How do you organize favorite names?

General Name Discussion
1

[name]Just[/name] wondering what some very experienced Berries did to keep track of names.

Right now, I have an extensive list of girls names in alphabetical order, and a much smaller boys list. Than underneath I put random sibsets I come up with and name combos.

Its like most things I do, there is a system, but it looks like a mess most of the time. :smiley:

2

I keep my lists on listography.

3

I just have a word document with names in alphabetical order. Nothing fancy!

4

I have a list of Boys combinations, a list of Girls Combinations, and a list for each gender of names that have caught my eye, that may or may not be in a combination, or even seriously thought of, anything I find interesting! All of the lists are in Alphabetical order, naturally! I find it easy to forget nice names if I don’t keep them on a list somewhere! My boys list is vastly smaller than my girls list, as I do not need to actively search for more boys names, as our favorites have been long standing and probably won’t change like the girls list constantly is!

5

I have a top 100 list for each gender (that I revise each month) then I make another list where I have them in alphabetical order. I also have a list for combos. I just keep it all in open office

6

I don’t have a tangible list. I tried to make a few lists here but they’re just names I like, not my top favorites- those are in my head. I don’t have any combos since most of my favorites work together easily. I don’t have any sibsets; the names are all related to nature or music so they all go together

[name]Lotus[/name] & [name]Shea[/name] are my top names. If I had 1 girl & 1 boy, those would their names. The rest of my favorites are names that I love but unlike [name]Lotus[/name] & [name]Shea[/name], I wouldn’t be heartbroken if I never used them

7

I have a list on listography: listography: ke_xo

  • if you click on the link you can see how I’ve organised it :slight_smile:

And a list on babynames: Vote on Name Lists at BabyNames.com

8

I have lists on nameberry. I organize them by Girls names, girls backup, and girls extra. Same for boys. I also keep themed lists like “romantic classics”, “[name]Fairy[/name] [name]Princess[/name]”, “modern/trendy”, “ancient world”, Etc. I probably have around 25 lists!

9

I have an Excel Spreadsheet.
The columns go like this:

First Girls- Middle Girls- Girl Combos- First/Last Only

So that way I can separate out names I want for only first and only middle, then with the combos I can play with combinations and how they would look first-middle-last, then how they’d look written standard first/last only.

Then I continue with the boys in the same way. then the last column would be for playing around with sibsets.

Color codeing: I highlight names in one color if they are set-in-stone. Then I’ll highlight in another color which names both I and DH like. And bold type names that are my most favorite.

I forgot to mention that although I have some favorites written at the top of the list, they’re really in no particular numerical order of favorite.
And the lists/combinations are constantly in flux. Pretty much each time I look at it I’ll erase combos and add more. take of a name or add one on. It’s good to have all that stuff written down and all in one place, then you can really have fun playing with it.
And with the combos, I might have the same first name on 3 lines in a row with the only difference being the middle name/s. And with the sibset combos, I write out how all the first names would look together. So If I want two boys and two girls I’ll write their names together, then mix up the combination whether it be changing the order or replacing a name. That way I can see all the choices and possibilities stacked nice and organized.

10

I have a listography account, and put names in several different categories (modern/differnet names, old names, unisex names, names I hate) alphabetically based on gender. The only lists I don’t keep alphabetically are my top 10 names for each gender, and my top 10 combos for each gender.

I used to keep lists on various name websites (depending which website I was using more at the time), handwritten, and just in word documents, but found it more of a hassle to keep them updated. For me, I’ve found using listography to be the easiest way to keep names organized and updated.

11

I too have a listography:
https://listography.com/JessicaRoseSays

I have lists for all the names I like, boy&girl lists for names I’d actually use, favorite combinations, favorite sibsets, etc.

12

I guess I’ old fashioned - I still use notebooks and write things out by hand. I have some nice quality hardcover journals that have my master lists in them - one for male and one for females and one for combos in general. I have a ton of other notebooks full of just information.

13

I have several word docs including a master list for boys and girls, fave sibsets, fave twin names, names that honor family members, new crushes, guilty pleasures, long names with nicknames, short names with no nicknames, nature names, etc. I also have individual word docs for my very favorites with multiple combos. :slight_smile:

I also have a listography account and mostly use it for my very favorites. (at that moment - lol)

I also have a journal that I keep in my purse because I am always falling in love with a new name or hearing a name outloud one a real person makes me love it more. You get the idea.

I’m obviously obsessed with names and I’ve always loved to make lists.

14

Thanks for the responses. I can tell many people have very organized systems. :smiley: I am definitely checking out listography.

No one mentioned it, but I love evernote. You make an account online and it is a great way to organize everything from lists to documents. Plus they have an app that I use for [name]Mac[/name]. Unlike Word, I know my documents are safe online no matter what.

15

I have a huge Excel spreadsheet with a bunch of sheets

[name]Favorite[/name] boys names & [name]Favorite[/name] girls names with each rated and my most favorites highlighted.
Different - a spreadsheet of all the more unique ones: nature names, virtue names, and I keep twin sets there too
Lotsa boys & Lotsa girls - this just has the top 1000 listed out
Biblical - a huge list of Biblical names with definitions
Favorites- just my favorite name for each letter of the alphabet, boys and girls
Then I have a few other random sheets like “Hate” all the names I really hate, lol, and “Lang” which is names I like from different languages organized by country. And I have one with a lot of first/middle combinations. Also a few random worksheets that I use when I’m doing games or other silly fun things.

I also keep my favorites on a list on behindthename.

16

I have like 60 lists here on nameberry. I have my top 20 or so boys/girls, middles, combos, a list for each letter of the alphabet (except for X), and a bunch of other random ones. I’m considering moving it all over to listography.

17

I have an old [name]Lisa[/name] [name]Frank[/name] folder (remember all that rainbow-colored stuff?) from my childhood. When I found a list of “favorite names” in it that I must have made when I was nine or ten, I decided to make it my official name folder. I have all kinds of handwritten lists in it–a master list for boys’ names and one for girls’, lists of suggested names from other people (for example, a bunch of lovely exotic boys’ names from saracita00), “guess lists” for expectant friends, saints’ names, sibset combinations, anything I find that I want to record.

If my folder gets too fat, I may need to check out listography…

18

I have a primary list of my very favorites that I would use automatically if my child happened to randomly fall from the sky and I didn’t have to consult anyone. These are the ones that I am going to suggest very first to my partner when the time comes. Also, these are the only ones that I give middle names too. Then I have a list of all my favorites in alphabetical order, one column for boys and one for girls.

19

Wow. I am very impressed.

I am ruthlessly economical. I am constantly organizing and throwing things out/donating them in my house. I am essentially the opposite of a hoarder. The same is true for names; I have more boys’ names than girls’, but everything on the list is something I would actually use. There’s only one list, and between the two genders there are about fifty names. I ‘keep’ it on behindthename. In general, if I add a name, one gets deleted.

20

I have a listography {that has lists that aren’t related to names as well as lists about names} and a BabyNames.com list.

http://listography.com/spaceshipped
http://www.babynames.com/namelist/9782360 {votes cleared and names added today}

[name]Both[/name] are also in my signature.