What’s your opinion on picking a theme to go with for girls’ names? I like the idea (mostly for girls; it doesn’t seem to work as well with boys), but is it a little bit too cutesy?
Examples: [name_f]Wren[/name_f] and [name_u]Raven[/name_u], [name_u]Ruby[/name_u] and [name_f]Esmerelda[/name_f], [name_f]Lily[/name_f] and [name_f]Rose[/name_f], etc.
Personally I think it’s kind of tacky unless its super subtle, sorry.
I think it’s really up to you, I mean it is your children you are naming. I am not a huge fan of being super theme-y for names, but I think if you choose to do it it’s your choice. I will say that even though I’m not a huge fan of it, I particularly like [name_u]Ruby[/name_u] and [name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f] for sisters.
I like the idea of having some sort of connection between siblings, but I don’t think I would ever go as theme-y as [name_f]Wren[/name_f] and [name_u]Raven[/name_u]. That to me definitely seems too cutesy. The only one that I think is okay is a flower theme, because it’s somewhat common and there are tons of flower names to choose from.
In my opinion (illustrating with a bird theme):
[name_m]Gavin[/name_m] and [name_f]Deryn[/name_f] – yes, absolutely
[name_m]Martin[/name_m] and [name_u]Robin[/name_u] – borderline
[name_m]Hawk[/name_m] and [name_f]Sparrow[/name_f] – definitely not
Themes can be fine if they’re more subtle and it depends on the names.
[name_f]Wren[/name_f] and [name_u]Raven[/name_u] - tacky
[name_u]Ruby[/name_u] and [name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f] - ok because it’s [name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f] not [name_f]Emerald[/name_f].
[name_f]Lily[/name_f] and [name_f]Rose[/name_f] - tacky
I don’t really know. I would never use a matchy-matchy theme myself, but only because I love names that haven’t any correlation to each other. On the other hand, I would think it adorable to meet sisters [name_f]Lily[/name_f] and [name_f]Rose[/name_f], while [name_f]Wren[/name_f] and [name_u]Raven[/name_u] sound too similar. The only real reason I like subtle name themes is it shows some display of intelligence (anybody could name their kids [name_f]Lily[/name_f] & [name_f]Rose[/name_f], but [name_u]Ruby[/name_u] & [name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f] is much more creative). I would be pleasantly surprised to meet siblings [name_m]Peregrine[/name_m] & [name_f]Lark[/name_f], [name_m]Jasper[/name_m] & [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f], or [name_u]Sage[/name_u] & [name_u]Rue[/name_u]. So it depends : )
I agree. I think an obvious theme is kind of tacky, but a connection that’s really subtle is nice. The problem is when you have a larger family and you tie yourself to this theme.
Many sets, like [name_m]Jasper[/name_m], [name_m]Clay[/name_m], and [name_f]Amber[/name_f], come across as names first and foremost.
I love looser, subtler themes, especially with middles and girls’ names. I like when the theme is made up of established names, or where the reference is meaningful and uncommon. For instance I think [name_f]Mary[/name_f] [name_f]Linnea[/name_f] and [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] [name_f]Acacia[/name_f] would go together beautifully, or a color-related set with [name_f]Pearl[/name_f], [name_f]Violet[/name_f] and [name_u]Sterling[/name_u]. A lot of themes overlap—[name_f]Hazel[/name_f], [name_f]Lavender[/name_f], and [name_f]Coral[/name_f] are both nature and color names.
I agree with the others that it depends on how obvious it is. Most extreme names have an element of tackiness. It’s hard to name your kid [name_f]Clover[/name_f] and not expect it to occasionally feel a bit tacky. Uncommon things often feel strange. When you add a theme, it can really go off the deep end. That’s why sister’s named [name_f]Faith[/name_f], [name_f]Joy[/name_f], and [name_f]Hope[/name_f] feels a bit boring more than technically tacky and sisters [name_f]Clover[/name_f], [name_u]Sage[/name_u], and [name_f]Briar[/name_f] sound a bit crazy.
I also think you should not sacrifice loving a name for adhering to a theme or not adhering to a theme.
If you love the names [name_f]Rose[/name_f] and [name_f]Lily[/name_f], then use them! They’re beautiful names in their own right and it’s not like your kids will spend their entire lives joined at the hip.
If you love [name_f]Rose[/name_f] and really want to do a flower theme but you dislike all other flower names, don’t pick one just because it fits!
In other words, don’t freak out about themes, in either direction–it usually ends badly.
I think it’s cute. I’d never do it myself, as I’m not generally a fan of word/object names, but when I see sibsets like [name_f]Acacia[/name_f] and [name_f]Lily[/name_f], [name_f]Pearl[/name_f] and [name_u]Ruby[/name_u], [name_u]Winter[/name_u] and [name_f]Summer[/name_f], [name_m]Forest[/name_m] and [name_u]River[/name_u], [name_u]Robin[/name_u] and [name_u]Raven[/name_u], my first thought is always ‘Oh, how sweet/cool/cute’ as opposed to ‘Wow, that’s tacky.’
If not so obvious or very meaningful, theming isn’t tacky but cute. For examples, it’s fine for botanic scientists to have daughters [name_u]Juniper[/name_u] and [name_f]Rose[/name_f] but just to name kids [name_f]Mercedes[/name_f] and [name_u]Bentley[/name_u] - cheesy, cheesy, cheesy.
My boys all have [name_m]New[/name_m] Testament names which I guess is sort of a theme. But if I run out of ones I like I’ll branch off in another direction.
I’m on the fence on this. I think very obvious themes can work with twins. For example I know a pair called [name_f]Ivy[/name_f] & [name_f]Rose[/name_f], and I think that’s quite sweet together.
Trying to force the same initial throughout a sibset, a la the Kardasians (eg. [name_f]Khloe[/name_f] instead of [name_f]Chloe[/name_f]), is tacky in my opinion.
I like subtle themes. [name_u]Ruby[/name_u] and [name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f] doesn’t bother me. [name_f]Wren[/name_f] and [name_u]Raven[/name_u] is cheesy. [name_f]Lily[/name_f] and [name_f]Rose[/name_f] isn’t horrible, but I wouldn’t do it.
I find it kind of tacky when the connections are super obvious.
I go with tacky…I cringe when I hear it to be honest! BUT agree if is subtle then no problem.
I love it with unusual names.
I hate it when its done with virtue names, intensely biblical names, or place names and things like that, but when its done with a broader theme like nature names I really like it. I particularly like it when people use literary names - it can be fun to give your children that kind of a connection.
You [name_f]DO[/name_f] have to be careful, make sure whatever theme you choose has lots of options that you like. You could lock yourself in & end up with a name you don’t love for subsequent kids.
My daughter is [name_u]Ruby[/name_u] and I’m toying with the idea of [name_u]Gray[/name_u] for a boy. [name_u]Ruby[/name_u] & [name_u]Gray[/name_u] doesn’t feel tacky to me, but I understand if others disagree. I also think that some combos feel tackier than others. Kids [name_f]Summer[/name_f] & [name_f]Autumn[/name_f] sounds tacky to me.
I think maybe it’s partly how much the actual meaning dominates the name. When I hear the names [name_f]Rose[/name_f] or [name_f]Pearl[/name_f], I think about the name first and the meaning second. But if I hear the name [name_f]Summer[/name_f], it’s all about the season.
I think it’s clever when it’s subtle - like if the meanings are connected, but no one would have realized - but if it’s like [name_u]Ruby[/name_u] and [name_f]Pearl[/name_f] and [name_f]Amethyst[/name_f] or [name_f]Violet[/name_f] and [name_f]Amber[/name_f] and [name_f]Scarlett[/name_f] it’s super tacky, sorry
[name_f]One[/name_f] of the posters hit on the head when she said they should sound like names first and foremost.
I dislike [name_f]Wren[/name_f] and [name_u]Raven[/name_u]. The sounds are too repetitive. [name_f]Wren[/name_f] sounds almost like a nickname for [name_u]Raven[/name_u]. (Take out the av) My least favorite theme is names that sound too close for siblings. I also think [name_f]Wren[/name_f] and [name_f]Lark[/name_f] though would be too close for me.
I like [name_u]Ruby[/name_u] and [name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f]. I also like [name_u]Ruby[/name_u] and [name_f]Amber[/name_f] although Rubies are a lot more rare than [name_m]Ambers[/name_m].
My favorite would be [name_f]Lily[/name_f] and [name_f]Rose[/name_f]. I think both names work on their own so well they go together. I actually have three examples of sisters like that.