[name_f]My[/name_f] 1st baby is due in [name_u]December[/name_u] & we will not find out the gender until baby comes so I’m posting on both the boy & girl forums.
I have an unusual/difficult to spell first name. So I’d like to help baby avoid this lifelong headache with a name that’s a bit more recognizable.
I would welcome any ideas you might have. I’m not a huge fan of girl names that end in -a (which is very popular these days). But I’m truly open to anything.
If it’s a girl, baby will most likely have the middle name “[name_f]Sue[/name_f]” after my mother.
In addition to ideas, my husband & I have been considering the name [name_f]Karen[/name_f]. I’d love any input on this, positive or negative. I think it’s feminine yet strong. But I worry that especially as baby gets older it will feel like an “old lady” name (no offense to the many, many wonderful Karens out there!) and not yet a “vintage” name.
Congratulations! I do think [name_f]Karen[/name_f] is pretty dated (especially paired with [name_f]Sue[/name_f], which I understand is a family name). It’s very 60s/70s like [name_f]Cheryl[/name_f], [name_f]Deborah[/name_f], [name_f]Linda[/name_f], etc. I do think of it as kind of a “middle aged name” right now.
I really want to suggest [name_f]Susanna[/name_f]/[name_f]Susannah[/name_f] as a first name to honor your mom, but I know you don’t like -a names. [name_f]Suzette[/name_f] would be a nice middle too. [name_f]My[/name_f] favorite girl names that don’t end in -a are [name_f]Alice[/name_f], [name_f]Jane[/name_f], [name_f]Eve[/name_f], [name_f]Maeve[/name_f], [name_f]Juliet[/name_f], [name_f]Claire[/name_f], [name_f]Lucy[/name_f], and [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f]. I know my style is a bit classic/conservative though, so I’m sure other Berries will have a slew of names to suggest!
Thanks for the ideas! I hadn’t even considered the way [name_f]Karen[/name_f] + [name_f]Sue[/name_f] sounded together…very 60’s indeed. Definitely something to think about.
I agree that [name_f]Karen[/name_f] is dated, but not quite vintage. Here are a few that don’t feel as dated to me, either because they have stayed somewhat popular or because they were never that common to begin with.
Personally I really don’t like [name_f]Karen[/name_f], it feels a bit drab and old to me, a parent name rather than a baby name. However there are some beautiful and more uncommon names that are similar to it; [name_f]Kerenza[/name_f]/[name_f]Kerensa[/name_f] (Cornish for love), [name_f]Kyra[/name_f], [name_f]Kiera[/name_f], [name_f]Catrina[/name_f], [name_f]Catriona[/name_f] & [name_f]Katherine[/name_f].
Congratulations! [name_f]My[/name_f] mother is called [name_f]Karen[/name_f] and I just asked her about her experiences growing up with the name. She said she never cared for it much, not because of the sound or anything, but simply because she was born in the 60s and there were a lot of girls with [name_f]Sharon[/name_f]/[name_f]Karen[/name_f] sounding names round where she lived. Although it definitely does sound quite 60s/70s, I think it would sound quite well on a child today. Have you ever seen the TV show Outnumbered? There’s a child in that called [name_f]Karen[/name_f] and she wears it very well!
Names not ending in -a that you might like:
[name_f]Adele[/name_f]
[name_f]Aster[/name_f]
[name_f]Astrid[/name_f]
[name_f]Caroline[/name_f]
[name_f]Charlotte[/name_f]
[name_f]Coral[/name_f]
[name_f]Francine[/name_f]
[name_f]Iris[/name_f]
[name_f]Juliette[/name_f]
[name_f]Lucille[/name_f]
[name_f]Nancy[/name_f]
[name_f]Pearl[/name_f]
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with [name_f]Karen[/name_f]! I know some people don’t like having “dated” names, but I also know a [name_u]Lisa[/name_u] who really likes that most women with her name are a bit older and there aren’t many her age. I think [name_f]Karen[/name_f] is nice-sounding and I’d agree that it’s both feminine and strong. I also agree that the little girl on Outnumbered makes it seem pretty fresh and young.
[name_f]Karen[/name_f] [name_f]Sue[/name_f] is a bit dated, but it’s only a middle name and it honors your mom so I think it’s okay. Plus it flows well, and the old-fashioned short middles like [name_f]Mae[/name_f], [name_f]Rose[/name_f] and [name_f]Jane[/name_f] are “in.” [name_f]Susan[/name_f] means [name_f]Lily[/name_f]. [name_f]Karen[/name_f] [name_f]Lily[/name_f], [name_f]Karen[/name_f] [name_f]Lillian[/name_f] or [name_f]Karen[/name_f] [name_f]Lilias[/name_f]? Or a different form of [name_f]Sue[/name_f]:
[name_f]Karen[/name_f] Susina
[name_f]Karen[/name_f] [name_f]Susanne[/name_f]
[name_f]Karen[/name_f] [name_f]Sanne[/name_f]
[name_f]Karen[/name_f] [name_f]Shoshannah[/name_f]
[name_f]Karen[/name_f] Zuzia
I know you want [name_f]Sue[/name_f] to honor your mum. [name_f]Sue[/name_f] is a nice name. [name_m]How[/name_m] about [name_f]Suzanne[/name_f]/[name_f]Susanne[/name_f] or [name_f]Susie[/name_f]?
Or as a first name how about:
[name_f]Chloe[/name_f]
[name_f]Beverly[/name_f]/[name_f]Beverley[/name_f]
[name_f]Rosanne[/name_f]
[name_f]Lorraine[/name_f] “[name_f]Lori[/name_f]”
[name_f]Millicent[/name_f]
[name_f]Milly[/name_f]/[name_f]Millie[/name_f]
[name_f]Bonnie[/name_f]
[name_u]Shannon[/name_u]/[name_u]Shannen[/name_u]
[name_f]Iris[/name_f]
[name_f]Molly[/name_f]/[name_f]Mollie[/name_f]
[name_f]Holly[/name_f]/[name_f]Hollie[/name_f]
[name_f]Rosie[/name_f]
[name_f]Katherine[/name_f]
[name_f]Kathleen[/name_f]
[name_f]Kathy[/name_f]
[name_f]Lily[/name_f]/[name_f]Lillie[/name_f]/[name_f]Lilly[/name_f]
[name_f]Lauren[/name_f]/[name_u]Loren[/name_u]
[name_f]May[/name_f]/[name_f]Mae[/name_f]
[name_u]Tracy[/name_u]/[name_u]Tracey[/name_u]
[name_f]Carol[/name_f]/[name_f]Carole[/name_f]
[name_f]Ann[/name_f]/[name_f]Anne[/name_f]
[name_f]Hope[/name_f] This Helped.
I think [name_f]Karen[/name_f] is nice. It is definitely easy to spell and while it seems a bit dated I think it still fits in because it shares a popular K- beginning and -en ending.
Here are some other suggestions for easy to spell names:
[name_f]Alice[/name_f]
[name_u]Quinn[/name_u]
[name_f]Corinne[/name_f]
[name_f]Clara[/name_f] (sorry ends in -a but I love the sound of [name_f]Clara[/name_f] [name_f]Sue[/name_f])
[name_f]Rachel[/name_f]
[name_f]Amy[/name_f] (I like this with [name_f]Sue[/name_f] too)
[name_u]Julie[/name_u]
[name_f]Ivy[/name_f]
[name_u]Eden[/name_u]
[name_f]Elise[/name_f]
[name_f]Brynn[/name_f]
[name_f]Juliet[/name_f]
[name_f]Macy[/name_f]
[name_f]Helen[/name_f]
[name_f]Ellen[/name_f]
[name_f]Holly[/name_f]
[name_u]Sage[/name_u]
[name_f]Bridget[/name_f]
[name_f]Miriam[/name_f]
[name_u]Meredith[/name_u]
[name_f]Lauren[/name_f]
[name_f]Karen[/name_f] would not be a name I would ever use at this point and agree with the other poster about perhaps having a long version of [name_f]Sue[/name_f]. Although with the right pairing it would sound so bland.
In trying to keep the name short and uncomplicated here goes:
[name_f]Kama[/name_f] [name_f]Suzanne[/name_f]
[name_f]Kenna[/name_f] [name_f]Sue[/name_f] (would work well together).
Kella [name_f]Sue[/name_f] or [name_f]Suzette[/name_f]
Landra [name_f]Sue[/name_f]
[name_f]Trista[/name_f]
[name_f]Ella[/name_f] [name_f]Sue[/name_f] or [name_f]Suzanne[/name_f]
I’m a [name_f]Karen[/name_f]! Nothing wrong with my name I was born in 1986 and only knew of one other [name_f]Karen[/name_f] growing up. It was definitely preferable to being one of many [name_f]Katie[/name_f]'s and [name_f]Sarah[/name_f]'s
If you love it, use it, don’t be worried about the fact that it seems ‘dated’.
[name_f]Karen[/name_f] [name_f]Susannah[/name_f] would be my favourite combination.
I know a family of girls, ranging from 15-20 in age, and the girls are named [name_f]Karen[/name_f], [name_f]Nancy[/name_f], and [name_f]Jessica[/name_f] (forgotten the younger two). I went to school with [name_f]Nancy[/name_f] and [name_f]Karen[/name_f] when we were about 10, [name_f]Jessica[/name_f] was a year older, and to my knowledge, [name_f]Nancy[/name_f] and [name_f]Karen[/name_f] loved their names, and no one really commented that they were ‘old’. I think [name_f]Karen[/name_f]'s a great choice, if I’m honest. Not to mention, it’s currently 416th in the US, and, 13 years ago, was in the top 200.
I think [name_f]Karen[/name_f] would be fine, but maybe that’s because I loved the show Outnumbered (it’s a British show) and the young girl on there is called [name_f]Karen[/name_f]. I do think [name_f]Karen[/name_f] [name_f]Sue[/name_f] is a little harsh and short, so maybe [name_f]Karen[/name_f] [name_f]Suzanne[/name_f] or [name_f]Karen[/name_f] [name_f]Susannah[/name_f]. [name_m]Don[/name_m]'t be afraid to use it in fear of what others have negatively said about it as, usually, people can wear ANY name well!
I find that [name_f]Karen[/name_f] is quite dated but if you love it then it is a good choice because most people will recognise it but it will still be distinct. [name_f]Sue[/name_f] is very cute for a middle name.
Names with sounds like [name_f]Karen[/name_f]:
[name_f]Lauren[/name_f]
[name_f]Kathleen[/name_f]
[name_f]Ellen[/name_f]
[name_f]Do[/name_f] you like diminutive names? [name_f]Heidi[/name_f] [name_f]Sue[/name_f] or [name_f]Annie[/name_f] [name_f]Sue[/name_f] would both be lovely.
Thanks for the ideas! [name_f]My[/name_f] husband is completely in love with the name [name_f]Suzette[/name_f] now in particular. But we actually added a lot of other names to our list from everyone’s suggestions
I think you’re right on as far as [name_f]Karen[/name_f] is concerned. It’s not yet a charming, vintage-y ‘old lady’ name, but it feels really dated to me at this point. While I agree with you and other posters that objectively it’s a perfectly fine name, I have a dated name myself (mainly used in my mom’s generation) and it made me feel pretty uncomfortable as a kid. I’ve made my peace with it as an adult, but it’s a priority for me not to do that to any child I may have.
If you like [name_f]Karen[/name_f], you might like [name_f]Karina[/name_f] or [name_f]Maren[/name_f], which both seem more current. There’s also the beautiful [name_f]Carys[/name_f], but if it’s not popular where you live, it may be very open to the misspelling that you’re trying to avoid.
You might also like [name_f]Claire[/name_f], but [name_f]IMO[/name_f] if you used it, you might want to use a longer form of [name_f]Sue[/name_f] - [name_f]Claire[/name_f] [name_f]Sue[/name_f] sounds very abrupt to me. [name_f]Claire[/name_f] [name_f]Susannah[/name_f], [name_f]Claire[/name_f] [name_f]Suzette[/name_f]?
Would you use [name_f]Suzette[/name_f] as a first name? I think that would be very sweet on a little girl.
I understand where you’re coming from with [name_f]Karen[/name_f]. Since having my DD and thinking about names in a more realistic way, I’ve grown to love the standards. I know a few really lovely Karens and so it crossed my mind lately too. When I met these late 20s and early 30s Karens, I didn’t go ‘ewww’ your name is OLD! I simply met a new [name_f]Karen[/name_f] and the person who came with it. That being said, I know one of them doesn’t love her name and when she had her first baby last year, she chose [name_u]Cassidy[/name_u], which is a much fresher choice to pass on to her daughter.
It does take some time to get used to ‘old/dated’ names on little ones (I remember the first time I met a little [name_f]Helen[/name_f] and I was horrified for her. Now, I am really impressed with her parents’ choice) and some people will look at you strangely if you choose [name_f]Karen[/name_f] (like many PPs) but it’s a much sounder choice [name_f]IMO[/name_f] than many of the younique and trendy names out there.
[name_f]Karen[/name_f]'s okay. I think [name_f]Corinne[/name_f] or [name_f]Karine[/name_f] ([name_f]Carine[/name_f]?) would work much better these days, though. [name_f]My[/name_f] mom’s name is [name_f]Karen[/name_f], and that’s exactly why I would advise against it. It’s already really quite dated, and pairing it with [name_f]Sue[/name_f] doesn’t really help matters. Most of the Karens my age that I’ve met strongly dislike their name because it’s a “mom’s name”–I wonder if it’d be even worse for a baby born in the 2010s. I think [name_f]Katherine[/name_f] [name_f]Sue[/name_f] (where [name_f]Karen[/name_f] originally comes from; it’s a Danish form of [name_f]Katherine[/name_f]), [name_f]Kaia[/name_f] [name_f]Sue[/name_f] ([name_f]Kaia[/name_f]'s another Scandinavian form of [name_f]Katherine[/name_f]), [name_f]Karine[/name_f]/[name_f]Carine[/name_f] [name_f]Sue[/name_f], [name_f]Corinne[/name_f] [name_f]Sue[/name_f], or any of these with [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] would be great. Or, if you want to keep [name_f]Karen[/name_f], [name_f]Karen[/name_f] [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] might even be nice. But I wouldn’t do just [name_f]Karen[/name_f] [name_f]Sue[/name_f]; it’s just too dated for me, sorry.
I’m not a fan of the name [name_f]Karen[/name_f]. I know several who are in their 40’s and 50’s and they’re all lovely, but the name is pretty dated. Have you thought of [name_f]Karina[/name_f]/[name_f]Carina[/name_f] [name_f]Sue[/name_f]? It has a similar sound to [name_f]Karen[/name_f], but is a little more modern. I know you don’t care for -a names, but I think it’s pretty.
Other suggestions: (Sorry for repeats)
[name_f]Natalie[/name_f] (some find this name dated, but I still love it!)
[name_f]Melody[/name_f]
[name_u]Ruby[/name_u]
[name_f]Madeline[/name_f]/[name_f]Madeleine[/name_f]
[name_f]Felicity[/name_f]
[name_u]Vivian[/name_u]
[name_f]Amity[/name_f]
[name_f]Beatrice[/name_f]
[name_f]Josephine[/name_f]
[name_f]Katherine[/name_f]/[name_f]Catherine[/name_f]
[name_f]Jillian[/name_f]
[name_f]Brielle[/name_f]
