Trying to find another name to love

Girl Names
1

[name]Hi[/name] everybody. My husband and I are expecting our first baby, a precious little girl, this [name]December[/name]. Unfortunately, she still doesn’t have a name, or at least one I feel that I can use.

For as long as I can remember I have loved the name [name]Carina[/name]. I love everything about it. The look, the sound, the nicknames (I love [name]Cara[/name]/[name]Rina[/name]/[name]Rio[/name] for it), and especially its meaning, “dear little one” in Italian.

Unfortunately, it was also the name of a young girl who was brutally killed here in our town about a year ago. It haunts me to no end. I pray I don’t sound like I am making the tragedy out to be the fact that I don’t feel I can use this name and not that this beautiful young girl was murdered, because that’s not it at all. I just don’t feel like I can use the name for our baby girl, as much as I love it, because it is so deeply tied to the girl who was killed.

I feel very, very lost about this. I have always dreamed of having a little [name]Carina[/name] and no other name seems “right” for her. I’m hoping and praying maybe someone here can help. I would love it if the name meant something similar (small, tiny, etc.) because “[name]Little[/name] [name]One[/name]” has already become her nickname of sorts in lieu of a proper name.

Thanks so much for any help.

2

What about [name]Capella[/name]? It has a similar meaning and feel. I think it’s really pretty.

3

What about [name]Nina[/name]? Similar meaning, just as darling.

4

That’s unfortunate. Well, you can call any little girl “[name]Little[/name] [name]One[/name],” it only makes sense since she’ll literally be little. Thankfully there are other names that sound and look similar to [name]Carina[/name]. [name]Ekaterina[/name], [name]Catalina[/name], Cataleya/Kataleya, [name]Katrina[/name], [name]Serena[/name], [name]Selina[/name], etc. In my opinion, meaning comes second to loving the sound of a name. Anyway, good luck!

5

Awwww…for what it’s worth, I think you can still use it. This happened to me, kind of. When I was 8.5 months pregnant with my 2nd daughter who had been named for years basically, a friend’s daughter with the same name died of cancer. I considered switching the name (it’s a fairly normal, traditional name…[name]Elizabeth[/name]), but then thought better of it, since this was also my grandmother’s name and I had been planning on using it for years. I did have several people in town assume that we were naming the baby after this poor girl, but I just told them that we had picked it out long before. It was slightly uncomfortable, but 5 years later, it just doesn’t matter anymore and she mostly goes by a nickname and no one would ever make the connection at this point. The timing was just horrible.

If you really can’t get past it, could you just spell it differently? Like [name]Karina[/name]? Or maybe switch it to [name]Karenna[/name]? [name]Karenna[/name] is beautiful.

6

My first thoughts were [name]Etta[/name] and [name]Carolina[/name]–[name]Carolina[/name] has a very similar feeling to [name]Carina[/name] to me, I saw one site that said [name]Carolina[/name] means “little feminine one”, although I think the more usual translation is “free (wo)man”–[name]Charlotte[/name]/[name]Caroline[/name]/[name]Carolina[/name]/etc. all stem from [name]Charles[/name], meaning “free man”, and so that would transition to “free (wo)man” when the feminine variants. On another site I saw that [name]Etta[/name] means “little one”, which I think is cute. :slight_smile: I don’t know how reliable that is, but since [name]Etta[/name] could be a nn for so many names (and the -ette ending in French is usually diminutive, like “my little ____”), it makes sense. :slight_smile: I think [name]Etta[/name] would be an adorable replacement!

It doesn’t have “little” in it, but I found a site that says [name]Lena[/name] means “the bright one”, and I think that’s adorable and just so perfect! I love it.

Good luck!

7

Thank you all for all the replies already, I appreciate it so much :slight_smile: As far as sound over meanings, I really do love the meanings behind names, that might be a little weird but they truly mean a lot to me. I’ve been an etymology buff for as long as I can remember and I’ve always loved “collecting” meanings of names :slight_smile:

I have to say I absolutely love [name]Capella[/name], wow. I looked at it and seriously just kind of got butterflies in my tummy… or maybe that’s just her, haha! I also like [name]Serena[/name] and [name]Selina[/name]/[name]Selena[/name] (I like it this way a bit better - opinions?). [name]Nina[/name] is cute, but I’m afraid it’s a little short - maybe there’s a name it could be a nickname of?

I have thought about spelling it [name]Karina[/name] instead, but it still just kind of unsettles me some :frowning: [name]Karenna[/name] sounds very pretty, and is not a name I’ve heard of before. I also like [name]Carolina[/name], and [name]Etta[/name] and [name]Lena[/name] are SO cute! Wow… I wasn’t expecting so many ideas so fast :slight_smile: Thank you all, again… now I’m even more lost but it’s in a much better way!!! So here are all the names I’m considering now:

[name]Capella[/name] (Seriously… I really, really love this. Wow!)
[name]Carolina[/name]
[name]Etta[/name] (Ideas for a longer form?)
[name]Karenna[/name]
[name]Lena[/name]/[name]Selena[/name]
[name]Nina[/name] (Again, ideas for a longer form?)
[name]Serena[/name]

Thank you guys again, so so much… this website rocks!

8

If it makes you feel better about not using “[name]Carina[/name],” the carina is an anatomical structure which in surgery we call “the crotch of the chest.” There-- ruined any lingering attachment you had to the name.

[name]Capella[/name] is pretty, and many people will think it’s related to the word chapel (as in a cappella), but it means she-goat, if that bothers you.

[name]Calandra[/name] (a lark, n Greek)
[name]Calantha[/name] (beautiful flower)
[name]Callista[/name] (most beautiful)
[name]Carissa[/name] (similar meaning- my beloved)
[name]Cassia[/name] (cinnamon)
[name]Celina[/name] (the moon goddess)
[name]Chiara[/name] (bright, famous)
[name]Clarissa[/name] (most bright)
[name]Cliona[/name] (a mythical Irish fairy queen)
[name]Corinna[/name] (maiden)
Corinthia (from Corinth)
[name]Cynthia[/name] (from a particular mtn in Greece, sacred to [name]Artemis[/name])

Same meaning:

[name]Carita[/name] (same name, but Scandinavian)
[name]Adora[/name]
[name]Philomena[/name]
[name]Kalila[/name]
[name]Kyra[/name]
[name]Alaine[/name]
[name]Alana[/name]
[name]Esme[/name]
[name]Miranda[/name]
[name]Amica[/name]

9

I would still name her [name]Carina[/name]. I think the association would fade.

10

[name]How[/name] about Caramia? Same nicknames, almost identical meaning.

11

[name]How[/name] about Karenina? It could have the same nicknames as [name]Carina[/name] or [name]Nina[/name] which you said you like.

12

Some suggestions, following on the “dear, little one” theme, or with a similar sound to Carina:

[name]Kalila[/name] - beloved
[name]Imogen[/name] - beloved child
[name]Ismay[/name]/[name]Esme[/name] - esteemed, beloved
[name]Cantara[/name] - little bridge
[name]Damita[/name] - little noblewoman
[name]Davina[/name] - little deer
[name]Fiorella[/name] - little flower
[name]Carys[/name] - love
[name]Milena[/name] - love, warmth, grace
[name]Kerensa[/name] - love
[name]Amara[/name] - lovely forever
[name]Aimee[/name] - beloved
[name]Mirabella[/name] - wonderful
[name]Naomi[/name] - my joy, my delight
[name]Angelina[/name] - angelic
[name]Rosina[/name] - rose
[name]Serafina[/name] - ardent
[name]Clarina[/name] - clear, pure
[name]Chiarina[/name] - clear, pure
[name]Clarissa[/name] - bright, clear
[name]Carissa[/name] - grace
[name]Cara[/name] - dear
Carabelle - dear
[name]Caren[/name] - a variation of [name]Carina[/name]
[name]Carlina[/name] - little champion
[name]Carmela[/name]/[name]Carmelina[/name]/[name]Carmelita[/name] - garden
[name]Gianina[/name] - God is gracious
[name]Nicolina[/name] - people of victory
[name]Norina[/name] - bright, shining one
[name]Dariela[/name] - dear one, beloved

14

“Spanish, Catalan, and Italian: from capella ‘chapel’, a topographic name for someone who lived by a chapel or a metonymic occupational name for someone who worked in one.”

Somewhere else online, I got this… if it works for you, it’s definitely better than the “little she-goat” meaning. hahaha.

You seem so excited about [name]Capella[/name]… it IS really pretty. [name]Carina[/name] or [name]Capella[/name]… I hope you find ‘the one’!

Oooh. I just had a thought… if you like the sound of Capella, you might like the name Coppelia… I love, love, LOVE this name.

15

What if you just varied the name a little bit and call her [name]Catrina[/name] nn [name]Nina[/name]?

[name]Capella[/name] is also nice, and makes me think of angels singing in a church. Depending on when in [name]December[/name] she will be born the “she-goat” meaning might even be perfect if she is a little Capricorn. =]

16

What if you just varied the name a little bit and call her [name]Catrina[/name] nn [name]Nina[/name]? Or for nn [name]Etta[/name] you might like [name]Caretta[/name]?

[name]Capella[/name] is also nice, and makes me think of angels singing in a church. Depending on when in [name]December[/name] she will be born the “she-goat” meaning might even be perfect if she is a little Capricorn. =]

17

two ps = Latin for chapel (and, by derivation, Spanish and Italian). Like “a cappella.”

1 p = goat. Like Capricorn.

Solution: [name]Cappella[/name].

18

[name]Hi[/name] again, everybody. Thank you all so much for the continued replies and support. When I woke up this morning things felt a lot brighter :slight_smile: I’ve been feeling pretty stressed about this, and coming here has helped so much.

[name]Blade[/name]- I did not know that at all, haha! Thank you for that. I do still love the name, but that did certainly add to my uneasiness about it. I actually really like that [name]Capella[/name] means little she-goat, because my mom is a Capricorn and so was my nana, and my little one might be as well :slight_smile: I also love the astronomical connection, which was another reason why I really loved [name]Carina[/name]. Thank you so much for your suggestions, they are beautiful. I really like [name]Calandra[/name], [name]Calantha[/name], [name]Carissa[/name], and [name]Corinna[/name], and [name]Esme[/name] for those. I actually really love [name]Esme[/name] for a middle name, but I’m unsure of how well it will go.

Basila- I do like the meaning of it, but there’s something about saying it that just doesn’t sound right for me. Thank you very much, though.

[name]Lori[/name]- Thanks for the welcome :slight_smile: I have to say I still haven’t totally ruled [name]Carina[/name] out, but I’m still not sure using it will be the same.

Sawdust_and_diamonds- I really love that for [name]Nina[/name] which is SO cute, but my husband wasn’t a fan so that one looks like a no-go.

Eka215- Thank you so much for all of those! I love [name]Imogen[/name], [name]Carys[/name], [name]Milena[/name], [name]Kerensa[/name], [name]Mirabella[/name], [name]Carissa[/name], [name]Caren[/name], and [name]Norina[/name].

[name]Etoile[/name]- I actually love the little she-goat meaning! The chapel relation is very nice too, though! I love the looks of Coppelia, but I’m a little unsure how it is said?

Amydomsmom- I do like [name]Catrina[/name], but I’ve been a little put-off by it since the hurricane, even though it’s spelled differently. [name]Caretta[/name] is very cute though! I really am loving [name]Capella[/name] more and more for that reason, my mom is a Capricorn herself and so was my nana, and since our little one is due [name]December[/name] 28, she’s likely to be if she doesn’t decide to come early :slight_smile: