Jennifer Garner Baby Name: Seraphina is here!

Blah. Blah. Blah.

Overshadows Violet, Gave her a middle more than Violet and just feels showy. I expected better of them!

I think its beautiful and very elegant.

I agree completely with Lola. Why the second middle name? It makes Ann, Violet’s middle name, seem so plain.

Different..
But it’s growing on me.

I’m a little bit dissapointed. I don’t think its a good idea to give one child a short, sweet, simple name like Violet Anne, and then give another child an extremely elaborate long name ; Seraphina Rose Elizabeth. Its not that I don’t like the name I’m just surprised by their pick and don’t think the names go particularly well together.

I think Violet & Seraphina aren’t at odd with each other as sibsets go.
I’m not shocked by the name, but I am surprised they gave her a longer name than they gave her big sister.

Violet might have been involved in the selection, well I thought she might have been since some children are with their baby siblings
Does anyone else think her name was going to be two names “Rose Elizabeth” and then Violet wanted her to have Seraphina as well? ….or is it just me

My guess is that Seraphina will be called Sera, sounding like Sarah. Even that doesn’t flow with Violet. Sera and Violet? Hmmm. I guess it doesn’t really matter how well the names go together unless it causes discord among the siblings. Did anybody guess ‘Sarah’?

Not to tell you guys how to do your job…but as far as winning the book goes from the results of the contest look at some girl, Carlie’s, reply:

“Carlie Says:

January 7th, 2009 at 9:16 pm

I think it may be Rose, Daisy or Lillian (Lilly) if it was a flower name. Willow is cute but it just doesn’t sound like a name Jen would choose. I think that she should name her baby Elisabeth and give her a nickname like Lissa (like alissa but without the first a) or Elisa (pronounced like Eliza) it sounds old-fashioned, but still elegant. But that’s just my opinion I just hope its not something like Mowgli. But i still think she should name it Alice Elisabeth of Sophie Alice.”

She was the first to mention Rose, also had Elizabeth, and Sophie is pretty close to Seraphina so she’s got my vote to win the book! (if we’re taking another poll–haha)

As for my opinion on their choice of a name, I agree it’s unexpected. The charm of Violet’s name was that it’s old-fashioned, sweet yet forgotten about or else there would me more around nowadays. Violet’s a serious contender in my list of names now. Seraphina is kind of out there and to match (being a twin) I kinda wish they both had four names. Kinda unusual, that.

I think it’s an example of “Our first kid’s name was more popular than we thought, and so we’re going to pick something off the beaten path for number two.”

I need to go back to the SSA database to see when Violet began to spike. Was it after The Incredibles?

As for the name itself, it’s a ballsy choice! I don’t dislike it.

I actually just added Seraphina to my list a few weeks ago! I love it!

Seraphina Rose would be gorgeous, Elizabeth wasn’t really needed. Or Seraphina Elizabeth Rose would so better, in my opinion.

I think that it doesn’t go well with Violet Anne, really. Seraphina Rose Elizabeth is so princess like and long and flowing. Violet is cute and old fashioned. Seraphina definitely overshadows Violet. I’d imagine someone named Seraphina’s sisters to be something with more substance, like Aurelia or Cordelia or Evangeline. Violet’s sister would be something more old fashioned, but still cute, like Eliza. I guess Violet & Seraphina go together well enough. But Seraphina sounds more older sistery and Violet sounds younger, which is backwards and that kind of bugs me. It also bugs me that Violet only has one middle name.

But overall, Jen & Ben have great taste, compared to other celebs!

Eva, I completely agree with you!
I expected something a bit less popular yes, but not something this froofy. I mean, I like Seraphina, but not with a sister named Violet! In my head, Rose Elizabeth would have been perfect. Themey, sure, but the perfect bit of simplicity & elegance that I expected from them for a sister to the gorgeously named Violet Anne. Bugs me about the two vs. one middle too. If I had one and my kid sister had two, boy would I be ticked!

You don’t need to go to the Social Security database to see when Violet (or any name) spikes — the nameberry charts show where every name is for every year — just move your cursor over the graph for specifics.

I think they did a remarkable job. They surprised us all, which is quite a feat, but chose something historic and meaningful. It’s definitely frillier, but it’s more important to choose a great name for the individual rather than match a set, don’t you think? Rose Elizabeth would have been boring, predictable, and way to cutesy wootsy with Violet Anne.

~Elisabeth
http://youcantcallitit.com

I must say I have to agree with you Elisabeth, on all those points–I think it was a wonderful choice. And they did surprise us all!

I think Seraphina is a great name, but the match with Violet is not so great. First of all, they gave her two middle names, and Violet only has one. Second, one of them is a flower name, which takes down the significance of Violet’s first name. Third, Seraphina
will probably have the nickname Sera, which sounds like Sarah, which is plain compared to Violet.

They would have done 1000 times better to have Violet Anne Affleck and Rose Elizabeth Affleck: matching in number and tempo, with two pretty, not-too-common first names.

Although the name also has that old-world charm, it is indeed sassier and frillier than Violet. My first thoughts were that this name is a bit intellectual considering usual celebrity baby names. I imagine Seraphina may kick-start a small trend towards longer-syllabled names. Besides Elizabeth, Isabella or Gabriella, are there other four-syllabled names floating around currently?

Pam, Thanks! I have to admit, I didn’t realize you had the charting functionality here. (Sorry.) I’m not fabulous at charts, but it looks like in fact Violet did spike in 2004-5. The Incredibles came out in 2004, and Violet Affleck wasn’t born until Dec 05. So the name was definitely already on the upswing before Jen & Ben claimed it.

Austin, Olivia also fits that bill. Let’s see, I’m thinking of my two kids’ preschool classes….nope, no other four-syllables.

I don’t get why people are complaining about her having one more name than her sister. Siblings names don’t have to match. They aren’t a boxed set their parents are selling. Each is an individual with a name that is special to their parents. Both lovely names.

It is an unique name!

They suprised us all with the name, yeah. But I think it a beatiful name!!! But I’m still wondering why they choose this one…
I have an aunt and her name is Severina, looks a bit like it!

Ben, Jennifer and Violet, congratulations! I hope you will be very happy for many years!

I also completely agree with Elisabeth that it’s a lovely, surprising choice that feels compatible with Violet and I don’t think the two sisters need to be a boxed set.

More creative than I gave them credit for. Seraphina is a very pretty name. Once the baby’s picture starts showing up in magazines, she’ll probably have some namesakes. I wonder if it will break the top 1,000 for 2009, especially since she was born at the start of the year and other parents will have time to be inspired.

Violet was already rising in popularity when the older girl was named, so I don’t think they get sole credit for its popularity, but they will if Seraphina becomes better used.

This time the second child’s name was wilder than the first. But Seraphina is wild only in terms of not being popular. It is a beautiful name. Blessings to you, Ben, Jen, and Violet! A wonderful new year with your new girl!

I think it is just beautiful although it is not the choice I would have made. It feels classic but not to common to me.

They seem to have done the reverse of many celebrities, by going from a more mainstream name to a more unusual one. It may be that this name has family significance as well, I guess we’ll just have to wait an see! I think they name is pretty, but not as likely to catch on with the masses. Which may have been their point.

Other 4 syllable names off the top of my head: Alexandra, Alexandria (5!), Ariana, Liliana

I LOVE the name choice! Seraphina is a beautiful, dramatic name and has been on my list(s) for years, but spelled Serafina. I’m sure it will become so popular like Violet did (which could make me nix it from our list). I think it works with Violet – the middle names don’t matter as much. Children are rarely called by their middle names and both daughters have strong names, though different in a different style. I really hope Ben and Jen don’t lean toward Sera as a nickname – it’s just too common.

As for the 4-syllable names – I can’t think of all of them, but there are quite a few lovely names out there (imo):

Catalina, Carolina, Amelia (Emilia), Arabella, Magdalena, Alicia (pron: Ah-lee-see-uh), Luciana, Veronica…and January!

its better than being named after a fruit and it is a name the kid dont have to go to school to learn how to spell

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I just wanted to say while it’s nice to have someone else by the same name as me it’s a little agitating. I have had this name for 25 years and then suddenly they pick and everyone coos over it! But congratulations none the less babies are wonderful gifts from God no matter what the name. God Bless!

[...] Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck have a daughter named “Seraphina” Rose Elizabeth. Seraphina’s name, which means fiery or ardent in Hebrew, comes from the Seraphim, the high order of six-winged angels. Spelled Serafina in Spanish and Italian, this elaborately feminine name is in step with the Isabellas and Gabriellas so popular today, yet is far more distinctive. (Link | Photo) [...]