my favourite old-man names are ernest and albert (ernie and bertie) - huge gps tho because s/o would never let me call our son ernie 
15 Likes
[name_f]My[/name_f] 3yo brother is [name_m]Albert[/name_m] and I thought it was too ‘old man’ at first but it really suits him! And [name_m]Ernie[/name_m] is so cute 
8 Likes
Albert is still firmly “old man” where I live (but in the UK it’s like #55 now!) so I’m not sure I’ll get away with it, but Bertie I’m trying to! There was a baby born on Coronation Street a few years ago named Bertie and my whole family watches it, made it a bit more familiar for S/O at least!
Ernie unfortunately is still the guy with the rubber duck from Sesame Street though, or the guy from the Ernest movies 
5 Likes
In a lot of cases, names spelled with K’s rather than C’s are much more appealing to me.
Like Karolina, Kallisto, Katalina, Oskar, et cetera.
I’m even starting to prefer Kassiopeia / Kassiopeya to Cassiopeia 
12 Likes
Honestly K’s feel more your style for some reason, not sure why they just do
6 Likes
I know many girls named [name_u]Skylar[/name_u] and [name_u]Alexis[/name_u] and I think those two names need to be used for boys more often.
8 Likes
I hope this one isn’t too controversial considering religious discussions are generally frowned against, so I will immediately take this down if any issues arise.
There is nothing wrong with giving your child a name that is reflective of your faith.
One of my parents is Pagan/Wicca, and that was very much reflected in the list of names they considered for me. They ultimately chose [name_f]Stella[/name_f], which does have a slight witchy undertone, but there were some others on the list that were certainly a lot less mainstream. (Think along the lines of [name_f]Calliope[/name_f], [name_f]Circe[/name_f], [name_f]Ariadne[/name_f], Feronia… Also [name_f]Lilith[/name_f] was a serious contender, which isn’t a [name_m]Pagan[/name_m] name, but still relevant to my point)
I grew up and became a Catholic. [name_f]Pretty[/name_f] much the polar opposite of how I was raised. I would have been totally fine, however, if I was named Feronia.
A Catholic named Feronia? Cool! A Muslim named Feronia? Cool! [name_u]An[/name_u] athiest/agnostic named Feronia? Also cool!
A name will not stop your child from becoming who they want to be, and believing in what they want to believe in. And if they really don’t like their name… They can change it! [name_f]My[/name_f] grandma and my father did, and they are just fine. 
p.s. [name_f]My[/name_f] [name_m]Pagan[/name_m] parent is my absolute best friend in the whole wide world. Despite our different religions, they have shaped me in so many brilliant ways and I will forever love them with my entire heart. I would have loved them just the same if they’d named me one of the other names in the list of names for me.
27 Likes
Same here! (there are a few exceptions of course). Especially Kalliope & Kassander for some reason. The K’s just feel…crisper
2 Likes
I agree. The names we give our children honor who and what we love. We have no idea who our children will become. We don’t give them names with the hope they live up to what we love, but to become the person they are meant to be. We hope they grow up to have their own interests and to make worthwhile decisions, even if they do not match the choices we would make.
ETA: Though I will add that when we give our kids a name honoring someone we love, we hope they will be proud to have a connection to that person, if only through the memories of the person if not the person themselves.
BTW Thank you for sharing. This is an amazing insight.
14 Likes
Oh my giddy aunt you just put into words what I’ve been trying to say for months. Also just to add people often think more highly of names once they know someone even adulthood. For example you’re much more likely to see [name_f]Poppy[/name_f] on an adult if you meet an adult named [name_f]Poppy[/name_f].
4 Likes
I have three -
Firstly I love word names. I am a full simp. Including the ones that are considered trashy (we will get here in point three). Whilst I don’t care a ton on the meaning for most names (as long as it’s not absolute rough like Lilith or Mallory) but I just think speaking that over your kid is lovely. I’ve had to draw the line at some (The thought of the combo Miracle Imogen though ) because my future kids teachers will think I’m a jackass. I feel like this is both popular and unpopular because Legend is near in the top 100 in the US but everyone still calls them trashy.
Secondly I joined Nameberry 5-7 years ago and back then every single one of my name combos had a traditional honor middle name. Every single one. I’ve massively gone off them now. I feel like humans are too fallible and you run the risk of that person turning out to be a monster. And whilst I guess if you like that name enough it doesn’t really matter because even if that turns out to be the case you still like the name and you have an easy out but I feel like most people don’t (myself included) and just use honor names because that’s the thing you do. Looking back that’s why I did it. And I get this is not the most nuanced take because there are cultures where there’s no real option either by obligation or by literal law but I feel like in 2021 western society where you can name your kid whatever you want (mostly) I don’t get the appeal and if there’s anyone out there currently struggling with this you have my full permission to use me as a scapegoat in your argument with your mom , grandma , aunt etc.
Thirdly I went through about a two year span ending probably around 2020 where I was very discouraged and kind of went through a vintage phase because that’s what was popular on here and getting popular IRL. And there’s nothing wrong with it but its not me and now that I’ve stopped I feel so much better about my list (not in length but in content). Trashy is honestly so subjective but I fell into that trap of “I don’t want to be trashy”. I need to be real with myself. Mazel tov if you and Nameberry or IRL line up in style perfectly but it doesn’t with me and if you’re with me then please don’t be afraid to collect the names you want. Again you have full permission to use me as a scapegoat.
6 Likes
I feel like it’s also because when you’re a teenager it’s so much easier to be into names - you’re (hopefully) another 10-25 years off kids , you’re probably single or your partner is no offense pretty inconsequential to your daily goings on and no one’s taking your name musings seriously so even if they hate them they’re still pretty nice about it because hey you’re so far off kids you could still do a full 180 and like the names they like. Meanwhile once you’re in your 20’s you have to put at least a tad more thought into it because you might have a partner who you are making life plans with or at the very least you’re starting to genuinely consider the who , what , where , when and how of how you will have your family unit (I know I have but then again I’m loser with no social life and like planning my future even though it never comes to fruition because I’m me , am tired and have horrific luck) and how your names will fit into that. Also you’re at the age where this time two years from now you could be engaged and expecting with someone you haven’t even met yet - I’ve seen it happen to multiple people online. Also once you’re in your 20’s people get more vocal regardless of your lifestyle because even if it’s slim it could still happen at this point. So there’s more consideration required and thus I think a lot of nameberries trickle off around 18-19 and don’t come back until they’re like 30 when they have those points solidified. It really depends on whether that’s comforting or panic inducing. I find it comforting but I fully get why it wouldn’t be for others in a time of a lot plan making and self discovery.
4 Likes
Often times name I haven’t seen in that spelling look wrong and incomplete at first just because their are different, but after I get used to them I like/prefer them. Other times they stay looking wrong. So I try to not judge to quick.
4 Likes
I would probably never, ever, ever use the name of a friend. I agree with your point there.
But… I’ll always love my parents and grandparents, and most of my honor names are theirs. I have solely good memories of them, and even if our relationships change in the future, I place a lot of value in my family relationships. I can’t see myself forgoing using my father’s name because of any type of dispute we might have.
A related hot take: “Stretchy” honor names are not honor names. In fact, “my grandpa was James and he was a gardener so we named our daughter Flora!” is more of an honor name than “my grandpa was James but I don’t like that so we named our daughter Jacqueline!” Even gender-bent names are kind of iffy. If you want to honor someone, you should go all-in!
2 Likes
I totally agree! I was reading this and I’ve seen so many names I like on here. Everyone can have their own taste and they don’t need to be told that some of their favourite names are ugly. Everyone has opinions and just because you don’t agree doesn’t mean it’s wrong.
All names are lovely in their own way 
7 Likes
I guess that’s true for friends, maybe, but I can’t imagine my dad or twin brother for example “turning out to be a monster”. I’ll never stop loving them, no matter what. So I’d use an honor name for them without hesitation, if that’s what I wanted.
3 Likes
Perhaps you do, but there will still be the reason you choose to honour them. For example some of my honour middles are Grace, Belle and Stephanie, for three friends who helped me out of a super tough time and have always been there for me. If they turned out to be horrible and my kid had a middle name after one (or more) of them, I would be disappointed in the person but not unhappy that I had honoured them, because they will always mean that to me and what they have done cannot been taken away.
9 Likes
Unpopular opinion: I really don’t like the name [name_f]Poppy[/name_f] because when I hear it I just think of the Spanish word papi. I just imagine a sweet little girl going on a family vacation to Cabo and the whole time having to tell people her name is “papi.”
9 Likes
Why I can’t have it on my list, I think it’s so cute but Papí is what I call my dad 
5 Likes
My grandfather is Poppy. We don’t speak Spanish though, and not Papi, it’s spelled Poppy. so I was really confused when I got onto NameBerry and people wanted to call there daughters Poppy.
5 Likes