At 32 weeks, we have completely thrown out both our name choices ([name]Carys[/name] [name]Olivia[/name] and [name]Lyra[/name] [name]Camille[/name]) and are back at the drawing board. The only name my husband will still consider from our original list is [name]Isla[/name].
Our new list currently stands as:
[name]Isla[/name]
[name]Ailsa[/name]
[name]Avalon[/name]
[name]Leith[/name]
[name]Teagan[/name] ( I love that it means little poet b/c I majored in Creative Writing)
[name]Nola[/name]
[name]Fianna[/name]
[name]Fiona[/name]
[name]Freya[/name]
[name]Naomi[/name]
[name]Nola[/name]
[name]Thea[/name] (They-a)
What do you all think? Any other suggestions are very welcome because there is nothing here we both love at the moment, although [name]Freya[/name] is currently the front-runner. [name]TIA[/name]!
[name]Isla[/name]: I think [name]Isla[/name] Stroud is really pretty…
[name]Ailsa[/name]: This one is too S heavy for me with Stroud…
[name]Avalon[/name]: This one works… What about [name]Aveline[/name] Stroud?
[name]Leith[/name]: I’m not able to say [name]Leith[/name] Stroud without lisping…
[name]Teagan[/name] ( I love that it means little poet b/c I majored in Creative Writing): I think [name]Teagan[/name] Stroud flows well, but I really like more feminine first names with your last name…)
[name]Nola[/name]: What about [name]Nora[/name]?
[name]Fianna[/name]: I think [name]Fianna[/name] will be mistaken for [name]Fiona[/name]…
[name]Fiona[/name]: I love [name]Fiona[/name] Stroud. (So far, it’s tied with [name]Isla[/name] Stroud for me…)
[name]Freya[/name]: I’m not personally a [name]Freya[/name] fan, but I think it works nicely with Stroud…
[name]Naomi[/name]: I think this works well with Stroud, too.
[name]Thea[/name] (They-a): I like this, but you’ll encounter pronunciation issues (They-a, Thee-a, [name]Tay[/name]-uh).
I vote for [name]Isla[/name] Stroud, with [name]Fiona[/name] coming in a close second.
[name]Nola[/name] never gets much play, but I think it’s very pretty, and sounds great with Stroud. Definitely the most original, yet familiar, on your list for me.
[name]Isla[/name] - love
[name]Ailsa[/name] - love
[name]Avalon[/name] - love
[name]Leith[/name] - how do you pronounce it? I think I would love it as a middle name.
[name]Teagan[/name] ( I love that it means little poet b/c I majored in Creative Writing) - pretty
[name]Nola[/name] - for some reason I don’t like this name very much. But a lot of posters love it.
[name]Fianna[/name] - love [name]Fiona[/name] more.
[name]Fiona[/name] - love
[name]Freya[/name] - love
[name]Naomi[/name] - My husband loves this name. I prefer [name]Noemi[/name].
[name]Nola[/name]
[name]Thea[/name] (They-a) - love
What do you all think? Any other suggestions are very welcome because there is nothing here we both love at the moment, although [name]Freya[/name] is currently the front-runner. [name]TIA[/name]![/quote]
love [name]Camille[/name] as a first or middle name.
[name]Iona[/name]
[name]Willa[/name]
[name]Tula[/name]
[name]Calla[/name]
[name]Paisley[/name]
[name]Audra[/name]
[name]Gemma[/name]
[name]Keira[/name]
[name]Lena[/name]
[name]Mira[/name]
[name]Zandra[/name]
[name]Viola[/name]
I second [name]Phoebe[/name] from [name]Jill[/name]'s list. I always forget about [name]Phoebe[/name], but I really love it!
From your list, I’m really liking [name]Isla[/name], [name]Fiona[/name], and [name]Naomi[/name] (though I too prefer [name]Noemi[/name]) with Stroud. Of the suggestions I think [name]Phoebe[/name] and [name]Willa[/name] are fantastic. I saw that you have [name]Camille[/name] as a middle”have you considered [name]Camilla[/name] as a first? [name]Camilla[/name] Stroud is really lovely. And I love the nn [name]Milla[/name]!
I think in general, three syllable names ending in a vowel sound best with your last name. So that is really a judgment apart from the individual names, and would include [name]Fiona[/name], [name]Naomi[/name], even [name]Camilla[/name]. Does anyone else agree? i think [name]Naomi[/name] Stroud sounds better than [name]Nora[/name] Stroud (even though I prefer the name [name]Nora[/name]), [name]Fiona[/name] Stroud better than [name]Flora[/name], [name]Camilla[/name] better than [name]Camille[/name]. The best middle name would be two syllables – could be [name]Teagan[/name] or [name]Freya[/name], for instance.
The other ladies are so wonderful at suggesting individual names, I’ll leave that to them, but just wanted to make an overall point about rhythm.
Like [name]Pam[/name] said, names with 3 syllables definitely sound great with Stroud. I don’t mind names with two syllables, as it simply makes the combo (name + Stroud) sound perky and filled with energy to me. With a first name having two syllables, I like a middle name with three.
If I were you, I’d look at books of poetry for inspiration (you may have already).
Of your list, I like [name]Ailsa[/name] (Ailsabelle?) and [name]Camille[/name] as a middle name ([name]Camilla[/name] as a first?) but I do not like [name]Teagan[/name] (reminds me of bruised thick preppy girl field hockey player’s knees). I like [name]Leith[/name] but not with your last name, and maybe not as a name at all. More as a scenic locale. Though, looking it up, I see it is part of Edinburgh, previously an industrial/slum area and now a hipster area. Maybe not a name for a girl.
I put Lyrica down for you because I think that fits with your desire for a literary/word-related name, and it sounds pretty and creative.
[name]Isla[/name]: [name]Love[/name]
Aisla: I agree that it does not work w/ your last name…
[name]Avalon[/name]: also like this a lot
[name]Leith[/name]: again, does not work with your last name…
[name]Teagan[/name]: [name]Love[/name]!
[name]Nola[/name]: Another fav
[name]Fianna[/name]: this will be confused with both [name]Fiona[/name] and [name]Gianna[/name]…
[name]Fiona[/name]: [name]Love[/name] [name]Fiona[/name] Stroud
[name]Freya[/name]: don’t think this works w/ your last name…
[name]Naomi[/name]:…or this one.
[name]Thea[/name]: pronounciation issues
My favs, in order according to liking (1 is best, etc.)
I’m sorry you’ve decided against [name]Lyra[/name] (a personal fave), especially with the literature connection as the fiesty heroine of Northern Lights, but if it doesn’t feel right then of course you’re right to let it go. I’m not sure if that [name]Lyra[/name] was your inspiration, but here are some other girls’ names from children’s literature that might inspire you:
[name]Susan[/name], [name]Lucy[/name] (The [name]Lion[/name], the Witch and the Wardrobe)
[name]Lucie[/name], [name]Tabitha[/name], [name]Jemima[/name], [name]Cecily[/name] ([name]Beatrix[/name] [name]Potter[/name])
[name]Violet[/name], [name]Sophie[/name], [name]Matilda[/name] ([name]Roald[/name] Dahl)
[name]Mary[/name] (The [name]Secret[/name] Garden)
[name]Dorothy[/name] (The [name]Wizard[/name] of [name]Oz[/name])
[name]Sophie[/name] (The [name]Tiger[/name] Who Came to [name]Tea[/name])
[name]Charlotte[/name], [name]Fern[/name] ([name]Charlotte[/name]”s [name]Web[/name])
[name]Josephine[/name] ([name]Jo[/name]), [name]Margaret[/name] ([name]Meg[/name]), [name]Elizabeth[/name] ([name]Beth[/name]), [name]Amelia[/name] ([name]Amy[/name]) ” ([name]Little[/name] Women)
[name]Anne[/name] ([name]Anne[/name] of [name]Green[/name] Gables)
[name]Sara[/name] (A [name]Little[/name] [name]Princess[/name])
[name]Sally[/name] ([name]Ruby[/name] in the Smoke)
[name]Hermione[/name], [name]Ginevra[/name] ([name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name])
[name]Isla[/name] - [name]LOVE[/name] [name]Isla[/name] and think it sounds beautiful with Stroud
[name]Ailsa[/name] - Prefer [name]Isla[/name] to [name]Ailsa[/name]
[name]Avalon[/name] - This could work, but it reminds me of [name]Avalon[/name] island (where prisoners once resided off the coast of SanFran)
[name]Leith[/name] - [name]How[/name] do you pronounce this?
[name]Teagan[/name] - I had never heard this name before I joined Namberry. I like the association behind it and think [name]Teagan[/name] Stroud works well.
[name]Nola[/name] - [name]Nola[/name] is just OK to me. I also don’t particularly like it with your last name.
[name]Fianna[/name] - Prefer [name]Fiona[/name]. [name]Fiona[/name] is [name]LOVELY[/name]!
[name]Fiona[/name]
[name]Freya[/name] - This name has grown on me, but prefer some of the other names instead.
[name]Naomi[/name] - [name]LOVE[/name] [name]Naomi[/name] and think it is beautiful on an infant, child and adult.
[name]Thea[/name] (They-a) - I second that you might have pronounciation issues, but it’s a nice name.
I agree with [name]Pam[/name] that a three syllable first name ending in a vowel works very well.
[name]Seraphina[/name] stroud sounds very nice!!! I middle named my daughter [name]Aveline[/name] and every one comments on how beautiful it is. I also know a 4yr old girl named [name]Avalon[/name] and its super cute on her. With my daughter we just couldn’t pick out a name and it was so stressful. What i ended up doing was taking a list of 6 name combos to the hospital and once she was out we both easily agreed up on [name]Lila[/name] (leela) [name]Aveline[/name]! its shocking how much clarity you get after an epidural lol Good luck and remember don’t try to please everyone only you and your husband have to like the name.
Of your new list, the combo that sticks out to me is [name]Isla[/name] [name]Naomi[/name]. You have some great choices here and I think it will just come down to rhythm preferences and which sounds are back-to-back with other sounds from name to name, which can be so personal. I like [name]Nola[/name] [name]Avalon[/name], for instance, but am uncertain of the back-to-back A’s–not a big deal but something to consider, depending on taste. The first and last name combo is the most important, of course.
FYI: “[name]Fianna[/name]” means “soldiers” (plural) in Irish, and is most associated with the long-dominant [name]Fianna[/name] Fail (Soldiers of [name]Destiny[/name]) party. To anyone actually from [name]Ireland[/name], it will mark you as very partisan.
[name]May[/name] I suggest [name]Fionnuala[/name] or the more common [name]Fiona[/name] instead?
