February Berrybaby Birth Announcements!
by Linda Rosenkrantz
For us here at Nameberry, one of our February birth announcements stood out above all others. Why? Because it was made by one of our own, NB’s brilliant Senior Writer and Super Moderator Katinka, aka Emma Waterhouse, who surpassed all expectations with her choice of the lovely Anouk Helena for her third child.
As you’ll see below, that pick was matched by other wonderful birth announcement combos last month, from Scout Valentine and Susannah Beatrix to Aurelian Jude and Royal Callahan.
Here is the full list:
GIRLS
Adele Matilda, sister of Malcolm Alexander
“I fell in love with the name Adele a long time ago thanks to my love of literature and genealogy…Matilda was my great-grandmother’s middle name. It holds special significance to me because it reminds me of my beloved grandmother who loved to tell the story of how she and her sister nicknamed their mother “Tillie” when they discovered her middle name was Matilda.”
Anouk Helena, sister of Juno Matilda and Kit Valentine
_“As many on(?) here will know, Anouk is a name I’ve loved for a very, very long time. I love its simple, striking sound, and the way that (to me) it manages to feel sweet, solid, and sophisticated all at the same time. We have French family on DH’s side, and Anne is an important family name on mine, so it feels like a perfect marriage of the two.” (_For more on her choice, follow this link here.)
Antonia Darling, stster of Peter and Eugenie
“Antonia is a name we have loved for years–it’s a family name and it also honours my husband’s heritage. I love that it’s both sweet and strong, playful yet smart….Darling is a very special name for us. Peter Pan is my husband’s and my favourite childhood book, and I almost cried when I found this out at one of our first dates. Darling is also quite similar to my mother-in-law’s maiden name….Our nickname for her was going to be the oh-so-simple Annie, but we’re also calling her Tony, Antoinette, Nia and Toto. Her brother’s pet name for her is Toto Bean, which I think is too cute….We love the connection to Saint Anthony of Padua and Anton Chekhov, beside other things.”
“Delphine was chosen years ago by us and the nickname Dela is a scramble of my late mother’s name. Versions of Mary are family names for my husband and I, including my middle name (Marie).”
“We are using the nn Edie and it is very sweet…I also think the double E initials gives quite a sweet and spunky sound.”
“Jane is named after one of her grandmothers, and so many other inspiring Janes (Goodall, Austen..). Wilder is inspired by the Wendell Berry poem “Peace of Wild Things” and we like that it’s a bit edgy. Also, if Jane grows to feel that Jane is not a name that fits her identity we hope that Wilder might.”
Nadia Rikaart, sister of Fallon Bessette
“I’m glad I got to continue the family-name-as-a-middle-name-thing I started with my first daughter, and an ode to my husband’s very Dutch family.”
“Scout was always my first pick when it came to first names for a girl and I wanted a feminine middle name to balance it out. Valentine was first suggested here by a berry and it just seemed so perfect, as her due date was Valentine’s Day.”
Susannah Beatrix, sister of Louise, Frances and Edmund
“We chose Susannah Beatrix because of its spunky feel and nickname potential. We are currently calling her Anna, Susie, Bea, Susie–Bea, and Sanna….I found Susannah while browsing lists for her name and it felt so perfect to both of us. I have a good friend named Lily so the meaning was just another indicator that this was the name. Unlike all the older kids’ middle names, Beatrix is not an honor name but rather a name we chose for its meaning and sound…It means blessed which is exactly how we feel right now with our family.”
BOYS
Arthur Elias, brother of Everett Lincoln
“We set a pretty specific style with Ev, forgoing more common names since, as a teacher, most names come with specific student associations. Both names are recognizable and approachable without being common. Since Everett has animal associations (meaning as strong as a boar), we started there. We landed on Arthur which fits our style, means bear, and has the happy association of Arthur Weasley from the Harry Potter series (I’m an English teacher and avid reader.) So far, he’s been an absolute teddy bear.”
Aurelian Jude, brother of Indigo Jack, Lola Margaret and Oona Beatrice Kahlo
“We were all set on using Moses, but I discovered Aurelian and immediately fell in love. It seems a bit grand compared to his older siblings’ names but we think Ari helps a great deal. Jude is after his daddy’s favorite song ‘Hey Jude’ by the Beatles.”
“We had Nathaniel picked for like 12 months before we even started trying for a baby. I had watched Gossip Girl and the name Nathaniel got stuck in my head and I couldn’t shake it. I eventually mentioned it to my partner “I like the name Nathaniel,” he said okay, and that was that. My grandmother had never heard of the name when we announced it, but once my mother told her it was biblical she jumped on board. As for his middle name, I made a list of a few names I that I would be okay with…I was leaning towards Arthur but my partner really liked Carter and I figured since he didn’t put up a fight on the first name, I could let it slide. (I’m not one for using ‘family names’ as I feel they already have a life attached to them, but Carter happened to be my paternal grandfather’s middle name.)
Phineas Arthur, brother of Gillian Margaret and Coraline Genevieve
“…we used the boy name we’ve been sitting on through two big sisters…Our last name starts with W, and Dad is a big fan of his cute initials.”
“He was named after my grandfather, Royal. We kept the name a secret until he was born. He was so incredibly honored. We knew we wanted a middle name that started with C, so that he would have the same initials as my SO. Callahan fit the bill. It’s a name I’ve loved for so long, and it fits our little boy so well.”
Let us know your favorite February names, name and middle combos and sibsets!