[name]Hi[/name] everybody…
My husband and I are hoping to get some feedback on our name choice, which is kind of unusual. We both really like [name]Smith[/name] [name]Liberty[/name] for our daughter… what do you think? We know it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but we’re wondering specifically if anyone can think of any negative nicknames or teasing that may arise-- we want our daughter to have a unique & cool name (that’s still really easy to pronounce / spell), but we don’t want to make her life difficult! Any feedback you have would be really appreciated… thanks in advance.
Well there is [name]John[/name] [name]Smith[/name] from [name]Pocahontas[/name]… It also is a boy’s name. [name]Smith[/name] is also a character in Sex in the City and is a boy. [name]Smitty[/name] is a common nickname for [name]Smith[/name]. It’s also a common surname, so people might ask her if that’s her last name or why she goes by her last name.
Sorry, but I just don’t like it on a girl. It just sounds very masculine.
This site is very helpful:
[name]Smith[/name] [name]Liberty[/name] sounds very colonial Williamsburg to me. I get images of going into an old silversmith shop. It’s certainly different, but I like surnames as first names, especially when there is meaning behind it. I can’t think of any reason [name]Smith[/name] would get made fun of.
I have the opposite opinion to you on the name [name]Smith[/name]. Since [name]Smith[/name] is the most common surname around, I personally wouldn’t define it as “unique or cool”. It’s just kind of bland and unattractive on either gender. It’s like you actually [name]DON[/name]'T want your daughter to standout in a crowd if you choose this name. Different strokes for different folks, I guess!
As soon as I read [name]Smith[/name] I instantly thought of Smithy from [name]Gavin[/name] and [name]Stacey[/name] which may or may not be a problem depending on where you live.
It’s such a common last name that I think people would just assume it was her last name. It’s pretty masculine, which could give children a reason to tease her.
I don’t think it has a very appealing sound either, sorry.
Ok. Going to preempt my comment by saying as a general rule, I do not like boy’s names on girls. And, I can’t stand the name [name]Liberty[/name].
That being said, something about [name]Smith[/name] [name]Liberty[/name] just… works. I find myself really liking it - in spite of myself. 
So I give you kudos for that!
I think [name]Smith[/name] on a girl is interesting and kind of fun. A LOT more interesting than [name]Sophia[/name], [name]Ava[/name], or [name]Olivia[/name] currently. I would MUCH rather meet a little [name]Smith[/name] than any of the others I just mentioned. I did know one kid in high school with the last name [name]Smith[/name] and his buddies called him [name]Smitty[/name]. [name]Smitty[/name] doesn’t seem like the best nn for a girl, so that might be a concern.
[name]Just[/name] FYI, it looks like you’re new 'round these parts. Heads up that gender-bending names tend to be a hot-button issue on Nameberry. There have been some threads about boy names on girls that have gotten pretty hateful and out of hand. So my advice would be to just ignore the haters, because you’ll probably get some.
Good luck!
I like it, apart from the potential “[name]Smitty[/name]” nickname. Maybe have a feminine nickname on hand?
[name]Mitzy[/name], [name]Maisie[/name], [name]Mim[/name], [name]Mimi[/name]?
Sorry, I think this is a dreadful idea. There is nothing pretty or feminine about the surname [name]Smith[/name]. It’s such a common surname that I can’t see it as a first name at all. I hear [name]Smith[/name] and think surname, I read [name]Smith[/name] and think surname. Like people said above, people are most likely going to assume [name]Smith[/name] is her last name which I’d imagine is going to get really annoying really quickly.
Other suggestions:
Sm Sound:
Smiljana (Croatian)
[name]Jasmine[/name]
[name]Esme[/name]
Smriti ([name]Indian[/name])
Th Sound:
Ailith
[name]Blythe[/name]
[name]Meredith[/name]
[name]Judith[/name]
[name]Edith[/name]
[name]Talitha[/name]
[name]Tabitha[/name]
Other Names:
[name]Sorrel[/name]
No. Please, don’t do that to your kid. Growing up with a name that has never been in the top 1000 is very hard. She will most likely hate you.
If you love [name]Smith[/name], then use it as a middle or have a flowery first name behind it. [name]Smith[/name] [name]Ariana[/name] is a lot better. Try and have something more common (Not top 10, but either top 100/200) than [name]Liberty[/name]. [name]Smith[/name] [name]Alexandra[/name]/[name]Alexandria[/name] is good, as well.
But, please use it as a middle name. It would be average for a boy, but on a girl it has no feminine qualities.
Is [name]Smith[/name] a family name? [name]Do[/name] you like occupational names in general (like [name]Sailor[/name], [name]Archer[/name], [name]Taylor[/name], [name]Cooper[/name]) and want something more unusual?
I think it will cause problems-- it’s such a common surname, and such an uncommon first name (for a boy or a girl), that her name will be frequently reversed. Whatever your actual last name is-- Harriman, let’s pretend-- she’ll be called Harriman [name]Smith[/name] more often than [name]Smith[/name] Harriman because people will assume there was a computer mistake or something when her name was printed. It’s an unconscious neurologic process, to switch the two.
I think it’s interesting, but less interesting when [name]Liberty[/name] is taken out and she becomes [name]Smith[/name] “Harriman.” Children aren’t often called by their middles so you lose the workability of the name.
Now, it could be dressed up a bit and switched to the legitimate English surname variant [name]Smythe[/name]. That’s pronounced either ‘smith’ or “smEYE-the,” with the ending -th voiced, like in ‘leather’ (rather than unvoiced, like in ‘with.’) [name]Smythe[/name] looks more feminine, more name-y, and more interesting when [name]Liberty[/name] is subtracted.
Either way, congratulations on your baby girl and welcome to nameberry.
My name has never been in the top 1000 and I definitely don’t hate my parents or my name. I wouldn’t say that I would consider my experience with my name to be “hard” either. Unusual names certainly can be a hardship in certain circumstances, but I think you’re being a bit melodramatic here.
[name]Smith[/name] on a girl is not going to go over well on this board at all, but I actually don’t hate it. Years ago, probably when I was in middle school, I remember watching a prank show on TV and one of the actors who was in on the prank was a girl named [name]Smith[/name]. I remember it because I thought it was cool enough that for a while after it was one of my favorite names for a girl (again, I was really young, so these thoughts weren’t very serious at all). I completely get its appeal.
I think that it’s not the to the taste of this board, but it’s not a name that would actually cause her hardship in real life. I totally agree about [name]Smith[/name] [name]Liberty[/name] bringing up images of colonial Williamsburg. I like it.
I love it! I am very fond of “boys” names and surnames for girls. [name]Pearce[/name] is one of my favorite names for a girl. I think [name]Smith[/name] is very unique and definitely has that cool factor. I am not sure how I like [name]Liberty[/name] with it though. I tend to favor very feminine middle names with a unisex first name. Maybe something like [name]Smith[/name] [name]Elena[/name], [name]Smith[/name] [name]Ava[/name], [name]Smith[/name] [name]Courtney[/name], [name]Smith[/name] [name]Audrey[/name], or [name]Smith[/name] [name]Lillian[/name].
I can’t think of anyway that [name]Smith[/name] could be made fun of.
[name]Love[/name] the suggestion of [name]Smythe[/name]! Much more feminine, and although still a surname, its a much less common one.
With that said, you may also like the name [name]Blythe[/name]. [name]Blythe[/name] [name]Liberty[/name] is a stunning stunning name, and still gives that same cool vibe as [name]Smythe[/name]/[name]Smith[/name] but much more feminine (and with an awesome meaning to boot!).
Awful, imo. I don’t like it at all, I’d hate to be named [name]Smith[/name].
I honestly don’t think [name]Smythe[/name] would make a difference since if they hear [name]Smith[/name], they’ll still think [name]Smith[/name]. [name]Smythe[/name] would lead to people saying “Sm-eye-th” instead if they are reading the name.
I got a colonial vibe too. That said, I’m confused by the statement that you want a “unique & cool name” for your daughter. You want a “unique & cool name,” so chose a very generic and common surname as a first name? [name]Liberty[/name] is the unusual and cool name here, not [name]Smith[/name].
If you are absolutely, 100 percent, head-over-heels in love with the name [name]Smith[/name] than you should use it. But - but! - if you like it just because you think it’s “unique and cool” then I would back. away. from. the. name. You’re going to have to be saying - and writing, and yelling - this name multiple times a day for the rest of your life. If you’re choosing it just because you think it’s “different” I think you’re asking for disappointment. [name]Smythe[/name] does look more feminine, but I could see a lot of people pronouncing it “Sm-eye-th,” as catloverd pointed out, or “[name]Smith[/name]-ie,” which would be a royal pain. And the nickname [name]Smitty[/name] isn’t particularly flattering for a girl. The suggestion of [name]Blythe[/name] is a great one, plus there’s [name]Meredith[/name], [name]Judith[/name] or [name]Edith[/name] if you like that “th” sound.
When I hear [name]Smitty[/name], all I can see is an old [name]German[/name] man that I once knew in my mind. [name]Smith[/name] just doesn’t seem cool or unique in any way at all. [name]One[/name] of my best friends had a last name as a first name and despised it. When he turned 18 he promptly changed his name to something better that was more like a name to him.
When i “seconded” [name]Smythe[/name], i was meaning for it to be pronounced as sm-eye-th (with a strong -th not soft). In no way would i suggest [name]Smythe[/name] if you are head over heels with the pn. of [name]Smith[/name] - i was suggesting it as an alternative name, not a yooneek spelling!