Names You Can't Let Go Of

[name_f]Do[/name_f] any of you have names that you just can’t seem to shake?

When I first started my baby name adventure I absolutely adores [name_m]Asher[/name_m] and [name_u]Porter[/name_u] for a boy and [name_u]Harper[/name_u]/[name_u]Piper[/name_u]/[name_u]Carter[/name_u] for a girl. I’ve moved on from the boy names, although I still enjoy [name_m]Asher[/name_m] but I just can’t shake the girls! [name_f]Every[/name_f] time I meet a little girl with one of those names I just think “darn, I love that name!”

So what are your name loves that you can’t leave behind no matter what you try?

I have a love for -ra names ([name_f]Flora[/name_f], [name_f]Clara[/name_f], [name_f]Leonora[/name_f], [name_f]Aurora[/name_f], etc.) and at times I wasn’t totally in love with [name_f]Flora[/name_f] but preferred other -ra names such as [name_f]Aurora[/name_f], however, I’ve always second guessed that choice, so I tried to look at the negative aspects of [name_f]Flora[/name_f] (mouth flora, and fauna, margarine, etc.) but she’s always come back and every time I love her more, every time I see a new aspect of her that trumps the other -ra names.
My rule now is: if any [name_u]Berry[/name_u] sees my trying to replace [name_f]Flora[/name_f] with another -ra name, please stop me!

@opheliaflora [name_f]Flora[/name_f] is such a great name! [name_m]Don[/name_m]'t replace it with anything! My girl name loves of [name_u]Harper[/name_u], [name_u]Piper[/name_u], and [name_u]Carter[/name_u] I just can’t use. They’re just a little too common (especially in my area, there are SO many) so I couldn’t use them. I wish someone in my family would use them so I could have one, especially [name_u]Harper[/name_u]. I love that name so much!

Kimarie - I’m not sure how I found out about it but I was in love when I first heard it. Now, it’s not one of my favorites and I’m definitely seeing it as just a smush of [name_u]Kim[/name_u] + [name_f]Marie[/name_f] (which… I think is how it was created) but I just can’t bring myself to nix it. I keep telling myself “Maybe I can make it work as a middle name somehow” lol.

[name_f]Tiffany[/name_f]… I don’t know why but I keep coming back to it. I want to scratch it off but then I’m like “Nah… I really like it”

[name_f]Sienna[/name_f]! I’ve loved it for so long and even though I’m looking at others now I think I will always come back to [name_f]Sienna[/name_f]!

[name_u]Shiloh[/name_u], [name_f]Alyssa[/name_f]/[name_f]Alyssia[/name_f] and [name_f]Isabella[/name_f]. They were one of my first loves and I just can’t get rid of them. Although none are on my shortlist any more, they float around beneath it. I doubt I’ll ever use [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] because it’s too frilly and my sister wants to use it (and she’s closer to actually having the ability to than I am) and I don’t think I’ll use [name_u]Shiloh[/name_u] because she’ll stick out like a sore thumb among not only her siblings, but her family and friends because every name used where I live is ridiculously popular. I think I might use [name_f]Alyssa[/name_f]/[name_f]Alyssia[/name_f] in the future, thankfully the name never took off in the UK compared to the US.

[name_u]Carter[/name_u] for a boy. He was my number 1 for the longest time. I was just recently able to shake him off of my top 10 but when the 1000 character signature rule allowed me to, he popped back up on my signature. Also [name_u]Brooklyn[/name_u] for girls. I keep telling myself that it’s too childish and popular and won’t age well but then I’ll hear it randomly and remember why I can’t seem to kick it off my top 100. [name_f]Sadie[/name_f] is another one I can’t shake. It’s fallen off of my top 5 but she’s still hanging strong at number 6. I still love her so it’s hard for me to admit that sometimes I grow a bit bored of [name_f]Sadie[/name_f].

[name_m]Emrys[/name_m]. It’s been my absolute favorite for about 6-7 years, and I cannot imagine myself not actually naming my son [name_m]Emrys[/name_m]. Sometimes I wish I was able to leave it behind, because it doesn’t really fit with my style a ton and I would love to use a Scandinavian name, but I just can’t leave it. For better and for worse, my son will be named [name_m]Emrys[/name_m]!

[name_u]Fable[/name_u] is another one. It was one of the names I first fell in love with for a boy when I was like 11 or 12 and discovered a name book. Nowadays I know I couldn’t use it especially as a first name but I feel like there will always be a soft spot for [name_u]Fable[/name_u] in my name list, lol.

Kimimela. It’s not even listed on Nameberry, and I tell very few people outside of name nerds because no one seems to get it. [name_m]Even[/name_m] people on Nameberry don’t really get it, I’ve found, which saddens me. “It’s too hard to pronounce, it’s too weird,” etc. etc. But I can’t talk myself out of it. I’ve tried, really I have, but my heart just stamps its foot and insists, “Your daughter’s name is [name_f]Kimi[/name_f]. Period. Your family and the world at large will just have to get over themselves and crawl out of their little box.” It’s so firmly rooted that I’ve been collecting butterfly-themed decorations and wall hangings to one day put in my daughter’s nursery, and I’m not pregnant.

I’ve hung onto [name_f]Arwen[/name_f] since I was fourteen and I can’t imagine letting go of that one, either.

And Ellaria, which I’m rapidly growing a major attachment to even though I don’t particularly care for Ellaria Sand of Dorne. It’s just so dang pretty.

Kimimela. It’s not even listed on Nameberry, and I tell very few people outside of name nerds because no one seems to get it. [name_m]Even[/name_m] people on Nameberry don’t really get it, I’ve found, which saddens me. “It’s too hard to pronounce, it’s too weird,” etc. etc. But I can’t talk myself out of it. I’ve tried, really I have, but my heart just stamps its foot and insists, “Your daughter’s name is [name_f]Kimmi[/name_f]. Period. Your family and the world at large will just have to get over themselves and crawl out of their little box.” It’s so firmly rooted that I’ve been collecting butterfly-themed decorations and wall hangings to one day put in my daughter’s nursery, and I’m not pregnant.

I’ve hung onto [name_f]Arwen[/name_f] since I was fourteen and I can’t imagine letting go of that one, either.

And Ellaria, which I’m rapidly growing a major attachment to even though I don’t particularly care for Ellaria Sand of Dorne. It’s just so dang pretty.

Aww, don’t nix it! People smush names together all the time. I know a fiftysomething Kimarie and she wears it just fine.

Thessalonica, anybody I’ve told in ‘real life’ says its beautiful and always ask for permission to use it if I decide not to. But people on nameberry usually don’t like it. They say “It’s too long” “It’s too klunky” etc, but I still find it beautiful and love it’s subtle biblical roots.

Also, [name_m]Sebastian[/name_m] with the nn Bash, I love it, but again, people on nameberry say it’s too ‘Violent’ lol

[b][i][name_f]Persephone[/name_f]. I love it. Like i really love it. I can easily imagine myself calling a daughter [name_f]Persephone[/name_f]. Its so beautiful and romantic and dark. I also love the mythology of this names. But i see it been used more frequently(at least on the name blogs) and iam really worried that it will get more popular. Also every time i say that i plan to use this name for my first daughter, they either laughed and say what a horrible name it is or telling me “What a beautiful name!I think i will name my daughter that” (my two cousins basically say that to me :(. I try to let it go and replace it with other names but nothing feels the same.
The same goes for [name_f]Psyche[/name_f].

The boy names i cant let go are Prometheus, [name_m]Orpheus[/name_m] and [name_m]Amadeus[/name_m]. Everyone says the same, that they too big for a little boy etc. But all are meaningful to me and i cant let them go.[/i][/b]

I always talk about my top favourite names on these threads, but I’ve actually realised I can’t pry myself away from them. My boys’ have always been pretty solid, but at the start of the year, I had a huge overhaul of my girls’ names (which are all over the place) that led to me deciding [name_f]Lyra[/name_f] was my new favourite name, above [name_f]Pandora[/name_f]… That lasted about 4 months. I just keep coming back to [name_f]Pandora[/name_f], despite some doubts I have (mainly the shop), and I can’t seem to replace her or let her go at all.

[name_f]Lunette[/name_f] has also been a favourite for a while (though not as high up), but the major issue is that ‘des lunettes’ means ‘glasses’ in [name_m]French[/name_m], and I just keep imagining how ridiculous it would sound if a [name_f]Lunette[/name_f] went to or lived in [name_f]France[/name_f]. Especially as [name_f]Lunette[/name_f] is definitely not a well used name here. But I can’t bring myself to get rid of it, or even make it a GP since it just sounds like a name over here, and it’s so beautiful!

And there are loads of middles I want to fit into my top 4s for both genders, but probably won’t be able to: [name_f]Clara[/name_f], [name_f]Hermione[/name_f], [name_f]Constance[/name_f], [name_f]Lyra[/name_f], for boys [name_u]Rory[/name_u], [name_m]Remus[/name_m], [name_m]Hamish[/name_m] (plus more). I just have so many middles I love, but not enough firsts, that I’d actually use, for all of them.

For me, [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] and [name_u]Elliott[/name_u] are names I have loved since childhood, and since meeting a female [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] in my late teens it’s been on both lists. When I met my husband, I tried to gauge his opinion on names very subtly to see if he shared my tastes! He vetoed a few of my names (e.g. [name_m]Dominic[/name_m]) but [name_u]Elliott[/name_u] and [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] both made it through.

I came here to say [name_m]Emrys[/name_m] too! I’ve deleted my boy list so many times but [name_m]Emrys[/name_m] is the only one that stays on and that I definitely want to use.

My girls list is ever evolving. There are names that stay on it but I’m constantly changing my mind on what I’d name a second daughter.

There are so many girl names that I love that it will be hard, but I have a boys name down packed. At least a first name.

[name_m]Jethro[/name_m] - love, love, love this name and no matter how hard I try, I can’t stop loving it! I’ve even had dreams about it! But, I don’t think I’d actually use it because it sticks out like a sore thumb with my other favourites, and any time I mention it to someone they give me a very weird look or think I’m joking :frowning:

[name_u]Ellery[/name_u] for a girl. I am in love with it, but everyone i tell it to says “For a girl??” or “I sounds like celery”. [name_m]Ive[/name_m] tried to get over it but i cant…ill use it one day i’m sure of it!

[name_f]Olivia[/name_f]. She is kind of my dirty little secret, because I want to hate the name, but I just can’t! She is soft and rhythmic, overtly frilly but with the nn choices of [name_f]Liv[/name_f] or Livi or even [name_u]Ollie[/name_u]. I just can’t shake my love for this name, no matter how hard I try. I remind myself of “that horrid girl I went to high school with” and “how popular” it is and even that “my third cousin named her daughter [name_f]Alivia[/name_f]”. But then I counter myself with "the wonderful [name_m]Shakespeare[/name_m] cred " and “the beautiful meaning”. [name_m]Even[/name_m] if my arguments far outweigh any reason I should have to like it, I still love it. I can’t make myself not.