I have synesthesia too, in a similar way that you do. (I think it’s very common in women.) It certainly does affect how I perceive names. My favorite names all have color schemes and textures that appeal to me, though when I describe them to people I usually just get funny looks. I think it’s fascinating how everyone perceives the same names differently. I love my favorite names mostly due to the imagery and feelings they evoke, but a lot of people seem to choose names solely based on family members or historical/literary figures. That’s almost irrelevant for me since I can’t stand the idea of using a name that isn’t aesthetically pleasing to me with regard to color and corresponding textures!
For example, for me, [name_f]Gwendolen[/name_f] is white and gold, and strongly evokes the image of a medieval style silk/cotton dress with bell sleeves. I have no idea why, I can’t think of any characters with the name that I’ve been exposed to. It’s just my immediate association.
To answer the above poster, [name_f]Jennifer[/name_f] evokes a deep navy blue and brown for me. It’s a soft texture, kind of like velvet. It feels serious and uncomplicated.
My favorite girl names tend to be vivid colors in my mind. [name_f]Aurelia[/name_f] is flowing golden yellow sunlight. [name_f]Fiona[/name_f] is white and lilac in a soft breeze (with a hint of light blue). [name_f]Athena[/name_f] is a rich royal blue with flecks of silver streaked through it. I also imagine the goddess’s helmet, spear, and owl, which adds a sense of courage and sleekness to the name for me. [name_f]Gabrielle[/name_f] (an honor name) is a pretty golden yellow. [name_f]Jasmine[/name_f] is light purple and white, soft like a flower petal. [name_u]Joan[/name_u] is red, blue, silver, and purple. [name_f]Leona[/name_f] is orange and yellow, like a lioness with golden amber eyes. [name_f]Aria[/name_f] is red with a silky texture like a ribbon.
My favorite boy names tend to be green in my mind for some reason. A lot of my favorite boy names have the letter “n” in them which corresponds strongly with the color green for me. [name_m]Sylvan[/name_m] is green and silver with a woody texture (which fits the name in a sort of obvious way). [name_u]Sage[/name_u] feels earthy and green/brown with a rough texture, which is also obvious. [name_u]Finley[/name_u] and [name_u]Flynn[/name_u] are also green, both with a smooth, clean texture. [name_m]Wesley[/name_m] is a friendly yellow with a bubbly sort of texture. [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] is red, like the berries on the rowan tree. I guess a lot of these are obvious, but the images are very strong in my mind.
There are definitely names I dislike based on the colors/textures that come to mind when I hear them. One example is [name_u]Eloise[/name_u], which evokes this very strong distorted yellowish brown color. Another example is [name_u]Michael[/name_u], which is just a very boring, bland, darkish blue that feels like tired leather.
