Girls names are hard for my partner and I to agree on. I like vintage and feminine/artsy and nature inspired, she likes sporty and feisty. We both have an adventurous streak with names: our number 1 pick for a boy is [name_m]Apollo[/name_m] [name_f]Joice[/name_f]/[name_u]Joyce[/name_u] (mn is a family name that has been spelled both ways, [name_f]Joice[/name_f] for males.) Lately, I’ve become more attached to using names which honor family members. Thoughts on my three current obsessions:
[name_f]Theodora[/name_f] [name_u]Poet[/name_u] nn [name_u]Theo[/name_u] (in honor of my late grandfather [name_m]Theodore[/name_m])
[name_f]Penelope[/name_f] [name_u]Skye[/name_u] nn [name_f]Nell[/name_f] (in honor of her late grandmother [name_f]Mary[/name_f]-[name_f]Nell[/name_f]/Grandma [name_f]Nell[/name_f])
[name_f]Josephine[/name_f] [name_u]North[/name_u] nn [name_f]Joni[/name_f] (multi-generation family name [name_u]Joyce[/name_u]. Nicknames [name_u]Jo[/name_u]/[name_u]Jojo[/name_u]/[name_u]Josie[/name_u] are all used for my partner’s mother [name_f]Mary[/name_f]-[name_u]Joyce[/name_u])
I haven’t run these by her yet, I’m afraid she’ll think they’re too clunky/stuffy/long/weird. What do you think? Honest opinions are appreciated!
[name_f]Theodora[/name_f] [name_u]Poet[/name_u] is beautiful and my favorite, but probably because [name_f]Theodora[/name_f] is my youngest’s name, she goes by [name_f]Theda[/name_f]. [name_f]Theodora[/name_f] is a strong and feminine name in it’s own right and instantly reminds me of the remarkable [name_f]Empress[/name_f] [name_f]Theodora[/name_f], wife of [name_m]Justinian[/name_m] who rose from poverty and life as a circus child/actress (read prostitution in many cases) and became one of the most powerful women of her time. The mosaic of her next to her husband is simply breathtaking.
[name_f]Theodora[/name_f] feels literary and clunky-chic (a term I just saw being used and thought was perfect) and I think [name_u]Poet[/name_u] makes it feel all the more literary, but perhaps doesn’t accent the femininity of the name so much. If someone reads or glances at the name in writing wrong or too quick, he might mistake [name_f]Theodora[/name_f] for a little [name_m]Theodore[/name_m]. So maybe the only thing I’d think of maybe replacing is [name_u]Poet[/name_u] or adding a more feminine middle name next to it. [name_f]Theodora[/name_f] [name_u]Joyce[/name_u] sounds very nice and it helps that [name_u]James[/name_u] [name_u]Joyce[/name_u] was a poet and writer!
I like [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] [name_u]North[/name_u] the best, I also really like the middle name [name_u]Skye[/name_u].
About that boy name…I’m only staying my opinion, but [name_u]Joyce[/name_u]/[name_f]Joice[/name_f] is pretty feminine. I would highly suggest maybe [name_m]Apollo[/name_m] [name_u]North[/name_u] or even [name_m]Apollo[/name_m] [name_u]Skye[/name_u]?
[name_m]Even[/name_m] though [name_u]Skye[/name_u] has always sounded feminine to me, I think it is way more unisex than [name_u]Joyce[/name_u]/[name_f]Joice[/name_f].
Again, just my opinion. You should know that I have a tendency to worry a lot about the possibilities of teasing/bullying because of names. I just think we should not give kids any reason to be made fun of. Others can be brutal =[
I’ve had that thought about [name_u]Joyce[/name_u] too, here’s my justification for considering it for a boy’s middle name:
It’s a family name on my partner’s side that’s been used for several generations for both males and females. They’ve spelled it [name_f]Joice[/name_f] for males and [name_u]Joyce[/name_u] for females. They have very strong Irish heritage, and feel strongly about passing the name on. If we had a girl first, I’d honestly just push to use [name_u]Joyce[/name_u] for her middle name. If it was a boy first, I’d be ok with [name_m]Apollo[/name_m] [name_f]Joice[/name_f]/[name_u]Joyce[/name_u] because middle names are so rarely used in everyday life, the teasing potential seems minimal. If [name_m]Apollo[/name_m] is embarrassed by having a girl name, he can keep his mn a secret (like so many people seem to do). [name_m]Apollo[/name_m] is a solidly masculine name in my opinion and that’s what he’ll go by and be known as. Also, since there is no obvious nickname for [name_m]Apollo[/name_m], I like having the initials AJ as an option. (Still solidly masculine.) It’s a compromise I’m willing to consider to pass on a beloved family name and make my [name_f]MIL[/name_f] very happy. I’d never consider putting [name_u]Joyce[/name_u] up front though, even though it’s been used that way for males in previous generations of the family.
I love [name_m]Apollo[/name_m] [name_f]Joice[/name_f]! To be perfectly honest, [name_u]Joyce[/name_u] always sounded more masculine to me for some reason, so it doesn’t bother me. I adore [name_f]Theodora[/name_f] [name_u]Poet[/name_u]. It sounds very artsy, so proper and so modern at the same time. Good luck!
You do have a point, it’s not as if it’s his first name (Which, wow, I can’t believe it has been other males’ first name in the past! That’s something I would have never guessed, honestly).
If the family is that dead-set on it and you clearly have no qualms with it, then I guess that’s that. AJ is a really cool nickname, too. Who’d wanna pass up that opportunity? =P
I absolutely love both [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] and [name_f]Theodora[/name_f]. Lots of good nickname options, history, and good strong consonents in a vowel-heavy naming world these days!
[name_f]Penelope[/name_f] is nice too, but I like the other two better
