Diana? Helena? ...and others!

[name]Hi[/name]! We’re TTC and just playing around with names for the time being. What do you think of our list so far? Some are definitely crazier than others. Generally, we’re into uncommon classics with a twist. :slight_smile: I’d appreciate suggestions, too!

[name]Diana[/name]
[name]Helena[/name]
[name]Xanthe[/name]
[name]Lark[/name]
[name]Penelope[/name]
[name]Imogen[/name]
[name]August[/name]
[name]Iris[/name]
[name]Eloise[/name]
[name]Anwen[/name]/[name]Wynn[/name] (love [name]Arwen[/name] too, but I think that might be too [name]Lord[/name] of the Rings?)

We have new favorites every day. Today, we’re crushing hard on [name]Diana[/name]. Thanks!

[name]Diana[/name] – Very pretty name. I think people view [name]Diana[/name] as being too old, but I think it’s just under used enough to kind of sound cool again.
[name]Helena[/name] – [name]Love[/name] [name]Helena[/name]. It’s on my name list. I also love [name]Helaine[/name]. I will say I prefer the pronunciation of Helen-a and not Hel-eena.
[name]Xanthe[/name] – NMS really, but it’s cool.
[name]Lark[/name] – NMS but it sounds kinda punk haha.
[name]Penelope[/name] – Cute and classic. Maybe a little trendy right now, but I feel like it also never goes out of style.
[name]Imogen[/name] – [name]Love[/name] [name]Imogen[/name].
[name]August[/name] – I like it as a boys name better.
[name]Iris[/name] – Very pretty name.
[name]Eloise[/name] – I like [name]Eloise[/name] and [name]Heloise[/name].
[name]Anwen[/name]/[name]Wynn[/name] (love [name]Arwen[/name] too, but I think that might be too [name]Lord[/name] of the Rings?) – Not really into [name]Anwen[/name], but I [name]LOVE[/name] [name]Wynn[/name]. It’s actually my middle name. It’s a welsh girls name. I also like the name [name]Win[/name] for a boy (nickname for [name]Edwin[/name], [name]Winston[/name], etc). [name]Arwen[/name] is definitely reminds me of LotR.

Other names I’d suggest…

[name]Isaline[/name] (is-a-leen or is-a-line), a fresher take on [name]Isabel[/name].
[name]Odile[/name]
[name]Sabine[/name]/[name]Sabina[/name]
[name]Maelys[/name] (mae-liss)
[name]Celine[/name]

[name]Diana[/name] This one is ok. Not a big fan of it, but nice nonetheless.
[name]Helena[/name] [name]Love[/name] this one. I also like [name]Helene[/name]
[name]Xanthe[/name] Not really my style, but I think it would make a great middle name
[name]Lark[/name] I personally don’t like this one because I associate it with “bark” sound everytime I hear it.
[name]Penelope[/name] Never understood the popularity of this one. I don’t like how it sounds or looks. [name]One[/name] of my least favorite names of all time.
[name]Imogen[/name] [name]Lovely[/name]. Really like this one.
[name]August[/name] I like [name]August[/name] on a little boy. On a girl, don’t really like much.
[name]Iris[/name] Beautiful. Short and sweet.
[name]Eloise[/name] [name]One[/name] of my favorite names. Its absolutely lovely, and I love the nn [name]Ellie[/name].
[name]Anwen[/name]/[name]Wynn[/name] (love [name]Arwen[/name] too, but I think that might be too [name]Lord[/name] of the Rings?) I prefer [name]Arwen[/name] over [name]Anwen[/name]. I would definitely use [name]Arwen[/name] ([name]Lord[/name] of the Rings association not a major issue [name]IMO[/name])

[name]Diana[/name] - I’m 100% with you, crushing on [name]Diana[/name] hard. It’s a very beautiful, elegant and underused name
[name]Helena[/name] - love this also but alwys feel like I’m in the minority. my prefered pronounciation being [name]Helen[/name]-a
[name]Xanthe[/name]- could have pronounciation issues outside of nameberry world, but lovely meaning.
[name]Lark[/name] - not keen, sounds too harsh
[name]Penelope[/name] - love it, with the plethora of NN [name]Penny[/name], [name]Nell[/name], [name]Poppy[/name], [name]Lola[/name]. but it’s on the rise :confused:
[name]Imogen[/name] - love this name too, very British feeling to it.
[name]August[/name] - consider this more of a boys’ name, but could workgreat in the middle
[name]Iris[/name]- very sweet name, once conjured image of an old lady, would love to see it on a little baby :slight_smile:
[name]Eloise[/name] - cute, not too keen personally though
[name]Anwen[/name]/[name]Wynn[/name] - Of WElsh names I prefer [name]Olwen[/name]/[name]Olwyn[/name]

[name]Diana[/name] - I love this. [name]Way[/name] too connected to [name]Princess[/name] [name]Di[/name] for me to use it, but it’s a beautiful name and I’d love to see someone else use it! She was also the roman goddess of hunting, which is cool.
[name]Helena[/name] - Very pretty, although not as amazing as [name]Diana[/name] or [name]Xanthe[/name].
[name]Xanthe[/name] - I love [name]Xanthe[/name] too. It’s on my list, it’s such a happy little name.
[name]Lark[/name] - This is lovely too, I’d love to see it as a first. Very sweet and fragile compared to your other names.
[name]Penelope[/name] - I don’t really like this name, but I like the -lope sound.
[name]Imogen[/name] - Really beautiful and strong.
[name]August[/name] - Feels more like a boy name, but I’d like it in the middle. [name]Imogen[/name] [name]August[/name] would be lovely.
[name]Iris[/name] - Very beautiful and sweet. She was a messanger of the Gods and the personification of the rainbow in greek mythology.
[name]Eloise[/name] - A bit boring compared to the rest of your list, but very very pretty.
[name]Anwen[/name]/[name]Wynn[/name](love [name]Arwen[/name] too, but I think that might be too [name]Lord[/name] of the Rings?) - Very different from your other names. I prefer [name]Arwen[/name] over [name]Anwen[/name], I don’t think it’s too LOTR, I mean, people will make the connection but it’s a real name and a very pretty one.

My favourites: [name]Diana[/name], [name]Xanthe[/name], [name]Imogen[/name] and [name]Iris[/name].

Suggestions:
[name]Luna[/name]
Bellona
Feronia
[name]Junia[/name]
Lunaria
[name]Calliope[/name]
[name]Thalia[/name]
[name]Philomena[/name]
[name]Selene[/name]
[name]Ianthe[/name]
[name]Eirene[/name]/[name]Irene[/name]
[name]Daphne[/name]
[name]Melissa[/name]
[name]Iphigenia[/name]
[name]Inanna[/name]
[name]Lyra[/name]
[name]Rhiannon[/name]/Rhianwen
Eirawen/Eirwen/Eirlys
[name]Hermione[/name]
[name]Miranda[/name]

Your name list strikes me as very regal :slight_smile: I could imagine queens (not necessarily from this day and age!) with all the names you’ve listed, they’re lovely.

[name]Diana[/name] - this reminds me of an actress I love, [name]Dianna[/name] Agron, but I’m sure most people will automatically think of the princess. This name really is the epitome of classic elegance in my opinion, but I think the strong “eye” sound gives it a boost. I’m a sucker for that sound in names ([name]Violet[/name], [name]Shiloh[/name], [name]Milo[/name], [name]Isla[/name] etc)

[name]Helena[/name] - [name]How[/name] are you pronouncing this? I love it pronounced hel-AY-na, but for me HEL-en-ah just doesn’t have the same appeal, it feels much more plain.

[name]Xanthe[/name] - [name]Love[/name] [name]Xanthe[/name]. I always wonder if most people would find it hard to pronounce, but it’s so spunky and sweet! Probably best suited to the middle name slot realistically, though I think it could work as a first for the right people.

[name]Lark[/name] - [name]Lark[/name] is strictly middle name territory for me, as I can’t get the “larking about” connotations out of my mind. Having said that, despite it’s most harsh sound I think it’s beautiful.

[name]Penelope[/name] - [name]One[/name] of my top favourites at the moment! I really love the versatility of [name]Penelope[/name]. She can be [name]Penelope[/name] at work, [name]Penny[/name] at school, [name]Nell[/name] at home, [name]Poppy[/name] to her friends etc - there are so many different nicknames you can get out of it. But, unlike some names, the nicknames don’t take away from that sweet and feminine feels of [name]Penelope[/name].

[name]Imogen[/name] - [name]One[/name] of the names I love for other people more than myself. It’s a bit clunky for me to enjoy to it’s full extent, but there simply aren’t enough little Imogens around in my opinion. Perfect balance between strong and girly.

[name]August[/name] - I definitely prefer this for a boy, but there’s nothing to say it can’t work for a girl as it’s is a word name (okay, I know the word came from a male name, but I’m talking relatively to the time period). I just think the sound is a bit too masculine for my liking.

[name]Iris[/name] - I used to hate this name, it seemed plagued by the curse of the elderly. However, I’ve seen it in so many lovely combos here on NB that it’s really grown on me. I’d probably prefer it as a middle myself, but I think it could be very refreshing as a first name.

[name]Eloise[/name] - As a [name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name] fan, acne-ridden [name]Eloise[/name] Midgen prevents me from loving this name (though I do love [name]Eloisa[/name]). It’s very sophisticated though, it gives me a feeling of “handsomeness” (in the old, [name]Jane[/name] [name]Austen[/name] era sense of the word) more than “beauty”. I think it’s similarity to [name]Ellie[/name] and [name]Louise[/name] make it very workable nowadays.

[name]Anwen[/name]/[name]Wynn[/name] - Not a huge fan of these ([name]Wynn[/name] is very surnamey to me), though I do love [name]Arwen[/name]. I haven’t seen LotR though so that might be an issue. I also love [name]Elowen[/name]/Elowyn. Though it’s not my style, the nickname [name]Winnie[/name] is sweet.

Suggestions :slight_smile: -

[name]Alice[/name]
[name]Lucinda[/name]
[name]Aurora[/name]
[name]Daphne[/name]
[name]Hermia[/name]/[name]Hermione[/name]
[name]Genevieve[/name]
[name]Ivy[/name]
[name]Phoebe[/name]
[name]Juliet[/name]
[name]Hazel[/name]
[name]Lydia[/name]
[name]Scarlet/name
[name]Josephine[/name]
[name]Marina[/name]
[name]Ariadne[/name]
[name]Cecily[/name]
[name]Elise[/name]
[name]Matilda[/name]
[name]Violet[/name]
[name]Celeste[/name]
[name]Genevra[/name]
[name]Flora[/name]
[name]Piper[/name]
[name]Brynn[/name]
[name]Luna[/name]
[name]Susanna[/name]
[name]Muriel[/name]
[name]Rowan[/name]
[name]Audrey[/name]
[name]Beatrix[/name]
[name]Ida[/name]
[name]Rhiannon[/name]
[name]Carmen[/name]
[name]Emmeline[/name]
[name]Cordelia[/name]
[name]Eleanor[/name]
[name]Caroline[/name]
[name]Clara[/name]
[name]Harper[/name]
[name]Evelyn[/name]
[name]Minerva[/name]

I love [name]Diana[/name]! I feel it’s very timeless and ages well.

LIKE
[name]Penelope[/name]: [name]Love[/name] the nickname [name]Penny[/name]! However might get very popular after [name]Kourtney[/name] Kardashian named her baby girl [name]Penelope[/name].
[name]Imogen[/name]: [name]One[/name] of my favourite names! [name]Love[/name] the nickname [name]Immy[/name].

NOT SURE
[name]Diana[/name]: Really pretty name and love the fact it’s the name of a moon goddess. However it reminds me too much of the tragedy of [name]Princess[/name] [name]Diana[/name].
[name]Eloise[/name]: It’s okay, better than [name]Louise[/name] but I don’t really like how it looks.

DISLIKE
[name]Helena[/name]: Reminds me of the song by My Chemical [name]Romance[/name]. Think it’s awkward to pronounce.
[name]Xanthe[/name]: Too out-there, not very pretty.
[name]Lark[/name]: Reminds me of a saying in the UK. Again, not very pretty.
[name]August[/name]: I see this as a boy’s name. [name]Don[/name]'t like it after watching Water for Elephants.
[name]Iris[/name]: Reminds me of the iris in the eye.
[name]Anwen[/name]/[name]Wynn[/name]: Too out-there and not pretty.

:slight_smile:

[name]Diana[/name] - I like this - much more than [name]Diane[/name]. I think it’s coming back in style, and has a good mythological namesake!
[name]Helena[/name] - Like this as well - I like Shakespearian names! Much prefer it pronounced [name]Helen[/name]-a than Hel-EY-na
[name]Xanthe[/name]- Not my style.
[name]Lark[/name] - Really really like this.
[name]Penelope[/name] - Bit more common, but [name]Penny[/name] is very cute.
[name]Imogen[/name] - Very pretty, but (at least in Australia) is becoming quite common. Also [name]Imo[/name] (which is what all the Imogens I know are called) is not an awesome nickname
[name]August[/name] - Not keen on this, even for a boy
[name]Iris[/name]- Sweet and pretty
[name]Eloise[/name] - Also really like this!
[name]Anwen[/name]/[name]Wynn[/name] - Bit to fantasy novel for me.

In order of preference:

[name]Lark[/name]
[name]Eloise[/name]
[name]Diana[/name]
[name]Helena[/name]

[name]Iris[/name]
[name]Penelope[/name]
[name]Imogen[/name]

[name]August[/name]
[name]Arwen[/name]
[name]Xanthe[/name]

best of luck!

Being a [name]Diana[/name], I can say that everyone who automatically thinks of the princess is incorrect. Maybe if they live in [name]England[/name], but in [name]America[/name], I never had anyone be like “oh like [name]Princess[/name] [name]Diana[/name]” The only time I had attention due to my name was when the teachers talked about mythology in class and then the [name]Roman[/name] [name]Goddess[/name], [name]Diana[/name], would be brought up. So I find it usable, but of course I’m biased and I love my name :slight_smile:

[name]Helena[/name] - is alright
[name]Xanthe[/name] - I see pn problems with it
[name]Lark[/name] - okay
[name]Penelope[/name] - okay
[name]Imogen[/name] - prounucation problems
[name]August[/name] - too boyish
[name]Iris[/name] - okay
[name]Eloise[/name] - cute
[name]Anwen[/name]/[name]Wynn[/name] - nms