We’ve been making an informal list of acceptable girls’ names, but nothing is standing out as great. Maybe I’m thinking too hard about things, but I want to pick a name that is pretty, meaningful, and classic without being too popular. I would love advice on how to deal with a list of okay names that aren’t standing out as great.
[name]Leah[/name] is currently the top contender. It has a nice history and sound, but I’m not sure if I’m ready to commit to it.
[name]Sarah[/name] and [name]Hannah[/name] are nice but too common.
[name]Lydia[/name] has a nice sound and is less popular, but its meaning is pretty lame. It’s technically biblical but only as a unmemorable passing reference, and its root comes from a random place name.
[name]Mallory[/name] has a pretty sound and is somewhat unusual without being weird. We also like the nickname [name]Lori[/name]. However, I can’t get past the meaning (“unfortunate”), and I’m not aware of any particular history to offset this. I’m also a bit uncomfortable since our surname is a Mc- name.
[name]Alison[/name]/[name]Allison[/name] used to be higher on our list–we like the meaning, sound, and nickname ([name]Allie[/name])–but it’s really high on the popularity list and seems to have strong 1980s connotations.
[name]Daphne[/name] has inspiring roots from Greek mythology (pardon the pun), but I don’t really like how it looks on paper (and I’m not into creative spellings).
I would appreciate advice or suggestions. And “try not to overthink things” probably isn’t a realistic goal. Thanks!
[name]Hi[/name]! From your list, [name]Lydia[/name] is my favorite, with [name]Daphne[/name] is a close second. Of the Old Testament names, [name]Leah[/name] is my favorite, but it’s very popular, too, which is something you’re trying to avoid. More importantly, none of these names excite you, which probably just means you haven’t found the right name yet.
Some more names you may like:
[name]Susannah[/name] (Biblical, and close in sound to [name]Sarah[/name] and [name]Hannah[/name])
[name]Alice[/name] (not as popular as [name]Allison[/name], and not dated)
[name]Annabel[/name]
[name]Beatrice[/name]
[name]Cora[/name]
[name]Caroline[/name]
[name]Charlotte[/name]
[name]Diana[/name]
[name]Eliza[/name]
[name]Eleanor[/name]
[name]Eve[/name] (Biblical and less popular than [name]Leah[/name], [name]Sarah[/name], and [name]Hannah[/name])
[name]Felicity[/name]
[name]Frances[/name]
[name]Flora[/name]
[name]Genevieve[/name] (nn [name]Evie[/name])
[name]Helena[/name]
[name]Iris[/name]
[name]Juliet[/name]
[name]Josephine[/name]
[name]Louisa[/name]
[name]Miranda[/name]
[name]Margaret[/name] (nn [name]Daisy[/name] or [name]Maisie[/name])
[name]Miriam[/name] (Biblical and less popular than [name]Sarah[/name], [name]Hannah[/name], and [name]Leah[/name])
[name]Nora[/name]
[name]Phoebe[/name]
[name]Naomi[/name] (Biblical and less popular than [name]Sarah[/name], [name]Hannah[/name], and [name]Leah[/name])
[name]Penelope[/name] (nn [name]Nell[/name] or [name]Poppy[/name])
[name]Rose[/name]
[name]Rosalie[/name]
[name]Stella[/name]
[name]Tess[/name]
[name]Tabitha[/name] (nn [name]Tibbie[/name])
[name]Violet[/name]
[name]Vivian[/name]
[name]Willa[/name]
[name]Don[/name]'t worry! You’ll find the perfect name for you!
I prefer [name]Leah[/name], nice sound, history and feminine. I d not think it’s too popular. [name]Even[/name] though it may rank in the top 50 there is only one way to spell it. Names like riley, mackenzie or caitlin may be lower, but with all the different spelling variiations they are sure higher than [name]Leah[/name]. I wouldn’t worry about it being too popular.
I love [name]Daphne[/name] and [name]Lydia[/name]! Beautiful, standout names with great history behind them.
[name]Leah[/name] is nice, but if you are worried about popularity, you should know that [name]Leah[/name] is at #41 and possibly set to be the next [name]Sarah[/name] or [name]Hannah[/name].
[name]Sarah[/name] and [name]Hannah[/name] are too overused, [name]Allison[/name] is too 80s, and I would personally avoid [name]Mallory[/name] with any “M” surname.
pc17, you have a very good point about how [name]Leah[/name] seems more popular than it really is since there’s only one way to spell it.
For those of you who voted for [name]Lydia[/name] and [name]Daphne[/name], do you have any advice that would help with my reservations with these names? My worry with [name]Lydia[/name] is that it doesn’t seem to have a good meaning or history, and my concern with [name]Daphne[/name] is the spelling. Thanks!
[quote=“awm”]We’ve been making an informal list of acceptable girls’ names, but nothing is standing out as great. Maybe I’m thinking too hard about things, but I want to pick a name that is pretty, meaningful, and classic without being too popular. I would love advice on how to deal with a list of okay names that aren’t standing out as great.
[name]Leah[/name] is currently the top contender. It has a nice history and sound, but I’m not sure if I’m ready to commit to it. - [name]Leah[/name] is pretty, but it has been around quite a while. [name]Love[/name] it spelled [name]Lea[/name]. It means “weary” which is kind of depressing.
[name]Sarah[/name] and [name]Hannah[/name] are nice but too common. - yes, these have been overdone. [name]How[/name] about [name]Eva[/name] or [name]Evelyn[/name] for that lovely [name]Eve[/name] name. [name]Eve[/name] is not used as much as [name]Sarah[/name] and [name]Hannah[/name]. I love [name]Rachel[/name], but it is getting overused, too. [name]Love[/name] [name]Phoebe[/name]. She is in the book of Acts, I think.
[name]Lydia[/name] has a nice sound and is less popular, but its meaning is pretty lame. It’s technically biblical but only as a unmemorable passing reference, and its root comes from a random place name. - love [name]Lydia[/name]. I have learned to love this name from my fellow Nameberryites. Put a little sign by your bathroom sink that says “[name]Lydia[/name]”. See if you get used to this lovely name.
[name]Mallory[/name] has a pretty sound and is somewhat unusual without being weird. We also like the nickname [name]Lori[/name]. However, I can’t get past the meaning (“unfortunate”), and I’m not aware of any particular history to offset this. I’m also a bit uncomfortable since our surname is a Mc- name.
[name]Alison[/name]/[name]Allison[/name] used to be higher on our list–we like the meaning, sound, and nickname ([name]Allie[/name])–but it’s really high on the popularity list and seems to have strong 1980s connotations. - Yes, [name]Alison[/name] seems very dated to me.
[name]Daphne[/name] has inspiring roots from Greek mythology (pardon the pun), but I don’t really like how it looks on paper (and I’m not into creative spellings). - love [name]Daphne[/name] so much. [name]Love[/name] the spelling of it. Doesn’t look creative to me because it is a long-time, historical Greek name from Greek mythology. [name]Love[/name] the meaning because trees are beautiful. You could read the myth about [name]Daphne[/name].
I would appreciate advice or suggestions. And “try not to overthink things” probably isn’t a realistic goal. Thanks! - I know what you mean - I love to overthink things.
[name]Naomi[/name] means [name]Pleasant[/name]
[name]Ruth[/name] means [name]Friend[/name] or Companion
[name]Phoebe[/name] means [name]Bright[/name] and Radiant
[name]Deborah[/name] The [name]Bee[/name]
[name]Eve[/name] Life
[name]Esther[/name] [name]Star[/name]
others
[name]Cordelia[/name] means lovable, virtuous
[name]Virginia[/name] Pure
[name]Katherine[/name] Pure
[name]Leora[/name] [name]Light[/name]
[name]Jessica[/name] [name]Rich[/name]
[name]Jordana[/name] Descending
[name]Hope[/name] Optimistic
[name]Honora[/name]/[name]Norah[/name] Honourable
[name]Clarissa[/name] Shining one
[name]Bethel[/name] House of God
[name]Alma[/name] Maiden
[name]Abigail[/name] Source of [name]Joy[/name]
[name]Love[/name] [name]Mallory[/name]! Wish there was a way to clarify the meaning of unfortunate though. I mean, the name [name]Mary[/name] means ‘bitter’ and yet that does not dampen its usage. I’m thinking if there was a good reason for [name]Mallory[/name] being tagged as that, it would free up the name for use.
[name]Leah[/name]: I like [name]Leah[/name]. It’s classic, but strong and has character. It can also be spelled [name]Lia[/name], though…
[name]Sarah[/name] and [name]Hannah[/name]: Yes, too common, and they’ve become a little boring (especially [name]Hannah[/name])
[name]Lydia[/name]: I adore the name [name]Lydia[/name]- I think it’s absolutely gorgeous. However, I agree completely about the meaning- it is kind of lame. I did some research, and I found that the ancient Lydians were the inventors of metal coins… kinda cool. They were also known for selling purple cloth…
[name]Mallory[/name]: Yuck, I’ve never liked [name]Mallory[/name]. It has such a whiny sound, not to mention awful meaning- unlucky.
[name]Alison[/name]/[name]Allison[/name]: I think the [name]Alison[/name] spelling is pretty, but it is kind of dated. [name]Do[/name] you like [name]Alice[/name], the original version?
[name]Daphne[/name]: I love [name]Daphne[/name]! I actually like how it looks on paper. A legit variant spelling is [name]Dafne[/name], if you like that any better…
From your list, my favorites are [name]Lydia[/name] and [name]Daphne[/name]. You might also like:
Thanks!