Hello! I’m going to start off with an apology. I am sorry that you may be about to read a novel that may or may not make any sense and will probably ramble a bit!
We’re so super excited to be expecting a little girl! She will be the first granddaughter on either side of our family so of course family is trying to get involved. [name_f]My[/name_f] husband has, sadly, had to leave for a bit of time for work (and is very hard to reach) so I’m somewhat doing this whole naming thing on my own [name_f]My[/name_f] current dilemma is finding a balance between the two very different styles. [name_f]My[/name_f] husband’s family has always been very into the prim, proper, classic type of names and mine has been the more fun and “different” kind. There are so many [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]'s, [name_f]Catherine[/name_f]'s, and [name_f]Victoria[/name_f]'s in his family that if there is one more, I may scream. This leads into the women on his side pushing us towards using a more traditional name; that it would look bad if we used something “too different”. [name_f]My[/name_f] husband is very close with his family and I don’t want to cause a rift, but names that I consider more “stuffy” they like and I just can’t get behind them. I know that I may seem like a bit of a coward, she is our daughter and not theirs, but they’re currently the only family I have near by to help me through this time with my husband being gone and I’d rather not completely piss them off.
Since I’m not getting a whole lot of real help from them, I’m turning to the internet, haha! Like I said, I’m trying to find that balance between the two: prim & proper and more fun & creative. By fun and creative, I don’t mean misspelled names or made up names; but more international or exotic or unused names.
[name_f]Do[/name_f] you think you can help me? She will have three middle names (as per tradition on my husband’s side) which will be family names and have yet to be decided! Sorry that I can’t give that to kind of help find a “flow”!
Thank you if you actually read my mess of a post!
~[name_f]Kira[/name_f]
To avoid some repeats, here is my long list (though already have some favorites and ones I will probably get rid of):
I’ll be happy to help you, so feel free to private message me if you want more suggestions.
I think you need something classic, sweet & spunky. Something that feels a bit younger and has more life/livelihood. let’s see what I can come up with.
Not made up, but light, and not too somber, a bit unexpected:
[name_f]Theodora[/name_f] - Great meaning, not too modern, but you don’t hear it everyday. Lots of nicks. No longer than [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] but a lot more oomph.
[name_f]Penelope[/name_f] - Lots of nicks, but also a mythological grounding.
[name_f]Evangeline[/name_f], [name_f]Christabel[/name_f]/[name_f]Christiana[/name_f] - Religious but not staid [name_f]Catherine[/name_f]/[name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] type names?
[name_f]Raphaela[/name_f] - Lushly beautiful, a bit European, but accessible.
[name_f]Alice[/name_f] - This is a mix of completely-classic but a bit whimsical. The [name_f]Alice[/name_f] in Wonderland thing saves it from being frumpy, for me.
[name_f]Theresa[/name_f], [name_f]Esther[/name_f] - Classic names that cut down to breezy-yet-not-bizarre [name_f]Tess[/name_f]. [name_f]Tess[/name_f]/[name_f]Tessa[/name_f] is adorable as a nickname, and inlaws can’t exactly pretend you made up [name_f]Theresa[/name_f] or [name_f]Esther[/name_f].
[name_f]Felicity[/name_f], [name_f]Verity[/name_f], [name_f]Amity[/name_f] - the unexpected virtue names. They have some spunk and strength I think.
[name_f]Eliza[/name_f] - Somehow much lighter than [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]?
@jasmine.lee: Thank you so much for all the suggestions and the offer! I like [name_f]Eloise[/name_f], [name_f]Georgina[/name_f], [name_f]Freya[/name_f], [name_f]Celia[/name_f], [name_f]Katia[/name_f], [name_f]Penelope[/name_f], [name_f]Elowen[/name_f], [name_f]Willa[/name_f], [name_f]Lilja[/name_f] (am I saying this right? [name_f]Lil[/name_f]-ya?), [name_f]Anya[/name_f], [name_f]Liv[/name_f], and [name_f]Thisbe[/name_f]! However, I know with a few of them there would be “hell to pay” if we actually used it
@stripedsocks: Thank you so much for the suggestions! A lot of the names are a bit too dated or too old for me personally; though I like [name_f]Penelope[/name_f]! I’m super iffy on [name_f]Alice[/name_f], in the last week alone I’ve come across 4 [name_f]Alice[/name_f]'s
Two of my favorite names are [name_f]Priya[/name_f] and [name_u]Zuri[/name_u] if that helps give a better idea of my style!
Let me see if I can help… And sorry for any repeats. I’m going for more vintage names. [name_m]Just[/name_m] a fair warning I prefer shorter name. I will try to think of longer names as well.
[name_f]Ava[/name_f]
[name_f]Grace[/name_f]
[name_f]Kaylene[/name_f]
[name_f]Anna[/name_f]
[name_f]Coraline[/name_f]
[name_f]Vera[/name_f]
[name_u]Vivian[/name_u]/[name_f]Viviana[/name_f]- nn [name_f]Vivi[/name_f]
[name_f]Amelia[/name_f]/[name_f]Emilia[/name_f]- nn [name_f]Mia[/name_f]
[name_f]Farrah[/name_f]/[name_f]Faye[/name_f]
[name_f]Rosalie[/name_f]/[name_f]Rosalyn[/name_f]
[name_f]Charlotte[/name_f]/Scalett- nn [name_f]Lottie[/name_f] or [name_f]Lettie[/name_f]
[name_f]Penelope[/name_f]
[name_f]Violet[/name_f]
[name_f]Adeline[/name_f]
[name_f]Abigale[/name_f]
[name_f]Eliana[/name_f]
@shannagrace: Haha, thank you for the suggestions! For my husband’s family it seems like “the longer the better” which boggles my mind since they all have THREE middle names on top of a long first name!! I like [name_f]Viviana[/name_f] (gives [name_u]Vivian[/name_u] a bit more girlishness and spunk!) and [name_f]Penelope[/name_f]! Random side note, but I had a really good friend named [name_f]Shanna[/name_f], haha
Haha aw!! [name_f]My[/name_f] full name is [name_u]Shannon[/name_u]. I disliked [name_u]Shay[/name_u], which surprisingly a lot of people tried to call me. When I started college a new friend called me [name_f]Shanna[/name_f], and I guess it stuck. So now [name_f]Shanna[/name_f] is my nickname, and people don’t try to call me [name_u]Shay[/name_u]. Family calls me [name_f]Shanny[/name_f] [name_f]Grace[/name_f] or [name_u]Shann[/name_u], which is fine. If a stranger called me that I’d probably would look at them like they were crazy!! Lol.
I find long names to be tiresome for me. When you pick out the middle names, let us know!! I am curious how 3 middle names work…
I love [name_f]Viviana[/name_f]!! I met a girl once named it. I fell in love instantly. I can’t use it due to my daughters name being [name_f]Anna[/name_f], and her cousins name is [name_u]Vivian[/name_u].
Here are a few shorter names that I personally love…
[name_u]Ruby[/name_u]
[name_f]Freya[/name_f]
[name_f]Ellie[/name_f]- my other daughter, not a nn her full name
[name_f]Lyla[/name_f]
[name_f]Claire[/name_f]/[name_f]Claira[/name_f]
[name_f]Keira[/name_f] (keer-ruh)
[name_f]Ayla[/name_f]
[name_f]Fiona[/name_f]
[name_f]Laina[/name_f]
[name_f]Lona[/name_f]
You’re welcome! Yep, [name_f]Lilja[/name_f] is pronounced [name_f]Lil[/name_f]-ya. [name_f]Do[/name_f] you like [name_f]Prudence[/name_f]? It’s a bit stuffy, but [name_f]Prue[/name_f] is a cute nn, and it’s kinda of a mix between [name_f]Priya[/name_f] & [name_u]Zuri[/name_u]. [name_f]Zara[/name_f]? [name_f]Sanne[/name_f], which is Dutch, means lily & pronounced Sa-nah? [name_f]Zora[/name_f], [name_f]Zelda[/name_f], [name_f]Zena[/name_f], [name_f]Promise[/name_f]?
@shannagrace: Haha, I’m the same way with nicknames! [name_f]My[/name_f] close friends and family will usually call me “Keeks” and I’m pretty sure if some random person called me that I’d look at them like they had a bazillion heads! I will definitely let you all know when middle names have been chosen! I have a long list of family names from both sides right now that I’m going through to decide on three that I like best. Fortunately, our last name is only 5 letters and 1 syllable! I like [name_u]Ruby[/name_u], [name_f]Freya[/name_f], [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], [name_f]Lilah[/name_f], [name_f]Clara[/name_f], and [name_f]Ayla[/name_f]. I’m worried about [name_u]Ruby[/name_u], [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], and [name_f]Lilah[/name_f] being really popular though. Also, my husband and his family pronounce [name_f]Clara[/name_f] “Clahra” and I pronounce it “[name_f]Claira[/name_f]” so I’m not sure how well that will work out, haha! [name_f]My[/name_f] name is said the same as ‘[name_f]Keira[/name_f]’ though spelled differently and I’m not sure I am for the whole “name your child after yourself”
@jasmine.lee: [name_f]Prudence[/name_f] is a bit dated for me but [name_f]Prue[/name_f] is cute! As is [name_f]Zara[/name_f] but we can’t use it
first off, I gotta say I second the suggestions of [name_f]Eloise[/name_f] and [name_f]Penelope[/name_f] for you, they seem to fit your criteria perfectly! Other suggestions
[name_f]Annelise[/name_f]
[name_u]Abilene[/name_u]
[name_f]Adelaide[/name_f]
[name_f]Camellia[/name_f]
[name_f]Lucille[/name_f]
[name_f]Eliora[/name_f]
[name_f]Alessandra[/name_f]
[name_f]Evangeline[/name_f]
[name_f]Odelia[/name_f]
[name_f]Tabitha[/name_f]
[name_f]Lydia[/name_f]
[name_f]Davina[/name_f]
[name_f]Felicity[/name_f]
[name_f]Araminta[/name_f]
Aderyn
[name_f]Marilla[/name_f]
I’m weird about names. If my family and close friends don’t have the name I love I use it regardless of popularity. I fell in love with it for a reason, and even if there’s 50 of them I could care less. [name_f]Anna[/name_f] and [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] are super popular, but they are also unique because there is none like them to me. [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] likes that she has a friend with same name as her. Her middle name is [name_f]Bea[/name_f] (bee) and her friends name [name_f]Eliana[/name_f] [name_f]Alizabeth[/name_f]. So we call them [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] B and [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] A. Haha!!
@averelladavina: Thank you! I like [name_f]Alessandra[/name_f]! (Along with [name_f]Eloise[/name_f] and [name_f]Penelope[/name_f] of course, haha)
@shannagrace: Haha, aw that’s so cute! I guess part of my “dislike” (it’s not really a dislike though, more of a unsure feeling?) for popular/common names comes from when I was in school and knew about 10 [name_u]Ashley[/name_u]'s and 7 [name_f]Sarah[/name_f]'s and people were always getting them confused
@lt013: Thank you for the suggestions! I like [name_f]Delia[/name_f], [name_f]India[/name_f], and [name_f]Luciana[/name_f]! Though I’m about 95% certain that if I were to push for [name_f]India[/name_f] that his family would kill me!
@la16: Thank you! I like [name_f]Eloise[/name_f], [name_f]Ariana[/name_f], [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f] “[name_f]Evie[/name_f]”, [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] (not liking [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f], though), [name_f]Lilah[/name_f] (same as [name_f]Ellie[/name_f]), and [name_f]Aurora[/name_f]. With [name_f]Ariana[/name_f] and [name_f]Aurora[/name_f], I’m not a fan of [name_u]Ari[/name_u] or [name_u]Rory[/name_u] but I like both as just the full names. I also like [name_f]Bella[/name_f] as a nickname but I’m not into the usual [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] and not loving [name_f]Arabella[/name_f]
@tmaire: Thank you! I like [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] and [name_f]Elsa[/name_f]!
@la16: It’s super cute! Also with [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f], it has that longer, more “proper” feeling from my husband’s side!
I think the nickname “[name_f]Rosie[/name_f]” is just darling but I’m not loving any of the full names for it ([name_f]Rosalind[/name_f], [name_f]Rosamund[/name_f], [name_f]Rosetta[/name_f], [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f], [name_f]Rose[/name_f], [name_f]Rosa[/name_f])
I know what you mean. I had 4 [name_f]Olivia[/name_f]'s and 6 [name_u]Ashley[/name_u]'s I went to high school with. I will always love [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] regardless, but I think I personally know too many. [name_f]My[/name_f] name was super popular in my high school too. I still loved it, just not when people called me [name_u]Shay[/name_u]!! Lol.
I looked into other names with the [name_f]Bel[/name_f]/[name_f]Belle[/name_f]/[name_f]Bella[/name_f] in it:
[name_u]Campbell[/name_u]
[name_f]Clarabel/name_f
[name_f]Clarabella[/name_f]
[name_f]Jessabel/name_f
Jessabella
[name_f]Maribel/name_f
[name_f]Maribella[/name_f]
[name_f]Mirabel/name_f
[name_f]Mirabella[/name_f]
I’m going to start off with an apology. I am sorry that you may be about to read a novel that may or may not make any sense and will probably ramble a bit!
[name_f]My[/name_f] current dilemma is finding a balance between the two very different styles. [name_f]My[/name_f] husband’s family has always been very into the prim, proper, classic type of names and mine has been the more fun and “different” kind. There are so many [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]'s, [name_f]Catherine[/name_f]'s, and [name_f]Victoria[/name_f]'s in his family that if there is one more, I may scream. This leads into the women on his side pushing us towards using a more traditional name; that it would look bad if we used something “too different”. [name_f]My[/name_f] husband is very close with his family and I don’t want to cause a rift, but names that I consider more “stuffy” they like and I just can’t get behind them. I know that I may seem like a bit of a coward, she is our daughter and not theirs, but they’re currently the only family I have near by to help me through this time with my husband being gone and I’d rather not completely piss them off.
I like [name_f]Eloise[/name_f], [name_f]Georgina[/name_f], [name_f]Freya[/name_f], [name_f]Celia[/name_f], [name_f]Katia[/name_f], [name_f]Penelope[/name_f], [name_f]Elowen[/name_f], [name_f]Willa[/name_f], [name_f]Lilja[/name_f] (am I saying this right? [name_f]Lil[/name_f]-ya?), [name_f]Anya[/name_f], [name_f]Liv[/name_f], and [name_f]Thisbe[/name_f]! However, I know with a few of them there would be “hell to pay” if we actually used it