What was your first name that you loved? Did you use it or not use it? [name_f]Do[/name_f] you still love it or fall out of love with it?
[name_f]My[/name_f] first name love was [name_f]Naomi[/name_f] for a girl and [name_u]Aidan[/name_u] for a boy. I don’t love [name_f]Naomi[/name_f] as much as I did. I put [name_u]Aidan[/name_u] on the back burner because it got so popular, but I haven’t heard the name recently so I’m thinking about putting it back on my list.
Almost all of my first name loves are still on my list! [name_f]Emma[/name_f] and [name_m]Ethan[/name_m] are still in my signature, [name_f]Emma[/name_f] remaining a top contender for sure. [name_f]Lily[/name_f] was modified to [name_f]Lilia[/name_f], and [name_f]Mia[/name_f] to [name_u]Maria[/name_u]. The ones that got away were [name_f]Amy[/name_f] and [name_u]Tate[/name_u].
Btw, I love [name_f]Naomi[/name_f]!
The first name I remember loving for a girl was [name_f]Lina[/name_f] (lee-na)—in fact, that was the name of the Word doc (or Works doc, probably) where I kept my list of names, because it was the first name on the list. [name_f]Lina[/name_f] fell out of favor for a while, but recently I’ve added it back to my list.
For a boy, I remember loving [name_u]Laurence[/name_u] and [name_u]James[/name_u], both of which are still high on my list. [name_u]James[/name_u], unfortunately, I’m less keen on due to popularity, though I still love it. [name_u]Laurence[/name_u] may have a shot on an actual human someday (I hope) because, coincidentally, my MIL’s name is [name_f]Laura[/name_f] and my DH’s middle is [name_u]Lawrence[/name_u]. I hope it does not become the “name that got away.”
[name_f]Naomi[/name_f] is great!
For girls that’s a tough question. I remember being in love with both [name_f]Natasha[/name_f] and [name_f]Yasmin[/name_f], but more as thinking of myself with those names. They sounded so exotic and I used to write stories for characters with both names but imagining myself in those roles. For boys it’s a bit easier to answer. There was a boy named [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] who lived close by. His family had moved from [name_f]England[/name_f]. [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] was still popular for girls and I had never met a boy with a ‘girl’ name before. It fascinated me and stuck with me. I still love [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] for boys and favor softer, more unisex, feminine boy names even now.
I have always like [name_u]Laurie[/name_u] because of [name_m]Little[/name_m] Women.
I got [name_u]Laurence[/name_u] from a different book I read as a kid (Beyond the Western [name_u]Sea[/name_u] by [name_u]Avi[/name_u]), but I love that it’s also associated with [name_m]Little[/name_m] Women!
The first name I remember really loving was [name_f]Lola[/name_f]. Its popularity was the main thing that made me doubt it and none of the Lolas I’ve known have been particularly nice people, which ruined it a little. I still think its such a pretty name with a nice sound but over time my naming style has changed and there are names I love so much more now.
For boys, I don’t really have one. I’ve always found them more difficult and I tend not to get too attached. Most of the boy names I first remember liking were just random names I’d heard once and decided I liked.
[name_f]Rose[/name_f] is the name that got away.
I have loved [name_f]Rose[/name_f] for years & years it’s just been a solid favourite of mine. Then last year everyone in my circle had a [name_f]Rose[/name_f]. [name_f]My[/name_f] partner niece was born and she is [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] [name_f]Rose[/name_f], my best friend had her daughter [name_u]Peyton[/name_u]-[name_f]Rose[/name_f] and my other best friend sister had her baby [name_f]Rose[/name_f] [name_f]Eleri[/name_f] it feels weird if I then had a baby called [name_f]Rose[/name_f] so I’ve left it behind. I have now replaced the name with [name_f]Primrose[/name_f] but it’s still definitely the name that got away.
I was going to use [name_f]Hannah[/name_f] for my second and third children, but they were boys! [name_f]Hannah[/name_f] became quite popular, anyway, so that’ s alright!
@MG1257 I’ve always liked [name_f]Emma[/name_f]! [name_f]My[/name_f] family doesn’t like it and I tend to shy away from names that are so popular. It is such a beautiful sounding name though! [name_m]Ethan[/name_m] falls back and forth off my list. I love the meaning of it and the soft -th sound. [name_u]Tate[/name_u] is so cute! I actually used to love the name [name_u]Tatum[/name_u] until my cousin was born and named that. So [name_u]Tate[/name_u] is out unfortunately
@voughtlori [name_f]Hannah[/name_f] is a family name and I’ve always thought about using it as a middle name. 
I like [name_u]James[/name_u] too @ceryle! Around where I live it’s usually a middle name filler. You should definitely keep [name_u]Laurence[/name_u]! That’s a great name and holds a lot of meaning for you!
@tori101 [name_f]Rose[/name_f] is beautiful and right now it seems like it’s becoming a filler name which is so sad. [name_f]Primrose[/name_f] is so cute!
@Hypatia_Hellene I am curious to hear what boys names you like! 
[name_u]Tate[/name_u] is so cute! Sometimes I wonder what happened to turn me off it!
Thank you I definitely think that is the case people just seem to add [name_f]Rose[/name_f] onto names I do really like [name_f]Primrose[/name_f] though 
I think my first name love was [name_u]Aspen[/name_u]. When I was in pre-K, I had a friend in kindergarten named [name_u]Aspen[/name_u] who I thought was the coolest person ever (because at age 4, if someone a year older than you gave you the time of day, they were automatically amazing). I still appreciate the name but can’t get over certain… sounds present in the name.
I’d say the girl names on my list now are often names I’ve always had an appreciation for but didn’t love until I got older. [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] was a favorite book character, [name_f]Iris[/name_f] is my mom’s friend’s daughter, [name_f]Cleo[/name_f] was from a TV show I loved, [name_u]Holland[/name_u] was another girl I knew from daycare. Most of my boy names are ones I didn’t hear about until I got older (along with a few girl names) so those are different. As for my top names when I was younger though, honestly none of them make the shortlist now.
[name_f]My[/name_f] first name loves were longer and frillier than the names I like best for first names now. I remember loving [name_f]Carlotta[/name_f], [name_f]Wilhelmina[/name_f] and [name_f]Josephine[/name_f], for example.
[name_f]My[/name_f] favourite ever boy name for years, [name_u]Max[/name_u], got away because I married one 
The girl name that got away for me is [name_f]Nell[/name_f]. We both love it, but it just didn’t jump out for either of our daughters (although the little one would actually really suit it!)
We gave our youngest the middle name [name_f]Helena[/name_f], so I feel like [name_f]Nell[/name_f] is definitely out now for any hypothetical future children. I occasionally try to use it as a nickname for DD2, but it hasn’t really stuck (yet!)
[name_m]Jago[/name_m], [name_u]Jem[/name_u], [name_u]Jess[/name_u]/[name_u]Jesse[/name_u], [name_u]Joss[/name_u], [name_u]Asa[/name_u], [name_m]Alban[/name_m] and [name_f]Astrid[/name_f] are also most likely out as I wouldn’t want to repeat initials. I’m especially sad about [name_u]Jem[/name_u] and [name_f]Astrid[/name_f]! 
The name I would love to use most, but admit it will probably always remain a guilty pleasure is [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u].
In that vein I like old-fashioned male names, like [name_u]Ashley[/name_u], that have switched to female. I would love to see them come back enough that they were truly considered unisex.
Other ones that I fall in and out of favor with are like [name_u]Avery[/name_u], [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u], [name_u]Peyton[/name_u], [name_u]Piper[/name_u]. I like [name_f]Erin[/name_f] with the link to [name_f]Ireland[/name_f].
Then I am a huge fan of nature names which I think should all be gender neutral. Names like [name_u]Willow[/name_u], [name_f]Summer[/name_f], [name_u]Brooke[/name_u], [name_u]Lark[/name_u], [name_u]River[/name_u], [name_u]Lake[/name_u], [name_u]Sky[/name_u]/[name_u]Skye[/name_u]/[name_u]Skylar[/name_u], [name_u]Eden[/name_u].
Then, during the current pandemic I started to think more about inspirational virtue names and realized nearly all the ones I like are for girls, like [name_f]Hope[/name_f] and [name_u]Honor[/name_u], or maybe [name_u]Sage[/name_u] or [name_u]Haven[/name_u], but they are words and so inspirational, I wondered if they might be usable on a boy? Much like nature names are neutral or should be.
[name_f]My[/name_f] first two girl name love is [name_f]Everleigh[/name_f] and [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] I don’t love [name_f]Everleigh[/name_f] as much anymore and also [name_f]Lucy[/name_f].