We’re narrowing down our little girl’s name, and could use some new opinions. Here are our top choices. She will be joining big brothers, [name_m]Griffin[/name_m] and [name_u]Paxton[/name_u]. Middle name for all of us is my maiden name (Eriksen) so the name needs to stand alone with our short last name, Hurd. Thanks for your input - new suggestions are welcome as well.
[name_f]Marlena[/name_f] (pr mar-[name_m]LAY[/name_m]-na) - original [name_m]German[/name_m] spelling is [name_f]Marlene[/name_f], but I’m afraid it will be pronounced mar-LEEN, which I do not like. I’ve also seen it spelled [name_f]Marlaina[/name_f] or Marlayna but don’t want to ‘make up’ a spelling. This name is somewhat significant because hubby’s deceased father was [name_m]Mark[/name_m], and my father is [name_m]Karl[/name_m]. We like the nicknames [name_f]Lainey[/name_f] and [name_f]Marli[/name_f].
[name_u]Larkin[/name_u] - I think this name flows well with our boys’ names, and is spunky and fresh. I worry that it may be too masculine? Also, not coming up with any great nicknames.
[name_u]Penrose[/name_u] - Traditionally a male name, but with ‘[name_f]Rose[/name_f]’ in it, we think it could be a good fit for a girl. Nicknames could be [name_f]Posy[/name_f] or [name_f]Rosie[/name_f].
I really like [name_f]Marlena[/name_f] and your last name together; it has a nice flow to it. I think it also balances out a more masculine mn.
I like [name_u]Larkin[/name_u], but I think it would sound choppy with the mn Ericksen followed by Hurd…[name_m]Just[/name_m] my opinion. I think that’d be true for [name_f]Maren[/name_f] and [name_u]Simone[/name_u] too, although I like both names otherwise.
I personally [name_u]LOVE[/name_u] the name [name_u]Penrose[/name_u], and I think it would work well for a girl. I think it’s feminine enough to balance out your chosen mn and Hurd, too. There’s also the nickname “[name_u]Pen[/name_u]” or “[name_u]Penny[/name_u]” to consider. I think it’s my favorite contender of yours!
[name_f]My[/name_f] favourites are [name_u]Simone[/name_u] and [name_u]Penrose[/name_u]. [name_u]Simone[/name_u] strikes me as a sophisticated, beautiful, confident girl. [name_u]Penrose[/name_u] is sweet and charming. I also suggest [name_f]Primrose[/name_f].
Good luck!
I would have pronounced [name_f]Marlena[/name_f] as mar-[name_u]LEE[/name_u]-na, so you may want to reconsider the creative spelling option. Unless you are prepared to have your daughter correct everyone’s pronunciation constantly for her entire life & resent you for it (this is a road I have traveled & I do not recommend it). [name_f]Marlaina[/name_f] will mark your pronunciation as different than the default pronunciation - [name_f]Marlene[/name_f] LEEN therefore [name_f]Marlena[/name_f] [name_f]LEENA[/name_f] - see what I mean?
[name_u]Larkin[/name_u] is lovely and not too masculine, [name_f]IMO[/name_f]. NN Kinnie, [name_f]Lollie[/name_f], [name_f]Lala[/name_f], [name_f]Lallie[/name_f]
Of the latter three I like [name_f]Maren[/name_f] best. Not a fan of [name_u]Penrose[/name_u], it just doesn’t quite work for me, and I don’t like the alliteration 0f [name_u]Paxton[/name_u], [name_u]Penrose[/name_u], & [name_m]Griffin[/name_m] (sounds a bit like a law office or something). [name_u]Simone[/name_u] feels out of step because the accent falls on the second syllable. So top three: [name_f]Maren[/name_f], [name_u]Larkin[/name_u], and [name_f]Marlaina[/name_f].
Thanks for the input! I appreciate the well-thought out feedback! Hubby’s not keen on [name_f]Maren[/name_f], [name_u]Penrose[/name_u] or [name_u]Simone[/name_u], so we’re down to [name_f]Marlaina[/name_f], [name_u]Larkin[/name_u] or [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] (which has always been on our list!).
My name is [name_f]Marlana[/name_f] (pronounced the way you intend) and I love it. [name_f]Marlena[/name_f] is the more traditional spelling and sometimes people do pronounce it MarLEEna when they see it written, but you can’t account for all dumb people. If I know my name needs to be read aloud, I do spell it out Marlayna to avoid any confusion. I like that it’s unique, but not outlandish. I meet maybe one other [name_f]Marlena[/name_f] a year. And it’s a name that was never super popular, so it’s timeless and not trendy. I get a lot of compliments on it. At different points in my life, I’ve gone by [name_u]Laney[/name_u] and [name_u]Marley[/name_u] as nicknames.
[name_f]Hope[/name_f] you pick [name_f]Marlena[/name_f]. Let us know!
