Everyone has their own naming pet peeves, I know I do! One I hadn’t considered until recently is syllabic balance (at least not on more than a subconscious level).
The more I think about it, the more it bugs me… which is a problem, given that my surname is 2 syllables and the VAST majority of my name list (and all my most-favorites) are either 2 syllables or have a nickname that is. Out of our top 6 boy names, 4 are 2-syllable… and out of our top 8 girl names only one is 2-syllable, but ALL their nicknames are.
I myself have a 2-syllable first, born with a 1-syllable last but my married name has 2.
[name]How[/name] far should I let myself go down this road? Is it something worth worrying about, or no? I could try to “fix” it by giving an 1 or 3+ syllable middle name, but let’s be honest, no one uses their middle very much anyway.
I never really put too much weight in that. Mainly because all of my favorite names are 2 syllables, and my last name is also 2 syllables…so I had to learn to let it go. I just made sure the middle names were 1 or 3 syllables to sound nice. It really doesn’t bother me at all – and I think my daughter’s name still sound very nice without the middle name taken into account. Plus, I figure they will probably get married in a few decades and I have no control over how many syllables that name will be. There are some two syllable combos that are TOO much, but they often have something more in common going on – like [name]Bailey[/name] [name]Baker[/name], [name]Greyson[/name] [name]Benson[/name], [name]Harper[/name] [name]Porter[/name], [name]Molly[/name] [name]Kinley[/name], etc. In general, I think most 2-syllable fn/ln combos sound fine…certainly not ‘deal breaker’ enough to keep from using a name you love.
I think you will know whether a particular name has flow problems. The emphasis on syllables can make a huge difference as well, not just the number of syllables.
You may want to look at probably one of my favorite Nameberry blog posts entitled “5 Easy Ways to [name]Judge[/name] a [name]Baby[/name] Name”. Here’s the link:
Syllable count is just one of the five in a list of criteria you look at a name.
It really depends on the names to me. [name]Erin[/name] Cartman sounds pretty bad since not only is it 2 2 but it also shares some similar sounds but I think [name]Ruby[/name] Cartman sounds fine. [name]Stella[/name] Cartman sounds okay too. I really think it depends on the name.
My maiden name was 2 2 2 and they all ended in the “en” sound. lol. I probably wouldn’t suggest doing that.
Syllable count has never been a huge deal to me unless the name is so short it’s abrupt, like a 1-1-1, or way too long, like a little girl I know whose parents named her [name]Anastasia[/name] [name]Melina[/name] to go along with their six-syllable (!) surname. My maiden name was 2-2-1 and my married one is 2-2-2. It sounds fine to me.
Limiting your choices because they don’t have the “right” amount of syllables seems foolish. Your child will appreciate his name much more if he knows that you love it than if it follows certain formulas for the “perfect” name. Pick a name that you love and it will be worth it.