So my girls’ list has always been very short compared to my boys’ list, and I’m simply not as interested in girls’ names. However, the bf having nixed a few of my very favourites I’d like to try and expand the list a little at least so we have a few options to discuss if baby turns out to be a girl (and instinct tells me it is a girl - I know instinct is not worth all that much, but I just can’t make myself believe it’s a boy at this stage). We both like [name_f]El[/name_f]ísabet, so that’s a top possibility at the moment, but he doesn’t really want to discuss it in depth until we know the sex. Since I am so picky with girls’ names I can’t really imagine him suggesting anything I like unless he happens to suggest something that’s already on my list.
What do you reckon of these:
[name_f]Helena[/name_f] (nn [name_f]Lena[/name_f])
Ingunn (nn [name_f]Inga[/name_f])
”ris (prn. EE-riss, not EYE-riss)
Lára (prn. LOW(to rhyme with cow)-ra)
[name_f]Maren[/name_f] (prn. MAH(to rhyme with car)-ren)
Sóley (prn. SO-lay)
Sólveig (prn. SOUL-vague. I have always loved this but considered it best as a middle name - but maybe it could work as a first?)
Svana
Þóra (prn. THOE-rah - not like English [name_f]Thora[/name_f])
Þórunn (nn. Þóra)
Some of these are names I used to be more enthusiastic about and am trying to get back into, some are new options I am warming to a little bit. I would just write Þ as Th for use in English, although I know the special character is a bit confusing I think this would be a workable solution.
Which ones would you keep if you were me?
P.S. These are Icelandic names for a half-Icelandic baby who will be born and grow up in Iceland - hence the foreignness! [name_u]Baby[/name_u] has an Icelandic father and an English mother, and will grow up bilingual with close family in both countries.
I like [name_f]Helena[/name_f] “[name_f]Lena[/name_f]” and [name_f]Maren[/name_f] best! Possibly because they look the most familiar to me; possibly because I’m just REALLY crushing on [name_f]Helena[/name_f] forms lately (I also love the Danish [name_f]Helene[/name_f] (heh-[name_m]LAY[/name_m]-nah) and the [name_m]French[/name_m] Hélène (ay-[name_m]LEN[/name_m])), and I adore the nn [name_f]Lena[/name_f]. [name_f]Helena[/name_f] is definitely my favorite in general, but I have family ties to [name_f]Maren[/name_f], too, and I just think it’s really unusual and striking. I’m somewhat familiar with Sólveig–I like the sound a lot, but it’s never looked as pretty as it sounds to me? Maybe it’s just me, though. And I like international variants on [name_f]Iris[/name_f], and I think ”ris is lovely. Probably my third favorite.
I don’t really like Ingunn, but I do love the nn [name_f]Inga[/name_f] a lot. And I think Lára looks lovely, and I rather like the pronunciation, as well. I think I’d rank them [name_f]Helena[/name_f], [name_f]Maren[/name_f], ”ris, and Lára.
Good luck!
P.S. - is Svala still in the running? I’d seen you post that earlier, and I loved it! I love [name_f]El[/name_f]ísabet, too; I’m just curious where intriguing, spunky-and-sweet Svala ended up!
I really love [name_f]Helena[/name_f], ”ris (I mostly pronounce it EE-riss too! :D), Lára, [name_f]Maren[/name_f] and Svana. [name_f]Helena[/name_f] [name_f]Solveig[/name_f] and ”ris Þórunn (I know you haven’t asked about combination but I just can’t resist. :p). Also, I second @ash, I really adore Svala.
”ris, Lára, and [name_f]Maren[/name_f] are my favorites! Beautiful, beautiful names. You have great taste! Personally, I’d nix Þóra and Þórunn for the sake of simplicity. It seems too complicated to have to use Th as a substitute for non-Icelandics. In my opinion, it takes away from the name, too. And, hey, she may be like her mama and end up living in another country when she grows up!
Not familiar with a lot of these, so it’s hard to judge. but I love [name_f]Helena[/name_f] ([name_f]Lena[/name_f]), [name_f]Inga[/name_f], [name_f]Maren[/name_f], and Lára with this pronunciation.
My favourites are [name_f]Helena[/name_f], ”ris and Lára. I also like Sólveig. Interesting that you prefer it in the middle spot – I have only ever heard of it as a first name (and it’s very common here). I love the nn [name_m]Sol[/name_m]! Ingunn and Þórunn are old ladies’ names to me. I find both of them very harsh and too ‘heavy’ for a child. I don’t know how important it is to you, but I would probably try to avoid names with foreign letters (‘Þ’) since baby will be half-English.
Oh, and I have to say that I love [name_f]Elva[/name_f] and Ylfa from your signature! Especially Ylfa, so beautiful!
Thankyou so much, everyone! You have given me some very good pointers.
It is a good point that she might live in another country. I guess it’s possible she would even move to the UK, after all she will have British citizenship so it would definitely be an option. Generally I have tried to avoid Icelandic special characters, but I was rethinking it because it seems like my list is getting so thin now I’ve mentioned a few to the bf and had them dismissed!
Sólveig seemed best in the middle to me because I thought it was a little tricky to pronounce, but as I say I am toying with relaxing these standards a bit. I see what you mean with Ingunn/Þórunn being old ladies’ names - it’s the heaviness I like, really. So many Icelandic girls these days have just the airiest fairiest cutesiest names you have ever heard and that’s something I really want to avoid for my own daughter. But there’s totally a middle ground, I agree!
I’m from the US but I vote for Ingunn, mostly because I love the name [name_f]Inga[/name_f]. Would [name_f]Ingrid[/name_f] or [name_f]Astrid[/name_f] be names you might like?
As I’ve never been out of the US and know near to nothing about Iceland, I don’t know what names are popular there or what names would be considered odd - but here’s my favorites from your list:
I love those names! Unfortunately they are more Scandinavian names and I don’t quite care for the Icelandic versions (Ingiríður and ”stríður). They are legal, but I would personally feel weird about using them since neither of us is Scandinavian, so I couldn’t justify to myself using them instead of the Icelandic versions if that makes sense.
Edit: I also love Matilda, nice Germanic name you’d think, and it bums me out that the Icelanders have to have it as Matthildur, which just takes all the beauty out of it in my opinion…
Lára and [name_f]Maren[/name_f] are both gorgeous to me. Of course 90% of the people on this thread have also said that too probably because they’re most familiar with it.
[name_f]Helena[/name_f] is definitely my favorite in general, but I have family ties to [name_f]Maren[/name_f], too, and I just think it’s really unusual and striking. I’m somewhat familiar with Sólveig–I like the sound a lot, but it’s never looked as pretty as it sounds to me? Maybe it’s just me, though. And I like international variants on [name_f]Iris[/name_f], and I think ”ris is lovely. Probably my third favorite.
It was my favourite, but what can you do! Thanks for your comments, both of you, very helpful!