Baby name list - gotta narrow it down eventually! Any favorites or absolute no-s?

Name Advice
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Feeling very excited - I love names and am a long-time lurker here! If there’s another forum I should post this in please let me know! Would love to hear strangers opinions / associations.
Also note that some of these names might be related to my partner and I’s heritage; [name_u]Irish[/name_u], Jewish, and [name_f]Indian[/name_f] (from present-day Pakistan; pre-partition). Thank you berries!! :slight_smile:

Paiva
[name_f]Samara[/name_f]
[name_f]Lena[/name_f] (Len or Lenny)
[name_f]Lenora[/name_f] (Len or Lenny)
[name_f]Coral[/name_f]
[name_f]Althea[/name_f] (Thea)
[name_f]Thea[/name_f]
[name_f]Bridget[/name_f]
Saorise (p. Ser-sha)
[name_f]Willa[/name_f]
[name_f]Clara[/name_f]
[name_f]Winona[/name_f]
[name_f]Safia[/name_f] (Fia)
[name_f]Yuna[/name_f]
[name_f]Euna[/name_f] (p. Una)
May/Mae
[name_f]Fiona[/name_f]
[name_f]Chiara[/name_f] (p. Kee-ara)
[name_u]Lark[/name_u]
[name_f]Sabrina[/name_f]
[name_m]Ilara[/name_m]
Fia/Fiadh
[name_f]Lumi[/name_f]
[name_f]Luma[/name_f]
[name_f]Sofie[/name_f]

–

[name_m]Elio[/name_m]
[name_u]Callum[/name_u] (Cal)
[name_m]Sylvan[/name_m]
Liori (Lee or Lior)
[name_u]Flynn[/name_u]
Sylas/Silas
[name_u]Larkin[/name_u]

2 Likes
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You have a great list!! Here are my opinions on your names:

Paiva - Interesting choice, it’s pretty but reminds me of [name_m]Pavo[/name_m] (which means turkey :frowning: ) or [name_m]Pava[/name_m] (which means kettle) in Spanish

[name_f]Samara[/name_f] - [name_f]Pretty[/name_f] and princess-y while still familiar!! Like it

[name_f]Lena[/name_f] - Nice and sweet but may cause pronunciation issues (LAY-nuh vs LEE-nuh vs LEH-na). For the nn, I’d like the spelling [name_f]Leni[/name_f] !!

[name_f]Lenora[/name_f] - Very classic and regal, I like it as an [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] alternative. Would also like [name_f]Leni[/name_f] as a nn!

[name_f]Coral[/name_f] - Not my favorite word name, but has nice imagery. Makes me think of the little mermaid

[name_f]Althea[/name_f] - Yes!! [name_u]Super[/name_u] classic and gorgeous without being overused. [name_f]Thea[/name_f] is perfect as well!

[name_f]Thea[/name_f] - I like it a lot but prefer it as a nn

[name_f]Bridget[/name_f] - [name_u]Strong[/name_u], sturdy, and classic. Not my favorite but a very solid pick

[name_f]Saoirse[/name_f] - Love!! Wish I had [name_u]Irish[/name_u] heritage so I could use it myself haha. [name_f]May[/name_f] cause pronunciation issues

[name_f]Willa[/name_f] - Very pretty and gives me southern-belle vibes, is becoming more popular

[name_f]Clara[/name_f] - Very shimmery and classic, I like it a lot but again, is becoming more popular

[name_f]Winona[/name_f] - Nice, but heavily associated with [name_f]Winona[/name_f] [name_u]Ryder[/name_u] for me (not a bad association!!)

[name_f]Safia[/name_f] - A pretty twist on the classic [name_f]Sofia[/name_f], but may get confused with [name_f]Sofia[/name_f] often (Fia is a sweet nn, maybe you’d like [name_f]Fiadh[/name_f] (pronounced the same) as a full name?)

[name_f]Yuna[/name_f] - Makes me think of the moon, but fair warning this name sounds VERY Japanese to me and I would be surprised if I met a [name_f]Yuna[/name_f] who was not Japanese

[name_f]Euna[/name_f] - Like the way it looks, but my first instinct was to pronounce it YOU-nuh. This may be your solution to [name_f]Yuna[/name_f] being too Japanese if you don’t mind it not being said like [name_f]Una[/name_f]! If you like OO-nuh, I’d suggest sticking to [name_f]Una[/name_f], [name_f]Oona[/name_f], or [name_f]Oonagh[/name_f]

May/Mae - Ooh, very short and sweet! I personally prefer the classic [name_f]May[/name_f], but [name_f]Mae[/name_f] has got a lot of spunk to her!!

[name_f]Fiona[/name_f] - [name_f]Pretty[/name_f] and unusual!

[name_f]Chiara[/name_f] - Very nice and seems fresh in the US, but be warned it may seem a little outdated in Europe

[name_u]Lark[/name_u] - I love the playfulness of [name_u]Lark[/name_u], but having it as a full name may seem a little juvenile when she gets older

[name_f]Sabrina[/name_f] - Not a fan, seems a little outdated to me (I’d expect a [name_f]Sabrina[/name_f] to be in her late 20s-early 30s)

[name_m]Ilara[/name_m] - [name_f]Pretty[/name_f], but prefer the [name_f]Elara[/name_f] spelling

[name_f]Fiadh[/name_f] - Wow I guess I predicted correctly! I think [name_f]Fiadh[/name_f] is a great pick for you giving your [name_u]Irish[/name_u] heritage, and shouldn’t be too hard pronunciation-wise

[name_f]Lumi[/name_f] - Sweet, but also may have the problem of sounding too juvenile

[name_f]Luma[/name_f] - I think this would get confused with [name_f]Luna[/name_f] :frowning:

[name_f]Sofie[/name_f] - Very pretty and sweet, would probably get misspelled as [name_f]Sophie[/name_f] often

[name_m]Elio[/name_m] - Very handsome and sunny! [name_f]May[/name_f] cause some pronunciation confusion (EE-lio vs Eh-lio)

[name_u]Callum[/name_u] - I really like [name_u]Callum[/name_u] for you, especially with [name_u]Cal[/name_u]! He feels very multicultural and no fuss

[name_m]Sylvan[/name_m] - Wow [name_m]Sylvan[/name_m] is stunning!! Very handsome

Liori - I like the tie back to Jewish heritage, but think maybe [name_u]Lior[/name_u] nn [name_u]Lee[/name_u] may be a better pick, I assumed this was a girl’s name when I first saw it

[name_u]Flynn[/name_u] - [name_m]Handsome[/name_m] and reminds me of [name_u]Flynn[/name_u] [name_u]Ryder[/name_u] from [name_f]Rapunzel[/name_f]

[name_m]Silas[/name_m] - Much prefer this spelling, think he’s rugged and cute although his popularity is soaring

[name_u]Larkin[/name_u] - This is more of a girl’s name to me, but I like having [name_u]Lark[/name_u] as a nn rather than the full name

Conclusion:

[name_f]My[/name_f] favorites in general:

[name_f]Saoirse[/name_f]
[name_f]Clara[/name_f]
[name_f]Althea[/name_f]
[name_u]Callum[/name_u]
[name_m]Sylvan[/name_m]

[name_f]My[/name_f] Favorites for you:

[name_f]Saoirse[/name_f]
[name_f]Fiadh[/name_f]
[name_f]Euna[/name_f] (YOU-nuh pronunciation)
[name_u]Callum[/name_u]
[name_m]Sylvan[/name_m]

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[name_f]My[/name_f] absolute favorites:
[name_f]Willa[/name_f] (I know a [name_f]Willa[/name_f] so may be biased but she is so sweet and I love the name)
[name_f]Lenora[/name_f] (Regal and a stunning name, with so many nickname possibilities for her!)
[name_u]Lark[/name_u] and [name_u]Larkin[/name_u] (Beautiful names, possibly use bird as a nickname/pet name?!)
[name_f]Althea[/name_f] (Love the -Thea ending especially with the surprise of an l)
[name_f]Sofie[/name_f] (Classic but cute and I especially like the usual nickname as a full name)

Names I don’t love:
[name_u]Flynn[/name_u] (I really like the name, but [name_u]Flynn[/name_u] [name_u]Ryder[/name_u] will pop up everywhere, don’t get me wrong I love [name_f]Disney[/name_f] but it might not be right for you)
Saorise (Beautiful name, but I knew a Saorise and everyone pronounced her name wrong) ex. Seh - reese, Saow - reese

1 Like
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[name_f]My[/name_f] favourites:

[name_f]Lena[/name_f], [name_f]Saoirse[/name_f], [name_f]Clara[/name_f], [name_f]May[/name_f].

[name_f]Yuna[/name_f], [name_f]Fiona[/name_f], [name_f]Lenora[/name_f], [name_f]Althea[/name_f], Sofìe, [name_f]Winona[/name_f], [name_f]Sabrina[/name_f] and [name_f]Fia[/name_f] are cool too.

Of the boys my favourite is [name_m]Elio[/name_m]. [name_u]Flynn[/name_u] and [name_m]Silas[/name_m] / [name_m]Sylas[/name_m] are cool too. [name_m]Sylvan[/name_m] is not bad.

I like all the names of your list (except for the spelling “Mae”; love [name_f]May[/name_f], but [name_f]Mae[/name_f] feels too trendy and frivolous for my tastes, no offence to anyone who likes it!) [name_m]Even[/name_m] if you pick one at random you won’t get wrong, excellent taste!

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[name_f]My[/name_f] favourites ~

[name_f]Lena[/name_f] - sleek, balletic and international
[name_f]Althea[/name_f] - classic and pretty
[name_f]Clara[/name_f] - vintagey and sweet
[name_f]Chiara[/name_f] - so elegant and musical
[name_u]Lark[/name_u] - cool, contemporary but timeless
[name_m]Ilara[/name_m] - absolutely stunning
[name_m]Sylvan[/name_m] - magical, strong but soft
Liori - I love this, like a twist on popular [name_u]Leo[/name_u]
[name_m]Sylas[/name_m] / [name_m]Silas[/name_m] - classic but not overdone

I’d lose ~

[name_f]Sofie[/name_f], [name_u]Callum[/name_u], [name_u]Flynn[/name_u], [name_m]Elio[/name_m], [name_f]Lumi[/name_f] - they feel overdone (but I’m very anti-popular names so if that doesn’t bother you then ignore me haha)

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Fabulous list!

[name_f]My[/name_f] favourites are:

[name_f]Lenora[/name_f] - elegant and bright and strong
[name_f]Althea[/name_f] - distinctive and interesting
[name_f]Willa[/name_f] - literary, rugged and sweet
[name_f]Clara[/name_f] - light, clear and elegant
[name_f]Safia[/name_f] - sweet and appealing
[name_f]Lumi[/name_f] - bright, fun and gentle

[name_m]Sylvan[/name_m] - sleek, earthy and sharp
[name_u]Callum[/name_u] - cheerful and rugged
[name_m]Silas[/name_m] - sharp and woods-y

Ones I’m not wild on:

Paiva - reminds me of pavement/paving :frowning: sorry
[name_f]Euna[/name_f] - much prefer [name_f]Una[/name_f] or [name_f]Oona[/name_f]
[name_m]Ilara[/name_m] - I want it to be [name_f]Elara[/name_f] or [name_f]Ilaria[/name_f] :grin:

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Paiva- I like the sounds this name makes, but too close to the word “paver” for me to use.
Samara - pretty name, seems like a sensible, confident name.
Lena (Len or Lenny) - I like this when it’s pronounced “Layna” and nn Laynie. Not keen on “Lenna” pronunciation.
Lenora (Len or Lenny) - it’s a cool name, I don’t think I’d personally use it and if I did I would use “Nora” as a nickname (but maybe Lenny/ Leni as a child - I do really like Lenny, Len is too masculine for me)
Coral - one of my current faves - both fun and tailored at the same time
Althea (Thea) - I don’t love Althea. I think there are prettier ways to get to Thea - or just Thea alone (which I love)
Thea see above
Bridget - seems to be back in favour, have always had a soft spot for this name (new a few growing up): Birdie is a contemporary nickname, was always “Bridge” for the gals growing up.
Saorise (p. Ser-sha) - love this name but would only use if I understood the historical significance and still felt it was appropriate to use (not that I generally think we need to be exclusive about names, just one to consider)
Willa - biased as my daughter’s name - it’s a strong, winsome, and soft name at same time, we get a lot of positive comments on her name (but full disclosure she does get people asking if it’s Willow or Milla.)
Clara - only if it’s Claara (long A), it’s very sweet and romantic, feminine name (at the moment I’m preferring Lara, again with long A, but Clara is lovely).
Winona - this never got to where I live and is associated with Southern USA, and the singer - I find it hard to assess as so closely associated witn those - but it’s a nice name to say
Safia (Fia) - this is a lovely name, another confident and pretty name
Yuna - not sure about this one, prefer Una - might be because I don’t know any Yunas and can’t quite attach to it.
Euna (p. Una) - I like this name, I would spell it Oona or maybe Una - it’s a sophisticated, “honest” name. I thought Euna was Native American?
May/Mae - much prefer May (Mae feels gimmicky to me, but I’m saying this knowing loads of people prefer Mae). I prefer June (or even January, July & October) to May, if we’re talking about months (though the three in brackets would only ever be middles)
Fiona - a little too 1990s for me but might emerge as others do. Prefer a lot of your others.
Chiara (p. Kee-ara) - gorgeous name, associated with slightly intimidating dark haired Italian women (lol). It’s actually light and happy as a name!
Lark - a middle name only for me - but I would go the full Larkspur if I was going to use Lark.
Sabrina - I can’t get past the “brine” (fish) part of the name, prefer Sabina or Sybella
Ilara - not sure about this name, prefer Lara but maybe just don’t want “ill” attached to my kid’s name (I get this is perfectly OK in other languages/contexts)
Fia/Fiadh - outside Ireland, I would probably just use Fia (?) - it’s a lovely name
Lumi - love this name though definitely quite hip - don’t think you can (easily) have a Lumi and then a Phillip - can’t see me actually using this, unless a nickname
Luma - don’t like
Sofie - prefer Sophie (though I prefer Sofia over Sophia), not my top 10 but a it’s cheerful, international name.

–

Elio - met a little Elio the other day - feel like it would go with Lumi, it’s a very cute, hip name, might date quite quickly but most names do!
Callum (Cal) - solid, reliable and handsome name
Sylvan - I like this, but it might be a little dark and moody for me (I prefer Stellan or Sebastian)
Liori (Lee or Lior) - I like Lior, Liori sounds too cool and too cutesy for me!
Flynn - prefer Finn, Finley or Farley or else other one syllable names. It’s nice, just not nice enough to me. I think it’s the Lynn hidden in there.
Sylas/Silas - Silas is good - I knew a handsome Silas growing up. I think you have to be handsome for this name to work or else it’s a little sleezy/creepy sounding
Larkin - couldn’t use as too close to Larrikin (you may need to look this up) and I don’t like the sudden “kin” ending, but it gets love on here.

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The ones I’d scratch:

Saorise - the [name_u]Irish[/name_u] spelling is [name_f]Saoirse[/name_f]. This is likely to just cause confusion.
[name_f]Winona[/name_f] - basically a one-person name. [name_f]Winona[/name_f] [name_u]Ryder[/name_u] is my only association.
[name_f]Chiara[/name_f] - if pronounced with three syllables. KYA-ra is fine. I’d spell a three syllable variant [name_f]Kiara[/name_f].

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[name_f]My[/name_f] absolute favourites are:
[name_f]Samara[/name_f]
[name_f]Lena[/name_f]
[name_f]Willa[/name_f]
[name_f]Clara[/name_f]

[name_m]Elio[/name_m]
[name_u]Flynn[/name_u]
[name_m]Silas[/name_m]

I also love [name_f]Lenora[/name_f], however would personally opt for the nickname [name_f]Lena[/name_f] or [name_f]Nora[/name_f]. [name_f]Coral[/name_f] is also super cute to see on your list! [name_f]Cora[/name_f] has recently been growing on me, and I love how coastal and carefree [name_f]Coral[/name_f] sounds.

Liori looks super interesting! I’ve never heard it before! I definitely think this could be a super cool name.

Least favourites:
[name_f]Yuna[/name_f] / [name_f]Euna[/name_f] (not a fan of the pronunciation or look of these)
[name_f]Chiara[/name_f] - I just can’t get behind this name. It looks pretty, but it doesn’t do it for me. I do definitely prefer this spelling over Kiara/Kiarrah though.
[name_m]Sylvan[/name_m] / [name_u]Larkin[/name_u] - these aren’t “happy” names in my mind. I instantly think of snakes. Not sure why.

10

My favourites:

Althea
Clara
Chiara
Lumi
Elio
Flynn

—
Euna - I think Una is cooler
Fiona - I like it, but I think it might be too tied with Shrek?
Fia/Fiadh - thinking about the car immediately
Callum (Cal) - thinking about Gollum immediately
Liori - a bit too feminine for me
Sylas/Silas - this name is forever linked (in my head I mean :smile:) with that munk who was a murderer in The Da Vinci Code. :smile:

11

I really love your list! [name_f]Samara[/name_f] and [name_f]Winona[/name_f] are my favorites by far.
I would not go for [name_f]Lumi[/name_f], as all it reminds me of is the lady’s deodorant brand. [name_f]Clara[/name_f] is pretty, but not my favorite compared to the cooler options on your list.

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[name_f]Mae[/name_f], [name_f]Lenora[/name_f] , ,Callum,Flynn

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[name_f]My[/name_f] favorites:
[name_f]Lena[/name_f]
[name_f]Fiona[/name_f]
[name_u]Lark[/name_u]
[name_f]Clara[/name_f]
[name_f]Mae[/name_f]
[name_f]Thea[/name_f]

[name_u]Callum[/name_u]
[name_m]Silas[/name_m]
[name_u]Larkin[/name_u]

[name_f]My[/name_f] no’s:
[name_f]Samara[/name_f] this is the name of the little girl in ‘the ring’ horror film and thats all I see when people talk about this name
[name_f]Fia[/name_f] All I think is fiat
Una/Euna/Yuna
[name_m]Sylvan[/name_m]

1 Like
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From girls I really like: Saorise, [name_f]Lena[/name_f], [name_f]Althea[/name_f], [name_f]Sofie[/name_f], [name_f]Mae[/name_f], [name_f]Sabrina[/name_f], [name_f]Safia[/name_f], [name_f]Willa[/name_f] and [name_f]Coral[/name_f]
From boys I really like: [name_m]Elio[/name_m], [name_m]Silas[/name_m] and [name_u]Callum[/name_u]