[name]Hi[/name],
I’m new to the boards but I’ve been using this site for some time now looking for ideas. I’m really hoping for some advice and opinions.
I’ve always been kind of obsessed with names-- probably because I hate my own so much. My husband and I just found out we’re having a girl, and I’m so thrilled and excited! I secretly really wanted a girl! But I knew it meant trouble with the naming. Of course, we easily picked a boys name-- [name]Elijah[/name]. But we have different taste in girl names. Plus–and this is the bigger issue in a way–I already had girl names picked for years, and now I can’t use them. I loved [name]Ava[/name] before it became ridiculously popular, so that’s out. Plus my husband thinks its too close to [name]Eve[/name] and his name is [name]Adam[/name]. The other name that I absolutely adore is [name]Ariel[/name]. [name]Just[/name] my luck, his sister’s name is [name]Ariella[/name]!!! So my top 2 picks are out, and I just can’t find anything else that I love as much.
My mother suggested [name]Arabella[/name] months ago, and I fell in love with it. My husband doesn’t like it and feels its still too close to [name]Ariella[/name]. It’s possible he’ll cave in, but I’m also feeling that maybe [name]Arabella[/name] is a little too prissy and frilly. These are other names we’ve considered, and somewhat agree on (meaning he doesn’t HATE them):
[name]Aria[/name]
[name]Eliza[/name]
[name]Lila[/name]
[name]Elouise[/name]
[name]Aliyah[/name]
[name]Elza[/name]
I like vowel names!! The last one–[name]Elza[/name]-- is actually my favorite right now. I love that its close to [name]Eliza[/name] and [name]Ella[/name] which I’ve always liked, but more unique. I like the twist of the Z, and I like the z sound in names in general. But its kind of the opposite of [name]Arabella[/name]-- maybe not “pretty” enough? It doesn’t quite have that nice flow.
So, any suggestions? I’d also love opinions on [name]Elza[/name]!
Thanks!
I’ve never heard [name]Elza[/name] before. I think it would be confused with [name]Elsa[/name], [name]Eliza[/name], and [name]Ella[/name] often, but maybe that’s just me. I just looked it up and it is Hebrew for “joy” which is a pretty cool meaning to me!
[name]How[/name] about [name]Azalea[/name]? it’s a vowel and it has a Z.
Other vowels names you might like
Ellora /[name]Allura[/name]
[name]Elise[/name]
[name]Elsie[/name]
[name]Arianna[/name]
Auriela
[name]Aubrey[/name]
[name]Annabel[/name] / [name]Annabelle[/name]
[name]Elspeth[/name]
[name]Isadora[/name]
[name]Ingrid[/name]
[name]Ivy[/name]
[name]Iris[/name]
[name]Olympia[/name]
[name]Olivia[/name] /[name]Livia[/name]
[name]Amaya[/name]
[name]Amalia[/name]
Other names w/ a Z
[name]Hazel[/name]
[name]Aleeza[/name]
[name]Azaria[/name]
[name]Azura[/name]
[name]Beatriz[/name]
[name]Kerenza[/name]
[name]Elizabella[/name]
[name]Jazmine[/name]
[name]Suzannah[/name] / [name]Suzette[/name]
From your list, I like [name]Eliza[/name], [name]Aria[/name], and [name]Elouise[/name] (though I pref. it spelled [name]Eloise[/name]) best.
I [name]LOVE[/name] [name]Lila[/name] and [name]Eliza[/name]. They’re gorgeous, feminine, evocative, and “out-of-the-mainstream” without being “youneek.”
I’ve never seen [name]Elza[/name]; I think I agree with crunchymama on this one. The “z” will saddle your child with a name that will be constantly misspelled – I know it’s “unique,” but it’s so similar to a more recognized name ([name]Elsa[/name]) there’s no way people will get it right. However the meaning, “joy,” is lovely, and I don’t DISLIKE the name – I just think it’ll be a bit of a burden for your girl. If you have another name you like as much, I’d go with that.
[name]Eloise[/name] is lovely, but [name]Elouise[/name] just looks incorrect. ([name]Elza[/name] above at least looks like a “unique” version of “[name]Elsa[/name],” whereas “[name]Elouise[/name]” just looks like a misspelling.) If you use [name]Eloise[/name], I agree with crunchymama – I’d spell it the traditional way, definitely.
I have to say I agree with your husband re: [name]Arabella[/name], but that’s just a taste thing.
Crunchymama’s list is fabulous. [name]Azalea[/name] is really not my style, but I love it here for some reason. I also really liked from her list: Ellora (I’ve seen it [name]Elora[/name], too)
[name]Annabel[/name]
[name]Iris[/name]
[name]Azura[/name]
Other options:
[name]Amelia[/name]
[name]Isla[/name] / [name]Ayla[/name]
[name]Aurora[/name]
[name]Eden[/name]
[name]Aviva[/name]
[name]Evangeline[/name]
[name]Allegra[/name]
[name]Imogen[/name] (pronounced IM-uh-gen as opposed to IM-mo-[name]GENE[/name])
Thanks for the replies! [name]Just[/name] wanted to say I meant “[name]Eloise[/name]” NOT [name]Elouise[/name]-- typo!
I definitely have considered some of the names on your lists, especially [name]Azalea[/name], [name]Azura[/name], [name]Annabel[/name], [name]Elysia[/name] (prefer to [name]Elise[/name]), [name]Aviva[/name] and [name]Evangeline[/name]. I just feel none of them are quite right–like them alot but don’t really love them. I like [name]Hazel[/name] a lot too but our last name starts with H and I don’t like the double H’s.
I also love that [name]Elza[/name] means “joy” and its hebrew, as my husband is jewish. My husband likes the name [name]Zoe[/name], which I also like but not for a first name. So I was thinking of [name]Elza[/name] [name]Zoe[/name] which would mean “joyful life” which I think is cool! I know it will be confused with [name]Elsa[/name] and [name]Eliza[/name]-- I don’t know why but that doesn’t bother me so much…I’m [name]Tracy[/name] and was forever called [name]Stacy[/name] and it never bothered me at all. If anything I just was surprised that so many people got them mixed up! But I do need to think about how our child would feel about it.
It’s so hard to have names you just love and not be able to use them! I can’t think of anything I don’t love about “[name]Ariel[/name]”!!