I’ve been hunting for names to add to my lists for a few days now and I’m beginning to notice a pattern of being drawn to names with a long i sound (like ‘eye’), either in the full name or a nn. For instance [name_f]Iris[/name_f] (EYE-riss), [name_f]Maya[/name_f] (mEYE-ah), [name_u]Eli[/name_u] (ee-lEYE), [name_m]Zakkai[/name_m] (Zuh-kEYE) … I could go on! It got me to thinking, is there a certain sound other people are drawn to in names too? I’d be fascinated to hear!
2 Likes
I also love long i sounds ([name_f]Ida[/name_f], [name_m]Simon[/name_m], [name_u]Levi[/name_u], [name_u]Ira[/name_u], [name_f]Ivy[/name_f], [name_f]Dinah[/name_f], et cetera); it might be my favorite sound!
1 Like
For me, it’s:
“ah”- [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f], [name_f]Ana[/name_f], [name_f]Anita[/name_f], [name_f]Mariana[/name_f], [name_f]Mariposa[/name_f], [name_f]Alia[/name_f]
“M—r”- [name_f]Moira[/name_f], [name_f]Morwenna[/name_f], [name_f]Merewen[/name_f], [name_u]Meredith[/name_u], [name_f]Merida[/name_f], [name_f]Mariana[/name_f], [name_f]Mariposa[/name_f]
“el”- [name_u]Elliot[/name_u], [name_u]Ellis[/name_u], [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f], [name_f]Ella[/name_f], [name_f]Elsie[/name_f], [name_f]Eliza[/name_f], [name_f]Elise[/name_f], [name_f]Elspeth[/name_f], [name_f]Ellen[/name_f], [name_f]Elena[/name_f]
“aoi”- [name_f]Saoirse[/name_f] (my name!), [name_f]Aoife[/name_f], [name_f]Caoimhe[/name_f]
1 Like
I love the long “e” sound in general but especially “een” and “eem.”
And “ode” like [name_u]Claude[/name_u], [name_f]Maude[/name_f], and [name_f]Emeraude[/name_f]!
1 Like
I have so many! In fact, sound is my top priority in names. Here are the ones that especially stand out to me (at least right now):
“–air–”: [name_f]Caroline[/name_f], [name_m]Terrance[/name_m], [name_m]Garrett[/name_m]
“ay” (long A): [name_f]Ava[/name_f], [name_u]Cade[/name_u], [name_u]Peyton[/name_u]
“æ” (short A): [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f], [name_m]Casper[/name_m], [name_u]Addison[/name_u] (especially if L follows the sound, as in [name_f]Alice[/name_f] and [name_m]Calvin[/name_m])
“el”: [name_u]Elliott[/name_u], [name_f]Helen[/name_f], [name_f]Gabrielle[/name_f]
“H–”: [name_u]Harry[/name_u], [name_u]Hayden[/name_u], [name_m]Hadrian[/name_m]
“L” (the sound): [name_f]Layla[/name_f], [name_f]Ellen[/name_f], [name_f]Katelyn[/name_f] (especially “–ayl–” names like [name_f]Hailee[/name_f] and [name_u]Taylor[/name_u])
“am” and “an”: [name_u]Anne[/name_u], [name_f]Hannah[/name_f], [name_u]Cameron[/name_u]
“ɛ” (short E): [name_f]Esther[/name_f], [name_m]Kevin[/name_m], [name_u]Everett[/name_u]
1 Like
For girls, “o” sounds and “a”-ending names for sure: [name_f]Luna[/name_f], [name_u]Nova[/name_u], [name_f]Nora[/name_f], [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f], Saela, [name_f]Cleo[/name_f], [name_f]Cliona[/name_f], [name_f]Zora[/name_f], [name_f]Eliora[/name_f], [name_f]Delilah[/name_f], [name_f]Lumia[/name_f], [name_f]Elowen[/name_f], [name_f]Meadow[/name_f], [name_f]Clover[/name_f], [name_f]Marigold[/name_f], [name_f]Flora[/name_f]
For boys, “er”-ending names: [name_u]River[/name_u], [name_u]Jasper[/name_u], [name_m]Oscar[/name_m], [name_u]Oliver[/name_u], [name_u]Asher[/name_u]
I’ve been thinking about this lately too though! I wish there was something like the Nameberry name generator where we could just put in our favorite sounds and find the perfect names based on that 
5 Likes
Also for me: “er” names like [name_f]Kirsten[/name_f], [name_m]Herman[/name_m], and [name_m]Erwin[/name_m].
1 Like
For girls I love O sounds or ette endings:
ex) [name_f]Juno[/name_f], [name_f]Olympia[/name_f], Cosette
For boys I love names ending in a or er:
[name_u]Micha[/name_u], [name_u]Ezra[/name_u], [name_u]Sawyer[/name_u], [name_m]Foster[/name_m] etc.
1 Like
That’s so interesting about sound being your top priority! I suppose the sound of a name is the majority of its daily use so that makes sense.
I also like the ‘el’ and ‘æ + l’ I find. I think it does also depend on accent, hey? For instance, I don’t find the ‘air’ sound a lot in names, as my vowels are usually kept short. [name_f]Cara[/name_f], when I say it, sounds like ‘car-uh’ rather than ‘cair-uh’, for example.
2 Likes
I love the ‘o’ sound too 
Especially as the long o at the end, like [name_u]Theo[/name_u].
I LOVE the idea of the sound function being part of the advance search or name generator on NB!! That’s genius!
2 Likes
Vs, Zs, and Os are the ones I’m always drawn to. Also a lot of names starting with A.
2 Likes
The OO sound really appeals to me:
Juno, [name_f]Oona[/name_f], [name_f]Luna[/name_f], [name_u]Rue[/name_u], [name_f]Ivalo[/name_f], [name_f]Sunniva[/name_f], [name_f]Tuesday[/name_f]…
Louis, [name_u]Lupin[/name_u], [name_u]Jules[/name_u], [name_u]Luca[/name_u], [name_u]Jude[/name_u], [name_m]Rua[/name_m], [name_m]Rufus[/name_m]…
3 Likes
Hard d ([name_f]Ermentrude[/name_f], [name_f]Brunhilda[/name_f], Adalheidis, [name_f]Hildegarde[/name_f], [name_m]Theodoric[/name_m], Adalwin etc.)
3 Likes
I love long vowel sounds in general, e.g. [name_f]Luna[/name_f], [name_u]Eden[/name_u], [name_u]Ira[/name_u], [name_m]Otis[/name_m], [name_f]Rhea[/name_f]…
2 Likes
O sounds, e.g. [name_m]Miro[/name_m], [name_m]Finlo[/name_m], [name_u]Josie[/name_u], [name_u]Caro[/name_u].
n and is endings as in [name_u]Arlen[/name_u], [name_m]Arlin[/name_m], [name_f]Maren[/name_f], Eirlis, [name_f]Eris[/name_f]
ETA oops spelt Eirlys wrong 
2 Likes
Probably a good old “lee” sound:
Hollay, [name_f]Cally[/name_f], [name_f]Tuuli[/name_f], [name_f]Mabli[/name_f], [name_f]Molly[/name_f], [name_f]Elly[/name_f], [name_f]Lily[/name_f], [name_u]Tully[/name_u], [name_m]Nolly[/name_m], Aulay, [name_u]Finlay[/name_u], [name_u]Allie[/name_u]
But I also really like “een”
Méabhín, Uainín, Nóinín, [name_f]Rosaleen[/name_f], [name_f]Kathaleen[/name_f], Máirín, [name_f]Fina[/name_f], [name_f]Bina[/name_f]
And of course, “bee”
[name_f]Maeby[/name_f], [name_m]Albee[/name_m], Elsabe, [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f], Ellaby, [name_u]Willoughby[/name_u], [name_m]Moby[/name_m], [name_u]Darby[/name_u]
3 Likes
I’m a sucker for ‘‘een’’ sounds! [name_f]Josephine[/name_f], [name_f]Emmeline[/name_f], [name_f]Aveline[/name_f], [name_f]Evangeline[/name_f], [name_f]Francine[/name_f]…
I also like ‘‘eyen’’ sounds like [name_f]Caroline[/name_f] and [name_f]Adeline[/name_f], though a bit less.
Both feel super sweet to me.
It’s why I also love M sounds! M-heavy names just feel so much cozier and softer than others. [name_f]Amelie[/name_f], [name_f]Molly[/name_f], [name_f]Marguerite[/name_f], [name_f]Matilda[/name_f]…
4 Likes
I’m really drawn to boy names ending in -as, like [name_m]Lukas[/name_m], [name_m]Thomas[/name_m], [name_u]Atlas[/name_u], [name_m]Silas[/name_m]… I love them all.
For girls, I enjoy a short -ie sound at the end like [name_f]Helmi[/name_f], [name_f]Suvi[/name_f], [name_f]Tuuli[/name_f], [name_u]Kennedy[/name_u], [name_f]Meri[/name_f], [name_f]Lily[/name_f], or names ending in -ka, like [name_f]Erika[/name_f], [name_f]Viveka[/name_f], [name_f]Bianka[/name_f], or [name_f]Danika[/name_f].
3 Likes
‘Or/Au’ is a big one in a lot of my favourites. [name_f]Pandora[/name_f], [name_f]Morgana[/name_f], [name_f]Georgiana[/name_f], [name_f]Aurora[/name_f], [name_u]August[/name_u], [name_m]Lorenzo[/name_m] (more luh, but same letters), [name_m]Isidore[/name_m]. Also:
‘ian’ for boys. [name_m]Caspian[/name_m], [name_m]Gideon[/name_m], [name_u]Julian[/name_u], [name_u]Dorian[/name_u], [name_u]Julian[/name_u].
‘enna’ for girls. [name_f]Rowenna[/name_f], [name_f]Lowenna[/name_f], [name_f]Jenna[/name_f], [name_f]Vienna[/name_f].
2 Likes
So, in reviewing my favorites, I seem to really be drawn to the L sound in names – particularly in girl names, but also in boys.
Lilia, [name_f]Clara[/name_f], [name_f]Elanor[/name_f], [name_f]Juliet[/name_f], [name_f]Polly[/name_f], [name_f]Caroline[/name_f], [name_f]Ilse[/name_f], [name_f]Petronella[/name_f], [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f], [name_f]Helena[/name_f], [name_f]Flora[/name_f], [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f], [name_f]Magdalena[/name_f], [name_f]Mariella[/name_f], [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f]
Daniel, [name_u]Ellis[/name_u], [name_u]Miles[/name_u], [name_m]Gilbert[/name_m], [name_m]Macklin[/name_m], [name_u]Julian[/name_u], [name_m]Nicolas[/name_m], [name_u]Hadley[/name_u]
2 Likes