introducing... everly grace


We get so many comments on Everly's name. Strangers will stop us to tell us how lovely it is when they overhear us using it. I've lost count of the amount of people who have said they've added it to their baby name lists. Everybody always says the same thing; how it's so unusual, but so pretty, and how much it suits her And honestly our little Everly's name came to us like a bolt from the blue, it was destined to be her name before she was even a twinkle in our eyes.

I'm often asked where we got the name from, and the simple answer is that I can't remember. But it was our little girl's name long before we even had a little girl. Some time between having Dylan and getting pregnant again I heard, or read, or saw the name (I wish I could remember where) and it just sort of stuck in my head. And I can remember mentioning it to Rich and him sort of shrugging his shoulders about it and that being it. We weren't even pregnant with number two, and were still utterly convinced that we would be a family with lots of sons, so we didn't really need to give it very much thought.

Once we found out that we were pregnant for a second time, the inevitable name discussions started. We had a ridiculous amount of trouble with boys names. Having used both the boy names we had liked for our first son, we were totally stuck on a name should Splodge be a boy. We liked Lucas; with it's links to Lucy but we didn't absolutely love it. We had similar like-but-not-totally-love feelings about lots of other names too... Finian but Finn for short; Cooper, Hayden and Jenson were all on the short list. But we basically made no secret to friends and family that if our second baby was a boy, that we wouldn't be giving a name with the birth announcement because we just weren't sure.

On the other hand, our girl name was a done deal. Early on in the pregnancy, on a long car journey, Rich and I were passing name ideas around. We'd dismissed Addison and Harper which we had loved in our previous pregnancy; Addison because I now knew a couple of people with daughters with that name, and Harper because a certain rather famous footballer had called his first daughter that and really pulled it from the slightly obscure into the mainstream. We liked Isla but it had rocked in popularity, and I liked Eden too, but Rich wasn't so keen.

We still sort of liked Elyse for a middle name (as we had when pregnant the first time) but I had basically set my heart on Grace as the middle name quite early in the pregnancy, and fortunately Rich liked it too. It's such an elegant and classic name. It reminds me of a dancer (something close to my heart) and the word grace also reminds me of "I need your grace to remind me to find my own" which is from the song Chasing Cars which we did our first dance to at our wedding; that is the line of the song that always really gives me goosebumps. The only thing putting us off of it as a first name was that it's so well known and popular, and I just didn't want to choose a popular name for our little girl.

So, back to the car journey... I brought up the name Everly again. I said that I liked how it is pretty and unique, but how it doesn't sound totally wacky and 'out there' because it sounds so like Emily or Evelyn. Rich pulled a bit of a face, and said he wasn't sure but that he didn't hate it... which is pretty close to a compliment from my husband. Sensing that I could possibly convince him, I kept saying how nice Everly Grace sounded together and then all of a sudden I had a total lightbulb moment and saw how I could convince my husband.

He likes nicknames and had mentioned Evie more than once as a name he liked (but which I had shot down - again due to popularity), well Evie seemed like my way in, because that could clearly be a nickname for an Everly. Rich also used to joke before we had children that he wanted a girl called Ann and a boy called Field in honour of Anfield Road, the stadium of his beloved Liverpool FC, so when I realised that Evie G sounded more than a little like Stevie G (one of his favourite Liverpool players) I reckoned that if that didn't win it, then nothing would.

Fortunately it did. As soon as I mentioned that he could call her Evie G for short he was a done deal. And yes she gets called Evie G regularly, and Gee Gee and simply Geege. And so my little Splodge bump was fated to be an Everly Grace from pretty early on. In fact I got a bit paranoid and worried while I was pregnant about someone else using the name, because I loved it so much and knew I would be devastated.

Our Everly Grace suits her name perfectly. Everly means "from the wild boar meadow", and we often joke that our little wild one is like a bull in a china shop. And of course that is a meaning which is in stark contrast to the gracefulness of her middle name. But that in itself suits our walking contradiction of a daughter; loud but quiet, crazy but sensitive, brave but needy, wild but graceful; a dainty little sprite and a total free spirit. I honestly don't think a name has ever suited someone quite so much.








And I was absolutely thrilled and honoured to hear that I am a finalist for Best Baby Blog in the MAD Blog Awards, and I would absolutely love your vote. You can vote by clicking the button below and selecting Dear Beautiful in the baby category. And thank-you, because it really does mean so much to me that people love this little online space of mine.


16 comments

  1. Ah I love that name and it really is so unique. I love hearing how people came up with names. It's such a special thing isn't it?

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    1. Yes, I'm a little obsessed with hearing about how people pick their children's names. The stories are often as unique as the names and the children themselves. x

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  2. I am loving these posts. She is beautiful and it really does sound like her name suits her perfectly x

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    1. Thanks Donna, I have really enjoyed writing them too and telling the stories of their names finally. x

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  3. oh wow, in my head I imagined her name was "Emily"...for some reason she looked like an Emily to me. Can't believe how close I was. Grace is also the middle name for our youngest - she is Martha Grace xxx

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    1. Hahaha. Yes, really quite close. In fact a lot of people mishear Everly and call her Emily when we're out and about. And Grace is such a beautiful name isn't it? And it just seems to go nicely with everything. x

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  4. Aah I think it's so lovely that you've finally shared their names! It makes them more real — does that sound silly? Instead of being 2D characters, they're real children!! From quite an early age, I've always been obsessed with names — the more unusual the better — I have a book and have always written down my favourites. Everly is a beautiful name — suits your beautiful girl very well xx

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    1. Thank you so much, and I get you entirely... while I was using 'nicknames' it doesn't ever feel like you really know them. A few people have already said that it makes them feel a bit more engaged somehow to know what they are all called, and I'm so pleased.
      I'm also pleased to hear I'm not the only one obsessed with names. I could have a few kids tomorrow and I'd have their names ready to go! x

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  5. "Wasn't sure but didn't hate it" - this is Sam all over when it comes to naming discussions. He would also be totally swayed by the fact he could link one of our children's names with some sportsperson or musician he admired. So frustrating, but we get there eventually! Loving hearing about the reasons behind your children's names.

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    1. Yes, I couldn't really manage to get Rich to particularly enthuse about any name. He knows what he doesn't like, and he'll basically tolerate anything else. x

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  6. I absolutely love her name; it really does suit her. And I think I mentioned I thought she might be a Grace before you shared their names. I don't think I have ever heard of the name Everly before. I love unusual names and names that aren't that common. I didn't share either of my baby names because I didn't want anyone to use them! x

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  7. Beautiful name and gorgeous photo's. I love the Liverpool link, I should have found a way to get my husband to like names through it. He also is a big Liverpool FC fan. I knew I wanted to call my daughter Alice since I was about 8 years old and I kept it a secret from everyone in case anyone stole it. X

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  8. Oh Lucy, I absolutely love her name, so much so it's been added to the list of baby girls names for our new arrival when he / she is here. Since having Alfie, our favourite girls name has actually been Lucy and nothing has made me waiver in four years... until I heard Everly :) xx

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    1. It is a great name... but then I would say that. I also happen to think that Lucy is a name for really amazing people!!! x

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  9. I wanted Evie so badly and hubby wouldn't have it but I swear Everly is the prettiest name I have ever heard and I remember meeting you and you saying her name I thought if I ever had a third that would be beautiful. It's my fave all time girl name you have the best names picked out for your kiddos I swear. I am coming to you if I have another and need name help! :) She suits it so much too.

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    1. Thanks lovely. We really do have some similar name tastes, don't we? I honestly feel like Everly is my favourite name ever... I gave myself a hard time when we were pregnant the third time because I just couldn't find a name I loved in the same way, but I've just accepted now that maybe there isn't one and thats okay. x

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