Anyone else have a hard time with girl names? [name_f]My[/name_f] two boys came SO easily for me. I remember when I was pregnant with my first ten years ago we already thought of [name_u]Atlas[/name_u] for our second and that’s what we named him. This time around for a girl is just crazy. I’m due in a month and nothing feels right. Has anyone experienced this? Did you “settle” on a name you’ve been discussing, keep looking, or something else? Would love suggestions to anything that might have helped you!
Yes! I definitely have more trouble with girls’ names. There are lots I like – even love – but there never seems to be a clear front-runner and there always seems to be some problem with every name on my list, however trivial.
We really struggled with our youngest, and I actually had a big change of heart about a month before she was born. We’d agreed on a gorgeous name, with great flow, perfect mix of serious and quirky, etc. etc. but it just didn’t feel right. And actually, now she’s nearly 2 it’s clear that it wouldn’t have suited her at all.
I’ve even had wobbles with the name we (I) actually chose in the end, not because I don’t love it but because people struggle to pronounce it, which is exactly why we’d bumped it down the list previously. I don’t regret our choice, but I have such a strong front-runner for boys and, apart from our first daughter, I’ve never felt that with girls’ names at all.
I’m not sure what to suggest, sorry! If you’re anything like me, and you’re always looking for potential pitfalls in your top names, you could try “narrowing up” (I think it was [name_u]Abby[/name_u] of Appellation [name_m]Mountain[/name_m] who coined this term). Rather than finding issues with each name, you think of reasons why they’re great and why they should stay on the shortlist. The idea being that it’s a more positive, less disheartening, way to approach it.
But if you’re definitely not in love with anything at all, create some topics here and gather some new ideas! You might find something you hadn’t considered, you might feel reassured that others are suggesting names already on your list, or you might hate all our suggestions and feel more positive about the ones you have in comparison!
Good luck
This is such good advice and you are so speaking to me. I always have strong front runners for boys too that I never waiver on… with girls I LIKE a lot but don’t LOVE anything. Thank you!
Usually it’s the other way around for me. Girls names come much easier than boys. But either way it’s very frustrating when you just can’t find a name that feels right!
I also feel like the more kids you have the harder it gets (especially when you have all boys then a girl or vice versa) because you want their names to all work together, but not be too matchy, and you want a name you love, the choices just get fewer and fewer each time!
I like @katinka’s suggestion of ‘narrowing up’. We’ve been really struggling for a name this time around as well, so for us we’ve made a list that is frequently changing and if we don’t find one that just blows us away, whatever names stick around on our list throughout this whole pregnancy we will probably take with us to the hospital and decide when we meet him/her. We already have 3 or 4 we keep coming back to, and even though none of them feel ‘right’ at the moment, I feel like if we keep coming back to them, there must be something there.
It’s common that most people on Nameberry struggle with either boys or girls names so you’re definitely not alone!
I’m like you, I have names picked out for my (hypothetical) first, second, and third boys, but girls… I just don’t know? I’m not having kids for a few years yet but it worries me that it’ll be just my luck I’ll end up having only daughters!
I don’t really have any suggestions for you but I second the ideas shared above and you are always welcome to post on here looking for name ideas - as Berries, recommending names is one of our favourite things to do!
Girl names are so much harder I’m struggling now more than ever especially when I have my boy names all solidified! I think it has to do with the fact that there so many names I love and like but none that scream the one! I have the same method @katinka mentioned, I don’t think negative until I have at least the top five names already picked and ready to be vetoed for the final one!
I have never had the pleasure/misfortune (lol) of trying to name a real daughter, but I always find it much harder to settle on my favourite girl names - for some reason I’m so flippant with my girls, whereas my boys are so constant and steady. It’s annoying! I can only imagine how incredibly frustrating it could feel when trying to name an actual human being. (Interestingly, I think this is reflected in overall baby name trends as girl names tend to rise and fall faster than boys. So, if nothing else, you’re not alone!)
Something that helps me to sort out my girl favourites is Nancy’s [name_u]Baby[/name_u] Name Scorecard. You can add up to 10 names, choose your own weighted factors (i.e. what’s important to you? Popularity, spelling/pronunciation, meaning, associations etc.) and give each factor it’s own value, depending on how important it is. The scorecard will then crunch the numbers for you. This helped me get out of my overthinking, mutable mindset and look at my names more objectively.
As always, we on the boards are always here to throw ideas at you if you need it!
All I can say is I would look until I found THE name. But that’s me and I can tell from reading this website that many people don’t do it that way. Some are more logical - certain letters or sounds or ancestries or syllables. Others go for honor names or choose names with beautiful meanings. I just go for pure passion (then of course in reality that’s when the partner might come in and nix THE name. Though if Mama ain’t happy…)
PS I have about 15 female names I’d name a daughter tomorrow, so I do find female names easiest.
I always found girls names much harder. I have a long list of boys names that I absolutely love and could use easily.
Yes I really struggled!!!
So I’m due in [name_u]February[/name_u] with my first a baby girl and I was sure I would name her [name_f]Rose[/name_f]. It’s been my name for YEARS however due to lots of issues I couldn’t so honestly I was stuck. I pondered on so many names nothing felt right every name had setbacks or I would feel completely in love with a name but it would be ruined. It’s been such a struggle in the end because I’m Autistic and it was honestly panicking me not having her named I went with [name_f]Lilia[/name_f]. [name_f]Lilia[/name_f] will be her name and I do love it it’s so upbeat, floral and elegant. I like that the name has Russian connections too as that links to my mums heritage but still I did ultimately just settle on her name and I think if my daughter father wasn’t so happy with [name_f]Lilia[/name_f] I would probably be all over the place. It’s so hard naming I feel like I’ve got the right one you’ll find yours too but honestly it’s hard
Oh my goodness yes. I didn’t struggle with my first two girls, or my son. But with this baby I had a boys name picked from the second I knew I was pregnant but I have iterated the girls name soooo many times I have driven my husband insane. So of course it’s a girl!
lol pretty sure I’m driving my husband insane too