I hope you can help me here! I have one son and my husband and I have decided that we would like to start TTC soon. Super exciting! The only problem is - girl names. I am an absolute mess about them. I have always loved names and so I have been searching since I was little for the girl name and I don’t have it. I’ve come to realize that I don’t think there is that one special girl name out there for me - I will just have to pick one of many names that I like and make it work.
This is totally the opposite of how I was with my son. I had his name picked out since I was about 18 years old and never thought twice about it while pregnant. [name_m]Even[/name_m] so, it still felt weird to call him by it for the first few days and I very briefly wondered if I had made a mistake (I think this is pretty common with a newborn, although I haven’t actually confirmed this…). Given that I am all over the place with girl names, I really fear that I am going to have a major episode of name regret if we do have a daughter, no matter what name we decide on!
I feel like I have seen every possible girl name and this is my list right now. All of the names I like but there is something about each that makes me feel like it isn’t exactly right.
[name_f]Imogen[/name_f] - I had felt pretty good about this maybe being it and was excited for the nn [name_f]Immy[/name_f]. But we may be moving to a state down South in the next few years and I’ve heard there it is pronounced “Eye-ma-gene” which is a deal breaker for me because it just isn’t my style. And I don’t have it in me to constantly correct the pronunciation!
[name_f]Seraphina[/name_f] - This name has been on my list for the longest of any. I love that it is so feminine and reminds me of a fairytale. But… I also feel like it is too much and I’ve found that I am embarrassed to tell people we are even considering this name, which can’t be a good sign. I have this fear that it sounds a little low-class and people may start being kre8iv with it (Sarafeena, etc.)
[name_f]Willa[/name_f] - So pretty, feminine, not over-the-top. But seems possibly a little incomplete and I don’t like [name_f]Wilhelmina[/name_f] as a full name.
[name_f]Elsa[/name_f] - I like this this is Scandinavian, as I have Swedish roots and is very sweet. But a bit too simple for my tastes?
[name_f]Greta[/name_f] - really adorable - but is it too [name_m]German[/name_m], considering that neither my husband nor myself is [name_m]German[/name_m]? Also, it is a point against it that it starts with “G” like my son’s name.
[name_f]Elowen[/name_f] - I love the sound of this - it also reminds me of a fairytale. But it isn’t quite an established name and that bothers me.
[name_f]Anneliese[/name_f] - Beautiful, feminine, but the same problem as [name_f]Greta[/name_f]. I only like it with this spelling, but would it be strange to have such a [name_m]German[/name_m] name? Also - I see this name and its variants rising quickly.
[name_f]Annabel[/name_f] - lovely but the popularity concerns me. i think this name will continue to climb.
[name_f]Norah[/name_f] - love it but I feel like I hear it everywhere now. I looked up the statistics for my state and confirmed that it is fairly high here.
[name_f]Sadie[/name_f] - I saw a video that had an absolutely adorable little girl named [name_f]Sadie[/name_f] in it and it really made me take a huge liking to the name. But I am suspicious because it doesn’t seem to match my usual tastes since it isn’t a flowery name.
There is just this huge pressure with naming a girl that I feel - and I totally didn’t feel it with naming a boy! I’ve already decided that if we have another boy his name will almost definitely be [name_m]Simon[/name_m]. It just feels “right” and I am not second guessing it or thinking about all of its flaws the way that I am with a girl name. Maybe it’s because I am a girl myself and so to me I just feel how important a name is for a girl and I want to give her the perfect one. If I name her a frilly name like [name_f]Anneliese[/name_f], will she have a totally different life than if I give her a cute and spunky name like [name_f]Sadie[/name_f]?? Ok, do you see the problem?? I am totally going crazy already!
Thank you for reading this far if you have! Maybe now you can see my fears - I am all over the place with these girl names and I really like them all, but none of them stand out as the right one to me. And yes I do realize that I am putting an unnatural amount of pressure on this name… I would love to get other opinions or suggestions! Although I feel like I have seen all of the names possible at this point - it is sometimes possible to see them with new eyes
It’s natural to be worried. I think there’s a wider range of female names, so it is hard to match one to your special girl.
The thing about naming is, your daughter’s name doesn’t have to be your [name_m]FAVORITE[/name_m] name. It just has to be a name that she can identify herself with and at the same time make her own. For example, my name is [name_f]Erinn[/name_f]. [name_f]My[/name_f] mom tells me that if she could rename me, it would be [name_f]Jillian[/name_f], only on account of that’s her current favorite name. Favorites change easily, just like your favorite food. But if potato gnocchi was your favorite food three years ago, chances are you’re still going to at least like potato gnocchi now. And when that favorite item is a name bestowed upon your daughter, whom you love with all your heart? You will never think anything bad of it.
[name_f]Anneliese[/name_f] is a frilly name, but say one day she doesn’t want that. That day, [name_f]Anneliese[/name_f] can become [name_f]Annie[/name_f] - instantly spunky! Pick whatever name suits your needs best, and you can’t get it ‘wrong.’
[name_f]Imogen[/name_f] - I can see how you would feel that way about the pronunciation. I’m not from the south so I can’t confirm if that is the case or not but if it would be a big deal to you that it got mispronounced then I guess I would choose something else.
[name_f]Seraphina[/name_f] - This doesn’t sound low-class at all to me. I think my own name ([name_u]Luce[/name_u]@) seems a bit low-class, because my parents made up the spelling–but I have gotten so many compliments on how pretty it is. Also, names will be misspelled no matter how common they are so I don’t think that potentially botched spellings from others should stop you from using a name. [name_f]Seraphina[/name_f] is a really pretty name, but it makes me think of the royal cat from “[name_f]Barbie[/name_f] in the [name_f]Princess[/name_f] and the Pauper”, and does seem to me like a little much for everyday use.
[name_f]Willa[/name_f] - This seems like a full name to me, not necessarily like it needs a longer formal name.
[name_f]Elsa[/name_f] - I love [name_f]Elsa[/name_f], and I think the association to the new Disney princess makes it feel less simplistic. But I do see where you are coming from.
[name_f]Greta[/name_f] - I think the same-initial thing is the biggest point against this name. I think it is common enough that you could definitely use it in spite of not being [name_m]German[/name_m].
[name_f]Elowen[/name_f] - I love this one too. It sounds like the name of a moon flower or a fairy or something else equally beautiful. It’s not super established, but I think it would work really well on a little girl and she could definitely make it her own. The fact that it’s similar to [name_f]Eowyn[/name_f] and [name_f]Arwen[/name_f] makes it not completely unfamiliar.
[name_f]Anneliese[/name_f] - [name_f]Anneliese[/name_f] seems less [name_m]German[/name_m] to me than [name_f]Greta[/name_f], but is probably more popular, like you said.
[name_f]Annabel[/name_f] - I’ve only met one [name_f]Annabel[/name_f] (I think it’s a name that works really well in real life).
[name_f]Norah[/name_f] - Really pretty!
[name_f]Sadie[/name_f] - I don’t know, I think it fits in with the style of your other names okay. Like a princess who is a bit spunky. It does feel a little nicknamey to me with the -ie ending, but that is only a minor thing.
One thing I’ve heard over and over is that if you make a list of your top names and then wait to see what the baby looks like when they are born, one name will seem to fit them better than the others. [name_m]Just[/name_m] a thought!
Wow that is such great advice - thank you!!! That is really just the advice I needed - amazing I asked my mom and her favorites now are [name_f]Hannah[/name_f], [name_f]Orit[/name_f], [name_f]Tamar[/name_f], and [name_f]Jessica[/name_f]… A surprisingly strange mix but I’m sure that I could have made any of them work for me and hopefully it will be the same way for my daughter - thanks again for the fresh insight!
To [name_f]Lu[/name_f] - thanks for your feedback! I agree that it may be time to take imogen off the list for that reason since it would really bother me. And I think I will end up doing that if it is a daughter - bringing a list to the hospital. It’s very different than how it was with my son, and it will be a little strange not to be settled until we meet her… But I think it is the way to go and hopefully one of them will fit her when I see her and mommy won’t go too crazy with the possibilities
I have a lot of people tell me that my name doesn’t suit me when they first meet me. I always find this interesting. A lot of names all by their lonesome evoke a certain feel, tone, sentiment, but context is far more influential and a name does not decide a person’s personality. It may affect people’s first impressions of a given person, but ultimately that person defines their name. Not the other way around.
That said, naturally if a kid is named something a bit out there, e.g. [name_f]My[/name_f] child will be artsy and bohemian. I will call her “[name_f]Poet[/name_f]”, that kid’ll probably feel some pressure to live up to her name (parents) because it’s so specifically associated but she also might not have an artistic bone in her body.
Otherwise, you’re in the clear. Aaaand, it’s pretty hard to pick a name for a kid based on their personality since you basically have to name them when they’re born.
I think this is where nicknames come into play sometimes.
[name_f]Lu[/name_f] gave you some great feedback on your names. Regarding [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] – I have never heard the pronunciation Eye-mo-gin and have lived in the south. Not that it’s a name I hear a lot anywhere. I have heard it pronounced Ih-mo-gin and Ih-mo-jeen though, regardless of spelling.
[name_f]Seraphina[/name_f] – So yes, it’s frilly, but it also employs one of the most popular names out there “[name_f]Sara[/name_f]”. [name_f]Seraphine[/name_f] is a little less over the top by taking it down a syllable. And honestly, this style of name is becoming popular again. Your girl winds up being a little more tomboy than princess? [name_f]Fina[/name_f], [name_u]Fee[/name_u], or [name_f]Fifi[/name_f] or even [name_f]Sera[/name_f] are nicknames. Most frilly, overthetop names have this option. And it’s always good to consider the nicknames with longer names as you, she or other people might want to shorten it more often.
This is what I would do… sorry if it comes across as a little too practical. Right now you have 11 on your list. They are all lovely, not an ugly or iffy one among them, honest! I would compile a list of all that you think you really like. I wouldn’t get more than 10 or so if you can help it. Then I would poll nameberries. Maybe I am putting too much power into the hands of the berries but the people here really spend a lot of time with names, their meanings, the image they create, etc. I would take the top 3 from that poll and keep them in waiting for when she (if she’s a she) is born. When you meet her I would choose from those three. If for some reason you freeze then have a pre-arranged agreement with your husband that he will choose a name from those three. Problem solved!!
Oh and make sure to have a middle picked as well!!
[name_m]Don[/name_m]'t worry, whatever name you pick will become perfect once it’s been worn by your daughter for a while! [name_f]My[/name_f] favourite from your list is [name_f]Norah[/name_f]- you might also like the less popular [name_f]Annora[/name_f].
Wow, sigma certainly hit the mark! [name_m]Just[/name_m] what I was about to say.
First, take a deep breath. As she said, it’s not so much about being the best name, just one that you enjoy and chances are you won’t end up hating it. After having the baby it’s not just a name, it’s a person, and that person is an individual whether you choose a common name or not so try not to stress. Choose any of those names and you will be fine and have a beautiful new baby. By the way, I absolutely looove the names! [name_f]My[/name_f] favourites are probably [name_f]Seraphina[/name_f], [name_f]Willa[/name_f] and [name_f]Anneliese[/name_f]. If you think [name_f]Seraphina[/name_f] is too much, how about calling her [name_f]Sera[/name_f] for a nn? I absolutely love this idea. I also like the name [name_f]Willow[/name_f], but I’d use [name_f]Willa[/name_f] for the nn, and [name_f]Anneliese[/name_f] has many cool nn’s to choose from! Goodluck with your little one
Tzohlghadr - thank you for your feedback! I am happy to see so many positive remarks about [name_f]Seraphina[/name_f] - this is reaffirming that she should stay on the list. I think I started feeling unsure about her because my mom doesn’t like the name, but I don’t like her favorite names either so that shouldn’t really matter. And great advice about having my husband call me by the name. I think I really will do that for a few or maybe all of these! Especially while we are out in public and see how I feel - love the idea!
From your suggestions I really like:
[name_f]Oriana[/name_f] - I love this name but my husband had nixed it a while back. But, he’s been known to change his mind (he used to hate [name_f]Seraphina[/name_f] and now it is his favorite) so I may run it by him again.
[name_f]Corrine[/name_f] - [name_u]Love[/name_u] it (and I think it is Swedish which is a plus). But I would shorten to [name_f]Cora[/name_f] and my sister-in-law is [name_f]Carolina[/name_f] nn [name_u]Caro[/name_u], and I do NOT want to be anywhere even close to her name!
[name_f]Eveline[/name_f] - [name_u]Love[/name_u] this and the nn [name_f]Evie[/name_f] but there is a little [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] in the family already.
[name_f]Vera[/name_f] - [name_u]LOVE[/name_u] [name_f]Vera[/name_f]! But it is similar to our last name so would be weird:(
[name_f]Isla[/name_f] - another that I adore but my husband’s family speaks Spanish and [name_f]Isla[/name_f] means island and is pronounced “ees-la”. We don’t speak Spanish in the house much, but I’m not sure if this would be too weird or if the in-laws would be able to accept the “eye-la” pronunciation. [name_m]Will[/name_m] run it by my husband!
[name_f]Evangeline[/name_f] - like this a lot but I always hear “evangelical”
[name_f]Nola[/name_f] - oooh, I hadn’t heard this one! Going to look more into it!
[name_f]Mara[/name_f] - like this one too but my name is different by just 1 letter so it feels too close.
Thanks for the feedback, [name_u]Aza[/name_u]! I also really like all of these names (obviously) and that is also part of the problem - I’m afraid I will regret not being able to use them all And it is great to hear more positive feedback about [name_f]Seraphina[/name_f], since I have liked that one for a long time and my husband is really on board with it. I don’t know why it has started to sound a bit “stripperish” to me, so I am really happy to hear that apparently other people don’t feel the same way!
I think you have a great list!
I don’t think [name_f]Anneliese[/name_f] is too [name_m]German[/name_m] at all.
What if you used [name_f]Seraphina[/name_f], and used [name_f]Sadie[/name_f] as a nickname? I think that would work, and then you’d have the fairy-tale beauty of [name_f]Seraphina[/name_f] combined with the down-to-earth charm of [name_f]Sadie[/name_f].
[name_m]Don[/name_m]'t worry about having to find the perfect name right now. You can always bring a list to the hospital with you. You might decide that after meeting her she is most definitely a ________. Or you might have an unusual birth and decide to name her after those circumstances. Shrugs. Or if you have a middle name picked out, that could help with choosing a first name. Cause some of them might not sound good together.
However, let me comment on your list…
[name_f]Imogen[/name_f] - I think [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] is absolutely stunning! However, its still not a common name in the U.S so there could be pronunciation issues. As you said, if you really can’t get past having to correct people when that happens, perhaps its not for you.
[name_f]Seraphina[/name_f] - This does NOT sound remotely low-class to me. And if you are worried that people are going to get Kre8tyve with it, then you might as well nix every name from the universe, since you could probably take every name and turn into some horrible spelling job.
[name_f]Willa[/name_f] - To be honest, this name name has never been my cup of tea. That doesn’t mean its an awful name or anything. [name_m]Just[/name_m] something I would never use personally.
[name_f]Elsa[/name_f] - I do really like [name_f]Elsa[/name_f]. But I just want to point out that this was the name used for the [name_f]Snow[/name_f] [name_f]Queen[/name_f] in Disney’s Frozen. So there’s always a chance that the name could grow in popularity.
[name_f]Greta[/name_f] - I don’t think its “too german”. And I don’t think it matters whether you have german roots or not. Now, I personally wouldn’t care if my kids happened to have the same letter or not, but if it does bug you, then I would probably drop this name.
[name_f]Elowen[/name_f] - I agree that [name_f]Elowen[/name_f] sounds fairytale-esque. Its very pretty, and its not popular. Your child probably won’t come across many in her lifetime.
[name_f]Anneliese[/name_f] - Again, I don’t think using a german name when you don’t have german roots to be a problem. Its a beautiful name and also sounds like it could be used for princess.
[name_f]Annabel[/name_f] - It does have a lovely sound, but I think its trendy right now. And it being trendy makes me think it will easily date itself in the future.
[name_f]Norah[/name_f] - Popular, and I never saw the appeal personally.
[name_f]Sadie[/name_f] - This is a very cute name also.
Aym - yes, exactly! I have a soft spot for names like [name_f]Sonnet[/name_f] and [name_u]Winter[/name_u]. But I don’t want to pressure my daughter into being a certain kind of person.
rainydaydragon - excellent idea - i really do trust the berries, which is why i am seeking advice here. I will definitely do the poll idea once I am pregnant/if it is a girl!
So much helpful feedback berries! I am feeling quite a bit better
[name_m]Just[/name_m] a note, you’ll most likely have pronunciation issues with [name_f]Elowen[/name_f] too. People will try and say it ‘[name_f]EL[/name_f]-oh-en’ rather than ‘el-OH-en’. That being said, it’s my favourite from your list.
mrs_anton_yelchin1990 - Thank you for your feedback! I think you may be right about the name [name_f]Elsa[/name_f] growing because of Frozen. And you and a lot of other berries have reaffirmed that [name_f]Norah[/name_f] is just too popular for my liking so I am going to scratch that off. Also as you and others mentioned, I totally now agree that [name_f]Annabel[/name_f] will eventually date herself. Great point that didn’t even cross my mind. So from my original list, it seems that [name_f]Seraphina[/name_f], [name_f]Elowen[/name_f], [name_f]Anneliese[/name_f], and [name_f]Sadie[/name_f] are the front-runners. This has been really helpful!
Uh-oh. I was also going to pronounce it [name_f]EL[/name_f]-oh-en, although I realize it isn’t the original pronunciation, just because that is how Americans will naturally stress it. But a not very established name + not using the original pronunciation? Maybe this isn’t the right name for me as much as I love it I like the similar [name_f]Arwen[/name_f], but it is just too LOTR. I don’t like [name_f]Bronwen[/name_f] because I am not a fan of “Br-” names right now.
gabrielsmommy - it’s ok I also thought it was pronounced [name_f]EL[/name_f]-oh-en, and I love it! I actually don’t like the way el-OH-en sounds at all!
That being said, [name_f]Elowen[/name_f] is beautiful, and I like that one for you. However [name_f]Anneliese[/name_f] is stunning, and fits very nicely with [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m]. So either one of them.
As a [name_f]Sadie[/name_f], maybe I can give you some insight. I love my name, and I don’t know anyone else in my area who has it. In middle school, I would always hear from teachers how pretty it was. I haven’t experienced any issues with people thinking that my name is short for another, or that it seems incomplete. Additionally, no issues in a formal setting.
Personally, I really love [name_f]Seraphina[/name_f]. It is a gorgeous name and I’ve heard it before, but I don’t know anyone personally with that name. The same goes for [name_f]Elowen[/name_f]. Great name choices!
[name_f]Willa[/name_f] - We picked this for our daughter and have zero regrets. I agree with you that it’s pretty, feminine, and not over-the-top - and it’s also a strong/smart girls name. An “I can do anything” type name. It’s totally unique yet somehow familiar. We also worried about it seeming a little incomplete at first but this concern dissolved completely. Huge fan of this one (obviously).
[name_f]Elsa[/name_f] - This made our top 5 list. I like it too!
[name_f]Greta[/name_f] - We have friends that chose this name for their daughter and they’re not [name_m]German[/name_m]-[name_m]German[/name_m]. I love it.
[name_f]Norah[/name_f] - [name_u]Love[/name_u] this one too.
I asked my mom and her favorites now are [name_f]Hannah[/name_f], [name_f]Orit[/name_f], [name_f]Tamar[/name_f], and [name_f]Jessica[/name_f]… A surprisingly strange mix but I’m sure that I could have made any of them work for me and hopefully it will be the same way for my daughter - thanks again for the fresh insight!
I like the similar [name_f]Arwen[/name_f], but it is just too LOTR. I don’t like [name_f]Bronwen[/name_f] because I am not a fan of “Br-” names right now.