I’d like some reviews on these names, if I may. I usually give some info on each when I do this kind of thing, but thought it might be interesting to get your thoughts on just the name as it appears without any other context.
[name_f]Idony[/name_f]
Alata
[name_f]Valley[/name_f]
[name_f]Cybele[/name_f]
[name_f]Aroha[/name_f]
[name_f]Idony[/name_f] - I like the look and sound of it - there’s something adventurous and bold about it
Alata - quite nice, but reminds me of alas, latter and a latte, sorry
[name_f]Valley[/name_f] - with the rise of bold nature names, I can definitely see this one working. It’s got great imagery plus sounds like other familiar names([name_f]Hallie[/name_f], [name_f]Callie[/name_f] etc), while also being distinct
[name_f]Cybele[/name_f] - is this pronounced sib-eh-lee? That would be my guess but I’m not 100% sure. I like the sound of that, if it is
[name_f]Aroha[/name_f] - it reminds me a lot of Aloha, but it does have an appealing sound and feel to it
[name_f]Idony[/name_f]—This has the pretty, strong, and bold look of [name_f]Ida[/name_f] while still having an interesting uniqueness and freshness to it, however when I was typing the name it kept autocorrecting to I don’t which may be a little off-putting.
Alata—like the previous poster said, it kind of sounds like a latte. I prefer [name_f]Alana[/name_f] to this.
[name_f]Valley[/name_f]—It’s pretty and reminds me a lot of [name_f]Callie[/name_f], one of my favorite names. With the right middle name this could be super cute.
[name_f]Cybele[/name_f]—Sorry, I’m not a fan of this name. I’m not quite sure how to pronounce it…is it like [name_f]Sybil[/name_f]? [name_m]Sy[/name_m]-belle? Either way, this child would have to constantly be spelling the name always or telling people how to pronounce it.
[name_f]Aroha[/name_f]—I’m not a big fan of it, sorry, it kind of reminds me of the word aroma.
[name_f]Idony[/name_f] - I like the sound but I am not keen on the spelling. I love that it is mythology connected. I can’t picture anything like I do [name_f]Cybele[/name_f] & [name_f]Aroha[/name_f].
Alata - I had a feeling I had heard this before and I have! It is in the scientific name of a flower Thunbergia alata or commonly known as [name_m]Black[/name_m]-eyed [name_f]Susan[/name_f] vine - I think I must have heard it from my Grandmother. I am not a fan of the name, look or sound. I do see flowers when I see the name, more so that I looked it up.
[name_f]Valley[/name_f] - Hmmm. Not for me as in Australia there is a fashion (fast fashion) shop called [name_f]Valley[/name_f] Girl and the shoes with a very similar word/spelling Volley… I like the sound of it but Australian associations are too strong. I do like the idea for [name_u]Vale[/name_u] as a 2nd middle (thanks for inspo!)
[name_f]Cybele[/name_f] - I love the look of this over [name_f]Sybil[/name_f] (no offence [name_f]Sybil[/name_f] lovers). Looked at the prn [name_f]SIB[/name_f]-el-ee -and I love the melodic sound and can see a little girl twirling in the living room to music and reading books with her parents before bed.
[name_f]Aroha[/name_f] - MY FAVOURITE from the list. I love the look, the sounds and meaning. I love the possible NN [name_f]Ro[/name_f] or [name_u]Ara[/name_u] with a stretch. I feel like this would make a great “[name_m]Beach[/name_m] girl” vibe name - I picture a little girl living in [name_m]Byron[/name_m] Nay close to the beach and every morning without fail she is up and in the water, she loves florals (including all clothing patterns) and animals and her favourite colours are pastels especially yellow.
[name_f]Idony[/name_f] – 7/10 I’ve been coming around to this lately, although the similarity to ‘irony’ holds me back a bit. I do quite like the sound and meaning though.
Alata – 9/10 There’s something about these sounds together that has such a beautiful, mystical feel. It’s unusual, but also feels like it’d easily blend in.
[name_f]Valley[/name_f] – 5/10 I’m not particularly keen on this one, though it could work with its similarity to [name_f]Ally[/name_f]. I think it’d work better in the middle.
[name_f]Cybele[/name_f] 5/10 – I personally prefer [name_f]Sybil[/name_f] – this spelling makes me want to pronounce it more like sib-[name_f]ELL[/name_f]. [name_f]Cybele[/name_f] reminds me of elves and pixies.
[name_f]Aroha[/name_f] – 9/10 I love the sunny, laid-back, beachy vibes this gives off. It’s such a pretty and airy name.
[name_f]Idony[/name_f] - I love the mythological collection! However as a name I’m not that crazy about it, I think the sound reminds me of dated names like [name_f]Donna[/name_f] and [name_f]Dawn[/name_f]? Not bad though, and I love nickname [name_f]Ida[/name_f]!
Alata - This one feels a bit incomplete to me? I can’t say too much about this, it means “salts” in my language so it’s personally hard to see it as a name!
[name_f]Valley[/name_f] - This is a GP of mine. It sounds very sweet and cute but I can also imagine it on an older woman. It doesn’t make me think of valley girl accents
[name_f]Cybele[/name_f] - I would be a bit confused about how to pronounce this. Shy-belle? Shy-bell-ee? I know that in Greek it’s kee-veh-lee though…
[name_f]Aroha[/name_f] - I like this one, and the nicknames. The first thing that comes to mind is “aloha”, but that’s not that big an issue!
[name_f]Idony[/name_f] - I love the reference to Norse mythology, and of these five, this is one of the most wearable. The only hangup for me is the similarity to the word “idiot” may create some teasing potential.
Alata - This one falls a little flat for me - when said aloud, I hear “a lotta.” I would prefer Alara, [name_f]Alana[/name_f], [name_f]Amara[/name_f], etc.
[name_f]Valley[/name_f] - I’m a sucker for word names, and this one has the advantage of being both highly unusual and quite wearable due to names like [name_f]Ally[/name_f], [name_f]Callie[/name_f], etc.
[name_f]Cybele[/name_f] - By far my favorite on this list!! I love the lilting syllables, the way it looks on paper, and the mythological connection.
[name_f]Aroha[/name_f] - This one does not work for me personally. All I see/hear is Aloha.
I really love [name_f]Cybele[/name_f]! I much prefer it to [name_f]Sybil[/name_f], it has a very medieval, almost Shakespearean vibe to me. I also find [name_f]Aroha[/name_f] intriguing. The others I am not a fan of.
[name_f]Idony[/name_f] ~ ‘Idiot/Idiocy’
Alata ~ ‘A lotta’
[name_f]Valley[/name_f] ~ Have loved this name for a while now, super cute!
[name_f]Cybele[/name_f] ~ [name_f]Sybil[/name_f]. Not a fan at all.
[name_f]Aroha[/name_f] ~ [name_u]Love[/name_u] the meaning but this name is quite clunky and hard to say for me.
[name_f]Idony[/name_f] - I like the mythology connotation and I think it sounds very fresh and summer-y. I’m also a sucker for names beginning with I.
Alata - It sounds like one of [name_u]Ariel[/name_u]'s sisters in the little Mermaid. I wouldn’t personally use it, but it’s a very namey name and I probably wouldn’t think twice if I met someone named Alata.
[name_f]Valley[/name_f] - I feel like the association with [name_f]Valley[/name_f] girls turns me off a little, but it’s a nice name, evocative of some nice nature images.
[name_f]Cybele[/name_f] - I think this is a great option for people who like the sound/meaning of [name_f]Sybil[/name_f] but don’t want the association with the movie.
[name_f]Aroha[/name_f] - It sounds pretty and very tropical. I like.
Thank you all for your replies – much appreciated.
[name_f]Idony[/name_f] – I love both the Norse Mythology & Medieval English connections, particularly being my heritage is (mostly) Scandinavian & English. I’m enjoying the -ee endings more and more lately, too. I don’t see/hear ‘idiot/idiocy’ at all, though I understand how some might. I’m also liking [name_f]Idonea[/name_f], though do prefer [name_f]Idony[/name_f].
Alata – This was to be my own name before my father decided on a different one a week before I was born. Alata is a Latin botanical name (as someone mentioned), and my father, an avid horticulturist, was very interested in Sarracenia alata (a carnivorous pitcher plant) in particular the months before my birth and thought it made for a great name. In Latin, Alata means “winged (one)”. I love that it’s quirky and different, yet not at all too out-there and of course, the connection to my late father (in association and meaning). I do greatly dislike the nickname [name_f]Ally[/name_f] though… I’d likely use this one in the middle.
[name_f]Valley[/name_f] – I’m exploring nature names lately, for middles, and I really loved the imagery of [name_f]Valley[/name_f]. I’m not sure about the [name_f]Ally[/name_f] similarity (again, as above) and the similarity between it and [name_u]Val[/name_u]/[name_f]Valerie[/name_f], which I find extremely dated. I didn’t make the ‘[name_f]Valley[/name_f] Girl’ association at all until it was mentioned… Still, I’m not sure this one will make it further than my long list.
[name_f]Cybele[/name_f] – This is just something I really like the sound, look and mythology of, though I do foresee many pronunciation and spelling issues. It does feel like an elven name (as someone mentioned) – whimsical yet medieval-like and strong. I feel like [name_f]Cybele[/name_f] & [name_f]Elspeth[/name_f] (another of my favourites) would make the perfect sibling duo! I like the SIB-uh-lee pronunciation, but I also adore the Greek pronunciation, kee-VEHL-ee (though this would not be realistic here as it would without doubt cause great pronunciation confusion.
[name_f]Aroha[/name_f] – [name_f]Lovely[/name_f] meaning, and my mother’s name is Maori, so I like that connection. We do not have any heritage or any other connections to the Maori people or culture though, so I wouldn’t actually use it for that reason. I do love it though. I don’t mind its similarity to ‘aloha’ at all, and I imagine that is where the beachy-surfer-type vibe mentioned a couple of times here comes from perhaps. I like, and agree, with that vibe.
Any other reviews would be great! 
Something to think about- the ONLY name of the five posted that I think most people would immediately know how to pronounce is [name_f]Valley[/name_f]. I don’t really like ‘valley’, honestly, to me it’s just kind of weird, like someone naming their kid ‘mountain’ or ‘tree’.
[name_f]Aroha[/name_f] to me sounds like Scooby Doo saying ‘Aloha’.
[name_f]Cybele[/name_f]- pronounced like Sih-belle? Or Sye-belle? Or Sye-belly?? The only one I like is the first.
Alata doesn’t have much of a ring to it, I think. It does sound like someone’s saying ‘a lotta’.
[name_f]Idony[/name_f] sounds, like others have mentioned, idiot.