How popular do you think Scarlett will become?

It is difficult to predict whether this name will carry on in this direction sometime in the future. And yes, [name]Scarlett[/name] Johannsen does kind of expose the name to all as a valid and “unique” choice. [name]Angelina[/name] may over-ride it. When nobody ever heard the name [name]Brittany[/name], it seemed classy too. [name]Britney[/name] Spears didn’t ruin it; it already had a very common appeal when her mother gave her that name and spelled it wrong, li’l help from our [name]Whitney[/name] [name]Houston[/name] before she handed over the keys to her brain and career. [name]Amanda[/name] and [name]Ashley[/name] seemed to have similar fates, but all those names were excessively popular - which may save [name]Scarlett[/name].

I don’t think it’s necessarily going to get much more appealing to most people than it already is. It is a more “cool” name to have, which scares some people and appeals to other people who want a dear, sweet, safe name like [name]Jessica[/name] or [name]Ashley[/name]. Who knows? Nobody really. To be honest, I feel [name]Isabella[/name] might be in that same flavor as [name]Jessica[/name], [name]Amanda[/name] and [name]Ashley[/name], but that it’s still fairly safe to choose it, names like that could be from anywhere. [name]Scarlett[/name], as opposed to [name]Charlotte[/name], does seem vulnerable because it’s cool and not at all granny, but that’s not a solid prediction.

Anyway, I was looking at the V names for girls, and might I suggest [name]Valerie[/name].

Entry for [name]Valerie[/name]:
"Popularity in 2008: #135
[name]Valerie[/name] peaked in the 1960s, but still doesn’t sound terminally dated; association with the word valor gives it a sense of boldness. "

[name]Valeria[/name] is also listed as more fresh than the [name]Valerie[/name] some might consider more tired than [name]Pam[/name] or [name]Linda[/name]. I am only just recently considering [name]Valerie[/name]. There are some names that just sound nice to me no matter when they were most popular, which [name]Valerie[/name] was through the 60s and 70s. I don’t buy the 100-year rule, for one thing. I could say there may be mothers out there who named their first doll [name]Valerie[/name] and never loved any other name, get stuck in a time warp and still think it’s “cool.” I just think sometimes, you don’t have to look too far back to feel out a name that deserves favor because it’s not too common, it sounds pretty, and it means “strong.” It’s a legitimate name not too dissimilar to [name]Ellery[/name] or [name]Avery[/name], or [name]Kaylie[/name] or [name]Hailey[/name] without referencing them very precisely or echoing them strongly. I feel it will sound good in its surroundings, much better actually, without being grouped along with the mega-names or accurately pointing out the era in which she was born.

To me, everyone is looking right, and I want to look left. Everyone is unpacking [name]Beatrice[/name] and [name]Hazel[/name] and [name]Penelope[/name] and [name]Hermione[/name] from the attic, and I say, what the heck about [name]Valerie[/name]. Anyway. [name]Valerie[/name]. [name]Valeria[/name]. It’s not exactly your style, but I felt like I had to pitch it. We’ll see if anyone comes up with a reason to really dislike it (at least I still care!).

Thanks [name]Karen[/name], [name]Jill[/name], & [name]Caroline[/name] for the feedback and advice.

[name]Karen[/name], you asked why I am debating [name]Scarlett[/name] & [name]Viola[/name]:

“[name]Scarlett[/name] and [name]Viola[/name] are also good - it really depends on where your doubt comes from - do you feel they are nice but not THE ONE? Or are you feeling them out on your friends and getting lukewarm or mixed reviews, and reacting to that?”

I think it boils down to a couple things.

  1. Unlike last time, I have shared my names with about 5-6 close friends & sister. I didn’t do this last time I was pregnant but decided to this time b/c I couldn’t make up my mind between the two and wanted some feedback. I find that I waver based on what they tell me. No one has told me they don’t like the names. They tell me which one they like better and I pick up on cues from there. Since I really do like both names, their comments tend to sway my opinion back and forth. And, ultimately I would prefer that the majority of friends and family immediately like the name instead of having to grow into it.

  2. Likewise, I have done some polling on a couple sites and one name tends to get much higher results than the other. Again, makes me analyze the situation more - this is where the popularity advice stemmed from. Not sure what to make of the polls (go against the popular vote or embrace the underdog)!

  3. As I mentioned, I really do like both names and think each one fits a particular mood of mine. Some days I feel very bohemian, pick up that arty dress, and listen to blues music, and want a very unpretentious name rooted in American history. On these days, I picture a sweet, little Bohemian [name]Viola[/name]. Other days I want to feel more decadent / glamouros and cover my house in bold, swirling [name]Art[/name] Nouveau, flocked red wallpaper while listening to moody music and drinking red wine. These days I picture an exotic, glamorous [name]Scarlett[/name]. So, this one is probably the biggest problem for me. I know people have suggested using both but really middle names (unless you end up using as a first) get rarely used.

Anyway, I do feel like one of these names is probably the one but want to make sure that I’m not having problems b/c I didn’t dig deep enough. I liked a couple of [name]Jill[/name]'s suggestions ([name]Lydia[/name] & [name]Delilah[/name] - DH doesn’t like). And from your list [name]Karen[/name] I used to like [name]Eloise[/name] and [name]Lilah[/name] but not enough. [name]Valerie[/name], unfortuantely has too many connotations for me as I was born in the 70’s and grew up with two. It probably does have more staying power b/c it isn’t one of the trendy names right now. But, it’s not for me. I still like [name]Viola[/name] & [name]Scarlett[/name] better than the ones suggested. I guess I was semi hoping that a name would pop up that I haven’t thought about and embodied both qualities I am looking for in [name]Viola[/name] & [name]Scarlett[/name]. Otherwise, I will just have to pick (or maybe make my husband pick).

[name]Hi[/name]! I grew up in the 70s too, but for some reason [name]Valerie[/name] wasn’t that popular a name. I had an idea it wouldn’t fit your situation, but you never know.

Ok, so you have 2 names you love, 2 distinct scenarios of sort of a “character” of the names that don’t seem to compromise - you know if you pick one, you can’t have the other… I guess that’s how it ordinarily goes anyway. I also like names from all over the map, so I guess that’s a hard decision which way to go. Obviously she’s being born soon and not in the distant past, her lifestyle is not going to be determined by her name by any means.

It seems one thing that’s holding you back is that some of the names you did consider have been used in your circle of friends or family, not necessarily their reaction to the names, although that’s making some trouble in your mind as well.

I’ll wonder aloud if you might like [name]Violet[/name] better than [name]Viola[/name], and that’s maybe you and maybe not you. I think people in general feel more comfortable with [name]Violet[/name] as a name compared to [name]Viola[/name], so your friends and other people you’ve asked don’t react to it as well as [name]Scarlett[/name] - if those are your only two choices. They are telling you which they like better - are they giving you any reasons? When I see that name, I think of the musical instrument, and I guess the name is pronounced with the long I because it’s after the plant and not the instrument. I looked up [name]Iola[/name] in the nameberry here, and it says “dated beyond redemption.” That gives me a clue. They have been wrong before, but I think it might sound a little awkward. And obviously between [name]Viola[/name] and [name]Scarlett[/name] is [name]ViolET[/name]. So I wonder if you like [name]Viola[/name] better than [name]Violet[/name] or you are compromising because someone you know already used it. I myself would use [name]Violet[/name], or look for another name in that case.

One of the things I’ve really liked about participating at this board is looking stuff up for people. There are other posters who seem to have lists of names ready to go that are in the same category or imagery of someone’s short list, or just names they like a lot and sound good, and the search functions the same way - you want classic, avant-garde, vintage, etc., it will provide you of a list by no means exhaustive. I don’t know how much time you have till your due date, but just looking up names that begin with a letter or a couple letters in particular, I have encountered several awesome choices - I don’t know how they fly with the OP generally, but I see names that would not occur to me or appear on any of the category or hot lists. They may be less common than [name]Viola[/name], but maybe they are prettier to you and really match what you’re looking for. If you start with an initial, even thousands of names may come up, but it doesn’t take too long to look over and mentally eliminate the ones you just don’t like so you can discover names that you do - and then I haven’t tried it, but you can click ones you like and put them on a list here. This might be an exercise you could try to set things aside, try a bunch of new names you and your husband would like, your friends think is nice, and still come back to your list if you feel like you’ve seen enough and none can top your choice.

I will break it down for you - I like [name]Violet[/name] better than [name]Scarlett[/name], and I like [name]Scarlett[/name] better than [name]Viola[/name]. I think that [name]Viola[/name] may be pretty but that loose a at the end sort of leaves mental space for negative suffixes that [name]Violet[/name] resolves. Otherwise, I wouldn’t care about the low popularity of a nice name and whether my friends liked it. [name]Scarlett[/name] is a cool name and I can see why you like it and I can see why you’d also be nervous about its potential for popularity. In my mind, I think you have to be pretty confident to carry off the name, which is something I imagine parents worry about - what if she’s shy, what if she’s too arrogant because of it. [name]Will[/name] the name really suit her personality, in other words, not the personality you hope she has.

If you are still undecided at this point, flipping a coin works this way - heads [name]Scarlett[/name], tails [name]Viola[/name]. It lands on ? You will know which outcome you hoped, so don’t rely on the coin for an answer.

Once again I think you nailed it on the head! I can’t have both and I am nervous about picking one over the other. [name]Violet[/name] would be a good compromise. In fact if my [name]Julian[/name] had been a girl 3 years ago our name for him was [name]Violet[/name]! However, in the mean time we had a friend’s brother (who we see frequently now) use it. So, we decided to eliminate it from our list.

Then, my husband decided he liked [name]Viola[/name] (about 1-2 years ago). I didn’t like it at first but the more I looked at the name the more it really grew on me! I can definitely see using it for our girl, but I think part of me is still mourning that frilly “et” ending! Plus, I get nervous when I hear other people that don’t like it b/c I remember my initial reaction to it. In the end, if we do use it I hope that people will warm up to it as I did. Right now I hear a lot of people saying they can’t get over the instrument connection, the nerdiness of it, the old lady association, the two different pronuciations, etc. Although, I do have two friends really pulling for it and they talk about it being sweet and arty. The users on this site also seemed to like it slightly better but I of course wonder if it is b/c people on this site tend to like more “unique” names. Plus, my husband hasn’t admitted it but I still think he is pulling for [name]Viola[/name] over [name]Scarlett[/name]. [name]Scarlett[/name], I absolutely love, love. I don’t even worry for a second that it won’t match her personality. And, I’m not too worried about it becoming more popular (although I wish it wouldn’t). My only worry is about the future connotations of this name. But, I am trying to be an optimist and not worry about it if I really love the name. Who cares? I did your suggestion with the search and came up with a handful of names. All of which my husband didn’t like and nixed. He said, we have the final two names (I think I am killing him)! So, we shall just see where the next 2 1/2 months takes us - due early/mid oct. I’m hoping I decide and don’t have to post a new thread a couple weeks before I am due. So, thanks again for everyone’s help.

FYI…Here are the names I found while searching (and the DH nixed) just in case anyone out there has been reading these posts and likes similar frilly names.

  • [name]Vivianna[/name]
  • [name]Violetta[/name] (obviously would probably be shortened to [name]Violet[/name] but love the long version)
  • [name]Villette[/name]
  • [name]Francesca[/name]
  • Lucianna
  • [name]Valentina[/name]
  • [name]Rosetta[/name] / [name]Rosette[/name]
  • [name]Mirabelle[/name] / [name]Mirielle[/name]

Honestly, if [name]Scarlett[/name] is the name you like the most, you should go for it and don’t look back. I happen to love the name and I think you will get a LOT of compliments on it.

I can’t remember if I replied to this post already - but my daughter is named [name]Scarlett[/name] and I [name]DO[/name] get a lot of compliments on it. And you can tell it isn’t just people being nice - they genuinely like her name and think it suits her perfectly.

I’m sure you do get a lot of compliments on it. It is a glamorous, bold, femine choice. As I have mentioned, the majority of people I tell my top 2 names to tend to like it much better than [name]Viola[/name] (I am still pretty partial to both!).

A couple questions for you. 1.) Are you using a nickname? If so, what is it? If not, have people tried to shorten her name? Have you ever heard someone call her ‘scar’. 2.) Since naming your daughter, have you run into a lot of other Scarletts? 3.) What did you use as a middle name? I am trying to incorporate a family name and am thinking [name]Rosalie[/name] / [name]Rosalee[/name] if I use [name]Scarlett[/name]. Thanks.