DH and I are really struggling to find the right first name. [name]Baby[/name] girl is due in a few weeks, and we just can’t believe how hard it is to find the right name that we both love. The good news is that we have decided on the middle name ([name]Quinn[/name]). I am hoping you all might be able to help us find “the” name!
I love unusual and unique names. I also lean toward names that are not ultra feminine. DH is open to some names that are unusual but also likes femininity in a name. We don’t want a name that could result in a traditional nickname (like [name]Marigold[/name] = [name]Mary[/name]). I don’t really like nicknames in general. We both love and prefer nature-themed names. We are open to French-inspired names.
DH’s favorite first name is [name]Autumn[/name]. I really like the name but, for some reason, it just doesn’t feel quite right to me. Maybe it’s too “soft” sounding in terms of no hard consonants? I don’t know - I really am not sure why it doesn’t feel right since Fall is my favorite time of year. I also think [name]Autumn[/name] is getting more popular (is that true?), which is also one reason I’m leaning away from it. I’m wondering if I should just compromise on it, though, since DH loves it and it is in the unique nature category.
Other names we have considered:
[name]Willow[/name] (too common? I don’t like [name]Willa[/name].)
[name]Winter[/name] (I love love love, but DH doesn’t really like)
[name]Autumn[/name] (DH loves, I like but don’t love)
[name]Walker[/name] (too masculine with the middle name?)
[name]Cosette[/name] (love this with the middle name but not sure it feels right for us, if that makes any sense. I don’t like [name]Colette[/name].)
[name]Aspen[/name] (we love this idea, but the potential nicknames could be mean)
[name]Sawyer[/name] (too masculine with middle name?)
Luksi (DH likes, but not sure we both love)
[name]Tallulah[/name] (We both like but don’t love)
[name]Hazel[/name] (we both like, but I’m not sure I love. I prefer nature names)
[name]Hope[/name] (I love this name, but it’s too short with middle name- and DH doesn’t love it)
[name]Savannah[/name] (Very pretty although long, scared of her being called “Sav,” and I don’t like “[name]Anna[/name]”)
Thank you thank you for any suggestions or input. We are getting a bit anxious to still not have “the” name yet!
I think a number of the names on your list would go wonderfully with the mn [name]Quinn[/name]. My favorites are:
[name]Willow[/name] [name]Quinn[/name] - I don’t think [name]Willow[/name] is as common in real life. It’s fairly board popular, though.
[name]Hazel[/name] [name]Quinn[/name] - I’m confused by your comment on this one, since [name]Hazel[/name] IS a nature name.
[name]Autumn[/name] [name]Quinn[/name] - [name]Autumn[/name] is somewhat popular, but I don’t see it dramatically rising. My only qualm is that both [name]Autumn[/name] and [name]Quinn[/name] end with the letter ‘n’.
From the previous post, I really like these:
[name]Iris[/name] [name]Quinn[/name]
[name]Zinnia[/name] [name]Quinn[/name]
[name]Laurel[/name] [name]Quinn[/name]
[name]Dahlia[/name] [name]Quinn[/name]
Other ‘nature’ names that might work for you:
[name]Mabel[/name] [name]Quinn[/name]
[name]Ivy[/name] [name]Quinn[/name]
[name]Rosalie[/name] [name]Quinn[/name]
[name]Clover[/name] [name]Quinn[/name]
[name]Juniper[/name] [name]Quinn[/name]
[name]Ember[/name] [name]Quinn[/name]
[name]Autumn[/name] [name]Quinn[/name] is very pretty! [name]How[/name] about [name]Aurora[/name], which is a nature-inspired name? [name]Willow[/name] [name]Quinn[/name] has a nice ring to it!
Have you considered [name]Cosima[/name] instead of [name]Cosette[/name]? [name]Tallulah[/name] [name]Quinn[/name] is nice! Or how about [name]Lila[/name] or [name]Lily[/name]?
Oh I love [name]Ember[/name]!! I am going to ask DH about it tonight. We like the name [name]Amber[/name], so [name]Ember[/name] is a nice twist to it. Thank you!
You are right- [name]Hazel[/name] is a nature name. I got confused on why I wasn’t sure I liked it LOL. It feels a little traditional and old-fashioned to me. I do really like it and am still considering it - I’m just hoping for something that sounds a little “cooler” maybe? I think I also like names with a hard consonant, as somehow [name]Hazel[/name] feels a little hard to say.
We also considered [name]Sage[/name], but it’s too short with the mn. We really like [name]Magnolia[/name] but don’t like the nickname of [name]Maggie[/name]. I love [name]Mabel[/name] and [name]Ivy[/name], but DH doesn’t. I like [name]Laurel[/name], but I don’t like [name]Laurie[/name] which I think people would use. I love the name [name]Lily[/name], but it’s too popular right now and also feels a little too sweet to me. I have thought about [name]Aurora[/name], but I don’t care for [name]Rory[/name] as a common nickname. Oh, this is so hard!
I’m glad you all like [name]Willow[/name] and [name]Autumn[/name] and don’t think they’re too common. I will continue to think about those as contenders. What do people think about [name]Winter[/name], [name]Walker[/name], or [name]Cosette[/name]?
I would love to hear other suggestions. Thank you so much for all of your help. I really appreciate it!
I like [name]Winter[/name], [name]Walker[/name] though I feel is too masculine especially paired with [name]Quinn[/name], [name]Cosette[/name] I think is cute, just my 2 cents
We really like the name [name]Luna[/name].
[name]Do[/name] you think [name]Luna[/name] would invite too much teasing though in terms of loon, looney, etc?
I’ve actually known two Laurels, and neither of them were ever called [name]Laurie[/name]. I know the one I know now is sometimes mistaken for [name]Laura[/name], but that gets fixed after one correction. So, I don’t think that would be a problem if you decided to go with that name.
I like [name]Winter[/name], but if your DH isn’t on board with it, then I would avoid it. I really think both parents should be excited about the name of their child.
I’m not a big fan of [name]Cosette[/name] or [name]Walker[/name], but that’s just my personal preference. [name]Walker[/name] makes me think of the show [name]Walker[/name], [name]Texas[/name] [name]Ranger[/name]. So, that’s a fairly masculine reference for me.
In general, what do you all think about using the mother’s maiden name for a child’s first name? Is that a neat idea, or could it be confusing? I live near other family members who have this last name, so would that be confusing to have their last name as my child’s first name?
I think using a maiden name for a first name is a cool idea (depending on the name, of course). However, nowadays I’d be concerned about a possible issue with identity theft. A lot of stuff requires folks to provide their mother’s maiden name as a security question, so I’d be wary to place it in the first name slot.
That being said, I don’t think it would be as much of a problem in the middle name position. Another option might be to use a grandmother’s maiden name.
I think it is great! My cousin named her son after her maiden name, and it is not confusing. Although there are only a few family members that are carrying on the last name.
I love [name]Luna[/name] and [name]Ember[/name]. I don’t care for [name]Luna[/name] [name]Quinn[/name] very much, though…it sounds like a pharmaceutical drug to me. [name]Autumn[/name] is lovely, but lacks substance for me. I like the alternatives of [name]Aurora[/name] and [name]Annora[/name]/[name]Honora[/name].
First, it seems like you have a lot of concern about nicknames being used. I think you have a lot more control over that than you might think. Our DD is [name]Juliette[/name] and I hate the name [name]Julie[/name]. No one ever shortens her name (except the kids in her daycare who call her Ju-Ju just because they can’t pronounce her name yet – they’re 1 and 2) My point is that I don’t think you need to worry so much about nickname possibilities if you just say, “no, her name is ____”.
From the names you discussed and the others suggested so far, my faves are:
As for using a mother’s maiden name in the first slot – it totally depends on what the name is! My mother’s maiden name was a terrible Bohemian mouthful that I would never bestow on a child, but I have a friend who named her child [name]Bentley[/name] after a mother’s maiden name which I thought was really cool. It all depends…
I like the idea of using the mother’s maiden name, depending on the name.
From your original list, I like [name]Willow[/name] [name]Quinn[/name]. I don’t think [name]Autumn[/name] [name]Quinn[/name] flows very well. [name]Walker[/name] and [name]Sawyer[/name] are both too masculine. [name]Hazel[/name] is nice, but I agree with you it sometimes seems hard to say. I like [name]Cosette[/name] but it seems a lot more frilly than your other choices. I like [name]Winter[/name] a lot but the ‘win’ part rhymes with [name]Quinn[/name] so it doesn’t really work.
I like [name]Luna[/name] and wouldn’t worry too much about the teasing (agree you should avoid [name]Aspen[/name] for that teasing though). I’ve never heard a [name]Laurel[/name] called [name]Laurie[/name] so if you love that name, don’t hesitate! If you like [name]Magnolia[/name] but not [name]Maggie[/name], you could try [name]Nola[/name].
[name]How[/name] about:
[name]Amaryllis[/name]
[name]Daphne[/name] (Greek for [name]Laurel[/name])
[name]Cassia[/name] (I like the cass-EE-uh prn and I like the alliteration with [name]Cassia[/name] [name]Quinn[/name])
[name]Sienna[/name]
[name]Acacia[/name]
[name]Beryl[/name]
[name]Linnea[/name]
[name]Gemma[/name]
[name]Cordelia[/name]
[name]Lyra[/name]
[name]Arista[/name]
[name]Azalea[/name]
[name]Camellia[/name]
[name]Bryony[/name]
[name]Calantha[/name]
[name]Lavender[/name]
[name]Tahlia[/name]
If there’s anywhere that requires you to use a real, easily determined piece of information as the answer, they have no security anyway. I never give true answers to those questions.
I want a unique and nature-inspired name and, at the same time, I don’t want a name that seems too trendy or flaky. I don’t want a name that will clearly be dated in a few years, kwim? So which of the following first names, if any, do you think will “age” the best as a girl’s name? I like to think of the different life stages… Which name will be appropriate for a child, teen, adult, professional, older life, etc:
From your list, I think the ones that will grow up the best, and will be fitting for a woman of any age are [name]Hazel[/name] and [name]Autumn[/name].
Wow, we have amazingly similar taste! Seriously, half of the names here are on my favorites’ list.
[name]Willow[/name] - Like some others said, it’s not too common in reality. It’s so lovely! I’m in love with this name. It has such a peaceful, nature-y feel. I can see this one sticking around for a while, even though it seems very trendy as of now.
[name]Winter[/name] - This is okay. I don’t know why, but I’m just not on board with this one. [name]Winter[/name] equals cold (usually)…and cold isn’t really a very good first impression. I wouldn’t use it.
[name]Autumn[/name] - I love this name! In my opinion, it’s very warm and cute. The only thing is that it may start being a little boring.
[name]Walker[/name] - Yeah, too masculine. I can’t see it on a girl at all.
[name]Cosette[/name] - This is very nice and elegant! I think it would work well as a middle name.
[name]Aspen[/name] - I like this name much more for a boy…and yes, the nicknames aren’t very good. I wouldn’t use it, personally.
[name]Sawyer[/name] - Yes, I think it’s too masculine with the middle name–even alone. [name]Sawyer[/name] is much more popular for boys right now.
Luksi - I don’t like this at all. It just looks strange and made-up.
[name]Tallulah[/name] - I love this name! It’s spunky and playful. Although, maybe a little too much? What worries me with this name is that it may not be professional enough.
[name]Hazel[/name] - This is my favorite name in the whole world. I think it’s so warm and lovely! I love nature names, too.
[name]Hope[/name] - I know it may seem short and it doesn’t go very well with [name]Quinn[/name], but it is very cute and respectable!
[name]Savannah[/name] - I love this name! I think it’s lovely. What’s wrong with “Sav”? "Sav"age? I think the nn Savvy is so cute!
You may like (in addition to the other suggestions, they were all very good!):
[name]Lavender[/name]
[name]Evelyn[/name]
[name]Imogen[/name]
[name]Amelia[/name] nn [name]Mia[/name]
[name]Sophia[/name]
[name]Genevieve[/name]
[name]Iris[/name]
[name]Delphine[/name]
[name]Susannah[/name]
[name]Delilah[/name]
[name]Alexandra[/name] or [name]Lucy[/name] variant nn [name]Lux[/name]
[name]Alexandra[/name] varient nn [name]Lexi[/name]
[name]Cecily[/name]
[name]Felicity[/name]
[name]Magnolia[/name]
[name]Danica[/name]
[name]Maeve[/name]
[name]Johannah[/name]
[name]Rowan[/name]
[name]Lilac[/name]
[name]Calla[/name]
[name]Lillian[/name] nn [name]Lily[/name]
[name]Olive[/name]
[name]Greer[/name]/[name]Grier[/name]
[name]Eliora[/name]
[name]Seraphina[/name]
[name]Alabama[/name]
[name]Zinnia[/name]
[name]Celeste[/name]
If you want to use [name]Quinn[/name] as a mn, I think the first name should be very feminine to balance it out. You don’t want people thinking your baby girl is a boy.
[name]Nicole[/name]- That’s so funny that we like so many of the same names! Have you decided on yours yet?
For [name]Savannah[/name], “sav” sounds like salve to me. I agree with you about probably needing a more feminine first name.
I like [name]Hazel[/name] because of the nature vibe. I just wonder if it sounds like an old lady?
I do like [name]Willow[/name] and [name]Autumn[/name] okay - I just wonder if they are lasting and sound professional?
I don’t know… I am feeling a bit lost on names right now!
My point is that I don’t think you need to worry so much about nickname possibilities if you just say, “no, her name is ____”.