I’m curious about how perceptions of our own names influence the choices we make for our own daughters’ names.
I’ve got what I’d consider to be one of the plainest names going - [name]Anne[/name].
I have been determined to give my own daughters more interesting names. So far I have a [name]Natalie[/name] and a [name]Gabriella[/name].
My mom on the other hand is a [name]Madeline[/name] and was determined to give her daughters short, simple names. My sister and I are [name]Anne[/name], and [name]Dana[/name] (rhymes with [name]Hannah[/name]).
My mothers name is [name]Elizabeth[/name] and you know how many nicknames you can get from that. But she always saw her name as being the full [name]Elizabeth[/name] and that’s what the family used, so she now dislikes names that can be shortened too much.
I however have a one syllable name and love names that can be turned into a million nicknames.
This is different because it’s a father/son and not a mother/daughter reaction, but I know of a man who dislike being one of numerous (actual name not mentioned here) in a class, etc. He decided to use less common (but “legit”) names for his sons (and this goes to show that not all guys like having common names).
I have a plain name and tend to prefer plain names, they are practical and I like that. I think there’s such a thing as too plain, but it’s subjective too. I don’t have any daughters but sometimes think there are beautiful long “fancy” names that are irresistible, and yet I have always enjoyed the practicality of my name. I think [name]Sara[/name] is one of the best names ever, but I agree it’s also very common and may have to admit it’s kind of a [name]Jane[/name] itself. I can’t fathom a [name]Jane[/name] - that name really does seem ultra-plain, as does [name]Ann[/name] or [name]Anna[/name]. [name]Jane[/name] is also kind of wild and weird and dark - I get this from several places on tv, the friend of the female character is [name]Jane[/name] and she’s very moody and sarcastic. [name]Anna[/name] just reminds me of this awful girl from high school, she was the only [name]Anna[/name] and she was [name]Anna[/name]-oying. [name]Anna[/name] also calls out for some bel or liese or something. I think those longer forms are very pretty, but not what I would ultimately choose (pretty sure about that).
In the way that I like plain, I also like a little different from everyone else (except [name]Sara[/name]). I like [name]Nila[/name], and [name]Helen[/name] is a good example - I find myself unable to really “love” the name [name]Helen[/name] through and through, and “fixing” it by making some adjustments to it, like [name]Helena[/name]. And then I get all tense because is it really necessary to embellish it? Is it to fit in better or do I really prefer it a little dressed up? I definitely prefer [name]Suzanne[/name] to [name]Susan[/name], and it doesn’t make me tense. Maybe because [name]Helena[/name] has 3 syllables. However, then, I like [name]Elena[/name]. I don’t know what it is about 5 letters, if I add the A, the H just has to go, and everything’s alright again.
I am trying to think of other short names I like. I guess I dabble in some dated names like [name]Sandra[/name], and lately [name]Lisa[/name] but my mind is a blank right now. Maybe I just like an A at the end, but I still like names like two syllables, and kind of spare as possible, also tending to like “household names” that aren’t used much anymore, and probably aren’t coming back for a while, so in some ways to stand out from the current crowd, but I also never stopped loving the way those names sound. I also like to find simple yet exotic names, I guess in the vein of [name]Nila[/name]. A name doesn’t need to be longer than that to get attention or to be feminine, and generally easy to hear and easy to pronounce and spell. I guess you could say I like plain but trying not to be boring about it. A name like [name]Emma[/name] or [name]Ava[/name] might have been really unusual and just my speed and then came up the charts, so it has that simplicity transmuted into ordinary. I would like to capture the essence of [name]Emma[/name], or really [name]Karen[/name], without copying it.
I wrote a blog on this topic (how our feelings about our name influence our naming style), and I thought you may enjoy reading it (or at least the comments!).
