# It's a girl! Gwendolyn ????? Chance **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 23, 2004, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-girl-gwendolyn-chance/241614 "2004-04-23T12:58:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-girl-gwendolyn-chance/241614/1 "2004-04-23T12:58:24Z")
With three months to go we finally found out that the new baby is a girl (and only one, disappointingly). We’ve pretty much settled on “Gwendolyn” (called ‘Gwen’) for the first name. Though of course I may come home from work today and be told we’ve changed our collective minds. (I have been assimilated). But we’re hung up on a middle name. Feel free to help! ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-girl-gwendolyn-chance/241614/2 "2004-04-23T13:00:14Z")
Well, foo. So now I have to have a boy for them to get married. If I end up with a boy, I’ll trade ya. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-girl-gwendolyn-chance/241614/3 "2004-04-23T13:04:06Z")
Remember, I’m a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lady Chance Enterprises. Negotiate with her. ---
**Author:** ![garius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e19b73/32.png) [@garius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garius)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-girl-gwendolyn-chance/241614/4 "2004-04-23T13:12:57Z")
Just make sure you follow the universal rule of middle names and make it suitably embarrassing. How about “Dave”? ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-girl-gwendolyn-chance/241614/5 "2004-04-23T13:14:05Z")
> [@Jonathan Chance](#): > > Remember, I’m a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lady Chance Enterprises. > > Negotiate with her. I’ll tell her that we’ll never make her socialize with MADs again. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-girl-gwendolyn-chance/241614/6 "2004-04-23T13:19:18Z")
> [@](#): > > But we’re hung up on a middle name. Feel free to help! Your wife’s maiden name? (I wanted to do that with my kid, but my wife thought Colin Davis Casey sounded too “fancy”–???— I like what we settled on, but I like this better). Either of your mother’s names? ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-girl-gwendolyn-chance/241614/7 "2004-04-23T13:23:25Z")
How about starting an IMHO thread for the Next Chance’s middle name? Congratulations, **JC**! :: count count count :: There’s plenty of Doper Infants lately, so I’m sure a few marriages can be arranged. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-girl-gwendolyn-chance/241614/8 "2004-04-23T13:45:42Z")
A beloved, dead relative. And Gwendolyn is a pretty name; I especially like it because it doesn’t have a ridiculous diminutive. ‘Gwen’ is also cute. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-girl-gwendolyn-chance/241614/9 "2004-04-23T14:00:34Z")
> [@GingerOfTheNorth](#): > > Well, foo. So now I have to have a boy for them to get married. If I end up with a boy, I’ll trade ya. Of course, there _is_ always Aaron, who is becoming more like his father every day, only Aaron is more polite. 😉 Robin ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-girl-gwendolyn-chance/241614/10 "2004-04-23T14:06:38Z")
With a first name like Gwendolyn, shouldn’t the middle name be something like Fairfax or Wentworth or something like that? I only have expierence naming cats, so you should take that into account when considering my suggestions. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-girl-gwendolyn-chance/241614/11 "2004-04-23T14:09:59Z")
I believe the rule of thumb is to make the middle name a different length than the first name. So if you have a long first name, have a short middle name. (May? Anne?) YMMV, of course. My first and middle names both have two syllables. ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-girl-gwendolyn-chance/241614/12 "2004-04-23T14:41:10Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > I believe the rule of thumb is to make the middle name a different length than the first name. So if you have a long first name, have a short middle name. In this case, the first name is 3 syllables, with an obvious 1 syllable dimunitive. Under your guideline, the middle name should therefore be 2 syllables. Something like, oh, **Ginger** , **Ivylass** , or **Robin**. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-girl-gwendolyn-chance/241614/13 "2004-04-23T15:02:18Z")
> [@Scuba\_Ben](#): > > In this case, the first name is 3 syllables, with an obvious 1 syllable dimunitive. Under your guideline, the middle name should therefore be 2 syllables. Something like, oh, **Ginger** , **Ivylass** , or **Robin**. 😉 How do you pronounce **Ivylass**? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-girl-gwendolyn-chance/241614/14 "2004-04-23T15:09:15Z")
Leigh. It flows nicely, don’t you think? ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-girl-gwendolyn-chance/241614/15 "2004-04-23T15:17:01Z")
I like Gwendolyn Claire Chance. Otherwise I agree that a two syllable middle name sounds better. ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-girl-gwendolyn-chance/241614/16 "2004-04-23T16:01:25Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > How do you pronounce **Ivylass**? Apparantly, I’m slurring my speech again. I need more coffee. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5ac83/32.png) [@The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mad_Hermit)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-girl-gwendolyn-chance/241614/17 "2004-04-23T16:03:06Z")
Gwendolyn is fine. Just don’t call her Julie. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-girl-gwendolyn-chance/241614/18 "2004-04-23T16:05:56Z")
I’m sure I should get that but you’re more obscure than Warhol in a fog bank. And… Should [anyone be interested…](http://www.wooleysark.com/kate/Page32A.html) ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-girl-gwendolyn-chance/241614/19 "2004-04-23T16:18:08Z")
Yay for girls. Daddy is going to be so whupped in a few years. Yay for whupped Daddies! Gwendolyn is a very pretty name. How about : **Gwendolyn Shirley Chance**. Or a nice, **Cordelia** to give it the Old Money sound to it. Cordelia is a woman of rare honesty. At least that is what my baby name book tells me. I’ll have to consult my Magic 8 Ball for verification. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5ac83/32.png) [@The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mad_Hermit)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-girl-gwendolyn-chance/241614/20 "2004-04-23T16:19:01Z")
Say the name out loud. I’m referring to your IRL name, not Mr. Chance… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-girl-gwendolyn-chance/241614.md?page=2)