I was just looking through my name list and saw several I was on the fence about for particular reasons! Please comment if you think these are usable or not.
Pandora: I love the way it sounds and looks, but do you think too many people will associate it with the jewellery store?
Valentina: Does it appear to snooty, posh or frilly?
Rosamund: I love Rosamund! I think it’s really pretty and sweet, but people have pointed out the ‘mund’ makes it more masculine. Is Rosalind better?
Bernadette: I love Bernadette but I feel as if it’s too ‘old lady-like’ and that is NOT the sort of vibes I want!
Emmadine: I love this name so much, but I worry its too uncommon. It’s not even on the namberry database, which worries me because it seems like nameberry has every single name ever!
Please comment your thoughts for each name! thanks in advance
I think they’re all usable except for maybe Pandora; while the name is very pretty, the original myth isn’t the greatest association. As a pagan, I could never personally bring myself to use the name, but that’s just me and my experience isn’t everyone’s.
I’d say depends where you live / if that will be an association for those around you. The jewelry store and streaming service associations are present for me too, but I don’t see them as an issue.
The other names are also great. I love [name_f]Rosamund[/name_f] and [name_f]Bernadette[/name_f] especially!
They’re all usable but you actually have to like and be confident in that style choice. So I think if you have reservations its best to just leave off and go for something more conventional. Both are totally legit and okay choices.
[name_f]Pandora[/name_f]- I hate when companies or groups use lovely girls names because it makes this a question of association and whether or not it’s usable, I’m looking at you [name_f]Allegra[/name_f] and [name_f]Isis[/name_f]. I personally think about the fable of the lady who unleashes all the bad things on earth with her curiosity with [name_f]Pandora[/name_f]. But as I love [name_f]Lilith[/name_f] and [name_f]Eve[/name_f] I to say we can’t lay the blame on [name_f]Pandora[/name_f] for how she was made.
[name_f]Valentina[/name_f]- not necessarily snooty as much as…italian names are used to convey poshness in fiction so that association is…like ehhhh. It’s a sweet name
I like both [name_f]Rosamund[/name_f] and [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f], [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f] and [name_f]Rosaline[/name_f] too. I aint got no type all the [name_f]Rose[/name_f] variant are great and classical feeling to me.
[name_f]Bernadette[/name_f]- I love Bernadette…I’ve always loved [name_f]Bernadette[/name_f] Peters. I love the nicknames [name_m]Benny[/name_m] and [name_u]Bertie[/name_u] and [name_f]Bette[/name_f] and [name_m]Neddy[/name_m]. But I also think its the most amusing thing on earth to give a little girl an ancient old lady name like she’s in training to become a teen witch and then a crone. I love it, a little girl playing with littlest pet shop figurines named [name_f]Hester[/name_f], hell yes! But that’s just me and I know that other people are like…afraid of frumpiness and don’t want that reputation for their kid. And valid that choice is. It really depends on your comfortability with it.
Emmadine- Is it Emma-Dine or Emma-Deen because I like the country twang of Emma-Deen. Like my favroite middle aged ladies have that vibe and you want you kid to have that kind cutie spunky energy. I like it.
I associate [name_f]Pandora[/name_f] with mythology. I didn’t even think of the jewellery brand until you mentioned it. I love panda bear as a nickname for a baby.
[name_f]Valentina[/name_f] is stunning! It doesn’t give me overly posh vibes at all. I get passionate, artistic, warm vibes from [name_f]Valentina[/name_f].
[name_f]Rosamund[/name_f] is not my style, but I do find it more fresh than [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f], which seems to be the more popular choice.
I don’t find [name_f]Bernadette[/name_f] to be an old lady name. I think it sounds sophisticated and feminine. [name_u]Bernie[/name_u] is such a fun nickname for a girl too!
Pandora: I think more of the myth and think it has a pretty cool sound. I think it’s usable
Valentina: Valentina has a nice sharpness to it and I think the nn possibility (Leni, Val, Vita, Vinnie, Vale, Valley etc) stop it from being too frilly
Rosamund: Rosamund doesn’t strike me as too masculine at all!!
Bernadette: it is a bit clunky for me but nn Birdie, Detta or Etta could bring spark
Emmadine: as I said on your other post, Emmadine is unusual but it’s not unfamiliar in sound so i think it could work
i think, usability-wise, [name_f]Valentina[/name_f] and [name_f]Rosamund[/name_f] shouldn’t be of any problem. neither are too extravagant or masculine. they’re fine!
my first association with [name_f]Pandora[/name_f] is the myth, actually, but i think that it’s wearable!
to me, [name_f]Bernadette[/name_f] is a little clunky, but also cute! if you think she’s too “old lady” then it’s fine. you don’t have to use every name.
Emandine is unusual, but i definitely think that it’s usable.
I think all of them but [name_f]Pandora[/name_f] are totally usable, no problems at all. [name_f]Bernadette[/name_f] does feel a little dated but also makes me think of the Big bang theory.
[name_f]Pandora[/name_f] does make me think of the jewellery but also of Pandora’s box; I personally wouldn’t use it but only because the associations are so strong not because of the nature of the associations!
Growing up, I knew a lady named [name_f]Pandora[/name_f] and I always thought she had the coolest name! I definitely think its usable because of that, I dont recall ever hearing anyone think her name was unusual. I definitely do associate the name more so with the myth than the jewelry store, though!
[name_f]Valentina[/name_f] doesnt feel like any of those things to me! It feels beautiful and strong.
I dont think [name_f]Rosamund[/name_f] is masculine in the slightest, it’s extremely feminine to me. Not that I think being masculine is a negative thing, but I definitely would never get those vibes from [name_f]Rosamund[/name_f]! [name_f]Rosamund[/name_f] and [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f] are equally feminine to me, and I think both are lovely!
I have such a soft spot for [name_f]Bernadette[/name_f], I think it’s so sweet and adorable. I love all of the nickname options too! However, I do know it feels older to a lot of people, so if you’re not okay with that then I’d lose it.
Emmadine is definitely interesting. I can see it getting some pronunciation or spelling issues, as I pronounced it rhyming with ‘mine’ at first. I personally prefer [name_f]Emmeline[/name_f]!
I like Pandora, but the jewellery association would give me pause. (I also don’t care for the “Pandora’s Box” phrase, either.) I think it’s usable but it’s not a name I personally would choose.
Valentina is actually one of my favourite girls’ names (so I may be biased here ) but it doesn’t seem snooty or frilly to me. It’s a fairly standard Russian/Italian woman’s name; not really any different from something like Elizabeth in English-speaking cultures.
Rosamund: I like Rosamund, and Rosamund Pike is a nice association. It definitely seems feminine to me. I would only recommend Rosalind over Rosamund if you like Rosalind more.
Bernadette: This is definitely an “older” name in Ireland (and not in the vintage sense). I’ve met a lot of Irishwomen who are aged 50+ named Bernadette. I can’t speak for other cultures though. Perhaps it depends on your location.
Emmadine: I’ve heard a lot of names during my time on Nameberry, but never this one. I’m not that sure how to pronounce it (Emma Dean? Emma Dine?). I would only recommend it if you’re okay with most people being completely unfamiliar with it.
[name_f]Pandora[/name_f] - the jewellery store sounds vaguely familiar but I’m not a shopper so people who are more into fashion might associate it with the store? I first heard of [name_f]Pandora[/name_f] from [name_m]Roman[/name_m] and Greek mythology in elementary school so my immediate and predominant thought is Pandora’s box from mythology. And while Pandora’s box may not be what many people want to be associated with, [name_f]Lilith[/name_f] and [name_f]Eve[/name_f] are relatively popular despite having a similar problem to [name_f]Pandora[/name_f]. The second thing I think of is the music radio.
[name_f]Valentina[/name_f] - This is my favorite from your list! I can see how it can appear snooty, posh, and frilly to some but I don’t think most people associate that with this name
[name_f]Rosamund[/name_f] and [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f] are both perfectly lovely to use. I personally prefer [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f] because of [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f] [name_u]Franklin[/name_u] but there’s nothing wrong with [name_f]Rosamund[/name_f] and is just as sweet.
[name_f]Bernadette[/name_f] - This name dropped off the top 1000 in 1994 so I can see where people might think of it as an old lady name but if you love it, then I don’t think it’s a reason to not use it. I don’t know anyone with this name so I personally just think of Big Bang [name_u]Theory[/name_u].
Emmadine - I haven’t heard of it but I like it and it looks like it will fit in with the popular [name_f]Emma[/name_f]
[name_f]Pandora[/name_f] - it’s very strongly associated with the myth, and I’d say it’s the least usable name on your lovely list.
[name_f]Valentina[/name_f] - pretty common name in my home country (Brazil). It’s very sweet and I understand it may sound “exotic” in [name_f]English[/name_f] speaking countries, but it’s totally usable.
[name_f]Rosamund[/name_f] - I agree that mund makes it a little masculine and [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f] is better, but it’s usable IMO.
[name_f]Bernadette[/name_f] - it sounds a bit dated, so if you’re not going for the more vintage vibe I wouldn’t recommend using it.
Emmadine - I’d never heard of this name before but it’s lovely. It has a very sweet, elegant and dreamy sound to it. It’s unique but sounds familiar, so I think it works
[name_f]Pandora[/name_f] is the only one I don’t think is usable here. [name_f]My[/name_f] reason? I’m a Greek myth nerd, and [name_f]Pandora[/name_f] is literally the worst.
[name_f]Valentina[/name_f] is a bit posh and frilly, but it can be shortened to [name_u]Val[/name_u], [name_f]Tina[/name_f], [name_u]Lenny[/name_u], [name_m]Alen[/name_m], etc. if you really want to. And anyways, it’s not so unusual.
[name_f]Rosamund[/name_f] is totally useable. I personally don’t get how anyone could say it’s masculine! It’s in [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_f]Eyre[/name_f], Downton [name_u]Abbey[/name_u], and other classics. [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f] is pretty, too. They’re both sweet.
[name_f]Bernadette[/name_f] to me is very cute and unique! I don’t think it’s too old-fashioned. [name_f]Bernice[/name_f] is, but not [name_f]Bernadette[/name_f].
Emmadine I’ve never heard before, but I think it’s useable!
[name_f]Pandora[/name_f] - I’m not worried about the jewelry story but more about the mythological origin. Doesn’t it say that [name_f]Pandora[/name_f] is to blame for all suffering in the world? Also I feel like it’s somewhat overused in fiction.
[name_f]Valentina[/name_f] - It does see frilly, but why would that make it unusable?
[name_f]Bernadette[/name_f] - also perfectly usable, but if you don’t want an old-lady-vibe, it’s probably not for you.
Emmadine: I wouldn’t worry too much that it’s not in the database. It is very recognizably a name, even to people who have never heard it before. I say usable.
[name_f]Pandora[/name_f]: I associate it with Pandora’s box or the music streaming service more than jewelry. But regardless, I’m not a huge fan of how it sounds.
[name_f]Valentina[/name_f]: [name_f]Lovely[/name_f]! I probably wouldn’t use this name for my child, but it is nice.
[name_f]Rosamund[/name_f]: LOVE [name_f]Rosamund[/name_f]. I don’t know if you’ve seen Downton [name_u]Abbey[/name_u] but there’s a character named [name_f]Rosamund[/name_f] that I really like. Honestly that whole show is a goldmine for names lol.
[name_f]Bernadette[/name_f]: I actually know of quite a few Bernadettes on the younger side so I would say don’t worry about it sounding like an old lady. I like this name a lot and feel it’s due for a revival.
Emmadine: I’m surprised at how much I like this name. It’s a nice spin on [name_f]Emma[/name_f] and it sounds a bit old-fashioned which I like. However, like I saw someone say before me, it would probably get confused for [name_f]Emeline[/name_f] a lot.
) but it doesn’t seem snooty or frilly to me. It’s a fairly standard Russian/Italian woman’s name; not really any different from something like Elizabeth in English-speaking cultures.