Shelly OK, a regular here at YCCII, writes:
Would love some naming input from you as well..especially since back when in the OBBC days, you suggested Yasmina for me, which is still a strong contender if I have another daughter.
My DD is Zafira, I am expecting a boy at the end of October. Middle name will be chosen by my husband after the baby is born, in his native language. He is no help with first names, his only sugestion was in jest (Heffernan like Doug Heffernan from the show King of Queens). Name meaning is important. Last name starts with an O, has 4 sylables, and is distinctly Nigerian. We are a multi-ethnic family, with family on 3 continents.
My top 2 choices are Felix and Raphael/Rafael. I have felt strongest about Felix–than in June an ex had a baby and named him Felix. DH and ex are both fine if we use the name..but it feels a little less special to me now.
I like the meaning of Raphael/Rafael–God heals or God has healed, depending on where I look. My mom was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer not long after I found out I was pregnant, this baby is due 2 days after her birthday. My mom had her last chemo apt. and her dr. thinks she may be cancer free–this is why this name feels strong to me. Husband not a fan of this name–boo…
Other names I could possibly use, but don’t feel strongly about are the following:
Walter
Franklin
Isaac
Meshach
Wyatt
Balthazar
GustavNames I like but can’t use:
Oliver
Ezra
Malik
Lateef
Everett
Ezekiel
Jude
Leo
Leonard
Omar
Julius
August/Augustine
DesmondNames I like but have discarded:
Oscar
Calvin
Malcolm
Elliott
Isaiah
Nehemiah
Theodore
Soren
Bernard
Tobias
Julian
Solomon
Elijah
Jameson
Otis
Casper
Linus
Langston
Severin
Asa
Nasim
Osias
Raziel
Rafferty
Gilbert
Arthur
EtienneIs there any hope for me? Any ideas or suggestions would be great!
It is hard with such a long list to know what would work best for you honestly. Have you narrowed it at all? Truly, I love each name–especially Rafael. It’s international, straddles that balance between being recognizable yet not too weird to use, and has that fantastic meaning. Prefer the F spelling in the case because it’s more consistent with Zafira. Felix is so wonderful as well and you can’t go wrong with either, though I can imagine the birth of an ex-boyfriend’s son of the same name to be a deterrent. So I’m firmly on team Rafael. There are lots of gems on the “discarded” list too and I have to wonder why they’ve all been tossed?
Here’s a handful of additional names to throw into the pot:
Asher
Elias
Ishmael
Isidore
Lawrence
Lucian
I’d look closely at the meaning of each name on your list and let that be your guide.
Readers, which ones do you like, either on Shelly’s list or mine?
Above: Head of an Old Man with Baby by Raffaello Sanzio
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
I love Lucian – distinctive, pairs well with Zafira, but could always shorten to Luke if he wants something short at some point.
Love Asher and Lucian from your list and Rafael and Wyatt from hers. Never been a big fan of Felix. Zafira is a gorgeous name.
A few suggestions . . .
Zebedee
Zane
Zion
Good luck!
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I just typed up a long response, and there was some kind of technical glitch. Arghhh… I’ll try and respond again.
I of course want to thank you, Elisabeth, for helping me out with this! I really appreciate it!
From the names you suggested, I really love Lawrence. I had a beloved great aunt who never had kids of her own, who passed away about 5 years ago. Lawrence was her surname. I didn’t consider the name, though, because my mom’s best friend of over 20 years adopted a little boy named Lawrence, so that would be confusing. But it’s a fantastic name!
If Ishamel is supposed to be Ishmael, that is a name that I love, but had forgotten about. I’m adding it to my list for consideration.
I find Isadore intriguing, and want to look into that name further. I also like Lucian, but not as strongly as the others.
I used to love Asher (loved the book “My name is Asher Lev”), but the name is a little too trendy for me.
Not a fan of Elias.
Love the Z name suggestions! I have a soft spot for all names Z, but I want my kids to have different letters. So Z names are out.
Thanks for the compliment on Zafira’s name. I fell in love with it while I was pregnant with her, and I didn’t seriously consider another one. I hope I can decide on a name for this one that I still feel a thrill for years later.
I got to the bottom of why my husband wasn’t a fan of Rafael/Raphael. His parents have rental property in Nigeria, and at one point there was a renter trying to skip out on paying and my husband got into a fight with him about this. You guessed it, his name was Raphael. After I explained to him what the name means, and how it would remind me of my mom, he said that we could use it if I wanted to, and said he liked the name. I think I will wait until the baby is born to make a final decision, because I want to be sure that my husband likes the name as much as I do. At this point, I’m leaning towards Rafael/Raphael the strongest. That being said…anything is possible!
I agree that the Rafael spelling is more consistent with Zafira’s name, so we would probably use that one if that is why we decide.
The reason for names being discarded varies—from the meaning of the name–that is something that is really important to my husband. Therefore Calvin is out, he would never agree to name the baby something that meant bald. Also, some names I really like, but they don’t feel like *the* name for my son. It’s so different when you are naming a real person, lol.
This little guy could really come anytime in the next couple of weeks, but I would love suggestions and feedback to help me with this decision.
I love Felix, but I understand the quandry of using a name that an ex has used. If I really loved it though I’d probably use it anyways because true love names are hard to come by. ;0)
I think Rafael is great and incredibly special given the current significance. Big, big thumbs up.
I also think Lucian would be divine with Zafira.
A couple other suggestions I didn’t see listed anywhere that I think could work nicely with Zafira-
Ephraim ( one of my personal favorites)
Leander
Leland
Boaz
Obediah
Obed
Khaled
Jeremiah
Matthias
Isaiah
Abram
Abraham
Seth
I do love Balthazar and Gustav! Felix too. Lucian I like but I like Lucien more.
Ishmael is really nice!
Other suggestions
Ezekiel
Dmitri
Orson
Victor
OOPs! I just saw you said you can’t use Ezekiel! Sorry!
From both lists, I like Rafael and Elias best. Felix is great but I’m not sure I think it flows that well with your sibset.
Others (pardon if I accidentally include some you listed that you can’t/won’t use):
Tariq
Dante
Rafiq
Lorenzo (Enzo)
Milos
Bodhi
Malachy/Malachi
Tarquin
Cyrus
Silas
Oops… Just realized Isaiah was on the no list.
I had a couple other random thoughts-
Odin
Thaddeus
Milo
Miles
Love the suggestions of Ephraim, Obadiah, and Silas.
Thrilled you are considering Ishmael. What does your husband think of this one? He’s said to be the father of the Arabs, so that could swing in your favor or against depending on your religion and ancestry. I think it’s such a beautiful name, reminiscent of Raphael but without the connotations of a bad tenant.
Isidore technically means “gift of Isis”– so a bit of a different lineage there. I also love the Spanish cognate, Isidro. Lush. Ooh, Zafira and Isidro! Any Spanish? He’s the patron saint of Seville and also of farmers.
Ooh, loving all these names coming my way! So much fun!
My husband is likely going to give his beloved late brother’s middle name to our son. I’m really excited about this, and I was hoping that he would choose something to honor him. I will have to learn how to spell and pronounce it, but it is worth it! It begins with the letter O, and it means something to the effect of “a child is like a brother; a child is everything.” So fitting!
That being said, having a middle and last name that begins with an O, I wonder how a first name that begins with a vowel would be?
Of the names suggested, I’m going to look up meanings and consult the husband about Ephraim, Khaled, Dmitri,Rafiq, Lorenzo, Thaddeus, and Isidro.
No Spanish heritage between us, but my husband lived in Spain for awhile while we were dating—his other brother and some other relatives live there currently.
Don’t be sorry about suggesting Ezekiel and Isaiah–I like those names a lot! Especially Ezekiel–was sad to see that one go–but happy that my good friend chose a great name!
Seth is my cousin’s son–not a big fan of the name–so I won’t have considered it anyway. Silas and Cyrus were little boys in our old neighborhood–and I strongly associate it with them–so they are off the table. Otherwise, I like almost all names suggested for me–you ladies are awesome and seem to have pegged my naming likes for the most part! I really appreciate it…
Lots to think about when I toss and turn at night trying to get comfortable enough to fall asleep…
The middle name sounds so meaningful! I’m sure it will be gorgeous, but I do think with that in mind we need to limit the first names.
No to: DOO, GOO, LOO, MOO, POO, ZOO.
My husband is POO, and my daughter is ZOO, lol.
Oh, serry.
No worries….I didn’t name my husband, and I think ZOO are fun initials…
What about Fenix if you don’t want to use Felix?
Or Paregrine? Or Laziosi? Saint Paregrine Laziosi is the patron saint of cancer, amongst other illnesses.
I like Laziosi
And he could be LOO!
Another random thought- Lazlo!!!!
It would be insanely superb with Zafira.
I second the Ephraim suggestion. It’s a great name and I think it fights well with your daughter’s name.
Other suggestions: perhaps Aldo, it means “wise” in German or Kenzo, which means “healthy and strong” in Japanese.
If you love Raphael and the meaning, just go with it. It’s also a beautiful name. I’m sure one of these names will hit the sweet spot for you and be the perfect addition to your family! Congratulations and good luck!
I like Raphael and the meaning. Would like to see a “z” in the name, though, as I like names with a “z” and that would really tie it in with Zafira, too. I’ve always liked the name Lazarus and think it will someday be popular. As you know, Lazarus was raised from the dead by Jesus in the Bible so it is somewhat along the same theme of a healing. Literal meaning is “My God has helped,” and it comes from the Hebrew name Eleazor. Varients on the name are:
Lazarus
Lazar
Lazre
Lazaro
Lazrus
Lazzaro
Eleazar
Eliezer
Elazar
Lazer
Also with a “z”
Lorenzo
Enzo Ezra
Alonzo
Wow, love Laziosi and the connection it has! I also really love Lazlo and Lazarus. Lazarus was actually on my boys list for Zafira, but I am unable to NOT give nicknames, and I would hate my son to have the nickname “lazy.” But really love these! I think I’ll run them by the hubs for his input.
I don’t like Fenix–too place name Phoenix for me–which I know is a realy name…but doesn’t work. It is close to Felix, but I think Felix is losing his shine for me…
Aldo is a shoe store to me…Kenzo doesn’t work because we have a Mckenzie in the family that goes by Kenzie. Ezra is my best friend’s 6 month old—so that’s a no go. I was so excited that she chose the name!
Lorenzo has been recently added, still considering that. I like Alonzo, afraid of the nickname Al.
Again, thanks for more suggestions, I really appreciate it. Still loving Rafael, still pondering this new additions, will be fun to ultimately decide….
I LOVED Enzo for our little one but we named him Rafferty. A girl would’ve been O’Brien. I think Rafael is a great choice though.
Have you thought of alternative names for Raphael? I read in a book once that had a character named Raef (Rafe?) or something like that.
Before I got as far as the “discarded list”, I instantly thought of the name Asa. It has a similar meaning to Rafael, nice and short for a long last name, underused and also a name I’ve loved forever! Another version of Asa that you might like is Asahel.
I do love the name Rafael as well. The Rafaels I’ve known in my life mostly went by the nickname Rafa, though I know one Raf, one Rafi and one Rafe.