New girls list and don't know how to feel

Girl Names
1

I have a new girls list. Please give me your thoughts. Some very few survived off my old list and I don’t DISLIKE my old list but my husband does in fact get a say.

So, onto new things:

[name]Raina[/name] - Possible middles: [name]Lilac[/name], [name]Lilibet[/name], [name]Lilith[/name], [name]Esther[/name], [name]Opal[/name], [name]Emerald[/name], Siofra, [name]Aurora[/name], [name]Vivien[/name]. Bit worried about it sounding like “[name]Rain[/name] of” whatever.

[name]Reina[/name] - [name]Said[/name] the same as [name]Raina[/name], used in more languages, loses the fresh-spring-rain nature feel but is maybe more classic? Is historic. Is used in Spanish, Yiddish, and Japanese, independantly, with seperate meanings for each. At least some Yiddish transcriptions use [name]Raina[/name] or [name]Rayna[/name] though. Thoughts?

[name]Mara[/name] - A slim but traditional name. I do like whimsical names like [name]Marigold[/name] and [name]Mariposa[/name] but I wonder if in the end I should go with this streamlined option?

[name]Marie[/name] - Sweeter than [name]Mara[/name], in some odd way, feels like a vintage tea-party. Our last name ends in an -ee sound though. I only like [name]Marie[/name] as a first name, I find it gets shuffled into greyness in the middle. Does it seem out of place with my others? I think it could work with relatively eccentric middles?

[name]Hazel[/name] - Favourite book character, nice colour, nice tree. Nature name but not hippy-dippy. Middle name I like best with it is [name]Dove[/name]. Does [name]Hazel[/name] [name]Dove[/name] take it to a hippy place though? Or does the 1880s-ness of [name]Dove[/name]/[name]Dovie[/name] save it?

[name]Opal[/name] - Husband’s favourite gemstone. He’s started walking around going “I like [name]Opal[/name].” Which I take as a subtle hint. :wink: It has no nickname that springs to mind. I like the idea of [name]Opal[/name] [name]Blythe[/name], [name]Opal[/name] [name]Claire[/name], or [name]Opal[/name] [name]Beatrix[/name]. Or [name]Raina[/name] [name]Opal[/name]?

[name]Esther[/name] - My husband championed this one, and at first I thought he was crazy but its grown on me a lot in recent months. I still don’t think there’s any workable nickname if I hate [name]Essie[/name], and I do? Husband thinks [name]Tera[/name]/[name]Terra[/name] could work as a NN and thinks [name]Terra[/name] is adorable. [name]Esther[/name] could work as a middle but would it sound odd behind a 2 syllable first name? Has a lovely meaning. Could be a middle itself for one of the others or combos I have are: [name]Esther[/name] [name]Felicia[/name], [name]Esther[/name] [name]Beatrix[/name], [name]Esther[/name] [name]Brighid[/name], [name]Esther[/name] [name]Niamh[/name]…?

[name]Lilith[/name] - Sort of odd, but not hard to read or say. A bit on the [name]Lily[/name]-trend, which worries me. Sounds more grown up to me than [name]Lilibet[/name]? (Which I also like) Might get said as “liliff” here, which gives me the cold shudders and is the only major downside. First or middle?

[name]Lilac[/name] - Softer and more candy-ish than [name]Lilith[/name], has none of its sinister side but also is a bit airy-fairy. Better or worse?

Siofra - Husband loves this. Means “changeling” or “fairy,” and is pronounced shee-fra. What would you pair with this?

The 2 syllable FN thing happened largely by accident. I think it makes a sibset sort of work though? Or is it grody?

Obviously [name]Raina[/name]/[name]Reina[/name], [name]Marie[/name]/[name]Mara[/name], and [name]Lilith[/name]/[name]Lilibet[/name]/[name]Lilac[/name] are pick just one, but I would love to build a sibset out of some of these, are any besides those comparisons too close for comfort do you think? Is it all a bit theme-y? I wasn’t really trying for that.

[name]Raina[/name]/[name]Reina[/name] is leading for probably first daughter but I would use some of the others with it.

If you have suggestions with pairs throw them at me. It’s possible a certain someone has already chucked them out though. (Like [name]Raina[/name] [name]Imogen[/name], sigh…)

Thanks in advance!

2

I love [name]Mara[/name] and [name]Hazel[/name]!

3

Thanks, Misshoppy!

4

I like [name]Raina[/name] & [name]Lilac[/name]. Maybe [name]Reina[/name] to tone down the naturey vibe if you aren’t into it…but I kinda am & I like the [name]Raina[/name] spelling tons more

I grew up with a [name]Rayna[/name] & she was just the best! She told me her name came from a star trek episode & [name]Rayna[/name] was the ‘perfect woman’…her dad picked her name.

[name]Lilac[/name] is gorgeous…but I dislike [name]Lilith[/name]. & [name]Lila[/name]

5

I like the nature vibe okay and my husband LOVES it. I just wonder if people will think we can’t spell [name]Reina[/name]. I don’t think it looks THAT kreatived though? I dunno. I’m very conflicted on it. I think aesthetically I prefer [name]Raina[/name], but I like the strength of use [name]Reina[/name] has?

In the US (where I am from and we might live later)
[name]Reina[/name] 979th out of the top thousand
[name]Raina[/name] 736th - so maybe it is the more familiar?
[name]Rayna[/name], incidentally, is ranked in between.

So as a group they’re not unheard of but none of them are all that popular.

6

I adore [name]Mara[/name], [name]Hazel[/name], [name]Lilith[/name] and [name]Lilac[/name]!

[name]Mara[/name] is gorgeous, but the meaning is a tad off-putting. Due only to this reason, it’s been off and on my list for ages. I love the sound of it though…gives off an image of femininity, strength and simplicity.

[name]Hazel[/name] to me is a magical, elfin name. I see a girl with golden-brown hair and wood-brown eyes.

[name]Lilith[/name] has been attracting my attention lately as an intriguing alternative to the [name]Lily[/name]-craze. The meaning is controversial, but I haven’t decided if it’s a problem or not. The feminist perspectives on this name add to it’s intrigue for me. Plus, it has such a pretty, lilting, mysterous sound.

[name]Lilac[/name] sounds dainty and fairy-like. A sweet little name. I think any little girl would love being named after a fragrant springtime flower.

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[name]Raina[/name] - This name is truely adorable, but it is not really my style. I love [name]Raina[/name] [name]Vivien[/name]! So beautiful. [name]Raina[/name] [name]Aurora[/name] does not flow very well and is too ‘a’ heavy. The rest of the middle names are alright.

[name]Reina[/name] - When I first saw this name, I wanted to prn. it [name]REE[/name]-na. I prefer the above spelling; however, I do appreciate the historic and cultural thought that you put behind it.

[name]Mara[/name] - I know a teenager named [name]Mara[/name], very sweet girl. I do like the name alot. [name]Just[/name] keep in mind the meaning - bitter. Otherwise, it’s a lovely name.

[name]Marie[/name] - I adore this name for its vintage charm! It’s so old-fashioned and rare for a first name nowadays that it is very refreshing. However, if your last name ends in the -ee sound, you might want to pick a variant of [name]Marie[/name] ([name]Maria[/name], [name]Mariah[/name], [name]Maren[/name], etc.)

[name]Hazel[/name] - I personally do not like the sound of [name]Hazel[/name]. However, I do not think it sounds hippy at all. [name]Hazel[/name] [name]Dove[/name] is nice, but is not my favorite combo. What about [name]Hazel[/name] [name]Marie[/name]?

[name]Opal[/name] - Eh, not my favorite on your list. By a long shot. Sorry :frowning: I like [name]Opal[/name] [name]Beatrix[/name] [name]Claire[/name]! Two middles …

[name]Esther[/name] - [name]Love[/name] this name! I, on the other hand, love the NN [name]Essie[/name]. But if you and your husband both like the NN [name]Tera[/name]/[name]Terra[/name] so much . . . why not just use it as a stand alone first name? [name]Terra[/name] is very pretty, though I prefer the [name]Tara[/name] spelling.

[name]Lilith[/name] - Sorry, but I do no like this name at all. It makes me cringe. I say just toss it out all together. What about [name]Lillian[/name]/[name]Lilia[/name]/[name]Livia[/name]? Something more feminine?

[name]Lilac[/name] - Compared to [name]Lilith[/name], this name gets two thumbs up from me. I think airy-fairy is better than sinister any day of the week :slight_smile:

Siofra - Um, no.

You have some good, solid names on your list!

[name]Tip[/name]: If your having alot of trouble with middle names, just think about the syllables. You don’t want to have a 2-2-2 set, or a 1-1-1 set, etc. Instead, try to make the first, middle and last names all have a different amount of syllables. For example:

[name]Claire[/name] [name]May[/name] [name]Smith[/name] - doesn’t flow well at all and sounds choppy.

[name]Clara[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name] [name]Smith[/name] - has a 2-3-1 pattern, which flows much better.

[name]Just[/name] something to think about. I hope I wasn’t to harsh on your names! Best of luck! :slight_smile:

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I like [name]Raina[/name]! I find all the spellings fine. The one little girl I know with the name is a [name]Rayna[/name]. I would only sort of kind of consider it a misspelling of [name]Reina[/name] if she were in a Spanish sibset where every other name used very traditional spellings (but honestly Spanish naming conventions tend to be even more flexible than English about at least some names’ spellings). [name]Even[/name] in Spanish you see [name]Reyna[/name] not uncommonly - because of masculine [name]Rey[/name]. So it’s all good.

I don’t think the [name]Rain[/name] Of thing is a problem although personally I would probably stay away from [name]Lily[/name] or [name]Lilac[/name] [name]Hazel[/name] as the middle name, as that does sort of start sounding perfumey or soapy. [name]Esther[/name] would be really appropriate as a middle name as the Biblical [name]Esther[/name] was a (kick-a**) queen, although perhaps that speaks to keeping [name]Esther[/name] for a future sister as well. I am fine with [name]Terra[/name] as a nn for [name]Esther[/name] - [name]Esther[/name] means star in Persian (think [name]Astra[/name], etc) and [name]Tara[/name] does in Urdu, I think (or possibly another [name]Indian[/name] language), and then you have [name]Terra[/name] meaning earth, so there’s all these nice nature tie ins with that name as well. BTW [name]Essie[/name], I get not loving, but it has kind of grown on me over the years as [name]Esther[/name] moves on and off my own list.

Good luck!

9

claireelise: thank you!

I do know that [name]Mara[/name] means bitter but I was thinking of matching it to a more upbeat middle meaning. I have a few on my list of middle possibilities that mean “blessed” or “lucky” and one that is “cinnamon.” It is something to note though so thanks.

missnoellereed you were great and not too harsh at all.

The [name]Terra[/name] as a first name thing… well, accents are fun… I don’t hear it the same as [name]Tara[/name]… and my husband says [name]Terra[/name] very similarly to how he says “terror” and most Australians do so I was kinda gonna skip it as a FN.

The rhythm thing, we have a 3 syllable last. I guess I should try to find more one syllable middles instead of using it as my place to put long odd names that might be too much up front? lol if only I didn’t like names like [name]Felicia[/name]/[name]Beatrix[/name]/[name]Kezia[/name] so much, bah.

Of 2-2-3 or 2-3-3 is one any better/worse than the other? Hrm.

It does make sense for why [name]Hazel[/name] [name]Dove[/name] LastName flows so nicely though.

[name]EDIT[/name]: Sorry for crossposting and not thanking everyone! Thank you jesba and taz. I have stuff to think about now.

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[name]Raina[/name]/[name]Reina[/name] - I don’t love this name because it looks like it could be grouped with trendy and thus, dated names like [name]Brianna[/name], [name]Brielle[/name], [name]Renee[/name], [name]Reilly[/name]. That could just be me though. Out of the two spellings, I like [name]Reina[/name] better…it looks royal (I think because reine is queen in French if my memory serves me correctly)

[name]Mara[/name] - Pretty but not impactful. I feel like I’d always forget her name because it seems interchangeable with [name]Lara[/name], [name]Cara[/name], [name]Sara[/name], [name]Tara[/name], etc. even though I know they’re all pronounced slightly differently.

[name]Marie[/name] - Very sweet name. I really like it but I’m afraid its ubiquity as a mn makes it less special?

[name]Hazel[/name] - This is my dd’s name so of course I love it! I think [name]Hazel[/name] [name]Dove[/name] is precious!

[name]Opal[/name] - [name]Love[/name] gemstone names but don’t love the sound of this one. Reminds me of offal :frowning:

[name]Esther[/name] - This name has grown on me too! I really like it. It’s so soft and pretty. What about [name]Esta[/name], [name]Estee[/name], [name]Etta[/name] as a nn?

[name]Lilith[/name] - I love names ending in th. They are so rarely used. I think [name]Lilith[/name] is my favorite (besides [name]Hazel[/name], of course) so far!

[name]Lilac[/name] - The emphasis on the last syllable ‘lac’ feels harsh to me.

Siofra - Can’t get on board with this one although I’d like to be someone who would!

11

I like, [name]Mara[/name], [name]Marie[/name], [name]Hazel[/name], [name]Lilith[/name], [name]Lilac[/name].
Keep in mind the story of [name]Lilith[/name], perhaps it may not matter to you but just in case it does. : )

12

[name]Lilith[/name] - I love the name [name]Lilith[/name], it’s the title of one of my favorite books ([name]George[/name] [name]MacDonald[/name] is a stud!). I think it’s definitely usable! [name]Lilith[/name] [name]Niamh[/name], [name]Lilith[/name] [name]Reina[/name]
[name]Lilac[/name] - I think it’s pretty, definitely sweeter, I don’t think it’s more usable than [name]Lilith[/name], but it’s definitely more familiar–no spelling/pn probs. I like it a lot as a middle and a little as a first. [name]Lilac[/name] [name]Niamh[/name]
[name]Raina[/name]/[name]Reina[/name] - [name]Reina[/name] [name]Lilith[/name] is beautiful. I think I prefer it with an e but it’s really a toss up, both are pretty
[name]Opal[/name] - I prefer [name]Opal[/name] to [name]Hazel[/name], it just feels more fresh. [name]Opal[/name] [name]Claire[/name] or [name]Opal[/name] [name]Clara[/name] is lovely
[name]Hazel[/name] - [name]Hazel[/name] [name]Dove[/name] is beautiful. I like it a lot. I’m not usually too fond of [name]Hazel[/name] but with a reason and with a good mn it could work.
[name]Mara[/name] - this seems quite dull compared to your others, I think it’s a good nn option for [name]Marigold[/name] or other pretty [name]Mar[/name]- names.
[name]Marie[/name] - Have you heard of [name]Marja[/name] (pronounced [name]Mar[/name]-ee-uh). I have a friend with this name and I think it’s beautiful.
[name]Esther[/name] - I definitely think [name]Tera[/name] could work, or even [name]Tess[/name]! [name]Esther[/name] [name]Niamh[/name] is very exotic sounding.
Siofra - I wouldn’t know how to pronounce this off the bat, and Shefra sounds like a superhero to me.

13

I sort of like the story. I grew up with the folklore of her as [name]Adam[/name]'s first wife who was created at the same time as his equal. But I do worry other people will hear it in a negative way so I’m glad to see so many people like it or don’t mind it.

[name]Lilac[/name] has such a different feel that I know I am not about to really have two girls named [name]Lil[/name]- but I can’t decide. :confused:

A few people have said “[name]Just[/name] go with [name]Lily[/name]” but I do not think I want to do that - no offense to the many gorgeous Lilys out there.

It’s funny you say that. I sort of liked the coincidental 2 syllable firsts all down the line… but [name]Mara[/name] feels “smaller” than a lot of the others? Less solid? Not sure why.

I love them too. [name]Lilith[/name] also did much better with my husband than [name]Elspeth[/name] did, lol. I am worried about people turning the -th into -f though they seem to handle [name]Elizabeth[/name] so maybe it will be fine.

I really like [name]Estee[/name] and [name]Etta[/name] as nicknames. [name]Esta[/name] is cute… but its good I think its cute… as that is how in my husband’s accent he says [name]Esther[/name]. He has tragic lack of r’s. So not much of a nickname there for us. But I fortunately don’t mind the sound, though I will probably keep saying [name]Esther[/name] with an -er sound on the end forever. :smiley:

Thank you all for your help and input. I have to keep working on syllable counts though I think.

14

I like [name]Opal[/name] and [name]Lilac[/name].
Offbeat Nn option for [name]Opal[/name] “[name]Gem[/name]”?

15

[name]LOVE[/name] [name]Reina[/name]/[name]Raina[/name], Siofra and [name]Marie[/name]!

~[name]Jasmine[/name]

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[name]Raina[/name]: I think it’s okay as long as the middle name isn’t a word. Because it’s so close the word “rain”, you run into the “rain of” problem that you mentioned if the middle name is a word (i.e. [name]Raina[/name] [name]Emerald[/name]). It could sound nice with a middle name that starts with a consonant and is not a word. I think [name]Raina[/name] looks much prettier than [name]Rayna[/name].

[name]Reina[/name]: I like it. It looks regal, and the multiple meanings make it interesting. She might get some mispronunciations, like “[name]Reena[/name]” or “[name]Ray[/name]-ee-nah”, but people should be able to figure it out. It isn’t complicated.

[name]Mara[/name]: I love this name. I think it’s beautiful and underused. I’ve never known a [name]Mara[/name], but I knew an [name]Elizabeth[/name] [name]Mara[/name].

[name]Marie[/name]: Beautiful as a first name. Everyone expects it to be a middle, so it sounds fresh as a first.

[name]Hazel[/name]: The name itself is okay. [name]Hazel[/name] [name]Dove[/name] is quite hippy, in my opinion! It sounds a little over-the-top.

[name]Opal[/name]: I’m not a fan because the only [name]Opal[/name] I’ve ever known was a really mean elderly woman. If you use it, [name]Claire[/name] is my favorite of the middle names. I think [name]Pearl[/name] is a lot prettier, if you want something similar.

[name]Esther[/name]: Hmm… too old-fashioned for me, sorry! I just don’t think it’s very pretty, even in a vintage way. I agree that the meaning (“star”, if I remember correctly) is very nice!

[name]Lilith[/name]: I like it, but it is a bit hard to say. It might be better suited as a middle name. People will probably call her [name]Lily[/name].

[name]Lilac[/name]: Better! I also like [name]Lavender[/name].

Siofra: Beautiful. I don’t know what country you live in, but here in the US it would get mispronounced often, which may be a problem. I would have guessed “Sho-fra”.

Why would a 2 syllable first name be a problem? It depends on how many syllables your last name has. My first and last both have two. I think they clash, but the syllables may not be the problem.

Of all of your names, my favorite combination would be [name]Mara[/name] [name]Lilac[/name].

17

[name]Raina[/name]
[name]Reina[/name] - I prefer this spelling to the above one.
[name]Mara[/name] - I prefer [name]Mariah[/name]
[name]Marie[/name] - I like this, but I would probably only use it as a middle name, with something more substansial
[name]Hazel[/name] - I think this is pretty
[name]Opal[/name] - Not sure about this for a FN, though I do like [name]Opal[/name] [name]Beatrice[/name]
[name]Lillith[/name] - Personally, I think this needs a longer first name for this to work.
[name]Lilac[/name] - Works better as a middle, I think.
[name]Siofra[/name] - I really can’t get the jist of this. The spelling confuses me.
[name]Esther[/name] - I like this, but I prefer [name]Estella[/name]

18

I love love love [name]Lilac[/name]! I also really like [name]Mara[/name] and [name]Marie[/name], and [name]Reina[/name] and Siofra are intriquing.

[name]How[/name] about:

[name]Lilac[/name] [name]Aurora[/name]
[name]Lilac[/name] [name]Vivien[/name]
[name]Lilac[/name] [name]Marigold[/name]
[name]Lilac[/name] [name]Marie[/name]
[name]Mara[/name] [name]Lilith[/name]
[name]Mara[/name] [name]Lilibet[/name]
[name]Mara[/name] [name]Beatrix[/name]
[name]Mara[/name] [name]Felicity[/name]
[name]Mara[/name] [name]Vivien[/name]
[name]Marie[/name] [name]Rosanna[/name]
[name]Marie[/name] [name]Lucinda[/name]
[name]Marie[/name] [name]Opal[/name]
[name]Marie[/name] [name]Esther[/name]
[name]Marie[/name] [name]Lilibet[/name]
[name]Marie[/name] [name]Tabitha[/name]
[name]Reina[/name] [name]Lilac[/name]
[name]Reina[/name] [name]Marie[/name]
[name]Reina[/name] [name]Vivien[/name]
[name]Reina[/name] [name]Penelope[/name]
[name]Reina[/name] [name]Persephone[/name]
[name]Reina[/name] [name]Iris[/name]
Siofra [name]Lilac[/name]
Siofra [name]Marie[/name]
Siofra [name]Lilibet[/name]
Siofra [name]Opal[/name]
Siofra [name]Aurora[/name]
Siofra [name]Vivien[/name]
Siofra [name]Annabel[/name]
Siofra [name]Louise[/name]

Good luck!