Ken and I are likely going to keep “Rose” and “Emmanuel” for middle names, but are now considering new first names for our kids. He and I have entirely different taste in names, so it’s been hard to come up with ones we both like. We likely won’t make up our minds for sure until we meet them, but I think it would be nice to have a short list of names we like.
What names do you like for our spunky 3 1/2 year old girl, and 5 year old sweet boy?
Where in the World Are Our Kids? 
I guess it depends on what kind of naming style you like–do you prefer things that are definitely are more trendy (Aiden/anything ending in -ayden for boys, for example, or Nevaeh for girls) or names that have more tradition/history (Alexander or William, Elizabeth or Alexandra)? Do you want unisex names (Avery, Jordan, Reese), or do you you want little-to-no gray area? Do either of you have family names that you like?
I’m prone to names like my own Katherine: longer formal names that can easily be shortened or kept depending on how I feel and that are in no way androgynous, so I tend to think of things like that (Madeline, Abigail, Beatrice; William, Carlisle, Christopher).
You could also check the Baby Name Wizard website; each name has information and also a small section on “sibling names” that could also work for helping find a first name (what I mean is, something like “Charlotte Rose Jewett”–using the suggested names to see if you like any as first names). These are the pages for <a href="http://www.babynamewizard.com/namipedia/girl/rose"Rose and Emmanuel.
I tend to like more unusual names for girls, and more traditional or Biblical names for boys. Aiden used to be my favorite name, but it’s currently so common that it’s now off the list. I’m not afraid of a female name from 100 years ago, as long as it’s not as commonly used now (like Eleanor).
I’ve spent dozens of hours compiling a list from the baby names websites, and Ken hasn’t liked any of the names I’ve liked.
I just thought it would be fun to hear any suggestions that my readers might have! We asked the college kids in the caf on Wednesday (and you’re always free to join us BTW) and they came up with some really good suggestions!
Sarah and Isaac
Ooh, ooh, I know! Give Ken any of these names and almost anything else will sound good by comparison! Trocky! Chinadoll! SCHOOMPIE!
Joshua has always been my favorite Biblical boy’s name. I like Analee. Or AnnaLeigh. AnnaLeigh Rose. Sounds pretty.
I can’t tell you the names I really like as my husband is terrified of people “stealing” our names before we have kids. 🙂 (Actually I don’t really have any picked out yet).
But my sister’s husband wants to name their first child FuPu – you know, because it’s gender neutral so it could work for either a boy or a girl. So… pretty much anything is better than that…
I tell my kids every day that their names are my favourite boy and girl names, and now I truly can’t imagine them having names other than Connor and Janelle, but I do still feel a pang when I hear the names I originally wanted to call them. I love the name Noah (although Connor doesn’t look ANYTHING like a Noah!), but Chris told me I could only call him Noah if he came out with a long grey beard (haha). And part of me still wishes we had a Lily in the house, although I can’t imagine this house without our Nellie in it! Your kids become the names you choose for them. I know you’ll choose well. Rose and Emmanuel are both wonderful names (in fact, if Connor was a girl he would have been Janelle Rose), but there is something symbolic about their true parents giving them their names at the beginning of their life in their new home and new country. Keep at it! I know it is really hard to agree on something as important as actually naming a person, but once you find the right one (or two in your case) that you both agree on, you’ll know those are the names meant for your kids.