My Future Family

A tentative list of names for my future family. I am not yet trying to conceive, but I desire an established list of names well before that time. Daddy puts up with it, thankfully. We want at least three children. Their last names will be Jones, like their daddy (and myself as well? I haven't decided yet), which I think is a difficult last name. Yes, it is better than something funny/embarrassing/mispronouncable, but it completely eliminates all J first names (and B names, like mine, which is why I'm reluctant to take Jones as my last name). I also feel that with such a common (read: boring) last name, a more interesting first name is required. That said, our requirements for male names are that they must be strong, manly, normal names that will suit them throughout their lives. We tend to like very short male names. For female names, we don't have many restrictions and we tend to have very similar tastes.
  1. Cary
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "pleasant stream"
    • Description:

      Cary Grant's debonair image has stood the test of time - he is still rated as one of the most handsome and admired men in Hollywood. There are not many other names that can combine good-looks, wit and such decency all in two little syllables.
  2. Cosette
    • Origin:

      French literary nickname
    • Meaning:

      "little thing"
    • Description:

      Cosette is best known as the heroine of Les Miserables. In the Victor Hugo novel, Cosette was the nickname given to the girl named Euphrasie by her mother. Although Hugo invented the name, some etymologists believe it's a spin on Colette, originally a female short form of Nicolas.
  3. Emmanuelle
    • Origin:

      French, feminine variation of Emanuel
    • Meaning:

      "God is with us"
    • Description:

      The female version of Emanuel could become more prominent, though for some it still carries a steamy image dating back to a then sensationally erotic French film. Singer and Shameless star Emmy Rossum's full name is Emmanuelle.
  4. Fox
    • Origin:

      Animal name
    • Description:

      Fox is one animal name backed by a longish tradition, and then popularized via the lead character Fox Mulder on X Files. Fox is simple, sleek, and a little bit wild, and could make an interesting middle name.
  5. Freja
    • Origin:

      Swedish and Danish
    • Meaning:

      "lady, noblewoman"
    • Description:

      One of the most popular names in Scandinavia, Freja--or Freyja--was a major deity of Norse paganism. Beautiful, blonde and blue-eyed, she was the goddess of love, beauty and fertility. In the US, the name is most likely spelled Freya.
  6. FREyJA
    • Fawkes
      • Freija
        • Grey
          • Origin:

            Color name
          • Description:

            The girls have Violet and Scarlet and Ruby and Rose, but for the boys there's a much more limited palette of color names. Grey/Gray is one exception, which could make for a soft and evocative—if slightly somber—choice, especially in the middle. Kaitlin Olson and Rob McElhenney named their son Leo Grey.
        • Grey
          • Origin:

            Color name
          • Description:

            Grey is the more common spelling in Britain and Australia. This color name has a softness and ambiguity which makes it equally lovely for a boy or a girl.
        • Henry
          • Origin:

            German
          • Meaning:

            "estate ruler"
          • Description:

            Henry is back. The classic Henry climbed back onto the Top 10 in the US in 2021 for the first time in over a century, and now stands at Number 8.
        • Isolde
          • Origin:

            Welsh, German
          • Meaning:

            "ice ruler"
          • Description:

            Now that Tristan has been rediscovered, maybe it's time for his fabled lover in the Arthurian romances and Wagnerian opera, a beautiful Irish princess, to be brought back into the light as well.
        • Jane
          • Origin:

            English
          • Meaning:

            "God is gracious"
          • Description:

            No, we don't consider Jane too plain. In fact, for a venerable and short one-syllable name, we think it packs a surprising amount of punch, as compared to the related Jean and Joan.
        • Liesl
          • Origin:

            German diminutive of Elizabeth
          • Meaning:

            "pledged to God"
          • Description:

            Sweet but sleek, and distinctive, Liesl is an old German nickname-name for Elisabeth. It might have once seemed inextricably tied to to its country of origin, but now, like Elsa, Enzo, Saoirse, Freya, Soren, and Heidi, it leans more towards being international and European chic.
        • Loki
          • Origin:

            Norse mythological name
          • Meaning:

            "lock"
          • Description:

            Loki is the shape-shifting, gender-bending god of mischief in Norse mythology. Taking several animal forms, from a salmon to a seal to a fly, Loki is alternately friend and foe of the gods.
        • Lucrezia
          • Lisbon
            • Lumen
              • Marcella
                • Origin:

                  Latin
                • Meaning:

                  "warlike"
                • Description:

                  Marcella has been in mothballs for so long it's starting to feel stylish again. Depicted as the world's most beautiful woman in Don Quixote (where it's spelled Marcela), this long neglected name seemed dated for decades but just might be ready for restoration.
              • Max
                • Origin:

                  English and German diminutive of Maximilian or Maxwell
                • Meaning:

                  "greatest"
                • Description:

                  Max was derived from Maximilian, a Latin name that originated from the Roman family name Maximus. The character name Max in the children's classic Where the Wild Things Are had an impact on baby namers. Max is a widely used name internationally.