10.14.2008

What's in a Name?

This is going to be a big shocker for those of you who've known us through the last two pregnancies, and remember that we wouldn't even hint at name possibilities before, but we're actually going to be open about it this time! We think we've decided not to find out what this little one is going to be, until his/her birthday, so we thought we'd let people know what our name options are for a boy and a girl. Of course, it's still very earlier, and 8 months can change things a lot, but here are our top two (that we agree on) for each.

For a boy:
Declan - meaning "Full of Goodness" and "A Man of Prayer"
Liam - meaning "Valiant Protector"

For a girl:
Meghan - meaning "Pearl" or "Pure"
Ciara - pronounced Kee-ra, meaning "Saint" or "Dark"

Now we need some help with middle names. What names do you think go well with these first name options? Here are the rules. I really don't want to hear that you knew someone who knew someone in 5th grade that was a bully named Liam... keep it to yourself. We'd appreciate positive or constructive opinions only, if you feel like giving them. Otherwise, I'd love to hear your thoughts. And, as you may have noticed, we have a certain propensity toward Irish/Celtic names, so we probably won't go with Sally... sorry Moira. Okay... discuss.

And finally, for your viewing pleasure, here is Moira's most recent depiction of our family. That's us, with me holding our new baby up - apparently the baby is going to be a girl - with Daddy holding Ian's hand, and Ian holding Moira's. Under the rainbow, near our house, of course! (I'm not sure why Daddy's got a fro.) Pretty sweet, huh?

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

For a middle name that could go with either boy's name I would suggest Connor or Cleon. Very Celtic name and runs in many clans in Ireland & Scotland.

For a girl's middle name, I'm totally clueless.

the mccann clan said...

Collin so wanted to name our first son Connor, until it got so popular. Might not be a bad idea for a middle name though! Thanks for the suggestion!

Anne said...

well its Welsh, not Irish, but i love Bronwyn. for a girl.

the mccann clan said...

That is pretty! I'll have to tell Collin about that one...

Thanks for sharing!

E said...

I know a Ciaran in Ireland...so there's a boy option - or, male middle name option - from a name you like, Ciara. It is also derived from the same word...essentially it's the boy version of the name. There's more emphasis on that "ee" than most Americans are used to using. ;) KEER-ahn. I love the name Ciaran and it could work well as a middle for Declan or Liam.

I totally wanted a son named Liam at one point. Love that name. Some other possible middles: Oliver, Patrick,

Oohh...I love Bronwyn, too. :) And, it would be a lovely fit with either of your girl picks. Bronach is a lovely Irish name, but it means sorrow. :( I'm at a loss on girl names...though I could come up with at least 50 boy names I love.

This is so exciting! Can't wait to hear what you choose...and which name gets put into play on baby's birthday!!! :)

Much love,
Erica

P.S. You should know Kevin is an Irish name. In fact, his name is thoroughly Irish with a Mc for a middle name...same Mc as Eben has for his middle, too. A family name.

E said...

Oh...and Rowan. Love that on a girl.

the mccann clan said...

E - I've seen Kieran (for a boy) and I like it, but for some reason it seems a bit girl-ish to me. Maybe because I knew a girl named Kyrin in school? Anyway, I'm getting over it and it is a nice name, a good Irish one. We've thought about Patrick for a middle name, but not Oliver... hmm. Rowan is cute for a girl, too! :)

This is fun!! :) Keep 'em comin' everyone!! :)

DW Hobbs said...

So LOTS of great possibilities, there, especially Erica's suggestions! Love Patrick...good strong name. My Father, Brother and oldest nephew share that name whether as first or middle names so I might be a tad bit biased. ;-) Oh and Oliver...head over heels for that one...remember us telling you about Father Oliver at St Ann's in Great Falls? And Rowan...and Bronwyn, all great girl names. I actually really like Siobhan...I've read that it's a form of Joan or Jane and means "God is gracious."

Love that you're sharing, thanks for entrusting us with these sweet opportunities to be part of this little one's beginning!

DW Hobbs said...

Oh and because I simply can't resist:

Juliet: "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)

<-- Me = Shakespeare NUT

Love ya!

Candace/Chloe said...

I'll go with Declan and Meghan. I think they're all wonderful so you can't go wrong!

I'll have to think a bit on the middle names!

I LOVE the picture.....quite an artist you have there!

The Bottolfini's said...

I'm against Declan because I don't think Declan McCann sounds like it would be much fun for a little guy.

I'm not much help because I only know Italian names. How about Janessa? Or Carl? There aren't many of those out there. Just kidding.

the mccann clan said...

Dara- I thought you'd catch the literary reference! I indeed thought of you while typing it! :)

Candace - Hmm, I think we're on the same wave-length! What about you guys, thought of any names yet?

Janessa - not fun how? You mean it sounds too grown up for a little boy? And, I suppose we could switch gears now and decide we're Italian! ;o)

The Bottolfini's said...

He sounds like an attorney already. So serious. How about Grant? I love the name Collin, but I suppose that's already taken in your family, huh?

the mccann clan said...

Hmm... again, interesting. I saw the cutest little bubbly boy at the Monterey Aquarium (1.5 years ago), and when his Momma called out "Declan!" I was just smitten instantly. I'll have to do some thinking about your thoughts, but I don't know that you'll change my mind on this one...

Oh, and I really think it's unfortunate when this happens in reverse. Like naming your kid Billy (instead of Bill or William) and then they're stuck with a name that sounds like they're 5 forever.

With Grant - I just can't get the silliness of Mythbusters out of my head. But, I do LOVE Collin... maybe for a middle name? :)

Jenn said...

For a boy, I think Liam is a great name!! :D

Suzann said...

Okay, I guess I need to weigh in - not literally, thank goodness :0) I really like Declan and I think it sounds very distinguished. But at the same time, it's not bad for a little guy - not too "old." Barrett is not a fan but like I told you before, he is very traditional and your choices are too original and creative for him (ha ha) When I was pregnant, I read message boards for other mommies due in July. There were lots of names that seem old for a little person like: Hayden, Rowan, Ryland, Hayzen, Brexton but I think it's the trend and so no one is going to think the name doesn't fit your little guy. Liam is OK, too but I prefer Declan. He will probably be called Dec as he gets older and you have to think about if that's OK with you. It was the name of the "hero" in a book I listened to recently and I liked it.

Meghan and Ciara are great but I think I would choose Ciara because it's a little less used. There are lots of Meghans out there but not many Ciaras. Besides, I do think of a the daughter of one of my MOPS moms and she is absolutely precious so if makes me happy. But it's spelled Kiera. There is also one in our Bible Study spelled Kira. In fact, Kira's little sister is named Cadence and I think that's really cute.

I'd better quit - you're gonna run out of time to read all this!

The Bottolfini's said...

Well, of course for a middle name silly. Isn't that the game we're playing?

the mccann clan said...

Wow! There are so many differing opinions out there. Fortunately, it's up to us, huh?! :) We've got lots of time left anyway.

Other girls middle names that I like are Brenna, Corinne, Maille (pronounced Molly) and Emily - but I haven't run them by Collin, so I'm sure he'll have a say.

Anyway, thanks for playing! This has been fun. Feel free to hit me with new ideas if any should pop into your head over the next 8 months! :)

DW Hobbs said...

The good news is that I'm sure we'll all love whatever name you finally decide to bestow on this little one. ;-) In the meantime, happy choosing!

Much love,
D

The Wilhite Family said...

Wow...I have so dropped the ball on commenting! We have been having computer issues, so I have had limited access.

Definitely like Liam a lot. Probably would have been in the running of Hope had been a boy. Hope was actually GOING to be Corinne before we came up with Hope, so I definitely like that name. Love Bronwyn and Rowen both. Have fun deciding! We will love whatever you pick!

Diane said...

So many great possibilities! Although we like them all, our favorites are Liam Connor or Liam Patrick and Rowan Ciara. Either way, we're excited to hear what you decide on when the time comes!

Love, PDKB