So, it’s official: we’re expecting a girl! DH and I both want to honor our respective grandmothers who share the name, but also agree that we want to spice it up a bit.
[name]Annabel[/name] – I think this might be too cutesy and trendy for me, and we have a niece named [name]Ellie[/name]. Still considering, though. Family loves it.
[name]Susanna/name – On the fence. Hate nn [name]Susie[/name] for personal reasons, dislike [name]Sunny[/name], and [name]Sookie[/name] has been taken over by pop culture, but love nn [name]Sanna[/name] and just plain old [name]Susanna/name. Need opinions on this one!
[name]Annika[/name] - Not a fan.
[name]Anya[/name] - [name]Love[/name] it. DH thinks it just sounds like being on ya.
[name]Rosanna[/name] - Ugh, that song! [name]Love[/name] that we could call her [name]Rose[/name]. Disgruntled by the pretty popular song, and I wonder if it’s dated?
Questions: Could I conceivably pass [name]Rhiannon[/name] as honoring our Annas? Does [name]Anna[/name] [name]Rose[/name] have any hope of being an actual candidate? I can’t decide if it flows right.
To give you an idea of our style, DH and I like [name]Beatrice[/name], [name]Scarlett[/name], [name]Delilah[/name], [name]Gemma[/name], [name]Nuala[/name] ([name]LOVE[/name]! Wish so much it could be incorporated with [name]Anna[/name] in a way that DH likes), [name]Francesca[/name], [name]Harriet[/name] nn [name]Hattie[/name], etc. I suppose I like classic and ageless with a little bit of feisty.
I [name]LOVE[/name] [name]Rosanna[/name]! [name]How[/name] about [name]Annelise[/name]? Annalina? [name]Arianna[/name]? [name]Adrianna[/name]? [name]Annamarie[/name]? [name]Elianna[/name]? [name]Gianna[/name]? [name]Hannah[/name]? [name]Joanna[/name]? [name]Leanna[/name] or [name]Lianna[/name]? [name]Lillian[/name]/na? [name]Roxanne[/name]? At a little more of a stretch, [name]Andrea[/name]? [name]Anastasia[/name]? [name]Anoushka[/name]? [name]Bianca[/name]? Or the meaning of [name]Anne[/name] is [name]Grace[/name], so what about that or other names that mean [name]Grace[/name]: [name]Nina[/name]? Or the French [name]Anne[/name] - An”is? I dont like these, but maybe you might: [name]Anita[/name], [name]Annette[/name]. Good [name]Luck[/name]!
I really really like [name]Anya[/name], its one of my favourite names!
You could also use [name]Anastasia[/name] or [name]Anastasiya[/name], (ah-nah-stah-see-yah), and then call her [name]Anna[/name] if you wanted too.
I like the names [name]Joanna[/name] and [name]Johanna[/name], and they both have [name]Anna[/name] in them.
TTFN!
My [name]SIL[/name] is named [name]Alice[/name]-[name]Anne[/name] after both her grandmothers. People think it’s [name]Allison[/name], but I think it’s very pretty. Her middle name is [name]Katherine[/name]. Her daughter is [name]Anna[/name] [name]Grace[/name], but [name]Grace[/name] is her middle name. (People still call her [name]Anna[/name] [name]Grace[/name].)
You could hyphenate anything, really. If you wanted to.
[name]Love[/name] the suggestion of [name]Anastasia[/name] for you! My favorites of the [name]Anna[/name] variants are [name]Annabel[/name] and [name]Anna[/name] herself, but I can see why you’d want to go the more quirky route. [name]Susannah[/name] nn [name]Sanna[/name] is sweet also, or you could nn her [name]Anna[/name].
There are many lovely suggestions. You have quite a few options!
A note on [name]Annabel[/name] - we named our 1 1/2 year old this. We were a little wary because of the increasing popularity of [name]Isabella[/name]-ish names, but we loved the name before the “[name]Belle[/name]” fad. We have yet to meet another [name]Annabel[/name], so the popularity of it nationally may not reflect the popularity of it in your area.
[name]Anna[/name] is one of my top names also (after my ukrainian great-grandma whose name was Yilyena and went by [name]Nana[/name]). It’s such a classy, beautiful choice!
Like esrever, I adore Annabeth. It reminds me of Annabeth [name]Chase[/name] from [name]Rick[/name] [name]Riordan[/name]'s two Camp Halfblood series about demigods. She’s the smartest character (daughter of [name]Athena[/name]) and kicks butt. An awesome namesake.
I also think that [name]Susanna[/name]/h has a lot of potential. And I think that if you call her anna or another nickname, she’s not likely to go by susie unless she personally prefers it.
Other [name]Susannah[/name] nicknames that I think are adorable?
[name]Zuzu[/name] (like the character on It’s a Wonderful Life) or
Zazie (from [name]Raymond[/name] Queneau’s book/film Zazie dans le metro). Another fun, spunky nickname from a fun, spunky namesake!
From your list I love [name]Susanna[/name] nn [name]Sanna[/name]. I definitely don’t think you would be stuck with [name]Susie[/name] as the nn if you start out using [name]Sanna[/name] - and of course the full [name]Susanna[/name] is so beautiful and unusual! A close second is [name]Rosanna[/name] and I think it’s definitely usable - I find the nn [name]Rose[/name]/[name]Rosie[/name] very hard to resist! I also like [name]Annelise[/name] and [name]Savannah[/name].
Thanks for the replies, everyone! New development: I really want to use the middle name [name]Leigh[/name]. My grandfather’s middle name is [name]Lee[/name] and Gone with the Wind (and therefore [name]Vivien[/name] [name]Leigh[/name]) has tons of sentimental value – I always watched it with my [name]Anna[/name] when I would spend two weeks with her every summer.
[name]Rosanna[/name] is a song by Toto. :lol: Objectively, I think it’s so pretty with no bad nickname possibilities. But then, there’s the 80s hit song and the show [name]Roseanne[/name]. Too big of an association or am I being weird?
[name]Annabel[/name] is just such a mixed bag. On one level, I adore it, but the upward trend in popularity is worrisome and again, there are days when I think it’s too sweet for me. [name]Love[/name] it on other kids – not sure it’s just what I want.
DH has a good friend with a wife named Annabeth and refuses to consider it (but every other [name]Anna[/name] name is fine? I don’t know either). The only other one that really popped out at me was [name]Annetta[/name], which I worry is too dated? I was also considering [name]Nina[/name], an [name]Anna[/name] variation diminutive for a subtler way of honoring our Annas. All I can think of is [name]Nina[/name] Ballerina and that movie [name]Black[/name] Swan though.
I keep coming back to [name]Susanna[/name]. When I picture [name]Susanna[/name], I see a strong woman who is elegant, articulate, down to earth and quirky. She’s such a wonderful combination of vintage, classic, spunky, and warm. I’m in love except for her (for me!) less favorable nicknames – [name]Sue[/name] and [name]Susie[/name]. Am I being weird again? Totally unreasonable? Are [name]Susie[/name] Q and [name]Susie[/name] Homemaker nonissues for her generation?
Yes, I think those will be non issues for her generation! If [name]Susanna[/name] wasn’t already used in my family, I would be seriously considering it for my future daughter! I think it is all the things you mentioned: “When I picture [name]Susanna[/name], I see a strong woman who is elegant, articulate, down to earth and quirky. She’s such a wonderful combination of vintage, classic, spunky, and warm.” And, just like you I am NOT a fan of the nicknames [name]Sue[/name] or [name]Susie[/name] etc. I am however a fan of [name]Sookie[/name] and I [name]LOVE[/name] [name]Sanna[/name] (or just [name]Susanna[/name] in full!)
Okay, enough gushing, I think you have some great options in front of you and for what it’s worth I think if you pick any of these you’ll have a winner. I’m nudging you towards [name]Susanna[/name] though!
I love [name]Susanna[/name]!! I think it is a beautiful, timeless choice!! I do like the nn suzie… but it isn’t a “must” for the name, you could must def. call her [name]Anna[/name] , if you wanted. [name]Susanna[/name] [name]Lea[/name] or [name]Leigh[/name] is beautiful!!
I love the name [name]Anna[/name], and conisdered using it this time around, again it has all those great qualities to me… timeless, elegant… As for incorporating [name]Lee[/name]…What about [name]Anna[/name]-[name]Lea[/name] [name]Rose[/name]? I thought that sounded pretty =0) Honestly if I wanted to get to Annabeth, I would use [name]Anna[/name]-[name]Elizabeth[/name]… though I know not all like hyphenated or “double barrel” names…I am from the deep south, and I think they are beautiful and elegant [name]Anna[/name]-[name]Elizabeth[/name] [name]Lee[/name]/[name]Leigh[/name] (though, I prefer the spelling [name]Lea[/name])…is stunning =0)
What about [name]Savannah[/name]?? It’s a bit fresher than [name]Susanna[/name] imo. Her nn could be [name]Van[/name], Savvy, [name]Vanna[/name], [name]Anna[/name]. The possibilities are endless!
I don’t know that [name]Annetta[/name] is too dated; I think it’s a name that could definitely be revived, especially on the right little girl. And [name]Annetta[/name] [name]Leigh[/name] sounds lovely.
Does [name]Anna[/name] [name]Rose[/name] have any hope of being an actual candidate? I can’t decide if it flows right.