Let Us Name Your Baby: Can Cub and Scout be Siblings?
Today we launch a new Nameberry column, Let Us Name Your Baby. You bring us your baby-naming question, problem, dilemma, and Nameberry's experts plus a revolving cast of outside namers will offer answers and advice.
Our first question is from Danielle, expecting her third and last baby, sibling to Scout and Cruz. She and her husband both like the name Cub, but can you have a Cub and a Scout? And if not, what to choose instead?
Danielle writes:
I need some help before naming baby number three! This is the last babe, so feeling all the pressure to get this right. Team green, so looking at both boy and girl names.
Siblings are Scout Valentine (5) and Cruz Peter (3). Both my husband and I like surnames as last names, but I definitely sway more unique and he says he is more traditional (or something that was more unheard of 10-15 years ago i.e. Hudson!) I also love place names and word names.
The top contender I have for a girl is Alba – but I’ve loved this name for so long, and recently there have been a few boys born locally called Albie, which slightly puts me off. The other contender for a girl is Tigerlily, but I just can’t get my husband to agree to this one. I should mention I’ve spent this whole pregnancy trying to find a name I like more than these two – what if I see a name a week, a year, etc after the baby is born and love it more??
For boys we’re a bit more up in the air, and I’d love a professional opinion on what to pick! Is there a name that you think suits that I just haven’t thought of?
My suggestions have been: Romeo, Hartford, Tennessee, Campbell (my husband said it was too plain? This man is trying to drive me nuts, I swear), and Ledger.
The only suggestions I’ve got from my husband are Bear and Cub. He SAYS he wants traditional but these are the two suggestions he’s given. I actually LOVE Cub, but I’m not sure if when the time comes, my husband will say it's too out there. Is Cub Childs too out there? Is Scout and Cub ok for siblings?
Due in 8 weeks and stressing!
Nameberry Creator Pamela Redmond says:
I’m going to start by saying no to Cub. Cub and Scout together — no. And Cub and Cruz are pretty close too.
The good news is that you’ve got a highly-defined style with a lot of room to go in different directions. What I’m hearing is unconventional one-syllable names that are theoretically gender neutral but in reality not necessarily so. There were 336 baby girls named Scout last year versus 140 boys, but Cruz was almost totally male.
Alba: Love. But as I’m sure a sophisticated namer like you knows, it’s much more traditional and deeply-rooted than your other choices so does not really make for a cohesive sibset. Does it matter? Not really, in our opinion, but if you’re going to open the barn door that far, we don’t even know where to start with other suggestions.
Following the established pattern, I have some ideas. Since this is your last baby, it’s okay if the girl ideas and the boy ideas cancel each other out, given that you’re only going to pick one. Also, most of these names work for either gender. I love them all.
Girl Names
Boy Names
Nameberry Editor-in-Chief Sophie Kihm says:
I wish Cub would work because it’s such a fun modern name — making it a great match, vibe-wise, for Scout and Cruz — but I agree with Pam. The Cub Scouts association is way too strong.
I’m going to make the case for Alba here. Yes, from the historical perspective, Alba is a traditional (mostly feminine) name, which sets it apart from Scout and Cruz. But in the context of this sibset, I’m seeing Alba from a different angle. Next to Cruz, Alba’s roots as a Spanish surname are highlighted. It takes Alba into contemporary, surname-adapted-as-a-first-name territory, which does work with Scout and Cruz.
Tigerlily, on the other hand, is way too frilly to fit with this sibset. But would you consider Tiger? We tend to think of Tiger as a boy name — and indeed, 34 baby boys were named Tiger last year, and no girls — but it works well for a girl too. One of the Berries used it as a middle name for her daughter, and it’s stuck with me ever since!
I also like Bear with Scout and Cruz, but it seems like something about it isn’t resonating with you. From Pam’s list, I’m particularly drawn to Nyx for a girl and Poe for either sex (and ooh, what about Poet?)
Girl Names
Alpha — too aggressive? Could be a modern Alba alternative
Boy Names
Either Sex
Kit — Similar to Cub, but avoids the Cub Scouts association
Berries, over to you! Offer your own ideas on what to name Scout and Cruz's baby brother or sister over in the forums.
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