My OH recently brought up the idea of a child again, I delved into my old lists of name ideas, and all of a sudden I’m finding names really overwhelming, I don’t know where to start. I don’t really know what my style is and I think I need to start over for both girls and boys names.
I would agree that I tend toward unusual, fantasy/fairytale type names.
[name_m]Remus[/name_m] is nice but I don’t like it enough to use it myself. I do like [name_f]Athena[/name_f], [name_f]Rowena[/name_f], and [name_f]Yvette[/name_f], those will go on a long list. I also like [name_f]Lyra[/name_f] a lot but OH has already said no to that one.
I totally understand feeling overwhelmed, it feels different when it’s an actual name for an actual child. I wouldn’t panic at this stage though, you have plenty of time. Have you talked to your OH about the kinds of names he likes? I’ve had to let go of a few of my loves because my OH really doesn’t like them at all. I think @sparkleninja18 is right, there’s a strong fantasy/mythological (Greek?) influence on quite a few of the names, so maybe explore some of those links a bit more? Is it the sound of the names that you love or the stories behind them? A few also have links with stars/constellations? ([name_f]Andromeda[/name_f]/[name_u]Orion[/name_u]), is that a factor? Maybe a Shakespearean theme as well?
You might also like:
Greek: [name_f]Ariadne[/name_f], [name_f]Gaia[/name_f], Leto, [name_f]Rhea[/name_f],/ [name_m]Achilles[/name_m], [name_m]Atlas[/name_m], [name_m]Hector[/name_m] (So many to choose from: see List of Greek mythological figures - Wikipedia)
Constellations/Solar system: [name_u]Vega[/name_u], [name_m]Sirius[/name_m]
Shakespearean: [name_f]Aliena[/name_f], [name_f]Cressida[/name_f], [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f], [name_f]Emilia[/name_f], [name_f]Helena[/name_f], [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f], [name_f]Phebe[/name_f], [name_f]Titania[/name_f]/ [name_m]Antonio[/name_m], [name_m]Aragon[/name_m], [name_u]Corin[/name_u], [name_m]Fabian[/name_m], [name_m]Lucius[/name_m], [name_m]Ross[/name_m], [name_m]Timon[/name_m]
Sometimes starting fresh can be helpful. Some ideas to get you started: [name_m]Set[/name_m] this list aside then pick up a good name book ( one that is not too large and doesn’t list every slight variation) and just list the names you like. [name_m]Don[/name_m]'t worry about any restrictions at this point, you are just brainstorming. See if your SO would be up for doing the same. Compare lists. Make sibsets and name combos, pretend you’re having triplets or six kids, seeing how sibling names sound together will help you discover your style, or that you don’t care about style. Rate a list of names, 10-20 is a good number to work with and have your SO do the same, then score them and add them up to see which are the strongest contenders for you both. List your restrictions if you have any, like not too popular, don’t know anyone with the name, or whatever ideals you have in naming and rate those, often it’s hard to find the perfect name so it’s important to see what your priorities are.