So I posted before about our search for a name that would work both in Finland and USA. We have been brainstorming with my husband a lot and think we may have narrowed down our options to top 5 (at least for the girls’ names…). We will probably make our final choice only after the baby is born. But meanwhile I’d still like some honest feedback about the names. [name_f]Do[/name_f] you think they would be usable in NYC? Any associations or opinions? [name_m]How[/name_m] would you picture a little girl with one of these names? Which one is your favorite? Or anything else that comes to mind, I’d like to hear it.
The names are:
[name_f]Tilda[/name_f]
[name_f]Emilia[/name_f]
[name_f]Elina[/name_f]
[name_f]Amanda[/name_f]
[name_f]Meeri[/name_f] (sounds a bit like [name_f]Mary[/name_f], but the first vowel is longer)
The middle name might be [name_f]Kristiina[/name_f] (after my middle name), but it’s not set in stone yet. Older brother’s name is [name_m]Ville[/name_m] Joonatan.
I love [name_f]Tilda[/name_f] and the nn [name_f]Tillie[/name_f] is adorable. [name_f]Tilda[/name_f] is my favorite.
[name_f]Emilia[/name_f] and [name_f]Elina[/name_f] are pretty names.
[name_f]Amanda[/name_f] seems a little dated for a baby today because I grew up with a lot of [name_f]Amanda[/name_f]'s my age. I like the name though and don’t really mind it being dated. I think it would be surprising and unique on a baby.
[name_f]Meeri[/name_f] I’ve never seen or heard before. I don’t really know how to pronounce it.
[name_f]Elina[/name_f] is gorgeous, I am a big [name_f]Lina[/name_f] fan personally.
I can’t really speak for the names working well in [name_u]America[/name_u] as I’m from Australia. However, [name_f]Meeri[/name_f] seems to be the only one that would be difficult for English speakers.
[name_f]Elina[/name_f] is my favorite, from the perspective of an American. It’s pretty but different enough to go with your son’s (over here) unique name. I don’t know that Americans would pronounce it the same way as Norwegians would, but I can see that being an issue with any of your names. I’d say this one “[name_f]El[/name_f]-eena”. I think a lot of people would pronounce it like “[name_f]Elena[/name_f],” since that’s a name we know better over here. But that’s easy enough to correct…or close enough that she wouldn’t necessarily have to bother correcting someone if it didn’t really matter.
[name_f]Tilda[/name_f] - I love this. It’s different but still familiar, and is such a beautiful and spunky name. Works great on a child and an adult.
[name_f]Emilia[/name_f] - This is a lovely name, but I don’t like it as much as your other options.
[name_f]Elina[/name_f] - I’ve never heard it before, but it’s very pretty and the pronunciation is intuitive so I think it would work just fine.
[name_f]Amanda[/name_f] - I know some people see this as “dated” but personally I think it’s a beautiful name and would make a great choice for a baby today. It’s always felt more classic to me than other popular names of that generation like [name_f]Jennifer[/name_f] and [name_f]Jessica[/name_f].
[name_f]Meeri[/name_f] - I like this. It’s cute and sweet. might have some pronunciation issues, but I think for the most part you’d be ok.
I think all of them would work well in the states. [name_f]Meeri[/name_f] would give you the most trouble, but I don’t think it would be awful. I think my top choices for you would be [name_f]Tilda[/name_f], [name_f]Amanda[/name_f], and [name_f]Elina[/name_f].
My favourite is [name_f]Elina[/name_f], very beautiful. It does rhyme with [name_f]Kristiina[/name_f], so I’m guessing there would be a different middle. [name_f]Kristiina[/name_f] is lovely too, and I think it works very well with my second favourite, [name_f]Emilia[/name_f].
[name_f]Tilda[/name_f] and [name_f]Amanda[/name_f] are both good names, just not my favourite, though I do really like [name_f]Tillie[/name_f]. [name_f]Meeri[/name_f] is unusual but I don’t actually think it would be difficult for people once they heard it. I love the way it sounds as though it’s pronounced, like [name_f]Mary[/name_f] but with a longer A sound.
[name_f]Tilda[/name_f] is my favourite, followed by [name_f]Meeri[/name_f]. [name_f]Emilia[/name_f], then [name_f]Elina[/name_f] and [name_f]Amanda[/name_f] would be last. I think [name_f]Kristiina[/name_f] is really pretty.
[name_f]Tilda[/name_f] is fun and Spunky. I picture her with bright red hair and bright eyes. She’s got a wide smile and a loud laugh and has no trouble making friends. She likes to play with her older brother, [name_m]Ville[/name_m], and has no trouble keeping up with the boys. She’s daring and brave, but kindhearted. She’s one of those people that is impossible not to like and admire. (With [name_f]Tilda[/name_f], I would go with [name_f]Tilda[/name_f] Kristiine, just because I dislike when both names end in a, but that’s a very minor thing).
[name_f]Meeri[/name_f] - [name_f]Meeri[/name_f] is gentle, kind and soft-spoken. She has light brown hair and wise eyes. Her smile is gentle. She loves animals, and has a few close friends. She likes to read. She looks up to her brother, [name_m]Ville[/name_m], but doesn’t play as much with him as [name_f]Tilda[/name_f] would. [name_f]Meeri[/name_f] doesn’t like to see anyone left alone, in pain or feeling sad. She’s a quiet one, but she’s got a huge heart. (MEER-ee right? Meer like Mirror, then just ee.) I wouldn’t worry about pronunciation for this name, it’s easy enough once you’ve heard it.
[name_f]Emilia[/name_f] & [name_f]Elina[/name_f] I won’t bother describing because they are sort of meh and are harder to imagine than [name_f]Tilda[/name_f] & [name_f]Meeri[/name_f]. [name_f]Amanda[/name_f] I won’t describe either because all the [name_f]Amanda[/name_f]'s I know are either mean and self-centred or forgettable people, and I don’t want to say anything mean about the name. I’m sure an [name_f]Amanda[/name_f] could be a lovely person. I do find the name quite dated though.
All your names would work in NYC which is a real melting pot of unique names. Most would work anywhere in the US.
[name_f]Tilda[/name_f]. - I like this name and fits with the growing popularity of [name_f]Matilda[/name_f]. I do think the common nickname [name_f]Tilly[/name_f] seems very similar to your sons name.
[name_f]Emilia[/name_f] - Unfotunately [name_f]Emily[/name_f] is been so popular in the US for so long that even the more sophisticated ending doesn’t make it seem very unique to me.
[name_f]Elina[/name_f] - I like this name a lot though the nickname [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] strikes me as rather bland. [name_f]Lina[/name_f] could bE a cute nickname.
[name_f]Amanda[/name_f]- This name was popular here in the 80s/90s so seems like a Mom name to me. [name_u]Mandy[/name_u] is a cute nickname and I think it works well with you sons name.
[name_f]Meeri[/name_f] (sounds a bit like [name_f]Mary[/name_f], but the first vowel is longer)- Strikes me as more unique. One of my favorite names is [name_u]Meredith[/name_u] with the nickname [name_f]Meri[/name_f]
[name_f]Tilda[/name_f] is my favorite, I absolutely love the NN [name_f]Tillie[/name_f]/[name_f]Tilly[/name_f]. [name_f]Emilia[/name_f] and [name_f]Elina[/name_f] are also very pretty, but may get lost in a see of “[name_f]El[/name_f]…” names. I don’t care for [name_f]Amanda[/name_f], seems like a name for someone born in the 80’s. I think [name_f]Meeri[/name_f] could be troublesome in that everyone will think you are saying [name_f]Mary[/name_f] with an accent?
Thanks for all the responses, I love hearing what other people think of the names!
I agree that [name_f]Amanda[/name_f] can be a bit dated. It has been popular in Finland also since the 80’s, but in here it still keeps getting more popular. But we like the name so it doesn’t bother us too much.
[name_f]Tilda[/name_f] is one of my absolute favorites so it’s great to hear that it would be considered different but familiar there too. It was used in Finland before the 20th century, but after that the name almost died out. It has been coming back slowly in the past few years, but it is still quite rare. However the nickname [name_f]Tilly[/name_f]/[name_f]Tillie[/name_f] wouldn’t really work because that is how you say ‘dill’ in Finnish, I have no problem with other people using that nickname with her though.
[name_f]Meeri[/name_f] is my other absolute favorite. However I wonder if [name_f]Mary[/name_f] comes across as very religious in USA? We’re not very religious so it would be something to think about if it comes of too religious. As for the pronunciation, I assume people would say it either like [name_f]Miri[/name_f] or [name_f]Mary[/name_f]. [name_f]Mary[/name_f] is close enough to [name_f]Meeri[/name_f] so it would be fine and I think [name_f]Miri[/name_f] would be a cute nickname so that would be fine too.
[name_f]TILDA[/name_f]!!! My association for that would be [name_f]Tilda[/name_f] Swinton, the actress who played the White Witch in the [name_f]Narnia[/name_f] films. Though I can’t really help with American translation, since I’m from the UK. But it’s such a great name, and I love it to bits! Good luck
I don’t think [name_f]Mary[/name_f] is too religious in the USA. I’m from the US and wouldn’t assume someone was religious just because they were a [name_f]Mary[/name_f]. I see [name_f]Mary[/name_f] as a beautiful underused classic. It really doesn’t seem to be used here much anymore but I think it should be it’s beautiful. A [name_f]Mary[/name_f] born today would have a unique name for her age.
If I saw [name_f]Meeri[/name_f] I would say [name_f]Miri[/name_f]. I’m sure it would be easy to pronounce after hearing it once. It is a beautiful name.
