Middle name would likely be [name]Irene[/name]. I love both names, both sound great with our last name, both work in DH’s language ([name]German[/name]). [name]How[/name] do we choose?
Sisters are [name]Eva[/name] and [name]Katja[/name] (short for [name]Katharina[/name]).
Issues:
[name]Alexandra[/name]–don’t love the nickname options. Some unusual nicknames like [name]Sasha[/name] & [name]Zara[/name] I do like, but don’t work/have been vetoed. Can an [name]Alexandra[/name] just go by her full name? I’m fine with whatever she chooses later on, but I don’t want to call her [name]Alex[/name] as a kid & make her feel like we wanted a boy.
[name]Annika[/name]–only issue is that my name is [name]Anna[/name]. This used to bother me, but I think I’m over it. Would this name sound cutesy on an adult? “[name]Judge[/name] [name]Eva[/name] Lastname” works. “Dr. [name]Katharina[/name] Lastname” does too. Does “Professor [name]Annika[/name] Lastname” get taken seriously? (I don’t expect my kids to go into certain professions. They can be truck drivers or artists or carpenters or whatever. I just don’t want them to feel limited by their names.)
[name]Annika[/name], absolutely! [name]Alexandra[/name] is lovely, but I can’t really see her not going by a nn (although I think there are a lot of other options besides [name]Alex[/name] and I’m not sure that would be the first instinct–she could be [name]Allie[/name], [name]Alexa[/name], [name]Lexi[/name], [name]Lexa[/name], [name]Xandra[/name], [name]Andra[/name], [name]Sandy[/name]/[name]Sandra[/name], etc., etc.), and I think [name]Annika[/name] fits better with [name]Eva[/name] and [name]Katharina[/name] than [name]Alexandra[/name] does.
As for your concerns about [name]Annika[/name], I definitely think it ages well, and I definitely can imagine a professor named [name]Annika[/name]! It may not be as classic or timeless as [name]Anna[/name], but it does have a timeless feel to it and I can imagine a baby [name]Annika[/name] just as much as I can imagine a toddler, a teenager, a mom, an artist, a physicist, a grandma, a soldier, a minister, a public relations worker, or a politician! I love that it’s so versatile that way. I think [name]Eva[/name], [name]Katharina[/name], and [name]Annika[/name] are stunningly, perfectly, charmingly perfect together and I love the subtle [name]German[/name] air about them!
Thanks so much for the feedback! My husband would completely agree with you, and you might both be right!
[name]One[/name] question: is the intuitive pronunciation Ahn nicka? In [name]German[/name] we would say Ahn neeka, but those are similar enough. I’m just wondering if she will constantly be called [name]Anne[/name] nicka?
lol. I don’t know any Annikas in real life, but one of my professors (I finished college last month) has a daughter named [name]Annika[/name], said like ahn-ih-kah. That has always been my intuitive pronunciation, as well.
I did interview an [name]Anika[/name] (ah-NEE-kah) as a part of my summer internship, but I believe she was part Japanese and I have always heard [name]Anika[/name] was the Japanese spelling. Maybe you should do a poll? I have heard [name]ANN[/name]-ih-kuh, AHN-ih-kah and ah-NEE-kah, but I always thought AHN-ih-kah was the most common, or ah-NEE-kah, but definitely not [name]ANN[/name]-ih-kuh.
I [name]Love[/name] [name]Annika[/name]! I have a cousin named [name]Annika[/name] on my fathers side (Greek) pronounced the same way [name]Ah[/name] nee ka. It has a little more spunk then [name]Alexandra[/name]. I dont think the [name]Anna[/name]/[name]Annika[/name] issue is an issue at all. They have a very different sound, i dont really hear the [name]Ann[/name] in [name]Annika[/name] when i say it.
[name]LOVE[/name] [name]Annika[/name] and would be using it for my baby girl due in [name]June[/name] if a friend didn’t beat me to it. Much more original than [name]Alexandra[/name] and it goes much better with the sibling names. Think it ages nicely and she’d probably get [name]Annie[/name] over [name]Anna[/name] which I think is really cute.
I really like [name]Annika[/name]. [name]Alexandra[/name] is fine but compared to [name]Annika[/name] it is kind of boring.
And I am [name]German[/name] and [name]Alexandra[/name] is kind of a 70s name for me (I mean it would still work, but has kind of a retro touch that [name]Eva[/name] and [name]Katharina[/name] don’t have)
I like [name]Alexandra[/name], but my vote goes to [name]Annika[/name] I [name]LOVE[/name] it. I would also pronounce it [name]Ann[/name]-ih-kuh.
I think it is a good ‘grown up’ name too, not at all cutesie.
I know two Alexandras who go by their full name and will correct people who call them [name]Alex[/name] or [name]Lexie[/name] or any other nickname. I think it’s a lovely, strong name.
However, I think I prefer [name]Annika[/name], especially with your other girls’ names.
My great-great-aunt was named [name]Annika[/name], hers was pronounced “[name]Ah[/name]-Nee-ka”
I have a lot of love for [name]Alex[/name]-names and their variants, but [name]Annika[/name] is nice too. I think it fits what you’re looking for far more than [name]Alexandra[/name].
I would intuitively pronounce it Ahn nik a, and I love both names, but think it’s unlikely an [name]Alexandra[/name] would go by [name]Alexandra[/name].
I definitely prefer [name]Annika[/name], which is lovely and goes nicely with your other children’s names.
[name]Alexandra[/name] is a bit bland in comparison.
Thanks for all the great feedback. I think we will probably go with [name]Annika[/name]. I’m really excited that we’ve agreed on a name so early. (I’m 27 weeks.) I was sort of afraid we had used up all the girls’ names we liked on the first two!
I think it’s a lovely, strong name.