what's in a name? part 2

if you read my blog 3+ years ago, you'll remember I did a post on how we chose azalea's name. i think most people can agree that both of my kids have unique names. and most everyone is nice about it (or at least keeps their opinion to themselves- haha). i wish the stories of how we chose their names were just as unique, but they aren't. lots of people ask how we chose ashford, so i thought i'd share.

before we found out we were having a boy, i had a pretty big list of girl names that i loved (many were leftover from my first pregnancy). my list of boy names was a lot shorter. what is it about boy names that is so much harder? i hear a lot of people say that and i found it to be totally true. it seems like the sky is the limit when it comes to creative girl names, but it's harder to come up with unique boy names. anyway, when we found out ashford was a boy, we knew we wanted something unique again. just like with our first pregnancy, i poured over hundreds (ok, probably thousands) of names online looking for the perfect one. one that: 

- was unique without being too weird (i realize that's very subjective criteria)
- was easy to say and spell
- we didn't personally know anyone who had it 

thatcher and i also aren't huge on nicknames. everyone always asks us "what do you call her/him for short?" and we say....just their name! it's not that i really care if my kids come up with their own nickname or their friends do someday, but i named them azalea and ashford because i like those names :) 

finally, i have to admit, ashford was actually my second favorite boy name. i originally wanted to name him 'holland', but thatcher knew someone with that name (really!), so he axed it...and wouldn't change his mind, even when i begged. haha! i found the name ashford on a name list (i think it was a list of alternatives to ashton?). we weren't looking for another 'a' name, but we didn't rule it out either. in the end it was the only name that we could both agree on. thatcher had some that he liked better (lowry - which i thought sounded too feminine), but i'm happy with what we chose and i can't imagine ashford being called anything but....ashford! 

ps - where did my squishy little newborn go?!!! 

Comments

Love it!! We wanted the same thing in a name! I didn't want him to be the 5th Aiden in his class!! :)
Miss Jewells said…
We were the opposite - our boys name list is so much longer than our girls name. We joked that we hoped this little one would be a boy because we weren't sure we'd ever agree on a girl's name. Of course, now that we know it's a boy (unless they're wrong, of course), I find all sorts of girls names that I think are cute!
Carolyn said…
Boy names were SO HARD!!!!!!!!
Sarah said…
I am definitely not a nickname girl either.. When people try to call Aubrey "Aubs" or "bree" I cringe. Ugh.

I think Azalea and Ashford are the perfect names, maybe because I know your kids, but I really do like them! Great choices Melissa and Thatcher!
I think you guys made the right choice. Although the name Holland is very cute. ;)
Sarah said…
oooo that picture!
i love his name. but man, i love lowry now too!!
Durant Imboden said…
Too bad you don't like nicknames. You could have named him "Netherlands" and called him "Holland" for short.

Seriously, though: "Lowry" sounds like the kind of name Thatcher would like: Minneapolis, through and through. (We actually considered naming Thatcher "Walker"--after all, we're compulsive pedestrians--but who wants people to think their kid is named after an old folks' home?)
~Dawn~ said…
I couldn't picture your kids with any other names but Azalea and Ashford. They are perfect! :)
adore your children's names and love hearing the stories behind them. we definitely have similar name tastes - great pick on holland! although ashford does seem to fit much better into your family. :)

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