Arden for a girl? Advice please?

We are expecting our first baby, which will be a girl, and I’m having trouble coming up with names (I thought for sure she was a boy until our ultrasound!). I really like [name]Arden[/name], but have found mixed opinions for it’s use as a girl’s name… What do you guys think? Is it too masculine? It isn’t a family name for us, like some, I’ve just always liked it. A probable middle name would be [name]Rose[/name], for my sister and grandmother.

Another possible name I’ve been considering is [name]Miriam[/name], but to call her by the nickname of [name]Miri[/name]. (again probably middle name [name]Rose[/name]).

Thanks for the advice ahead of time!

I think [name]Arden[/name] works great on a girl! Actually, I can picture it on a girl easier than on a boy. I think of it as a strong, smart, and sophisticated name. [name]Arden[/name] [name]Rose[/name] is beautiful (for me it brings the image of a rose garden,how lovely!) and it’s always nice to put a family name in the middle. [name]Miriam[/name] [name]Rose[/name] is beautiful, too.
I’d say just go with what feels right.If you love a name, and it speaks to you, then go for it. :slight_smile:
I hope this helps, and good luck!

I actually find [name]Arden[/name] to be more feminine-sounding. I think it might be the ‘[name]Elizabeth[/name] [name]Arden[/name]’ beauty connection.

I’ve ALWAYS like [name]Arden[/name] for a girl, and I think [name]Arden[/name] [name]Rose[/name] is just perfect, since [name]Arden[/name] (I think?) means “valley of the eagle” and it’s like a paradise/[name]Arcadia[/name] kind of name, so it’s like your daughter is the finest rose in that secret garden… :slight_smile:

[name]Hi[/name]! I actually like [name]Arden[/name] for a girl, too (I usually don’t like unisex-type names) but I agree with the pps who say it sounds more feminine. I also associate it with [name]Elizabeth[/name] [name]Arden[/name], so I think that helps a lot! I also like it paired with [name]Rose[/name] for a middle name. [name]Miriam[/name] is nice also, and I like [name]Miri[/name] for the nn. :slight_smile:

I like both [name]Arden[/name] and [name]Miriam[/name]. I think the best judge of which name to choose would be what other names you like. For example, if you’re more of a [name]Sawyer[/name], [name]Tess[/name], or [name]Hollis[/name] girl, it looks like [name]Arden[/name] is your name. But, if you’re more of a [name]Naomi[/name], [name]Josephine[/name], or [name]Delilah[/name] girl, I think [name]Miriam[/name] is your name!

I think [name]Miriam[/name] [name]Rose[/name] and [name]Arden[/name] [name]Rose[/name] are both lovely - I do prefer [name]Arden[/name] [name]Rose[/name], if only because the R in [name]Arden[/name] is less emphasized than the one in [name]Miriam[/name]. I also think [name]Arden[/name] [name]Rosaleen[/name] or another [name]Rose[/name] variant would be pretty, and [name]Rose[/name] or her variants add a classic femininity to the name.

I’d only consider [name]Arden[/name] for a girl. You might also like [name]Afton[/name] or [name]Adair[/name] as alternatives. Best of luck!

[name]Lemon[/name] :slight_smile:

I [name]LOVE[/name] [name]Arden[/name] for a girl! I was a little surprised to learn it was also a boys’ name. Our local prima ballerina (and I mean [name]PRIMA[/name]) named her daughter [name]Arden[/name]. Since then, it has seemed to me an artistic, willowy ballerina choice. I think of ardent – strong, positive feelings. I think of [name]Shakespeare[/name]'s Forst of [name]Arden[/name], the setting for “As You Like It.” It even reminds me of the lovely [name]Rosalind[/name], the spunky, unisex, lovely heroine of the play. [name]Arden[/name] [name]Rose[/name] strengthens that connection.

This is one of my favorite names. I hope you use it. (Although [name]Miriam[/name] is darling too!) Why not [name]Arden[/name] for your first girl, [name]Miriam[/name] for your second. I see nothing wrong with this adorable sib-set.

I’m not a fan of surname names at all, and more than that I’m just not a fan of the sound. I’d much rather be named [name]Miriam[/name]-- clearly feminine, tons of history, and a lovely name-- than [name]Arden[/name], which to me is more ‘modern’ and a lot more masculine. Plus I love the nickname options of [name]Miriam[/name] ([name]Miri[/name], [name]Mira[/name], [name]Mimi[/name], [name]Mia[/name]).

As a first name, I’ve only heard of it on girls.

[name]Hi[/name],
I think [name]Arden[/name] is a beautiful name. I’ve always thought it to be much more feminine than masculine. I love the [name]Shakespeare[/name] connection also. I would use it myself except that I went to a primary school named [name]Arden[/name] (after the [name]Shakespeare[/name] forest as well!).
Best!

thanks, everyone! now I just need to talk my husband in to it!

We will be naming one of my boy twins [name]William[/name] [name]Arden[/name]. The name is technically unisex but is definitely a surname name. I wouldn’t use it on a girl simply because I really dislike surnames as names especially on girls and I would assume [name]Arden[/name] was a boy on reading the name.

I think [name]Arden[/name] suits a girl well. It reminds me very much of the name [name]Carmen[/name] which has been a long time favorite of mine.

I did think of it as boy’s name for long time because the first time I ever heard it was on a male character in the V.C. Andrews book “My Sweet [name]Audrina[/name]” which I read back in junior high. I only ever started seeing it as name a few years ago (almost exclusively in girl-name posts like this.)
It really grew on me as a girl name and while I still like it for both, I just slightly prefer it for a girl.

I think most people see it as a surname-name, and while I do usually prefer those types of names for boys I don’t think surname = boys name and can suit a girl just as easily (unless it actually mean “son of…,” I hate that)

By the by, did realize how close [name]Arden[/name] [name]Rose[/name] is to Garden [name]Rose[/name]? On one hand it’s sweet little built it pet name, but it’s too cutesy for me.

As for [name]Miriam[/name], I never really cared for the name though [name]Miri[/name] is a cute nickname and [name]Miriam[/name] [name]Rose[/name] as this very elegant ring I absolutely love, which reminds me [name]Arden[/name] doesn’t have any nicknames does it (that’s a negative for me)

All in all, I’d actually vote [name]Miriam[/name], but think [name]Arden[/name] is lovely too and you should go for it if that’s the one you truly love.

I would ONLY use [name]Arden[/name] for a girl! It sounds very feminine to me. It is a name along the lines of [name]Ashley[/name] or [name]Leslie[/name] that began as a boys name but has moved into the girl category.

I know three Ardens:

  • One is 66
  • One is 27
  • One is 4

ALL GIRLS! [name]Arden[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name], [name]Arden[/name] [name]Jane[/name], and…[name]Arden[/name] [name]Rose[/name] :slight_smile:

I love it :slight_smile: Beautiful.