Naming our little girl was a difficult challenge. I like traditional names that can stand the test of time, but don't come off as old-fashioned. I am extremely cautious of nicknames and shortened versions and I really like names that work for a 9 month old or a 90 year old woman.
That said, we had no idea where to start. We hadn't even really rolled baby-girl name ideas around because we were so set on a little boy. We don't really have family names to carry-on as far as the female side is concerned, so we were quite literally starting at square 1.
Early in the naming selection, Grace came up and stuck, but we knew it wouldn't work as a first name. After all, our last name already has 4 G's in it! But we loved it so much and kept coming back to it. Then, I started looking through historical and literary names for strong female names. Not uber-feminine, but classic and beautiful. Something that represented strength and intelligence.
When I fell on Charlotte Bronte, I mentioned it to Al. His response was, "we could call her Charlie." We're pretty decisive people, so even though we hadn't 100% committed to the name during that first conversation, it went to the top of the list. A few short days later we were laying in bed and Al rolled over to talk to my belly. He sweetly said, "Hello, Charlotte" while rubbing my tummy and she responded with a sweet little kick.
And that was that.Two weeks later, on December 1st, we announced the name to family and friends. A month ago I couldn't fathom a name for my little girl. Now, I can't imagine calling her anything different!
