It seems that, whenever I change up my list (especially the girls) I lose most/all confidence in the names I like, and end up disliking anything that could potentially be made fun of for being too ‘out of fashion’/old/clunky/weird/cutesy/etc, or, if I love the name, I end up feeling awkward for adding it, because I’ll dwell on any little flaw in it until I dislike it (and then get mad at myself for doing that, and the cycle repeats, haha).
Does anyone else end up falling out of love with everything on their list? [name_f]Do[/name_f] you have any advice on it?
Hmm, it’s pretty rare for me to fall out of love with a name. [name_f]My[/name_f] favorites have been the same for a long time. I do get crushes on names. I’ll be absolutely mad for them for about a month, and then I move on to another crush. Perhaps you haven’t found the names you truly love yet, and they’ve all been crushes? I wouldn’t worry so much about people thinking your favorites are weird, clunky and so on. I’m sure you dislike some of their names as much as they dislike yours. It doesn’t mean they dislike you, just the name. It’s good to be aware of any potential issues that could come up with the name, but don’t let other people’s opinions define what you like, because that’s a never-ending battle.
Perhaps instead of dwelling on the ‘flaws’ of a name, you could think of ways to defend the beauty of the name, and why it’s special to you?
I think the crushes are with my girl’s list more, but I may have gotten bored with my boys list. Most of my top boys names have been there since I was about 12, so close to 7 years (if not more). There are a few solid girls ones that I haven’t dropped/removed in a couple years ([name_f]Martha[/name_f], [name_f]Lily[/name_f], [name_f]Florence[/name_f], [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f]), so I think those ones are likely concrete, but it’s definitely possible that the ones I’m iffy on are still just crushes.
I think I just have a weird insecurity thing where I feel like I need approval to like certain names, but, I think that comes from my school years (thankfully now they’re over and I can come into my own a bit more), so hopefully that can change.
I know what you mean, like with the name [name_u]Dagny[/name_u] and [name_u]Artemis[/name_u]. I have loved them both for years, and both have pretty strong female role models ([name_u]Dagny[/name_u] [name_m]Taggart[/name_m] and [name_u]Artemis[/name_u] the Greek goddess). Because [name_u]Artemis[/name_u] was the first name I fell in love with, I started nitpicking her and essentially tearing her apart until I hated the name. She’s back on my list, and I love her more than ever now, but for a while, I couldn’t bear to look at her.
The same thing with [name_u]Dagny[/name_u]- some people commented that it was harsh and unfeminine (as some have with [name_u]Artemis[/name_u]), and I took the opinion to heart, which was incredibly silly of me. I value other people’s opinions and taste, but at the end of the day, it is my taste and the name I have chosen. Not everyone is going to like your taste or choices, and I can say for sure that I don’t like many favourites of others. To me, [name_u]Dagny[/name_u] [name_m]Taggart[/name_m] is a personal literary hero, with a fantastic name, and her standards (standing up for what you know is right, no matter what; not being afraid to say no and deject mediocrity; being true and loyal to yourself, etc.) are exactly what I want to teach my future children.
I usually take a break for a while, so I can look at the names with fresh eyes. I recently reread [name_m]Atlas[/name_m] Shrugged, and it made me remember just how much I love the name [name_u]Dagny[/name_u] and what it stands for, as well as its beautiful meaning (new day). I have been certain for a while now that those are the names for me. Sometimes you just get a bit bored of how fabulous they are :).
That happens to me all the time! It’s like I get infatuated with a name and I spend a few weeks writing it on everything, but then it just kind of loses whatever it was that made me fall in love with it. It’s awful! I’m so used to the cycle that when I start to feel the doubt, I pretend I don’t notice because I’m just so in love with the name at the time, but I always fall out of love either way. And from then on, the name is never quite what it was when I was in love with it.
On the bright side, at least it’s just names that I go through quickly…Not guys! Hahah
I’m kind of the opposite: the more people say they hate it, the more I fall in love with it, haha! I’m so tired of hearing people endlessly bash [name_f]Daenerys[/name_f]. I [name_u]LOVE[/name_u] the name, and the character who inspired it. I think if it comes down to it, when it’s a name you really love, your opinion isn’t going to be so easily swayed. If it is, well, maybe you don’t love that name as much as you thought you did, and maybe that’s an okay thing to discover.
It doesn’t mean they dislike you, just the name. It’s good to be aware of any potential issues that could come up with the name, but don’t let other people’s opinions define what you like, because that’s a never-ending battle.
Hahah