Of course you can expand on your feelings also. This is sort of a game, but not like other [name]Baby[/name] Name Games, so I put it here.
Part A:
Yes or No (and why or why not, if you feel like extra commenting) - do you think these names go together? - [name]Lenore[/name] and [name]Cynthia[/name].
These are two names I like today, but not for any particular reason (not pregnant or planning, etc., they don’t have to be twins, but you can imagine they are if you want). [name]Just[/name] A, do they go?
Part B (optional): Choose either [name]Lenore[/name] or [name]Cynthia[/name], for any reasons you like (like best or least, hate most or least, etc., arbitrary, whatever you want), and think of any number of girl names that goes with it (1, 50, something in between). Or do this exercise with both, one at a time, if you feel like it. I know they are kind of dated and people might just think they are both cruel, but please try to work with them. [name]Just[/name] want to see what you come up with maybe. THANKS!
No, I don’t think they go together. [name]Cynthia[/name] seems very 1960s or 1970s, whereas [name]Lenore[/name], though not popular today, is vintage rather than dated in my opinion. [name]Lenore[/name] still has elegance and glamor along with the spunk of cute nicknames like [name]Leni[/name], [name]Lena[/name], or [name]Nora[/name]. [name]Cynthia[/name] is just another [name]Cindy[/name] in a crowd of 50-year-olds. Furthermore, [name]Cynthia[/name] is Greek whereas [name]Lenore[/name] is French - these seem like opposing forces to me.
So, I’ll choose some to go with [name]Lenore[/name].
So, I checked it out again, and apparently [name]Lenore[/name] is a Greek variant of [name]Eleanor[/name], so I’m very confused! One says French, one says Greek…
A. Yes. I don’t know why. They just sound like they could be sisters.
B. [name]Lenore[/name] and [name]Annabel[/name] (for the [name]Edgar[/name] [name]Allan[/name] [name]Poe[/name] connection), [name]Cynthia[/name] and [name]Vivian[/name]
A) Yes. Because they’re both Greek names, I can see [name]Lenore[/name] and [name]Cynthia[/name] as siblings. I can totally picture two older sisters with these names. (I like [name]Leonora[/name] better than [name]Lenore[/name], though…)
B) [name]Lenore[/name]: Because it feels musty to me, I picture it with vintage names (or older-sounding classics)…
Thanks everyone (so far)… ? Maybe there will be more replies someday.
When I was little, I guess, before we moved upstate, we had these neighbors with a daughter named [name]Lenore[/name] a few years older than me, and I’ve recently become intrigued by it. I don’t remember her at all, but I’ve seen pictures of us together. I like to be a little different - although I do love [name]Elena[/name], I don’t know, [name]Eleanor[/name] seems so obvious, and it’s never really been on “my list” (I do think it’s pretty but it doesn’t grab me). [name]Leonore[/name] is another way I could spell it - more [name]German[/name]. I’ve also kept [name]Cynthia[/name] in the back of my mind for a while. I knew a few Cindys in school, but [name]Cindy[/name] and [name]Cynthia[/name] were always one of those things, like 2 different names (like [name]Peggy[/name] for [name]Margaret[/name] - quite a different flavor, you just think of 2 different people). [name]Cynthia[/name] was their real name but nobody called them that - it’s so pretty, though. I never used to like [name]Cindy[/name], but lately, I am thinking it is adorable. I don’t think [name]Nora[/name] and [name]Cindy[/name] sound cute together at all; I don’t think they need nicknames, but [name]Cynthia[/name] seems too likely to get one anyway.
It was hard for me to peg whether these names sounded like they go. I don’t normally do sibsets or plan my future family out like such, and I like a lot of other names, I am hardly determined to use either of these names, they just seem to have fallen in line together.
Like was said, I kind of thought [name]Lenore[/name] was French or similar in sound (I guess it sounds like [name]Le[/name] Noir), and [name]Cynthia[/name] was Greek (seems also a little Latinized - it is). I think they are both at least American-used enough to seem right together, but something about what age you might think one was - a generation apart in popularity or something, two different tones like, eh… girl next door and smoky nightclub lounge singer.
Here’s the names suggested and random commentary - I also managed to psycho-analyze my taste in girls names (why I love so many names the rest of you call “mom” names or consider in limbo) at some point! (See [name]Theresa[/name]). Thank you for racking your brains for so many suggestions!
With [name]Lenore[/name]:
[name]Aimee[/name] - I love [name]Amy[/name], [name]Aimee[/name] seems very precious.
[name]Annette[/name] - some things can stay in the attic a while as far as I’m concerned.
[name]Avril[/name] - and [name]Lenore[/name] YES.
[name]Beatrice[/name] - not a big fan
[name]Brigitte[/name] - pretty
[name]Cecile[/name] - and [name]Lenore[/name] - looks and sounds very balanced.
[name]Elise[/name] - [name]LOVE[/name] the pair.
[name]Elodie[/name] - not feeling this name yet.
[name]Francine[/name] - I’ve always liked [name]Francine[/name]. Good match.
[name]Genevieve[/name] - I love this name, it seems a little too much more. [name]Eugenie[/name], maybe?
[name]Helene[/name] - another name I love - too related.
[name]Jacquelle[/name] - seems very romance novel-y. Also jackals.
[name]Margaux[/name] - sexy. Would [name]Margot[/name] suffice? Not in love with this name either way.
[name]Mathilde[/name] - not my style.
[name]Mireille[/name] - really not my style.
[name]Pauline[/name] - another name I have started to grow warm for.
[name]Renee[/name] - always loved this name for some reason. Sentimental favorite of the list.
[name]Simone[/name] - too glamorous? I don’t think of [name]Lenore[/name] as very glamorous, maybe. I don’t know why I think [name]Simone[/name] is.
[name]Sylvie[/name] - love it, can’t use it. We have a [name]Sylvia[/name] in the fam already.
[name]Vivienne[/name] - so pretty. A little more like [name]Genevieve[/name]. I love [name]Vivian[/name], I think [name]Vivienne[/name] is a bit much for simple [name]Lenore[/name].
(I don’t know which name these were for):
[name]Agatha[/name] - nope
[name]Agnes[/name] -""
[name]Barbara[/name] -""
[name]Catherine[/name] - like it, but not feeling it with either name.
[name]Cora[/name] - don’t like it that much
[name]Dorothy[/name] - not my taste.
[name]Ellen[/name] - too related to [name]Lenore[/name], but contemporary with [name]Cynthia[/name] in feel?
[name]Eugenia[/name] - I like [name]Eugenie[/name] a lot and [name]Eugenia[/name] really sounds so much like a medical procedure. Am I nuts?
[name]Eulalie[/name] - another name I might consider for other reasons.
[name]Helen[/name] - preferred this to [name]Ellen[/name].
[name]Helena[/name] - very pretty. The [name]Helen[/name]/[name]Ellen[/name] names seem too related to [name]Lenore[/name], but quite nice I think with [name]Cynthia[/name].
[name]Irene[/name] - gorgeous. I always forget about this name. I guess yes, I am nuts.
[name]Iris[/name] - so close to [name]Irene[/name] but I don’t love it at all.
[name]Lois[/name] - so similar to [name]Iris[/name], but I really like it a lot. [name]Lois[/name] and [name]Lenore[/name]; [name]Lois[/name] and [name]Cynthia[/name].
[name]Lydia[/name] - love. Too resemblant of [name]Cynthia[/name], but pleasant with [name]Lenore[/name].
[name]Ophelia[/name] - way too heavy, but beautiful sounding.
[name]Philippa[/name] - I don’t know how to say this name so it sounds nice. I love [name]Philip[/name], I think I would just save it for a boy.
[name]Sophia[/name] - begun to love this way too late. Can’t use it, my cousin named his daughter this.
[name]Theodora[/name] - discussed this in another thread, I think I love it. One of my new names to consider.
[name]Theresa[/name] - another name I’ve loved probably more than is healthy. I don’t know what it is about names of women I think at a certain era, they sound like capable women and not pretty princess ballerinas ([name]Isabella[/name]-ish) or flappers or something quaintly frilly, musty, old-fashioned - straightforward, direct, strong, practical names that I like, women of today, you know them, you work with them, etc. I like a baby with this kind of name on them for some reason (I guess not 100%, but the category tends to fill out a good portion of my usual preferences).
[name]Velma[/name] - oh, no. Crazy you might think, I don’t dislike this name because of the non-[name]Daphne[/name] girl on Scooby-Doo, it just makes me think of vellum and velveeta. When I get around to it, I also think of [name]Velma[/name] from Scooby-Doo. She’s pretty cool, actually. Her name makes me think of fake cheese.
[name]Lenore[/name] and [name]Annabel[/name] (for the [name]Edgar[/name] [name]Allan[/name] [name]Poe[/name] connection), [name]Cynthia[/name] and [name]Vivian[/name] - I like [name]Vivian[/name], but I don’t go for [name]Annabel[/name] for some reason. Nice connection, though.
With [name]Lenore[/name]:
[name]Adelia[/name] - --v
[name]Adele[/name] - I like [name]Adele[/name] more than [name]Adelia[/name]
[name]Alice[/name] - very nice. I can picture that.
[name]Beatrice[/name] - as above, something I don’t like about this name so much.
[name]Bernice[/name] - scroll back up and read the comment for [name]Annette[/name]!
[name]Cleo[/name] - excellent name.
[name]Delia[/name] - I don’t know - just not striking me right. It’s pretty, I think prettier with [name]Eleanor[/name].
[name]Evelyn[/name] - great match. I like this name but do not love it.
[name]Esther[/name] - zow. I love this name but it feels so much older than I imagine a [name]Lenore[/name]. I can love some names, they just still seem too old.
[name]Edith[/name] - this boat can leave without me.
[name]Frances[/name] - a totally beautiful name. I can see this with either [name]Lenore[/name] or [name]Cynthia[/name].
[name]Hazel[/name] - see [name]Esther[/name].
[name]Josephine[/name] - [name]LOVE[/name] - just can’t use it. [name]Lenore[/name] and [name]Josephine[/name] would be a marvelous pair, I think.
[name]Ruth[/name] - see [name]Edith[/name].
[name]Marjorie[/name] - see [name]Esther[/name].
[name]Margaret[/name] - [name]Adore[/name] it.
[name]Mabel[/name] - double [name]Adore[/name] it. [name]Lenore[/name] and [name]Mabel[/name]? I don’t know.
[name]Marian[/name] - I think this would be a very dramatic and beautiful pair with [name]Lenore[/name].
[name]Millicent[/name] - reminds me of militant.
[name]Opal[/name] - I think I don’t like the sound.
[name]Olive[/name] - just a little crusty for me.
[name]Pearl[/name] - another name I am only recently considering. It sounds great with just about everything.
[name]Ruth[/name] - you already said that! LOL.
[name]Sylvia[/name] - we already have a [name]Sylvia[/name] in my extended family.
[name]Vivian[/name] - I think this is great.
[name]Viola[/name] - I like [name]Violet[/name] a lot better. I have no issues with the Spanish translation.
[name]Vera[/name] - see [name]Vivian[/name]. I also like its simplicity. I don’t know if I see it with [name]Lenore[/name], but I like it.
On the whole, some excellent ideas and some names I am glad to be reminded of - I don’t keep lists anymore (in my head, sort of), so sometimes a name I really like just doesn’t occur to me until I see it again. I thank you so much.
I think my issues with [name]Cynthia[/name] are (1) it has a very harsh sound to it, and (2) it is the name of many middle-aged people I know. It just seems awkward to use on a child, in any generation really!
As I said before, I like [name]Lenore[/name] on its own and for its nicknames, particularly [name]Leni[/name] and [name]Lena[/name], but [name]Nora[/name] is cute, too.
My favorites with [name]Lenore[/name] are [name]Elise[/name], [name]Cecile[/name], and [name]Renee[/name]. I really love [name]Lenore[/name] and [name]Cecile[/name], though, because both have cute nicknames. I also like [name]Elise[/name] because it is my middle name…
I agree somewhat that it sounds unstylish. There are names from the same generation that just sound dowdy and awkward to me, but some names sound a lot better to me than others. I crossed off names like [name]Annette[/name] that you suggested, while I do think a name like [name]Theresa[/name] has a better sound to it, I don’t know if you’d particularly call it “timeless” but not so deeply stuck in a particular time to me. I have mentioned a few peers that I had, named [name]Martha[/name], [name]Phyllis[/name], there was also a [name]Gladys[/name], [name]Roberta[/name], kind of unfashionable in my era, and not always pulling it off, but I kind of like some names that sound like grown women, and being an unpopular name, will have a unique sound to it.
There are names that are old-fashioned that everyone seems to think sounds sweet and adorable, that I don’t particularly like for some reason - some names are nice and others definitely only sound old to me, awkward for a modern child, and I don’t like a lot of the modern names. My favorite “modern” names are more likely from another country never really popular in the US before, but not exactly new - just new to us.
I can’t really explain how I became fond of [name]Cynthia[/name] - I also like [name]Deborah[/name], but not [name]Barbara[/name] - [name]Barbara[/name] is sealed in limbo for me, while [name]Deborah[/name] just sounds pretty, so why not? I can’t explain how some names retain their qualities of age and time for me, but then consider other names as a little more able to transcend time and not be completely unusable. I think [name]Cynthia[/name] sounds like the goddess it is, like others consider [name]Daphne[/name]. They are just fashionable at different times within the short memory of modern culture.
I hear “[name]Cynthia[/name]” in the same tones as [name]Sylvia[/name] and [name]Sophia[/name]. In my personal memory, [name]Sophia[/name] was a terrible, bulky name, and now it sounds soft but strong, and millions of people prefer it to any other name. [name]Sylvia[/name] was probably never too popular, which is why it seems to get a pass. I think of [name]Sylvia[/name] as the same age as [name]Cynthia[/name] - and people think it sounds unique and soft and really consider it over [name]Cynthia[/name], a more epidemic name of that era. As name fashions evolve, people leave behind the epidemic name for something very close, but different. According to the SSA, [name]Sylvia[/name] was most popular in the 30s, but never broke above a #50 (in an era when the top 5 were a much bigger percentage of given names than they are now), while priming the way for [name]Cynthia[/name], most popular in the 50s, and a top 10 through the mid-60s. I would deeply consider [name]Sylvia[/name] over [name]Cynthia[/name], but as I mentioned, this name is in use in my family, and I don’t want to seem like a namesake to this person when there are so many good names. She rocks, by the way.
I guess that does somewhat explain [name]Cynthia[/name], possibly. I’m unlikely to use it, but it stays on my mind. I also think more highly of [name]Cindy[/name] than I once did. I like it as people like [name]Daisy[/name] or [name]Maisie[/name] or [name]Lottie[/name] or [name]Hattie[/name] - I don’t like those at all, especially [name]Hattie[/name]. I have my own perspective on what seems quaint and delightful. I think [name]Hattie[/name] might sound adorable on a toddler dressing up in mama’s old dresses and costume jewelry, but does not seem to fit into my vision of a modern high school, [name]Hattie[/name] with her wheelie sneakers, [name]Hattie[/name] and her crush on [name]Cole[/name], [name]Hattie[/name] answering the phone at her desk at work, “[name]Hattie[/name] speaking,” all sound crazy to me, [name]Hattie[/name]'s turn to do carpool to scouts. Until she is bragging about her grandchildren, [name]Hattie[/name] sounds inappropriate from the age of 3 to about 60. Sorry to slam down so hard on [name]Hattie[/name]! I am trying to make a point. Different things sound beautiful and appropriate to different people, and completely off the wall to others.
All those names, aside from [name]Cecile[/name], are more in the range of names I tend to like best. I like a name with an L or and R in it, Ns and Ss are also good. I typically don’t like a hard TH sound like [name]Cynthia[/name] - where a name like [name]Julia[/name] just sounds unbunched, I guess that’s a good word for it, [name]Sylvia[/name] too. [name]Cecile[/name] does make a very likely pair with [name]Lenore[/name] - they sound different but look very balanced together, same length, same rhythm. I don’t like Cece as a nickname or [name]Cissy[/name] or (sounds like) [name]Seal[/name].
[name]Lenore[/name], aside from [name]Cynthia[/name], sounds pretty relaxed and unbunched herself. [name]Eleanor[/name] sounds very focused on her homework to me. A leadership name. [name]Lenore[/name] has sounds like [name]Lauren[/name] only inside out - that is my sister’s name (I think it is also your name?) I don’t know if it has the total quaintness that an [name]Eleanor[/name] has. I like [name]Eleanor[/name], but I think it is too popular and also a bit more old-fashioned than my tastes. I adore [name]Elena[/name] better, or [name]Helen[/name] - still working on whether [name]Helen[/name] sounds ok or really stern. Can’t have a [name]Helen[/name] or [name]Elena[/name] with a [name]Lenore[/name], where [name]Lena[/name] seems so short. I love [name]Lena[/name], but at times feel it is a really weird name for me to even like on its own. [name]Elena[/name] and [name]Elise[/name] are also no together, where I guess [name]Elise[/name] and [name]Lenore[/name] sound probably my ideal pair of the set. [name]Renee[/name] is also pretty, but I can’t imagine picking a [name]Renee[/name] over [name]Elise[/name] or [name]Elena[/name]. [name]Renee[/name] and [name]Lenore[/name] - I hear [name]Ren[/name] and [name]Len[/name], it’s a little cutesy twinsy to me. [name]Elise[/name] and [name]Renee[/name] sound nice together, but [name]Lenore[/name] or [name]Elena[/name] (one or the other) feels like a top pick to me at present, so wouldn’t want to omit both of them entirely because [name]Renee[/name] is so close-sounding to go with either. I’m not planning or pregnant right now, so it’s pretty moot either way.
I like [name]Nora[/name] a lot. I just at times feel like [name]Lenore[/name] is a great name, or maybe is still limbo material. I’m quite aware of [name]Cynthia[/name]'s position there, but [name]Lenore[/name] is similar to me like a [name]Carolyn[/name] or [name]Kathryn[/name] - that kind of pep-it-up style that’s not very fashionable now (or seems cheap and invented), as people typically like old, classic, standard-spelling forms. Or is it really special?
Between what people usually favor and oppose, I am in some ways over this whole old-fashioned stuff, not liking the modern inventions, and ready to dig into other categories for some relief, something normal yet special. Names with character, names of people I’ve known and not just read about. I am not particularly sentimental about the world before electric lighting and commercial air travel, so it’s harder for me to love this 100-year rule or feel the imagery of rural pre-industrial simplicity very appealing, if that makes any sense. I also think my complex make-up to be about 70% different drummer, and 30% familiar not wacky - the names I like tend to be familiar but out of use (unique among her peers), and not terrible sounding, but may be dated - may sound like she was named despite fashion after an older relative. Your ears may hear something different, but that is a basic formula for what I tend to like best. This doesn’t apply to boys names. I don’t know why.
I loved your discussion of [name]Hattie[/name], as it made me see the name in a new light. I’ve never much been fond of [name]Hattie[/name], but now I see why.
[name]Lenore[/name] and [name]Elise[/name] is really a pretty combination, but here again [name]Elise[/name] has a more modern feel whereas [name]Lenore[/name] has that vintage, ancestor sound - I don’t know how to explain it! I personally don’t care for [name]Nora[/name], and I see [name]Eleanor[/name] in the same way you do. Yes, my name is [name]Lauren[/name], and I see the [name]Lenore[/name]-[name]Lauren[/name] connection, but [name]Lauren[/name] seems more buttoned-up whereas [name]Lenore[/name] sounds and feels more elegant, befitting of a glamorized Old Hollywood lifestyle.
Oh, [name]Barbara[/name]! That one is definitely locked away for me, but I must say [name]Deborah[/name] is there, too. It seems clunky and I don’t care for [name]Debbie[/name]. [name]Susan[/name], too, is locked away. None of these names have the elegance and style, nor the presence, that I personally look for in a name!
I love how everyone has a different opinion on these things. It makes things fun!
See why not [name]Debbie[/name], but people like [name]Tibbie[/name]? I guess that is sort of an example. I don’t feel like [name]Lauren[/name] is too buttoned up. It’s a little more chic than [name]Laura[/name], at least when my sister was born. I think my mom gave up on K-names. The last name begins with a vowel - technically, so my mom seems to have some preference against names that end with a vowel (at least she did when my niece was born). This is a round-about way of saying sometimes my name sounds like [name]Kara[/name] N_____, but probably why my mom went with [name]Lauren[/name] as opposed to [name]Laura[/name], but her name sounds like [name]Laura[/name] N_____ also. I think also [name]Lauren[/name] wasn’t yet so popular, while [name]Karen[/name] was already declining when I was born. Ultimately, [name]Lauren[/name] Bacall was a very glamorous reference to my mom at the time. At least that’s how I remember it.
I don’t think [name]Lauren[/name] is totally buttoned up in a way that [name]Lenore[/name] isn’t, maybe just one more button (not if you asked my sister). I think [name]Eleanor[/name] is way more buttoned up, from her collar to her shoes. I hope [name]Lenore[/name] doesn’t sound extremely cheap. I think she is just comfortable with her body and fun to know!
I have steered into another cute topic I like - twisting names from one to another, like [name]Lauren[/name] and [name]Lenore[/name], switching a syllable or a letter or letter combo ([name]Cynthia[/name] or [name]Sophia[/name] both lead to [name]Sylvia[/name] sounding renewed - like a popular name but different). [name]Eleanor[/name] and [name]Lenore[/name] seem like opposites imagery-wise even if they are nearly identical. I think a lot of name evolution comes from this; names that still sound familiar but a little different sound new and the old ones sound faint and dated. This usually seems to go in forms of the same name, but I like to see it different names entirely that have a lot of the same elements and/or structure. [name]Lenore[/name]/[name]Elena[/name]/[name]Elise[/name] - [name]Lenore[/name] and [name]Elise[/name] make a distinct pair, and [name]Elena[/name] is too close to both of them. It’s like a word game.
[name]Karen[/name], you always write such long, intricate posts, sometimes I get confused trying to wrap my head around your words! It is good for my brain to try and work out your thought process I love how thoughtful you are!
Perhaps buttoned-up wasn’t the best way to describe [name]Lauren[/name], but I meant it more in terms of look and sound rather than image. To me, [name]Lauren[/name] is simple and studious, yet playful and relaxed. If I had to pick a modern Nameberry name to fit [name]Lauren[/name], I’d choose [name]Matilda[/name], a fun-loving tomboy or an elegant girl-y girl. [name]Eleanor[/name], as we both agree, is “buttoned-up” in the sense that she is focused and calm, studious and, honestly, a bit bland. If I had to pick a modern Nameberry name to match [name]Eleanor[/name] (although the best pick would be [name]Eleanor[/name] herself), I would choose [name]Margaret[/name], a simple girl with a good head on her shoulders, focused and determined, yet not at all frilly. [name]Lenore[/name], on the other hand, is serene and glamorous, sultry and smooth. I think the modern [name]Lenore[/name] is [name]Serena[/name], a feisty, confident girl with presence and poise. Does that better convey how I feel about those names?
To me, in your continuum of names ([name]Lenore[/name] - [name]Elena[/name] - [name]Elise[/name]), [name]Lenore[/name] is [name]Lenore[/name], [name]Elena[/name] is [name]Eleanor[/name], and [name]Elise[/name] is [name]Lauren[/name]. If you want to perk up [name]Elena[/name] a bit more, perhaps closer to [name]Lenore[/name], I’d choose [name]Helena[/name], which has a bit of a sophisticated chic sound that I prefer over [name]Elena[/name]. [name]Lenore[/name] and [name]Elise[/name] are a cute pair, though.
Oh, and to set the record straight, in the same way I don’t like [name]Debbie[/name], I don’t care for [name]Tibbie[/name]. The only -ie names I really (sort of) like are [name]Evie[/name], [name]Maggie[/name], and [name]Sadie[/name], but I think they should stick to nicknames only.
I love the way [name]Karen[/name] writes. But I do scan some of it and then read it again. There is a bit of angst and a bit of very dry humor in your writing, [name]Karen[/name]. Somehow your tone reminds me of [name]Jane[/name] Eyre. I get really sad when you are absent from Nameberry for a while. I am so happy when you write often, [name]Karen[/name]!
The names I love right now are either classic or cutting edge vintage.
If I had a baby now, maybe I would name him or her a hipster name because I am hanging out with so many hipsters now.
Hipster Names
Boy:
[name]Lionel[/name] [name]Andrew[/name] (I always love the middle name [name]Andrew[/name])
Girl:
[name]Vivian[/name] [name]Flora[/name]
[name]Cynthia[/name] is not interesting to me at this time.
[name]Lenore[/name] is fabulous, makes me think of a vintage haunted house, names that go with it:
I love how thoughtful you are!