Thought I'd give names another try...

[3for3hb]

I am the worst when it comes to deciding on my child's name. It's just that it's so permanent. Dh isn't much of a help other than to point out nicknames and connotations we may want to avoid.

So yesterday I met a delightful mother named Kaleo (pronounced kah-LAY-oh) and I instantly fell in love with the name. It means "voice" in Haiwaiian (I know I spelled that wrong , just can't think of proper spelling). I've really been wanting to use the name Serene as a middle name because it came to mind at the beginning of my pregnancy. And having a baby whose name literally meant "serene voice" really speaks volumes of where I am as a person and what I have learned through this pregnancy.

So does Kaleo Serene Powell flow well??? It just may be too exotic a name for such a common last name. I really need help on this one. Maybe I should look up other names that mean voice....

Oh, and does the style match that of ds... Willem Christopher Powell?


As far as a boys' name for the baby is concerned :LOL ...yeah...

[spughy]

It's a lovely sounding name. I would just be worried that my child's temperament wouldn't suit it. With my luck, little miss serene voice would be the squawkiest, loudest kid in the neighbourhood. The gods do like their irony.

But, if you like it, use it. I think it goes fine with your last name and that people worry too much about their kids' names "matching" somehow. Willem is nice and neutral and "goes" with pretty much everything, I think.

[3for3hb]

... but... maybe she would grow into it.... :

oh, the irony of baby naming.............

[3for3hb]

What about the exotic sounding part... does it sound too exotic.

I absolutely can't stand my name (I've made peace with it in recent years) ~Monique~ because everyone who meets me (if they don't see me face to face) thinks I'm either African American or a prostitute/call girl/exotic dancer.I know this because my good friends have pretty much ALL told me that that's exactly what their first impression of me was when they heard my name (like from someone else before they actually met me).

Nice. Oh and BTW I'm neither... the name totally doesn't match me because I'm the furthest thing from exotic.
Yeah, so that's why it's a concern.

[spughy]

Oh, I wouldn't be worried about the exotic part. So many kids have "exotic" names now that they don't really stand out all that much.

For the record, though, I wouldn't have thought Monique was exotic at all. It's a fairly common French name - Quebecois in Canada - and I know a couple of Moniques, none of them of African descent or exotic dancers. So, maybe take my thoughts on this with a grain of salt, because I live on the West Coast and we're not exactly, y'know, NORMAL!!! :LOL

[babykaoss]

well, my name is Sarah. i always thought it was plain and kind of boring. i would have loved my mother to have given me such an exotic and unique name. its a beautiful name!

[Artisan]

I think the name flows nicely, but it does have an exotic ring. Willem has a bit of European flavor, and Kaleo sounds very... tropical. So I wouldn't say the the two are a matched set.

Have you checked out the book The Baby Name Wizard? I think it's great.

[Awaken]

-I do think the name flows well- Kaleo Serene Powell. As far as it being a plain last name with a more unusual first name- I think that's actually better than having all 3 names unusual.

-Doesn't *really* match Willem, to me, but I have never really thought that matters a whole lot- they are two different kids and you're in a different place now having this one, with different preferences- so I don't think the siblings' names going together should be a major worry!

-I like Monique! I would never have thought call girl or any certain race...maybe just that your parents were interested in French language or culture! I have always thought my name was boring and plain, too (couldn't get much plainer than Mary!!) but now I have really come to love it and would be happy to give my child my name as a mn!

[MamaFern]

i really like kaleo serene.. its beautiful and flows nicely..