How much do initials matter?

[achromia]

I am Team Green and due in December. We're set on a boy name, but are still trying to nail down our full girl name.

I always thought that I would give my daughter the same middle name I have (and my mother, grandmother, and great grandmother had) - it's tradition! However, when we finally chose a first name, which DH is in love with and doesn't even want to consider changing, I felt like the FN and family MN don't go together.

Now, I have a couple of solid other MN options that honor people in my family, but I'm not crazy about the initial combinations (first, middle, and last) they make. None of them spell anything weird; they just don't look all that pretty together. Am I being a crazy pregnant lady and will this cease to bother me once I meet my kid, or will I always be annoyed when I look at my (hypothetical) daughter's initials? Will I even have cause to use her initials often?

[cosmicav]

If the name was important to me, I wouldn't let flow get in the way of using it. Personally I would do the tradition name, even if the flow isn't perfect. 

You won't have to use your LO's initials that often, except maybe for a monogram if you are into that kind of thing. I would not make a big choice based on what the initials look like together, because you really won't see it that often. So yeah, unless it spells ASS or KKK, then don't worry about that part.

[reginaphalange]

I'm going to say it. You're being a crazy pregnant lady. Why don't you think the first and middle don't go together?

[kellybenelly83]

Unless it spells something horrible, you're overthinking it. If you think your first name and middle don't go together it might help us to know the names, there is a lot of knowledge here that could help either suggest alternatives or some compromise?

[achromia]

Sigh. I had this long explanation typed out of why I dislike the "traditional" middle name with DH's favorite first name, and realized it was more complicated and annoying than just telling you what they are. So, I don't want to use:

I.vy Marie

It just sounds off to me somehow. Too lilting or something because of the matched number of syllables and matching long E endings... I don't know. I just don't like them together. I am considering two other options which also have family meaning to me, and which I like the flow of much more:

I.vy Josephine (Josephine was my great grandma's name)
I.vy Abigail (my mom's name is Gail)

Our last name starts with G, so I'm mostly wondering if either "IJG" or "IAG" is going to eternally bother me or not. I own exactly two monogrammed things with my own initials on them, so I can't imagine that I'm going to buy a bunch of stuff with my (hypothetical) daughter's initials stitched on it. I suspect that I am overthinking it.

[Deleted]

Overthinking it. So long as nothing offensive is being spelled about by the initials, don't worry about them.

[lormor]

Absolutely overthinking it.
(Ivy Marie does sound a bit like Ave Maria, the prayer, but I love the other two and don't think the initials will bother you one jot.)

What are your boy name initials?

[ottertails]

I think you're overthinking it. The initials don't spell anything. If you ever wanted to monogram something you could go with the style that puts the surname in the middle (LARGE SURNAME LETTER IN THE MIDDLE).

The flow is fine to me. However, if the middle name connection is important, and don't like the way it sounds, there's other variations that might fit better for you.

[kellybenelly83]

This helps, Ivy pairs beautifully with both Marie and Josephine, personally I'd pick Josephine but that's because I love that name. I do not think Marie is an issue though if you decide to go with it.
As far as the initials go, you're overthinking it for sure.

[reginaphalange]

I LOVE Ivy Josephine. For what it's worth, I think Ivy Marie sounds just fine.

I feel like the 'I' initial is maybe throwing you off. It's an awkward letter for monogrammed stuff but I would never change the n'amène based on that.

[Widget123]

I understand why you are hesitant about Marie. I try to avoid FN and MN combos with the same ending and I think names sound better this way.

MN's like Marie, Ann, Lee, Lynne, etc. bore me. I have one of them, the same one as my mom and sister, but I chose to give my daughter a different middle name that I like better and is a little more unique.

So if you want to use FN + Marie, that would still be a beautiful name, but I don't think you should feel guilty if you choose something else for the MN.

The intials thing you are definitely overthinking.

[cabbagecabbage]

I can see where the double sound of VEE MaREE would be just enough to sound weird to you. It would probably bug me too if it was for my own kid but it would not bother me in the least on someone else's baby. The initials don't factor in for me at all. Like, I have to think what my kids initials are. I live in an area where I never see monograms and have no interest in them, so maybe that's a factor.

[joy]

I like the flow of all youe first and middle names!

My kid's initials are IMW. I got it monogrammed on a bag for her and thought "sounds like a tech company," then let it go. I love all her names. Flow and initials were secondary to like and family.

[seamonster]

I like your FN and MN together. It's a pretty name and the initials don't spell anything weird.

[dreadpiratebuttercup]

I love Ivy Marie and Ivy Josephine, and think the initials combos work just fine.

[billyhorrible]

I actually like Ivy Marie because the stress is on different syllables of the words, so they don't seem as rhymey.

I think all the initials are fine. They look fine. I get people wanting to be careful about what the initials might spell, but I feel like you have the opposite concern? That the initials don't spell anything?

[achromia]

Oct 25, 2016 12:04:49 GMT -5 billyhorrible said:

I actually like Ivy Marie because the stress is on different syllables of the words, so they don't seem as rhymey.

I think all the initials are fine. They look fine. I get people wanting to be careful about what the initials might spell, but I feel like you have the opposite concern? That the initials don't spell anything?

I wouldn't say I'm concerned that they don't spell anything, moreso that I think they look weird written out. I fully admit that this is probably irrational, lol.

[♪♫choppinbroccoli♫♪]

Oct 25, 2016 17:58:37 GMT -5 achromia said:

Oct 25, 2016 12:04:49 GMT -5 billyhorrible said:

I actually like Ivy Marie because the stress is on different syllables of the words, so they don't seem as rhymey.

I think all the initials are fine. They look fine. I get people wanting to be careful about what the initials might spell, but I feel like you have the opposite concern? That the initials don't spell anything?

I wouldn't say I'm concerned that they don't spell anything, moreso that I think they look weird written out. I fully admit that this is probably irrational, lol.

I vote irrational, and I really like I.vy Marie. You have a winner, IMO, that carries on the tradition and sounds good with the FN that YH loves.

[valie]

I like your names!

I wouldn't worry at all about how a monogram looks - you'll find a font where it works.

[beenandgone]

I do get the initial panic. My maiden initials are the same for a syndrome you get from improper tampon use. I was always hyper aware of that, especially in late middle school when jerk boys started pointing that out. I know, super random and out there, but for some reason that bothered me so much in school.

That said, unless if spells something offensive, I wouldn't worry. One of my boys is EVR (ever) the other is CAR. My second son was several days old when I realized that, and my h laughed. He said that was why he loved DS2's name so adamantly.

My daughters don't spell anything (CMS & AGR).

[Deleted]

I think if you go with a name you like, you probably aren't going to get super pretty initials. So I vote irrational.

I can see what you mean. It maybe has something to do with the I or the G. So nothing you can really do there. I think a consonant balances it out more, but not enough to change the name.

Ivy Josephine is my favorite. But if you want symmetry of initials, I suppose with the G in the middle then Ivy Abigail, could be vowel, consonant, vowel. We never monogram things either, and those are my Grandma's initials, and I never thought of it. 

I say first middle to myself or them at least once a day.  I say their initials maybe once every 6 months.