Sunday, February 1, 2009

Name infringement

It's happening again!

It goes like this: I pick out a name, then just before the baby is born, I start hearing the name all over the place, so then I'm worried that the name will be a popular one and I have to start from scratch looking for a new name. We were going to name Talea "Kyanna" and call her Kya for short, but then we started hearing Kya all over the place...in the store, on movies, in books and our close friends who were due a month after us were naming their girl Kya. So we started over. We found Talea. I'm glad we changed because Kya is quite popular now, only 4 years later.

Mercifully, Hyatt seems to be uncommon still, and since I created Kiersa, no one seems to be catching onto that one either, so it's very uncommon. But...

we've had Paisley picked out for a while now, then suddenly today at church someone said "oh, my friend's daughter's name is Paisley", then after church Dallas texted us and said someone at church in their ward just blessed their baby today and named it Paisley Heather Faust. I've heard of another Paisley too.

Now I realize this isn't a big deal for most people, but Hyrum and I really have a thing against our kids having common names, or a name that is heard frequently. If I'm suddenly hearing Paisley now, will it be commonplace in 5 years? I want our kids to have unique names that they will rarely, if ever, encounter. We have the last name of Johnson for heaven's sake! Everyone and their dog has that last name, so we need to have some individuality of some sort.

It's tricky picking an uncommon name though, because if you're not careful, it can sound downright ridiculous to other people. We like Bronco for a boy, but when I polled it, more people were disgusted by it than liked it. That only tells me that for my kid's whole life, the majority of people who meet him will be repulsed by his name. So Bronco is out. I think it's fine for people to name their kids whatever they want, but come on, really, it's a little "I get to play all-powerful" when parents don't take into consideration the repercussions of their name choice. I want the majority, not the minority, of people my kid meets to be impressed by their name, not repulsed. I can't please everyone, but I think it's only fair to my kid to give it a name that most people think is cool.

So now I'm wondering, should I rethink Paisley? Will it be common soon? What other options are out there that are uncommon AND cool? I'm on the home stretch and still don't have a name nailed down, dang it!

I've requested help for names before, but I'm desperate now! I've only got 3 weeks before my due date, but I'm already dilating. PLEASE give me some ideas!! I only have a few criteria...
1. It HAS to be uncommon
2. It CAN NOT be unisex. Definitely male or definitely female ONLY.

I'll love you forever if you leave me a comment with name suggestions! First or middle!

Oh, and one last thing. If I don't get any name options from anyone, and we decide that Paisley is still a safe bet, then what do you think of Paisley Ana Johnson? Not Anna...just Ana (pronounced Ah-na...like Tiana). If you have a bit of a dirty mind, you mind find that name amusing, but realize that when she gets married, her last name won't be Johnson anymore, and no one has teased me about being Tiana Johnson (tea-on-a-johnson). In case pronunciation isn't your forte, 2 n's (anna) makes a completely different sound than one n (ana). Diana (Di-Anna) isn't a correct pronunciation of the spelling.

Why Ana, you ask? My Great-Grandma is Annie, my Grandma is Anna, my mom is Diana, and I'm Tiana, so I'd like to carry that theme on sometime (which is why we considered Kyanna for Talea), and Hyrum likes Ana for a middle name. So, what do you think of Paisley Ana? Or Paisley Anya (though it's a bit more common)?

7 comments:

Kara said...

Not to burst your bubble or anything, but I do believe that Paisley is becoming the new "in" name. I know of two kids, who were born in the last year, named Paisley.
Unfortunately I don't have any suggestions because I am more of common name kind of girl. Good Luck!

Kara said...

Anlee
Ainsley
Janika
Rayah
Seqouia
Shanley
Cambry
Serae
Kiandra
Kyree
Lauralynn
Sienna

Amanda said...

My friend just named her baby Paisley. I still think it's cute though. I have no suggestions though.

I totally didn't get Ana Johnson...funny.
I was A man da (to) Call growing up and it didn't bother me at all.
If I think of any cool names I'll post them.

The Not-a-hoes said...

My friend just named her baby Paitlyn and I really like it, if you wanted to stay with the p names. I still like Paisley and I havnt heard it anywhere.

I kind of have the same issue with Marlee. I have only heard it 3 times now, but before I had only heard it once in a movie.

Lisa Ridgley said...

Hey Tiana - it might be weird but I have been reading your blog for a while now, I just like seeing how you and your family are doing, especially the remodels and babies :) I found your blog because I read Annie's all of the time. Anyway my brother named his daughter Ayla, which I think is cute and uncommon. Also Leilani Treesh (Greer) named her daughter Ainsley, which might be favorite name ever. Anyway, just two random ideas. Good luck with the new baby!!! - Lisa Ridgley (Allen)

Anonymous said...

I have the hardest time with names, but just so you know, even if it IS in Wyoming, my son David has TWO Paisleys in his class in Kindergarten........didn't know it was popular or even notice until I read your blog. I don't have any suggestions though! We are fighting over the names for our baby!

Anonymous said...

Burgondy
Norah
Eliana
Novaleigh
Liliannah