Wednesday, August 8, 2012

The quest for a name

In case you didn't know, my husband and I are expecting a baby girl in 5 weeks! We started looking for names right after we found out the gender. After spending countless of hours searching through baby name sites and making lists, we finally narrowed it down to 2 names.

1. Madison
2. Madelyn

About the name “Madison”:
  • The meaning of the name Madison is 'Son of Maud - Matthew's son'
  • Sounds modern
  • Easy to spell
  • It is a unisex name
  • It is way over used (it has been the most popular girls' name in the U.S. for the past 10 years)
About the name “Madelyn”:
  • The meaning of the name Madelyn is 'Woman from Magdala' 
  • Sounds classic and ultra-feminine
  • This spelling could be a hassle 
  • It's definitely a girl's name
  • It is far less popular than the name Madison
We had a really hard time deciding on a name for our baby girl. After going back and forth many, many, many times, we finally decided on a name. Before I tell you what it is, I'd love to hear your opinions. What are your thoughts on these names?

Thanks in advance,
Sydney

39 comments:

CynthiaC said...

I prefer Madelyn, but with the more traditional spelling of Madeleine (as in Albright). Your spelling is a little too contemporary, bordering on trendy, but spelling is all about personal taste.

Anonymous said...

One thing I like about Madelyn is that it shares a lot of letters with Sydney!

phiphis blog said...

my best friend's niece is named madison. i love it. (and i can't believe in 5 weeks, your daughter will be here. how time flies!!)

i've always found names selection to be interesting. everyone has an opinion!! with my boys, it was the same. everyone had a suggestion. lol. at the end of the day, i know that whatever name you decide on, your daughter is blessed to have such great parents!! xox

Content Director - Strong Female Leaders said...

I like Madison better. More unique. Rolls off the tongue too.

Vicky said...

Only 5 weeks left? Time does fly. I think both names are very unique and pretty. I don't know any Madisons or Madelyns so they must not be overused. I personally prefer Madison. Can't wait to hear what you guys have decided. :)

Unknown said...

Such a tough decision! I like Madison:)

Anna said...

Both names sound elegant and feminine but I prefer Madeline (or very traditionally Madeleine). Your spelling is far too trendy to last your girl's lifetime without confusion (think of job interviews, college applications, etc). Much like in fashion classic is always best. Besides, when you want to experiment with destroyed neon jeans you don't buy Prada, you buy Forever 21/H&M. Same goes for the name; Madelyn, like cropped tops or high-low hemlines, is too "now."

AubreyOhDang! said...

both have same pros and cons to me & extremely similar, so i think either one will work. if i HADDDDD to choose, i'd pick madison. lots of ppl w/this name, but whatever. My friend's name is Ashley Smith and she survives. hahahah.

Anonymous said...

I like Madison. What is your first daughter's name? I might take that into consideration and see if they flow when said together. :P

SS said...

I like Madelyn more. Very feminine and sounds beautiful.

Anonymous said...

I really like Madison :) Madelyn is definitely more feminine but harder to spell :)

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Anonymous said...

I personally love Vietnamese names that are easy to pronounce in English, like Kim, Linh, Vy, Mai, etc. But that's just me. You will make the decision that's best for you and your family. :) I personally love the my own name and thank my parents for it, despite all the headaches throughout school. -Yen

Unknown said...

I like Madison.

Megan said...

I'm loving Madelyn. I don't think the spelling will be difficult with this one! It's definitely a more classic, sophisticated name!

That, and I love any name that isn't too "common". It's just unique!

Good luck and I can't wait to see what your final decision is! :)

simplyvonne said...

I really like Madelyn-I love that it's feminine but also you can call her Linh for Vietnamese name and easy for parents to pronounce hehe. I remember when showing Kaylee I wanted to make sure it was something my parents can pronounce without butchering it haha

C said...

I like Madelyn more. I feel like Madison is trendy and she might be one of many Madisons in her class. If you don't like the spelling of Madelyn, what about the more traditional version of Madeline or Madeleine [Albright]?

emilia said...

I feel Madison is a very common name. That aside, I like the sound of Madelyn more, though I think the spelling should more classic. I agree with other comments on here that say Madelyn is too "contemporary." Love the femininity of the name as well!

Professionally Petite said...

I disagree that Madelyn is trendy. I have a 27 yr old friend who spells it that way. It is very phonetic unlike Madeleine which I think people sometimes might mispronounce like "line" at the end instead of "lynn" (which is what I assume your pronunciation would be).

Always Maylee said...

Oh I just love both of these names! I love the nickname Maddy for little girls, which you can use for both of these names. I have always liked the name Madison, even though it has become pretty popular. I also adore the name Madelyn and I actually prefer this spelling - just like the commenter Elissa said, it's easier to pronounce and won't be mistaken for the end being pronounced as 'line'. Either one you pick is going to be perfect, can't wait!

xo, Yi-chia
Always Maylee

Canadianpetite said...

My parents gave me an extremely unique name so it's a mixed blessing. It always garnishes compliments and could even be a ten-minute topic. It has been often mispronounced and there is always a "say it again" request. Since my name is unique, I always have to spell it for people. With that said, I have become memorable in people's mind because of my name so that is a blessing. It is from a French perfume so it confuses people since I am of Asian background. It has probably been copied somewhere in the world during my travels when I was a little kid. When it came time to name my daughter, however, my husband and I agreed that it was a boone to go through the hassle I have had to go through with my own name. We decided to forgo any names on the top 10 lists but still a familiar name. It had to flow with my husband's last name and her more unique second name. We didn't want it to be too feminine (like mine) for certain professions. We chose Sydney.

With Each Passing Day said...

I like the name Madelyn. It's a pretty name. I have a colleague who name her son Madison. So when I ever I see the name Madison I automatically think of a guy.

Anonymous said...

I think both names are cute as long as you are okay with choosing a very common name. My husband is a teacher in a small high school and he had at least 5 girls named Maddy in his class this year out of a class of 60 kids.

Anonymous said...

I probably sound bias here since my 12-year old is named madison, but i prefer madison. My husband and i chose that name, which was unheard of 12 years ago, because it was unique and nonfemine. We wanted our daughter to be strong and beautiful (inside and out) and somehow the sound of that name just did it for us. The meaning we found was "son/daughter of a soldier." my husband is not in any armed forces, but both grandfathers were soldiers...this sealed the deal with us. Good luck and best wishes!

Carrie said...

My daughter's name is Madeline, so I'm a little biased already. I absolutely LOVE her name! I think you should go with whatever spelling you like best. Madeline is a more traditional way to spell it, but you'd be surprised how many people have already messed up the spelling and assumed Madelyn or Madelynn was the correct spelling. Also, we occasionally call her Maddie for short, but always introduce her as Madeline, and lots of people still call her Maddie. Congrats and can't wait to hear what name y'all have decided on!

Anonymous said...

The name Madison sounds pretentious and that of someone rich and spoiled.

Unknown said...

I have friend Madelyn is super cute name.

Unknown said...

Madison is better :)
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Anonymous said...

Madison is a very popular name...my preschooler had 3 of them in her class. It's nice to hear something different.....My sister once thought of the name Adelyn without the "M", but she had a boy instead.

Whatever name you choose will be perfect....Good luck!!

SewPetiteGal said...

Excited to hear which name you decided to go with!

I think both are so pretty and the nickname "Maddie" is just TOO CUTE! I rather like the spelling of Madelyn - the typical spelling keeps making me want to say "MAD-a-LINE."

CynthiaC said...

To add to my point earlier. Try adding "Dr." (or Senator) in front of her name or "CEO" after and see if it sounds "right." If it doesn't, then it's probably not the best choice.

lisacng said...

I wish picking names were easier! Ha. I think both are really pretty names!

Anonymous said...

If I had to choose, I would pick Madelyn over Madison. Madelyn sounds more feminine.

anhie said...

Hi Sydney! I really like Madelyn! it reminds me of that book Madeline (Those twelve little girls in 2 straight lines and she wears that adorable little yellow hat) It sounds very cutesy. Both are cute names though and the nicknames would both be Maddie! :)

Anhie

Unknown said...

I'm biased because the only Madelyn I ever met was a gorgeous Florida Marlins (now Miami Marlins) dancer and boyfriend stealer, haha! But then again it's a very cute girl name, if that's something you're interested in.

Jenn Ferguson said...

Madelyn! I like how her nickname could still be Maddie....Madison is way too common now. I'm a teacher and my students said not to name my daughter w any of the common/popular names like Madison, Emma, etc. I like your spelling too as it definitely dictates the pronunciation you want. (Plus I'm partial to the "lyn" ending as I just named my 1 week old Kaelyn!) Best of luck to you!

Anonymous said...

Madelyn. Love the name and spelling as well.

Audrey B said...

oh my gosh, picking out a name is so hard! Thankfully, my husband and I still have time to decide, but we can't seem to agree on anything! I love both names you picked...I especially love Madelyn b/c I think Maddie is such a cute nick name! I hope you're feeling great :) www.casualglamorous.com

Sydney's Fashion Diary said...

@Anonymous Thanks, Yen! Choosing a Vietnamese name for her wasn't easy, either =)

Sydney's Fashion Diary said...

Thanks, everyone for taking the time to comment and for your input. I truly appreciate it!