WDYT of [name]Afton[/name]? I love that it’s a river in [name]Scotland[/name] ([name]Isla[/name] means river in Scottish), it’s 2 syllables, starts with a vowel, doesn’t end in A. . .
[name]Do[/name] you think it’s feminine at all?
Can you come up with any snappy nicknames for [name]Afton[/name]?
Think it goes with [name]Isla[/name]?
thanks:)
I’ve only heard it once before but it sure caught my eye in your post. I think it’s gorgeous!
Best wishes-
[name]Tara[/name]
Sounds absolutely male to me, and interestingly cool if it were used that way.
Please don’t be offended, but personally, if I saw sibling names ‘[name]Isla[/name]’ and ‘[name]Afton[/name]’, I would automatically assume that ‘[name]Afton[/name]’ was a boy. It doesn’t seem at all feminine to me, not like ‘[name]Isla[/name]’, a name that seems very ‘girly’.
I have to agree. I actually thought your post was about using [name]Afton[/name] for a boy, and was about to respond that I loved it (and to suggest the nn [name]Tony[/name]). I thought your question about it being feminine was asking whether it might be too feminine to use for a boy, and I was going to respond that no, it is not feminine at all. Then, when I saw the post above, I paused and went back to read the original post, and then I remembered that you are expecting a little girl. I’m sorry, but I think this name is too masculine for any girl, let alone one with a sister named the ultr-feminine [name]Isla[/name].
I agree, also…I thought you were thinking of [name]Afton[/name] for a boy. My great-grandfather’s name was [name]Aftan[/name] (same pronunciation).
I grew up with a girl named [name]Afton[/name] who was very feminine.
[name]Hi[/name], [name]Kelli[/name]!
[name]Afton[/name] reminds me of this girl who once was in contention for a spot as a professional dancer on the reality TV show, “Dancing With the Stars” - her name was [name]Afton[/name] DelGrosso. She was bubbly and sweet, beautiful and elegant, and the name stuck with me ever since. Because of her, I can see the feminine side of it! Isn’t she lovely?
Anyway, [name]Afton[/name] comes from a dancing family, and her sisters - [name]Ashly[/name], [name]Averie[/name] [name]Michelle[/name], [name]Autumn[/name], [name]Amber[/name], and [name]Abrea[/name] [name]Danielle[/name] - and her have performed together. Her full name is [name]Afton[/name] [name]Skye[/name], which I think is absolutely darling!
Yes, [name]Afton[/name] has a more masculine sound than the light and airy, feminine and simple [name]Isla[/name], but I like the sound of [name]Isla[/name] and [name]Afton[/name] together, to be honest. You could call her [name]Affie[/name] or something for short, or maybe her initials could spell a word. Or, be like my parents and call her something totally off-beat ([name]Birdie[/name] for [name]Lauren[/name])! Nicknames present and endless possibility of options. I’d just forewarn you that, if you were to have a third girl, you shouldn’t pick a girly name like, say, [name]Arabella[/name], to go with [name]Isla[/name] and [name]Afton[/name] - now, that would make [name]Afton[/name] seem masculine!
[name]Just[/name] to note, even NB lists [name]Afton[/name] as a female name, saying [name]Afton[/name] is a “name of a town in [name]Scotland[/name] that has a feminine strength.” [name]Pam[/name] and [name]Linda[/name] are the experts, right?
[name]Robert[/name] [name]Burns[/name] wrote a poem called “Sweet [name]Afton[/name],” later setting the lyrical poem to music. It describes the [name]Afton[/name] Water in Ayrshire, [name]Scotland[/name]. It can be seen as a hymn for peace. Apparently it is often set to the tune of “Away in a Manger” and sung as Cradle Song…
The song - not to the tune of “Away in a Manger” - was recorded by musical group Nickel Creek. Listen on youtube.com here: Nickel Creek - Sweet Afton - YouTube. It is a beautiful song!
Anyway, I like [name]Afton[/name]! Good luck, [name]Kelli[/name]!
[name]Lemon[/name] 
Thanks [name]Lemon[/name]
I [name]LOVE[/name] [name]LOVE[/name] [name]LOVE[/name] that nickel creek song, that’s where I first heard the name and can picture singing sweet afton to the baby:)
That girl is very pretty & feminine, one of her sister’s names caught my eye too. .[name]Abrea[/name]? [name]How[/name] do you pronounce that. . .?
I’ve mentioned this name to dh in the past and did so again today and he kind of rolled his eyes at me, but didn’t say flat out no.
WDYT of [name]Briar[/name]? That’s another I came across today, and I kind of like the sound of it. [name]Bri[/name] (bree) for a nn. . .[name]Isla[/name] & [name]Briar[/name]?
Another I saw was [name]Leni[/name] which fits my critera of light and soft, might sound masculine though, isn’t [name]Lenny[/name] a boy name, like the name of a garbage man or something.
[name]Kelli[/name],
I know! The song is so sweet! I kind of want you to play it to the baby and see if she (or he) moves around or something - it could be a sign! Ha! Isn’t that girl beautiful? Doesn’t your [name]Isla[/name] have dark hair and eyes, too? I just really like [name]Afton[/name] - it was on my unisex name list for awhile [along with [name]Ellis[/name], [name]Tallis[/name], [name]Cardin[/name], and [name]Harper[/name]]…
I think [name]Abrea[/name] is either [AAH-bree-ah] or [ah-[name]BREE[/name]-uh], but I’m honestly not a big fan. Sorry, it just sounds made up to me!
[name]Briar[/name] is sweet, too, but I like [name]Afton[/name] more. I love the song, and it sounds more unusual for me. It also fits in seamlessly with [name]Isla[/name]'s origin and meaning! I do like [name]Briar[/name], though. Are you saying it [[name]BREE[/name]-are], though, or are you just using [name]Brie[/name] as a nickname because you like it? Another thing that bothers me about [name]Isla[/name] and [name]Briar[/name] is that they have the same I sound - at least they do as I say them!
As for [name]Leni[/name], I see it more as a nickname, as in [name]Heidi[/name] Klum’s daughter [name]Leni[/name] - short for [name]Helene[/name]. Ha! I see [name]Lenny[/name] as a plumber…
Take care!
[name]Lemon[/name]
My initial reaction was the same as most of the others. I thought it was a boy’s name, and even then I didn’t like it. However, when I read more about what other people were saying, about its meaning and background and other associations, I can honestly say it is growing on me. Once I read it was for a girl, I also thought of the nickname [name]Affie[/name], which reminds me of [name]Effie[/name], which I love. It also reminds me of the gender neutral name [name]Ashton[/name]. I wouldn’t cross it off your list simply for the initial reaction people may have, but you must also be prepared for that to happen often as people are not familiar with the name and may not see its femininity right off the bat if you decide to use it.
Looove Nickel Creek by the way!
LOL yeah, I haven’t actually felt this one moving yet, maybe a little later I will try that!
No, I pronounce [name]Brier[/name] the regular way, the I like eye. You’re right they both have the same long I in them.
LOL yeah, I haven’t actually felt this one moving yet, maybe a little later I will try that!
Yep, my [name]Isla[/name] is dark hair and eyes, may grow up to look like that pretty lady, but daddy will have to get his gun ready!
No, I pronounce [name]Brier[/name] the regular way, the I like eye. You’re right they both have the same long I in them.
DH has said this sounds like a stripper name, but I’ve always loved [name]Chloe[/name] and I just did a little more research on it and it’s just in the 20’s in [name]Vermont[/name]. . .still popular but it’s not top 10 popular. . .[name]Don[/name]'t you think [name]Chloe[/name] is cute with [name]Isla[/name]? [name]Both[/name] feminine, both light and fun to say?[/quote]
Yeah, [name]Chloe[/name] and [name]Isla[/name] have a similar fun, spunky, feminine sound, but I hate to say I’ve never been a [name]Chloe[/name] fan! [name]Chloe[/name], to me, is very young - or, I suppose it could be stripper-ish (?!?) - whereas [name]Isla[/name] ages with elegance and sophistication. I don’t know - [name]Chloe[/name] just doesn’t do it for me! And, it seems slightly befitting of a sweet little dog…
No offense to [name]Chloe[/name]-lovers!
PS Now that you suggested [name]Afton[/name], I just can’t get it out of my head! Ha!
[name]Lemon[/name]
haha! Well I have dueling posts going on now, do you vote [name]Afton[/name] over [name]Carys[/name]?
lol since dh doesn’t like either name, this is probably all for not, but what the heck:)
Hey there!
I like the name too and it had jumped out at me a while back when I was looking for Scottish river names like [name]Isla[/name] (my name is [name]Shannon[/name], also a river name). I also think [name]Brendan[/name] [name]Frasier[/name]'s wife is named [name]Afton[/name]. So, it is definitely used for girls. I say keep it on your list and see if it grows on you DH. It’s not quite as elegant as [name]Isla[/name]. But, I don’t know many names that are that aren’t super feminine.
[name]Kelli[/name],
Honestly, I vote [name]Afton[/name] over [name]Carys[/name]. [name]Carys[/name] is a very pretty name, but the Y sort of bothers me, and, even though it isn’t pronounced this way, it always reminds me of Caress Body [name]Wash[/name]…
I thought you said your husband wasn’t a yes or no on the name - so it’s a “no” now? Aww!
Anyway, might be wishful thinking, but I was wondering if you had considered giving this baby, should she be a girl, the middle name [name]Hope[/name], like you and [name]Isla[/name]. [name]Felicity[/name] Huffman’s girls both have the same middle name ([name]Grace[/name]), and I honestly think it would be sweet for all three of you to have the same name. Not to mention, [name]Afton[/name] [name]Hope[/name] sounds lovely to me - here goes wishful thinking…
[name]Lemon[/name]
lol nope, I haven’t mentioned [name]Afton[/name] again since we started this discussion. So it’s still just an eye roll from him, not an official no. I hadn’t considered giving her [name]Hope[/name] for a mn. . .I didn’t really know people did that.
lol nope, I haven’t mentioned [name]Afton[/name] again since we started this discussion. So it’s still just an eye roll from him, not an official no. I hadn’t considered giving her [name]Hope[/name] for a mn. . .I didn’t really know people did that. My good friend lost a baby named [name]Bryce[/name] [name]Avery[/name] and she named her son [name]Lane[/name] [name]Avery[/name] and plans to use [name]Avery[/name] for the mn for her next child as well. . I thought it was a little odd, but cool too.[/quote]
Sounds like - from your other thread - hubby doesn’t much care for [name]Carys[/name]. Was his reaction to [name]Afton[/name] more positive? [name]Carys[/name] has a sweet, virtuous - sort of - meaning, like [name]Hope[/name], so [name]Afton[/name] [name]Carys[/name] is beautiful in my opinion! Again, I’m caught up in the name…
[name]Lemon[/name]
I really like the name [name]Afton[/name]. I think it’s cool.
[name]Afton[/name] made me think of the name [name]Avalon[/name]. (It also mean island - island of apples.) [name]Isla[/name] & [name]Avalon[/name] would be pretty together.
I like [name]Afton[/name] and have known an [name]Afton[/name] (girl.) I think she told me she was named after her grandfather but I always thought it was a cool name. I also like the suggestion of [name]Avalon[/name], I think it goes really well with [name]Isla[/name].
