I’ve always favored names that don’t sound weird or non gender appropriate and avoided any that would lend my children to potential ridicule. I’ve never been fan of split masculine/feminine names like GeorgeAnn either.
I have a Johnathan, Ryan, Jason, Mason, Jackson and a Kathryn who is my oldest.
The middle names I was a bit more flexible with but I still wanted to make sure they flowed with and fit well with the name.
Life is challenging enough without having a weird name and I strongly believe names are a building block affecting how one sees themselves. I also avoided having a son named after me. I wanted all my kids to see themselves as unique.
Agreed. I also gave all my boys their own unique name.
Prior to my generation, my father's family had been recycling the same half dozen men's names for generations. My mom put an end to that, thank goodness.