we’re not sure of our baby’s gender, but we have a name picked out if its a girl, but we need to decide on a middle name. I want something from [name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name] and my boyfriend is fine with it, but i’d like to hear your thoughts on these somewhat odd names. don’t worry, we have some common names on our list too, including rose, lily, eleanor…but I don’t think most people would mind them as middle names, so I didn’t include them.
What do you think of these names, as middle names? Most people will probably dislike them and I’m fine with that, but if you heard of someone who’s middle name was one of these, what would your first reaction be? I’d love to hear your prejudices!
Sacharissa - Saccharine, as in the sweetener that gives you cancer.
[name]Bellatrix[/name] - Guilty pleasure of mine, but now that Rowling has got her hands on it, best go with a different astronomy name, maybe [name]Andromeda[/name]. Which I know was also a character but not the crazy vicious [name]Helena[/name] Bonham [name]Carter[/name] scenery-chewing one. On the flipside, it does have a genuinely pleasant sound like [name]Bellerose[/name] or [name]Beatrix[/name]. Dilemma.
Cliodna - Reminds me of Cleome, a flower I really like.
[name]Narcissa[/name] - [name]Lovely[/name] flowers, [name]Jonquil[/name] is the usable name.
Summerbee - Odd but cute.
Cedrella, Leopoldina - [name]Cedric[/name] and [name]Leopold[/name] are eccentric, the feminine variants are borderline scary.
[name]Hermione[/name] - Really made me sad as a character.
Ravenclaw, Nymphadora, Tonks - These would, honestly, all make me sad that they were considered usable and [name]Minerva[/name], [name]Luna[/name], and [name]Ginevra[/name] didn’t make the cut.
I agree with stripedsocks that [name]Luna[/name], [name]Minerva[/name], and [name]Ginevra[/name] would be more usable. [name]Luna[/name] is a favourite of mine.
I’m a huge HP fan, but I don’t really see many of those names as usable. [name]Hermione[/name] is lovely, and some of them could work, but overall I think a lot of them are just unattractive.
I wouldn’t use most of these as first names either, but are they really that unusable as middle names? [name]How[/name] often do we really use our middle name, isn’t more fun to have a unusual name instead of something mainstream? my name is mikayla madelyn, and I pretty much never use madelyn. and yeah, maybe they aren’t the most attractive ones, but i think you just have to get used to most of them. and they all have a meaning to me, which to me is more important than just having a name that sounds good.
For middles, some of these are okay, but summerbee? ravenclaw? are way too much. Ravenclaw is basically branding your child with [name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name] and then implying you want her in that house, which if she ends up being a gryffindor fan, could lead to issues, not to mention teasing…
Of your list I think these are usable, but only as middles:
[name]Bellatrix[/name] - I like the name, but because of the character, I wouldn’t use it… ([name]Beatrice[/name], [name]Beatrix[/name] are good alternatives)
[name]Amata[/name]
[name]Altheda[/name]
[name]Mafalda[/name]
[name]Selwyn[/name]
Cliodna
Cedrella - sounds like [name]Cinderella[/name] to me
[name]Narcissa[/name] - same as [name]Bellatrix[/name]
[name]Hermione[/name] - might be too tied to the character
Malodora
Elladora
[name]Dorea[/name]
Eoessa
Leopoldina - fine as middle, but just sounds like someone tried to make a feminine version of [name]Leopold[/name], so it seems very made up
Perenelle
And I’m a big [name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name] fan, but I don’t honestly remember most of these names? Are they all really from [name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name]?
Some of these are usable, but some of them are really just stupid. JK Rowling made up a lot of character names based on words that conveyed a certain meaning, and not usually a good one! [name]Just[/name] because it’s written somewhere doesn’t make a name usable (or legit) in real life. [name]Remember[/name], these are [name]FANTASY[/name] novels!
[name]Bellatrix[/name] - cool, usable
[name]Amata[/name] - not so cool but usable
[name]Altheda[/name] - not so cool but usable
[name]Mafalda[/name] - usable
[name]Selwyn[/name] - usable
Cliodna - its an actual name, but not a very attractive one.
Ravenclaw - No, it's not a name.
Nymphadora - seriously? No.
Tonks - seriously? No.
Summerbee - sounds more like a pet name, not an actual one. if you name your kid [name]Summer[/name] [name]Bethany[/name] or something, Summerbee is an acceptable nickname.
Cedrella - feminization of [name]Cedric[/name]? No. please no.
[name]Narcissa[/name] - reminds me of narcissistic, which isn't an adjective you want applied to your kid.
[name]Hermione[/name] - usable
Malodora - malodorous means "bad smelling", Rowling clearly invented this for a certain type of character. Malodorous isn't that obscure a word.
Elladora - not so cool, but i guess its usable
[name]Dorea[/name] - usable
Eoessa - i can't imagine that there IS a pronunciation for this, and i'm pretty good and figuring that kind of thing out. Please don't.
Leopoldina - No. it's unattractive and silly-sounding, even if it is a real name, more or less.
Sacharissa - as others noted, its just playing with the word "saccharine". No.
Perenelle - usable
A middle name isn’t used all the time, no, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good place to stick a name with a horrible association (such as a bigoted, sadistic, violent character) or a name that will provoke laughter during solemn occasions like her graduation or wedding.
Usable:
[name]Amata[/name]
[name]Altheda[/name]
[name]Mafalda[/name]
Cliodna
Cedrella
[name]Hermione[/name] -[name]Love[/name] this, and the character is admirable.
Elladora
Leopoldina
Perenelle -Possibly my favorite. It’s gorgeous.
Marginal, but probably okay:
[name]Selwyn[/name] -Makes me think of Umbridge, which I wouldn’t want, but it’s not unusable.
Summerbee -[name]Silly[/name], but I once knew a girl named [name]Summer[/name]-[name]Breeze[/name], and it didn’t do her any harm. I have to say Summerbee would be fine in the middle.
[name]Dorea[/name] -It reminds me of diarrhea and Dorito, but I think it’s doable in the middle.
Eoessa -Not at all attractive, but as a middle name, it’s okay.
Unusable, even in the middle:
[name]Bellatrix[/name] -A horrible, horrible association. [name]Just[/name] yuck.
Ravenclaw -[name]Just[/name] make her a Ravenclaw uniform for Halloween instead. [name]Don[/name]'t make her drag a Hogwarts House name around for life.
Nymphadora -[name]Even[/name] the character acknowledged her name was ridiculous and embarrassing.
Tonks -Comical.
[name]Narcissa[/name] -narcissism
Malodora -malodorous = smells bad
Sacharissa -saccharine = an artificial sweetener that is also a carcinogen.
I love [name]Hermione[/name],intend on using it.
[name]Bellatrix[/name] has always sounded “witchy” to me,even before the [name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name] character.
[name]Minerva[/name] -I think could work in the middle
[name]Ginevra[/name] - I have to really concentrate on not saying [name]Minerva[/name],just with a G instead.
[name]Narcissa[/name] would be usable were not the feminine form of Narcissis. Not a positive link!
[name]Bellatrix[/name]- I really don’t like the sound of [name]Bella[/name], so off the bat, this one isn’t appealing to me. It’s not HP, but I think Viatrix is pretty awesome. I’d roll my eyes if I met someone whose mn was this :S
[name]Amata[/name]- Eeh… not a fan. It doesn’t feel substantial enough for me. I wouldn’t have a reaction if this was someone’s mn.
[name]Altheda[/name]- I’m not liking this one either. No reaction for this either, other than maybe, “That’s… interesting…”
[name]Mafalda[/name]- I love this, actually! I’d totally make a positive comment on it.
[name]Selwyn[/name]- isn’t this a boy’s name? I do’t care for it either way.
Cliodna- Yikes, totally unappealing to me.
Ravenclaw- Oh man, I would definitely question this person’s parents. Honestly, there’s no explanation for this that would make it appropriate.
Nymphadora- I hate it… a lot. I didn’t like the character at all, “nymph” names are asking for trouble, and I’d feel really bad for anyone who has this as a name
Tonks- Ok, I kind of want to stop reading this list now, lol. These are getting to the point where it’s like… these are not being thought about with the person who has to live with this name in mind.
[name]Dorea[/name] & Elladora- not awful, but not great, either.
[name]Hermione[/name]- I almost never support [name]Hermione[/name], haha, but I’m definitely putting in a ‘yes’ vote for this one from this list.
Leopoldina- I like it, not gonna lie:)
I’d use [name]Bellatrix[/name] or [name]Hermione[/name] from your list. I would also add [name]Andromeda[/name], [name]Ginevra[/name], [name]Emmeline[/name], [name]Lavender[/name], [name]Appoline[/name], [name]Ariana[/name], [name]Augusta[/name] and [name]Minerva[/name]. Not unusual, but useable. Please don’t use Nymphadora, that’s just mean.
[name]Bellatrix[/name] - pretty, but has a negative connotation obviously
[name]Narcissa[/name] - same as above, but a bit better
[name]Amata[/name] - nice
[name]Dorea[/name] - nice
[name]Hermione[/name] - not bad
Cliodna - okay, not as lovely as some of your others
Ravenclaw - this isn’t name-like enough for me, what about [name]Ravena[/name] or [name]Rowena[/name] or [name]Helena[/name]
Nymphadora - cool, but a bit cumbersome I think
Tonks - meh, if you love the character it could be great, but it’s not really a pretty name
Summerbee - this sounds too made up/smooshy to me.
Cedrella - this feels like a mash up of [name]Cedric[/name] and [name]Cinderella[/name], which seems kinda odd
[name]Selwyn[/name] - meh, this feels masculine
Malodora - this sounds like malodorous to me, meaning smelling bad
[name]Mafalda[/name] - this one just isn’t pretty to me
Eoessa - wouldn’t really know how to pronounce this one
Leopoldina - don’t like it
Sacharissa - meh, too strange
I have never read/watched [name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name] so my perspective might be lacking!
[name]Bellatrix[/name]- not my style, has a [name]Jezabel[/name] kind of vibe. I wouldn’t blink tho. It’s not that odd.
[name]Amata[/name]- nms reminds me of [name]Amaya[/name]. It works as a mn or fn tho.
[name]Altheda[/name]- my fave so far, I love [name]Althea[/name] & [name]Theda[/name]. I would consider this name myself.
[name]Mafalda[/name]- ugly imo. Sorry!
[name]Selwyn[/name]- mns like Arwyn & [name]Bronwyn[/name].
Cliodna- nms but it works. I like [name]Clio[/name].
Ravenclaw- I wouldn’t want this to be my mn! [name]Raven[/name] is ok. [name]Raven[/name] [name]Claudia[/name] for a double middle maybe?
Nymphadora- no way. Nympho jokes would just be too easy.
Tonks- no.
Summerbee- weird but usable. Very cutsey.
Cedrella- nms but usable
[name]Narcissa[/name]- dislike connection to narcissism
[name]Hermione[/name]- ugly & makes me think of hermaphrodites. This one even I recognize as a [name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name] name.
Malodora- nms don’t like mal
Elladora
[name]Dorea[/name]
Eoessa
Leopoldina
Sacharissa
Perenelle[/QU-
Thanks for everyone’s input so far. The first name we have decided on is [name]Parker[/name] (someone asked) and after reading some of the responses i’ve removed some of the names from my list, including Malodora, [name]Narcissa[/name], Nymphadora, Cedrella, [name]Bellatrix[/name] and a couple more. I can’t help it but I really love Ravenclaw as a middle name haha. Personally, I love [name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name] and especially the gryffindor house, so it’s not like i’m just going with “my” house as a middle name, I just like Ravenclaw.
It’s gonna be even harder to decide on a boys name…
[name]Just[/name] remember you don’t have to walk around with it as a name, your future child will and Ravenclaw is just not acceptable. She’s going to hate her middle name and not want to share it because she will get teased. Also people will give you funny looks and know right away you are obsessed with [name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name], which I’m assuming you are to consider a lot of these names. Your child might even hate [name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name]!
I [name]LOVE[/name] HP names–I am currently trying to convince Mr. J that [name]Harry[/name] and [name]Hermione[/name] are the perfect names for us. He seriously disagrees
From your list, I love these for the middle:
[name]Bellatrix[/name] – has serious presence and sass!
[name]Altheda[/name] – soft and strong at once
[name]Selwyn[/name] – lovely!
[name]Hermione[/name] – favorite!
Elladora – feminine and combines two lovely names
[name]Dorea[/name] – interesting; reminds me of [name]Dorian[/name] and [name]Dory[/name] from Finding [name]Nemo[/name], hehe.
Perenelle–unique and pretty
[name]Don[/name]'t love these:
[name]Amata[/name]–weird sound association with armada
[name]Mafalda[/name]–doesn’t sound pretty to my ear–reminds me of Maleficent…
Cliodna–this is clunky
Ravenclaw–too direct an association–why not [name]Rowena[/name]?
Nymphadora–I didn’t like this name in the book (not even Tonks did!)–makes me think of nymphomaniac and the bullies will, too.
Tonks–honk honk! or Tonka trucks…I wouldn’t like this for a boy, either.
Summerbee–a little too crunchy granola for me.
Cedrella–sounds make up.
[name]Narcissa[/name]–narcissistic is not such a great connection.
Malodora–reminds me of malcontent, Malfoy, and all other unsavory mal- words.
Eoessa–at first glance, I have no idea how to pronounce that… that’s a whole lotta vowel.
Leopoldina–and this is a whole lotta name.
Sacharissa–what?
I recommend [name]Minerva[/name], [name]Ginevra[/name], [name]Rowena[/name], [name]Violetta[/name], and [name]Andromeda[/name]. Good luck!
Ok, I’m probably one of the biggest [name]Harry[/name] potter fans you will ever meet and I think the majority of these names are a bit laughable. Not to say that there aren’t amazing names to be found in the series but these, really? Perenelle is pretty though and doesn’t have any bad baggage from the series. [name]Hermione[/name] is super tied to the series but it/she is so awesome I’d say go for it if it sounded nice with [name]Parker[/name] (it’s ok). [name]Parker[/name] [name]Ginevra[/name] is better, [name]Parker[/name] [name]Rose[/name] is best and still has a [name]Hermione[/name] connection. Overall I think you should focus on giving her a middle name that has a beautiful meaning or represents a character you hope she will be like not just being a name that happened to appear in a [name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name] book.
I would only use [name]Altheda[/name] and Elladora from your list as middle names. The others are either too closely associated with [name]Harry[/name] potter or they just don’t sound nice. I would strongly recommend not using Ravenclaw as a middle name. It would just be horrible punishment for your daughter. Like the others have said, you don’t have to carry this name around for eighteen years until she could change her name. No matter how much you like [name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name], Ravenclaw is not a good middle name.
Here are some good names that aren’t as tied to the series as the other ones.
[name]Parker[/name] [name]Ariana[/name]
[name]Parker[/name] [name]Arabella[/name]
[name]Parker[/name] [name]Cassandra[/name]
[name]Parker[/name] [name]Gabrielle[/name]
[name]Parker[/name] [name]Marietta[/name]
[name]Parker[/name] [name]Millicent[/name]
[name]Parker[/name] [name]Minerva[/name]
[name]Parker[/name] [name]Rose[/name]
[name]Parker[/name] [name]Rowena[/name]
Now some of those may not work but they are not as tied to the series and won’t lead to weird looks or teasing.
