My husband, G, and I are expecting our first child in [name_u]July[/name_u] and we are so excited!
But deciding on her name has been a long road and as her due date gets closer, I worry that the name we chose might be TOO “out there”…
(I am a long-time name nerd, so my tastes tend to be pretty “different” - as I’m sure you all know )
G and I have settled on [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] S----a for our daughter. [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] (I’ve been calling her [name_f]Nolie[/name_f]) is a name I’ve loved for a long time - I like that it’s pretty, easy to say, and sweet but has spunky nickname potential. [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] is for his grandma.
I just want to know what ya’ll think about the name [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] and if it is “too much” for a baby, or if it’s wearable in real life (not just in my head).
I love your choice! I think the plentiful nickname options make it accessible, especially when she’s a baby. [name_f]Nolie[/name_f] is adorable and I’ve always like [name_f]Nola[/name_f] as a nickname for [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] too.
I think the fact that it’s a flower name, gaining more interest with people, and has many accessible nicknames makes [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] very wearable. [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] is a beautiful name, congrats!
It’s absolutely wearable in real life! I don’t think [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] is too much at all. It is unique and different, but it’s also a well recognized flower name with pop culture references that make it feel familiar. Nature names are rapidly moving up the chart anyway, so I think she will fit in just fine with all the girls named [name_f]Lily[/name_f]/[name_f]Rose[/name_f]/[name_f]Jasmine[/name_f]/[name_f]Willow[/name_f]/[name_u]Rowan[/name_u]/etc.
It’s very different than anything I’ve encountered in real life and sounds like a Southern novel character, but I don’t think that is a bad thing! Besides, nicknames like [name_f]Maggie[/name_f] and [name_f]Nolie[/name_f] make the name a lot more usable, because they are at least somewhat more familiar (maggie moreso than nolie).
I think [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] is lovely. The nickname potential does help a lot too, to make it a very wearable name, for a child through to an adult.
[name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] is absolutely gorgeous and nicknames like [name_f]Nola[/name_f] and [name_f]Nolie[/name_f] are sweet, personable, and totally accessible. [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] is a beautiful, classy, southern sounding combo!
If you are doubting yourself, nothing we can say will properly reassure you. [name_m]Trust[/name_m] me, I understand.
The best thing to do is have a top three of combination names. Think about the initials, think about the spelling, and really focus on the name sounding right to you, make sure it’s meaning is relevant - why are you choosing this name - why is it important to you?
I chose a name my husband liked because he didn’t like any of mine. It didn’t take me long before I really questioned what I’d done. It has taken me over 12 months to get my husband to even consider discussing this with me because I’ve had such a hard time with this. The name we went with is very significant in [name_f]Indian[/name_f] culture, but I hadn’t had enough time to research it properly before we had to announce a name. It is far too exotic for me and while I think it is beautiful I can’t resolve my brain. One one hand you want your child to have a unique and beautiful name, on the other you question whether it is too unique.
The name you have chosen sounds very pretty. You are right, [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] is a strong name and it definitely is different. However, being a school teacher, I come across all sorts of names and I can tell you, this is a very pretty one and has a vintage sound. It offers itself to [name_f]Mags[/name_f] and [name_f]Maggie[/name_f] or even [name_f]Lia[/name_f] as nicknames. However, the only person you should listen to is yourself. Make sure you have those top three names, because it’s so important to have a few options incase you are unsure.
[name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] is a guilty pleasure name for me. Not my style but absolutely precious – and [name_f]Nolie[/name_f]! I love it! My personal favorite nickname for [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] is [name_f]Nola[/name_f].
I find [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] perfectly usable, it’s one of my top choices if this baby turns out to be a girl, and [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] is a beautiful combo that gives her a much more traditional name to fall back on if she ever decides she doesn’t like [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f]. My favorite nickname is [name_f]Nola[/name_f].
Its not too out there at all! [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] is one of my absolute favorites. I love the nickname [name_f]Meg[/name_f]. But I also love that there are so many different nicknames that are diverse and would fit different personalities ([name_f]Meg[/name_f], [name_f]Maggie[/name_f], [name_u]Noli[/name_u], [name_f]Nola[/name_f], [name_f]Lia[/name_f], etc). It is definitely wearable!
I’ll provide a “semi-dissent”. I do think that [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] is very uncommon and many people are likely to think it’s out there. I don’t think it’s [i]too[i] out there. I think it’s a lovely name, although I would draw a distinction between [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] and other flower names like [name_f]Rose[/name_f], [name_f]Jasmine[/name_f], Callt, [name_f]Lily[/name_f], etc. I’d put [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] in the same category as [name_f]Gardenia[/name_f], a little “old sounding”. With that being said, I suggest trying it out for yourself, pretend that is your name at the market, coffee shop, etc etc.
Regardless, it seems like you love it, so I wouldn’t fret too much! Best wishes.
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