[name]Hi[/name] guys,
I’ve been snooping around the nameberry forums for awhile now, I have no kids but I’m a name lover and thought I’d share my favourites with you and ask your opinions. My problem with all my favourites is that they are sooo different. If I was to ever have kids I dont know if I could use them all or any of them for that matter as I’m a little obsessive about sibsets fitting together right. 
I tend to go through phases of loving a name and then getting over it, but these are the ones that have seriously stuck!
I’m just going to start with my top girl names and I’ll post boys later.
Girls:
[name]Leah[/name]- all time favourite for a girl, Its just so cute and simple and although I generally love long names, I just cant seem to get over this one.
[name]Johannah[/name]- This is my great-grandmothers name and I loove it. I love the idea that its a ‘family name’ and a [name]Johannah[/name] just sounds so gentle and loving. I also have a tendency to nickname [name]EVERY[/name] name, I cant help it, and little [name]Hanny[/name] is so cute
[name]Saskia[/name]- So different and not heard very often but I absoloutly love it, I just think its so pretty. There is something so exotic about ‘[name]Saskia[/name]’
[name]Alexis[/name]- I hate that its getting so popular and so my interest in it is fading, however I still like it and I like the idea of some of its variations like [name]Alexia[/name] and [name]Alexei[/name]
Other names I like:
[name]Emmeline[/name] (& [name]Emerson[/name])
[name]Genevieve[/name]
[name]Matilda[/name]
[name]Jemima[/name]
[name]Vivienne[/name]
[name]Harper[/name]
[name]Briony[/name] (& [name]Bridie[/name])
[name]Cecilia[/name]
[name]Sophie[/name]
[name]Makenna[/name]
[name]Eden[/name]
My recent obssessions:
[name]Noa[/name]
[name]Minna[/name]
[name]Sarai[/name]
[name]Margot[/name]
(again, I know I’m weird, they are all so different)
So what do you think? Thoughts? Opinions?
Any suggestions for my crazy sibset compulsions?
I actually don’t think that your names are too incongruent, in general, at all!
Y
[name]Leah[/name] - a Biblical classic, this is great on its own, but if you did want a longer name, alll [name]LIA[/name]/[name]LEA[/name] ending names could give [name]Leah[/name] as a nn, such as [name]Magnolia[/name], [name]Azalea[/name] and [name]Dahlia[/name]. There are non-flower names, those are just the ones which sprung to mind!
[name]Johannah[/name] - I agree, this is a lovely name. And I always use nicknames, too! Another Biblical classic, perfect with [name]Sarah[/name].
[name]Saskia[/name] - I’ve known a [name]Saskia[/name], so my judgement is clouded, but while this is more unusual than [name]Leah[/name] and [name]Johannah[/name], it isn’t inaccessible. Sassy is a cute, quirky nn, too.
[name]Alexis[/name] - steer clear of [name]Alexia[/name], as it is a degenerative eye disease - how about [name]Alexa[/name] instead? I must admit to much preferring the classic [name]Alexandra[/name] to both, and I think she would sound much better with your other names.
[name]Emmeline[/name] - very pretty, but [name]Emerson[/name] is too trendy for my taste. [name]Emmeline[/name] is vintage, refined and soft.
[name]Genevieve[/name] - another refined, feminine vintage name. Perhaps yoiu could go for classic with a vintage middle, or vice versa?
[name]Matilda[/name] - ditto, although this one seems to rising in popularity.
[name]Jemima[/name] - ditto [name]Genevieve[/name].
[name]Vivienne[/name] - ditto, although it might be set to rise …
[name]Harper[/name] - a little trendy for my taste, but it fits with [name]Alexis[/name] and [name]Emerson[/name].
[name]Briony[/name] - I’m not a fan, for no particular reason as far as I can tell.
[name]Cecilia[/name] - ditto [name]Genevieve[/name]. This could give the nn [name]Lia[/name] (prn like [name]Leah[/name]).
[name]Sophie[/name] - popular but soft, feminine and classic. It wouldn’t be out of place alongside your other vintage choices in the middle.
[name]Makenna[/name] - ditto [name]Harper[/name].
[name]Eden[/name] - seems to be getting trendy, but has a lovely sentiment and sound. You could try [name]Edith[/name] nn [name]Edie[/name] or [name]Enid[/name].
[name]Noa[/name] - I like this pretty choice, too. It fits with the Biblical theme of [name]Leah[/name] and [name]Johannah[/name], but is much more unusual …
[name]Minna[/name] - sweet. If you went for vintage in first place, you could use [name]Minerva[/name] nn [name]Minna[/name].
[name]Sarai[/name] - another Biblical choice, not as common as [name]Sarah[/name] but still just great with [name]Leah[/name] and [name]Johannah[/name].
[name]Margot[/name] - unusual and beautiful, like [name]Saskia[/name].
And now here they are in their categories.
Classic Biblical :
[name]Leah[/name]
[name]Johannah[/name]
[name]Sarai[/name]
Unusual Biblical :
[name]Noa[/name]
[name]Eden[/name]
Exotic :
[name]Saskia[/name]
[name]Margot[/name]
Feminine popular :
[name]Sophie[/name]
[name]Matilda[/name]
[name]Vivienne[/name] (in a few years)
[name]Emmeline[/name] (due to [name]Emma[/name]/[name]Emily[/name])
Vintage :
[name]Minerva[/name] nn [name]Minna[/name]
[name]Cecilia[/name]
[name]Sophie[/name]
[name]Vivienne[/name]
[name]Matilda[/name]
[name]Jemima[/name]
[name]Genevieve[/name]
[name]Emmeline[/name]
[name]Saskia[/name] (in my opinion)
Trendy :
[name]Makenna[/name]
[name]Briony[/name]
[name]Harper[/name]
[name]Alexis[/name].
Some of my favourite combinations are :
Classic Biblical and vintage :
[name]Leah[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name]
[name]Sarai[/name] [name]Jemima[/name]/[name]Emmeline[/name]
[name]Johannah[/name] [name]Cecilia[/name].
Exotic and feminine popular :
[name]Margot[/name] [name]Emmeline[/name]
[name]Saskia[/name] [name]Vivienne[/name]
Vintage and unusual Biblical :
[name]Cecilia[/name] [name]Eden[/name]
[name]Jemima[/name] [name]Noa[/name]
Vintage, feminine popular and Biblical :
[name]Genevieve[/name] [name]Noa[/name] [name]Matilda[/name]
[name]Cecilia[/name] [name]Emmeline[/name] [name]Eden[/name] nn [name]Lia[/name]?
[name]Vivienne[/name] [name]Sophie[/name] [name]Johannah[/name]
[name]Jemima[/name] [name]Sarai[/name] [name]Vivienne[/name]
[name]Minerva[/name] [name]Sophie[/name] [name]Leah[/name] nn [name]Minna[/name].
[name]Auburn[/name]
[name]Leah[/name]- I like this name, but it’s too common for me.
[name]Johannah[/name]- I like this name, but I prefer [name]Joanna[/name].
[name]Saskia[/name]- [name]LOVE[/name] this name!
[name]Alexis[/name]- I only like it on a boy.
Other names I like:
[name]Emmeline[/name] (& [name]Emerson[/name]) - Not my style.
[name]Genevieve[/name] - I love it!
[name]Matilda[/name] - I love it!
[name]Jemima[/name] - I like it, but it may remind people (especially Americans) of Aunt [name]Jemima[/name] pancakes.
[name]Vivienne[/name] - I like it, but it’s getting trendy because [name]Angelina[/name] [name]Jolie[/name] used it on her daughter.
[name]Harper[/name] - I hate this name. Sorry.
[name]Briony[/name] (& [name]Bridie[/name]) - Not my style.
[name]Cecilia[/name] - [name]Love[/name] this name!
[name]Sophie[/name] - OK. I prefer [name]Sofia[/name].
[name]Makenna[/name] - [name]Don[/name]'t like it.
[name]Eden[/name] - [name]Don[/name]'t like it. Sorry.
My recent obssessions:
[name]Noa[/name] - OK
[name]Minna[/name] - Not my style. It might make a cute nickname for [name]Philomena[/name] or something.
[name]Sarai[/name] - Not my style
[name]Margot[/name] - Ok, prefer [name]Margarita[/name]
Interesting, thanks guys for your thoughts!
(I do really like [name]Alexa[/name]!)