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Tag Archives: Names

Double the Babies, Double the Names, Double the Fun!

Double the Babies, Double the Names, Double the Fun!

Posted on November 20, 2019 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

As an unabashed name nerd (y’all, I legit have five baby name apps, three name blogs, and a baby name podcast on my phone!), I’m always interested in hearing how parents chose names for their children, so I thought it would be fun to share the behind-the-scenes of naming Kali and Sully. (You can read Charleston’s name story here.)

While many things intimidated me about having twins, one thing I was VERY excited about was the chance to name two babies! I quickly realized that naming these twins would be a lot more complicated than choosing a name for Charleston, as we not only had two names to decide upon, but I also wanted these names to coordinate with big brother’s. I’ve always appreciated sib-sets with names that work well together, without being overly matchy. Along those lines, we wanted names like Charleston that were 1) relatively uncommon without being too far out there; 2) on the long end (preferably three or more syllables); 3) had a familiar nickname; and 4) started with a different initial than Charleston and each other.

We began with our girl name, as girl names are easier for both Luke and me. My all-time favorite name for girls is Karalyn (this would have been Charleston’s name had he been a girl), but we ruled it out because it sounds so similar to Charleston. Kalinda is a name I discovered as a young girl when pouring through the baby name book my parents used when naming me, and I’ve always loved it. In fact, when we learned that one of our twins was a girl, my first words to Luke were, “can we please name her Kalinda?!” However, that decision seemed a little too easy so we explored several other name options as well. Luke’s favorite girl name is Juliet and that was high on our list. Other names we considered were Magnolia (nickname Maggie), Marigold (Mary or Goldie), Suzanne (Suzie), Holiday or Holland (Holly), Kaliya (Kali or Liya), Maryanne (Annie), and Mariella (Ella). These names all remained strong contenders, and we didn’t make a final name decision until the week the twins were born, but ultimately I kept coming back to Kalinda. She will need to grow into the name, but for now Kali suits her perfectly. (And speaking of Kali: a number of people have mentioned that, having seen her name written out, they assumed it was pronounced Callie [rhymes with alley] but we pronounce it Kay-lee.)

Kali’s middle name was also a difficult decision. Had we had two girls, we were going to use our moms’ names (Doris and Grace) as their middles, and if I could have convinced Luke to use a hyphenated middle name, she would have been Kalinda Doris-Grace. (Needless to say, he didn’t go for it). We considered using Luke’s and my middle names (Nicole and Ryan) as the twins’ middles. We also thought about using Juliet since Luke loves it, but I didn’t care for the flow of Kalinda Juliet, so we decided to save the name on the off chance that we have another girl in the future. For a while I thought we had decided on Jewel, but that soon morphed to Joy. I know it’s a common middle name, but I love both the sound and the meaning, and it reflected the joy I felt over finally having a daughter.

Choosing Sully’s name was a lot more challenging for us. I pushed HARD for the name Dixon, a riff on my maiden name of Dix: even though it didn’t fit our parameters of a long name with a cute nickname, I was willing to overlook that fact because I loved the name so much. To my great sadness, Luke couldn’t get on board with Dixon (he worried about teasing potential) so I had to let the name go. It was back to the drawing board, and in looking for long, uncommon-but-familiar-sounding names, we found ourselves filling our list with surnames. Strong contenders were Nicholson (nickname Nico—this was a VERY close second to Sullivan), Ricardo (Rico), Cleveland (Levi), Anderson (Andy), Nixon, Palmer, Brighton, Montgomery (Emry—Luke loved this one), Whitaker (Whit), Truman (Tru), Leland (Lee), Callahan (Cal), Quincy (Quinn), and Knoxton (Knox). We were really down to the wire with Sully’s name, and ultimately I left the choice to Luke since he had conceded to Kalinda. Even though Sullivan is a more popular name than I generally prefer, I am now so happy with the choice, as Sully is such a great fit for our little man.

Throughout most of my pregnancy I had assumed our boy’s middle name would be Ryan, though once Dixon had been vetoed as a first name, I strongly petitioned for Dixon to be used in the middle position. But once we had settled on Joy as Kali’s middle name, I thought it would be nice for our son to have a one-syllable middle name as well. Luke has always dreamed of having a Luke Jr., so he was thrilled when I suggested we use his first name in the middle position for Sullivan.

Naming the twins was quite a process, and I am so happy with where we landed on their names. I think they are lovely names individually, and together—along with Charleston Michael—their full names make my heart sing.


How did you choose names for your children? I would be honored if you’d share your personal name stories in the Comments!

Filed Under: Kids
A Dozen and One Things I Learned in April {2018}

A Dozen and One Things I Learned in April {2018}

Posted on April 27, 2018 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

April has not been an easy month for our family. Nothing catastrophic has occurred, but the compounding effect of several smallish issues has left both Luke and me feeling overwhelmed and desperately in need of a break (with none in sight): Parenting has been hard, the hardest we’ve experienced in our 3+ years as Mom… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Reflections
Thirteen Things I Learned in January

Thirteen Things I Learned in January

Posted on January 27, 2017 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

We’re coming up on the last few days of January, which means it’s time to reflect on what I’ve learned in the past month. I have to admit, I’m a little nervous about sharing this list, and here’s why: there are some months when I’m super excited to share what I’ve been learning—lots of deep… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Reflections
12 Things I Learned in October {2016}

12 Things I Learned in October {2016}

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

I’ve written in the past of how the fall season tends to bring out my introspective side—not that it needs a lot of coaxing (#INFJ problems), but I generally grow even more reflective in the autumn months. This October was no exception. I’ve had some pretty deep and even painful realizations in recent weeks, and… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Reflections
Cinco de Wednesday: Name Nerd Alert!

Cinco de Wednesday: Name Nerd Alert!

Posted on May 18, 2016 by Kendra Jernejcic • 1 Comment

Earlier this month, the Social Security Administration released the lists of top baby names in 2015. As an unabashed name nerd, this is one of my most-anticipated days of the year! How I love pouring over the new lists, analyzing current naming trends, mourning the increased popularity of once-favorite names (oh Levi, how I loved… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Just for Fun
In the Spotlight: Family-Friendly Apps I’m Loving Right Now

In the Spotlight: Family-Friendly Apps I’m Loving Right Now

Posted on September 1, 2015 by Kendra Jernejcic • 0 Comments

I thought I knew what I was getting myself into when I married a computer programmer: I foresaw a lifetime of consistent paychecks (it’s a pretty stable field), reliable tech support, and the occasional dinner conversation that would go completely over my head. Seven years into marriage, my predictions have proven accurate on all fronts.… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Kids, Spotlight
What I Learned in July {2015}

What I Learned in July {2015}

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Kendra Jernejcic • 3 Comments

July has been another month filled with opportunities for knowledge accumulation. My collection of things learned this month includes an eclectic assortment of obscure trivia, random realizations, and totally awesome findings. Let’s get to the list, shall we? Probably the coolest thing I learned all month was that Buzz Aldrin took communion on the surface… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Reflections
What I Learned in May {2015}

What I Learned in May {2015}

Posted on May 26, 2015 by Kendra Jernejcic • 4 Comments

One of the most defining characteristics of my personality is my passion for accumulating and sharing knowledge; I’ve frequently discussed how much I love these monthly opportunities to compile new tidbits of knowledge to share here with all of you. However, this past month has been a powerful reminder that some types of learning are… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Reflections
C is for Charleston: A Baby Naming Story

C is for Charleston: A Baby Naming Story

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Kendra Jernejcic • 4 Comments

It’s no secret that I have an obsession with names. I’ve been compiling name lists since I was a little girl, always in eager anticipation of the day when I would one day christen my own child. Not surprisingly, my husband doesn’t share my name enthusiasm. At various points during our last six years of… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Kids
What I Learned in May

What I Learned in May

Posted on May 29, 2014 by Kendra Jernejcic • 14 Comments

Some months are filled with heavy life lessons. Other months are a bit more carefree, passing through without leaving too deep of an impression. For me, May has been a lighter month; to be honest, this has come as a bit of a relief. I did pick up quite a bit of interesting trivia, though,… Continue Reading

Filed Under: Reflections
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  • Hi, I’m Kendra! I am a follower of Jesus, an avid reader and podcast-listener, an Enneagram enthusiast, and a big fan of lists. Born and raised in Southern California, I am now living life in Austin, Texas, with my husband Luke, our son Charleston (2015), twins Sullivan and Kalinda (2019), and Arlo the Labradoodle. Thanks for visiting my blog!
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