Hey, I’m not pregnant and not sure if we’d have a 5th so this could potentially be for a pet in the future. A few years ago my mom and my sister participated in AncestryDNA and found out our actual heritage is over 50% [name_f]British[/name_f], almost 20% Scottish, and some percentage of [name_u]Irish[/name_u]. We always believed it was more [name_m]German[/name_m]. We also have a percentage of Welsh. Knowing that I had previously been honoring my adopted heritage of Greek would you decide with a potential #5 to honor your actual heritage or just go with a name you love? For example my new top names to consider are
[name_f]Calista[/name_f] (Still love it and it’s a family name not connected to our adopted Greek heritage )
[name_u]Erin[/name_u] (honoring [name_u]Irish[/name_u] heritage)
[name_f]Isla[/name_f] (honoring Scottish heritage)
[name_f]Nia[/name_f] (honoring Welsh heritage)
[name_f]Victoria[/name_f] (kind of honoring both [name_f]British[/name_f] and Romanian heritage, but dh doesn’t like it)
We considered [name_f]Isla[/name_f] this last pregnancy, but dh felt it would get mispronounced. If it helps I’m not following any ethnic background customs. Where I moved to we don’t have much of a Greek community to continue to be apart of and I’ve been wanting to know my biological heritage I guess you could say. Learn about it and teach it to my daughters. Their names are
In my situation, I would just go with a name I love. I have a lot of different countries in my heritage: mostly [name_f]English[/name_f], [name_u]Irish[/name_u], and [name_m]German[/name_m] with smaller amounts of Swiss, Italian, Cajun, [name_u]French[/name_u], Isleño… but the thing is, I’m so far removed from these places that I don’t identify with them at all. [name_f]My[/name_f] family has lost connection to and traditions from these cultures. If I were to honor my heritage, it would be mostly based on the place I grew up and live now, family members in my own memory, etc. Obviously everyone is different and discovering this about yourself might make you curious enough to reconnect with that heritage, but the way I see it, I’m so far removed since most of my family immigrated in the 1600s-1800s so my heritage… doesn’t really matter to me that much? It’s never been a significant impact in my life and doesn’t inform my culture at all now. If that makes sense?
Maybe it’s because I’m not American (I understand that the attitude around these things is different over there) but I don’t see how dna and heritage matter if you’re not an active member of that culture. I don’t think you should feel obliged to use an English name or a Greek name! I’m 100% Greek and I probably wouldn’t use a Greek name for my children, just because there aren’t any that I love as much as other names You’re not more or less of a member of a culture because you choose to use or not to use names from that culture.
I honestly believe you should choose a name you love!
However I think you need to workout what you love about a name. [name_f]Do[/name_f] you love a name that reflects your culture? [name_f]Do[/name_f] you love a name that has a beautiful meaning? [name_f]Do[/name_f] you love a name with fun nicknames? [name_u]Or[/name_u] do you want a name that feels cohesive with your children’s names? [name_u]Or[/name_u] do you want to use a loved ones name? I think if you establish what you want in a name that would narrow down your list.
I think [name_f]Calista[/name_f] is the best name within your sibling set she’s elegant, has pretty nickname options, feels cohesive with your sibling set with the ‘a’ ending and has the lovely meaning ‘most beautiful’ honestly [name_f]Calista[/name_f] is lovely.
Using some of my own experience I have mixed cultural background my mother is Ashkenazi Jewish (her father was Russian and her mother Polish) and my father is Scottish/Irish with a strong [name_u]Irish[/name_u] traveller background that is a large mix of cultures to honour that’s not even including my partners background. [name_f]My[/name_f] partner is black [name_f]British[/name_f] (Ugandan descent) and he believes he also has links to [name_u]Kenya[/name_u]. When it came to naming our daughter we chose a name that is universal used across Eastern Europe, [name_u]Israel[/name_u] and East/Northern [name_f]Africa[/name_f]. However we specifically wanted to honour my mum so choose a name that did that we were just lucky that despite using a name which dominant culture is Eastern Europe is very universal. However with the middle names I used a name from my fathers family tree and my partners family tree. We created a very universal choice reflective of our background but love. I think the most important aspect choosing a name you love rather than feeling obliged to honour distant culture.
I understand what you’re saying because my family has been here in the US about as long as yours between 1600-1800s depending on the branches we’re talking about. [name_f]My[/name_f] maiden name I always thought was [name_m]German[/name_m], but my sisters dna came back with a small percentage of [name_m]German[/name_m]. I also believed we were heinz57 meaning a lot of different nationalities. As a teen I loved reading romance novels especially about the Scottish Highlands and had hoped we had some Scottish heritage lol. And no we also didn’t learn or have traditions handed down from generations. [name_m]Just[/name_m] rumors of where we’re from and different ethnic backgrounds because my dad is super dark and so was his mom. [name_f]My[/name_f] moms dad was also super dark so we’ve been trying to figure out where those dark genes come from. Also, my 4 daughters names have meaning. [name_f]My[/name_f] oldest was named after her paternal grandpa who died when we were expecting her and I loved the meaning of Admirable One. [name_f]My[/name_f] 2nd daughter was named in honor of both Greek and Romanian heritage (my husband’s maternal grandma was Romanian), we both loved water and everything nautical. [name_f]My[/name_f] 3rd daughter was the hardest to name, but ultimately what we both liked and to honor my love of Greek Mythology. 4th was named for our journey. It was a long, hard pregnancy that had me on bed rest because I was bleeding and i wanted a name that was strong and honored our journey. To me that was [name_f]Alexandra[/name_f]. [name_f]Girl[/name_f] names have always been hard for me because their are so many different styles.
A lot of it is not knowing what our actual heritage is. Nothing has been brought down by generations more likely because my family has been in the US since 1600-1800s. The only thing that got passed down were rumors of where our family came from.
I would go with what you love. You can teach her about your/her heritage no matter what her name is although I do understand wanting to choose something to honor or reflect it!
[name_f]My[/name_f] own heritage includes Italian, [name_f]English[/name_f], [name_m]Dutch[/name_m], [name_m]German[/name_m], etc. [name_f]My[/name_f] grandfather came to the States from [name_f]Italy[/name_f], as a young adult, so that’s the closest. I wanted to honor that with my own son’s name but ultimately decided against it. I don’t know Italian. I don’t know the culture. I felt like a fraud for trying to use an Italian name for my baby. I know it wasn’t the case but that’s just how I felt. I ultimately chose an [name_f]English[/name_f] version of my grandfather’s name and that felt right for our family.
Anyway, from your list, I really like [name_f]Calista[/name_f] and [name_f]Isla[/name_f]!
I think its fun to be inspired by whatever feels meaningful so if your DNA results really make you love some names go for it. Personally Im more interested in names common to the region of the US I identify with since heritage is sketchy at best I think we thought we were more [name_u]Irish[/name_u] or something but turns out Vikings were probably involved so who knows. I really love [name_f]Isla[/name_f]!
[name_f]My[/name_f] problem has always been i love too many names until its time to name the baby and then either nothing feels right, dh and I can’t agree, or I’m too indecisive lol. [name_f]Isla[/name_f] has been on my list since I was pregnant with my 1st back in 2016. We considered it after I gave up [name_f]Calista[/name_f] with this last pregnancy because both of our families hated [name_f]Calista[/name_f] and only wanted to acknowledge [name_f]Callie[/name_f]. I couldn’t do that because we already had a C@ssie and I knew we’d get their names mixed up. I didn’t want her to solely be [name_f]Callie[/name_f]. If I wanted her to be just [name_f]Callie[/name_f] thats what I would have chosen. Anyways, my dh felt [name_f]Isla[/name_f] would get mispronounced so we went with Alex@ndra which has been a favorite since I was a kid. She is completely her name. I have no doubts and I love it.
I’ve usually been more into meaning of and their cohesiveness as a sibset. I’ve also been including my dhs heritage when deciding names. His moms side is a mix of Czech Republic, Romanian, and [name_m]German[/name_m]. His dads is [name_m]German[/name_m].
Personally, I would just go with a name that I loved. I’ve never felt obliged to use a particular name because of my ethnicity. I’m a dual citizen (Irish and British) and culturally speaking, I identify more as [name_u]Irish[/name_u], but at the same time I’ve never felt like I had to give my child a traditionally [name_u]Irish[/name_u] name. (I don’t know anything about my non-recent ancestry anyway.) For me, honouring my heritage would be more about using family names.
I really like [name_f]Calista[/name_f] from your list.
Heritage percentage tests are silly. They are not based on reliable science and they’re misleading. [name_m]Just[/name_m] because your results say you’re 20% [name_u]Irish[/name_u], for example, does not mean you have a deep connection to [name_u]Irish[/name_u] culture - your ancestors may have left [name_u]Ireland[/name_u] centuries ago and have little or no cultural ties with them. They also reinforce the notion that there are distinct, homogenous races with clear-cut boundaries. Human populations are far more diverse and interconnected than these tests suggest.
If I woke up tomorrow to find out I actually have tons of, say, Azerbaijani ancestry, that would change nothing. I’ve never been to Azerbaijan, I don’t speak Azerbaijani, I know nothing about Azeri culture. Which isn’t to say it would be in any way wrong to name your child [name_u]Erin[/name_u] or [name_f]Nia[/name_f] or any of the other names you listed.
I completely get where you’re coming from with feeling like a fraud. 3 of my 4 girls have Greek names, but they’re not the unique ones that are sometimes hard to wear unless you’re in the community. M@rina, C@ssandra, and Alex@ndra are their names so they’re more international I guess.
[name_f]Calista[/name_f] is a family name on my side that has nothing to do with our adopted Greek heritage. I have loved the name since I was a teen. [name_f]Isla[/name_f] has been on my list since I pregnant with my oldest back in 2016. 0
I would never use a name I didn’t like just to honor my heritage. All the names I listed has been on my list except [name_u]Erin[/name_u]. I do like [name_u]Erin[/name_u] so thats why its on my list. [name_f]Nia[/name_f] was usually a nickname for [name_f]Antonia[/name_f] or recently [name_f]Stephania[/name_f]. I also feel like [name_u]Erin[/name_u] is the only name that wouldn’t exactly go with her sisters names lol. [name_f]Isla[/name_f] I’ve had on my list since I was pregnant with my oldest back in 2016. I thought we had way more [name_m]German[/name_m] in us and I couldn’t use [name_m]German[/name_m] names because I didn’t like any enough to use. I usually go for names I like, with great meaning, family names, etc.
i understand this is a personal matter and don’t mean to disregard the issue at hand - but perhaps its not the names’ heritage that is so important to you, but rather looking for personal meaning in names you love. there’s a lot of emphasis on this, especially with names, so it’s understandable that it would feel important !
if you put aside the feelings around honoring your heritage, do you truly love the names you’ve listed ?
a name doesn’t need to have a strong personal connection, meaning or genetic heritage link for you to use it. if you’re drawn to a name, regardless of its origin, that’s meaningful enough
Honestly, I don’t know what I identify as? I’ve loved the idea of the Greek culture I more than the actual culture itself. I never converted to Greek Orthodox. I went to a church service like once or twice and I could never do their communion. [name_f]My[/name_f] family followed Baptist and Methodist religiona.
[name_f]My[/name_f] family has been in the US since between 1600-1800s so we don’t have a deep connection because nothing was passed down generations besides rumors of what we’re suppose to have. I dont know my dads yet except we have [name_f]British[/name_f] and [name_u]Irish[/name_u] on my dads moms side and my paternal great grandma has [name_f]British[/name_f] heritage. [name_f]My[/name_f] maiden name I always assumed it was [name_m]German[/name_m], but I guess it’s possible that its [name_f]British[/name_f] too. The [name_m]German[/name_m] form is Schnell. [name_m]Just[/name_m] to give you an idea. [name_f]My[/name_f] great great great grandma was [name_f]Calista[/name_f] and her family from what I can see was from Great [name_u]Britain[/name_u]. Her maiden name was [name_u]Bennett[/name_u].
Your other daughters names are so pretty together! As for the names on your list, I don’t think you need to use a name based on your heritage, and should just use a name you like. It doesn’t sound like you were aware of your real heritage until recently, so you don’t need to incorporate it if it isn’t something you feel connected to.
Then your culture and heritage is predominantly American. Use whatever name you like and think goes well with your daughters’ names. It really doesn’t matter if it’s [name_f]English[/name_f] or Scottish or [name_m]German[/name_m].
The only name on my new list that hasn’t been there long is [name_u]Erin[/name_u]. I’m considering these names because I do like them and their meanings. [name_f]Isla[/name_f] was on my list since I first started naming my kids back in 2016. [name_f]Calista[/name_f] and [name_f]Victoria[/name_f] have been on my list since I was a teen. [name_f]My[/name_f] dh knows a lot of Victorias so hes not a fan. I’d probably move that name to the middle name spot. We’re a very nautical, love water, beaches, boating family so [name_f]Isla[/name_f] would fit in perfectly for that reason. [name_f]Nia[/name_f] was on my list as a nickname for either [name_f]Antonia[/name_f] or recently [name_f]Stephania[/name_f]. I love strong girly names with great meaning.
I’d always still use a name I love tbh, over one that honours a heritage I’m not really tied to. Unless of course, you find a name that does both!
[name_f]Isla[/name_f] is nice choice though and since it ranks highly in the UK, US, [name_u]Ireland[/name_u], Finland, [name_u]New[/name_u] [name_u]Zealand[/name_u], [name_f]Canada[/name_f] and Australia, I don’t think the pronunciation would be too hard if you live in any of those places?
Suggestions, if you want
[name_f]Moira[/name_f] is a name that crosses into Greek mythology and Scottish origins. [name_f]Anna[/name_f] has Greek, [name_u]Irish[/name_u], Scottish and [name_f]English[/name_f] origins. [name_f]Antonia[/name_f] has Greek and Romanian heritage (and nn [name_f]Nia[/name_f] could be a nod to the Welsh), [name_f]Flora[/name_f] has both Greek, Scottish and [name_f]English[/name_f] origins, [name_f]Iris[/name_f] has Greek and [name_f]English[/name_f] origins plus is similar to [name_f]Isla[/name_f], [name_f]Theodora[/name_f] has [name_f]English[/name_f] and Greek origins
You’re not more or less of a member of a culture because you choose to use or not to use names from that culture.
although I do understand wanting to choose something to honor or reflect it!
I think we thought we were more [name_u]Irish[/name_u] or something but turns out Vikings were probably involved so who knows. I really love [name_f]Isla[/name_f]!