Esmeralda?Is it really that bad? In need of a unique Spanish name for the UK

Girl Names
1

Expecting our DD2 and third child and finding it so hard to find a name this time around.

With DD1 I knew her name, got others opinions online and then went for it and I do not regret it to bits. It’s an ancient Greek name but cute and easy to pronounce in the UK where we live, many people like it and very unique here.

For DS1 we went with a Spanish name that is very popular as a girl name only in the UK and we love it to bits, only little boy we know with that name in the UK, it suits him and DH is Spanish, which is a lovely way to connect with his culture as well.

For DD3 we thought of going for a Spanish name as well, but I want something unique for the UK and melifluous that will be liked and this is so hard to find, as DH suggests names that are too common and I like something that is not really used much around.

Unfortunately I am the kind of person that is influenced by others’ opinions unless it is a name like DD1’s which I absolutely adore and do not care as much if one/two people dislike it, as I kind of know it is a cute name and many people like it.

At the moment the only name we agree on for DD2 is [name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f] and my intention is to use her full name, as [name_f]Esme[/name_f] is lovely as a nickname but too common for my taste and feel like if [name_f]Esme[/name_f] is what we want to use as her name, then that should be her name and not [name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f].

My fear though is that [name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f] will be seen as an Over the top name, overwrought Disney, a Witch’s name and not cool at all, but old. This is the opinion most people expressed in forums so far and I started having second thoughts and waking up with nightmares. Pregnancy does not help, lol.

Only downside I was seeing initially is that it’s long, 4 syllables with 9 letters, but there are other names that are long and still liked e.g. [name_f]Valentina[/name_f] or [name_f]Penelope[/name_f], names DH rejected. Is it because of Disney movie this is not liked? Or that it does not flow with sm and ld consonants… Is it too frilly and complicated? Wish I could run a survey lol and if 70% of the people liked it, saw it as cool and refreshing, I would go for it :slight_smile: But I want to avoid comments like OMG this is hideous and feel I bruise my little girl’s life. I want her to have a cute, unique, amanzing name like her sister.

DH also likes [name_f]Gabriella[/name_f] and although this is nice, in Greek where we have no G, the pronunciation is not good at all, it starts with the letter Gamma and it is an ugly sound, so we do not seem to have other choices at the moment :frowning:

I suggested [name_f]Ariana[/name_f] which is rather polular but he disliked it…

Wish I can find the right, perfect name for DD3 and that if [name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f] is the choice or not, we will not regret our decision…

Finding a name is so hard this time around …

2

I personally like [name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f]. I do think its very over the top but I don’t really see it as frilly. Depending on your other children’s names, it could work.

My only suggestion would be [name_f]Esperanza[/name_f]. It’s also long and Spanish but doesn’t remind people of Disney (as far as I’m aware).

3

I like [name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f] too and I definitely don’t think it’s [name_m]OTT[/name_m]. I can see how some might but if you love it and agree on it, it’s worth what is already a small risk [name_f]IMO[/name_f].

4

I live in Spain and my husband is Spanish, we want an English name lol.
Here are some more options of a similar vibe in case you don’t want to go with [name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f]:

[name_f]Daniela[/name_f]
[name_f]Martina[/name_f]
[name_f]Adriana[/name_f]
[name_f]Alexandra[/name_f]
[name_f]Aitana[/name_f]
[name_f]Valeria[/name_f]
[name_f]Natalia[/name_f]
[name_f]Carlota[/name_f]
Almudena
[name_f]Alicia[/name_f]
[name_f]Amalia[/name_f]
[name_f]Amparo[/name_f]
[name_f]Angeles[/name_f]
[name_f]Ariadna[/name_f]
[name_f]Carolina[/name_f]
[name_f]Carmela[/name_f]
[name_f]Catalina[/name_f]
[name_f]Dolores[/name_f]
[name_f]Esperanza[/name_f]
[name_m]Estefan[/name_m]ía
[name_f]Graciela[/name_f]
[name_f]Lorena[/name_f]
[name_f]Mariana[/name_f]
[name_f]Miranda[/name_f]
[name_f]Magdalena[/name_f]
[name_f]Mercedes[/name_f]
[name_f]Olalla[/name_f]
[name_f]Paloma[/name_f]
[name_f]Rosalia[/name_f]
[name_f]Rosana[/name_f]
[name_u]Rosario[/name_u]
[name_f]Valentina[/name_f]

5

Thank you Islandmoon, prefer [name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f] to [name_f]Esperanza[/name_f].

DS is [name_m]Emilio[/name_m] and DD is [name_f]Nephele[/name_f] (pronounce Nef-[name_f]Ellie[/name_f])
Prefer three syllable names ideally, but uniqueness, cuteness and flow are also very important

Another name I like is [name_f]Greta[/name_f] but DH was not that certain about it and as it is [name_m]German[/name_m] and not Spanish and something my mother (only one I ask on names from family but maybe I should not, lol) dislikes so I did not insist.

6

I like [name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f]! It’s quite lovely. Everyone will have their own opinion and associations with any name really. If you and your husband love it, than go for it. It’s pretty…

7

Thank you w12

8

I don’t think [name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f] is bad at all or over the top. It’s an absolutely gorgeous name that immediately brings up some beautiful imagery, and it has the bonus of a good meaning. I’d be very happy to meet an [name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f] of any age.

9

I agree that [name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f] is very pretty, and not too over the top (especially next to [name_m]Emilio[/name_m] and [name_f]Nephele[/name_f], wow. Great choices!) If it feels like the right name to you, then I’d use it.

I’m guessing you’ve already considered [name_f]Ariadne[/name_f]? That one feels like an obvious option since you like [name_f]Ariana[/name_f] as well as Greek names like [name_f]Nephele[/name_f]. Other names I’ve heard that are variations of [name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f] are Esmeray and Ismeria, though they don’t exactly solve the problem of being long and unusual. Personally, I think long and unusual is the way to go, anyway—that way she’ll have a name as substantial and cool as her brother’s and sister’s.

10

I am Greek and we do have a G?
Not as a letter but as a sound we use in many words, ΓΚ
So I dont see why [name_f]Gabriella[/name_f] would be a problem
I know a foreign girl named [name_f]Eliza[/name_f] (eh-lie-zah), and she goes by that and not the greek Eh-lee-zah so I dont see why [name_f]Gabriella[/name_f] would have to be Wavriella, it’s not a hard name for Greeks to pronounce
Greek names I like and are easy for foreigners to pronounce: [name_f]Maya[/name_f] (Mah-ja as in the german ja (yes)), [name_f]Athena[/name_f], [name_u]Artemis[/name_u] (my favorite!), [name_f]Penelope[/name_f], [name_f]Calliope[/name_f], [name_u]Calypso[/name_u], [name_f]Susannah[/name_f], [name_f]Maria[/name_f], [name_f]Yolanda[/name_f]
[name_f]Yolanda[/name_f] sounds a lot like [name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f] so…!
PS I love the Disney movie

11

Thank you Emmievis, just don’t think I can control the Greek site of the family, they will say Wavriella and the Wav reminds me the verb for barking to me so not something I can consider unless I get over it… [name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f] is our only choice at the moment but will keep looking. [name_u]Love[/name_u] [name_f]Maya[/name_f] btw, but that is the name of one of my nieces and [name_f]Eliza[/name_f] is lovely but too common in the UK at position 49 in 2015…

12

Thank you geeknamezyo, [name_f]Ariadne[/name_f] is the name of another niece, so don’t feel I can consider it.
Cool to know that [name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f] matches her sibling’s names. [name_m]Will[/name_m] keep looking in case I find something only a tiny bit shorter but still as lovely to pronounce…

13

[name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f] is a beautiful name. As for the Disney association, I wouldn’t worry about it too much – her peers will never have even heard of that movie.

You should consider your point that it is a long name, but you’re of the mindset that a child should just be named what hes/she is going to be called – I get what you are saying there, but because it is a long name, people will naturally try to shorten it whether you like it or not. So even if you rarely (or never) call her by a nickname at home, I suggest having a nickname option picked out for those situations (so for example, if one day her kindergarten teacher keeps calling her [name_f]Esme[/name_f], and you don’t like that, you can say, “oh, we usually just call her by her full name, but she also responds to Mer/[name_f]Elle[/name_f]/[name_f]Ella[/name_f]/[name_f]Mira[/name_f]/[name_f]Mila[/name_f]/[name_f]Della[/name_f] [insert preferred nickname here]”).

Here are some names similar to [name_f]Ariana[/name_f] and [name_f]Gabriella[/name_f] that you might like: [name_f]Adela[/name_f], [name_f]Alana[/name_f], [name_f]Alessia[/name_f], [name_f]Alessandra[/name_f], [name_f]Aliana[/name_f], [name_f]Alina[/name_f], [name_f]Arella[/name_f], [name_f]Arielle[/name_f], [name_f]Athena[/name_f], [name_f]Audrina[/name_f], [name_f]Aviana[/name_f], [name_f]Belle[/name_f]/[name_f]Bella[/name_f], [name_f]Brenna[/name_f], [name_f]Briana[/name_f], [name_f]Brielle[/name_f], [name_f]Camille[/name_f]/[name_f]Camilla[/name_f], [name_f]Dahlia[/name_f], [name_f]Delilah[/name_f], [name_f]Della[/name_f], [name_f]Elena[/name_f], [name_f]Eliana[/name_f], [name_f]Elle[/name_f]/[name_f]Ella[/name_f], [name_f]Estelle[/name_f]/[name_f]Estella[/name_f], [name_f]Estrella[/name_f], [name_f]Giselle[/name_f], Grisella, [name_f]Guiliana[/name_f]/[name_f]Juliana[/name_f], [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f], [name_f]Joelle[/name_f], [name_f]Karina[/name_f], [name_f]Liliana[/name_f], [name_f]Lucille[/name_f], [name_f]Luella[/name_f], [name_f]Luciana[/name_f], Lysandra, [name_f]Magdalena[/name_f], [name_f]Marielle[/name_f], Marcelline, [name_f]Marlena[/name_f], [name_f]Marina[/name_f], [name_f]Melania[/name_f], [name_f]Melody[/name_f], [name_f]Melinda[/name_f], [name_f]Michelle[/name_f], [name_f]Michaela[/name_f], [name_f]Mila[/name_f], [name_f]Mirabelle[/name_f], [name_f]Nella[/name_f]/[name_f]Nelle[/name_f], [name_f]Olivia[/name_f], [name_f]Orla[/name_f], Perinelle, [name_f]Philomena[/name_f], [name_f]Priscilla[/name_f], [name_f]Regina[/name_f], [name_f]Regina[/name_f], Rosabella, [name_f]Rowena[/name_f], [name_f]Sabrina[/name_f], [name_f]Sienna[/name_f], [name_f]Sonia[/name_f]/[name_f]Sonja[/name_f]/[name_f]Sonya[/name_f], [name_f]Stella[/name_f], [name_f]Sylvia[/name_f], [name_f]Tallulah[/name_f], [name_f]Tatiana[/name_f], [name_f]Tianna[/name_f], [name_f]Tierra[/name_f], [name_f]Verona[/name_f], [name_f]Vienna[/name_f], [name_f]Virginia[/name_f], [name_u]Vivian[/name_u], [name_f]Victoria[/name_f], [name_f]Zara[/name_f], [name_f]Zarina[/name_f]

14

[name_f]Nephele[/name_f] has been one of my favourite names forever, good choice! I also love [name_m]Emilio[/name_m] :slight_smile:

I really like [name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f], it does make me think of [name_m]Aladdin[/name_m] but I don’t see that as a problem at all.

What about:
Meralda
[name_f]Cassia[/name_f]
[name_f]Althea[/name_f] or [name_f]Athena[/name_f]
[name_f]Melia[/name_f]
[name_f]Minerva[/name_f]
[name_f]Phaedra[/name_f]
[name_f]Amada[/name_f]
[name_f]Fiorella[/name_f]
[name_f]Aubrielle[/name_f]

15

Everyone else has already left some great suggestions. I especially liked [name_f]Magdalena[/name_f] and [name_f]Luciana[/name_f]…so pretty! I do love [name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f] and I think it sounds great with your other kid’s names. Good luck deciding! You are so right, it gets harder and harder with each child to find just the right name!

16

I really love [name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f], with (if you want a nickname) nn possibilities of both [name_f]Esme[/name_f] and [name_f]Zelda[/name_f]. I personally don’t think it is too frilly for the UK especially as she will have Spanish heritage. It is also lovely with [name_f]Nephele[/name_f] and [name_m]Emilio[/name_m].

Alternatively how about: (sorry about any repeats)

[name_f]Amara[/name_f]
[name_f]Evelina[/name_f]
[name_f]Catalina[/name_f]
[name_f]Amada[/name_f]

17

I love [name_f]Esmerelda[/name_f] too but another beautiful option perhaps, could be [name_f]Ermelinda[/name_f]. I know someone whose DD1 is called this and it is never shortened - not even in school.

18

[name_f]Esmerelda[/name_f] is so cute and defininetly not too [name_m]OTT[/name_m]. I love the nickname [name_f]Esme[/name_f]. But if your not too sure…
Suggestions:
[name_f]Emilia[/name_f]
[name_f]Emmeline[/name_f]
[name_f]Victoria[/name_f]
[name_f]Aurora[/name_f]
[name_f]Lucia[/name_f]
[name_f]Cecilia[/name_f]
Rosabella
[name_f]Eve[/name_f]
[name_f]Eva[/name_f]

Good luck!

19

[name_f]Nephele[/name_f] is gorgeous!

I like [name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f], and I think it goes well with your other childrens’ names. Some people probably will find it “too much”, but that’s true of most names - if you would have decided on [name_f]Esmeralda[/name_f] were it not for some negative feedback, I’d stop worrying and go for it. If you yourself have doubts, by all means keep looking.

Other suggestions:

[name_f]Ismene[/name_f]
[name_f]Hermione[/name_f]
[name_f]Honora[/name_f]/[name_f]Annora[/name_f]
[name_f]Thalia[/name_f]
[name_f]Mafalda[/name_f]
[name_f]Lucinda[/name_f]
[name_u]Cataleya[/name_u]
[name_f]Mariska[/name_f]