New here and am enjoying all the friendly, thoughtful ideas on this forum. I’m going through somewhat of a name crisis and wanted some honest advice. My husband and I are desperately TTC and enjoy talking baby names occasionally. As for boy names, we have a very short, non-negotiable list. But for girls, I’ve been around the world and back again. For a very long time, I was a big fan of nature-inspired, botanical names such as [name]Ivy[/name], [name]Iris[/name], [name]Violet[/name], [name]Willow[/name], [name]Meadow[/name], etc. However, I’ve slowly begun to realize these names and others like them are beginning to trend, (MUCH TO MY ENORMOUS FRUSTRATION!) Having an extremely popular name myself, I refuse to pass on that curse to my offspring. So lately, I’ve been considering vastly different options. I’m not sure how to classify them, as I’m no expert. I guess most seem pretty old-fashioned, vintage?
Anyway, please look over these names that I’ve become fond of and give me some honest impressions. I’m very curious to see what others think!
I think our naming taste is somewhat similar! I love most of these. Here are more specific thoughts:
[name]Annemarie[/name]: [name]Love[/name]. Only one problem–I am a teacher, and on the playground, I swear it sounds like the kids are shouting for “[name]Emery[/name]” to the little girl I know named [name]Annemarie[/name]. I cannot use this name now bc I do NOT like [name]Emery[/name]. I have moved to [name]Annamaria[/name] bc of this problem.
[name]Theodora[/name]: this is pretty but I would never use it myself. Also the [name]Dora[/name] nn puts me off, as in [name]Dora[/name] the [name]Explorer[/name].
[name]Rosemary[/name]: [name]LOVE[/name]. [name]May[/name] use it if I ever have another girl. My sweet, fun aunt’s name too.
[name]Eliza[/name]: [name]LOVE[/name]. For me, I would use it as a nn for [name]Elizabeth[/name] bc I love the full name too. Makes me think of [name]Eliza[/name] Doolittle.
[name]Penelope[/name]: like this, but not enough to consider using it. [name]Don[/name]'t care for nn [name]Penny[/name] either.
[name]Josephine[/name]: like this, but can’t use bc of a children’s poem I know that I associate the name with.
[name]Miriam[/name]: not a fav of mine. I just don’t find it beautiful or charming. It feels plain to me.
[name]Thomasina[/name]: hmm, I like it but would never use it. Too unusual for me.
[name]Susannah[/name]: [name]LOVE[/name]. This is also a contender for the next daughter, if there ever is one! I like [name]Susanna[/name] spelling now, but I go back and forth.
[name]Francine[/name]: don’t like, but I love [name]Frances[/name] and like [name]Francesca[/name].
[name]Florence[/name]: love the city, don’t like the name at all. I think of Mrs [name]Brady[/name]…
[name]Wilhelmina[/name]: don’t like, but I absolutely love [name]Willa[/name]
[name]Cynthia[/name]: don’t like, but I like the similar sounding [name]Sylvia[/name]
[name]Constance[/name]: kind of pretty, but don’t like [name]Connie[/name] as a nn
[name]Eleanora[/name]: beautiful tho I prefer just [name]Eleanor[/name] or [name]Nora[/name]
[name]Annemarie[/name] - pretty, but boring. I like [name]Anne[/name] better on its own.
[name]Theodora[/name] - I like this one, I think it’s interesting.
[name]Rosemary[/name] - love this name. I think these are two names, that on their own, leave something to be desired, but I love them combined.
[name]Eliza[/name] - cute, spunky name
[name]Penelope[/name] - ditto
[name]Josephine[/name] - love this name as well. [name]Love[/name] nn [name]Josie[/name], [name]Jody[/name]
[name]Miriam[/name] - It’s okay, a little boring and I don’t think it’s that feminine or pretty sounding.
[name]Thomasina[/name] - not a fan of this, I prefer [name]Tamsin[/name] (but both are just okay).
[name]Susannah[/name] - pretty name. [name]Don[/name]'t love it, but don’t dislike it either.
[name]Francine[/name] - it’s okay. [name]Franny[/name] is a cute nn (though I’d rather use [name]Franny[/name] for [name]Francesca[/name]). I like [name]Maxine[/name] better too.
[name]Florence[/name] - it’s okay, not that pretty or feminine sounding though.
[name]Wilhelmina[/name] - ditto
[name]Cynthia[/name] - I like this name. It’s a pretty, strong sounding name.
[name]Constance[/name] - I like the nn [name]Connie[/name] for this.
[name]Eleanora[/name] - I prefer [name]Eleanor[/name] and Nora. The a is too much.
Top 5 are: Rosemary, Eliza, Penelope, Josephine, and Cynthia.
[name]Annemarie[/name] – Ok.
[name]Theodora[/name] – [name]Love[/name]!! [name]Love[/name] the nn’s [name]Dora[/name] and [name]Thea[/name]
[name]Rosemary[/name] – Like a lot.
[name]Eliza[/name] – Like
[name]Penelope[/name] – Very cute, do not like the nn [name]Penny[/name]
[name]Josephine[/name] – [name]LOVE[/name]!
[name]Miriam[/name] – [name]Just[/name] ok.
[name]Thomasina[/name] – Too out there
[name]Susannah[/name] – Ok
[name]Francine[/name] – Not a fan. Hate the nn [name]Fanny[/name]
[name]Florence[/name] – [name]Love[/name], reminds me of [name]Florence[/name] [name]Welch[/name] of [name]Florence[/name] and the Machine…I would be worried that the nn [name]Flo[/name] may be ripe for teasing
[name]Wilhelmina[/name] – like. [name]Love[/name] the nn [name]Mina[/name].
[name]Cynthia[/name] – This name seems very 80s to me.
[name]Constance[/name] – Cute. [name]Do[/name] not like the nn [name]Connie[/name].
[name]Eleanora[/name] – [name]Love[/name]!
I live most of your names. [name]Francine[/name] and [name]Florence[/name] border on maybe a little too old-fashioned for me personally. I think they need a few more years under the radar before they are ready for revival. Wow, that was a lot of R’s.
[name]Susannah[/name], [name]Theodora[/name], [name]Josephine[/name], and [name]Miriam[/name] are my favorites. (Although I slightly prefer [name]Teodora[/name] to [name]Theodora[/name]. It rings softer to me).
Interesting to see [name]Thomasina[/name] on someone’s list. Not many of these feminized male names get much love. I like [name]Davida[/name] and have yet to met anyone who agrees. Same kind of concept! I see that nameberry explains that parents are just using male names for girls now, instead of adding a feminine ending. I like [name]Thomasina[/name] though the more I say the name.
[name]Do[/name] you like [name]Rosalind[/name]? It’s my favorite “rose” name.
[name]Annemarie[/name] - Okay, but I’m not a big fan
[name]Theodora[/name] - [name]Love[/name] it! It’s distinctive, classy, and formal sounding. I am not big on nns, but it could be shortened in a number of cute ways if desired.
[name]Rosemary[/name] - I like [name]Rose[/name] and [name]Mary[/name] better separately than together.
[name]Eliza[/name] - Pretty!
[name]Penelope[/name] - Okay, but I’m not a big fan
[name]Josephine[/name] - Wonderful, classy, name.
[name]Miriam[/name] - I have never warmed up to this name, but it’s not bad.
[name]Thomasina[/name] - Adorable!
[name]Susannah[/name] - My favorite on your list. I am in [name]LOVE[/name] with the name [name]Susannah[/name]! It’s like a burst of sunshine to my eyes and songbirds to my ears.
[name]Francine[/name] - It’s okay.
[name]Florence[/name] - Not my style
[name]Wilhelmina[/name] - I really like it!!
[name]Cynthia[/name] - It’s a beautiful name!
[name]Constance[/name] - Not my style
[name]Eleanora[/name] - Not a big fan
[name]Theodora[/name] is my favorite, my fathers name is [name]Theodore[/name] and i would love to give this to my future daughter plus the nick name [name]Thea[/name] is timeless and adorable. [name]Penelope[/name] is cute, it is my sisters name, but it is quite popular right now, not quite in the top 100 but it is starting to trend. I also like [name]Constance[/name] with the nick name [name]Connie[/name], very classic. [name]Francine[/name] is also very cute and unique. I would love this on a little girl.
I also compliment you for taking the unique name route. My name is less common and I love it, I am young and most people that have my name are older so I dont meet many people with my name and I love it that way. Your daughter will be very lucky.
[name]Annemarie[/name]- prefer Annabeth, but [name]Annemarie[/name] is nice
[name]Theodora[/name]- lots of nickname possibilities, but not attracted to the name itself
[name]Rosemary[/name]- too old fashioned for me
[name]Eliza[/name]- not bad; not on my list, but it’s cute enough for me to admire
[name]Penelope[/name]- again, not on my list, but it seems pretty
[name]Josephine[/name]- starting to like this one; can have the nickname [name]Josie[/name]
[name]Miriam[/name]- love love love this name
[name]Thomasina[/name]- don’t know what to think of this
[name]Susannah[/name]- not my style at all
[name]Francine[/name]- can only think of the girl from [name]Arthur[/name]
[name]Florence[/name]- will never use it for myself, but it’s not bad
[name]Wilhelmina[/name]- again, won’t use it, but very nice
[name]Cynthia[/name]- liked this name at one point, but not longer on my list
[name]Constance[/name]- doesn’t seem right for me to like this
[name]Eleanora[/name]- prefer [name]Eleanor[/name]
Thanks everyone for your thoughtful comments! Surprised and excited about the positive reactions to the old-fashioned names. Feeling really good about my “list!”
[name]Annemarie[/name]: I don’t like this name very much. It’s definitely classic but I find it pretty bland. I like variations of [name]Anne[/name] a lot better, like [name]Anabel[/name], [name]Annelise[/name], or simply [name]Anna[/name].
[name]Theodora[/name]: I like this name, but mostly just for the possible nns. I really like [name]Thea[/name]. I actually know a [name]Theodora[/name] who goes by [name]Teddy[/name], which is not a favorite of mine but I think it fits the girl well.
[name]Rosemary[/name]: NMS. I do like [name]Rose[/name] by itself.
[name]Eliza[/name]: I love this name. It’s such a simple, pretty sound and I like to think the ‘z’ spices it up.
[name]Penelope[/name]: I know that a lot of people have become huge on this name lately, but I really don’t see it. I’m all for bringing back old-fashioned names, but I just cannot get into [name]Penelope[/name]. And I also really dislike [name]Penny[/name] as a nn.
[name]Josephine[/name]: I’m not sure on this one. My feelings on [name]Josephine[/name] are pretty closely tied to my opinion of [name]Josephine[/name]. I don’t like [name]Josie[/name] as a nn, but I do like [name]Posy[/name]. However, I would personally prefer to use [name]Posy[/name] on its own before using [name]Josephine[/name].
[name]Miriam[/name]: I like this but I would not use it. I don’t really see much nn potential which worries me slightly because there is a very strong likelihood of a little [name]Miriam[/name] going through a stage where she does not like her name.
[name]Thomasina[/name]: I do not like this. It honestly seems super made-up to me.
[name]Susannah[/name]: I see that a lot of people like [name]Susannah[/name] on here. I’m iffy on it. It just seems super folks-y to me, which I’m personally not a fan of.
[name]Francine[/name]: I like [name]Francine[/name] a lot. I had forgotten how much I liked this name on [name]Arthur[/name]! I think that it would be adorable and very cool since I’ve never met a [name]Francine[/name] before.
[name]Florence[/name]: This is also a name I like a lot, I would totally use it.
[name]Wilhelmina[/name]: NMS. Also, I think that it would be hard for kids to pronounce and spell, but I do like the nns people are throwing out.
[name]Cynthia[/name]: This is my mom’s name and she has commented a few times on how its not a favorite of hers. She always goes by [name]Cindy[/name], which I like. It’s hard for me to think of the full name without thinking of [name]Angelica[/name]'s doll on Rugrats. Funny side story: our neighbors recently got a new dog named [name]Cinderella[/name]. After awhile they shortened it to Cinder, which I thought was a cool nickname. [name]One[/name] day, my mom was outside getting the newspaper and heard our creepy neighbor whistling and calling her name… He informed her he was talking to the dog but it’s still super awkward.
[name]Constance[/name]: I’m liking this for a middle name, but not so much for a first name. [name]Every[/name] time I’ve met a [name]Constance[/name] they shorten it to [name]Connie[/name], which I don’t really like.
[name]Eleanora[/name]: I prefer [name]Eleanor[/name] a lot! I do know someone named [name]Elnora[/name], which I think I like better than [name]Eleanora[/name].
My favorites are definitely [name]Eliza[/name] and [name]Francine[/name]. I also could see [name]Beatrice[/name] and [name]Annelise[/name] working well for you!
[name]Annemarie[/name]- Not a huge fan, but there’s not a lot of [name]Annemarie[/name]'s running around. I prefer [name]Marie[/name] or [name]Anabel[/name]
[name]Theodora[/name]- I adore [name]Theodora[/name]/[name]Dorothea[/name], but I’d never use it since my favorite boys name is [name]Theodore[/name]
[name]Rosemary[/name]- [name]Love[/name] [name]Rosemary[/name], especially the nickname [name]Romy[/name]
[name]Eliza[/name]- Very cute and sweet
[name]Penelope[/name]- I used to love it, now it’s just a tad too popular for my taste, I see it every where. Like the nn. [name]Nell[/name]
[name]Josephine[/name]- Classy and pretty, love the nickname [name]Posey[/name]
[name]Miriam[/name]- So so, not really my style
[name]Thomasina[/name]- This was my great-great grandmothers name, but it feels too heavy. She went by [name]Theresa[/name], so I’ll suggset that instead.
[name]Susannah[/name]- Pretty, but “Oh, [name]Susannah[/name]!” sadly comes to mind.
[name]Francine[/name]- Growing up there was a TV show called [name]Arthur[/name], and there was an extremely bossy girl named [name]Francine[/name], so I think of her. This name isn’t really ready for a revival, it still seems out of date.
[name]Florence[/name]- I’m in love with [name]Florence[/name], it has so much charm and grace. So pretty!
[name]Wilhelmina[/name]- I like it with the nickname [name]Billie[/name]
[name]Cynthia[/name]- Not my style, still very [name]Brady[/name] Bunch era
[name]Constance[/name]- Not my style either, it’s lacking oomf
[name]Eleanora[/name] - I love [name]Eleanora[/name]. It’s got more zing then just [name]Eleanor[/name] (which I love as well.)
[name]Hope[/name] that helps! I think our styles are fairly similar!
Thanks for all the additional comments! I love all your thoughts and suggestions.
I’ve also added [name]Magdalene[/name] and [name]Henrietta[/name] to the list of possibilities. (LOVING the thought of [name]Henrietta[/name] right now!)
The middle name would either be [name]June[/name], [name]Pearl[/name], or [name]Jewel[/name] depending on FN picked, (all grandmother’s names.)
If I had to pick favorites right now, I think they would be: