I’ve heard a bunch of references to the different name aesthetics (cottagecore, dark academia, etc.) but I don’t exactly know what they all are. Could you explain them (e.g. what makes a name dark academia) and list some names that fall into each aesthetic?
[name_f][/name_f]Thank you!
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It might be helpful to google images of each category so you get a vibe for what “look” they evoke.
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Dark[/name_m] Academia is sort of an anime genre where there’s a darker color palette and often gothic-inspired characters.
[name_f][/name_f]Cottagecore is the opposite in a way, where there’s a light and airy vibe that usually has a lighter/pastel color palette of living in a cottage in the spring/summer time.
[name_m]Dark[/name_m] Academia names IMO are typically longer and moodier: [name_f]Beatrix[/name_f], [name_f]Araminta[/name_f], [name_f]Elmira[/name_f], [name_f]Ariadne[/name_f], [name_m]Augustus[/name_m], [name_m]Dorian[/name_m], [name_m]Viridian[/name_m], [name_m]Lysander[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f]Cottagecore names IMO are typically shorter and more whimsical and/or tied to nature: [name_f]Clover[/name_f], [name_f]Eliza[/name_f], [name_f]Hanna[/name_f], [name_f]Sparrow[/name_f], [name_m]Finn[/name_m], [name_m]Jack[/name_m], [name_m]Miles[/name_m], [name_m]Ellis[/name_m]
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Hope[/name_f] this helps!
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Not really, I’m afraid. It’s too much based on individual impression (the “vibe”) and can rarely be reasoned. For example, I wouldn’t have sorted Araminta as Dark academia or Miles as Cottagecore, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong.
When there’s a reason it’s often a media reference, like Harry Potter characters have Dark Academia names and Astrid Lindgreen characters have Cottagecore names. Agreeing with the previous post: length, Greek origin and a negative or grave meaning can make a name Dark Academia, while Cottagecore names are often more cutesy, shorter and pan-European.
And then to make things perfectly confusing, there’s overlap. Especially when names have been common for long there’s so many references and associations to them that they could easily be argued to be either. You could put Peter, Charlotte, Jane, Frederic, Claire, Rose, Agnes, Julian, Auguste, Theo, Carl, Ludwig, Johann and Elizabeth on a Cottagecore name list or a Dark Academia name list and I wouldn’t call either of them wrong.
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Mostly seconding what everyone else has said! I’d recommend looking at pictures of aesthetics and thinking to yourself: “what name would a character in a book with this setting have?”
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Dark[/name_m] academia name examples: [name_m]Atticus[/name_m], [name_f]Cressida[/name_f], [name_m]Ulysses[/name_m], [name_f]Theodora[/name_f], [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f], [name_m]Claude[/name_m], [name_m]Archibald[/name_m], Auralian, [name_m]Dorian[/name_m], [name_f]Honora[/name_f], [name_f]Magdalen[/name_f], [name_f]Philomena[/name_f], [name_m]Alexandre[/name_m], [name_m]Ambrose[/name_m], [name_f]Theodosia[/name_f], [name_m]Horatio[/name_m], [name_f]Cosima[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]— more typical old-fashioned names paired with a more dramatic or ancient middle can also give a dark academia vibe, e.g. [name_m]Peter[/name_m] [name_m]Auberon[/name_m], [name_f]Clara[/name_f] [name_f]Victoire[/name_f], [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] [name_f]Hero[/name_f]
[name_f][/name_f]There’s also light academia, and there is a lot of overlap with the names between light & dark academia. I’d say the light academia names feel a bit sunnier and sweeter: [name_f]Melusine[/name_f], [name_f]Araminta[/name_f], [name_f]Fleur[/name_f], [name_m]Florian[/name_m], [name_m]Percy[/name_m]. It’s also related to the combos: [name_m]Florian[/name_m] [name_m]Augustus[/name_m] feels more dark academia, while [name_m]Florian[/name_m] [name_f]Charley[/name_f] more light academia (but again, the differenxe is small and often both styles are used interchangeably)
[name_f][/name_f]Speaking of names being interchangeable, middle names really matter! [name_f]Louisa[/name_f] [name_f]Isolde[/name_f] feels more light academia, while [name_f]Louisa[/name_f] [name_f]Bea[/name_f] feels super cottagecore!
[name_f][/name_f]Some cottagecore names: [name_f]June[/name_f] / [name_f]Juniper[/name_f], [name_f]Mabel[/name_f], [name_f]Maisie[/name_f], [name_f]Tallulah[/name_f], [name_f]Sunny[/name_f], [name_f]Lou[/name_f], [name_f]Tillie[/name_f], [name_f]Rosie[/name_f], [name_m]August[/name_m], [name_m]Robin[/name_m], [name_m]Alfie[/name_m], [name_f]Sage[/name_f], [name_f]Indy[/name_f], [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f] [name_f][/name_f]— you’ll see a lot of nature inspired names and vintage nickname names! You may also see friendly, energetic names (Rafferty, [name_m]Jacoby[/name_m], [name_m]Rory[/name_m], [name_f]Louella[/name_f], [name_f]Mina[/name_f], [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f], [name_f]Juno[/name_f], Cleo) or nerdy-cute names (Wilbur, [name_m]Harvey[/name_m], Agnes) being included
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