Ithuriel- boy or girl

General Name Discussion
1

First, I’m interested in hearing whether you’d assign this to a boy or a girl? It’s both an angelic name and a flower, the flower named for the angel.

Second, I’d like to work Ithuriel into one of my combos but am having trouble with it. I personally think it works for a boy or a girl. On the girls’ side, the two middles I can see replacing are [name_m]Forest[/name_m] and Nightingale. They have meaning to us, and they’re very pretty, but I could lose one of them and be okay with it. Unfortunately, I’m not sure Ithuriel works here.

[name_f]Isabeau[/name_f] Ithuriel
[name_f]Isadora[/name_f] Ithuriel

??

On the boys’ side, I could replace [name_m]Thorn[/name_m] easily enough, and to a lesser extent Elessar, [name_m]Ward[/name_m] or [name_u]Winter[/name_u].

[name_m]Conrad[/name_m] Ithuriel
[name_m]Desmond[/name_m] Ithuriel
[name_u]Everett[/name_u] Ithuriel
[name_m]Theodore[/name_m] Ithuriel

??

I could also do some switching around with middles. Anyone bored and want to play with some middle names? I don’t want to change any of the first names, just switch some stuff around and see if Ithuriel can work.

Ithuriel would be for the flower, by the way, which is special to my mother and a deceased great aunt. Here’s a list of names I can see playing with, the rest feel pretty solid with their middles and it would have to be a really good combo to get me to change my mind. One middle only, please.

Ladies First:

[name_u]Artemis[/name_u]
[name_f]Cordelia[/name_f]
[name_f]Isabeau[/name_f]
[name_f]Isadora[/name_f]
[name_f]Lyra[/name_f]
[name_f]Pandora[/name_f]
[name_f]Tabitha[/name_f]

Ladies Middle:

[name_f]Avalon[/name_f]
Everild
Eilonwy
[name_m]Forest[/name_m]
Ithuriel
Nightingale/Tinuviel/[name_f]Florence[/name_f]/Luthien (this name means all of this to me, so they all feel pretty interchangeable)
Swan
[name_f]Willow[/name_f]

Gents First:

[name_m]Caspian[/name_m]
[name_m]Conrad[/name_m]
[name_m]Desmond[/name_m]
[name_m]Evander[/name_m]
[name_u]Everett[/name_u]
[name_m]Peregrine[/name_m]
[name_m]Phineas[/name_m]
[name_m]Theodore[/name_m]

Gents Middle:

Elessar
[name_m]Hart[/name_m]
Ithuriel
Llyr
[name_u]Robin[/name_u]
[name_m]Thorn[/name_m]
[name_m]Wilder[/name_m]
[name_m]Ward[/name_m]
[name_u]Winter[/name_u]

2

No opinions? Hmm, that’s okay. I was thinking I like [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] Ithuriel or [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] Ithuriel on the girls, and [name_m]Conrad[/name_m] Ithuriel or [name_m]Desmond[/name_m] Ithuriel on the boys. Any preference?

3

Ooh, didn’t see this thread. Can’t reply right now but if you were thinking of closing it, [name_f]Fey[/name_f]- don’t! :stuck_out_tongue: In a nutshell: Ithuriel is magical and enchanting, a bit nature-y, and feels so you. [name_m]Will[/name_m] be back…

4

Oh goody! I was just coming back in to post I can’t do [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] or [name_m]Desmond[/name_m] because the initials would be TIK or DIK. I keep trying to give [name_m]Desmond[/name_m] an ‘I’ middle name and then realize he’d have tragically funny initials. :smiley:

5

If I saw this name on paper…I’d assume it belonged to a boy.

6

If I think of it as an angel name Ithuriel sounds boy and I’d use Ithuriela for a girl. Same as [name_m]Cassiel[/name_m], [name_m]Raphael[/name_m], Zadkiel, [name_m]Gavriel[/name_m], Katriel, [name_m]Uriel[/name_m] etc. They’re male names in Hebrew.

It looks like the name of the flower I found is ‘Ithuriel’s spear,’ so still tied directly to the angel.

7

Ithuriel seems more masculine because of sounds common in boy names- e.g. [name_m]Arthur[/name_m], [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m], [name_m]Daniel[/name_m]. But as a middle it could work for either; it’s so obscure most people wouldn’t associate it with either gender.

Again- Ithuriel is such a magical and evocative name I can’t help but come up with imagery for it! Fairies and water nymphs, forests wrapped in blankets of spring mist, crystal-clear ponds, huge old castles you could spend days getting lost in, frolicking ponies… Like something out of a fantasy story or ancient legend.

[name_f]My[/name_f] favourite FNs for Ithuriel:

Ladies:
[name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] Ithuriel- I’m biased because I love [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] so much. But my first thought was, this is the kind of girl that stories are written about. Captivating, strong as a rock but smooth enough to charm anyone, with the brains, wit and beauty to match. The flow is a bit awkward, but fine. (Actually, this may be my favourite [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] combo ever. If you don’t use it can I steal? :stuck_out_tongue: [name_m]Just[/name_m] kidding, I couldn’t use the name of a personage I know nothing about, but it is gorgeous.)

[name_u]Artemis[/name_u] Ithuriel- best flow since the a-to-i transition with firsts ending in A is kind of tricky. A strong and brave warrior with killer defensive instincts but a warm and loving heart. Not frilly at all, but still clearly feminine.

[name_f]Lyra[/name_f] Ithuriel- [name_f]Lyra[/name_f] gives me a similar vibe to Ithuriel because of His Dark Materials’ [name_f]Lyra[/name_f] Belacqua. A tough, scrappy heroine who fights for what’s right, whatever the odds against her. But she’s also pretty and feminine, with a soft and emotional side.

Gentlemen:

[name_m]Caspian[/name_m] Ithuriel- [name_f]Melodic[/name_f] and just rolls off the tongue- both have soft sounds but the final N in [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] keeps them from blending together. Bewitching and mysterious, it makes me think of dark woods at night and the many (mostly kind, but some evil) creatures that live there. A man who could be a romantic hero, sensitive and caring, a pacifist by principle but will fight if pushed to defend himself/others. Picture Kartik from the [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] [name_m]Doyle[/name_m] trilogy, if you’ve read it.

[name_m]Peregrine[/name_m] Ithuriel- has an appealing, soft but strong sound. I can kind of imagine a medieval knight, maybe a [name_m]Knight[/name_m] of the Round Table, named this. Shining armour, sits a horse better than anyone else… But I’m not feeling this like quite as much as the others.

One more thought- is [name_f]Fey[/name_f] your real name and would you consider using it? I know you said one middle, but it’d be a great second middle for all the above combos. [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] Ithuriel [name_f]Fey[/name_f], [name_u]Artemis[/name_u] Ithuriel [name_f]Fey[/name_f], [name_f]Lyra[/name_f] Ithuriel [name_f]Fey[/name_f], [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] Ithuriel [name_f]Fey[/name_f], [name_m]Peregrine[/name_m] Ithuriel [name_f]Fey[/name_f]…

8

Thank you rylane46 and stripedsocks. Yes, I think as a first I’d prefer it male, as a middle I’m still leaning more towards unisex. The flower is named for the angel, correct. It’s sort of a long story as to why it has so much meaning to us, but it does. I’m finding the closer I get to actually (maybe) TTC, the more important it is that the name have a deeper meaning than just “I love it”. I don’t really go for juniors and honor names, but names like Ithuriel definitely. [name_f]My[/name_f] mum would get it immediately.

You just made me very happy, Bonfire. :slight_smile: Your imagery is enchanting, and just what I see. I like all four of your combos. Really leaning towards [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] or [name_f]Lyra[/name_f]. [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] is one I didn’t want to separate from [name_m]Wilder[/name_m], because it took me so long to find a middle I liked with [name_m]Caspian[/name_m], but wow, Ithuriel really works here. I like [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] and [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] with Ithuriel because it’s the same initials as my brother, whose first name is a C name and middle name is [name_m]Israel[/name_m], so it works on several levels for me. I’ll have to think on this one. Maybe I’ll put it up for both, I wouldn’t have both a [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] and a [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] anyway.

Oh, hmm, [name_f]Lyra[/name_f]'s initials would be LIK, I’m not sure I could do that. Not as unfortunate as DIK, but still.

[name_f]Fey[/name_f] is not my real name, but my last name is [name_m]Frey[/name_m], and redwoodfey/[name_f]Fey[/name_f] is a name I’ve used for a very long time (17 or so years) so it’s a thought. I’m all for two middles, and sometimes SO is. I’m 99% positive I’ll be able to convince him to go for two middles when the time comes, as long as it’s a simple one syllable name like [name_f]Fey[/name_f]. [name_u]Love[/name_u] the idea, thank you!

Going to bed now and I’ll think about the names.

PS: Yes, I did read and adored the [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] [name_m]Doyle[/name_m] books.

9

It sounds male to me, but that is also because I know that the original Ithurial was male. I would as such only use it on a male by preference but I could see it working as a nice middle name for a girl, as I don’t think many would know it was a traditionally male name.

I really like [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] Ithurial, even add the [name_m]Wilder[/name_m] and have two middles. [name_m]Desmond[/name_m] Ithuriel has a nice flow. [name_m]Even[/name_m] looking at the names in your signature, I really like it in the middle of some of them:

[name_u]Everett[/name_u] Ithuriel [name_m]Ward[/name_m]
[name_m]Evander[/name_m] Ithuriel [name_m]Hart[/name_m]
[name_m]Theodore[/name_m] Ithuriel [name_u]Winter[/name_u]

For a girl I think it sounds lovely after [name_u]Artemis[/name_u]. [name_u]Artemis[/name_u] Ithurial, especially since it’s a masculine name in meaning and [name_u]Artemis[/name_u] is so feminine, being a goddess name. Second to [name_u]Artemis[/name_u] would be [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f], I think it’s also a lovely combination.

I also think [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] Ithurial works nicely, but I like it with Eilonwy more.

10

I agree. It definitely as a masculine feel to it.

11

Seeing Ithuriel next to angel made me think male immediately- it reminded me of the names of archangels; [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m], [name_m]Raphael[/name_m] etc. After Googling and finding out he is male, I’m now finding it hard to imagine it on a girl. I don’t want to sound harsh but if it’s a male name with no decent history of use for females, then I would not use it in a girl’s name, regardless of how uncommon it is.

[name_m]Caspian[/name_m] Ithuriel is really handsome, my favourite. Very magical and ethereal. [name_m]Evander[/name_m] Ithuriel gives off the same vibe and [name_m]Peregrine[/name_m] is pretty fab but I like [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] the most :slight_smile:

12

I actually don’t think LIK is that bad. [name_f]My[/name_f] first thought was the word “like” (as in liking a person/thing) without the E, so positive if anything. I’m guessing you’re worried about the similarities to “lick”?

Middle names aren’t usually common knowledge though, unless you’re like me and makes a point of asking everyone about theirs! I’ve never had anyone comment on my initials (they don’t spell anything though) even if they knew my middle.

13

I know I didn’t post any combos originally but I had to think about it for a while.

I like:

[name_u]Everett[/name_u] Ithuriel best of your boys names. I do love the name [name_m]Peregrine[/name_m], it’s on my own list for a middle, but for some reason Ithuriel [name_m]Peregrine[/name_m] appeals to me more than [name_m]Peregrine[/name_m] Ithuriel.

Is Elessar related to [name_m]Elazar[/name_m]?

K makes for a lot of tricky combos of initials. I’d be tempted to work out what combos of initials you like/can stand and then choose what names you like best of the workable initials?

14

Thank you all!

illabeth, I’m leaning towards several of your combos, and really considering going with three middles in hope that SO changes his mind down the road. Thanks!

C&P, It’s not so much that it’s uncommon that makes it feel unisex to me, it’s that it was a flower name to me long before it was an angelic name. :slight_smile: I am leaning towards some of the boy combos more than the girls, though, so it probably doesn’t matter. It’s just, when/if my kid asks about how we got to Ithuriel, I’m going to tell them about my mother and my great aunt and the wildflower, not the angel, because that’s what the name means to me.

bonfire (I want to call you [name_f]Bonnie[/name_f] :D), making connections like that is something my brain does and I can’t shut it off. Now that I’ve seen LIK, I can’t un-see it (yes, it’s the lick association). I don’t mind initials making words, [name_f]Isadora[/name_f] would have the initials INK and that appeals to me, for example, but LIK and DIK would drive me nuts. [name_m]Even[/name_m] if the general population never knows, I would.

stripedsocks, I’m thinking over [name_m]Caspian[/name_m], [name_u]Everett[/name_u] and [name_m]Peregrine[/name_m] Ithuriel, as well as [name_u]Artemis[/name_u] and [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] Ithuriel. I’m going through one of those stir crazy name moments where I want to toss all our names out the window and start over, but that’s a bad idea because it took us ages to get to these names.

I think I’m going to play around with a few of them and see where Ithuriel lands. Closing now, but you’ve all been great help. Thanks again lovely berries. :slight_smile: