Scarlett & Sosie
Today’s story comes to us from Megan of Momlarky. If ever there was a good sport award in the world of baby naming, Megan wins!
Before we ever got pregnant, hubby and I had decided on names. Xander Nikolas if we had a boy, and Zoe Evanescence (stop laughing!) if we had a girl.
Then my stepdad intervened. He’s from Ohio. He loves the Ohio State Buckeyes. He had come up with the perfect baby girl name to honor his favorite team. He thought we should use it. So he made a bet with my husband, who is from Texas, that when the Buckeyes played Texas, if the Buckeyes won, we HAD to give our first-born daughter this name. We liked the name, so we agreed. Besides, hubby assured me Texas would win and we would use Zoe, anyway. Wrong!
Our daughter’s name? Scarlett Ann Grayce. Ohio State Buckeye colors? Scarlet and gray.
With our second pregnancy, we still had our boy name locked down. Xander Nikolas. Girl names? We argued. I hated his ideas, and he hated mine. I didn’t even like mine very much – nothing was jumping out at me as “special.”
Then I read an interview with Kyra Sedgwick in the back of Family Circle magazine. She mentioned her daughter’s name was Sosie. I thought, Hunh. That’s really cute. But I thought it was too “out-there” to actually use, so I kept looking. But I just couldn’t stop thinking about Sosie. And then Sosie Bacon guest-starred on Kyra’s show The Closer for 3 weeks. So I kept seeing the name. And finding it in baby books. I convinced my husband this was the name. Then he suggested the middle name Amanda after both of our sisters. So, Sosie Amanda was born in March.
I love our daughters’ names. I have never had second thoughts. And thank God we didn’t end up with a Zoe Evanescence. I would be hanging my head in shame.
Thanks, Megan! And I kind of love Evanescence in the middle spot, even though it is at the extreme edge of baby naming. Sosie makes a nice alternative to Zoe. Same sound, but much less expected. And I love Scarlett and Sosie as a sibset. They sound SO much like sisters, but not at all too close.
I hope your stepdad knows how VERY lucky he is to have you, and his little sports-fan-in-training. 
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Very cute story! Both names are very sweet. Abby, what’s the etymology of Sosie…is it a nn for something else? Megan, are you planning any more children? Xander Nikolas is…um, different. Sounds like you’re naming the next Russian tsar.
I DO like Xander, Zander and Sander as nn’s for Alexander.
There was a French Saint Sosie in the 300s, but I think it is more logical to think of her as a nickname, from any of the Shoshana/Susan choices, and maybe even Sophia. (BTW, the saint is no longer on the official calendar.)
I’m still trying to decide if we want more. What would I ever name another girl??? That thought alone makes me think I’m happy with two! Haha!
Xander Nikolas does sound very Russian, but we actually got it from Xander on Buffy and Nikolas Casadine on General Hospital. We are TV junkies.
I have read Sosie is French and means “double.” It can also be “lily” as a form of Susannah, and there is another language in which it means a type of tree, but I can’t remember it so I won’t guess.
Sosie is also an Armenian name. It means “tree” or “cypress”, according to some websites. I know 4-5 Sosies. Its used by Armenian-Americans because it works so well in English. Sosy, Sosi, and Sossi are other spellings. I think Sosie is the cutest.
I loved reading this story and Sosie and Scarlett are great names! Your kids are adorable!
PS I read that Family Circle article, too!
Armenian! That’s what it was, I was thinking Croation but I knew that was wrong. Thanks!
I actually quite like Xander Nikolas
You truthfully have such a cute name story! I really like Scarlett and Sosie. It’s an adorable sibset and I love your daughter’s smile!
Thanks! If only they could keep their eyes open for pictures. Sigh. Haha!
Yaaay I am so excited to see this up! Thanks Abby!
(I have moved my blog since I originally emailed Abby the story, and I forgot to let her know, so it is not Abby’s fault that the link takes you nowhere! It is all mine! Sorry, Abby! Here is the new address:
http://momlarky.blogspot.com OR you can click my name on this comment.)
Thanks everyone!
Fantastic story! And wow, you are a good sport. There was no way in tarnation that anyone other than my husband and I were having a definitive say in our daughter’s name. Your daughters’ names are lovely.
Thanks! If it hadn’t been such a nice name anyway I think the story would have ended differently, haha! At least she gets a free ride to Ohio State. That was the other part of the deal. (And don’t think I have forgotten, Don!)
What a fabulously fun story! Your daughter’s names are so lovely and they are such adorable girls! Congratulations on your new addition! Scarlett looks like she is reveling in being a big sister – so sweet!
Thank you, she is a great big sister. Very few jealous moments. Just today she was telling my friends that Sosie is “her baby.” We’ll see how long that lasts as they get older!
Actually, I should add a couple of things. Megan, the love of my life, was never sold on Zoe or my other choice Chloe. We had discussed it a few times before the bet, but her stepdad said that if he won the bet and we followed through, Scarlett would get her college paid for as long as she goes to OSU. Another win for us.
Also, the boy name, Xander Nikolas is totally from General Hospital. Zander Smith and Nikolas Casadine…but I always though Xander looked better with X instead of Z.
Either way, we ended up with two fantastic daughters who have really awesome names.
Mike, you rock for visiting! You’ve set the bar for future Reader Name Story dads. (My husband lurks but isn’t ABOUT to comment. Hi, honey!)
Free college tuition? I’d name my kid Gonzaga.
Stella, Serafina, Starla, Simone, these are my suggestions for another girl!!
Those are pretty options… I will keep them in mind if we decide we’re crazy enough to go back for more! Thanks!
Abby, I just want to say that I think this is a GREAT idea!
I actually really like both your kids names.
Thank you! It’s always nice to hear!
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