Baby Name List...whaddaya think?

General Name Discussion
1

[name]Hi[/name] everyone! We’ll be adopting a baby sometime this year, and have no idea whether it will be a girl or a boy, so we’ve come up with some names for both that we like. Some are my choices, some are hubby’s. We both tend to like Irish/Celtic sounding names, unique but not too crazy to pronounce. Our last name starts with M, two syllables, and is a common Welsh name. Opinions? I literally have a list of like 50 for each, but here are some top runners.

[name]Love[/name] to get your opinions! We’re not discussing our name choices with family or friends (it’ll be a surprise), so I think it’ll be good to get some impartial advice. Thanks!

Girl Names

[name]Arielle[/name]
Aila (I like the spelling [name]Isla[/name], but I think it’ll get pronounced wrong as “izz-la”)
[name]Ashlynn[/name] (Again, I love [name]Aislinn[/name], but think it’ll be hard on the poor kid!)
[name]Atalie[/name]
[name]Alyanna[/name]
[name]Zoe[/name]
[name]Evaline[/name]
[name]Sienna[/name]
[name]Tira[/name] (pronounced “teera”)
Telyn
[name]Lyra[/name]
[name]Arlyn[/name]
Aylee
[name]Kyla[/name]
[name]Aylin[/name]
[name]Katrina[/name]
[name]Faith[/name]
Aubrielle
[name]Piper[/name]
[name]Ivy[/name]

Boy Names

[name]Brendan[/name], [name]Brennan[/name]
[name]Rowan[/name]
[name]Christian[/name]
Gaelyn (will he be teased as “[name]Gay[/name]?” Or am I overthinking it? Maybe we can make “[name]Gale[/name]” stick)
[name]Skyler[/name] (nn “[name]Skye[/name]”)
[name]Jasper[/name]
[name]Kylan[/name] (nn “[name]Ky[/name]”)
[name]Torin[/name]
[name]Kelyn[/name]
[name]Keagan[/name]
[name]Colby[/name]
[name]Kian[/name]
[name]Rory[/name]

2

Too trendy for my taste: [name]Ashlynn[/name], [name]Alyanna[/name], Telyn, [name]Arlyn[/name], Aylee, [name]Kyla[/name], [name]Aylin[/name]
[name]Arielle[/name]- It’s alright. A bit dated and slight, and I think there are better options.
Aila (I like the spelling [name]Isla[/name], but I think it’ll get pronounced wrong as “izz-la”)- this will be mispronounced to rhyme with [name]Kayla[/name]. You can’t win with this name- I’d stick to the classic [name]Isla[/name] or drop the idea altogether.
[name]Ashlynn[/name] (Again, I love [name]Aislinn[/name], but think it’ll be hard on the poor kid!)- You’ve got a point with this name. But [name]Ashlynn[/name] just looks terrible to me- very trendy. Again, I’d stick to [name]Aislinn[/name] or drop the idea.
[name]Atalie[/name]- looks like you forgot the N.
[name]Zoe[/name]- [name]Love[/name]!
[name]Evaline[/name]- Is this eh-va-LEEN, eh-va-[name]LINE[/name], or eh-va-[name]LYN[/name]? I like all of them, but the pronunciation is difficult.
[name]Sienna[/name]- pretty, but trendy. I think you have better names on the list.
[name]Tira[/name] (pronounced “teera”)- I prefer [name]Tirzah[/name], but this is nice.
[name]Lyra[/name]- LIE-ra or [name]LEE[/name]-ra? I prefer [name]LEE[/name]-ra, personally
[name]Katrina[/name]- [name]One[/name] of my favorites on your list.
[name]Faith[/name]- I like it. Kind of awkward if she ends up an atheist, but not bad.
Aubrielle- I prefer [name]Aubrey[/name], [name]Audrey[/name], [name]Gabrielle[/name], [name]Arielle[/name], or basically any similar name that isn’t this.
[name]Piper[/name]- I wouldn’t use it, but I like it for someone else’s kid.
[name]Ivy[/name]- It’s alright. Not a fan, personally, and I always think of [name]Ivy[/name] as a kind of weed, but it’s not a bad name.

Suggestions: [name]Gabrielle[/name], [name]Aubrey[/name], [name]Harper[/name], [name]Adelaide[/name], [name]Adeline[/name], [name]Hope[/name], [name]Auden[/name], [name]Audrey[/name], [name]Eliana[/name], [name]Tatiana[/name], [name]Tirzah[/name] (TEER-zah,) [name]Evelyn[/name], [name]Aveline[/name], [name]Keira[/name], [name]Mira[/name], [name]Mirabelle[/name], [name]Pippa[/name]

Boy Names
[name]Brendan[/name], [name]Brennan[/name]- I like both, but I think [name]Brennan[/name] is more modern.
[name]Christian[/name]- Like [name]Faith[/name], risky- your child may not be a [name]Christian[/name] as an adult, so I think this is a limiting name.
Gaelyn (will he be teased as “[name]Gay[/name]?” Or am I overthinking it? Maybe we can make “[name]Gale[/name]” stick)- Definite teasing potential, but with all the Gabriels out there, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. I think spelling it [name]Galen[/name] would help as well.
[name]Skyler[/name] (nn “[name]Skye[/name]”)- It’s alright. I know a lot of female [name]Skyler[/name]/Schuylers.
[name]Jasper[/name]- Very interesting! It doesn’t seem to fit with the rest of your list. I’m not a [name]Jasper[/name] fan personally, but most berries love this name.
[name]Kylan[/name] (nn “[name]Ky[/name]”)- Very trendy. I’d go for just [name]Kai[/name] or a different full name, like [name]Malachi[/name].
[name]Kelyn[/name]- Alright when spelled [name]Kellan[/name]. [name]Don[/name]'t like this spelling.
[name]Colby[/name]- Not a fan. Too cheesy.

I like these as is: [name]Rory[/name], [name]Keagan[/name], [name]Kian[/name], [name]Rowan[/name], [name]Torin[/name] ([name]LOVE[/name] this)
Suggestions: [name]Caelan[/name], [name]Rhys[/name], [name]Callum[/name], [name]Malachi[/name], [name]Tynan[/name], [name]Ronan[/name], [name]Declan[/name], [name]Tadhg[/name] (pron. TYGUE, like the first syllable of “tiger”) [name]Kieran[/name], [name]Mack[/name]/[name]Max[/name], [name]Paxton[/name], [name]Nolan[/name], [name]Flynn[/name], [name]Finn[/name]/[name]Finnegan[/name]/[name]Finnian[/name]/[name]Finley[/name]

Congratulations and good luck!

3

[name]Arielle[/name] - I like this a lot. I prefer it over [name]Ariel[/name] (I also pronounce the two slightly differently and prefer [name]Arielle[/name]).
Aila - I said Ay-lah until I read your note. I’d stick with [name]Isla[/name] if you go with it. Some people may be unfamiliar with the name and mispronounce it, but I would think most people would get it right.
[name]Ashlynn[/name] - I actually really like this name but I prefer [name]Ashlyn[/name] or [name]Ashlan[/name] personally.
[name]Atalie[/name] - I agree with PP… looks like you forgot the “n”.
[name]Alyanna[/name] - Too trendy and cutesy to me, sorry.
[name]Zoe[/name] - [name]Love[/name] it!
[name]Evaline[/name] - [name]Don[/name]'t like.
[name]Sienna[/name] - [name]LOVE[/name]!! :slight_smile:
[name]Tira[/name] (pronounced “teera”) - Eh, it’s ok.
Telyn - Really don’t like. Is it [name]Tay[/name]-lin? Tee-lin? Tell-in?
[name]Lyra[/name] - It’s ok.
[name]Arlyn[/name] - [name]Don[/name]'t like.
Aylee - Looks like you forgot the K on [name]Kaylee[/name].
[name]Kyla[/name] - It’s ok…
[name]Aylin[/name] - [name]Don[/name]'t like. TBH it looks like you took some trendy names and took a letter off.
[name]Katrina[/name] - Like.
[name]Faith[/name] - It’s ok. Prefer as a middle name.
Aubrielle - Too trendy. I’m not a fan of [name]Aubrey[/name] but I prefer it over this.
[name]Piper[/name] - Like it.
[name]Ivy[/name] - NMS but it’s nice.

Boy Names

[name]Brendan[/name], [name]Brennan[/name] - [name]Love[/name] these names!
[name]Rowan[/name] - Like.
[name]Christian[/name] - NMS but nice.
Gaelyn - Yes, he will be teased. I mean, kids tease no matter what, but having “gay” in the name makes it worse. Though I really get annoyed that calling someone gay is considered an insult but… anyways, that’s another topic… This name sounds feminine anyways.
[name]Skyler[/name] (nn “[name]Skye[/name]”) - Like it.
[name]Jasper[/name] - NMS.
[name]Kylan[/name] (nn “[name]Ky[/name]”) - Seems a little feminine. What about [name]Kieran[/name]?
[name]Torin[/name] - Meh.
[name]Kelyn[/name] - TBH looks like a “feminized” version of [name]Kellan[/name].
[name]Keagan[/name] - It’s ok.
[name]Colby[/name] - I like it.
[name]Kian[/name] - It’s ok.
[name]Rory[/name] - Prefer as a nn.

4

Girl Names

[name]Arielle[/name] - [name]Do[/name] you pronounce [name]Arielle[/name] like [name]Ariel[/name]? If so, spell it like [name]Ariel[/name]. If the pronunciation is different, the spelling is fine.
Aila - If people won’t be able to pronounce [name]Isla[/name], they definitely won’t be able to pronounce Aila.
[name]Ashlynn[/name] - Eh. This is just ok.
[name]Atalie[/name] - NMS
[name]Alyanna[/name] - NMS
[name]Zoe[/name] - I like this
[name]Evaline[/name] - I’d prefer just [name]Eva[/name] or [name]Evelyn[/name].
[name]Sienna[/name] - This is cute.
[name]Tira[/name] - It’s ok.
Telyn - This is not good at all. Sorry
[name]Lyra[/name] - I love this.
[name]Arlyn[/name] - This is ok. Sounds a bit masculine.
Aylee - I don’t like this.
[name]Kyla[/name] - I kind of like this, in a guilty pleasure type way.
[name]Aylin[/name] - I don’t like this.
[name]Katrina[/name] - This is a good name. Not my style, but good.
[name]Faith[/name] - Such a cute name for the first position.
Aubrielle - This is way too trendy.
[name]Piper[/name] - I love this. My favorite on your list.
[name]Ivy[/name] - I really like [name]Ivy[/name].

Boy Names

[name]Brendan[/name], [name]Brennan[/name] - I love [name]Brennan[/name].
[name]Rowan[/name] - This is a strong name. Very likable.
[name]Christian[/name] - I like it.
Gaelyn - I have always hated this name. I think he would be teased.
[name]Skyler[/name] - No nickname. This is great.
[name]Jasper[/name] - I love it.
[name]Kylan[/name] - Sounds made up.
[name]Torin[/name] - I don’t like it.
[name]Kelyn[/name] - [name]Kellen[/name] is better.
[name]Keagan[/name]- This is pretty good.
[name]Colby[/name] - I think this could be super cute.
[name]Kian[/name] - NMS.
[name]Rory[/name]- I like this a lot.

5

Favorites from your list are [name]Arielle[/name], [name]Zoe[/name], [name]Lyra[/name], [name]Katrina[/name], [name]Ivy[/name], [name]Rowan[/name], and [name]Jasper[/name] :slight_smile:

6

From your lists, I thought I’d choose my Top 5 and then give comments on them!

Girl Names

  • [name]Evaline[/name]: But only spelled [name]Evelyn[/name]. The [name]Evaline[/name] spelling makes me confused, thinking it could be EE-vuh-LEEN (unless that is how you want it pronounced, in which case I think it looks a little too similar to [name]Evelyn[/name] to work). [name]Evelyn[/name], though a tad (Nameberry-)trendy at the moment, is a classic name that would be so pretty on a girl.
  • [name]Lyra[/name]: This name has that certain lyrical quality, without trying to hard, that makes it a handsome choice.
  • [name]Katrina[/name]: My only reservations about this are Hurricane [name]Katrina[/name]. But if you live in a place outside of the US or don’t mind, then this is a gorgeous name. If you do live somewhere where that would have an effect, [name]Katherina[/name], [name]Katarina[/name], [name]Katrin[/name], [name]Trina[/name], and [name]Catalina[/name] are lovely substitutes.
  • [name]Piper[/name]: This is a very feisty name, which is why I like it a lot. If you feel it’s getting too trendy and that bothers you, [name]Pepper[/name] and [name]Fifer[/name] are great alternatives.
  • [name]Ivy[/name]: Probably my favorite, [name]Ivy[/name] sounds attractive, smart, sassy, and stylish. I’ve also considered using this as a nn for a combo with the initials I.V. (Like [name]India[/name] [name]Verena[/name] or [name]Isabel[/name] [name]Virginia[/name] or something like that.)

Boy Names

  • [name]Christian[/name]: Dapper-sounding. However, bear in mind that I know a boy with this name who is atheist. Although he doesn’t seem to mind, the irony of this gets brought up in conversation a lot.
  • Gaelyn: This looks like more of a 90s girl’s name than a boy’s to me. I’d change the spelling to [name]Galen[/name], or just use [name]Gale[/name] by itself. (The Hunger Games have made that one stylish now.)
  • [name]Skyler[/name] (nn “[name]Skye[/name]”): I have to say, I like the idea of a boy reclaiming this, but this spelling seems very feminine. I’d go with the original Dutch [name]Schuyler[/name] nn [name]Sky[/name]/Schuy. Looks much more sophisticated.
  • [name]Jasper[/name]: Although this name is very Twilight-connected, it has a nice ring to it.
  • [name]Rory[/name]: By far my favorite choice. Jovial and sweet, [name]Rory[/name] is the cute kid who has a million friends in the playground.

Hopefully this helped! Good luck in your adoption!
NameGoddess

7

From the girls’:
[name]Zoe[/name]
[name]Piper[/name]
[name]Ivy[/name]
I also like [name]Ariel[/name] and [name]Isla[/name], with those spellings.
My favorite is [name]Ivy[/name].

From the boys’:
[name]Brennan[/name]
[name]Rowan[/name]
[name]Jasper[/name]
[name]Rory[/name]
My favorite is [name]Jasper[/name].

8

Most of the girls’ names look either made up or misspelled to me, sorry… I like [name]Aislinn[/name] in its traditional spelling, though I think I prefer [name]Aisling[/name] even more. I also like [name]Zoe[/name] and [name]Ivy[/name].

For the boys, I like [name]Brendan[/name] best. [name]Jasper[/name] is nice, but I hear it way too often on Nameberry nowadays.

9

[name]Arielle[/name] - I love the name [name]Arielle[/name], a princess name without being overly frilly.
Aila - I think you’ll have to worry about spelling more with this one than [name]Isla[/name]'s pronoucation. I’d go with [name]Isla[/name], it’s becoming popular and more well known so I don’t think you’ll have to worry.
[name]Ashlynn[/name] I like [name]Ashlyn[/name] with one n the best, and agree with you on this spelling over the other.
[name]Atalie[/name] - Prefer [name]Natalie[/name], but this is cute too.
[name]Alyanna[/name] - What about something like [name]Elena[/name]? I just think it’s easier to say.
[name]Zoe[/name] - I love [name]Zoe[/name].
[name]Evaline[/name]- Prefer [name]Evelyn[/name].
[name]Sienna[/name] - I love [name]Sienna[/name]
[name]Tira[/name] (pronounced “teera”) I like this name. What about [name]Kira[/name] or [name]Tiara[/name]?
Telyn - Sorry, dislike.
[name]Lyra[/name] - Another name I really like.
[name]Arlyn[/name] - Not a fan.
Aylee - Fells incomplete.
[name]Kyla[/name] - [name]LOVE[/name] [name]Kyla[/name]. So sweet and love the nn [name]Kylie[/name].
[name]Aylin[/name] - nms.
[name]Katrina[/name] - [name]Love[/name]
[name]Faith[/name] - Like
Aubrielle - I like the sound, it’s overly trendy though.
[name]Piper[/name] - I’ve never been a fan myself, but it’s not bad.
[name]Ivy[/name] - [name]Love[/name] [name]Ivy[/name].

From your girls I love [name]Arielle[/name], [name]Ivy[/name], [name]Kyla[/name], [name]Lyra[/name], [name]Sienna[/name] and [name]Zoe[/name]. And [name]Isla[/name], but not Aila

Boy Names

[name]Brendan[/name], [name]Brennan[/name] - [name]Love[/name] both of these.
[name]Rowan[/name] - I prefer [name]Rowan[/name] for a boy, love this.
[name]Christian[/name] - NMS
Gaelyn I would go with just [name]Gale[/name] as a name, I think sadly he would be teased for [name]Gay[/name]. Kids are immature and that’s not the type of thing you want to hand over to ten year olds.
[name]Skyler[/name] (nn “[name]Skye[/name]”) I prefer for a girl
[name]Jasper[/name] I like [name]Jasper[/name]
[name]Kylan[/name] (nn “[name]Ky[/name]”) Prefer [name]Kyler[/name], sounds more masculine to me.
[name]Torin[/name] - It`s okay
[name]Kelyn[/name] - [name]Kellan[/name] is nicer.
[name]Keagan[/name] - I really like [name]Keagan[/name], it was on my short list.
[name]Colby[/name] - Not so sure about this one. What about [name]Toby[/name]
[name]Kian[/name] - nms
[name]Rory[/name] - I like [name]Rory[/name] as a nn for [name]Gregory[/name]

10

Well, I had a very split reaction to your names! Sorry, I gave myself whiplash a bit. Some are great. Some… sorry for reversing [name]Love[/name]/Hate [name]Love[/name]/Hate all down your list but I’m just going with my reaction.

[name]Arielle[/name] - [name]Love[/name].
Aila (I like the spelling [name]Isla[/name], but I think it’ll get pronounced wrong as “izz-la”) - I don’t like this spelling, and with the increasing popularity of [name]Isla[/name] I don’t see the point. [name]Isla[/name]'s a good name though.
[name]Ashlynn[/name] (Again, I love [name]Aislinn[/name], but think it’ll be hard on the poor kid!) - I prefer [name]Aislinn[/name] or [name]Aisling[/name] to this. This just looks like [name]Ashley[/name] run amok to me.
[name]Atalie[/name] - Not keen.
[name]Alyanna[/name] - Prefer [name]Alana[/name]/[name]Alanna[/name]/[name]Alannah[/name]. Or [name]Aaliyah[/name] for that matter.
[name]Zoe[/name] - Like.
[name]Evaline[/name] - Dislike.
[name]Sienna[/name] - [name]Just[/name] okay.
[name]Tira[/name] (pronounced “teera”) - Ok.
Telyn - Not my style.
[name]Lyra[/name] - [name]Love[/name].
[name]Arlyn[/name] - I don’t know what to make of this.
Aylee - No
[name]Kyla[/name] - Dislike.
[name]Aylin[/name] - Dislike
[name]Katrina[/name] - [name]Love[/name], also love [name]Katerina[/name].
[name]Faith[/name] - [name]Love[/name]
Aubrielle - Like
[name]Piper[/name] - Not a big fan.
[name]Ivy[/name] - [name]LOVE[/name].

Boy Names

[name]Brendan[/name], [name]Brennan[/name] - Not a fan at all, not sure why I dislike them as much as I do. I like [name]Bram[/name]?
[name]Rowan[/name] - [name]Love[/name].
[name]Christian[/name] - Okay.
Gaelyn - Would not want to be him in middle-school, and that’s coming from someone who thinks its acceptable to name a boy “[name]Peregrine[/name].”
[name]Skyler[/name] (nn “[name]Skye[/name]”) - Hate. Prefer just [name]Sky[/name], honestly. Or [name]Schuyler[/name]. But most of the people I know with this name under 20 are girls, just so you know.
[name]Jasper[/name] - Like a lot.
[name]Kylan[/name] (nn “[name]Ky[/name]”) - I think just [name]Kai[/name] might be better?
[name]Torin[/name] - dislike.
[name]Kelyn[/name] - [name]Kellin[/name], [name]Kellan[/name], etc. all look less femme, as does [name]Cillian[/name].
[name]Keagan[/name] - I like this, and also [name]Corbin[/name] and [name]Cormac[/name].
[name]Colby[/name] - Is a kind of cheese.
[name]Kian[/name] - I don’t know how this is said, sorry.
[name]Rory[/name] - Okay. Starting to drift to the girls, though. Not really its fault.

11

Haha, yep, definitely a lot of polarizing opinions! Here’s my thoughts based on the responses.

Girls: I promise I didn’t make these up, haha! Most are Celtic spellings. I’m ok with “trendy,” I prefer it compared to the overdone/common names, but at the same time I don’t want to be cruel or create hardships with pronunciation, so it’s good to see your reactions! (Here’s the sound of some of them: [name]Arielle[/name] = ah-ree-el, [name]Evaline[/name] = Eh-vah-lie-n, [name]Lyra[/name] = leer-uh, Telyn = tell-in.) Are a lot of you really seeing Islas? I only know of actress [name]Isla[/name] [name]Fisher[/name], and I always thought it was Izz-la. But I do like the look of that spelling more than Aila, and it’s really pretty with our last name. Hmm. Seems like a lot of people like [name]Faith[/name], but I’m not sure I can get past the fact that hubby put it on the list because he had a crush on [name]Eliza[/name] Dushku from [name]Buffy[/name] the Vampire Slayer. She was not my favorite character, and I always think of her when I hear it. [name]One[/name] syllable names also seem to not flow as well with our last name, for some reason. [name]Piper[/name]'s really cute, but does it sound weird once they’re an adult? Too cutesy? Also love [name]Ivy[/name], always have, but also know that it will probably burst in popularity soon thanks to [name]Beyonce[/name]. Currently leaning toward: [name]Arielle[/name], [name]Ashlyn[/name], [name]Isla[/name], [name]Zoe[/name], [name]Tira[/name], [name]Piper[/name], [name]Ivy[/name].

Boys: Sounds like Gaelyn might be out, we both love the sound of it, but the teasing thing isn’t really worth it. I like “[name]Sky[/name]” for a boy, but hate the spelling [name]Schuyler[/name], so that might be out too, especially if there’s a lot of girls with the name. [name]Love[/name] [name]Torin[/name], but just realized it rhymes with our last name and sounds rather “clunky” when strung together. Drat. Also love love the nickname “[name]Ky[/name],” but [name]Malachi[/name] isn’t an option because a good friend named their baby that…don’t have a problem stealing the “[name]Ky[/name]” part, just don’t want an exact copy. Hmm, for me I’m leaning toward [name]Brendan[/name], [name]Christian[/name], [name]Jasper[/name], [name]Kylan[/name]. [name]Toby[/name]'s cute too!