Names you love but won’t be using

General Name Discussion
1

What names do you love but won’t use? This could be because other family members have used it, it’s not useable in real life, has a different meaning in your culture etc.

[name_f]Thea[/name_f]/[name_f]Theodora[/name_f] - I love the name [name_f]Thea[/name_f] but it just doesn’t work with our surname (double barrelled, the first name is two syllables and 4 letters just like [name_f]Thea[/name_f]). I actually like [name_f]Theodora[/name_f] as an alternative but it is very clunky and old fashioned so I dont think it would work in real life.

[name_m]Theodore[/name_m] - we almost used this for my son’s name but changed our mind last minute. We were hoping to use it for a second boy and use [name_u]Teddy[/name_u] or [name_u]Theo[/name_u] as a nickname. Two days after I had my son, DH’s cousin had a son called [name_u]Teddy[/name_u]. Now my sister is pregnant and is 90% sure she’s calling her son [name_u]Theo[/name_u].

[name_f]Laura[/name_f] - I’ve recently developed an appreciation of this name. It’s so sweet and endearing but also very classic and historical. Unfortunately it is also the name of my eldest sister, and whilst I’d love to honour her I think my other siblings would become jealous i ‘named’ my kid after her.

[name_f]Emma[/name_f] - I love the sweet simplicity of this name. However, not only is it very popular at the moment, it’s also the name of one of my cousins and I’d probably face the same situation as with [name_f]Laura[/name_f].

Ayrton - Would have been named after my hero F1 driver Ayrton [name_f]Senna[/name_f]. I love how it looks written down but I’m not 100% on pronunciation so I could never expect anyone else to pronounce it correctly, plus the name has negative connotations due to [name_f]Senna[/name_f]’s untimely death.

[name_f]Jessa[/name_f]/[name_u]Jesse[/name_u]- This would have been a tribute to my grandmother, [name_u]Jessie[/name_u], the strongest woman I ever knew. I always planned on calling my first girl [name_f]Jessa[/name_f] ever since I was a teen. Unfortunately, DH’s sister called one of her daughters [name_f]Jessica[/name_f] and DH refused to let me use the name.

[name_m]Rupert[/name_m] - I loved the handsome, aristocratic nature of this name but my family were very against me using this as we are working class northerners. Plus it wouldn’t work with our surname (double-barrelled, ****-[name_m]Roberts[/name_m]) as [name_m]Rupert[/name_m] is [name_m]Robert[/name_m] in [name_m]German[/name_m].

[name_f]Valentina[/name_f] - I love how musical and romantic this name sounds but it is just too associated with [name_u]Valentine[/name_u]’s [name_u]Day[/name_u] and I feel it would be weird to use on anyone who wasn’t born in [name_f]February[/name_f].

2

I love [name_f]Jessica[/name_f] but I know so many it would get confusing. I also love [name_f]Sofia[/name_f] but have a family member called [name_f]Sophie[/name_f] and that’s too close for me.

3

You are going see a couple of themes here -

[name_f]Laurel[/name_f] - Sounds garbage with my last name.

[name_m]Lawson[/name_m] - Sounds garbage with my last name.

[name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] - Is the exact name of a character from a popular tv show with my last name.

[name_u]Frankie[/name_u] - Too popular in [name_m]New[/name_m] Zealand.

[name_m]Lochlan[/name_m] - Far too popular in [name_m]New[/name_m] Zealand + sounds garbage with my last name.

[name_f]Sadie[/name_f] - Too popular in [name_m]New[/name_m] Zealand and in general.

[name_f]Lorelai[/name_f] - Sounds garbage with my last name.

[name_u]Teagan[/name_u] - Sounds garbage with my last name.

[name_m]Reuben[/name_m] - Too popular in my country + It’s my cousins favourite who is will most likely have a baby next year.

[name_u]Ruby[/name_u] - Too popular and my aforementioned cousin loves it.

[name_f]Ethel[/name_f] - I still love it but still think I could never in a million years convince a partner to agree to it + my mum hates it.

[name_f]Olive[/name_f] - Too popular in my country.

[name_f]Lucy[/name_f] - Too popular and I’ve known far too many to be fresh to me.

4

[name_m]Oliver[/name_m] - Was my favourite name for about four years. I’ve loved it since I started to obsess over names but them my sister named my niece [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] and we’re extremely close.

[name_u]Jesse[/name_u] - I’ll always love this for a little boy but my sister plans to use it with her next child when she has one so in trying to not stay attached to it. I Hate being the little sister lol as my names keep getting take. She loves [name_m]Archie[/name_m] too but thankfully her friend has a child named it.

[name_m]Jackson[/name_m] - Again, one of my sister’s favourites so I’m trying to stay away from it. I also don’t like [name_m]Jack[/name_m] and not a huge fan of [name_m]Jax[/name_m].

[name_u]Jay[/name_u] - Brother-in-laws brother and I don’t like any longer forms.

[name_m]Ethan[/name_m], [name_m]Isaac[/name_m] & [name_m]Tommy[/name_m]: All family members names that I’m close with.

[name_f]Sophia[/name_f] - My brother-in-laws sister’s name and I just really don’t like [name_f]Sophie[/name_f] and I’m afraid she’d get called it.

[name_f]Erin[/name_f] - I just know somebody really horrible with this name but I love it.

5

[name_m]Joseph[/name_m] - my favourite boy’s name, it’s an honour name too, boyfriend hates it so it’s off the list

[name_m]Theodore[/name_m] and [name_m]Sebastian[/name_m] - too popular

[name_m]Casper[/name_m] - I love it but Mum thinks of three wise men and boyfriend the friendly ghost

[name_f]Cecilia[/name_f] - boyfriend only thinks of the Vamps song

[name_f]Ivy[/name_f] - overused

7

I have quite a few ‘too popular’ ones (given to >1000 babies where I live)
[name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], [name_f]Elsie[/name_f], [name_f]Evie[/name_f], [name_f]Florence[/name_f], Freyja ([name_f]Freya[/name_f] being popular), [name_f]Matilda[/name_f], [name_f]Imogen[/name_f], [name_f]Eliza[/name_f], [name_f]Lola[/name_f], & [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u]. [name_m]Luka[/name_m], [name_m]Archie[/name_m], [name_m]Hugo[/name_m], [name_m]Arthur[/name_m], [name_m]William[/name_m], [name_u]Noah[/name_u], [name_u]Charlie[/name_u], [name_u]Elliott[/name_u], & [name_m]Albert[/name_m].

And the more unusual/problematic:
Valkyrie, Cadmium, Pompeia, Arsinoë, Belladonna, & Evangelise. [name_m]Sherlock[/name_m], [name_m]Icarus[/name_m], Hemlock, [name_m]Benedict[/name_m], [name_f]Alchemy[/name_f], & Mordred.

Plus, with [name_f]Pandora[/name_f] as my top name and assuming I actually get to use her, I’ll have to let go of [name_m]Isidore[/name_m]. I absolutely love him, and I think he fits perfectly with both my girl and boy choices, but I love [name_f]Pandora[/name_f] even more, and they’d never work together, even amongst several other siblings. It’s unlikely I’d ever get to the point of using him (I’d have to have a girl and six boys minimum), but it’s still a bit of a shame. And if I have kids with an SO there’ll probably be a lot more.

8

Rory - one of my favourites but with my surname, it’s way too much of the letter r

Charlotte, and Henry - I love them but they’re too popular for my tastes. I’d keep them for middle names though

Cressida, Leandra (and consequently Leander), Amelie, Raphael, Loretta, Nadine, Kaia, Kerrigan, Cadence, Emmy, Sierra,Evan, Carys - I’ve grouped all these together because they’re names i love but I have characters with all these names. Maybe it’s silly to decide they’re completely out of use but I’d feel weird reusing them

Winston, Toby, Jasper, Leo, Kai, Poppy, Fern - love them but I’ve had/have guinea pigs by these names and I think it would be too weird to reuse them

9

There are very few names I like that I’d absolutely refuse to use, because if they’re unusable in the front spot, they’re often used in the middle instead.

[name_f]Winifred[/name_f], [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f], [name_f]Marigold[/name_f], [name_m]Alfred[/name_m], [name_m]Archibald[/name_m], and [name_m]Edmund[/name_m]- my surname begins with D, so these first names + my last name run into each other really badly :frowning:

[name_f]Gertrude[/name_f], [name_f]Millicent[/name_f], and [name_f]Eglantine[/name_f]- I adore these names but I’m sure hardly anyone else does.

[name_f]Chrysanthemum[/name_f], Lasairfhíona, Melpomene, Samhain, Cionnfhaoladh- highly impractical irl.

[name_f]Poppy[/name_f], [name_f]Daisy[/name_f], [name_u]Ruby[/name_u], [name_m]Arthur[/name_m], [name_m]Sebastian[/name_m], [name_m]Henry[/name_m]- all far too popular for me.

10

So many :frowning:

[name_f]Esther[/name_f], [name_f]Ismay[/name_f], [name_f]Saskia[/name_f], [name_f]Delphi[/name_f], [name_f]Ariadne[/name_f], [name_m]Pippin[/name_m], [name_m]Louis[/name_m], [name_m]Felix[/name_m], [name_u]August[/name_u]/[name_m]Augustin[/name_m], [name_u]Rex[/name_u], [name_m]Magnus[/name_m]: too close to friends’ or family members’ names

[name_f]Katya[/name_f], [name_f]Katinka[/name_f], [name_u]Hero[/name_u], [name_f]Valentina[/name_f], [name_m]Kester[/name_m], [name_m]Jago[/name_m], [name_m]Ivo[/name_m]: too close to existing kids’ names

Botanical names, T names, W names, [name_f]Vita[/name_f], [name_f]Iona[/name_f], [name_m]Ivo[/name_m], [name_u]Bay[/name_u]: don’t work with the surname

[name_f]Endellion[/name_f], [name_f]Anoushka[/name_f], [name_f]Madelief[/name_f], [name_f]Demelza[/name_f], [name_f]Guinevere[/name_f], [name_f]Tigerlily[/name_f]: too [name_m]OTT[/name_m]

11

[name_f]Alexina[/name_f] has been one of my favorite names since forever but I don’t think my husband will ever go for it.

Adoniram, [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f], [name_f]Iona[/name_f], and [name_m]Ian[/name_m] are a few others I like but probably won’t use for one reason or another.

12

[name_f]Stephanie[/name_f] is actually high on my list! I think it’s got that sort of 90’s charm, but not so outdated that it couldn’t work nowadays. However, my BF is not about it and it makes me so sad lol

13

Any name that sounds or is even slightly similar to mine. [name_f]Eliza[/name_f], [name_f]Elspeth[/name_f], [name_f]Katherine[/name_f]/[name_f]Catherine[/name_f], etc. But there are a surprising amount of names I won’t use simply because I have family or friends with the same name.

[name_f]Lydia[/name_f]
[name_f]Natalie[/name_f]
[name_m]Deacon[/name_m]
[name_m]Adam[/name_m]
[name_m]Thomas[/name_m]/[name_m]Tom[/name_m]
[name_m]Cole[/name_m]
[name_f]Sarah[/name_f]
[name_f]Neve[/name_f]/[name_u]Nevada[/name_u]
[name_u]Whitney[/name_u]
[name_f]Lucy[/name_f]
[name_f]Autumn[/name_f]
[name_f]Ruth[/name_f]

14

[name_f]Annabelle[/name_f]
[name_f]Celeste[/name_f]
Nightingale
[name_f]Iphigenia[/name_f]
[name_f]Aoife[/name_f]
[name_f]Bronte[/name_f]
[name_f]Victoriana[/name_f]
[name_f]Mirabel[/name_f]
[name_u]Vesper[/name_u] / Vespertine
Isolette
[name_u]Haven[/name_u]
[name_u]January[/name_u]
Hemlock
[name_f]Delilah[/name_f]

[name_m]Ignatius[/name_m]
[name_m]Amadeus[/name_m]
[name_m]Peregrine[/name_m]
Credence
[name_f]Amity[/name_f]
[name_m]Hawthorne[/name_m]
[name_m]Atlas[/name_m]
[name_m]Silas[/name_m]
[name_m]Sherlock[/name_m]
[name_m]Thaddeus[/name_m]
[name_m]Leo[/name_m]
Baudelaire
[name_m]Silvanus[/name_m]
Viren

15

[name_f]Aria[/name_f] - I’ve loved it for years but it’s unusable with our last name ([name_m]Stark[/name_m]) and it’s become way too popular for my taste.

[name_u]Juniper[/name_u] - husband doesn’t like it

[name_f]Juno[/name_f] -husband doesn’t love it enough and neither does the rest of my family

[name_m]Kaden[/name_m] - too trendy but I love the sound.

[name_u]Artemis[/name_u] - sounds bad with our last name

[name_m]Alaric[/name_m] - same as above

[name_u]Ellis[/name_u] - same

16

[name_u]Oakley[/name_u]
Greysen
[name_u]Hayden[/name_u]
[name_m]Vaughn[/name_m]
[name_u]Braylen[/name_u]

Brynnlee
[name_f]Brylee[/name_f]
Brooklee
[name_f]Paige[/name_f]
[name_f]Payten[/name_f]
[name_f]Zoey[/name_f]

17

[name_f]Aurora[/name_f]/[name_u]Rori[/name_u] - love this name for a girl but when I was a young teen I gave the name to my dog. I won’t be able to name a child after a dog so I can’t use it. Plus, I expect Grandpa might slip up and call a grandchild “fat dog” like he does to [name_u]Rori[/name_u] the dog.

[name_f]Vivienne[/name_f] - love the name and the spelling, and it would be to honor my grandmother. But she already has a great grandchild named [name_f]Vivienne[/name_f] so it’s out of the books now.

[name_m]Charles[/name_m]/[name_u]Charlie[/name_u] - Always thought of naming a child after one of my fathers favorite name combos, but the old lady remarried a man with that name so it’s out of the books.

I also have a crazy list of out there names I like, but would never put on a living human child. Maybe an animal but not a child. I would use them in books though, because fictional characters don’t mind.