Help with a name please!!! - Page 2

[4Blessings]

Originally Posted by zinemama

I guess I'll be the lone dissenter here and say I really dislike "Rice" (no matter how you spell it) as a name.

I like rice as much as anyone. Beans and rice, fried rice, tofu with rice, Spanish rice. But those are not the associations I'd want people to have when learning the name of my child. To me, it's like naming a kid "corn" or "millet"

As a last name (a la Condoleeza), ok. But not a first.

^^^ this ^^^

I dislike Rhys or Reece with either pronunciation. I have a kiddo with a peanut allergy so I always think of the peanut butter candy

[wookie]

I've always heard it pronounced Reece and fwiw i LOVE it! written, Rhys looks quirky yet strong, handsome, generally positive. I would spell it this way though.

Bryce isn't for me either. Others from your list I like (and know some cute little boys that are called those) are Emmett, Elliot and Fionnlagh (Gaelic speclling for Finley).

[RedOakMomma]

I think Rhyce looks okay, but I would not name a child "Rice." It's going to be the butt of too many jokes.

And yeah...Rhys is "Reece."

Sorry!

[sanguine_speed]

There is a Rhys in my dd's class at school who is "Reece".

Finley is very very cute, but becoming very trendy. You might find your son having to identify himself by last initial in groups. this is fine if you're cool with it, but might be disappointing if you hadn't known.

[MammaB21]

Originally Posted by Ahimsa

You might like Emrys

I do like that name. Emlyn is on my list as well, but DP has pretty much vetoed all of my 'EM' names.

[Ahimsa]

Originally Posted by MammaB21

I do like that name. Emlyn is on my list as well, but DP has pretty much vetoed all of my 'EM' names.

If DD had been a boy, she would have been Emrys.

[JessieBird]

I love the name Rhys pronounced Reece. I've know a few (not many) so would automatically think of that pronunciation but wouldn't mind being corrected. I really like the sound Rice as a name too. I have no issues with the food association. Any name can be associated with something weird or turned into a nickname... I don't mind the spelling Rhyce and would consider that if I were you. To me, Bryce is totally different and it doesn't appeal at all.

Emery and Emmett are on our list if we have a boy too! Both great names!

[snoopy5386]

how about Royce?

[IAMommy]

Yes, Rhys is definitely pronounced "Reece." I like Finley, and your names made me think of the name Wesley, just to throw in another one.

[_betsy_]

How about Everett? No Y though.

Try Nymbler.com - you can put in the names you like and it comes up with other names in the same vein.

I knew Rhys was "Reese" and I think it's a great name. But I don't care for the "rice" pronunciation.

What about Ryder?

[honeybee]

I pronounced it Reece automatically.

[beanbean]

Like the others, when I hear "rice" I think food. Unfortunately I don't think there's any way around that. I do agree it works as a last name, or a middle name though. I also think of the term "white rice" which is used to mean something that's boring or bland, and if you're white, well, that wouldn't be the greatest association.

Honestly I would shy away from naming my son or a daughter after a food item, unless it was something like Angus, Rosemary or Olive -- something strong, with tradition behind it.

I once read that a great way to test out a name is to go to a playground and shout it out and see what you think. I also do the "title test" and imagine the name with a title before it - Dr., CEO, etc.

One last thing -- in deciding, I would weigh the sound of a name over its spelling by a factor of 10x. 90% of the time your son's name will be given verbally, so the first impression will be the sound, not the spelling.

Hope that helps! Wishing you well, whatever you choose!

[MammaB21]

Wow, I'm loving all the opinions about this. Okay, I'm going to try and respond to everyone in one post.

Proud2BeAnAmerica - DD has a peanut allergy too. It's funny you mentioned that, I hadn't even thought of it. I don't like the pronunciation 'Reece' for us anyway, though.

wookie -Thanks! That is exactly how I feel about the spelling 'Rhys'. It just has such a great feel to me.

RedOakMomma - No apology necessary. The only 'joke' I can come up with is Rice-o-roni....which actually isn't that bad IMO. Every name has potential to be a cruel joke. At least this way, kids wont' have to be too creative in coming up with something really dirty or offensive.

JessieBird Looks like we have the same taste in names.

On names that have been suggested:

I like Everett, hadn't thought of that one yet. Thanks for the suggestion.
Ryder was on my list when DD was still a DC of unknown gender. However, I can't use it because my ex and I picked it out and that would just be weird.
Wesley is a nice name too. It reminds me of the Princess Bride. I'm just not sure if it's this little one's name.

beanbean I would have never thought of the association of 'white rice' as a negative thing. But maybe others will. The food names you mentioned didn't feel all that different to me. It makes me think of the celebrity who name their daughter Apple. When I first heard that I only pictures the fruit in my mind and thought it was silly as a name. But I think it becomes a name if that makes sense. I think Rhyce sounds much less foody than Apple fwiw, and she certainly got away with it. I agree about the sound outweighing the spelling for sure. Thanks for the tips!

[MammaB21]

Just wanted to add as well that Rice (with that pronunciation possibly multiple spellings) is an actual name. I didn't make it up....lol. I'm sure people will think we did, but others have used that pronunciation as a name. Looking into it, people have even used the spelling Rhys with the alternate pronunciation. So it looks like, although it is rare, I'm not the only one! I mean, it's not like his middle name will be N'Beans. hahahaha.

Anyhow, I still just can't decide. These are all such valid points and although I do love the name, I don't want a life of torment for my child.

[Ahimsa]

Plus, you might just know what his name is when you see and hold him.

[jennica]

Originally Posted by MammaB21

The only 'joke' I can come up with is Rice-o-roni....which actually isn't that bad IMO. Every name has potential to be a cruel joke. At least this way, kids wont' have to be too creative in coming up with something really dirty or offensive.

Just wanted to point out, if your kid gets teased with "rice-o-roni" or "rice n' beans" or whatever else, it's true that it isn't the meanest thing that could be said, but if you have to hear it all the time for your entire life I am sure it would be very annoying. That is the risk you run of using a food item as a name, especially an extremely common food item. I'm sure little Apple will get tired of being called "Apple Pie" too.

[MaerynPearl]

Its hard to avoid associations and jokes with almost any name.

I have a somewhat normal name (its common but not overused) that is in two different songs and those references get old quick. (and if you have a child named after a song do not think because it is older than them that no one will remember them, one of my songs is over twice as old as I am and people STILL remember it)

And my last name is Jolly so trust me, I am NOT amused when people send me Christmas cards about feeling Jolly.

Its easier to avoid the bad jokes... like the name Angus is NOT a good name if you want to avoid people dropping the G... And Virginia will tend to be associated with virgin... Richard = Dick... seriously? Seriously. And I wont even get started on the name Gaylord (which 30 years ago would have seemed to be a great name... but I have a friend about my age who refuses to go by his first name and is rather a middle-name guy... and he happens to have a boyfriend but still finds his first name too easy of an insult.)

So its more of a picking the lesser of the evils. I know my son Matt has a lot of jokes that can come from his name... perhaps not the name Matt itself but from simple rhymes. And my daughters name can be made fun of pretty easily (her brother already does it) but again... its not as insulting as some names could be.