Mother Threw a Wrench in It

[pomme_de_guerre]

I was all settled on

Sylvie Josephine
&
Natalya Cecile

for my twins, due Sept. 5. Their big sister is Eva Simone.

My mother doesn't seem to like these names (they were greeted by silence) and she keeps offering me other ideas, making her own lists and even soliciting ideas from her friends, who send lists of their own. She isn't even a bossy person, most of the time. She's sort of meek, actually, and I am just trying hard to be polite. I say, 'oh!' and 'uh-huh!' to everything.

I know people say 'don't tell anyone the name' for this reason, but I like asking people because the way I see it, a name is a public kind of thing. Might as well get reactions before it's too late. (Maybe I should stick to asking my friends and online strangers.)

Anyway she brought up an objection that has stuck with me and my husband: Eva's cousins, my husband's brother's twins, are Sabine and Nadia, and Sylvie and Natalia are similar! They will think you copied them, said Mom.

As much as I try to brush this off, I am a little bothered by it, and so is my husband. So I turn to you. What do you think? I was so pleased with my choices and now I am second guessing them.

My plan is to keep them, but to tell mom I changed Natalia to Ann which is her ex-mother-in- law's name. Yes. Sylvie and Ann Bernard, named for her ex-mother-in-law and ex-husband, my grandmother and father. I will say this with a straight face and she will regret messing with me.

[babylove3]

I'm being honest and I love Natayla but Sylvie just isn't my thing. If you love them, go ahead and name your girls that. Don't listen to your mother. They aren't her kids!

[susan]

I was all settled on

Sylvie Josephine
&
Natalya Cecile

for my twins, due Sept. 5. Their big sister is Eva Simone.

My mother doesn't seem to like these names (they were greeted by silence) and she keeps offering me other ideas, making her own lists and even soliciting ideas from her friends, who send lists of their own. She isn't even a bossy person, most of the time. She's sort of meek, actually, and I am just trying hard to be polite. I say, 'oh!' and 'uh-huh!' to everything.

I know people say 'don't tell anyone the name' for this reason, but I like asking people because the way I see it, a name is a public kind of thing. Might as well get reactions before it's too late. (Maybe I should stick to asking my friends and online strangers.)

Anyway she brought up an objection that has stuck with me and my husband: Eva's cousins, my husband's brother's twins, are Sabine and Nadia, and Sylvie and Natalia are similar! They will think you copied them, said Mom.

As much as I try to brush this off, I am a little bothered by it, and so is my husband. So I turn to you. What do you think? I was so pleased with my choices and now I am second guessing them.

My plan is to keep them, but to tell mom I changed Natalia to Ann which is her ex-mother-in- law's name. Yes. Sylvie and Ann Bernard, named for her ex-mother-in-law and ex-husband, my grandmother and father. I will say this with a straight face and she will regret messing with me.
Shock and Relief! Smart! You could also "change" Sylvie to someone else's name from your mom's life and then change it back to Sylvie when you name your daughter.
Both my dad and my mother-in-law didn't like what we were going to name our son, but we went ahead and named him Peter anyway. My dad said the name Peter sounded like a bad work and my MIL said that she never liked that name.

[cora]

Darn! I'm so sorry, Pomme. Like Susan said, I'd change both names, but I'd tell your mom you're naming the twins Gertrude and Ethel. :-)

Yes, the cousins will have matching initials, but it obviously doesn't bother you, and that's what truly matters. (Furthermore, your relatives don't own S's and N's.) :-) You loved the names you've chosen, they work wonderfully with Eva Simone (so pretty...), and that's that. :-)

That said, if you feel like working on back-up names in case you change your mind, or if you simply feel like exploring further, I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say we'd love to help you out!

Please give little Gertrude and Ethel my best. :-)