Trying to decide on a less common girl's name...

[name]Hi[/name]!
I have a son, [name]Jacob[/name], and a daughter [name]Alanna[/name]. I am due in Dec. with another girl! My husband and I are stuck on a name for our new daughter.
We would prefer that the name isn’t popular, as [name]Jacob[/name] is soooo popular that everywhere we go we hear it. I really like the fact that [name]Alanna[/name] is more uncommon, and very beautiful. We are kind of stuck on trying to find a name that is uncommon, but one that we agree is beautiful. Here is the list that we have so far. And any suggestions are very much welcome!!! Thanks!

[name]Anissa[/name]
[name]Cadence[/name]
[name]Nayeli[/name] or Naieli
[name]Nevaeh[/name] (i know this has become common, but he really likes it)
[name]Misty[/name] or [name]Mysti[/name] (we are unsure about this one)
[name]Sarina[/name]

Some (at least slightly) exotic sounding names you may like:

[name]Arabella[/name]
[name]Briony[/name] (Botanical name)
[name]Calla[/name] (Floral name)
[name]Cora[/name]
[name]Clarissa[/name]
[name]Daphne[/name]
[name]Elodie[/name] (French name)
[name]Genevieve[/name] (nn [name]Evie[/name])
[name]Ivy[/name]
[name]Juliet[/name]/[name]Juliette[/name]
[name]Jocelyn[/name]
[name]Larissa[/name]
[name]Mirabelle[/name]
[name]Miranda[/name]
[name]Natalia[/name]
[name]Phoebe[/name]
[name]Rosalie[/name]
[name]Serena[/name]
[name]Seraphina[/name]
[name]Stella[/name]
[name]Tabitha[/name]
[name]Viviana[/name]
[name]Vivienne[/name]
[name]Zara[/name]

Best wishes to you! :slight_smile:

I just want to add that with [name]Sarina[/name], “sarin” is the name of a poisonous gas, but I think that the [name]Serena[/name] spelling is lovely. :slight_smile:

You may like [name]Scarlett[/name], too.

Good luck!

[name]Jill[/name]… there are quite a few on the list you gave me that I proposed to my husband, but he wouldn’t go for. He prefers the more common names, so it has been very tricky to get him to agree to these. He wanted [name]Layla[/name] for my daughter [name]Alanna[/name], but I stood ground and she finally got her name when she was 3 days old!!!
As far as [name]Sarina[/name], it is a form of [name]Sarah[/name] (meaning princess). I preferred that spelling over the [name]Serena[/name] spelling b/c of [name]Serena[/name] [name]Williams[/name], the tennis player.
Thanks!

anissa is really pretty, you can call her annie :slight_smile:

[name]Anissa[/name] - I fear the first 4 letters of this name may lead to teasing.
[name]Cadence[/name] - I like this option the best!
[name]Nayeli[/name] or Naieli - how is this pronounced?
[name]Nevaeh[/name] (i know this has become common, but he really likes it) - I’ve never understood this trend. And [name]Heaven[/name] spelled backward seems like an odd sentiment to me.
[name]Misty[/name] or [name]Mysti[/name] (we are unsure about this one) - not my style
[name]Sarina[/name] - l Like [name]Serena[/name].

[name]Cadence[/name] is my favorite and I think its darling with [name]Alana[/name].

[name]How[/name] about [name]Annika[/name] instead?

Or [name]Aliena[/name]? Pronounced [name]Al[/name]-een-a

[name]Hi[/name] again. :slight_smile: I know I sidestepped commenting on the names you listed before, but I have to second [name]Jemma[/name]'s comments, especially about [name]Nevaeh[/name] and [name]Nayeli[/name].

If I were asking about names, I’d hope that people would be honest with me, because I’d want to know how the names I liked were perceived by others.

While I think that [name]Jacob[/name] and [name]Alanna[/name] are lovely names (yes, [name]Jacob[/name] is popular, but it’s more importantly a timeless and handsome Biblical classic, and [name]Alanna[/name] has history, too, as the feminine version of [name]Alan[/name]), some of the names on your list are either invented names or have that feel, and don’t have the more traditional style or feel of your children’s lovely names.

In all honesty, of all the names mentioned on Nameberry, poor [name]Nevaeh[/name] is without a doubt the most strongly disliked of the girls’ names. If you search for [name]Nevaeh[/name] on Nameberry, you’ll see that in threads dedicated to discussing least favorite names, [name]Nevaeh[/name] appears the most often, and is the source of intense negative feelings amongst the majority of Nameberry posters.

[name]Nevaeh[/name] isn’t just popular–it’s extremely trendy, and there’s a difference between the two. Unfortunately, if you read the posts about [name]Nevaeh[/name], you’ll see that in the eyes of the majority of Nameberry posters, [name]Nevaeh[/name] doesn’t have the best reputation.

I think it’s necessary to mention this, because I believe that it’s important to know how names you’re considering are perceived by others. I know that a lot of people really like Navaeh, though, but it just doesn’t receive a lot of love here on Nameberry.

[name]Edit[/name]: I originally thought that [name]Nayeli[/name]/Naieli were creative spellings of Naleigh, the nickname that [name]Katherine[/name] Heigel developed for her baby, [name]Nancy[/name] [name]Leigh[/name]. I understand now thanks to posters that [name]Nayeli[/name] is either a Native American name or a name from a native Mexican language, and that this choice isn’t related to Naleigh. That said, I think that pronunciation and spelling issues may be an issue with this name, and I can better see some of the other names on your list with [name]Jacob[/name] and [name]Alanna[/name].

From your list, [name]Misty[/name] is the other name I can’t see paired with [name]Jacob[/name] or [name]Alanna[/name], and the [name]Mysti[/name] spelling looks misspelled to me. I can only speak for myself, but [name]Misty[/name] feels pretty dated (1970s), and doesn’t feel as sophisticated as [name]Jacob[/name] and [name]Alanna[/name]. :frowning:

I think that [name]Anissa[/name] is gorgeous, but I agree with [name]Jemma[/name] that unfortunate “anus” jokes will likely await a little [name]Anissa[/name]. (Regarding the [name]Aliena[/name] suggestion, I think that [name]Erin[/name] misunderstood that you already have a little [name]Alanna[/name]. I’d avoid [name]Aliena[/name], though, because it contains the word “Alien.”) :slight_smile:

I think that [name]Clarissa[/name], [name]Larissa[/name], and even the (slightly dated) [name]Marissa[/name] could be substitutes, if they appeal to you. Have you considered the Greek name [name]Arista[/name]?

[name]Sarina[/name]: I can definitely see this name with [name]Jacob[/name] and [name]Alannah[/name], although I think that she may have to correct people’s spelling quite a bit. You may also like [name]Samara[/name].

[name]Cadence[/name]: It feels trendier than [name]Jacob[/name] and [name]Alanna[/name] to me, but I do think it works. You may also like [name]Candace[/name], [name]Celeste[/name], [name]Chloe[/name] (popular), [name]Carmen[/name], [name]Aria[/name] (another musical term, but it’s close to [name]Alanna[/name]), and [name]Elodie[/name] (French name that sounds like [name]Melody[/name]).

From your list, I think that [name]Sarina[/name] and [name]Cadence[/name] work best with [name]Jacob[/name] and [name]Alanna[/name].

Based on your favorites you may also like (my apologies for repeats):

[name]Aveline[/name] (Irish name)
[name]Adrienne[/name]
[name]Aurora[/name]
[name]Adeline[/name]
[name]Corinne[/name]/[name]Corinna[/name]
[name]Clementine[/name]
[name]Chloe[/name]
[name]Candace[/name]
[name]Carmen[/name]
[name]Colette[/name]
[name]Calista[/name] (contains [name]Misty[/name]'s “ist” sound)
[name]Darcy[/name]
[name]Elise[/name]
[name]Iris[/name]/[name]Irissa[/name] (close to [name]Anissa[/name]…)
[name]Laurel[/name]
[name]Marielle[/name]
[name]Natasha[/name]
[name]Nerissa[/name] (another [name]Anissa[/name] possibility)
[name]Paige[/name]
[name]Ruby[/name]
[name]Romilly[/name] (nn [name]Romy[/name])
[name]Sasha[/name]
[name]Waverly[/name]
[name]Willow[/name]

Best wishes to you! :slight_smile:

From what I understand, [name]Nayeli[/name] is Native American (Zapotec) and means “I love you.” I have met one or two here in [name]California[/name]. I think it’s pretty, but I probably wouldn’t pair it with your other children’s names.

I like sirena (see [name]RENA[/name]) meaning mermaid in spanish. [name]Nayeli[/name] is not a made up name and is not uncommon in mexico its means “loved one” or “I love you” in a native mexican language. Sorry u will have to look it up. Saying that [name]Nayeli[/name] doesn’t really go with your other childrens names.

As a side note I worked as a social worker in [name]Brooklyn[/name] NYC and I worked w many troubled girls named Naveah, so it has a bad connection for me.

I was going to add that I love the suggestion of [name]Nerissa[/name]. What about [name]Soraya[/name]?

[name]Hi[/name]! - [name]Hi[/name], rkarczynski.

  • I love the names [name]Jacob[/name] and [name]Alanna[/name].

[name]Anissa[/name] - I love [name]Anais[/name] more, also love [name]Annika[/name] and [name]Annabel[/name]. And [name]Anastasia[/name].
[name]Cadence[/name] - I love [name]Celeste[/name], [name]Calandra[/name], [name]Camille[/name], [name]Cosima[/name], and [name]Cecily[/name]/[name]Cecilia[/name] more.
[name]Nayeli[/name] or Naieli
[name]Nevaeh[/name] (i know this has become common, but he really likes it) - I love [name]Nora[/name]
[name]Misty[/name] or [name]Mysti[/name] (we are unsure about this one) - I don’t like it, sorry!
[name]Sarina[/name] - I love [name]Serena[/name] and [name]Sabrina[/name] more.

I love [name]Annika[/name] and [name]Arista[/name] was a new one for me but I love it too. I also like [name]Danica[/name] it reminds me of [name]Annika[/name].

[name]Cadence[/name] is also my favorite from your list. I agree with what both [name]Jemma[/name] and [name]Jill[/name] and have said about the other names.

[name]Alanna[/name] has a Hawaiian fee to me like [name]Alana[/name] or [name]Noelani[/name] and [name]Leilani[/name]. [name]Do[/name] you like girls names like that? Actually check out the recent blog it has a lot of Hawaiian names there’s a link to find more and your own name in Hawaiian.

[name]Leia[/name] - “child of heaven” pronounced lay-uh
[name]Ariel[/name]
[name]Alea[/name] or [name]Alia[/name]
[name]Malia[/name]
[name]Maya[/name] - meye-ya
[name]Mara[/name]
[name]Lorelei[/name] or [name]Lorelie[/name]
[name]Leonie[/name] - lee-OH-nee but I’ve heard as lay-OH-nee too.
[name]Nigella[/name]
[name]Paulina[/name] nn [name]Paulie[/name]
[name]Reina[/name] or [name]Rayna[/name]
[name]Seraphina[/name]
[name]Vesper[/name]
[name]Yuri[/name]
Eulie
[name]Callista[/name] nn [name]Callie[/name]

Thank you so much, [name]Meryl[/name]! I assumed that [name]Nayeli[/name] was a spelling of Naleigh, the name that [name]Katherine[/name] Heigel chose to nickname her daughter, [name]Nancy[/name] [name]Leigh[/name]. :slight_smile:

[name]Lesley[/name], thank you, too! :slight_smile:

[name]Jacob[/name], [name]Alana[/name] & [name]Katherine[/name] ([name]Kate[/name])
[name]Jacob[/name], [name]Alana[/name] & [name]Kezia[/name]
[name]Jacob[/name], [name]Alana[/name] & [name]Etana[/name]
[name]Jacob[/name], [name]Alana[/name] & [name]Edie[/name]
[name]Jacob[/name], [name]Alana[/name] & [name]Faith[/name]
[name]Jacob[/name], [name]Alana[/name] & [name]Holly[/name]
[name]Jacob[/name], [name]Alana[/name] & [name]Milena[/name] ([name]Milly[/name]/[name]Lena[/name])
[name]Jacob[/name], [name]Alana[/name] & [name]Pippa[/name]
[name]Jacob[/name], [name]Alana[/name] & [name]Safron[/name]
[name]Jacob[/name], [name]Alana[/name] & [name]Willa[/name]
[name]Jacob[/name], [name]Alana[/name] & [name]Natasha[/name]
[name]Jacob[/name], [name]Alana[/name] & [name]Nina[/name]
[name]Jacob[/name], [name]Alana[/name] & [name]Tatiana[/name]
[name]Jacob[/name], [name]Alan[/name] & Lukia

good luck :slight_smile:

Best from your list: [name]Sirena[/name]

I love these suggestions:
[name]Sabrina[/name]
[name]Melina[/name]
[name]Danica[/name]
Saraya
[name]Annika[/name]
[name]Lorelie[/name]
[name]Tabitha[/name]
[name]Darcy[/name]

more ideas:
[name]Isadora[/name] nn [name]Dora[/name]/[name]Dory[/name]/[name]Isa/name
[name]Camilla[/name] nn [name]Cami[/name]/[name]Mila[/name]
[name]Felicity[/name]
[name]Giana[/name]
[name]Irena[/name]/[name]Irina[/name]
[name]Julianne[/name] nn [name]Juli[/name]/[name]Ann[/name]/[name]Anna[/name]
[name]Kiana[/name] nn [name]Kiki[/name]
[name]Macie[/name]
[name]Marilyn[/name] nn [name]Mari[/name]/[name]Lyn[/name]
[name]Natasha[/name]
[name]Regina[/name] nn [name]Gigi[/name]
[name]Sylvia[/name]/[name]Sylvie[/name]

[name]Just[/name] thought of [name]Nadia[/name] or [name]Natalia[/name]

Most of you will be happy to know that I got my husband to take the name [name]Nevaeh[/name] off the list, and [name]Nayeli[/name] is on it’s way off too. Right now the two top contenders are [name]Anissa[/name] and [name]Cadence[/name], but we are still looking.