I’m working on more combos, hoping to work out a top 40 or 50. A lot of this is just for fun—making combos, combining name meanings, finding new beauties that deserve a second look. Who knows? Maybe some of these names will make my top 25.
I’m splitting this list into 3 groups: The Lawfuls (names I have no questions or concerns about)
The Neutrals (names I have short questions about) The Chaotics (names I have longer or more than one question about)
This is group two: the Neutrals.
You can pick all of your favorites from this list. The catch? You have to answer the question(s) inside the summary for those names as well. [name_m]Just[/name_m] the names you pick. [name_m]Don[/name_m]’t feel like you have to answer all of them!
([name_m]Don[/name_m]’t be nervous. These questions are mostly ‘yes’ or ‘no’.)
Here’s the Neutrals list. I’ll post links to the other thread when I make it.
Alden
[name_f]My[/name_f] cousin is @uden, is this too close?
Bryony
Is [name_u]Bryn[/name_u] a usable nickname? Would that complicate the pronunciation for Americans?
Darcy
Too dated for a girl? I don’t like it on a boy
Delphine
nn [name_u]Finn[/name_u]. Is the [name_f]Delphine[/name_f] LaLaurie association too much?
Dove
Too soft? This is why I can never commit to it in the middle, I feel like it just dies.
Elsinore
I can’t use [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], [name_f]Elsie[/name_f], or Nora. Are those inevitable? I’d use [name_f]Nell[/name_f]
Fiore
Pronounced fee-or-ay. Too difficult?
Gaia
[name_f]Gaea[/name_f] is the name of the villain in a book series I’d love to share with my kids. Is this a dealbreaker?
Golden
[name_m]Will[/name_m] definitely be a middle but does it work as a first?
Hero
Too much?
Lillevi
I know I’m the only one who likes it. Is it really that bad?
Liv
Too short?
Nephele
Pronounced NEFF-el-ee. Too hard? nn [name_f]Nell[/name_f]
Philomena
Is it too much? [name_m]Even[/name_m] with the nn [name_f]Pippa[/name_f] or [name_u]Pippin[/name_u]?
Poet
Too much?
Sunset
Too much? [name_m]Will[/name_m] definitely be a middle name if so
Tempest
Too much? [name_m]Will[/name_m] definitely be a middle name if so
Thea
Too close to my sister [name_f]Leah[/name_f]’s name?
Wilder
Surname name or prescriptive personality?
Winry
I’m not familiar with the anime this comes from. Is that a dealbreaker?
Alden: [name_u]Love[/name_u] it, but I agree it’s very similar to [name_u]Auden[/name_u] (but perhaps if they wouldn’t be around each other often, it’s not such a big deal).
Bryony: [name_f]Bryony[/name_f] is lovely, and I don’t think it would be confusing for Americans. Most pronunciation issues are uncomplicated to correct. [name_u]Bryn[/name_u] could be a possible nickname, but I prefer just [name_f]Bryony[/name_f].
Hero: [name_u]Hero[/name_u] is on my list too, and I don’t think it’s any less “too much” than most virtue names. If it’s a worry, it can always go in the middle.
Thea: [name_f]Thea[/name_f] is a little too close to [name_f]Leah[/name_f].
My favorites are [name_u]Golden[/name_u], [name_f]Liv[/name_f], and [name_f]Thea[/name_f]!
Golden - I think [name_u]Golden[/name_u] is very brave as a first but the nickname [name_f]Goldie[/name_f] (if you like that) makes it feel more usable. I would say that, as a first, it’s quite brave but not completely unusable.
Liv - It’s certainly short but I wouldn’t say it’s too short because of names like [name_f]Ava[/name_f], [name_f]Zoe[/name_f], etc.
Thea - I think it’s a little too close- I know I mishear [name_f]Mia[/name_f] and [name_f]Rhea[/name_f] as being [name_f]Leah[/name_f] all the time, so I worry [name_f]Thea[/name_f] would have the same issue. However, I think it works in the middle spot! I wouldn’t assume it was an honor.
I had never heard about [name_f]Delphine[/name_f] LaLaurie before so I personally don’t think that association is too much. But it’s a really awful association.
[name_f]Elsinore[/name_f]
I think [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] is a very intuitive nickname but I’m not sure weather it’s inevitable or not. I think it really depends on the context.
[name_f]Liv[/name_f]
I don’t think it’s too short. Why would it be?
[name_f]Philomena[/name_f]
It’s a bit much but I don’t think it’s necessarily too much.
[name_f]Thea[/name_f]
I personally think it’s indeed a bit too close to [name_f]Leah[/name_f].
My favorites are [name_u]Darcy[/name_u], [name_u]Dove[/name_u], [name_f]Elsinore[/name_f], [name_f]Gaia[/name_f], Lvi, [name_u]Poet[/name_u], [name_f]Thea[/name_f], and [name_f]Winry[/name_f]!
Darcy- I don’t think it’s too dated! I love it on a boy and girl. If anything it might be a little too popular at the moment, especially in the Southern US.
Dove- It is pretty soft but it’s growing on me. It has such a beautiful sound and meaning! Paired with another soft name like [name_f]Lara[/name_f] [name_u]Dove[/name_u] or [name_u]Dove[/name_u] [name_u]Cassidy[/name_u] it sounds awesome!
Elsinore- She might get [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] a lot, since it is the most obvious nickname, but hopefully once corrected it won’t be a big deal. I think [name_f]Nora[/name_f] is another of the more intuitive one’s she’d get.
Gaia- I don’t think it’s a deal breaker. [name_f]My[/name_f] main association is the goddess of the earth.
Liv- I like [name_f]Liv[/name_f]. It is pretty short, but there are other short names that are accepted and popular too. I would go for it!
Philomena- I love [name_f]Philomena[/name_f]! I don’t think it’s too much and [name_f]Pippa[/name_f] and [name_u]Pippin[/name_u] make it a lot more approachable.
Poet- I love [name_u]Poet[/name_u]! It’s so cute! I don’t think it’s too much. And [name_u]Poe[/name_u] is a great nn to make it more approachable.
Thea- It’s a little close, but if you and your sister don’t mind I think it would work!
Winry- I’m not aware of the anime either. It’s not a deal breaker to me
I only have two cousins and my aunt is a little picky about names being too close to her kids’ (at least when it came to her sister’s kids. I’m not sure if she’d be the same way about my kids). So that’s why I’m worried about [name_u]Alden[/name_u].
I love the idea of [name_u]Hero[/name_u] as a virtue name!
Goldie isn’t my favorite but I personally don’t find it more or less name-y than [name_u]Golden[/name_u]. I’m happy that someone else thinks [name_u]Golden[/name_u] is cool!
Thea seems to be getting feedback that it’s too close so I’ll probably drop it.
Philomena - I love this name, but to be honest I am hesitant about how usable it’d be in practice. The nicknames do make it more wearable for sure.
Elsinore - I’m afraid [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] might be inevitable. It is such a cool name though, and if your family sticks to the nickname [name_f]Nell[/name_f], being [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] among some friends might not be a huge problem?
Thea - It is a bit too close to [name_f]Leah[/name_f] for me, unfortunately.
Winry - I would assume it was after the character in Fullmetal Alchemist. She’s a cool lady mechanic though, so it’s not a bad association at all.
Unfortunately, [name_f]Delphine[/name_f] LaLaurie was my first association with the name, but that was years ago and I’m really coming around to the name. I just don’t want it to be anyone else’s association.
Elsie has been used in my family so as much as I love it, I wouldn’t use it. I don’t think anyone in my family would default to it either. Outside the family though, I know I have less control.
I’ve gotten a lot of feedback that [name_f]Liv[/name_f] is too short and nickname-y.
My mom suggested [name_f]Philomena[/name_f] “[name_f]Pippa[/name_f]” to me which makes it feel more usable (since she’s not an adventurous namer) but it is quite long and mythological.
If [name_f]Winry[/name_f] isn’t a bad character, I don’t mind if people make the connection! If they try to talk to me about the show though, I would have to sadly break it to them that I’m completely unfamiliar with it lol.
I love that description of [name_u]Wilder[/name_u] and [name_u]Darcy[/name_u]. And I’m glad you think [name_f]Elsinore[/name_f] can be [name_f]Nell[/name_f]!
Alden- I think it would depend on your accent and how close you are with your cousin? Should be fine, but if this is someone your kid would be seeing very regularly and you pronounce the names very similarly, it could get lightly annoying but I would still go with the name if you like it!
Delphine- I love the nn [name_u]Finn[/name_u] for this!!! And I have no clue who [name_f]Delphine[/name_f] LaLaurie is so definitely not lol
Dove- I see what you mean about it being soft, but I quite like it as a middle, and due to the hard D at the beginning, I can’t fully see it as too soft unless you only mean in meaning? [name_m]Even[/name_m] then, softness is underappreciated in our society so I would say it’s pretty cool to be soft :))
Philomena- No!!! It’s beautiful and the nicknames make it more “wearable”
Thea- Not particularly? I find [name_u]Auden[/name_u] and [name_u]Alden[/name_u] closer, and I think [name_f]Thea[/name_f] would even be a nice way to honour a [name_f]Leah[/name_f]
Byrony -I think [name_u]Bryn[/name_u] could work and it’s a familiar enough name the pn should be okay
Darcy is very popular here in the uk so it doesnt feel dated
Delphine-[name_m]Ive[/name_m] never come across that association. Beautiful name
Dove is very soft and if you want something striking, I’d go with something else
Elsinore -I think you’d have to be prepared for [name_f]Ellie[/name_f]/Elsie unless you are close to people with those names because then it’s likely your daughter wouldn’t encourage them
Fiore -I pronounced it wrong the first time but i think it’s an easy fix
Gaia looks very different to [name_f]Gaea[/name_f]. I wouldn’t worry
Golden feels best as a middle
Hero is bold but useable to me
Lillevi is kind of cute
Liv is bright and lovely
Nephele seems intuitive to me
Philomena is gorgeous and rolls off the tongue
Poet is cute but I’d save it as a middle
Sunset is one of my fave middle names
Tempest is another beautiful middle
Thea is too close to [name_f]Leah[/name_f] for me
Wilder - I do prefer it on a boy but i think it could work as a girl’s middle
Winry feels quite surnamey and i wouldn’t worry about the anime
Bryony— I think it’s a usable nickname, if not super intuitive. That said, I think I prefer [name_u]Bryn[/name_u] or [name_f]Bryony[/name_f] separately as full names.
Delphine— I haven’t heard of the association you’re talking about, so to me the answer is no.
Elsinore— The intuitive nickname for me here is actually [name_f]Nora[/name_f] or [name_f]Ella[/name_f]. I think you could be OK.
Liv— [name_u]Love[/name_u] it, but I do think it is too short. I prefer it as a nickname, ideally to [name_f]Livia[/name_f] or [name_f]Elvira[/name_f] (I am personally not an [name_f]Olivia[/name_f]/Olive fan).
Thea— It’s pretty close to [name_f]Leah[/name_f] but I think it could work.
Winry— I’m decently familiar with the anime, and although I think it’s definitely possible some people would think that she’s named after this character, there are definitely much worse characters to be associated with.
My favorites are [name_f]Delphine[/name_f], [name_f]Philomena[/name_f], and and [name_f]Thea[/name_f].
Delphine- I had to Google [name_f]Delphine[/name_f] LaLaurie, and considering she died nearly 200 years ago, I don’t think it’s a problem. [name_f]My[/name_f] first associations are dolphins and a very sweet baby I met with the name!
Philomena- This is a family name for me, so I don’t think it’s too much! I love the meaning of the name, the (disputed) religious connection (which I know won’t appeal to you), and the sound. [name_f]Pippa[/name_f] and [name_u]Pippin[/name_u] could work; Grandma [name_f]Fanny[/name_f]’s nickname isn’t one I would recommend today!
Thea- It is close to [name_f]Leah[/name_f], but not prohibitively so if your heart is set on it. I do think the closeness of the names is a strike against it, especially if you’ll see your sister frequently.
Phew!! Hopefully this was helpful. I tried to answer everything as bluntly and quickly as possible.
alden
depends on how close you are. If you constantly see each other, then yes. If not, then no.
[name_f]Bryony[/name_f]
It doesn’t complicate anything. [name_u]Bryn[/name_u] is pronounced like brin. The nn works
[name_u]Darcy[/name_u]
It does sound a little “vintage,” but not dated to the point where it’s unusable
[name_f]Delphine[/name_f]
Finn could work. I don’t have the association.
[name_u]Dove[/name_u]
It definitely doesn’t give me soft vibes. I suggest [name_u]Dove[/name_u] [name_f]Lorelei[/name_f].
[name_f]Elsinore[/name_f]
I wouldn’t use [name_f]Nell[/name_f] because it isn’t intuitive. The only way to get [name_f]Nell[/name_f] is to place the end from the middle of the name at the front. Nelsinore . You don’t have to use [name_f]Ellie[/name_f]/Elsie but I would go with [name_f]Nora[/name_f].
[name_u]Fiore[/name_u]
I didn’t immidiately think [name_u]Fee[/name_u]-or-ay, but the correction wouldn’t be difficult. It’s no different than the Maebhs and Niamhs walking around.
[name_f]Gaia[/name_f]
Nope. It’s fun to have a dark/evil side to a name. I’d love to have a villain with my name. And it’s obvious that the kid isn’t actually named after the character because of the spelling.
[name_u]Golden[/name_u]
I know a boy named [name_u]Golden[/name_u]. It’s “fine” for a boy but a little much, and I don’t like it on a girl.
[name_u]Hero[/name_u]
Yup
Lillevi
Depends on how you pronounce it. lih-leh-vee sounds a little nick name-y to me. It’s not half bad though.
[name_f]Liv[/name_f]
I won’t be of help for this because I don’t like it as a nickname at all. I hear “liver.” I would say yes, but I don’t like the name to begin with.
[name_f]Nephele[/name_f]
That’s how I immediately pronounced it. [name_f]Nell[/name_f] works.
[name_f]Philomena[/name_f]
Love [name_f]Philomena[/name_f] but I really don’t like [name_f]Pippa[/name_f] or [name_u]Pippin[/name_u]. [name_f]Philomena[/name_f] is so strong but those nicknames “childize” it. I like [name_f]Mena[/name_f], [name_f]Lola[/name_f], [name_f]Lumi[/name_f], and [name_u]Philly[/name_u].
[name_u]Poet[/name_u]
Yup. [name_f]Poem[/name_f] is fine for a middle.
[name_f]Sunshine[/name_f]
If you’re a hippie it’s fine. I know some Rainbows and Sunshines. But don’t use it if you’re not a hippie.
[name_u]Tempest[/name_u]
yup.
[name_f]Thea[/name_f]
There’s nothing wrong with rhyming. It’s a nice tribute.
[name_u]Wilder[/name_u]
Surname. The personality thing is no different then [name_u]Riley[/name_u] though.
[name_f]Winry[/name_f]
I didn’t even know it was from something, so it’s not a dealbreaker for me.
Alden: The way I pronounce them is almost identical. However, this would depend on how often you see the cousin. If you see this person once a year, I don’t think it would be a huge issue.
Delphine: I do know the association due to having watched part of American Horror [name_u]Story[/name_u]: Coven. I love the name, but would only consider it as a middle because of that association. I’m not sure how many other people know it though.
Golden: I think this would make an interesting middle. I personally couldn’t do it as a first name because I would never be able to say this name and shower in the same sentence.
Liv: Some people may think it’s too short, but I think it’s fine. There are plenty of names that are short like [name_f]Ada[/name_f], [name_f]Ava[/name_f], [name_f]Eva[/name_f], [name_f]Eve[/name_f], [name_f]Mia[/name_f], etc.
Nephele: I don’t think it’s too hard to pronounce.
Thea: Unfortunately, I do think that’s too close. Unless you are no-contact with your sister or you want to honor her with a sound-alike name.
I only have 2 cousins so I don’t want the names to be too close if I said them out loud in conversation.
I can’t use [name_f]Nora[/name_f] either. [name_f]Nell[/name_f] works for [name_f]Elsinore[/name_f] the same way it’s a nickname for [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f]. I don’t see how it would be different.
I actually like how [name_f]Pippa[/name_f] and [name_u]Pippin[/name_u] feel sweeter and more “childish” than [name_f]Philomena[/name_f]. That’s the point of having a nickname for a long and strong name like that. [name_f]Lola[/name_f] is cute but feels just as childish as [name_u]Pippin[/name_u] or [name_f]Pippa[/name_f], and I prefer those two more.
. All three have been used in my family already.