I’m stuck between the two names. [name_f]My[/name_f] husband prefers [name_f]Nova[/name_f]. Anyways, below are my pros and cons:
[name_f]Nova[/name_f]-
Pros: Space/nature related. [name_f]Love[/name_f] the “bright” meaning. Like the -uh ending sound. Short and sweet. Flows well with middle name [name_f]Anne[/name_f]. Cute nickname possibilities with [name_f]Novie[/name_f], Nove, Nono, etc. Makes me think of a beautiful celestial goddess.
Cons: Middle name will be [name_f]Anne[/name_f]. Initials will be “NAD”. Nad can be an abbreviation for gonads (balls). [name_f]Kinda[/name_f] matchy with our dog [name_f]Luna[/name_f].
[name_f]Zelda[/name_f]-
Pros: Like the meaning of “strong warrior woman”. Like the uniqueness. Like that it starts with Z. Middle name will be [name_f]Anne[/name_f]. Initials will be “ZAD”- meaningless word. [name_f]Kinda[/name_f] reminds me of Zaddy, just like a zesty way to say Daddy. Better than “NAD”. Cute nickname potential with Zellie. The first flapper, [name_f]Zelda[/name_f] F. is kind of a cool connection. [name_m]Robin[/name_m] [name_m]Williams[/name_m] is cool and named his daughter that.
Cons: We aren’t gamers and don’t like the legend of [name_f]Zelda[/name_f]. Older generations will probably hate this name. Don’t like the “gray battle maid” meaning of the name. [name_f]Zelda[/name_f] [name_m]Fitzgerald[/name_m] had a rough life when you look into it.
Open to other suggestions though these two names really have my heart I think! I like [name_f]Stella[/name_f] a lot too, but I hate that it’s A. So popular and B. with our middle name pick, [name_f]Anne[/name_f], initials would be SAD. I think I would have to pick a different middle name. I don’t want to risk jinxing her to sadness.
Names we can’t use because they’re taken, but we like them:
[name_f]India[/name_f]
Any variation of [name_f]Rose[/name_f]
[name_f]Luna[/name_f]
Jordan/Joey
[name_f]Leona[/name_f]
[name_f]Lucia[/name_f]
[name_f]Vivian[/name_f]
[name_f]Georgia[/name_f]
I honestly think you are putting to much thouht in the initials. You will hardly ever use all three Names. We never thought about Initials and chose the Names we like, can agree on. Initials are secondary in my opinion.
I would Choose [name_f]Nova[/name_f] [name_f]Anne[/name_f] D.
In daily live she will be [name_f]Nova[/name_f] or [name_f]Zelda[/name_f].
[name_f]Nova[/name_f] feels very modern, fashionable and starry a truly great option for a stylish first name. I think NAD as an initials are just fine honestly I do not find them awkward at all I would find SAD more awkward. However [name_f]Ann[/name_f] is such a short middle name you could always alter the initials by using two middle names for example [name_f]Nova[/name_f] [name_f]Wrenley[/name_f] [name_f]Ann[/name_f] would create initials NWAD alternatively you could use a name containing [name_f]Ann[/name_f] like [name_f]Lilian[/name_f], [name_f]Marianne[/name_f], [name_f]Roseanne[/name_f] or [name_f]Suzanne[/name_f] which means you would get the [name_f]Ann[/name_f] honour but avoids the NAD initials.
[name_f]Zelda[/name_f] is gorgeous! She’s unexpected, very cool, has a zippy fun feel to her along with this unexpected dark romantic feel. I do not feel you need to be gamers to enjoy [name_f]Zelda[/name_f] and yes [name_f]Zelda[/name_f] [name_m]Fitzgerald[/name_m] had a complex life but I do feel the association isn’t negative. Personally I like it. The meaning to me conjures up a strong, wise protector of a woman so feels positive. I also like the way [name_f]Zelda[/name_f] [name_f]Ann[/name_f] sounds.
Personally I prefer [name_f]Zelda[/name_f] but feel your heart lies with [name_f]Nova[/name_f] so would choose [name_f]Nova[/name_f]
Regarding [name_f]Stella[/name_f] she’s gorgeous! However I think for you guys has to many flaws so maybe [name_f]Estella[/name_f] could be an idea. [name_f]Estella[/name_f] isn’t as popular as [name_f]Stella[/name_f], feels just as starry and avoids the SAD initials. You could always use [name_f]Stella[/name_f] as a nickname.
[name_f]Nova[/name_f] [name_f]Anne[/name_f] is cute - I don’t think ‘Nad’ is something to worry too much about - I’ve never heard anyone say it in the gonads context and I’ve know two Nadias who’ve got called ‘Nad’ or ‘Nads’ and no one mentioned that - that’s my experience though, so obviously, if it’s a common phrase where you are, it might feel different?
cute nicknames - [name_f]Novie[/name_f] is so fun
the space connection is nice
I think it’s okay with [name_f]Luna[/name_f] - both are familiar enough that I don’t think it feels weird (not like your dog is [name_f]Plum[/name_f] and your baby is Apple)
considerably more popular if that bothers you
slightly unisex and pretty too
[name_f]Zelda[/name_f]:
sharp, cool and vintage with a hint of power and mystique
ZAD could give you nickname [name_f]Zadie[/name_f] too
I might wonder if you liked [name_m]Legend[/name_m] of [name_f]Zelda[/name_f] but wouldn’t personally comment - though I think others might
(but they also might think it’s a cool thing - I guess it just depends if you actively dislike the game, in which case I wouldn’t use it)
more unexpected and less common currently
I think the ‘cons’ of [name_f]Zelda[/name_f] seem more weighty than those you have for [name_f]Nova[/name_f] - so my vote goes to [name_f]Nova[/name_f] here.
[name_f]Stella[/name_f] is great too (less popular, though not by much, than Nova) - I guess you could do [name_f]Stella[/name_f] [name_f]Marianne[/name_f] or [name_f]Stella[/name_f] [name_f]Brianna[/name_f] or similar?
I honestly think that most of your concerns aren’t an issue! The initials both seem fine to me, most people don’t care about their name’s meaning (and Zelda’s meaning really isn’t bad anyway, in my opinion) and I don’t think every single namesake really matters.
[name_f]My[/name_f] personal favourite is [name_f]Zelda[/name_f]! It just feels a little more unexpected and timeless than [name_f]Nova[/name_f] (which suddenly skyrocketed in popularity and is very trendy at the moment, so I do wonder if it will feel dated in 20 years’ time), I like the cool Z beginning and I think the nickname Zellie is so lovely!
I thought I’d get a lot of flack for the name I choose but people are really positive in person. You’re probably overestimating the comments you’ll get. [name_f]Zelda[/name_f] is a great name!
I still personally think Zelda is perfect with your oldest child’s name.
I wouldn’t worry too much about initials.
I also wouldn’t worry too much about other peoples connotations with the name (whether it’s the game or Zelda Fitzgeralds life story - none of that matters because it doesn’t relate to you and why you fell in love with the name). YOUR personal reasons for loving the name is good enough & there’s more than enough history and other meanings to draw from & give other points of references to this name.
What if you double barrelled the first name so that you could use ALL names?
I like [name_f]Nova[/name_f]! It’s a sweet name with a cool connection I think it can fit a variety of personality types!
For [name_f]Zelda[/name_f], I think the video game connection is a pretty hard one to avoid, but I guess it depends on your circle of friends and family. I immediately think of the character from the game even though I’ve never played any of them. They have also released two new ones in the last few years that have been wildly popular, so if that continues, the connection will probably continue as well. However, you really like the name, so might be worth it if you love it so much! You could easily tell people that you like the name and don’t like the video game. [name_m]Just[/name_m] know if you choose [name_f]Zelda[/name_f], you and her would probably get asked if you like the game or if you named her after the character 90% of the time she’s introduced. If that is totally fine with you, then great! And the video game connection shouldn’t bother you.
I prefer [name_f]Zelda[/name_f] here. I should add I’m not a gamer either and only know it’s a game because of comments you made here and on your first post. I suspect there’s a LOT of people out there who either a) don’t know it’s a game like me or b) don’t immediately associate it with the game.
If you love Zelda and Stella, what about Zella? You wouldn’t have the Zelda game reference and it’s a nice mix of the 2 names. It also has a really nice meaning as it means “lacking nothing, one who knows the way”
I also think Zella Anne is super sweet and pretty, while also having a trendy feel to it with the Z in Zella
Between Nova and Zelda I prefer Nova on its own, but I much prefer Zelda Anne to Nova Anne
I think both [name_f]Nova[/name_f] [name_f]Anne[/name_f] and [name_f]Zelda[/name_f] [name_f]Anne[/name_f] work really well. I don’t think people will make much of a connection to nad, because it’s not that often you really write your initials out like that, or at least something I’ve rarely had to do. I do however think you might get some comments on [name_f]Zelda[/name_f] as it is quite a strong connection to the games. I don’t think that’s a negative thing, just something you might come across.
[name_f]My[/name_f] personal favourite is [name_f]Zelda[/name_f] [name_f]Anne[/name_f], but I think for you [name_f]Nova[/name_f] [name_f]Anne[/name_f] seems to be the right choice as you have more positive associations.
Vastly prefer [name_f]Zelda[/name_f] and I really don’t think the video game connection is that overwhelming. For me it comes down to [name_f]Zelda[/name_f] having lots of recognizable connections (the game, [name_m]Fitzgerald[/name_m], [name_f]Sabrina[/name_f], etc) making it pretty fluid in terms of style while [name_f]Nova[/name_f] in real life seems to get looped in with the Naveahs, Brinsleys, etc.
If you personally prefer [name_f]Nova[/name_f], I wouldn’t let the initials sway you. Honestly I got more of a chuckle out of the idea of a toddler with a giant NDA monogram than the initials NAD.
Ooo this is a good take. I couldn’t quite put it into words but that’s exactly my hesitations on [name_f]Nova[/name_f]! That it is looped in with “creative” names like [name_f]Nevaeh[/name_f] or [name_m]Brinleigh[/name_m]. And NDA! I didn’t even think of the monogram lol. I might have to say no to [name_f]Nova[/name_f]!
In place of [name_f]Anne[/name_f] I’m now considering [name_f]Dianna[/name_f]. What do you think of [name_f]Zelda[/name_f] [name_f]Diana[/name_f] D? Monogram and initials are the same that way too! ZDD doesn’t make anything come to mind for me. Ugh I am just trying to get my husband on board. He’s not fully convinced.
I think [name_f]Zelda[/name_f] [name_f]Dianna[/name_f] works! I may slightly prefer [name_f]Zelda[/name_f] [name_f]Dianne[/name_f], but that would be entirely dependent on the syllable count and ending sound of your surname. I think either could work really well and be an unexpected choice in the middle.
I think it can fit a variety of personality types!