We are very name picky over here. I know many couples who basically trade off who picks which kids name, and the other doesn’t really have a say. I can’t imagine!! Kudos to those who make it work but it would NOT work for us. Brady and I LOVE naming our kids. We pour over names for hours and hours and hours. We used to watch movie credits to the very end and read as many names off as we could. We read through baby name books, used websites, watched YouTube “names I love but won’t be using” videos, etc. We work HARD to come up with names that are juuust different enough without being completely off the wall. Names that flow nicely with the chosen middle name, that sound nice when said out loud. Names that work well for babies, children, teens, and adults. We play with nicknames, and ask a small group of trusted friends if we’ve missed any obvious issues in the name. We. Work. HARD.
I wanted to share with you guys how we chose the name of our fifth baby, Waverly Violet. Her name isn’t the most common, so naturally, we’ve had questions. And thats great! Ask away! I’m aware that not everyone loves her name, and thats great, too! Maybe I don’t like your kids names either 😉 Lol! I’m kidding. I GENUINELY am not offended if you don’t love the names we’ve chosen for our children. If we all liked the same names, everyone would be named the same things, which would be boring. I don’t love boring. You probably know that by now, based on my childrens names. #redundant I will, however, request that if you do not like her name, please don’t tell me! I had that happen at her party when she was twelve days old, and I will never forget it. HER party. Telling me you don’t like her name, and telling her guests. Bad taste. Don’t love it, its cool, but keep it to yourself.
Waverly’s name has been on the books for at least two years before she was born. Brady thinks even longer, but he’s mistaken 😉 (Love you honey!) I found this name on YouTube while watching a channel that I duck in on maybe once or twice a year. She rarely posts, and they have such an odd life. I pretty much relate to nothing at all that she posts, but sometimes I just check for fun. And out of nowhere, she had had a baby. A Waverly. It was instant love for me. INSTANT. I LOVED the name Waverly. I had never ever heard it before, but it wasn’t super weird. Just different enough. It was absolutely my top girl name on our list!
Except I didn’t tell Brady. Because Brady has to grow to love names. I learned that early on. He is quick to veto names, but then actually take some thinking time and fall hard for them later. I was so fearful of him dismissing the name I loved so quickly that I kept it to myself.
In truth, I don’t remember the exact moment I shared the name Waverly with Brady. It was probably when we were pregnant with Theo. I do remember that I was nervous, though. When I finally croaked it out, I could tell he really thought about it. His eyes grew, and he just simply said “Yes. I love that.” And that was it!! There was never another name that even came close to hers.
When we found out that this baby was a little girl, we were SO excited to be able to use the name we loved so much. I lived in some very real anxiety that she would pass away, and we wouldn’t be able to use her name on a daily basis. Lots of dreams centred around that in that stretch of time. I actually had one dream that someone very close to us named their baby Waverly, and we legitimately decided to cut them off completely in order to be able to use the name.
Wavy’s middle name is Violet. Thats for a lot of reasons. Its a name we LOVE but won’t be using as a first name. Its also purple 😉 in case you hadn’t noticed that we like that color over here. It is feminine and whimsical and melodic and just exactly bang on for our Waverly. We tossed around one or two other middle name briefly, but we couldn’t get past the flow of Waverly Violet. It sounded the best, and we loved it the most, plain and simple.
Since bringing Waverly home and sharing her name with the masses (not actually masses) we’ve had SO much love on her name, and on her in general. I know for a fact that not everyone who knows her name loves it, and while I kind of wish I hadn’t been told that directly, as I said, I’m not offended by our differences of opinions. I think her name is smooth and lovely and musical and just so so her! She looks like a Waverly. Or a Wavy. It suits her beautifully. But SHE is amazing, regardless of how she looks or what her name is.
I’m SO happy with our choice, and with our child.