Rank the combos!

Girl Names
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I’ve narrowed down the options for my Zosime ___ Illyria combo to these seven options. It would help me very much if you could rank them from your favorite to least favorite, especially if you could also include your reasons for your top and bottom choices!

Zosime means “vital; survivor; likely to survive,” while Illyria means “living star; the one that sparks; to burn.”

I’m looking for a word / nature name that has a similar cosmic, fiery, elemental vibe to round out the combo. I want to choose the option that feels most like a mythic goddess, a galactic hero, or a visionary starchild. Feel free to check out this moodboard thread for more detailed inspiration.

Also, for flow purposes, I’m using the ZOH-sih-may pronunciation for Zosime, and Illyria is pronounced ih-LEER-ee-ah.

Zosime Aeon Illyria
Aeon means “life; vital force; being” and “forever; timeless; for eternity.” It is pronounced EE-ohn.

Zosime Aster illyria
Aster is a wildflower with star-shaped blossoms. It’s from a Greek word meaning “star; starlike.”

Zosime Glow Illyria
Glow means “luminous, incandescent light” and “to shine.”

Zosime Nova Illyria
Nova is a Latin word meaning “new.” In astronomy, a nova is a star that releases a sudden burst of energy, causing its brightness to dramatically increase before gradually returning to its former level.

Zosime Onyx Illyria
Onyx is a crystal, most commonly black, with powerful protective properties. It’s from a Greek word meaning “nail; claw.”

Zosime Thorn Illyria
Thorn means “thicket of thorns; hedgerow” and “one who lives near a tower.”

Zosime Topaz Illyria
Topaz is a crystal, most commonly found in shades of yellow, orange, and golden-brown, with energizing and mood-enhancing properties. It’s from a Sanskrit word meaning “heat; fire.”

Thank you for your help! :purple_heart:

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Zosime Topaz Illyria is the obvious standout to me!! :heart_eyes: I feel like it fits the Star Seed Soul aesthetic perfectly; my synesthesia gets such bold and shimmering bolts of deep purple and orange from this combo! It feels vast and sparkling, high in energy but also strong, and it has a really perfect flow. Ahhhh! I’m in love :comet: :zap: :fireworks: :milky_way: :sparkles:

Zosime Aster Illyria to me is a distant second, but it’s bit hard to say aloud for some reason. I think it’s because the Z and S from Zosime feel like a lot with the ST from Aster, and then the R from Aster runs into the ILL from Illyria. Asterillyria is how it feels hahah! But it’s really beautiful written down and suits the aesthetic wonderfully.

Zosime Onyx Illyria comes third, but I feel Onyx creates a sense of darkness and abyss that doesn’t suit the aesthetic very well. I don’t feel open and expansive to the energy of the universe with this combo, it’s more like a sense of things being hidden in the darkness, never to be seen… you know? Onyx gives me this imagery of a darkness so deep it sucks in all light. Still beautiful, just in a different way.

Zosime Nova Illyria works perfectly for the aesthetic but I think the double a ending on Nova and Illyria creates a sing-songy flow that could be better. My synesthesia sees more yellow tones for this due to Nova for some reason. Overall it suits the imagery wonderfully!

Zosime Aeon Illyria doesn’t flow quite right to me because the ending -ay sound from Zosime and the beginning -ee sound on Aeon run together.

Zosime Glow Illyria is okay to me, I personally am not a huge fan of Glow as a name, but that’s just me! I think there are more interesting ways to get to that glowy light in a name.

Zosime Thorn Illyria is my least favourite because Thorn doesn’t suit the star seed soul aesthetic in my opinion. I’d sooner see Thorn in more of a mischevious woodland satyr category! Though the combo has great flow.

(edit formatting)

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From fave to least

Zosime [name_u]Glow[/name_u] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f]
Zosime [name_u]Onyx[/name_u] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f]
Zosime [name_f]Topaz[/name_f] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f]
Zosime [name_u]Nova[/name_u] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f]
Zosime [name_u]Aster[/name_u] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f]
Zosime Aeon [name_f]Illyria[/name_f]
Zosime [name_m]Thorn[/name_m] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f]

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Zosime [name_f]Topaz[/name_f] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f] sounds very cool, and has the best flow in my opinion. Not far behind would be Zosime [name_u]Aster[/name_u] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f] which although the flow isn’t as smooth, it looks great.

[name_f]My[/name_f] least favourites would be [name_m]Thorn[/name_m] and [name_u]Glow[/name_u], the first due to not quite fitting that cosmic aesthetic you seem to be going for, and the latter I just don’t seem to see as a good, solid name.

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I think Zosime Thorn Illyria has the best flow, followed up by Zosime Topaz Illyria and then Zosime Glow Illyria! I also like Zosime Aster Illyria, I think the vibes are really pretty. These would be my top 4!

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  1. Zosime [name_u]Nova[/name_u] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f]
  2. Zosime [name_u]Aster[/name_u] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f]
  3. Zosime [name_f]Topaz[/name_f] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f]
  4. Zosime [name_u]Onyx[/name_u] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f]
  5. Zosime Aeon [name_f]Illyria[/name_f]
  6. Zosime [name_u]Glow[/name_u] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f]
  7. Zosime [name_m]Thorn[/name_m] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f]

[name_u]Nova[/name_u] and [name_u]Aster[/name_u] are at the top because I like those name. [name_u]Glow[/name_u] and [name_m]Thorn[/name_m] are at the bottom because it are just words to me, not names.

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  1. Zosime [name_u]Onyx[/name_u] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f] | Zosime [name_f]Topaz[/name_f] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f]
    These are my top choices for multiple reasons. They both flow beautifully in the combination. They are gorgeous gems and nature names, and both names I’d love to see used more irl. They also fit the aesthetic stunningly, in my opinion.

  2. Zosime [name_u]Aster[/name_u] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f] | Zosime [name_u]Glow[/name_u] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f]
    Both fantastic names. [name_u]Glow[/name_u], especially, is an incredible, rarely mentioned name! It is also spot on for the imagery. I love [name_u]Aster[/name_u] for this aesthetic because of the starry meaning. Both of these combinations have perfect flow as well.

  3. Zosime [name_u]Nova[/name_u] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f]
    I really like [name_u]Nova[/name_u]. The reason she is in third place is simply because [name_u]Nova[/name_u] doesn’t have quite the same sparkle and unexpected quality as the previous four options. Other then that, it’s a great name and a great combination.

  4. Zosime [name_m]Thorn[/name_m] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f]
    I actually love the idea of [name_m]Thorn[/name_m]. I greatly debated putting it higher, because the look and imagery of this combination is amazing. I love how thorns are immediately associated with roses in my mind. Ultimately for me tho, [name_m]Thorn[/name_m] is still just a little too thorny. It’s a little too negative of a connotation in many people’s minds, so I probably wouldn’t choose it for myself or a child of mine.

  5. Zosime Aeon [name_f]Illyria[/name_f]
    I can’t say exactly what I don’t like Aeon. It looks very otherworldly, which I don’t normally mind. I do think it could definitely give pronunciation issues. I don’t particularly enjoy the sound of Aeon either. The flow of this combination is nice tho.

Ultimately, I would love to see any of the four combinations in first or second place, used.

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I really appreciate everyone’s feedback! This has been the hardest combo so far. I can’t seem to make a decision.

@alatari - I was delighted to see your response, because I always feel such a kinship with you in how we experience names - meaning, aesthetic, imagery, etc.
Your description of Zosime [name_f]Topaz[/name_f] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f] really has me loving this combo! Those colors and imagery are exactly what I’m going for!
I don’t mind how [name_u]Aster[/name_u] and [name_f]Illyria[/name_f] run together so much as I mind that pesky “ass” sound. I love the name written down, I love the meaning and the flow, I love that it’s both botanical and cosmic. I just wish I loved the sound of it more.
I definitely see what you mean with Zosime [name_u]Onyx[/name_u] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f] - it still has the beautiful cosmic energy, but in a darker, sharper way - more [name_m]Scorpio[/name_m] than [name_m]Aquarius[/name_m], if you will. I like how powerful this combo feels, even if it’s not as lit up as some of the others.
I think Zosime [name_u]Nova[/name_u] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f] suits the imagery and aesthetic…almost too perfectly? If that makes sense? Almost like it’s expected. It just doesn’t feel special enough… maybe I’m being too picky. I do agree about the double a endings though.
I see what you mean about the vowel sounds of Zosime and Aeon being a little odd together. I think the main concern for me with this name is whether it feels too sci-fi. Everything else about it, I love - the way it looks, the sound, the meaning, the expansive imagery, and that sense of the vastness of time and space.
I’m waffling all over the place with Zosime [name_u]Glow[/name_u] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f] - I love the way it looks and sounds, and I like that it’s an unusual word name. I just wish it had more depth and meaning behind it.
I see what you mean about Zosime [name_m]Thorn[/name_m] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f]! I think I got caught up in the sharp and powerful sound and imagery and lost track of the cosmic vibe. I do have some fey and forest aesthetics pending, so maybe I’ll shelve this one for later use.
Thank you so much for sharing your detailed impressions! They’re always a huge help!

@Greyblue - Thanks for sharing your rankings! [name_f]Every[/name_f] time I read the name [name_u]Glow[/name_u], my brain starts singing the song from Tangled - “flower gleam and glow,” haha!

@Sunniva - I do love the flow of Zosime [name_f]Topaz[/name_f] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f], and I definitely see what you mean about Zosime [name_m]Thorn[/name_m] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f] lacking that cosmic vibe. I think I’m having a similar issue with [name_u]Glow[/name_u], in that I’m just not sure it’s substantial enough.

@tallemaja - I do love [name_m]Thorn[/name_m] very much! I just think it’s missing the celestial energy of the other names in the combo. I agree that Zosime [name_f]Topaz[/name_f] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f] and Zosime [name_u]Glow[/name_u] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f] both have great flow!

@Johannaa - Thanks for your rankings! I admittedly have a thing for more unusual word names, so I can understand if [name_u]Glow[/name_u] and [name_m]Thorn[/name_m] aren’t your cup of tea.

@columbiacharm - Thank you so much for this detailed feedback! I think I’m with you in that Zosime [name_u]Onyx[/name_u] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f] and Zosime [name_f]Topaz[/name_f] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f] are towards the top of my list right now. I love how elemental they are and the way they feel both earthy and cosmic at the same time.
I think I love [name_u]Aster[/name_u] much more in theory than I do in practice. Similarly, I really love the idea of [name_u]Glow[/name_u], but it just feels like there’s something missing.
I totally agree about [name_u]Nova[/name_u] - I think it feels like a safe, expected choice, so it doesn’t really sparkle in the combo like some of the others do.
I do love [name_m]Thorn[/name_m] as a name. I just don’t think it’s the right choice for this combo. But I would definitely use it if I found the perfect names to pair with it!
I know Aeon isn’t really a crowd favorite, and it does feel a little [name_u]Matrix[/name_u]-y, but I’m still not ready to let go of it. There’s such a sense of wonder associated with this name for me. When I think about the phrase, “it’s been around for aeons,” it automatically evokes this feeling of awe at the vastness of the universe and the mysteries of time and space. It’s so inspiring to me.

Thank you again for your feedback! It’s definitely helping me narrow down my options.

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Aahh it’s lovely to hear that because I too feel that kinship with you! It’s always wonderful reading your posts because I feel like the way I experience names is so niche I can’t relate to anyone IRL about it!

The way you’ve described Zosime [name_u]Onyx[/name_u] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f] as Scorpio-esque is PERFECTION. It actually makes me love the combo more! And your point about Zosime [name_u]Nova[/name_u] [name_f]Illyria[/name_f] being almost too expected is definitely serving - I totally agree with that.

Looking forward so much to your sylvan-esque moodboards! I know we both love that aesthetic so much :evergreen_tree::leaves::herb::fallen_leaf:🧝🏻‍♀

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