Baby Names

So.  How do you pick a name for a baby?  How do you find something appropriate for this little creature who you'll spend the next 9 months getting to know, having dreams about their future, and making sure it's unique enough, has enough personality, and is "adult" enough that they can get a respectable career?

Let's face it - the kid's probably going to hate it anyway.

I stumbled upon this today in my usual round of baby crap googling...Top 100 Boy and 100 Girl Names of 2012.

I think we've done a pretty good job to avoid the uber popular names so far in our quest.  Our lead girl name is actually not on the list - so score!  Our boy name, my grandpa's name, is on the list but that's ok - this one's for you Gramps!

Boys names we like: Benjamin (Grandpa's name), Emmett, Lucas, Carter, Wyatt, and Oliver.  I also like Owen as a middle name but Jess has vetoed that.

Girls names we like: Abigail, Amelia, Clara or Claire, Alice (but we had a foster dog we named Alice so that's out), Lydia, Gwen, Mabel, and some other ones but I can't remember right now.  I like more funky names like Piper or Evelyn - I guess Evelyn is not technically funky.  Jess is pushing for Eileen.  She thinks it'll make the baby sound like a congress woman - Eileen Briley.  Yes, it does...but really?  Eileen??  "Come on Eileen...at this moment, you mean everything".  Yeah, no.

I don't want to find out the sex of the baby (Jess DESPERATELY does) so I supposed we'll just have to have a front runner of each!  Easier said than done.

How'd you pick your kiddo's names?