a brain tumour. It's been such a stressful and worrying time that preparing for the baby has been the last thing on our minds. This includes thinking of a name! We have very few ideas and none that we both love.

The road ahead is going to be hard and the first months / years of the baby's life will likely be hugely impacted by my health needs (it's likely that I may have to have brain surgery to remove the tumour a few weeks after the baby is delivered, for example). So I was thinking that it would be nice to give the baby a name, either as it's first or middle name, to sort of reflect this and mark the fact that this baby will be a positive in what is otherwise a really really hard time. Feel free to tell me if you think this is a really odd or morbid idea; it just occurred to me as I was wondering how on Earth we're going to pick a name!

So I'm looking for inspiration please for names that mean something like positivity, strength, triumph over tough times etc! We don't know if the baby is a boy or girl, and we tend to go for names that aren't really popular.

Thank you in advance!

Victor/Victoria
Benedict
Felix/Felicity
Ethan
Nicholas/Nicole
Veronica
Bridget

And so sorry to hear about your brain tumour fingers crossed for a quick and easy recovery.

Zoe

I'm very sorry to hear this OP, and wishing you all the very best in your recovery. I think this is a lovely idea.

How about Alexander/Alexandra - defender or protector?

Oscar - divine strength

Asher or Isaac have very positive meanings.

Hope or Joy for a girls middle name. Keeping it simple.

Benedict (blessing) for a boy.

I hope all goes well with your treatment.

Sending strength OP, this is very sad to read. I have had a close friend go through similar and she and baby are now both thriving but it was a frightening and difficult time.

I conceived babies after a loss and their names and middle names reflected those circumstances. Some of their names are listed above, but I'd also add Samuel / Sam for consideration - I think it's a beautiful name anyway, but it's Hebrew for "God has listened" or "God has heard" which I always love.

Dora which means gift.

Maybe one of the names that means light: Clara, lucy, Niamh?
Clara Hope
Lucy Joy

So sorry you are in this extremely difficult situation. My suggestions:

clara (light)
iris (rainbow)
matilda (warrior)

not sure about boys names meanings but sure you'll get other suggestions.

I have typed this list out multiple times, including meanings, but I keep losing it, so here's some suggestions without meanings.
Conrad
Atlas
Cedric
Saul
Jonas/Jonah
Cyrus
Sol
Lucian/Lucius
Raphael
Jesse
Dylan

Eudora
Veronique
Nathania
Evangeline
Valorie
Eunice
Lucia
Vivian/Vivianne
Zita
Raphaela
Mathilde
Audrey/Audra
Evlyn
Dylan

So sorry to be reading this but wishing you well with your treatment ahead! ❤️ What a difficult mix of emotions you just be feeling right now.

There are some beautiful names that can encapsulate those things you have mentioned.

As a PP said I think Joy is such a fitting middle name if little one is a girl. Here are some first names for girls:

Valentina (strong/powerful)
Ariele (strength and courage)
Lenna (Lion’s strength)
Allegra (joyous)

and boys:

Asher (fortunate/happy one)
Ethan (strong)
Felix (happy and prosperous)
Asa (healer)

possible middle name Jude which means (praise/thanks)

Best wishes with the birth and your treatment

Thank you all for your replies, name ideas and good wishes. There are some lovely names here! We'll be deciding quickly as I've just found out the baby is to be delivered in a week!

So sorry to hear of your tumour. How did the birth go @teachermummyme ? Did you decide on a name? X

@TaughtMeHowToDangle Thank you so much for posting in here again! I couldn’t remember the name of the thread and was thinking about the OP after seeing her second post but couldn’t find it to check back!

@teachermummyme how are you doing? Hoping everything is well 💐

@TaughtMeHowToDangle @S25

Thank you both so much for thinking of me and posting!

We had baby on 13/10 at 37 weeks - Caesarian under general anaesthetic as safer for me. Delivery went perfectly and she's wonderful! We didn't end up going with any of the suggestions in the thread I'm afraid, though I appreciated them massively as well as the general good thoughts and well wishes at such a terrifying time. We ended up getting our five year old daughter pick a middle name, so the baby's name isn't entirely without a special meaning or connection.

Since the birth I've had my tumour removed. Surgery was scheduled for 17/11, when baby was five weeks exactly. I'm still in hospital; I made it through the surgery which is cause for celebration itself as it was incredibly risky. Recovery is tough. The pain and nausea after the op is like nothing I could've ever predicted. I've been left with some side effects and disabilities, such as vision problems, only being able to whisper and not being able to swallow anything other than liquids, but we hope these will improve in time with ongoing therapies.

And in the meantime I have everything to live for, now with two beautiful girls!

Hope everything goes well for you & your baby 💐

You're incredible, OP. I thought of you lots since your original post. Wishing you all the best in the weeks ahead xx

Oh wow, thank you so much coming back to update us ♥️ I am in awe of you. What a strong woman. How lucky your two little girls are to have such a woman to look up to as they grow and what a great focus you have to get better knowing you have two amazing daughters to dote on. How special that your 5yo picked baby’s middle name, that is so lovely she must have felt so proud to do that - so precious!
So great to hear the surgery was successful and I’m wishing you all the best with your ongoing recovery and you’ll be in my thoughts to get back to 100% one day xx

@teachermummyme Oh I'm so glad to hear the surgery went well. You're a bloody rockstar to have had your surgery so soon after the birth. I hope you are being taken care of and wish you well with your new family xxx

Only just seen this thread I'm reading with tears in my eyes. Massive massive congrats on your baby and successful op! Wishing you all the very best

@TaughtMeHowToDangle
@TheVolturi
@S25
@Pandabeary

Thank you all for your lovely thoughts and words. I'm still in hospital as recovery is a long journey but they've given me a side room now so baby is allowed to visit for an hour or so a day (they're making a special exemption - children not normally allowed - because I'm trying to continue breastfeeding) so I feel very lucky!

Congratulations on your baby daughter.
You are amazing, and thanks for the update.
I hope that your recovery continues and gets less painful.
Best wishes to you and your family.

Thank you so much @KirstenBlest