Hello berries! We’re still two weeks away from finding out the sex of the baby, but that won’t stop this nerd from her pursuit of the perfect name. The other day I came up with the combination [name]Violet[/name] [name]Sofia[/name] (girls names are much harder for me for some reason) and I love the vintage charm. But as always, there are concerns. I’d love to read your thoughts!
Is it okay to have a first name that is an adjective when our last name is Katz? [name]Do[/name] you picture purple cats when you hear the name? DH thinks that’s nuts, but I actively had the name off my list for months for this reason.
I really dislike the name [name]Vivian[/name] (I know most people here are into it), and that makes me not like the nicknames [name]Vi[/name], [name]Viva[/name], etc. What other nicknames work for [name]Violet[/name]? I thought of [name]Via[/name], any others. [name]Just[/name] like many of you, an awesome nickname is a must for me!
Does the name make you think of the word “violent”?
Is it weird to have a first name that doesn’t have special meaning to us? [name]Sofia[/name] is after my grandfather [name]Sol[/name] who was a lawyer and very wise. But [name]Violet[/name] is just sweet.
Honestly? [name]Violet[/name] Katz makes me think of little purple kitties.
I don’t personally love [name]Violet[/name], it feels very harsh to me, though I [name]DO[/name] think it is a nice name and very usable and will age nicely.
Other than [name]Vi[/name], maybe [name]Lola[/name]? [name]Io[/name]? [name]Lettie[/name]?
I adore [name]Violet[/name]! I don’t think of violent at all. Personally, I detest nicknames. [name]Violet[/name] is not long and doesn’t need to be shortened. I think it works just fine with your last name. I think it is distinctive. [name]Hope[/name] you go for it.
I don’t think it’ll work with your surname at all. I knew a girl named [name]Summer[/name] [name]Day[/name] in elementary school, and she hated her name. [name]Don[/name]'t use adjectives, especially colors, and be careful with any nature names ([name]Magnolia[/name] Katz is fine, but I see problems with [name]Rain[/name] Katz.)
Thoughts on [name]Violet[/name]:
I never think of violent; I think of Vile. If you just say the first syllable, you get Vile, and that is possible teasing potential. It also makes me dislike the name (though elegant in it’s full form).
[name]Vila[/name] (vie-luh) is my favorite nickname for [name]Violet[/name]- though Vio works, too.
I can see how you get [name]Sol[/name] from [name]Sofia[/name], but it isn’t obvious. What about [name]Marisol[/name], [name]Isolde[/name], [name]Solana[/name], [name]Solange[/name] (So-lanz), [name]Soleil[/name] (so-lay), [name]Soledad[/name] or [name]Salome[/name]. Some names meaning ‘sun’ are: [name]Cyra[/name], [name]Eliana[/name], [name]Helia[/name], [name]Kalinda[/name], [name]Kalindi[/name], [name]Mehri[/name], [name]Siria[/name] and [name]Suria[/name]. Any one of those could honor your grandfather.
I think [name]Violet[/name] is a beautiful name. I don’t think of any negative words when I say it, unlike others. I think [name]Lettie[/name] is a cute nickname.
BUT, I agree that with your last name it’s a little strange. I would keep on the hunt! As far as middles, I think you can do whatever you want as far as significance or the lack thereof.
I’ve never associated the name [name]Violet[/name] with the world violent. If someone named [name]Violet[/name] turned out to be incredibly violent then I’m sure a connection would be made but I don’t think it’s anything to worry about. [name]Violet[/name] Katz doesn’t bother me. I guess because people don’t usually use the word violet to describe something, they usually use purple. If your last name were actually spelled Cats then I think it would be a problem but I actually like the look of [name]Violet[/name] Katz. As for nicknames, my favorite one for [name]Violet[/name] has always been [name]Lettie[/name].
Also, I don’t think it’s weird to give your child a first name that doesn’t have a special meaning attached to it. Personally, I think way too many people try way too hard to make the names they choose for their children “meaningful”. Choosing a name you love is meaning enough.
Thanks for all the responses! I think enough people think that [name]Violet[/name] Katz sounds like purple cats that it’ll have to go off my list for potential first names. It’s a shame because I actually think that Katz is an adorable last name that sounds and looks so cute with my favorite vintage charm names. Any others that you think would be nice with Katz as a last and [name]Sofia[/name] as a middle, or even just some kind of an S name in there somewhere?
As far as the [name]Sofia[/name] thing goes, I’m not too worried about it being an obvious connection to my grandfather, [name]Sol[/name], because we’ll do that for the baby’s Hebrew name. In English, having a first letter connection (or meaning connection) is really all we need. If [name]Sophia[/name] weren’t in the #1 spot (or let’s be honest, the first 30-50 names at the least) I’d use it as a first name in a heartbeat. But I just can’t bring myself to do that, no matter how much I love a name. The real trouble is finding an English name that would work for naming after my more recently deceased grandfather, [name]Bernie[/name]. The only B name I like is [name]Beatrice[/name] and DH hates it with a passion. Another option would be a name that means “strong”, “brave”, or “bear”, but there’s really nothing out there that I can find. I’ve pretty much given up on that front.
[name]Violet[/name] [name]Sofia[/name] is beautiful! I don’t think of purple cats I think [name]Lettie[/name] or [name]Ollie[/name] could come from [name]Violet[/name]. I don’t think of violent, I usually think of a beautiful flower. I used a name that didn’t have a special meaning to me, just one I was in love with. The middle name spot would be a better place to put a family name or a meaningful name. [name]Sofia[/name] is beautiful and would be a great way to honor your grandfather.
I love the name [name]Violet[/name]. Nicknames that we use are [name]Violetta[/name], [name]Letta[/name], Vio, and [name]Vi[/name]. I do not think of purple cats with the name, I think of a future Dr Katz. Also, I think a middle name that begins with I would give the nickname of VIK for your kiddo. Good luck.
@flick: I like [name]Adelaide[/name] [name]Sofia[/name] a lot, actually (and cute nn [name]Ada[/name]). I’ll put that one on my list. Thanks! [name]Bethany[/name], though, is a little too 80s for my taste. And because my name is [name]Stephanie[/name] and people on the phone always think I’m saying [name]Bethany[/name], it feels a little too close to home.
What do you guys think about [name]Sofia[/name] [name]Bernadette[/name]?
I know it’s really weird to consider a slightly different spelling (and still top ten name in [name]CA[/name] where we live) of the number one name in the country–I always felt sorry for all of the Sarahs and Jennifers I grew up with. But maybe if we gave her a cool nickname it would be usable? I’ve always loved how Z-nicknames work for variations of [name]Susan[/name]. Could the same thing work for [name]Sofia[/name]? I think [name]Zia[/name] is a crazy awesome nickname. According to Nameberry, it is Hebrew for light. So we could even use it in her Hebrew name, then it’s definitely usable. Technically, it’s a boy’s name, but boys names on girls is all the rage in [name]Israel[/name] and it sounds very girlie to me. So her Hebrew name would be [name]Zia[/name] Shlomit (or some other female variation of [name]Shlomo[/name]). I think if given a choice, the [name]Bernie[/name] side of the family (namely, my stubborn and picky grandmother) would prefer the baby be named after him in English rather than Hebrew and you can’t get more [name]Bernie[/name] than [name]Bernadette[/name].
But does [name]Sofia[/name] [name]Bernadette[/name] sound Catholic to you? DH thinks so. But I think that’s mainly from the middle name and I’m not so sure it matters. [name]Do[/name] you think [name]Zia[/name] works as a nickname for [name]Sofia[/name]? Or maybe it only works if we use it as a Hebrew name too? Another nn option might be [name]Fia[/name]. Thanks, berries, for all your help!
I think [name]Lettie[/name] or [name]Ollie[/name] could come from [name]Violet[/name]. I don’t think of violent, I usually think of a beautiful flower. I used a name that didn’t have a special meaning to me, just one I was in love with. The middle name spot would be a better place to put a family name or a meaningful name. [name]Sofia[/name] is beautiful and would be a great way to honor your grandfather.