What do you think? And any other ideas?

[belfie]

We love unusual names. My DS is called Xander Jordan, and we often use a pet name of Xandy J. I like the idea of having a middle name I could easily use in day to day life. I now have a little girl on the way and we're trying to decide on a name for her too. While I was very tempted by using the unusual end of the alphabet (Z, X, V etc) I haven't found anything that really grabs me.

Our surname is pronounced exactly the same as Lock (but different spelling). We think we like Annika the best so far "Annika Lock" and we're brainstorming different middle names. Poll is attached

I've listed some other names we like - but have discarded for various reasons (don't like the shortening, too common, hubby doesn't like etc) but I'd love other suggestions! I love creative, unusual simple strong names, with straightforward spelling.

• Alannah
• Elka (loving this, but hubby hates)
• Harper
• Kira
• Savannah
• Sienna
• Summer
• Torah
• Tori

My problem with many names is that Aussies will shorten it... even with Annika, I'm worried she'd get called Ann for ever - but I really want something more unusual in both the long & short form. I'd quite like to have a 2 or 3 syllable name that can be shortened.

TIA!

[Miss.September]

We have a funny thing in our family going on with initials, so the first thing I noticed was that Annika Fay Lock would be AFL, not sure if you'd want that. In our family we have MAK, LAK, LAK, TAK, and RAK. Whoops!!

The names you have listed are beautiful, Harper and Torah are my favourites.

Corelly x

[Pandora]

I really like Annika, and find that a good reiteration of "No my name is Annika, its not Ann/a/i works.

I voted for Fay for the middle name more for how the two names flow - I prefer the other middle names but i think one syllable sounds better.

I love Elke and Savannah

Hmm other suggestions

Silke
Anja
Dimity
Liana
Zari
Adelita
Danica
Lori
Lorelei
Olanda
Verity

[belfie]

OMG my hubby is too tricky! I was just looking at the poll thinking "huh, it says I've voted"... but I didn't vote.
DUH! Realised it was DH voting for Annika Ivy (his fave!). cheeky fella.

Corelly - I really like the "flow" of Annika Fay but I AM concerned about the AFL initials. We're in melbourne, it's football-central.... uh-oh. So saying, Annika Ivy is AIL which I don't like either! Plus I have no middle name, so honestly I don't know how much "normal" () people end up using the three initials??

Pandora - thanks for the suggestions, those are awesome names! Regarding long & short, well I'd want her to have a shorter nickname that I like... so it's not just about reiterating the long name IYKWIM. I really like Anja and DH likes Verity... so more debate teheh.

[Olive]

i really like Harper!

[Raupe]

I love Annika Fay. It sounds really nice!

But yeah, AFL might not be that good. Have you thought about changing "Fay" slightly to avoid the AFL initials? E.g. May sounds nice, too. Annika May...Could work, as long as your last name is not actually spellt "Lock", otherwise it would be... may lock (or may not!)

I really like Annika, though. Good job picking that one!

My cousin's name is Annika, too. It is very unique in Australia, but well known (and loved) in Germany. So I had a look at some German Baby naming sites to get some more ideas for you. This is what I came up with:

Annika Lucia (pronounced Lou-tsee-a)
Annika Sophie (pronounced Zoh-fee)
Annika Marie (pronounced Mar-ree)
Annika Julia (pronounced Yu-lee-a)
Annika Marina (pronounced Mar-ree-na)
Annika Malin (pronounced Mar-Lynn)
Annika Selina (pronounced Se-lee-na)
Annika Sarah (pronounced Za-ra) actually, Zara looks nice, too
Annika Madita (pronounced Mar-dee-ta)

Some of those could be pronounced English, too, but I think this way is more unique.
I still prefer Annika Fay somehow... But AFL?!? Oh, well, you just gotta change your last name!

Good Luck!

[Fleur]

personally, AFL as initials wouldn't be a problem for me... don't know if it is for you or not?

I like Annika May best, and I LOVE Harper! and I have a Savannah and I wanted Sienna for DD2 but DH said no. Nice names!

oops... no 'May'... it's Fay! hmmm WDYT of 'May'? I meant Fay but I don't mind May.

[Miss.September]

Plus I have no middle name, so honestly I don't know how much "normal" () people end up using the three initials??

LOL. Probably no normal people use the three initials! It's just a running joke in our family and it was the first thing I noticed. Beautiful name, nevertheless!

Corelly x

[meow]

My Mum's three initials after getting married were KGB. It was a joke in our family but no-one else knew because people don't generally put your three initials together.

I prefer the flow of Fay as a middle name but I'm not fussed on the name (or AFL ). Any other one syllable names you like? Joy? Mai?

I also think she will be called Annie for sure. I like the nickname Annie but if you're not thrilled with it then it's something to consider.

[Hope.Positive.Love]

I don't have any other ideas, just wanted to say I have worked in child care for many years, and have only come across 1 Annika.

Love Love Love the name!! I chose Annika Ivy - think it's beautiful!

[Bathsheba]

Our family is conscious of what the initials look like... it's important they don't spell anything unwanted... AFL is funny, not offensive unless she ends up hating Aussie Rules! I do a lot of cross stitch and am always embroidering our intials on things which are then hung around the house. DH and I were also conscious of each family member having their own initial so that if something arrives in the mail for A. Surname it's clear who it is for before opening the letter. Imagine the Duggar family with 18 or so members with the same initial: J. Duggar!!! Poor kids who get their names printed on trophies etc and it only has their first intial.

[Deedles]

Really love the name Zahlia and Alaria. I like the sound of those names!

I would go with Annika Ivy.

I also love the name Skye or Rose for a middle name.

[belfie]

Thanks for all the great suggestions!!

In regards to using May or Rose, I have this silly habit of thinking of them as verbs, you know Ännika may do this, or Annika rose up in the sky... so I just can't go there

After much debate this afternoon I think I have hubby leaning towards Fay... but we've decided we'd spell it Fae. We're both nerdy fantasy types, so using Fae just fits us to a T. I still think Ivy is inherently prettier, but I just can't get past the flow of the names... and as for AFL... well I guess I can put up with that.

Hope.Positive.Love - thank you thank you it was great to hear that it's not too common! Made my day

Bathsheba - i'm totally with you regarding the Duggar family. One of our rules was no same initials/same gender, and as it turns out, we'll all be quite unique.

meow - lol too funny re KGB. Re the shortening, I kinda like Anni - even though it doesn't sound anything too unusual at least it looks a bit groovy, so that's an option for her if that's what she prefers. And my hubby made the point that she might really want a more typical name (heaven forbid ha!), so if she wants to go by Ann, that gives her the option.

Fleur - ooh you have a Savannah - nice choice!

Raupe - love the suggestions thank you so much! I hadn't thought of checking a german site, what a great idea. I particularly love Lucia and Zara (but DH doesn't), he likes Verity (but I don't) etc etc. Ah the challenge of agreeing on a name!

So at this stage it's looking like... Annika Fae Lock
I think I might be smitten oh and DH said well if we do that, you've solved the nursery theme too. It's gotta be fairies!

[meow]

LOVE it!! I wasn't fussed on Fay, but Fae is gorgeous

[Fleur]

oooh, I like Fae & a fairie theme for the nursery sounds gorgeous!

[Georgi]

Harper is on our list too. So was Kira until DH's mate, that also has a boy named Byron, called is DD Kira. So that's off our list! Those two are my votes

[Tinks]

I like the flow of Annika Faye.

[belfie]

oooh now i'm torn! We decided to tell some close family members about our name choice, and I like getting feedback (I figure if someone can put me off it now, then I'd rather know now than after she's born!). BUT, SIL doesn't like Fae... and tbh, "Fay" as a name is not something that would normally ever appeal to me. SIL reckons she'll get teased for it regardless of how we spell it.

DH actually prefers Ivy, as does SIL and now i'm wondering whether I should be trying to find something I LOVE rather than something that goes with the first name IYKWIM. Can anyone think of anything else that might work?

I've just come up with:

• Beth
• Bree
• Dawn
• Jade (I like but DH won't have a bar of it)
• Sage
• Sky
• Star
• Zahli
• Zia

I said I wanted feedback but now I'm feeling so unsure! Arrrgh! Plus not having a middle name myself, the whole concept is just a bit foreign to me... I've only ever been teased about the lack of one, not for having a bad one!

TIA
EDIT: DH just suggested Raven or Willow.