Forum Baby Names

Geeriana, as a baptismal name??

9 replies

MarithaGuest ·
We’d really love your opinion, since we’ve been puzzling over the baptismal name for our upcoming baby for so long.
We wanted to name the girl after both mothers: Geertken Gretha, Adriana Anita. We wanted to use Mirthe as a nickname. It’s hard to come up with a ‘matching’ baptismal name for that, isn’t it! Now we’ve kind of backed off from that and think the nickname is more important. So now we have the full name: Geeriana Mirthe.
What do you all think of this? Or can you come up with a suitable baptismal name for the nickname? Thanks in advance!

Replies

  1. JojoB #2

    And why not Mirthe, Geertken, Adriana? Then you're honoring both grandmas, which I personally think is nicer than making up a name yourself. And the nickname would stay the same anyway.

  2. Anonymous Guest #3

    Totally agree with Joltje.

  3. Nura87 #4

    I immediately think of geriatric, I'd also do both names separately..

  4. Maritha started this #5

    We've chosen a boy's name: Martjan Mathijs (Marten-jan), both grandpas'. I personally find that quite a nice 'handmade' name.. But the baptismal name also fits the nickname, so that sounds better. I can understand your opinion about writing it out fully too.. hmm, tricky

  5. dvduren #6

    I actually think the idea of a handmade name is quite nice! I also find 2 baptismal names a bit much. But I don't like Geeriana, haha! You don't have the easiest names to choose from though. Oh well, in the end it's just a '2nd name' and the symbolism behind it is more important than how beautiful it is; right?

  6. Maria #7

    So will it be Geeriana Mirthe in the passport, and we'll call her Mirthe?
    What follows next isn't the answer you're asking for, but from experience I know it can be quite difficult if your first name ('passport name' isn't your nickname. For me, it has already resulted in a lot of extra paperwork, so I would never choose to do it that way myself. Abroad, this concept isn't very well known, which means that, for example, I couldn't pick up a certain registered package (sent under my nickname + last name), the email address at my work doesn't make sense to my colleagues (because it's passport name + last name instead of nickname + last name), friends who spontaneously book a flight ticket but forget that my nickname... You get the idea.
    I actually think the name itself is okay, a bit cobbled together, you have to like it.

  7. Maritha started this #8

    Glad you're all thinking along with us! So to avoid the baptism names being used as everyday names, you'd have to swap them around: Mirthe Geeriana van Bendegem and Mathijs Martjan van Bendegem.
    Ok.. so generally, 'Geeriana' isn't really viewed very positively.. I do think it has lovely symbolism as a baptism name, just like dvduren said.. We're going to think it over a bit more. Hope the little one stays in there a little longer hihi (due date Jan 16)

  8. Babbel #9

    I stumble over the double e in Geeriana. But the combination Mirthe Geeriana really sounds nice. I might go for the spelling Geriana myself.

  9. mom #10

    Totally agree with Maria! My middle name is also my official passport name, not my nickname. It's super annoying, especially when receiving packages or registering at school—you have to explain that you're not actually called that. And don't forget that if you ever have an accident, the hospital, police, or ambulance will address you by your baptismal name. So yeah, I'd never do that!

    I think Mathijs Martjan is super! Mirthe Geeriana is okay, and I think Geeriana sounds nicer than Geeriana. By the way, I think Mirthe is beautiful! What do you think of Mirthe Geertje Anna?

    Good luck!

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