Strong, "quirky classic," unpopular, fun nicknames. Tell me about them!

Girl Names
1

Hey there Nameberry! We learned we’re having a girl a few weeks ago and are just getting down and dirty in the naming business. The husband and I agreed on a list of things important to us in a name. [name]Bear[/name] with me - we’re getting a little crazy about it.

  • It needs to have history and be an established name. We’re not really into Biblical names, but we love almost anything ancient, especially if it has a story to go along with it.
  • Low popularity. This is more his hangup than mine - he has a very common first and hated it so much that he now goes exclusively by his middle.
  • We love the more daring, funky side of the classics. I think our goal is to choose a name that is both timeless and fun.
  • We’re going to shorten the name to something unless it’s already very short, though we won’t use it exclusively. We’re pretty open-minded about this.

So! Here are some names we’re considering:

[name]Genevieve[/name]: Family name. We would really rather people not call her [name]Gen[/name] (we were thinking more along the lines of [name]Viv[/name], Vee, and [name]Vivi[/name]) and it almost seems too princessy in a bad way. It’s one of our top contenders at the moment, though.
[name]Juliet[/name]: [name]Romeo[/name] and [name]Juliet[/name] is my least favorite play in the history of plays. But I love the sounds, and it honors a relative very close to me.
[name]Prudence[/name]: [name]ADORE[/name] nickname [name]Pru[/name]. Nothing but bad reviews from friends. Not in love with the entire name.
[name]Violet[/name]: It’s getting popular. People really like this name for us, but we’re not really sure if it’s the one.
[name]Margot[/name]: I don’t know if I would want her to be just [name]Margot[/name]. I’m not fond of [name]Margaret[/name].
[name]Vivienne[/name]: So, so beautiful. Possibly a little too star-baby.
[name]Helena[/name]: I think this name is just lovely. I don’t like nicknames [name]Lena[/name] or [name]Lainey[/name] (I prefer the prn. hel-in-a to begin with).

We’d really appreciate suggestions at this point. Thanks!

2

I think [name]Helena[/name] is gorgeous. That would be my pick. [name]How[/name] about [name]Nell[/name] for a nickname? Or [name]Elena[/name] with [name]Nell[/name] or just [name]Elle[/name], [name]Ella[/name] or [name]Ellie[/name]? [name]Eleni[/name] is gorgeous as well.

3

In my opinion :
[name]Genevieve[/name] sounds old-fashioned but beautiful. classic, yes.
[name]Juliet[/name] is pretty but I prefer its french/italian version.
[name]Prudence[/name] : I like it, but not sure to use it as my own daughter fn.
[name]Violet[/name] : too popular nowadays. and again, I prefer [name]Violetta[/name].
[name]Margot[/name] : no.
[name]Vivienne[/name] : pretty and classic.
[name]Helena[/name] : So elegant. And If you like historical background, there is [name]Helen[/name] of [name]Troy[/name].

other ideas :
[name]Guinivere[/name]
[name]Joan[/name]/[name]Jeanne[/name] ([name]Jeanne[/name] d’arc)
[name]Elizabeth[/name]
[name]Catherine[/name] ([name]Catherine[/name] of [name]Aragon[/name], de Medicci)
[name]Joanna[/name]
[name]Marie[/name] (not heroine, but I like [name]Marie[/name] Curie)
[name]Amelia[/name] ([name]Earhart[/name], Bloomer)
[name]Eleanor[/name] (of [name]Aquitaine[/name])
[name]Florence[/name]
[name]Agnes[/name]
[name]Rosalind[/name]
[name]Jane[/name] (Eyre)
[name]Anna[/name] ([name]Anna[/name] Karenina)

4

You have a French thing going on, it looks like. [name]Do[/name] you like the [name]Juliette[/name] spelling? That separates it a little from the play/character, and definitely feels French. What about [name]Marianna[/name], [name]Juliana[/name], or [name]Madeleine[/name]?

5

I immediately thought of [name]Penelope[/name] - nn [name]Penny[/name], [name]Penn[/name], or [name]Nell[/name].

6

[name]Genevieve[/name]: I love [name]Genevieve[/name]. It’s on my own list with the nn [name]Evie[/name]. This is my favorite from your list.
[name]Juliet[/name]: I like [name]Juliet[/name] fine but if you think [name]Genevieve[/name] is too princessy in a bad way, I think [name]Juliet[/name] is even more princessy.
[name]Prudence[/name]: The only part of this name I like is the nn [name]Pru[/name] and the Beatles song “Dear [name]Prudence[/name]”
[name]Violet[/name]: This is okay. I love the sound and nn [name]Vi[/name] or [name]Vivi[/name] for it but it’s getting really popular on here and probably in the real world too.
[name]Margot[/name]: I like the sound of this one more than the actual name. I don’t like [name]Margaret[/name] either.
[name]Vivienne[/name]: I don’t see why it’s star-baby but then I don’t keep up with that sort of thing. I love [name]Vivienne[/name]! It’s my second favorite on here.
[name]Helena[/name]: I love this one too! It’s tied for second with [name]Vivienne[/name]. I pronounce it like you do. You could call her [name]Len[/name] or Hena or Hela.

None of these seem “daring” to me which was the word in your original post. Daring to me would be instead of [name]Genevieve[/name] - [name]Guinevere[/name]. Instead of [name]Vivienne[/name] - Nimiene. Instead of [name]Violet[/name] – maybe Igraine. I could give you some more like that if you wanted something a little more daring. Those are all 3 Arthurian and have the story you were asking for too :slight_smile: I do like all the names on your list though.

Some others you might like: ( since you are definitely wanting to have a nn, I’ll list my favorite nn for these. I’ll also try to only give you names with history and stories behind them)

  • Shakespearean-

[name]Beatrice[/name]
[name]Luciana[/name] – [name]Lucy[/name]
[name]Rosalind[/name] – [name]Rosie[/name]
[name]Silvia[/name] – [name]Silvie[/name]
[name]Viola[/name] – like this much more than [name]Violet[/name] – [name]Vivi[/name]
[name]Adriana[/name] – [name]Adria[/name]
[name]Audrey[/name]
[name]Cassandra[/name] – [name]Cassia[/name]
[name]Hermione[/name]
[name]Imogen[/name] – [name]Iggy[/name] or Immie
[name]Lavinia[/name] – [name]Vinie[/name]
[name]Titania[/name] – Tanie or [name]Tanis[/name]
[name]Emilia[/name] – [name]Emmie[/name] but most likely none
[name]Rosaline[/name] – [name]Rosie[/name]
[name]Valeria[/name] – [name]Ria[/name]

From other classic works:

[name]Arabella[/name] – [name]Ari[/name]
[name]Catriona[/name] – [name]Kit[/name]
[name]Evangeline[/name] – [name]Evie[/name]
[name]Isolde[/name] – [name]Izzy[/name]

Arthurian [name]Legend[/name]:

[name]Avalon[/name]
[name]Clarine[/name]
[name]Elaine[/name]
[name]Gwendolen[/name] – [name]Gwen[/name]
[name]Helaine[/name]
[name]Linette[/name] – [name]Lin[/name]
[name]Lunette[/name] – [name]Luna[/name]
[name]Viviana[/name] – [name]Vivi[/name]

Ancient or Mythological names:

[name]Adelina[/name] – [name]Lina[/name]
[name]Alexandra[/name] – [name]Lex[/name] or [name]Xandra[/name]
[name]Anastasia[/name] – [name]Annie[/name]
[name]Aurelia[/name]
Avelina
[name]Claudia[/name]
[name]Corinna[/name]
Lysandra
[name]Roxana[/name] – [name]Roxy[/name]
[name]Tatiana[/name] – [name]Tiana[/name]
[name]Xanthe[/name] (zan-thee)
[name]Ariadne[/name] (aree-odd-nee) – [name]Ari[/name]
[name]Penelope[/name] – [name]Nelle[/name]

That’s a lot I think, but it’s a lot of options for you. I hope none of these are too out there for you, I was going for daring but daring in a subtle way like your other names. [name]Do[/name] you like any of those?

7

Ill add [name]Matilda[/name], nn [name]Tilly[/name] or [name]Millie[/name]:slight_smile:

8

[name]Genevieve[/name] - love this! I had seriously considered readding this to my list a week or so ago. :slight_smile: I love its feminine French appeal and its versatility. I love the idea of [name]Ginny[/name], [name]Evie[/name]/[name]Eve[/name], or [name]Vivi[/name] as a nn… I couldn’t ever really get behind any of them, though, which is part of the reason why I dropped it. :frowning: I still have it as a mn on my list, though–I think it’s just stunning.

[name]Juliet[/name] - If you’re not a huge [name]Romeo[/name] and [name]Juliet[/name] fan, then I would probably drop it. [name]Juliet[/name] is a nice name, but I think it would be kind of weird to use a name from a literary work people know you don’t really love, you know? I’ve always felt the play (and [name]Juliet[/name], by default, I suppose) was a bit overdone, so it’s not really my thing. I agree that it is a pretty name but maybe use it as a MN? That way you could still honor your family member but use something you seem to love more…

[name]Prudence[/name] - this feels a bit too dated for me still although I do love the nn [name]Pru[/name], too! It’s a bit too much virtue for me but it is okay, I guess.

[name]Violet[/name] - love. [name]Violet[/name]'s on my own top 5. I don’t really mind popularity, haha, so it doesn’t particularly bother me but if it bothers you, this might be better used as a MN. I still think it’s unpopular enough to use, though. This would get my vote, personally. :slight_smile:

[name]Margot[/name] - love this, too! I considered it for a short while. I love the nn [name]Mari[/name] or [name]Maggie[/name], or even [name]Emmy[/name] if you used an “E” mn.

[name]Vivienne[/name] - this doesn’t really wow me, personally, but the nn [name]Vivi[/name] is cute. I think it’s completely usable–I think most people have moved past the whole Brangelina thing. I rarely think of their daughter whenever someone posts about [name]Vivienne[/name]/[name]Vivian[/name].

[name]Helena[/name] - probably my second favorite! It’s such a classic name but so charming and perfect. I personally love [name]Leni[/name] (like [name]Lenny[/name]) as a nn for it, but [name]Nell[/name], [name]Ella[/name], and [name]Elle[/name] are cute, too…

What about:
[name]Felicity[/name]
[name]Josephine[/name]
[name]Evangeline[/name] (or [name]Emmeline[/name], if you want something with a bit less of a religious feel)
[name]Penelope[/name]
[name]Arabella[/name]
[name]Clementine[/name]
[name]Elora[/name]
[name]Lorelei[/name]
[name]Daphne[/name]
[name]Phoebe[/name]
[name]Aurelia[/name]
[name]Tallulah[/name]
[name]Tess[/name]/[name]Teresa[/name]/[name]Quintessa[/name]/[name]Tessa[/name]
[name]Imogen[/name]
[name]Rosalie[/name]
[name]Valentina[/name]
[name]Magdalena[/name]/[name]Magda[/name]

Good luck!

9

My favorites for you:

[name]Genevieve[/name] (I don’t consider [name]Genevieve[/name] as being too princessy at all, but I think most people would shorten it to [name]Gen[/name], unfortunately.)
[name]Juliet[/name] (how about using this as a mn?)
[name]Vivienne[/name] (maybe with the classic [name]Vivian[/name] or [name]Vivien[/name] spelling, instead?)
[name]Helena[/name] ([name]Helena[/name] [name]Juliet[/name] would be just stunning, and I love the nn [name]Nell[/name]!)

10

I don’t know that any of these are quirky! Not many of my friends are parents but there are few called [name]Juliet[/name], [name]Margot[/name] and [name]Violet[/name] - all under the age of three - so I would say these are very popular. I also know babies or toddlers named [name]Grace[/name], [name]Amelia[/name], [name]Josephine[/name] so I think these types of names are out.

Genevieve: I think it’s a pretty strong name, not princessy at all. I know a very feisty 14-yr-old in [name]America[/name] but she does call herself [name]Gen[/name]. [name]Viv[/name] is good. Or [name]Neve[/name]?
Juliet: I know a baby [name]Juliet[/name], don’t do it if you hate the play - everyone will assume you love it.
Prudence: so uncool it’s cool. [name]Pru[/name] is great. The meaning though for me means caution and holding back so the opposite of daring/quirky!
Violet: very popular now, and just pretty/classic. I’m considering it for our first if it’s a girl with the nn Vie pronounced Vee
Margot: I really love this, but also know two new Margots under age 2. They are French though so you might find this is less popular outside of Europe?
Vivienne: NMS, seems a bit fussy/frivalous for instance why not just [name]Vivian[/name], less fuss!
Helena: I also know a baby [name]Helena[/name] pronounced HEL-in-a, not very common though I think and certainly very strong.

I think [name]Helena[/name] or [name]Genevieve[/name] are my favourites from your list against your criteria. I guess your challenge is to find something that is a known name but underused and not likely to be popular in the next few years. A name with substance and character so she could be an edgy hipster or a sensible lawyer. What about:

[name]Beatrix[/name]
[name]Hermione[/name]
[name]Elspeth[/name]
[name]Paloma[/name]
[name]Salome[/name]
[name]Dahlia[/name]
[name]Maeve[/name] (seems to be talked about on here but I don’t know of anyone who’s actually used it yet)
[name]Agnes[/name]
[name]Joan[/name] (of [name]Arc[/name]!)
[name]Frances[/name]
[name]Celeste[/name]
[name]Victoria[/name]

REALLY quirky and strong names (ones I’ve considered but am probably too chicken to use, and my DH is way too conservative too):

[name]Wren[/name]
[name]Cameo[/name]
[name]Verve[/name]
[name]Echo[/name]
[name]Raven[/name]

11

[name]Genevieve[/name]: lovely name, very happy.
[name]Prudence[/name]: graet sound, i would love to meet a [name]Prudence[/name], im not religious but a do like the sounds of virtue names.
[name]Violet[/name]: love this name, very girly.
[name]Margot[/name]: not a big fan of this, sounds ugly to me, but still quirky!
[name]Vivienne[/name]: [name]One[/name] of my favorites, very pretty and luminous, reminds me of the violin and sunshine.
[name]Helena[/name]
Those names sound quirky to me

Other suggestions
[name]Dorothy[/name] ([name]Dottie[/name]) - quirky nn aswell
[name]Isadora[/name]
[name]Selma[/name]
[name]Elma[/name]
[name]Agatha[/name]
[name]Dierdre[/name]
[name]Ramona[/name]
Ramola
[name]Valeska[/name]
[name]Vermillion[/name]

12

Two names came to mind: Plumeria nn [name]Plum[/name], and [name]Verbena[/name] nn [name]Bee[/name].

13

What boys’ name might fit this same category?