Hideously Enchanting

General Name Discussion
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Recently, while trawling through lists and lists of names (which some fellow Nameberries may or may not also do in their spare time) I came across this name: [name]Bedelia[/name] (buh-[name]DEE[/name]-lee-uh). Upon first glance, I thought, quite frankly, it was horrible. Who wants ‘bed’ as the first syllable of your darling daughter’s name? (You might guess where this is going) Needless to say, after continually thinking about it overnight, I fell in love. It’s just as enchanting as [name]Cordelia[/name], but with a slightly unusual air - just the sort of name that attracts me most. Then I thought, actually, my list is actually made up of names that are ugly to most, but which I adore nonetheless. Ewelina (ev-uh-LEEN-uh). [name]Yaritza[/name]. Aldith. [name]Elspeth[/name].

So, (sorry about that long rant about me) I’m trying to see if there are any more names like this, or indeed, if anyone has these kind of names on their respective lists. Does anyone have any almost universally unappealing names on your list that you helplessly love all the same?

NOTE: The fact that these names are unattractive to most people at first glance is why they are not being considered for first names. Apart from [name]Elspeth[/name]. I’m working up to an [name]Elspeth[/name].

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[name]Bedelia[/name] makes me think of the [name]Amelia[/name] [name]Bedelia[/name] books I read as a kid - I actually think it is a fun twist on [name]Amelia[/name], [name]Cordelia[/name], or similar names.

Also, I think if you absolutely love [name]Elspeth[/name], go for it. [name]Even[/name] though it doesn’t appeal to me personally, If I met someone named that, I would think “wow, that is a cool and original name!”

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I, too, love unusual names. I love [name]Bedelia[/name] and it also reminds me of the book series I loved so much!

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[name]Persephone[/name]
Margaery
[name]Seraphina[/name]
[name]Aracely[/name] ([name]Ara[/name]-say-lee)
[name]Morgana[/name]
[name]Clover[/name]

you might like some names from here: 121 Cool Girl Names from Ancient Cultures | Nameberry

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[name]Bedelia[/name] is super cute! You’re asking for names we love that are ugly to most? I’ve got a few…

Boys:

[name]Ebenezer[/name]
[name]Jebediah[/name]
Opie

(That’s it for my “universally unappealing” but beloved boys’ names. Most of my boy names are appealing to even non-name-enthusiasts.)

Girls, though? Whew, here goes my list of names that everyone else tends to dislike, with an asterisk by the ones I would actually use:

[name]Jerusha[/name]* (in my top ten favorites!)
[name]Cilla[/name]*
Elsabee
Beeley* (not in my top ten, but close)
Monema*
Bellett
[name]Galiena[/name]
Gelleia: (jel-AY-uh?)
[name]Mab[/name]*
[name]Merial[/name]
[name]Milla[/name]/Mylla
Rametta
Renilla*
Sysley
Topacia

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[name]Bedelia[/name] is lovely. Hate [name]Cordelia[/name] but I’ve always liked [name]Bedelia[/name]
I’m a [name]Law[/name] & Order junkie and there was once a character named [name]Fidelia[/name]. Such a gorgeous name

I forgot how much I loved those books. I wondered why I liked [name]Bedelia[/name] since it’s not my style at all

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In case you didn’t see my signature already, look at my girl names. To many people they are hideous, but I [name]LOVE[/name] them. They have an heir about them that is just so enchanting and whimsical.

[name]Love[/name] these. Especially Elsabee.

None of these are very hideous, maybe except for [name]Morgana[/name]. It still has a sense of dark sensuality, especially if you think about [name]Morrigan[/name] from Capcom.

I [name]LOVE[/name] [name]Elspeth[/name]. Its so cool and I could either picture a dark villainess or a celestial being. Plus it has a very wearable nickname of [name]Elsie[/name] or [name]Ellie[/name].

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Wow I love [name]Aracely[/name], never heard it before.

As for my own list, it’s pretty tame. The only ones I have are [name]Edric[/name] for boys and [name]Perrine[/name] for girls.

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I came across it a few years ago on a naming site and fell in love! I love the combo [name]Aracely[/name] [name]Natalia[/name]. :slight_smile: Been on my old list for a long time.

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@moonkai - Thank you for the [name]Bedelia[/name] love - I had never heard of those books before: are they very well-known? It’s good that they are well-liked though, and not about a horrible girl called [name]Bedelia[/name] (and thank you for the comment about [name]Elspeth[/name] - at least you wouldn’t say how much you hated it (which my sister definitely would and has, but then I’m honest with her about her names too…) - thank you!

@rulu3228 - Woo, unusual name lover! Although I am not very adventurous on what I would actually call my children, I do have a very long list of guilty pleasure names…so I like to think I have at least slightly unusual taste :slight_smile: Thank you!

@alyssa897 - Thank you for the suggestions - Margaery in particular is a name I hadn’t seen before and it’s really interesting - is it pronounced like [name]Marjorie[/name]? Also, I’m surprised that [name]Persephone[/name] and [name]Seraphina[/name] haven’t got a very good reaction to people you mention it to, especially on this site, although if you talked about them with people in real life, I understand more - it seems they are Nameberry favourites, along with [name]Violet[/name] and [name]Maeve[/name]! (Also, thank you so much for that link - I absolutely LOVED most of the names on there, and my list is definitely growing fast…) Thank you again.

@alzora - It’s lovely to hear that your boys; names at least are accepted by most non-name-nerds, even if such treasures as [name]Ebenezer[/name] aren’t (I wish I had the guts to carry off an [name]Ebenezer[/name]!) And the girls’ names are lovely too - [name]Cilla[/name], [name]Galiena[/name], [name]Mab[/name], [name]Merial[/name] and Renilla really stood out as being particularly lovely: I’m going to have to look some of these up. Also, all my best wishes are with you and your husband for a problem-free pregnancy soon (I hope I don’t sound like a stalker - to cut a long story short, one of the TTC pages came up on the search and I clicked on it) Good luck with everything and thank you very much.

@nat108 - I love [name]Fidelia[/name] as well - it’s something about that -delia ending, although surprisingly like you, I don’t like [name]Cordelia[/name] nearly as much (funny fact: I was almost a [name]Cordelia[/name], but my father put his foot down) Thank you very much for commenting, and again I’m glad the books are positive ones (I really must google them!)

@liviajoan - Your signature names are beautiful - [name]Ione[/name] and [name]Aurelia[/name] especially have such a magical air. And YES! I knew there must be another [name]Elspeth[/name] lover somewhere on Nameberry, lurking in the shadows - the nicknames are SO wearable and I agree that I can imagine an [name]Elspeth[/name] at any stage in life, in any occupation (dark villainess and celestial being obviously included :slight_smile: ) Thank you!

@nelliedellie - I have [name]Edric[/name] on my boys’ list too! I just love everything about it, but my sister (again) has made her view perfectly well known. I might have to invest in some earplugs… Thank you anyway!

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The [name]Amelia[/name] [name]Bedelia[/name] books are great, though [name]Amelia[/name] [name]Bedelia[/name] herself is kind of a bumbling idiot. A well loved bumbling idiot, but still. She is this rich lady’s maid and she always does things in a spectacularly wrong way (example: when asked to make a sponge cake, she cuts up sponges and puts them in the cake batter) and the rich lady throws her hands up and says, “oh, [name]Amelia[/name] [name]Bedelia[/name]!”

I love:
[name]Dagmar[/name]
[name]Solveig[/name]
[name]Magda[/name]
[name]Moira[/name]
[name]Petra[/name]
[name]Ernestine[/name]
[name]Jericho[/name]

I think [name]Elspeth[/name] is actually very pretty and usable.

I love [name]Bernadette[/name]! I know a brand new baby named J@da [name]Bernadette[/name] and I just adore that. I have a serious weakness for feminine versions of masculine names- like [name]Paulette[/name] and [name]Jamesina[/name], stuff like that. The less naturally the name translates into a feminine form, the more I seem to like it.

I don’t have any boy names like this. Or rather, I probably like boy names that others would think of as hideously enchanting, but I don’t recognize them as such.

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I’m surprised to hear [name]Bedelia[/name] is a real name. I’ve heard of the books and just thought it was the same idea as someone saying something like [name]Hannah[/name]-Banna-[name]Bo[/name]-Banna or [name]Margot[/name] Escargot. Very interesting!

[name]Elspeth[/name] isn’t that unusual to me, maybe because I’ve known a couple. People always got them to clarify their names, thinking they were saying [name]Elizabeth[/name] with a bit of a lisp, which must have gotten annoying. I recently saw it spelled [name]Elsbeth[/name] (character on TV’s The Good Wife). [name]Haven[/name]'t seen that spelling before.

Ok, those are my random thoughts. My guilty pleasure, some-might-consider-ugly (if they’re not particularly open-minded or sophisticated), favourite names are [name]Agnes[/name], [name]Agatha[/name], [name]Astrid[/name], [name]Leonie[/name], [name]Harriet[/name], [name]Ingrid[/name] and [name]Gretchen[/name]. Maybe not as rare as yours. I need to search farther afield!

13

Well, if you think about it for a bit… what is wrong with ‘bed’? It’s our solace, our place to rest when the world has exhausted us, the place where we dream - literally are flooded with the fantastical and poetic images of our psyches, the place we (at least, most of us) are intimate with our beloved mates, and where many mothers nurse and snuggle with their children. If a bed signifies anything, it is physical comfort, familial bonds, and the inward journey of dreams. :slight_smile:

I think for me, it’s the name [name]Desdemona[/name]. [name]Do[/name] I even need to explain why? So sad, really. It could be such a great grand name in modern usage… but I doubt it will ever get its fair shot.

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Girls:
[name]Iolanthe[/name]- went to the [name]Gilbert[/name] and [name]Sullivan[/name] production with my father and have been in love ever since!
[name]Adair[/name]- my mum despises this one, but oh well :slight_smile:
[name]Lilias[/name]
[name]Bevin[/name]
[name]Alba[/name]
[name]Kyle[/name]
[name]Antheia[/name]
Aglaia
[name]Alene[/name]
[name]Ananda[/name]

Boys:
[name]Edwin[/name]- my late grandfather’s name
[name]Sullivan[/name]- see [name]Gilbert[/name] and [name]Sullivan[/name] note for girls :slight_smile:
[name]Oswin[/name]
[name]Griffin[/name]
[name]Hector[/name]/Hektor- ever since I read the Iliad, I’ve been in love with [name]Hector[/name]
[name]Ransom[/name]- another that my mum absolutely hates
Byam
[name]Reuven[/name]- The Chosen!

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I adore the funky/clunky names! I’m loving [name]Elspeth[/name], [name]Morgana[/name] and [name]Aracely[/name]!

[name]One[/name] of my favorites is [name]Rowena[/name].

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Another secret crusher of elspeth. I don’t think I’d ever use it, especially in the states because everyone would think it was [name]Elizabeth[/name], but I still love the unusual sound of it, like whispering a magical spell.
Too bad the boyfriend acted as if I had lost my mind when I said it, and practically spat the name out ten times in a row… Sigh.

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@tarynkay - Thank you for more information about the [name]Amelia[/name] [name]Bedelia[/name] books - I have just “Wiki’d” them and she does seem a little “bumbling” as you describe! And the names you mention are lovely - [name]Solveig[/name] and [name]Petra[/name] are my favourite but I have a feeling [name]Moira[/name] is going to be a new favourite…[name]Jericho[/name] seems like such a strong name, and with the subtle Biblical connection, I just think it’s wonderful. [name]Thomasina[/name] and [name]Jamesina[/name] are long-loves of mine, but I haven’t been able to work up such enthusiasm for Bernardette yet - I know quite a pushy lady with the name and she tarnishes it for me a little. I’m also having trouble finding boys’ names that fit this descrption - the most outrageous name on my boys’ list is [name]Alban[/name], which I suppose is a little odd. Thank you!

@m_darling - I agree, those not open-minded/sophisticated types really put a spanner in the works sometimes :slight_smile: But I’m glad to hear you know a few Elspeths. I totally love all the names you just mentioned - it seems that Scandinavian charm often takes a little time to work, perhaps? Good luck with your searching - thank you.

@argenta_genova - I had never thought about it like that - that changes [name]Bedelia[/name] for me, in a way. Perhaps it isn’t so “ugly” after all? It does have a lovely sound… But [name]Desdemona[/name] is truly gorgeous. Although I see why it might be hard for others to separate the name from her associations. It’s so sad when that happens! Thank you.

@evelynmargaret - So happy to see [name]Adair[/name] in there: [name]Adair[/name], [name]Alba[/name] and [name]Antheia[/name] are all already on my list (I can’t seem to resist those A-names) and [name]Iolanthe[/name], [name]Lilias[/name] and [name]Alene[/name] are all so wonderful, I think they might be becoming new additions! [name]Edwin[/name] is just darling, and it’s lovely that it has such meaning to you and [name]Hector[/name]…what can I say about [name]Hector[/name]. I’m reading the Iliad at the moment, and who could not fall in love with the name?! (I’m also quite liking [name]Paris[/name] for boys, despite his slightly irritating character, but I know a boy with this name would be teased mercilessly about [name]Paris[/name] [name]Hilton[/name] - what a shame primary schools don’t teach Ancient Greek :slight_smile: ) Thank you!

@anotherkate - Soon we’re going to have to make a club - I can’t get over how many people don’t hate it! But the similarity to [name]Elizabeth[/name] is a problem, as is the fact that my mother says it as if she can’t wait to have the horrid taste out of her mouth… Dear me, some people. Anyway, I wish you luck with your [name]Elspeth[/name]-y ways of persuasion. Thank you!

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Ooh. Seconding [name]Elspeth[/name], [name]Petra[/name], [name]Adair[/name], [name]Lilias[/name] and [name]Desdemona[/name].

I also like [name]Marceline[/name], [name]Lilith[/name], [name]Ozma[/name] and [name]Aravis[/name], which I think fit this category. For boys, I have a soft spot for [name]Bartholomew[/name].

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@sidura - Thank you very much for commenting - I really am so surprised at all these [name]Elspeth[/name] fans! [name]Rowena[/name] is lovely as well - I think I must be a funky/clunky name fan too…

@geeknamezyo - [name]Count[/name] me in as thirding all the names you just seconded…if that makes sense. [name]Marceline[/name] (always reminds me of marzipan, in a good way), [name]Lilith[/name] (I had never heard the negative associations until recently, but I have always loved the painting Lady [name]Lilith[/name]) and [name]Aravis[/name] (which you have just introduced me to) are all simply beautiful, and I’m warming up to [name]Ozma[/name]. (A recent thread was asking for middle names for [name]Ozma[/name] and that’s where I saw it first, so I haven’t had much time to get to know it yet) And Bartholemew (nicknamed [name]Art[/name]/[name]Arty[/name]) - ADORABLE! (also love [name]Ajax[/name] and [name]Julian[/name] in your signature) Thank you for commenting!

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For girls, my favorites tend to be very liquid and ethereal rather than earthy/clunky. I think [name]Wilhelmina[/name] is lovely because of [name]Mina[/name] Harker, and I have a great-great-Aunt [name]Thelma[/name] whose name I always loved despite the hate. But I have lots of clunky vintage Biblical boys’ names that I just die for that most people seem to dislike:

The Z’s: [name]Zebulon[/name], [name]Zephaniah[/name], [name]Zaccheus[/name], [name]Zebediah[/name]
[name]Ezekiel[/name]
[name]Nicodemus[/name] (adore)
[name]Nazareth[/name]
[name]Mordecai[/name]
[name]Phineas[/name]
[name]Obadiah[/name]
[name]Malachi[/name] (on my short list)
[name]Philemon[/name]
[name]Thaddeus[/name]
[name]Enoch[/name]
[name]Ishmael[/name]