What are your criteria?

General Name Discussion
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What are the criteria you look for in names? This can be criteria for names for actual humans, or just for names you put on your list!

Some of the things I’m looking for are:

  • reasonably gender neutral
  • fairly easy to pronounce and pronunciation makes sense from spelling
  • good meaning (usually a nature connections) or an honorific
  • able to grow with a person
  • feels substantial, usually 2+ syllables
  • similar feel with sibling names
  • if it’s a word name, that it isn’t too strong that it makes it hard to use as a name

Some names that fit these criteria for me are:
Oleander
Calloway
Peregrine
Malachite
August
Dashiel

I’m excited to hear everyone’s criteria!

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Some of my criteria are:

  • no negative associations (ie. no Voldemort, [name_m]Adolf[/name_m], or for me personally, Chloe)
  • Fairly easy to pronounce and spell, preferably something that cannot be spelled a million different ways (ie. no [name_f]Katherine[/name_f], [name_f]Catherine[/name_f], [name_f]Kathryn[/name_f], [name_f]Katheryn[/name_f], etc.)
  • Middle name should be an honourific
  • No bad initials patterns
  • [name_f]My[/name_f] last name is 1 syllable, ending in -n so it must work well with that
  • [name_m]Able[/name_m] to grow with the person is definitely important
  • A good nickname is a bonus
  • Not super popular, but not super out there either.

A couple of my top names are: [name_m]Edwin[/name_m], [name_f]Flora[/name_f], [name_f]Adeline[/name_f] & [name_m]Lachlan[/name_m]

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For me…

  • I take a special interest in meaning and etymology. Surprisingly, this is somewhat uncommon on Nameberry, but my top names must have lovely meanings or they just don’t feel right. I wouldn’t name my child a name that had an unfortunate meaning - for example, I love the name [name_u]Claude[/name_u], but I just can’t get past the meaning.
  • It can’t be a name of someone I have been close with, unless it is an intentional honour name.
  • ‘Nicknamey’ names must have a full name that would go on the birth certificate.
  • I agree with both previous posters - a name must be able to grow with a person. If I can’t picture the name on a particular age group, it’s probably not the one.
  • [name_u]Unique[/name_u], but not something completely unheard of.

I don’t think I have heaps of criteria, but the criteria I do have, I’m pretty strict on and don’t have any exceptions as far as I’m aware. The meaning and etymology restriction has been tough, but for me, it’s so worth it. I’m not suggesting other people follow any of my criteria, by the way! This is just what works for me. :white_heart: :white_heart:

Some names that fit my criteria…

Girls
[name_f]Evaluna[/name_f], [name_f]Alaska[/name_f], [name_u]Léonie[/name_u], [name_f]Behati[/name_f], [name_f]Marijke[/name_f], [name_f]Sunniva[/name_f], [name_f]Madalyn[/name_f], Karsia, [name_f]Olga[/name_f], Eydís, [name_f]Pipaluk[/name_f], Eelisi, [name_f]Elska[/name_f], [name_f]Abeni[/name_f], [name_f]Katja[/name_f], [name_f]Lesya[/name_f], [name_u]Sasha[/name_u], [name_f]Vesna[/name_f], [name_f]Alina[/name_f], [name_f]Ekaterina[/name_f], [name_f]Esther[/name_f], [name_f]Iskra[/name_f], Lenka.

Boys
[name_m]Caspian[/name_m], [name_m]Oskar[/name_m], [name_m]Endymion[/name_m], [name_u]Griffin[/name_u], [name_u]Emmett[/name_u], [name_m]Viktor[/name_m], [name_m]Sigmund[/name_m], Conrad/Konrad, [name_m]Wolfgang[/name_m], [name_m]Rasmus[/name_m], [name_u]Bellamy[/name_u], [name_m]Lajos[/name_m], [name_m]Vartan[/name_m], Avedis, Alexander/Alexei, [name_m]Jairus[/name_m], [name_m]Oisín[/name_m], [name_m]Finnian[/name_m], [name_u]Noor[/name_u].

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I originally posted this on How Do You Create Combos?, but I have abbreviated it here. I know this is a bit long, but it’s actually been shortened.

Although I had originally I thought I would give my future kids (1 boy, 1 girl) the only 2 name combos I had chosen, I was wrong. I reevaluated them later & realized I didn’t choose them for any particular meaning, but for how they “sounded”. They held no value for me on the whole. It was then I decided to figure out what I wanted in a name & write down some guidelines. The following is what I came up with at that time, with a couple tacked on as time went on. Most points are flexible, but a couple I hold fast to. Here’s my list, in no particular order:

  1. Most names we give to our kids will honor someone or something of importance to us (nature, literature, event, etc.), but they may or may not be the honored person’s exact name
    Article: See 9 Creative Ways…

  2. Names, when being combined or changed around, to honor people need to be real (established) names & not look like they are from a creative naming contest.
    To honor [name_u]Chris[/name_u] & [name_m]Rob[/name_m], 0rɛstinᴀ would work while Robestina wouldn’t

  3. Each child will have their own FN. If we are using a close family member’s name, a variation will be used as a FN or by making it a MN. Distinct NNs will be used for any name that shares NN possibilities.
    To honor [name_u]Lisa[/name_u], we could use [name_u]Lee[/name_u], [name_f]Isla[/name_f] or [name_u]Elias[/name_u]

  4. Honoring a person takes priority, otherwise at least 1 name should have a nature-based meaning. Combining honor names w/ nature based meanings would be amazing.
    [name_u]Oak[/name_u] is a type of tree while [name_m]Oren[/name_m] means “[name_u]Pine[/name_u] Tree” & could honor [name_u]Owen[/name_u]

  5. Non-honor name meanings are important. If the name isn’t a nature name, I’d rather have it mean something positive.
    @kasatka Thanks for reminding me to add this… I usually have it in mind, but hadn’t written it out

  6. The name (& hopefully the NN needs to be able to grow w/ them into adulthood.
    Aside: I found this in a story online, & it describes perfectly what I mean: “Oh like [name_m]Theodore[/name_m]! Your gramps!” … “Yeah he sure does look like a [name_u]Teddy[/name_u], then a [name_u]Theo[/name_u] when he goes through his high school phase, and a respectable [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] as a grownup. Sure like a durable name. I agree.”

  7. If we can’t spell the name w/o having to rely on spell check every time, we won’t be using it or any form close in spelling – a work around or alternative can be used.
    No [name_u]Michael[/name_u], [name_m]Micheal[/name_m], [name_f]Michaela[/name_f] or [name_f]Michelle[/name_f], but [name_m]Mikel[/name_m] or [name_u]Micah[/name_u] could be used

  8. Whatever names we choose, they have to have meaning to us & we must love them. We won’t be choosing names just to choose a name – we aren’t using a family name just b/c it has been running through the family forever.

  9. No bypassing names thought of as too political or having a bad societal association – I don’t believe in not using names to due to popular belief & association. I will only worry about my & my SO’s own personal tastes & associations (good & bad) to determine whether or not to use a name.
    Aside: There are a couple I won’t use anyway b/c it would be insensitive to do so.

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Mine:

  • Recognizable and not too “out there” but also not too “common.”
  • Either reflects cultural heritage, or if not, isn’t CA.
  • Not an “obvious” fandom name that could be expected to frequently get comments (e.g. I personally couldn’t name a kid [name_f]Hermione[/name_f], [name_m]Samwise[/name_m], or [name_f]Leia[/name_f], even though I love those names and enjoy the source media)
  • [name_u]Nature[/name_u] and/or pagan names are always a plus (but of course are not required)
  • Doesn’t have an “obvious” nickname that I dislike
  • Middle names are honor names
  • [name_m]Can[/name_m] see the name working on a person in all stages of life (even if that means transitioning from a nickname to something else)
  • Isn’t a name that super obviously casts expectations on a child and how they will “turn out” (I struggle with some virtue names for this reason, even though I love them).
  • First name doesn’t belong to a family member or friend (if I do an honor name, it’ll be a middle). “Close” is ok, like [name_u]Sean[/name_u] if there’s a [name_m]John[/name_m] or [name_u]Madigan[/name_u] if there’s a [name_u]Madison[/name_u], I’m ok with, but I wouldn’t name a daughter [name_f]Daphne[/name_f] if I had any relative with the name.
  • Name doesn’t have an immediately obvious negative association, whether personal (ie name of someone I don’t like) or general (name of someone well known with a bad reputation, a word name with an obviously negative meaning, etc.)
  • Feels more timeless than trendy to me, but without being “overdone” (this is super subjective)
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These are great criteria, and I really love a lot of your names!

I’ve never seen Pippaluk before, but I love it!

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  • Easy to pronounce and spell
  • Works in more than one language
  • Has a good meaning or honours someone, preferably both
  • Doesn’t feel very trendy
  • Sounds good with the other names I like
  • Ideally has a sweet nickname
  • [name_m]Able[/name_m] to grow with a person
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Real life names:

  • make sense with Turkish phonetics
  • not too weird or too foreign

Names on my list:

  • I have to love it
  • that’s all :stuck_out_tongue:
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For me - and if only me picking.

  • Clearly gendered names for girls, a little more lenient on this for boys.
  • A name I haven’t taught before (this is the hardest rule to follow).
  • Uncommon but with a long history of use as a first name reaching back at least 100 years.
  • A long name.
  • No nicknames. (Yes I am aware these two points are counterproductive for most people)
  • I just like it! It makes me happy when I think of the name.
  • I can see myself introducing a child with this name and not feeling uncomfortable or embarassed on their behalf.
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It has to make me smile when I say it. [name_m]Even[/name_m] when I say it 100 times or shout it. So it can’t be a name with negative connotations to me. That’s my only criteria. Easy to pronounce or spell isn’t really an issue, my name isn’t spelt the usual way and neither are my sisters’, and I spelt my son’s the traditional way (Reuben) but it still isn’t spelt correctly by some people so… :sweat_smile:

Names on my short list are [name_u]Shiloh[/name_u], [name_f]Emilia[/name_f], [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f], [name_f]Siena[/name_f], [name_u]Jude[/name_u], [name_m]Elijah[/name_m] and Myles/Milo. Other names on my long list include [name_f]Saoirse[/name_f], [name_f]Lily[/name_f], [name_f]Annalise[/name_f], [name_f]Caoimhe[/name_f], [name_m]Emrys[/name_m], [name_u]Archer[/name_u] and [name_u]Phoenix[/name_u].

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ok but imagine meeting a random person called Voldy LMAO

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  • A rich history and/or background story, but this could be anything really: mythology, biblical, nature name etc.
  • A special significance to me and/or my SO personally, like a family name or something to do with the meaning or usage
  • Some connection to mine or SO’s (very mixed) heritage
  • Not too common and not very trendy
  • The longer the better, usually :grin:
  • Doesn’t sound childish or prevents people from taking someone seriously. Names like [name_u]Snow[/name_u] or Hopie are very cute and sound great in theory, but I can’t imagine anyone going in for a job interview and introducing themselves like this
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  • nickname possibilities. even really short names that i like (ozzy, toby) need to have at least one available nickname
  • outside the US, UK and Scotland top 200 (for real life, i have some popular names in my UC)
  • easily pronouncable in english! i love marwarita but i would’t use it irl

aaaand that’s it. i’m not too picky when it comes to having a lot of criteria

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-I’m White and my husband is Mexican, so it’s important that our kids’ names can be pronounced in [name_f]English[/name_f] and in Spanish. (With the exception of [name_f]Xochitl[/name_f], which is from my husband’s family’s native language).

-My name is [name_f]Jennifer[/name_f], so I avoid names that are high on the US popularity list for my kids’ first names.

-I prefer the names to have good meanings, and sometimes will take a name off my list if the meaning is not great.

-I will not use a name that has been used in the family already, unless the person has passed away. (Unless using my husband’s first or middle name as a middle name, but that hasn’t happened yet). We have been planning to name a boy Zenón, after his grandfather who passed away before we met.

-No names that are too similar to our other kids’ names. We already have a [name_f]Kiana[/name_f], so now we can’t use any other name ending with -ana. I also love [name_f]Nayeli[/name_f], but my oldest is [name_f]Noemí[/name_f].

-My husband and I both have to like the name. We’ve been able to agree on all three of our daughters’ names, thankfully.

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For me:

Is it from my cultural background?

Is it appropriate in this time? What social or economic positives/negatives are about for this name?

It’s the meaning, because naming is a process which is about another human and not my ego. I love researching names and learning about the history.

Is it spelt and pronounced properly? [name_f]My[/name_f] personal bug bear is bad or deliberate (mis) spelling names to be “edgy and creative”.

[name_m]Can[/name_m] I make a dirty joke - if yes, probably not a good idea. I would honestly tell someone if there was some innuendo that they needed to be aware of.

Finally, not vetoed.

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For me:

  • Has to sound good with the surname.
  • A rich history (could be mythological, historical, spiritual, literary…). Made-up and modern names aren’t my style (though there’s nothing wrong with them if you like them).
  • Not difficult to spell or pronounce in [name_f]English[/name_f].
  • Doesn’t sound very close to a more common name (for example, I love [name_f]Amalia[/name_f] but [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] is incredibly popular where I live, so I don’t feel I could use it).
  • Unusual but still reasonably familiar. Preferably not in the top 20. I don’t want my child’s name to be considered a “dated” name when they’re older.
  • No obvious negative associations (either for my family or in wider society).
  • Doesn’t have a negative meaning (though I make exceptions for names like [name_f]Mary[/name_f] that have more than one possible origin).
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Obvious nicknames, unique, short, meaningful :slight_smile:

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for names I could actually use in real life —

  • works in a certain language my family has connections with, as well as in [name_f]English[/name_f]
  • fairly gender neutral, though I have a few exceptions
  • not ‘trendy’, but fairly popular is fine if I love it
  • not easily confusable with another name, not too hard to spell
  • no weird/negative associations
  • works on all ages (though my estimate of that is fairly broad)

for my list —

  • I like it
  • interesting origin/meaning is always a plus too
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  • Familiar and not too out there, but not too popular
  • My “important” combos will have honor middle names but most of my names are just combos I like
  • Easy to pronounce
  • MUST have a nickname
  • No negative associations
  • Bad meanings don’t necessarily bother me but it would make me happier if it had a good meaning
  • Preferably not dated
  • Works for all ages
  • Sounds okay will my surname. For instance I can’t use Laken because it rhymes exactly with my surname
  • Outside of top 100 and preferably outside 200 too
  • I’d rather it not be too biblical either but some of my favorites have biblical meanings
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[name_f]My[/name_f] criteria are:
Classic, but uncommon
Goes well with my one syllable last name
Easy to pronounce and spell
Has a preppy, ivy-league kind of sound/style (I tend to lean towards these names for some reason)

Some names that fit this criteria for me are:
[name_m]Russell[/name_m]
[name_m]Garrett[/name_m]
[name_u]Darcy[/name_u]
[name_f]Caroline[/name_f]

For me, the meaning isn’t considered criteria, just an added bonus if the name means something positive. I don’t necessarily choose/create honor names, but all of the names listed except [name_u]Darcy[/name_u] have some kind of connection with my life. These are my top 4 names for a next child.

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