I have a list of rules that I am using while thinking of baby names. I went through the top 1000 list and crossed off over 450 names using these rules, not counting names I don’t like just because. What do you think? Am I being too picky; do I have too many rules? On the one hand, they’ve helped me narrow down my list a lot, but I don’t want to start crossing off so many names that I hardly have any left to choose from. Any name suggestions that fit my rules?
No names already used by family members
No names containing two of the same vowels next to each other ([name_f]Aaliyah[/name_f], [name_m]Brinlee[/name_m])
No names starting with Q, W, X, Y, or Z
No names containing the letters Q, X, or Z
No word names
No place names
No names containing “eigh”
No boy/unisex names
No Disney [name_f]Princess[/name_f] names
No “yooneek” names or spellings
I think that’s all fine except for place names- that’s a tricky one. Many places are named after actual people so some place names are very normal sounding. Are you just not place names like Paris, India, etc, or is it absolutely any place name no matter how big or small?
Because the latter is a lot harder. I know know when I very surprised when I was researching my favourite names, and I found out that just in Australia, there’s a town called Theodore, there’s two places called Elizabeth, and obviously, Adelaide and Victoria. Italy has the city Florence, but that was a name BEFORE the city was established.
Just some things to think about.
sunkissedchild - Thanks for your response. I was just thinking of the big, well-known places ([name_u]Brooklyn[/name_u], [name_u]Paris[/name_u], [name_u]London[/name_u]). Like you said, there’s probably all kinds of names that are places as well
Those all seem pretty reasonable to me. The only name I can possibly think of that I like that conflicts with those “rules” is [name_f]Beatrix[/name_f]. 450 names sounds like a lot, but when you take into account how personal names are, it’s not weird to nix that many off the bat. I remember going through the Top 1k and coming out with a list of max 150 or so names that I came close to liking.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with your rules, and as long as you are left with a name that you love then it doesn’t really matter how many names you cross off along the way. Most of my rules are the same or similar to yours to be honest.
It’s ok to have some guidelines based on your personal preferences but if you really love a name that breaks your “rules” and no other will do, don’t let it keep you from choosing it. Rules are made to be broken!
I get irritated when people have too many naming rules but honestly, I see no problem with your rules. You only crossed off 450 names using the rules? I’m sure I could cross off that many as well and I don’t even have that many rules!
I don’t think you’re being too picky, I think those are rules a lot of people use when choosing a name (except for the specific letters may be different).
You do have plenty of rules, but most of them seem very reasonable for me, and I do think most of nameberry’s members (with, you know, the approved nameberry taste) are even more picky, specially concerning popularity (the top 1000 phobia).
No names containing two of the same vowels next to each other
No names containing “eigh”
No boy/unisex names
No Disney [name_f]Princess[/name_f] names
No “yooneek” names or spellings
I, myself, tend to apply those rules, even if I didn’t know they were rules until now, as do many people in the forums. lol.
The letter rule it’s just your personal taste, and most people do not repeat names used in their family unless it’s in a honorable way. I mostly dislike names starting with Y and X as well, with rare exceptions.
But the whole Place and Family names ban could be very restricting if you do not “relativise” them when it comes to naming real children. You may have a great great great grandmother who nobody met with the name you love, or learn about a city half the world away with a favourite of yours.
I don’t see anything wrong with having many rules, specially when your are making hypothetical lists. [name_f]My[/name_f] only advise is not to be very strict about them when it comes to your future children - you never know if you’ll find an exception you could love.
I don’t think any of those “rules” are very picky.
Not using the same name as family is just courtesy and practicality.
Not using names with unusual letters or letter combos is your prerogative. Those letters/combos do make names feel more “out there”, and many people don’t like that conspicuous type of sound/look in names.
Uncommon spelling variations tend to sound uneducated and word/place/unisex names are quite trendy and may fall out of style and be quite dated in 30 years.
Almost every classic, traditional name easily meets your criteria.
[name_f]Alice[/name_f], [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f], [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], [name_f]Diana[/name_f], [name_f]Esther[/name_f], [name_f]Felicity[/name_f], [name_f]Grace[/name_f], [name_f]Heidi[/name_f], [name_f]Iris[/name_f], [name_f]Jillian[/name_f], [name_f]Katherine[/name_f], [name_f]Lucy[/name_f], [name_f]Mary[/name_f], [name_f]Naomi[/name_f], [name_f]Olivia[/name_f], [name_f]Pearl[/name_f], [name_f]Rebekah[/name_f], [name_f]Sarah[/name_f], [name_f]Theresa[/name_f], [name_f]Violet[/name_f], [name_f]Wendy[/name_f]
seazuno86 - I love [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] and [name_u]Vivian[/name_u]!
kala_way - I love [name_f]Alice[/name_f], [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], [name_f]Katherine[/name_f], and [name_f]Violet[/name_f]!
I think your rules are fine… I agree with pp.’s that some might be a little tricky.
In particular these seem a little difficult:
No word names - technically this would eliminate all virtue, plant, color names. I just say this because above you mentioned you liked [name_f]Violet[/name_f]. Technically [name_f]Violet[/name_f] is a color and a plant therefore a word name.
No place names - I understand not wanting [name_u]London[/name_u] or something like [name_u]Brooklyn[/name_u] but many places are named after people. for example: I’m getting married in [name_f]Alexandria[/name_f], VA. Does that mean that both [name_f]Alexandria[/name_f] and [name_f]Virginia[/name_f] are no longer acceptable to you as names? Technically they are both places. Also there is [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], NC - would that also preclude [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] (which you mention above you like) and [name_f]Carolina[/name_f]?
I have a lot of your rules on my list as well (example: no yooneek names) but I also made it a point to add: "allow exceptions to the rules” as a rule. This way if you run into something that you find intriging or really like but it doesn’t fit the rules you can still keep it close without having to throw everything overboard.
I don’t think you are too picky at all; I’m even pickier than you are with names. I took your rule “No names already used by family members” to mean that you wouldn’t use a name that your cousin used for a child, but if you liked your great grandmother’s name than you would use it (I could be wrong though). I’d also use these same rules:
[name_f]Felicity[/name_f] and [name_f]Paige[/name_f] are word names as is [name_f]Scarlett[/name_f]. [name_f]Felicity[/name_f] means “the state of being happy”, [name_f]Paige[/name_f] is derived from [name_u]Page[/name_u] which well means a piece of paper or a servant boy, and scarlett is derived from the color scarlet/red. [name_m]Just[/name_m] making a point that word names can be tricker than just not using the word Table as a name.
