I’m down to three options for my top 10. I’m just curious what people think about the actual names themselves. Not which go best with my list, not which has the ideal popularity ranking (or the worst, or the most obscure), not which one seems to clash with my other favorites, or falls short… just what you think of the name. As it stands on its own merits. I thought I had it down to [name]Genevieve[/name] and [name]Zara[/name], but [name]Eva[/name] keeps sneaking up on me, probably because I keep coming across the most adorable little [name]Eva[/name] ever.
[name]Genevieve[/name] – This is a very pretty name. I had it one my list once with the combo [name]Genevieve[/name] [name]Sophia[/name] [name]Morrigan[/name]. I love the nn [name]Evie[/name] for it too!
[name]Eva[/name] – I think it’s a sweet name, but I prefer a longer name personally, and I think there’s something about the EE right at the beginning that bothers me.
[name]Zara[/name] – I think it’s very spunky and cool, but it’s not my style and there are better Z names out there.
Well, [name]Eva[/name] is pretty much contained within [name]Genevieve[/name], so I think you could knock it off your list and find it as a nickname somehow. I prefer [name]Zahara[/name] to [name]Zara[/name]- such a wild name, with a beautiful breathiness because of that H in the middle.
Here’s an idea:
[name]Zahara[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name]. Nickname [name]Ziva[/name] (like [name]Eva[/name], only better.) [name]Ziva[/name] is a Hebrew name meaning “bright, radiant”…I think it would be cool for her to have both an Arabic name ([name]Zahara[/name]) and a Hebrew nickname ([name]Ziva[/name]) with [name]Genevieve[/name], meaning “tribe woman” linking them… A name that’s a reminder of our interconnectedness.
I love all three. The thing about [name]Zara[/name] is that it’s a major clothing store. [name]Don[/name]'t know if you even care about that kind of thing, but it’s my first association with [name]Zara[/name], which is why [name]Zara[/name]'s not on my own list! [name]Zara[/name] is still an absolutely beautiful name, though, and it totally gets my vote if this isn’t an issue to you. I also like [name]Zora[/name] as an alternative. Otherwise, [name]Eva[/name] is lovely!
[name]Genevieve[/name]: I am possibly the only person on Nameberry who does not like this name. At all. I just don’t see the appeal.
[name]Eva[/name]: I love it. It’s simple but sweet, without being cutesy. My only reservation would be that it’s becoming a bit overdone, with the recent [name]Ava[/name]/[name]Eva[/name]/[name]Evie[/name] trend.
[name]Zara[/name]: Surprised to find myself thinking this is the pick of the bunch. (The [name]Zara[/name] clothing chain isn’t an issue for me at all.) I like the unexpectedness of a ‘Z’ beginning. I would prefer [name]Zeta[/name] though.
I totally adore [name]Eva[/name], so that one gets my vote. It may be a short name, but it feels as rich and full to me as a much longer name. My second choice is [name]Genevieve[/name], nn [name]Evie[/name]. Very nice! [name]Zara[/name] is fine, but, imo, does not sparkle like your other choices.
I love [name]Eva[/name], it is one of my favorite names. It is classic/old fashioned but still modern, cool, and spunky. Short, simple and sweet. I’ve only ever met one [name]Eva[/name] and she is in her 30s and was really cool and unique. Her sister was named [name]Lena[/name]. [name]Love[/name] those names.
When I think of the name [name]Eva[/name] I think of a brunette; smart, unique, more on the serious side but still fun, artsy and a tomboy (in the best possible way-like sporty and feminine). I don’t think it is overdone at all. I’ve never met or known anyone to name their child [name]Eva[/name], besides the one in her 30s that I met a while back.
[name]Genevieve[/name] is pretty but fussy sounding to me, like your trying too hard to give your kid a cool name. I do like [name]Eva[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name] though.
[name]Zara[/name] is cool, I prefer [name]Zoey[/name], and wouldn’t be brave enough to use [name]Zara[/name].
[name]Genevieve[/name] - A pretty name, but feels bloodless and watered out to me. I adore [name]Genoveva[/name] and [name]Guinevere[/name], but [name]Genevieve[/name] never did anything for me.
[name]Eva[/name] - I love [name]Eva[/name] so much! It’s stunning and epic and has such a lovely, warm sound.
[name]Zara[/name] - Pretty, but it’s my favourite highstreet shop so that’s my first thought. Not that that’s bad, I just think of dresses and coats…
I love the spunky “Z” in [name]Zara[/name], and it’s so feminine, without being frilly. I would have loved to have a “Z” name on my girls’ list, but someone on another forum brought up a good point, imo–I can’t imagine [name]Zara[/name] on a light-skinned child. Sure, there’s [name]Zara[/name] [name]Phillips[/name], but I always imagine a dark-skinned, dark-haired little girl, and not just of Arabic descent, but I think even someone Hispanic or African American could pull it off, imo, but I can’t really imagine it working on a future child of mine. I think if I use it, it’ll have to be as a MN. I had been tossing around [name]Genevieve[/name] [name]Zara[/name], but I think I like [name]Genevieve[/name] [name]Luna[/name] more.
Which brings me back to [name]Genevieve[/name] and [name]Eva[/name], which I’ve been going back and forth between for what seems like forever. I like [name]Genevieve[/name] because she was the patron saint of [name]Paris[/name], and my best friend was a life-long Parisian, I thought it would be a nice way to honor her without being too obvious, but the whole idea has flaws in it (I’m [name]Christian[/name], but not Catholic, and she was Jewish, not [name]Christian[/name], and she didn’t particularly like [name]Genevieve[/name], haha, she thought it was a dog’s name). I still like the name in general, though, but I’m not sure I love [name]Genevieve[/name] with my favorites, a lot of people say it fits but I’m not sure I see it. I love how rich and lush it feels, too, though. Then again, I’m not entirely convinced on [name]Eva[/name], either, but I really think it’ll be either [name]Genevieve[/name] or [name]Eva[/name] that makes the cut…
Since you don’t see it, I’ll explain. I feel [name]Genevieve[/name] fits best with your list because it’s one of those long, flowing, classic names like all the others on your list (and [name]Eva[/name] and [name]Evie[/name] could both be great nicknames).
I wish you could use [name]Zara[/name] (it’s cool and a saint) but I can understand your trepidation, and I completely understand wanting a Z name, they’re cool! My Z name is [name]Zephyrine[/name]. Maybe you’d like other Z names? I think all of these could work on a light skinned child:
[name]Zafira[/name]
[name]Zaina[/name] – if you don’t pick [name]Zane[/name] for your boys list, it will still honor who you want to. And [name]Zaina[/name] was a [name]Christian[/name] saint.
[name]Zaria[/name] – close to [name]Zara[/name] but for some reason I can see it on a light skinned child better
[name]Zinnia[/name] – pretty flower name that goes with [name]Violet[/name] on your list
[name]Zippora[/name]
[name]Zita[/name] – I think it’s as spunky as [name]Zara[/name] (and also a saint) but maybe easier to picture.
Erm, I guess it’s not that I don’t see how stylistically they go, it’s just that I don’t see the appeal of [name]Genevieve[/name] as a sister to any of my other favorites. Despite the stylistic similarities, I still feel that there are some stark differences between [name]Genevieve[/name] and all my other favorites. [name]Genevieve[/name] is SO rich and almost glamorous, imo, I don’t know how to explain it. While it fits (exactly for the same reasons you state), there are also other reasons it doesn’t fit, imo.
Regardless, I’ve decided to go for [name]Eva[/name]. I think. I’m crossing my fingers, haha, tomorrow I could wake up and be completely mad for [name]Genevieve[/name] or [name]Zara[/name] again! The more I think about it, though, the more I love [name]Eva[/name], I keep getting more and more excited, the more I think of [name]Eva[/name]. So I’ve started to look for [name]Eva[/name] combos (although I’m going to sorely miss [name]Genevieve[/name] [name]Luna[/name]!). So far, I have:
[name]Eva[/name] [name]Matilda[/name]
[name]Eva[/name] [name]Sofia[/name] (rhymey, but [name]Sofia[/name]'s my little sister’s “Spanish name” in school, so I love the significance)
[name]Eva[/name] [name]Elodie[/name] (my other sister’s “French name” in school; I love the alliteration)
[name]Eva[/name] [name]Milena[/name]
[name]Eva[/name] [name]Primrose[/name] (likely won’t use, but I have loved [name]Primrose[/name] so long it kind of kills me to knock it off)
[name]Eva[/name] [name]Zinnia[/name] (the only real “Z” name I liked of your suggestions, @dantea–I have been eying [name]Eva[/name] [name]Zinnia[/name] [name]Claire[/name] for a while now! I also love [name]Zenobia[/name], [name]Zoe[/name], and [name]Zuzanna[/name]… Although [name]Eva[/name] [name]Zoe[/name] might be repetitive with the “life” meanings… but maybe I can fit [name]Zoe[/name] in somewhere else…)
I’ll attach a family name once I find the first MN. [name]Feel[/name] free to add [name]Eva[/name] ideas, anyone, if you have a particularly great one!
[name]Zara[/name] - I love [name]Zara[/name]. Personally, I could definitely see it on a lighter-skinned child. [name]Zara[/name] is one of my top picks for when I one day have a little girl. Also, yes, [name]Zara[/name] is a clothing store, but I think a strong association with that might depend more on where you live. I’m state-side, and we don’t have [name]Zara[/name] in my part of the country, so the clothing store usually never comes to mind for me.
[name]Genevieve[/name] - [name]Genevieve[/name] is in my name, so I am a little biased.
[name]Eva[/name] - Pretty, but I’m kinda over the whole [name]Ava[/name] / [name]Eva[/name] thing. [name]Just[/name] me though.
What about [name]Zara[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name] as a combo?
I’ve decided on [name]Eva[/name], but if I had gone for [name]Zara[/name], the combo was going to be [name]Zara[/name] [name]Madeleine[/name] something or [name]Zara[/name] [name]Elisabeth[/name] something. I was actually pretty decided on a [name]Zara[/name] combo. [name]Zara[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name] is pretty, I just like the other options more.
Whoops! Sorry! Looks like we posted around the same time, so I didn’t see your post as I was editing mine. [name]Glad[/name] to see you’ve decided on a name!
I like [name]Genevieve[/name] because she was the patron saint of [name]Paris[/name], and my best friend was a life-long Parisian, I thought it would be a nice way to honor her without being too obvious, but the whole idea has flaws in it (I’m [name]Christian[/name], but not Catholic, and she was Jewish, not [name]Christian[/name], and she didn’t particularly like [name]Genevieve[/name], haha, she thought it was a dog’s name). I still like the name in general, though, but I’m not sure I 
I think.