'Awkward' names

General Name Discussion
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What are some names, for either gender, that you would describe as not just clunky, but awkward in terms of sound?

I don’t know if I’m explaining this well, but a good example of what I mean (for me) would be Winifred… there’s something uneasy about how the two syllables sit next to each other. I kind of like it.

Other names I’ve seen this description applied to are Magdalena, Margaret, Astrid, Ingrid, Edgar, Leonard, etc., but I’m mostly interested in what you would personally consider to be this type of name.

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Hmm, interesting question!

[name_f][/name_f]

I think [name_m]Ezekiel[/name_m] is the one that comes to mind for me

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For me that’s R-heavy names (Greer, [name_f]Aurora[/name_f], [name_m]Rory[/name_m], [name_f]Briar[/name_f] etc.) or names with R-followed-by-harsh-consonants (Lark, [name_m]Georg[/name_m], [name_m]Bernard[/name_m], etc.). Could just be because of my accent though!

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I think [name_f]Agnes[/name_f] and [name_f]Gertrude[/name_f] and [name_f]Eunice[/name_f] are super awkward for girls IMO.

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I would definitely say [name_f]Aurora[/name_f]. It’s really pretty but then hearing the auRoRa … Feels like it’s too R heavy, the Rs are too close together

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I sort of get what you mean. I would add (note that I like or love several of these names, not saying anything bad about them)

Aurora
Magnus
Dorothy
Xavier
Henrik
Ransom
Greer
Zachary
Amabel

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[name_m]Sheldon[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Jeffrey[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Kirk[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Barbara[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Frank[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Lorcan[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Bernard[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Ginevra[/name_f]

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[name_f]Mildred[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Agnes[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Hester[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Maude[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Greta[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Sigrid[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Judith[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Gertrude[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Enid[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Eunice[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Phyllis[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Doris[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Beryl[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Gladys[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Thelma[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Blanche[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Lois[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Ursula[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Edna[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Harold[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Arnold[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Norman[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Melvin[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Wilbur[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Morris[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Bertram[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Clarence[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Horace[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Luther[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Eugene[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Cecil[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Herbert[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Grover[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Mortimer[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Alfred[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Reginald[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Rufus[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Murray[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Clovis[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Elmer[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Florence[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Marvin[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Ira[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Ralph[/name_m]

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[name_m]Alfred[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Aurora[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Daphne[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Elijah[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Enoch[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Greer[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Gwen[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Isla[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Jacques[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Madeleine[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Paisley[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Pierre[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Scarlett[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f]Toine

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[name_m]Abram[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Agnes[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Brock[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Ebenezer[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Jonas[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Magda[/name_f]

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I 2nd the [name_f]Aurora[/name_f] amsuggestion, and add [name_f]Aura[/name_f]. Both just feel awkward for me to say. Also [name_f]Liesl[/name_f] feels wrong for some reason

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@greyblue Thank you! I agree with Ezekiel.

@tallemaja Thank you! I can pronounce Rory just fine, but recently I realized the only reason for that is that I slightly roll one of the ‘r’s’ and say the other normally. It helps the two ‘r’ sounds feel more distinct. Aurora and Briar on the other hand are too much.

Greer, George and Bernard fit as well!

@cms1512 Thank you! I like Agnes because there’s something abrupt and unsettling about the ‘g’ to ‘n’ (to ‘s’) transition, so that makes sense. Gertrude probably sounds awkward because of how clipped it is in English, not just the actual sounds (compare German ‘ger-troo-da’). Agree on Eunice as well.

@XxIzzixX Thank you! I agree, Aurora in my native accent naturally gets (mis?)pronounced as ‘aw-roh-ra’ which is more manageable because the vowels are more elongated and give separation between the 'r’s. The English pronunciation is much more difficult.

@lucy_halo1 Thank you! I agree with Aurora, Magnus, Dorothy, Greer and Zachary. Zachary isn’t one I would’ve thought of myself either because of its breezy familiar image, but when you look at the actual sound… yeah.

@shanade213 Thank you! I agree with Kirk, Barbara (especially), Lorcan, Bernard and Ginevra.

@VEL Thank you! I agree with Agnes, Greta (definitely one I struggle with, it sounds incorrect and not like a name however I say it), Sigrid, Judith, Gertrude, Enid, Eunice, Gladys (the first book I read which had a Gladys portrayed her as a quiet sweet girl from the 1940s, and I remember thinking the slight introverted awkwardness/earthiness of the character went perfectly with her name), Blanche, Ursula, Edna, Harold, Wilbur, Bertram, Horace, Herbert, Grover, Mortimer, Elmer and Ralph.

@Johannaa Thank you! I agree with Aurora, Daphne (it’s got soft sounds but never seemed ‘right’ to my ear, if that makes sense), Enoch, Greer, Gwen (another one where I honestly thought nobody else could see the awkwardness), Pierre and Scarlett.

@ThunderLee Thank you! I agree with Abram (more so Bram as well), Brock, Ebenezar and Magda.

@LibelluleClaire Thank you! I agree with Aurora, wouldn’t have thought of Aura but if I try to imagine calling somebody by it… It isn’t really ‘right’.

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