Name Nerd Duana Names: Does The Spelling Change The Meaning? Hey Duana! I hope this is the shortest, most succinct email you receive all day (I’d have said week, but let’s not get carried away). My husband and I are expecting our second, sex unknown (but to be determined). Our first is Mary. If second is a girl, By Duana • Nov 13, 2019 04:00 pm
Name Nerd Duana Names: Is This Name Actionable? Hi Duana, I am currently expecting a baby girl and have found myself in the middle of some family drama. My husband and I are planning to name our daughter Caroline which greatly upset his brother and his brother's wife. They currently have a six-month-old boy (Andrew) but By Duana • Nov 08, 2019 02:54 pm
Name Nerd Duana Names: What’s My Name, Though? Hi Duana! First-time writer, long-time reader. I believe you are the perfect person to help solve my voicemail dilemma as I am not sure which name to use. It’s currently automated, but I would like to use something more personalized. I go by Ali with friends but Alison at By Duana • Nov 06, 2019 04:01 pm
Name Nerd Duana Names: Vicarious Victories Hi Duana, I’ve loved your column vicariously for years and got the satisfaction of being able to say ‘but I suggested that months ago!’ when my sister and brother-in-law named their firstborn Theodore Joseph. He’s a delight and known to everyone as Teddy. Well! Teddy is getting a By Duana • Nov 04, 2019 04:08 pm
Name Nerd Duana Names: Poker; or, Confessions of A Name Hoarder Hi Duana, My husband and I are expecting twins this month and I'm so tired this pregnancy that I cannot find the brain power to choose names I like. Or rather, to choose names both my husband and I agree on, or to convince him of the best By Duana • Nov 01, 2019 03:31 pm
Name Nerd Duana Names: My Name is GOTCHA! Hi there, Long time reader of the blog, but first time emailer here. My husband and I received the shock of our lives when we found out at the beginning of my second trimester that instead of the one baby we thought we were having (and, frankly, were told we By Duana • Oct 28, 2019 04:03 pm
Name Nerd Duana Names: Retrofitting Name Joy Dear Duana, I am in a real pickle. We named our newborn son Francis... and I hate it. So much so that whenever I think about it I get a pit in my stomach. I know this makes me sound like a terrible person and that I could/should have By Duana • Oct 23, 2019 04:11 pm
Name Nerd Duana Names: Game Of Jones, Mother Of Zeldas Hi Duana, Despite being an avid reader, I didn’t think I would need your advice when it came to naming my daughter (due middle of October). My partner and I are both big F. Scott Fitzgerald fans and early on fell in love with the name Zelda. It’s By Duana • Oct 21, 2019 04:07 pm
Name Nerd Duana Names: To Know Him Is To Love Him… Who Is He? Hi Duana, We need your help. I am being induced October 21st at 7:15 AM and my husband and I cannot agree on a name that we love. This is my third boy. Owen and Nolan are his siblings’ names. We would love for his name to go well By Duana • Oct 18, 2019 03:38 pm
Name Nerd Duana Names: Their Dead Chicken Stole My Baby Name Hi Duana, I love your naming articles and I hope you can share your wisdom. My email subject says it all really. After three years of multiple losses and general sh-ttiness, I am the proud owner of a first time 29 week bump and a baby who loves to boogie By Duana • Oct 16, 2019 04:42 pm
Name Nerd Duana Names: Do Not Go Gentle! Hi Duana, My husband and I are expecting our second child in December, and are struggling mightily with his name. Our daughter, Quinn, will be three next month and although we struggled with names right up until her birth (and for a few days after), I love her name now. By Duana • Oct 09, 2019 04:45 pm
Name Nerd Duana Names: -Ith/Then/Else Hi Duana, We are expecting baby girl #2 in October. Our first is Edith Maud (Edie, colloquially), and my husband is trying desperately hammer home Judith (Judy). Her middle name will be Yvonne, so on its own, I quite like Judith Yvonne - but I'm struggling with EdiTH By Duana • Oct 07, 2019 03:52 pm
Name Nerd Duana Names: No, Seriously – Now or Never Hi Duana, I am a week past my due date with baby #2, sex unknown. My husband has taken a sudden interest in names and their meanings (better late than never I guess, but really dude, now??) and thrown a new favorite into the ring. For a boy we are By Duana • Oct 02, 2019 03:40 pm
Name Nerd Duana Names: Acing The Next Name Hi Duana, Long time reader of Lainey’s website ( as well as Show Your Work) So excited to finally have a reason to write in! One of my coworkers is having her second baby (a boy due in October) and she is stuck on a name. They have a girl By Duana • Sep 30, 2019 03:20 pm
Name Nerd Duana Names: Wishing And Hoping and Thinking and Singing Hi Duana! Huge fan of your column and a total name nerd myself; for no good reason other than names are just fun. Anyway, as I vacuumed today I caught myself singing “Gloria” pretty loudly and wondered - what happened to this name? It’s not a “dead name” is By Duana • Sep 27, 2019 04:10 pm
Name Nerd Duana Names: His Majesty’s Moniker Hi Duana, LOVE your advice and hoping you can help us here... My husband and I are expecting our first child, a boy, due this fall, and landed on a name we both adored from about Week 6 of pregnancy-- ARCHIE. Not Archer or Archibald, but Archie. Fast forward to By Duana • Sep 25, 2019 04:32 pm
