Name You Love But Won't Use

General Name Discussion
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Seems like there isn’t one of these going right now but I find them so interesting!

I have so many names I love but can’t use since I teach kids and they really do just ruin names for me. Not because I don’t love the kid, but because the name gets such strong associations with someone else.

Boys:
[name_m]Adrian[/name_m] - This would be THE name if I didn’t have a really strong negative association with someone in my life.
[name_m]Alistair[/name_m] - [name_f]My[/name_f] brother used it for a DnD character in our campaign and it sort of ruined it
[name_m]Brody[/name_m] - [name_f]My[/name_f] parents cat’s name
[name_m]Caius[/name_m] - I thought this one was safe but a student got to it first :frowning:
[name_f]Dara[/name_f] - [name_f]Love[/name_f] it in [name_m]Irish[/name_m] but I think it’s too feminine sounding for the US
[name_m]Everett[/name_m] - Got a bit too popular in my area
[name_m]Henry[/name_m] - Got to popular especially with my students
[name_m]Hudson[/name_m] - Too many student associations
[name_m]Laslo[/name_m] - [name_f]My[/name_f] partner loves What We [name_f]Do[/name_f] In The Shadows and can’t get over the connection
[name_m]Luca[/name_m] - Students again
[name_m]Peregrine[/name_m] - I used it on my dog since I didn’t think I’d be brave enough on a kid
[name_m]Quinlan[/name_m] - Too [name_f]Star[/name_f] Wars specific
[name_m]Wyatt[/name_m] - Stolen by students

Girls:
[name_f]Amber[/name_f] - I love the sound and the nature connotations but it’s too 80s and 90s, plus I have family with it already
[name_f]Jenna[/name_f] - Ruined by someone
[name_f]Josie[/name_f] - I don’t like any of the full names
[name_m]Kimball[/name_m] - I love it, but I don’t want her called [name_m]Kim[/name_m]
[name_f]Lilianna[/name_f] - Students, plus I can’t use [name_f]Lily[/name_f] because of family
[name_f]Rosalie[/name_f] - Too many students with it
[name_f]Stevie[/name_f] - I have like 4 Steven’s in my family
[name_f]Scarlett[/name_f] - Associations

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For me, I wouldn’t use these irl: (as first names at least - a couple work as middles):

Too close to or already used as family / friend’s names:

[name_f]Adelaide[/name_f], [name_f]Adelia[/name_f], [name_f]Adele[/name_f], [name_f]Adelina[/name_f], [name_f]Ada[/name_f], [name_m]Reuben[/name_m], [name_f]Lucy[/name_f], [name_f]Clara[/name_f], [name_f]Dana[/name_f], [name_m]Robin[/name_m], [name_f]Alba[/name_f], [name_f]Astrid[/name_f], [name_f]Faye[/name_f], [name_f]Lilias[/name_f], [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f], [name_f]Lenore[/name_f], [name_f]Eleanora[/name_f], [name_f]Leni[/name_f], [name_m]Kit[/name_m], [name_f]Abilene[/name_f]

Used on guinea pigs:

[name_m]Keats[/name_m], [name_f]Pippa[/name_f], [name_f]Peyton[/name_f], [name_f]Hattie[/name_f], [name_m]Otis[/name_m], [name_m]Hamish[/name_m], [name_m]Ambrosio[/name_m], [name_m]Benvolio[/name_m], [name_m]Wilbur[/name_m], [name_m]Winston[/name_m]

Used them on characters:

[name_f]Cressida[/name_f], [name_f]Leandra[/name_f], [name_f]Amelie[/name_f], [name_f]Tamar[/name_f], [name_f]Kaia[/name_f], [name_f]Kerrigan[/name_f], [name_f]Cadence[/name_f], [name_f]Cassidy[/name_f], [name_f]Nadine[/name_f], [name_f]Joni[/name_f], [name_m]Rafael[/name_m], [name_f]Thessaly[/name_f], [name_m]Atticus[/name_m]

Negative associations of various kinds:

[name_m]Jules[/name_m], [name_f]Bria[/name_f], [name_f]Hermione[/name_f], [name_m]Graham[/name_m], [name_m]Brady[/name_m]

I know too many:

[name_f]Sophie[/name_f], [name_f]Florence[/name_f], [name_f]Margot[/name_f]

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Names of people I know:
[name_f]Maude[/name_f]
[name_f]Imogen[/name_f]
[name_f]Molly[/name_f]
[name_m]Christopher[/name_m]
[name_f]Hazel[/name_f]

Negative associations/too tied to pop culture
[name_f]Violet[/name_f]
[name_f]Hermione[/name_f]
[name_f]Isadora[/name_f]
[name_m]Jude[/name_m]

Too popular:
[name_f]Isobel[/name_f]
[name_f]Luna[/name_f]
[name_f]Florence[/name_f]
[name_f]Scarlett[/name_f]
[name_m]Thomas[/name_m]
[name_m]Henry[/name_m]
[name_m]George[/name_m]
[name_f]Ottilie[/name_f]
[name_f]Ruby[/name_f]
[name_f]Lucy[/name_f]
[name_f]Orla[/name_f]
[name_f]Charlotte[/name_f]

Not my culture:
[name_f]Carlotta[/name_f]
[name_m]Ilya[/name_m]
[name_f]Valentina[/name_f]
[name_f]Violeta[/name_f]
[name_m]Rodolphe[/name_m]

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Boys - [name_m]Oliver[/name_m] - too popular
[name_m]Adrian[/name_m] - bad association.
[name_m]Andrew[/name_m] - bad association.

Girls
[name_f]Catherine[/name_f] - best friend used it, plus my husband has an ex named [name_f]Kath[/name_f].
[name_f]Helen[/name_f] - my sister-in-law’s name.
[name_f]Hepzibah[/name_f] - I love her but she is a bit out there and I worry about a child being teased, although I might consider it as a middle name.
[name_f]Olivia[/name_f] - way too popular, but maybe use as a middle name.

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[name_m]Theodore[/name_m] - One of my absolute favourites but it’s just too common and I end up teaching one every year.
[name_m]Otis[/name_m] - [name_f]My[/name_f] partner doesn’t like this one
[name_m]Casper[/name_m] - Again my partner doesn’t like it
[name_m]Percival[/name_m] - Used on a pet
[name_m]Montgomery[/name_m] - Used on a pet
[name_m]Raphael[/name_m] - Partner and I both love this name, but just feel it wouldn’t work within family and local area.

[name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] - This one is still a maybe. I love this name and I have really positive associations but I know a friend loves it too.
[name_f]Penny[/name_f] - Too popular
[name_f]Pearl[/name_f] - Partner says it makes him think of SpongeBob :upside_down_face:
[name_f]Mavis[/name_f] - Partner doesn’t like this
[name_f]Olive[/name_f] - Too similar to family members names (Oliver, Olivia).

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There’s far too many! But from your list, of the names I like, as a first name I can’t use:

  • [name_m]Alistair[/name_m] (distant family friend but the association would be too strong for my parents)
  • [name_f]Josie[/name_f] (a student)
  • [name_m]Luca[/name_m] (a student)
  • [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f] (strongly associated with someone I know, but also far too close to my cousin’s name - I can’t use any [name_f]Rose[/name_f] variants for that reason!)

The main name that comes to mind for me is [name_f]Matilda[/name_f], as my cousin (who I dislike) has a nickname which is also the most intuitive nickname for [name_f]Matilda[/name_f].

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[name_m]Hi[/name_m] there.

These are fun.

Is [name_m]Everett[/name_m] popular? I love [name_m]Everett[/name_m] & have never met one, but basically every little girl I meet is [name_f]Evelyn[/name_f]. [name_f]Every[/name_f] little boy is definitely either [name_m]Henry[/name_m] or [name_m]Hudson[/name_m], so I feel you there. I love that you named your dog [name_m]Peregrine[/name_m]. So cute!

[name_f]Amber[/name_f] used to be my favorite name when I was a kid in the early 90s for a long time. I still like the idea of it, but it is so 80s/90s that it feels weird now. I have the opposite problem as you with [name_f]Josie[/name_f]. I adore [name_f]Josephine[/name_f], but not sure that I feel that strongly for [name_f]Josie[/name_f]. [name_f]Do[/name_f] you like [name_f]Josefina[/name_f]?

[name_f]My[/name_f] DH has a bunch of siblings who are all very good at naming. They have taken a few of my names. Here’s my list of unusable names that I love:

Girls-

Adeline-I have loved it for ages, but every girl I meet who isn’t [name_f]Evelyn[/name_f], [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] or [name_f]Avery[/name_f] is [name_f]Adelyn[/name_f]. And [name_f]Addie[/name_f] is just too trendy for me, which I feel would be hard to avoid with [name_f]Adeline[/name_f].

Eleanor-Oh, it’s also just so popular!

Lilia-My mom named her cat this, much like your [name_m]Brody[/name_m]. I’m not entirely sure that I still wouldn’t use it. [name_m]Or[/name_m] some other [name_f]Lili[/name_f] name.

Boys-

Colm-I love it so much, but much like your [name_f]Dara[/name_f], it sounds weird without an [name_m]Irish[/name_m] accent. And I live in the Midwest U.S.

Charlie-So cute, but it’s the name of DH’s uncle who isn’t really name your kid after material. He also use to have a dog name this when he was a kid, but he was a sweet dog who I wouldn’t mind naming a child after. :dog: :joy:

David-It’s my dad’s name (who passed away in 2018), so I love the idea of using it. But my DH has a brother & nephew with this name, so that’d be too much.

Henry-I love this mainly for the nn [name_m]Hank[/name_m]. [name_m]Henry[/name_m] is soooo popular in my area. I don’t think that I’d be opposed to just [name_m]Hank[/name_m] though.

Liam-Well, it’s my nephew’s name, but also too popular anyway. He’s 15, & it wasn’t too popular then . [name_f]Rose[/name_f] quickly shortly after.

Patrick-Another nephew named this.

Seamus-Another nephew name this! We have a brood of them.

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Names that are too close to immediate family members:

[name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], [name_m]Max[/name_m], [name_f]Rosemary[/name_f]

Names that I have negative personal associations with:

[name_f]Eleanor[/name_f], [name_f]Lucy[/name_f], [name_f]Megan[/name_f]

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i adore the name eleanora! i prefer it to any and every eleanor + her variants. it’s my favourite way to get to nellie which is a nickname i really love. but i have cousins, elli3 + n0ra so it would never feel right for me to use eleanora which is sad as i really love the name!

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