Quick Question about syllables in names

[Bumblelion]

Looking at the thread about names with 4 letters, I was wondering whether you followed a certain trait in naming your children.

I, for example, have a double-barrelled surname (inherited from (ex) husband) with two syllables in the first part and one syllable in the second part.

My three children have a first name with two syllables and their middle name only has one. This was not intentional at the time, but now when I say their name, for example, it reads like a poem - (not their names) Sarah Ann Mister-Smith.

Although this is not one of my names, it has the same sounding syllables.

Say it out loud!

We have just one DD (so far), but the syllable question plagued us.

DD was to have her own surname, created by hyphenating mine and DPs. Don't like hyphens but couldn't see a way around it. We both have dull, two syllable surnames.

Therefore, I reckoned, DD's first name had to be one syllable or three or more. Otherwise it had a silly 'tump-ty tumpy-ty tumpty' rhythm to it. Don't ask me why it mattered, it just did.

Then when we decided on middle names, they had to fit together rhythmically too.

So we ended up with 3-2-1-2-2 syllables; (not real names...)

Zinnia Lucy Ann Cooper-Miller

Just seems to roll of the tongue better.

However, it was a bummer to fit this criteria plus the 'no names starting/ending in the same letters surnames start/end in', but at least the shortlist was, well, short!

Interesting- we are just choosing names for DS due in Jan, and I am thinking of having same number of syllables in his name as DDs.
Rhythm is- Oscar Stewart Jeremy Banana (not real names I stress!!!)

My eldest two have 2 syllable names and I'm struggling to remember the new baby's name as it's only 1! Because our surname is monosyllabic too, I insisted his middle name had to have at least 3 syllables to stop it being too staccato.

My name is 2-2 and don't really like the way it sounds, my son's is (including his middle name) 4-2-2 and it has a much nicer ring to it.

Both my dds have (including middle names) 3-1-2. This was done intentionally as i was made fully aware buy my mum whobefore she married my dad was 2-1, that her name always sounded a bit boring

It had never crossed my mind, but now you ask, all my dd's have a 2 syllable first name.

Dd1 and dd3's are followed by a 1 syllable second name and dd2s second name is 4 syllables.

Oooh, I thought it was only me who considered this.

My dds have dh's surname (I don't!) which has one stressed and two unstressed syllables (-ˇˇ) and dd1's first name scans the same way (-ˇˇ)... a bit like, say, Emily Ponsonby [not her real name ]. She has my surname, which has two syllables (-ˇ) as an extra middle name and also has a 'proper' middle name which 'matches' mine in terms of rhythm...

So she's (rhythmically): Emily Susan Harvest Ponsonby.

With dd2 we shook the rhythms up a bit, but sticking with a combination of -ˇ and -ˇˇ, so she is -ˇ -ˇˇ -ˇ -ˇˇ (or Susan Emily Harvest Ponsonby, if you like).

Oh boy... I've made that sound very complicated (and myself a bit mad), but it seemed to make sense at the time!

Bother... that didn't work did it?

we have 4 syllable surname . ds1 has 1 3 syllable name, dd1 is going to have a 3 syllable name and ds2 is going to have a 1 syllable name. I don' think it matters. I would have preferred shorter names, but these are the ones dh and I could agree on.

i think as long as they sound good together eg. oliver, james and meredith mister-smith, or individually eg. james mister-smith then they don't need to match as they will never be listed all together with surname.

(unless you have triplets and the school register is being taken!)

Is it remotely possible that you over-thinking this?!

WE ARE TIRED OF BEING 2ND CLASS MN CITIZENS

WE WANT COMPS!

OverseasmumsnetteRsunIteForfaIrtrEatment

Our surname is quite a harsh 2 syllable name. It sounds awful with other 2 syllable names so we find ourselves drawn to 3 syllables which seem to soften it. 1 syllable names seem to give too much prominence to the surname and emphasize its harshness.

e.g. (not real names - our surname is worse!)

Jack Crashbang - sounds hard
Conrad Crashbang - bumpy
Elliot Crashbang - distracts from the surname

I had this problem too our surname is one syllable and very harsh especially with our accent

DD1 is 3-2-1 syllables but is shortened to 2-1 which I think she can just about get away with

DD2 is 3-2-1

DD3 is 3-3-1-1

both DD2 and 3's names aren't shortened DD3 got an extra middle name as we couldn't make up our minds so gave her both

we have a one-syllable surname and my plan was to use long first names to stop it being harsh:
Susanna Bowls
Alexander Bowls

DH, however, thought long names were too frilly and unnecessary and wanted short names:
Jane Bowls
John Bowls
(although actually I was fine with short names for boys)

We compromised:
Sarah Bowls
Martha Bowls

DD's name is 2-2-2

I don't think it sounds tumpty-tumpty-tumpty though - a lot of it is down to the actual names themselves imo.

TigerFeet - you're right, it was our particular surnames that had a silly tumpty tumpty rhythm together. And one is a bit trippittytee, and the other ponderous, so they don't even have the same rhythm, although both two syllables. Still didn't work with 2 syllable first names though...

ours have all got a different rhythm. We have a db surname, both with 2 syllables.

Their sounds are (none are real names)

Caroline Elizabeth Winters-Johnson
James Richard Winters-Johnson
Thomas Ross Winters-Johnson
Robert David Winters-Johnson
Lydia Jane Winters-Johnson

The only one that doesn't work is the 2 2 2-2 but we had huge problems coming up with anything.

We have db surname (2-1) and have gone for 2 2 2-1

eg
Alice Chloe Mister-Smith

Peter Peter Mister-Smith

We have a single syllable surname, and the children have two syllable names, as does dh. I previously had a very similar surname and have a 3 syllable name, my sister and father have two sylable names, and my other two siblings have one sylable names. They all sound fine I think you have t9o consider the sounds too.

My name is

2-1-2

DS' name is

4-2-2
or
2-2-2-2

as his name is hyphenated so his first name is technically 2 names depending on how you look at it.

Didn't do it intentionally but DS and DD are both
3-1-2
both the middle names are family names and our surname is fairly hard a bit like crashbang