[name_f]Sophia[/name_f] - I’m always torn with this, because I always seem to prefer some international variant. Sometimes the [name_m]French[/name_m] [name_f]Sophie[/name_f], sometimes the Polish [name_f]Zofia[/name_f] or [name_f]Zosia[/name_f], sometimes the Russian [name_f]Sonja[/name_f], or the Spanish/Italian [name_f]Sofia[/name_f], but never just [name_f]Sophia[/name_f]. It seems bland compared to the others, haha! I do love the meaning, though, and I like the name in general. I just don’t think I’d ever use it, even if it wasn’t so popular. I could see myself maybe using [name_f]Sofia[/name_f]/[name_f]Zofia[/name_f]/[name_f]Zosia[/name_f] as a middle, though.
[name_f]Emma[/name_f] - I have it as a middle on my long list. I picture a very particular type of girl wearing the name [name_f]Emma[/name_f], but it is very sweet and simple. I can see why it caught on. I just prefer other [name_f]Emma[/name_f]- forms ([name_f]Emmeline[/name_f] and [name_f]Emilia[/name_f], predominantly). They just seem more open, more friendly. Less snooty and more kindhearted and honest-at-heart. I do love [name_f]Emma[/name_f], though, and if I ever decide to KEEP [name_f]Adeline[/name_f], [name_f]Adeline[/name_f] [name_f]Emma[/name_f] [name_f]Ruth[/name_f] will be on my short list. I like it–I just don’t love it.
[name_f]Isabella[/name_f] - I like it, and for years, I loved it. I thought [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] was the most beautiful name in the whole world when I heard it in 2005 for the first time (well, for the first time not associated with history… I don’t know why I didn’t notice it when I learned about [name_m]Christopher[/name_m] [name_m]Columbus[/name_m]?). I still think it’s gorgeous and so lush and feminine and romantic, but I prefer the simpler, innocent, charming [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f]. I guess I just love the [name_m]French[/name_m] air of [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f].
[name_f]Olivia[/name_f] - erm, love. That’s about it, haha. [name_f]Olivia[/name_f]'s on my top 3 and I adore her to pieces. The Shakespearean ties (although I like [name_f]Viola[/name_f] much more as a character), the ties to peace, the nns [name_f]Olive[/name_f] and [name_f]Liv[/name_f]/[name_f]Livy[/name_f]… she’s perfect. I would love to have an [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] one day.
[name_f]Ava[/name_f] - I don’t know, I can see the appeal, she’s lush and spunky and romantic and sexy–but she seems way too exotic and sexy for me, for some reason. I can’t say why? I also get this feeling of complete trendiness, when people exchange vowels for "A"s to ensure it gets an “uh” sound instead of another (like [name_f]Alivia[/name_f] as opposed to [name_f]Olivia[/name_f], [name_f]Alena[/name_f] as opposed to [name_f]Elena[/name_f], Avangeline as opposed to [name_f]Evangeline[/name_f]–to make sure they don’t get OH-livia, EE-lee-na/EE-lay-nah, EE-vangeline, etc.), and I get the feeling that that happened with [name_f]Eva[/name_f] to [name_f]Ava[/name_f]. I’m 98% sure that that impression is wrong, but I still can’t shake the trendy feeling it has, and I know that’s why. Besides, [name_f]Eva[/name_f]'s on my list and I adore her, and [name_f]Ava[/name_f] just seems sort of … second rate?–compared to the lovely and timeless [name_f]Eva[/name_f].
[name_f]Emily[/name_f] - I’ve liked [name_f]Emily[/name_f] for years, and I still do–I’ve just preferred [name_f]Emmeline[/name_f] and [name_f]Emilia[/name_f] for a while. [name_m]Even[/name_m] before I was tired of hearing [name_f]Emily[/name_f]. It’s a beautiful, sweet, classic name, though, and I would be so happy to meet an [name_f]Emily[/name_f] (or even a [name_m]French[/name_m] [name_f]Emilie[/name_f]?), but I like [name_f]Emmeline[/name_f] and [name_f]Emilia[/name_f] better these days…
[name_f]Abigail[/name_f] - it was my first favorite girls’ name. I remember writing a story in fifth grade, and the main character was [name_f]Abigail[/name_f] nn [name_f]Abbi[/name_f], and I remember thinking that it was the most beautiful name ever and I would never grow out of loving it! haha. I kept chanting [name_f]Abigail[/name_f] and [name_f]Abbi[/name_f] all over the place for about a month straight, until I got to the point where I was sick of saying it, lol. After I gave it a rest, I still really liked it, but it’s not been a huge favorite since. I don’t really like [name_u]Abby[/name_u] anymore (it feels really bland to me), and I’m not sure I could ensure just [name_f]Abigail[/name_f]. I’ve just grown to love a lot of other names more.
[name_u]Madison[/name_u] - I remember starting a story in high school, I think? And two of my characters were named [name_u]Madison[/name_u] and [name_u]Jadon[/name_u]. I thought they were the coolest, haha. I’m not terribly fond of the whole unisex-names-on-girls trend anymore, and I’m so sick of [name_f]Maddie[/name_f] by now. I do think it has an attractive sound, though.
[name_f]Mia[/name_f] - I like it. It’s simple. It’s sweet, and no matter how much I hear it, I still find it darling and rather unexpected for a popular name. I wouldn’t use it alone–if I used it, it’d be for [name_f]Emilia[/name_f]–but I would be happy to have a little [name_f]Mia[/name_f] in my life. It also reminds me of The [name_f]Princess[/name_f] Diaries, which I love.
[name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] - not a massive fan of [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], but I [name_f]LOVE[/name_f] [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f], and many of its nns, and many of its international variants, too ([name_f]Isabelle[/name_f], [name_f]Elise[/name_f], [name_f]Eliska[/name_f], [name_f]Lillian[/name_f], [name_f]Eliza[/name_f], [name_f]Lisette[/name_f], even [name_f]Isabella[/name_f]…). It’s a beautiful, timeless, never-boring name. I just don’t like the “Z”. Some people say it makes it stronger, but it just makes [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] less interesting and more of a boring classic. I adore the softness of the “S” in [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f]. I generally am a huge fan of “Z” names, but I just don’t like the “Z” in [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]… I never have liked it.