First and middle name flow

[name]How[/name] important is flow to you between the first and middle names? I think it’s an added bonus if they sound good together, but if the middle name has family meaning/history, I think it’s okay if they don’t work as well… I guess? I keep telling myself that first and middle names aren’t used together all that often, unless the intention is to use them that way.

The reason I ask is that we’re pretty sure we want to use [name]Giovanna[/name] for the middle name (family meaning). However, most of my favorite first names are also 2-3 syllables ending in -a.

Top two are [name]Eliza[/name] and [name]Tessa[/name]. [name]Eliza[/name] [name]Giovanna[/name] and [name]Tessa[/name] [name]Giovanna[/name]. Doesn’t sound great.

Other favorites are [name]Lucy[/name], which would probably sound the best, but it’s probably my least favorite ([name]Lucy[/name] [name]Giovanna[/name]) and [name]Clara[/name] (not that great, plus [name]Clara[/name] sounds very singsong-y with our last name, K***er).

[name]Just[/name] wondering how you all feel about this!

I wouldn’t have “bad flow” just with two names I like, but I think I would if the reason to honor family, or meaning, like you said. I agree. But, on the other hand, the names you mentioned don’t actually sound too bad with [name]Giovanna[/name]. I think it will be fine, beautiful names!

another thing I just thought of…if [name]Giovanna[/name] is so important to you, why not use it as the first name? It’s actually my favorite of the names you mentioned (but [name]Tessa[/name] is a close second)

Personally, though [name]Lucy[/name] doesn’t have the clashy -a ending, [name]Tessa[/name] has a much better feel with [name]Giovanna[/name]. I think [name]Lucy[/name] and [name]Giovanna[/name] clash style wise instead of flow wise, and I’d vote style is more important than flow. I also think [name]Tessa[/name] [name]Giovanna[/name] sounds fine as long as the last name doesn’t end in a.

I tend to agree that name flow is important so I’d keep the first name to a 2-syllable max if you’re set on [name]Giovanna[/name] as the middle name.

Something like [name]Jordyn[/name] [name]Giovanna[/name] sounds nice to me.

Good question. I think 9 out of 10 people would mispronounce it (we’re going for the Italian pronunciation which is more like three syllables: [name]Jo[/name]-VAHN-nuh), and I grew up with a name that was always mispronounced, so I kind of want to avoid that for her. Also, as much as I like it, I’m not sure I want something so heavily Italian in the first name spot, although DD will be half Italian.

It’s important to me, but everyone has their own criteria when choosing names.

very good point, and now that you mention it, [name]Giovanni[/name] has been thrown around in my head for a boy, which in my family is pronounced [name]Jo[/name]-vanni. I have to say, I saw [name]Giovanna[/name] and immediately thought 4 syllables, even though I only pronounce [name]Giovanni[/name] with 3 and it is almost the same name…

I hear you! [name]Even[/name] growing up Italian, I still said it with four syllables until I actually studied Italian for a year in school. My grandfather was [name]Giovanni[/name] but Americanized it as [name]Johnny[/name]. [name]Giovanni[/name] was our plan for the boy middle name until we found out it’s a girl.

It doesn’t sound bad with four syllables, it just sounds wrong to me ever since learning the “right” way.

[name]Tessa[/name] [name]Giovanna[/name] sounds good to me

I think people forget that names are heard way more than they are seen. I went to school with a Hispanic boy named “jo-vanni”; it wasn’t until the end of the school year when yearbooks were handed out that I learned his name was spelled [name]Giovanni[/name]. It’s more likely that [name]Giovanna[/name] would be misspelled than mispronounced

If it sounds horrible, then no way. But those names have a good flow. The flow is mostly a different amount of syllables in all names ([name]Alice[/name] [name]Rose[/name] Matulla not [name]Alice[/name] [name]Ava[/name] [name]Rosa[/name]) and if it still doesn’t sound right but i love both names, I’ll still consider it.

I agree with this. However, I think [name]Lucy[/name] [name]Giovanna[/name] is adorable and it’s a shame it’s your least favourite.

[name]Tessa[/name] [name]Giovanna[/name] sounds awkward to me, as does [name]Eliza[/name] [name]Giovanna[/name]. If the [name]Giovanna[/name] had a four syllable pronunciation those combo’s wouldn’t sound too bad or as singsongy as they do.

When I started reading your post I was bracing for a terrible combo, but I actually really like [name]Eliza[/name] [name]Giovanna[/name]. (I thought 4-syllables, but I almost like it MORE w/ 3)

It sounds more Italian/exotic/rhythmic … if that makes sense?

[name]Lucy[/name] is losing its appeal to me mostly because of its huge increase in popularity, and the fact that I’ve seen it on lists of names predicted to continue rising dramatically. I hear you that the other combos seem awkward, but I think [name]Giovanna[/name] is important enough to me to overlook it…

Yeah, I’ve heard worse in terms of flow, but I kind of know what you mean with the exotic sound. Very different from my son [name]James[/name] [name]Joseph[/name], but I think my concern is more with the first/last name flow (which is fine with my top favorites) than first/middle at this point.

The flow isn’t so bad in the names you listed. I think [name]Tessa[/name] has the nicest style/flow blend. I don’t think [name]Lucy[/name] flows particularly well with it. I’m all for family mns, so I agree with you: if the name is special that is much more important than flow. An entire name will virtually never be said together. Good luck!

good to know! I never knew if that was the “right” way or just my family’s dialect/accent.