Hi Duana, We are having a baby girl in May. We have our names narrowed down to two, Avery and Charlotte, but they are both a compromise on my husband's part because the one name he really loves is Margaret. I can't get my head around it-- it seems like such a 'grown up' name for a toddler or teenager, one that our daughter will only grow into when she hits 40, or maybe not even until 60! What is your opinion on Margaret? We're not telling friends or family our names, so your opinion would be much appreciated!! Thanks, A ___ I know it feels like kind of a double-compromise when one of you loves the name and the other hates it but you might find there’s room for you to take another look here. Full Article

Hi Duana- I have an odd problem.  My 1 1/2 year old son is named Alexander.  It was the ONLY name my husband and I agreed on while we were looking for names.  We love the name and it suits our son perfectly.  The problem is we hate the nickname Alex.  I know, I know - what were we thinking?!  It wouldn't be a problem but, some people just automatically start calling him Alex. Full Article

Hi Duana, I have an Ava. Yes, the most popular name in the WORLD for the last 5 years running. Sigh. My husband actually chose the name and gave me such a touching reason for his choice I said YES while only 4 months pregnant. It wasn't until after that conversation that we realized how popular the name was. Full Article

Hi Duana, I would love to hear your opinion on our short-listed baby names. My husband and I are expecting our first baby any day now - a boy. We have Benjamin, William and Caleb on our short list, but they're only on the list because they haven't been eliminated. We are not in love with any of them. Full Article

Hi Duana, Looking for an opinion... Second baby is on the way - having a surprise - all settled on the girl name but still working out the final list for boy names. Currently the top name on the list is Griffin. Middle name will be a family name beginning with W and last name is of Eastern European heritage (read: Jewish). Full Article

Dear Duana, We're expecting two boys any day now and before these twinadoes land, we need some serious help with names. Burt and Ernie just won't do. My husband and I are far apart (think Wolf and Fox vs. Elliot and Ewan) and feel that we're both compromising too much. His top picks are: Nigel, Gabriel, Fox, Heath and Milo. Full Article

Duana! I have a crazy-related baby name situation. When we first found out we were pregnant in 2008, we decided that we both liked the idea of keeping our family members’ names going. So when we found out that our first was a girl, I gave hubby two choices, all after our beloved grandmothers, he chose Isabella (I like traditional names, I am guilty). Full Article

We're having a girl and have decided to name her Mae. The thing is that although we both like this name, it is a compromise chosen through a process of elimination. My first choice would be Lisa and my husband's would be Celia.  These two names seem so close in sound that I can't believe there isn't something in between that we would both love. Full Article

I'm pregnant with my second child and we're expecting a girl! Our first is a boy, named George. My husband is Chinese and I am Jewish so we're following the Jewish tradition of naming our children after recently deceased relatives, in this case girls names starting with an "H" or an "E". Full Article

Hey Duana, While I am not currently knocked up, I'm engaged to a great guy, and we're planning on starting to try shortly after the wedding. Here's the issue - this will be his second marriage, and he has two kids from the first go 'round.  He has full custody, so these kids will be part of my new full-time family. Full Article

Hi Duana, My best friend is having a baby (gender will be a surprise) and wants to give it a middle name that reflects a (hopefully good) personality trait. For a girl there are lots of choices - joy, hope, faith, etc. - and they're leaning towards Grace as a middle name. But there are hardly any boy traits for middle names. Full Article

Dear Duana, After 20 years of baby name obsession, I'm finally faced with naming my own baby and am totally stumped. My husband and I want to honour several deceased relatives by choosing a name that begins with the same letter as did the relative's: R for a boy and J for a girl. Unfortunately we cannot agree on names we like. Full Article

My husband and I are expecting our first little guy in April and have chosen his first name no problem. The issue we struggle with currently is the middle name. My question here is that the baby's initials (if we go with our agreed on choice) are going to be N.A.G. Is this one of those avoid at all cost words that we don't want to stick our kid with or not so bad in the grand scheme of what initials COULD spell out?! Thanks for the help- K. Full Article

I am in love with the names Xavier Lafayette, and Memphis Xavier. I am told these are the worst names in existence. I am told I would be condemning a child to a life time of mockery. Give it to me straight, are these names as bad as all that? Admittedly, I cannot think of a good nickname for either, but how important is that aspect anyway? --- Oh wow. Full Article