I am new to Nameberry, although I have looked here for character names before. This time, I am looking for a name for myself. My mom named me [name]Emily[/name] (with [name]Rose[/name] as my middle name), which I like as a name but I don’t favor it for myself. It’s 1) too common and 2) does not express my personality, or give me a sense of self. I am 18, and am going to university this fall, and I hope to introduce myself with my new name. I have been thinking about changing my name for almost a year now, and normally I’m pretty impulsive and mercurial, so I know that this is something that i really want to do.
I would appreciate it if anyone could give me some suggestions, as Nameberry is so extensive! Here’s a little bit about me: I am 5’ 2’’, with dirty blonde hair, blue-green eyes, am a [name]Scorpio[/name], and people have told me that I look like [name]Sarah[/name] [name]Jessica[/name] [name]Parker[/name] (because of my nose/hair). I have a deep love for literature and creative writing, and I am outgoing, sometimes awkward, have a slightly dry sense of humor, and have been described as passionate. whatever that really means
Since I’ve been thinking about this for a year, I have narrowed down my preferences a bit; I do not want a name that starts with a vowel, or is a flower name. I like short, strong, quirky names that are distinctly feminine. (By quirky I mean not common, and different).
Some examples:
[name]Cerys[/name]
[name]Sabine[/name]
[name]Sabra[/name]
I would greatly appreciate your help with this, any suggestions are welcome.
To be honest from the way you describe yourself I think [name]Emily[/name] [name]Rose[/name] sounds like the perfect name for you!
When I think of [name]Sabine[/name] I think dark hair, dark eyes, tall, intense and intelligent and beautiful. I don’t know why, I just always picture an elegant dark haired woman. So I probably wouldn’t say [name]Sabine[/name].
[name]Cerys[/name] to me, is flightly. I considered it for a MN for my little girl, but more the cute factor than any real love for it. I wouldn’t say you fit [name]Cerys[/name].
[name]Sabra[/name] is the one I would choose for you out of your choices here I think.
I’m suggesting [name]Louisa[/name] [name]Jane[/name]. I know it’s not spunky or out there or anything, but I think you’d really suit [name]Louisa[/name] baised on your looks. [name]Louisa[/name] [name]May[/name] [name]Alcott[/name] was a wonderful female author and so was [name]Jane[/name] [name]Austen[/name], which would give a nod to your love of literature.
Honestly, when I think about changing my name, I just add on my new name to [name]Emily[/name] [name]Rose[/name]…I know two middle names might be too many for some, but it’s only on official documents.
I wasn’t really leaning toward [name]Sabine[/name] anyway…it’s definitely a French name, and I do not look French at all. I like your suggestions for first/middle names, using character names is interesting, and would give it a deeper meaning.
[name]Romy[/name] (a nickname for [name]Rosemary[/name] used as a name, really touches on your name [name]Emily[/name] [name]Rose[/name], and that whole idea of “roaming” goes with an impulsive, passionate type)
[name]Safira[/name] (relating to “sapphire” for blue eyes, also hitting on “fire”, even though the i is not long)
[name]Xanthe[/name] (Greek, “blonde”, [name]Zanthe[/name] is easier to spell but I guess less authentic, although this name is so uncommon I’m not sure it really matters).
[name]Sabra[/name] is a term for a native-born Israeli, so to me that’s an association that makes it hard for other associations to catch on, although I’m not sure that it’s actually a widely known fact. I can see it suiting you.
thank you,jesba, for your mini-list! I like all of them, but I don’t think I’m courageous enough to own a name like [name]Xanthe[/name]. It’s very warrior-princess, which may be too cool for real life…
I really like [name]Romy[/name], and [name]Safira[/name]. I will add them to my list!
I’m not really looking for names that reflect my physical traits, or even personality (of course, I don’t want a name that means “sulky” either). I’m searching more for names that 1) are short 2) are strong and quirky.I’ve begun going through the NB lists, which are astounding.
The first one that popped into my head was [name]Sabrina[/name]. It’s quirky, fun, and girly while also strong, and is a combination of [name]Sabine[/name] and [name]Sabra[/name]. You like?
[name]Hazel[/name] - My favorite girl name ever, so I’m biased. But you do sound like you’d make a good [name]Hazel[/name]!
[name]Sabra[/name] - I just can’t help but think of the term used as a way to label native Israelis.
[name]Cerys[/name] - I think the [name]Carys[/name] version is a lot more straightforward. I honestly have no clue how to pronounce [name]Cerys[/name].
[name]Chloe[/name] - Cute!
[name]Cleo[/name] - I’m not fond of this. It sounds like a dog name to me.
[name]Beatrix[/name] - Too sharp and unfriendly. [name]Beatrice[/name] is much more suave.
[name]Zora[/name] - I’m not feeling it. I think of some outer space warrior princess or something or other.
[name]Violet[/name] - [name]Love[/name]!
[name]Xanthe[/name] - See [name]Zora[/name]. It’s just…I don’t know if it’s actually usable.
I’ve kept [name]Hazel[/name], [name]Chloe[/name],[name]Carys[/name],and [name]Beatrix[/name] (I like the nn [name]Bea[/name], and writing cursive "x"s haha). I appreciate the long lists, I love looking through them! I will keep searching, and post any updates to The List.
[name]Amoret[/name]
[name]Arden[/name]
[name]Cambry[/name]/[name]Cambrie[/name] nn [name]Cam[/name] (there is a [name]Cam[/name] in To the Lighthouse by [name]Virginia[/name] [name]Woolf[/name]
[name]Zea[/name]
[name]Beatrix[/name]
[name]Hazel[/name]
[name]Calla[/name]
[name]Hadley[/name]
I’m getting addicted to Nameberry. I can’t imagine what it will be like when I have to name my future children!
I know I’m no help at all, but I love [name]Emily[/name] [name]Rose[/name] for you. I hope eventually you go with it.
All the suggestion here seem to me a touch theatrical. Maybe I’m just not in the mood.
I do know someone who changed her name in college, but it was a sorority nickname that stuck. And it wasn’t that wonderful – [name]Toni[/name]. But for her time (and perhaps any time) it was an improvement over her given name of [name]Marilyn[/name].
But [name]Emily[/name] [name]Rose[/name] isn’t [name]Marilyn[/name]. It’s perfectly lovely – even if extremely popular. I mean – you are already in the company of the woman who single-handedly invented modern poetry and the author of one of the greatest (and weirdest) novels in the English language. Why switch to [name]Jane[/name]? Which, I would like to point out, has had its periods when it has been much more common than [name]Emily[/name] is now. And the other ideas – they sound like good seeds for ideas for characters in your novels.
Sorry. I probably sound like your mother. I’m feeling old tonight.
Now you don’t have to be too brave to be a [name]Xanthe[/name]. I have the most gorgeous 12mth old granddaughter named [name]Xanthe[/name] [name]Paige[/name]. She has blonde hair leaning towards being strawberry blonde, and beautiful bright and cheeky blue eyes, and the happiest of smiles. Her face just lights up when she smiles. She learned her name very early at about 4 months old if I remember.
Our beautiful [name]Xanthe[/name] may turn out to be a fiesty young lady who knows but what I do know is that she makes my heart melt when I look at her and when she gives me a special smile or plays with my earrings as I nurse her.
[name]Xanthe[/name] in Greek mythology was one of numerous daughters belonging to [name]King[/name] [name]Neptune[/name]. [name]Do[/name] you love the sea?
I did like the suggestion of [name]Louisa[/name] [name]Jane[/name] very literary versus ancient Greek
I have been thinking about what has been said here. I appreciate feedback. I am still looking for a new name, but I am also thinking of unusual nicknames for my first name, [name]Emily[/name]. Some that have been bestowed upon me:
Emmygem
Emster (no bueno)
Mems
Memily
Roo (out of left field)
I’m looking for something that doesn’t have “mily” in it because i dislike “[name]Milly[/name]”, and something that is not so apparently a nickname.
I like the idea of going by “M” . It wouldn’t require a legal name change(messy), it’s easy to remember, and it has a cool [name]James[/name] [name]Bond[/name] association. Old people will probably hear it as “em” and would not disapprove. You’d have the best of both worlds.
[name]How[/name] about [name]Emme[/name]? I think that’s close enough to [name]Emily[/name] for you to go by but stays out of the whole ‘[name]Milly[/name]’ area?
More name I think would suit you are:
[name]Becca[/name]
[name]May[/name]
[name]Aimee[/name]
[name]Marie[/name] (you could add that on to the end of ‘[name]Rose[/name]’ to create [name]Rosemarie[/name]?)
[name]Rosa[/name] (Easy transition from [name]Rose[/name])
[name]Elle[/name]
[name]Mila[/name]
[name]Talia[/name] (Or [name]Thalia[/name]/[name]Taliah[/name])
[name]Seren[/name] ([name]Star[/name] in Welsh)
[name]Deryn[/name] ([name]Bird[/name] in Welsh)
[name]Alisa[/name] ([name]Al[/name]-ee-sah, not [name]Ah[/name]-liss-ahh, though that is pretty too, but maybe a little dated?)
[name]Rae[/name]
[name]Briony[/name]
[name]Leah[/name]
[name]Eleri[/name]
[name]Ffion[/name]
[name]Eloise[/name]
[name]Ava[/name]
[name]Harriette[/name]
[name]Megan[/name]
[name]Regan[/name]
[name]Georgia[/name]
I like [name]Briony[/name], [name]Seren[/name], and [name]Talia[/name] (the Greek meaning rather than the Hawaiian one though). I’m not sure if I’m going to legally change it, because it would get messy after I enroll in college (this year).
Does anyone know names meaning “star”? Besides [name]Seren[/name] and [name]Stella[/name], of course.
[name]Just[/name] wanted to say I love [name]Emme[/name] too if you decide to use it as a nickname for [name]Emily[/name]. [name]Emily[/name] [name]Rose[/name] is a really beautiful name but I can understand it is a popular name for your age. I am a 70s child named “[name]Jennifer[/name]” so I get it!!
Other names meaning star…[name]Aster[/name] (Greek), [name]Astra[/name] (Greek), [name]Estele[/name] (Latin), [name]Estella[/name] (Latin), [name]Etoile[/name] (French), [name]Estee[/name] (French)
Also, just wanted to add that it can get complicated even if you don’t legally change your name. You may find yourself going by 2 different names as your friends pre college and family will know you by your given name and then your new friends, employers, etc. will call you whatever you decide to rename yourself!! Best of luck!!
So after thinking about it for a while, I decided that I just want to scrap nicknames. It’s too much like patching torn jeans, when a new pair is really the best option.
Does anyone know of any girl British names that are not snobby, but along the lines of:
[name]Hazel[/name]
[name]Beatrice[/name]
I also like [name]Behati[/name], since it’s an alternate to [name]Beatrice[/name]. My last name is hard to pronounce/spell anyway, and it “goes” with [name]Behati[/name]. I’m not sold on it, though. I thought of British names because to my mind, they tend to be familiar but offbeat.
[name]Clementine[/name] is a great British name, but it lends itself to the nn [name]Emme[/name], leading you back where you came from! I don’t know if that is good or bad.
I like [name]Primrose[/name]. It is a conceivable nn for [name]Rose[/name]. An [name]Emily[/name] [name]Rose[/name] who went by [name]Primrose[/name] would strike me as creative.
[name]Jemima[/name] is another good, solid British name.
I do like [name]Beatrice[/name]. I’m not sold on [name]Bea[/name], but many, many here love it to pieces.
