I hope you all had a wonderful Feast of the Assumption! My story (not) about the name Assumpta continues to be one of my favorites. š Enjoy this consultation byĀ our new baby name consultant, Theresa Zoe Williams, and offer your ideas for this family!
Mary writes in asking for help naming green bean baby #6! Baby will join older siblings:
Anthony Raphael
Kathryn Rose, who goes by Katie Rose
Daniel Louis
Martha Claire Therese
Christopher Karl Benedict
Agnes (in heaven)
Joseph Martin (in heaven)
She writes that they have some names on their shortlist, too, but just donāt feel like āthe oneā:
- Sarah
- Felicity
- Alice
- Nathan
- Benjamin
- Peter
- Isaac
Names one of them likes but the other doesnāt or they canāt use for various reasons include:
- Samwise
- Mary Magdalen
- Arthur
- Amy
- Mercy
- Gwenfair/Mairwen
- Gregory
- Patrick
First, a few thoughts on their shortlist.
Sarah– Great name! So classic, you canāt go wrong. Itās also a style match for literally every one of their other childrenās names, including their babies in heaven. Being honest, I think theyāve found The One.
Felicity– I love the femininity of this name and that it means āhappyā.
Alice– That they love this was a little unexpected to me! Itās such a great nameāā short, snappy, down to earth.
I love the combo Sarah Felicity Alice! It has such a great flow on its own and with their last name.
Nathan– I donāt agree that heād get called Nathaniel (something Mary was worried about with her other kidsā names) but I guess anything is possible. This is a great name with their other kids.
Benjamin– If theyāre only worried about him being nicknamed, have no fear. I know several Benjamins who are not Ben or Benny or Benji or anything else. Plus, theyāve kept all their other boys from having nicknames, especially Christopher! So I donāt think theyād have anything to fear here. Also, Benjamin Joseph is such a strong name and then could be nicknamed, if this tickles their fancy or funny bone, Banjo, like a slur of Ben Joe. Always good to have a laugh!
Peter– Great name that I actually donāt hear get nicknamed to Pete very often. My Peter is just Peter, if thatās helpful. With their other kids, I donāt think they could go wrong with this name.
Isaac– Another one that surprised me in the best of ways! Isaac is such a happy name, to me, and I think heās so sweet with their other childrenās names.
A note on double middles. Mary wrote wondering if three kids in a row with double middle names would be too much. To that I say, love them! I and all of my children have them. If they gave this child two middle names, half of their children would have double middles and half would have single middles.
On to new suggestions! Iāll start with the girls first.
(1) Veronica
This reminded me of one of the other names on their list, Victoria. Itās got the punchy V and more feminine feel. Itās frilly but still down to earth, which I thought might bridge Maryās and her husbandās styles. Itās also a style match for Anthony, Kathryn, and Daniel. It means ātrue imageā which is such a great reminder to be an image of Christ in the world! There is, of course, the St. Veronica who wiped Jesusās face, but thereās also Sts. Veronica Giuliani, Veronica of Binasco, and so many more.
(2) Anna
Anna, rather than Ann(e) is a little frillier but still, short, spunky, and down to earth. I love that for these guys. Thereās also tons of saints to take a patronage from and means āgraceā. Itās a style match for Martha, Christopher, and Agnes and also Sarah, so itās right in their wheelhouse.
(3) Helena
I thought of this name almost immediately for them. Maryās love of the name Mercy made me think of this as itās St. Faustinaās birth name and that ties it into the Divine Mercy. It also means ātorchā or āmoonā giving it lots of different faith tie-ins. Itās a style match for Martha, Christopher, and Agnes, too.
(4) Flora
This is a style match for Martha, Christopher, and Agnes and means āflowerā giving it the tie-in to St. Therese. I like that this is a little more unexpected, like Martha, and is short but still feminine. I had no idea until I looked it up but there are several saints with this name! Sts. Flora of Cordoba and Flora of Rome, Bl. Flora of Beaulieu, and Ven. Flora Bracaval.
(5) Marina
This is maybe my most unusual girl name suggestion. I was thinking of Maria for them but then this name came up as a match for Anthony, Kathryn, and Daniel and it struck me as a good name for them. It has the down to earth, classic feeling of Sarah with the longer femininity of Felicity. It means āof the seaā so it can be a reference to Mary as star of the sea. In the Eastern Church, St. Margaret of Antioch is known as Marina and there are several other saints Marina, too.
On to boys!
(1) Henry
A good strong name with very few natural nicknaming possibilities. This name is a style match for Martha, Christopher, and Agnes and thought it brought Maryās more classic tastes and her husbandās strong tastes together really well. There are a couple saints to go with the name, too, if they need that.
(2) Rufus
Initially, I didnāt think this name was a great fit for them, but as I continued researching, it grew on me. Itās a style match for Martha, Christopher, and Agnes and there are several saints, including a companion of St. Paul to go along with it. That surprised me, too! Thereās not too much info on any of them, but St. Polycarp called one of them a āvery happy manā, which I thought would be sweet for a son.
(3) Paul
Speaking of Paul, what about his name? Itās a match for most of their childrenās names and is a good, strong name with no nickname potential. I was thinking that if they love Peter but are worried about nicknames, maybe theyād like Paul instead.
(4) John
It doesnāt get anymore classic and strong with little nickname potential than John! Itās a style match for all of their other childrenās names, too. Their love of the name Sarah actually made me think of John and then he matched all of their kids. They cannot go wrong with this name. The only drawback might be that itās still pretty common.
(5) Samuel
I know theyād worry about him getting called Sam or Sammy, but theyāve done such a great job with making sure their other boys donāt get called by nicknames that I think they could handle this one, too. Samuel is a style match for all of their other childrenās names and Sarah and it means āGod has heardā. I couldnāt not include this name as I really think itās a home run for them!
So those are my thoughts. What do you think?
Email Theresa atĀ TheresaZoeWrites@gmail.comĀ to set up your own consultation! (Payment methods remain the same.)
During my hiatus, please donāt forget about my book!Ā Catholic Baby Names for Girls and Boys: Over 250 Ways to Honor Our Lady (Marian Press, 2018), is available to order fromĀ ShopMercy.orgĀ andĀ AmazonĀ (not affiliate links) ā perfect for the expectant parents, name enthusiasts, and lovers of Our Lady in your life!
For boy names Thomas, Timothy, Mark and David came to mind. As well as the slightly different feeling Francis, Philip and Vincent
They really can’t go wrong with any from their list or Theresa’s.
*Benjamin Timothy Walter
For girl names how about Naomi, Ruth, Ruby, Elizabeth, Edith, Frances or Louise
Sarah and Helena are my favorites from their and Theresa’s lists with this set.
*Louise Helena Frances
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Girl: Elizabeth, Cecilia, Susanna, Lucy or Edith.
From Theresa’s list, I think Veronica is a perfect fit.
Boy: Matthew, Zachary or Thomas.
From the parents’ list, I love Benjamin to get the B initial (since they already have A, D and C).
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Edith or Judith? They have the “th” sound find in both Kathryn & Martha, while being a similar style or feel to Agnes.
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