I honestly don’t remember making up names. I remember thinking that I couldn’t understand why people made them up all the time because it was sooooo hard! 
They either sounded way too much like an actual name, or they sounded like someone was banging their head against a computer keyboard and came up with this:
Fdsajilkjfewaiojtfewioanvfdkxgjireaoj. [name_f]Tada[/name_f]! I made up a name!
When I was four, my little sister was born. My parents had been having a hard time with names, so my mom asked me on the way home one day what my little sister’s name should be. I was learning the story of [name_m]Isaac[/name_m] and [name_f]Rebekah[/name_f] in Sabbath School/at church, so I said [name_f]Rebecca[/name_f]. It was the only name my parents had liked at all, so apparently that sealed the deal–for nearly two decades (they only recently corrected me!) I had thought I had pulled my sister’s name out of a hat and was a brilliant baby namer! haha. Apparently I really loved the name (or was just really, really enamored by my baby sister!), because that [name_u]Christmas[/name_u], when my little sister was close to six months old, I got a doll for [name_u]Christmas[/name_u] and named her [name_f]Rebecca[/name_f], too.
I remember when I first had an interest in names, I loved [name_f]Abigail[/name_f] and [name_f]Eva[/name_f] for girls. And I was completely in love with the idea of [name_f]Ellen[/name_f] and [name_f]Danielle[/name_f] for sisters–I thought it was the best sibset ever! I don’t even know why. That was around fifth grade, I think. I found a list for around that time (maybe a year later?), and the names on the list were [name_f]Elisa[/name_f], [name_f]Hazel[/name_f], [name_f]Cassia[/name_f], [name_f]Kathleen[/name_f], [name_f]Kathryn[/name_f], [name_f]Kristiana[/name_f], [name_f]Hailee[/name_f], [name_f]Abigail[/name_f], [name_m]Jason[/name_m], [name_u]Jerry[/name_u], [name_f]Rachel[/name_f], and [name_f]Susan[/name_f]. I think many of the choices were inspired by books I had been reading at the time. I recognize [name_f]Hazel[/name_f], [name_f]Cassia[/name_f], [name_f]Kathryn[/name_f], [name_f]Kristiana[/name_f], and [name_f]Susan[/name_f] from books, and [name_m]Jason[/name_m] and [name_u]Jerry[/name_u] from an radio show I really loved at the time. I remember going through a phase of not knowing in the slightest of how [name_f]Hailee[/name_f] should be spelled–I didn’t think [name_u]Haley[/name_u] or [name_f]Hailey[/name_f] looked right, nor [name_f]Hayleigh[/name_f] (way too complicated, haha!), and that must have been the phase where I thought [name_f]Ashlee[/name_f] looked cool, so of course [name_f]Hailee[/name_f] was cool, too. I prefer [name_f]Hayley[/name_f] these days.
In around 8th grade, one of my mom’s coworkers was pregnant and my mom told her I was really into names so her coworker asked me to make her a top 10. I don’t remember all the names, but I remember [name_u]Sierra[/name_u], [name_u]Morgan[/name_u], [name_u]Allison[/name_u], etc. were on them. I remember that I used to [name_f]LOVE[/name_f] [name_f]Alison[/name_f] [name_f]Grace[/name_f] as a combo. She eventually named her daughter [name_u]Sierra[/name_u], but not because I suggested it–it had already been her top choice. I think she just needed an extra boost in confidence.
In high school, I remember LOVING [name_m]Jonathan[/name_m], [name_m]Peter[/name_m], [name_f]Lacey[/name_f], [name_m]Landon[/name_m], [name_u]Micah[/name_u], [name_f]Liberty[/name_f], [name_u]Morgan[/name_u] (boy), [name_u]Taylor[/name_u] (boy), etc.
[name_u]Early[/name_u] in college, I remember loving [name_f]Nadia[/name_f], [name_m]Emmerson[/name_m] (nn [name_f]Emmy[/name_f]; girl), [name_u]Bailey[/name_u] (girl), [name_f]Scarlett[/name_f], [name_f]Leila[/name_f], [name_f]Lucia[/name_f], [name_u]Rory[/name_u], [name_f]Sarah[/name_f], [name_u]Delaney[/name_u], [name_f]Giselle[/name_f]/[name_f]Gisella[/name_f] (I had just seen Enchanted! And och, I love that movie, haha), [name_m]Travis[/name_m], [name_m]Benjamin[/name_m], [name_u]Aidan[/name_u], [name_m]Collin[/name_m], etc.
I think most of my naming phases have been inspired by what I love at the moment–most strongly influenced by books. A lot of my favorites are still inspired by my favorite pieces of literature (I find them much more worthy of being honored than the latest novel!), as well as my faith, my family, and history.
And made up a whole imaginary family with names like [name_u]Sydney[/name_u] (girl), [name_f]Jenny[/name_f] and [name_f]Alyna[/name_f] [name_f]Alexandra[/name_f] nn A.A. (I actually called my sister A.A. for like a year even though it has nothing to do with her real name.) I also had imaginary friends named [name_u]Ashley[/name_u], Malcra, [name_f]Veronica[/name_f], and [name_f]Rhea[/name_f] (ree-ah). When I was about 10 I “made up” [name_f]Celinda[/name_f] and I really liked ‘90s names like [name_f]Brittany[/name_f], [name_f]Melanie[/name_f] and [name_f]Heather[/name_f] (and [name_u]Winter[/name_u] for a girl, no idea where that came from). I guess I thought they were cool because lots of cool girls in the books I read had these names. [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] was on my parents’ list and I kept asking them why they didn’t name me that… now I’m glad they didn’t because I know a few other Ashleys and no [name_m]Laurens[/name_m] (though I do know a couple Lauras).
