If you follow me on Instagram, then you already saw our big name announcement! I had thought about keeping baby boy’s name a little more hush hush until he was born, but after receiving lots of questions of what it was going to be, I couldn’t keep mum anymore. Plus, I love it, and am excited to shout it from the rooftops. I know a lot of people don’t announce names until the actual birth, but I love being able to call him by name along the way. (And to monogram all the things. Can’t escape those southern roots!)
Baby boy’s name will be, Barrett Mitchell.
I’ve touched on this before, but picking a boy name is HARD! Girl names are so easy because even if it’s a “cutesy” name, it can usually still grow with them as they mature and age. But boy names take a little more thought. We didn’t want to go with a baby-baby boy name, or one that sounded like something that couldn’t age with him as he grows. We also didn’t want a name that would make him sound like an old man as a newborn! We wanted something strong, and powerful, and mature, yet still perfect for the younger years. It took what felt like forever for us to finally agree on a boy name, because of course Adam hated my dream boy name I always assumed I’d get to use! But, I couldn’t pressure him into agreeing to a name that he didn’t also love, so I’ll save it for a future dog…or maybe a future baby…time will tell!
We also felt strongly about not using a name on any current top 10 popularity lists. We tried to do the same thing with Adeline, and I loved knowing that hopefully there wouldn’t be 5 Adelines in her class at school year after year. (Growing up with a name like Sarah meant I was always referred to as Sarah P. because there was always at least 2 of us, and I think I graduated with like 10 others!) Neither of us had ever known an Adeline, either. And so far, Barrett doesn’t seem to be appearing at the top of any lists, so maybe we’ll be in the clear with him as well. I’ve only ever known one Barrett in my lifetime, and same with Adam. Although now that we’ve settled on it, I’m noticing it everywhere. Isn’t that how it always works though?
I don’t even remember how we came up with Barrett. I think we were watching TV one night and randomly threw it out there. Mitchell, on the other hand, is a family name on Adam’s side. Adeline’s middle name, Elizabeth, is a family name on my side so it made sense to try and mirror that theme with Barrett as well. If we ever have a third kid, well, they might just be out of luck. Ha!
The meaning of Barrett is “bear power” or “brave as a bear” and I just think that’s perfect for a little boy. I want him to be strong, courageous, and confident. I have also always loved the nickname “Bear” so I’d love to incorporate some fun bear artwork into his nursery. We saw a cute print the other day that said, I Love You More Than I Can Bear and I had to resist snatching it up!
I’m so excited to finally meet Barrett, and see his precious face for the first time. I’m envisioning a sweet boy-ish version of newborn Adeline, and that’s enough to give me all the heart eyes for days.
Barrett Mitchell, we can’t wait to welcome you into our family!
Did you announce your name ahead of time? Do you prefer to keep it a secret? Do you prefer common or lesser known names?
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