What's YOUR style?

General Name Discussion
1

So I realized the heart of my indecisiveness! (Beyond, you know, being a name nerd and a nitwit) - I like two different styles of names.

Let’s call style 1 Timeless Classics. You know these names if you can read English. Pretty much everyone has heard of these. What I love about them: don’t really date to a decade, are likely to have a number of historic people and celebrities by the name so no one famous person “owns” it, and have a long history of use. What I don’t: Some ([name]Hannah[/name], [name]Emily[/name]) are in the Top Ten which I find wearing. [name]Even[/name] ones that aren’t and haven’t been for some time ([name]Jane[/name], [name]Caroline[/name]) are accused of being “boring” though I find them pretty.

And worst of all, I would feel like having one of these would mean my second list doesn’t really work for the next child, and vice verse. I was very sensitive as a child to having the “weird” name while my sister had a “normal” name - I didn’t care whether she should have got a weird one or I got a normal one but I wanted them to be “fair!”

I don’t love or even like every Timeless Classic I can think of but here is an example of Timeless Classics that I really love.

Girls
[name]Elizabeth[/name]
[name]Catherine[/name]
[name]Jane[/name]
[name]Hannah[/name]
[name]Emily[/name]
[name]Lily[/name]
[name]Caroline[/name]
[name]Marie[/name] (I only like it as a first name)

Boys
[name]Jonathan[/name]
[name]Alexander[/name]
[name]Benjamin[/name]
[name]Isaac[/name]
[name]Henry[/name]
[name]Joel[/name]
[name]Nathaniel[/name]

Okay great but my other category is what I will call Eccentric Old-Fashioned. No modern or made-up names here, but I still think while both might be historic, you can’t call [name]Jonathan[/name] and [name]Lysander[/name] equivalent, can you? Or
Examples of Eccentric Old-Fashioned:

Girls
[name]Zelda[/name]
[name]Zephirine[/name]
[name]Rosamund[/name]
[name]Iolantha[/name]
[name]Susannah[/name]
[name]Keziah[/name]
[name]Minerva[/name]

Boys
[name]Lysander[/name]
[name]Alasdair[/name]
[name]Mordecai[/name] & [name]Malachi[/name]
[name]Hezekiah[/name]
[name]Ezra[/name]
[name]Josiah[/name]

What’s YOUR style? [name]Do[/name] you just not worry about it, only love one, or also caught between two or more?

2

I don’t really worry about it. I like a few names from every style - old fashioned, modern, classic, etc. If I hear a name I like, I write it down and don’t ponder too much if it fits my “style”. Obviously it does because I like it! :slight_smile:

3

If anything, I would say I have a very eclectic style, just like [name]Lucy[/name], if I see or hear a name I like, I write it down and give it some thought, I don’t particularly stick to a certain style or type, at least I don’t think so? My favorite names are a big mix of different cultures, sounds and even some place names! See my signature for examples!

4

The only time i worry about style is when it comes to sibsets. I love uncommon names though, preferably names that ARENT in the top 100.

5

When I first started looking for names, I felt very bound by the idea that I had to stay within one style. I have what you call a Timeless Classic name, as do all three of my sisters. [name]Even[/name] our middle names fall into that category. So, at first, I felt uncomfortable liking anything outside of that because it felt “wrong”. I kept trying to find a name in that category that I loved, but I was having a lot of trouble because I either liked the full name and not the nicknames or vice versa.

Once I gave myself permission to like other names (really, how weird is it that I had to do that!), I found that my “style” is all over the place. I like names that have an international feel to them, names like [name]Petra[/name] and [name]Alessandra[/name]. I like names that are Biblical - [name]Eve[/name] and [name]Elizabeth[/name]. I like what my husband calls “grandma” names, names like [name]Lenore[/name], [name]Hazel[/name], and [name]Thea[/name]. So, I’ve given up on trying to fit what I like into what I “should” like, and it’s been much easier to try to find names that I’m happy with.

6

I think most people on Nameberry have an “eclectic” style which I believe is a good thing because it opens your mind to new experiences and expands your name choices considerably. Of couse, some of the names overlap between styles and I don’t like ALL names in a certain style either. :slight_smile:

I love…

Vintage names: [name]Agatha[/name], [name]Edith[/name], [name]Mabel[/name], [name]Millicent[/name], [name]Florence[/name], [name]Dorothy[/name]

Traditional names: [name]Mary[/name], [name]Anna[/name], [name]Elizabeth[/name], [name]Catherine[/name], [name]Margaret[/name]

Latin and Greek classical names: [name]Lavinia[/name], [name]Persephone[/name], [name]Calliope[/name], [name]Daphne[/name], [name]Theodora[/name]/[name]Theodosia[/name], [name]Sybil[/name], [name]Corinna[/name]

Biblical Names: [name]Susannah[/name], [name]Abigail[/name], [name]Hannah[/name], [name]Ruth[/name], [name]Dinah[/name], [name]Naomi[/name]

French Names: [name]Genevieve[/name], [name]Simone[/name], [name]Marguerite[/name], [name]Delphine[/name], [name]Camille[/name], Céleste, [name]Estelle[/name], [name]Lucille[/name], [name]Mathilde[/name]

Italian Names: [name]Chiara[/name], [name]Ginevra[/name], [name]Lucia[/name], [name]Paola[/name], [name]Marcella[/name]

Spanish Names: [name]Soledad[/name], [name]Guadalupe[/name], [name]Carmen[/name], [name]Dolores[/name]

Celtic Names: [name]Bridget[/name], [name]Elspeth[/name], [name]Finola[/name], [name]Ciara[/name], [name]Maeve[/name], [name]Aoife[/name], [name]Niamh[/name], [name]Meredith[/name]

Scandinavian Names: [name]Greta[/name], [name]Signy[/name], [name]Ingrid[/name], [name]Dagmar[/name], [name]Elin[/name], [name]Elsa[/name], [name]Frida[/name],

Saints Names: [name]Bernadette[/name], [name]Antonia[/name], [name]Veronica[/name], [name]Louisa[/name]

Shakespearean Names: [name]Viola[/name], [name]Phoebe[/name], [name]Diana[/name], [name]Miranda[/name], [name]Helena[/name], [name]Katharina[/name]

Place Names: [name]Geneva[/name], [name]Georgia[/name], [name]Carolina[/name], [name]Virginia[/name]

[name]Virtue[/name]/Word Names: Solace, Lovejoy/Loveday, Makepeace, Steadfast, [name]Prosper[/name], Revere

Nature Names: [name]Violet[/name], [name]Wren[/name], [name]Lark[/name], [name]Willow[/name], [name]Saffron[/name], [name]Lily[/name], [name]Rose[/name], [name]Iris[/name], [name]Ivy[/name]

Unisex Names: [name]Morgan[/name], [name]Hollis[/name], [name]Quinn[/name], [name]Jocelyn[/name], [name]Adair[/name], [name]Elisha[/name], [name]Shannon[/name], [name]Ellery[/name], [name]Darcy[/name], [name]Rowan[/name], [name]Ellis[/name]

7

I’m not really sure how I would classify my style…maybe eclectic is the best word? I’m very much a words person, and names mean a lot to me, so I gravitate toward a wide variety of names for different reasons. (I.e., I love the name [name]Hailey[/name] because is sounds clean, fresh, and wintery to me, but I don’t like that it is so popular, so it’s not on my list. Same for [name]Aiden[/name].) Anyway…I also love the idea of using names of my favorite people and characters, given that I like them, too (sorry, [name]Donna[/name] [name]Noble[/name], [name]Martha[/name] [name]Jones[/name], [name]Amelia[/name]/[name]Amy[/name] Pond, [name]River[/name] Song/[name]Tam[/name], [name]Zoe[/name] Washburn, and [name]Kaylee[/name] Frye…I love you all to bits, but I either don’t like your names or think they’re too popular!). A lot of the names on my list are names of people I love and characters I admire: [name]Susannah[/name] is my mom; [name]Tosca[/name] is one of my favorite authors. Some names I want to use aren’t on my list, but I plan to use as mns anyway–i.e., Immaculee–for the same reasons. I guess for me the name has to mean something special for whatever reason.

Though, some of the names on my list are there because I think they’re beautiful names. :slight_smile:

My favorite quote about names is from Where the Heart Is
[name]Moses[/name] Whitecotton: You gotta name for that baby?
Novalee Nation: We-ell, I was thinkin’ [name]Wendi[/name] with an -i?
[name]Moses[/name] Whitecotton: [name]Don[/name]'t you Dare! You give that baby a name that MEANS something!
([name]Baby[/name] is later named [name]Americus[/name] Nation)

8

Literally no idea what my style is, I like names like:
[name]Flora[/name]
[name]Genevieve[/name]
[name]Cordelia[/name]
[name]Eleanor[/name]
[name]Pandora[/name]
[name]Annabel[/name]
[name]Georgiana[/name]
[name]Lavender[/name]
[name]Sylvie[/name]

[name]Willoughby[/name]
[name]Hugo[/name]
[name]Henry[/name]
[name]Caspian[/name]
[name]Oliver[/name]
[name]Sebastian[/name]

9

I’m a bit fan of Italian names, and names with a latin feel. I also like fairytalesque/royalty names for a girl, and more “upperclass” with a cool nickname for a boy. Something that’s strong sounding, or very successful seeming.

10

My list is mostly a mixture of classic names and Victorian/Edwardian-era vintage names.

11

My style is pretty eclectic, but I really love word names.
My favorites:
Boys:
[name]River[/name]
[name]Zen[/name]
[name]Noble[/name]
[name]Oak[/name]

Either:
Meridian
[name]Indigo[/name]

Girl:
[name]Wren[/name]
[name]Saffron[/name]

I also love vintage and classic names too…

12

My style with girls generally tends toward classic or vintage names, but usually with a touch of quirkiness to them - [name]Agatha[/name], [name]Dahlia[/name], [name]Edith[/name], [name]Eve[/name], [name]Honor[/name], [name]Jean[/name], [name]Julia[/name], [name]Maura[/name], [name]Opal[/name] and [name]Sibyl[/name] are my current top ten. I generally prefer shorter names - [name]Agatha[/name], [name]Dahlia[/name] and [name]Julia[/name] are the only ones with more than two syllables - and I like hard consonants and traditional spellings.

Edited: Forgot to add my boys’ list - my style with boys actually tends to be a bit softer than my girls’ names, and my current top ten is [name]Cecil[/name], [name]Declan[/name], [name]Frederick[/name], [name]Julian[/name], [name]Leo[/name], [name]Luca[/name], [name]Owen[/name], [name]Sayer[/name], [name]Silas[/name] and [name]Theodore[/name].

13

I’m so bad at defining style, lol. My girls’ names are 100% girly, on the longer side, mostly with cute nns, all quite popular (or have popular variants) right now:

[name]Isabelle[/name] “[name]Bella[/name]/[name]Belle[/name]”
[name]Arianne[/name] “[name]Ari[/name]”
[name]Olivia[/name] “[name]Liv[/name]/[name]Olive[/name]”
[name]Charlotte[/name] “[name]Lola[/name]”
[name]Violet[/name]
[name]Daphne[/name]
[name]Magda[/name]
[name]Madeleine[/name] “[name]Leni[/name]”
[name]Liliana[/name] “[name]Lily[/name]/[name]Lila[/name]”
[name]Rachel[/name]
[name]Josephine[/name] “[name]Posey[/name]”

My boys’ list… most are surnamey, have a bit of class… I like boys’ names that have an association to a hero-type… like Biblical heroes, historical figures, etc. I also love unisex names. My boy’s list doesn’t have as many biblical names anymore, but there still are quite a few:

[name]Caleb[/name]
[name]Jack[/name]
[name]Everett[/name]
[name]Asher[/name] “[name]Ash[/name]”
[name]Grayson[/name] “[name]Gray[/name]”
[name]Brody[/name]
[name]Spencer[/name]
[name]Bailey[/name]
[name]Avery[/name]
[name]Boone[/name]
[name]Beckett[/name] “[name]Beck[/name]”
[name]Henry[/name]
[name]Lincoln[/name]
[name]Booker[/name] (maybe…)

I’m sure I have a style, lol, I just don’t know what to define it as!

14

I like nature, word, eclectic names along with old fashioned.

[name]EDIT[/name] to ad: unisex names too

15

I have discovered that most of my names are very, very British. I like old fashioned names, yet no Gertrudes or Berthas or anything that would stand out. A lot of my favorite names are quite popular at the moment, sadly. I like names that are very girly or fairly masculine.

Some of my favorites:

[name]Luke[/name] [name]Sebastian[/name]
[name]Alexander[/name] [name]Jude[/name]
[name]Rupert[/name] [name]Christopher[/name]
[name]Dexter[/name] [name]Elliot[/name]
[name]Benedict[/name] [name]James[/name]
[name]Oliver[/name] [name]Neil[/name]
[name]Hugo[/name] [name]Quincy[/name]
[name]Emmett[/name] [name]Dominic[/name]
[name]William[/name] [name]Cedric[/name]

[name]Isabella[/name] [name]Jane[/name]
[name]Lucy[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name]
[name]Juliet[/name] [name]Rose[/name]
[name]Georgiana[/name] [name]Wren[/name]
[name]Miranda[/name] [name]Lark[/name]
[name]Laurel[/name] [name]Penelope[/name]
[name]Harper[/name] [name]London[/name]
[name]Emma[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name]
[name]Amelia[/name] [name]Charlotte[/name]

16

My taste in girl names tend to be kind of all over the place, though they tend to end with A.

[name]Lilith[/name]
[name]Rosa[/name]
[name]Alana[/name]
[name]Tatyana[/name]
[name]Paloma[/name]
[name]Maxine[/name]
[name]Cassandra[/name]
[name]Maria[/name]
[name]Saffron[/name]
[name]Zelda[/name]
[name]Vera[/name]

For boy names, I tend to gravitate toward exotic [often Eastern] European names, ones that could sound a tad harsh. Either that or ones that have that " fantasy warrior/mage" feel to them.

[name]Darius[/name]
[name]Jarek[/name] (YAH-rek)
[name]Raphael[/name]
[name]Andre[/name]
[name]Antony[/name]
[name]Cyril[/name] / [name]Cyryl[/name]
[name]Cassidy[/name] (kind of GP 'cause I’m not sure how much this is used on boys, if at all)
[name]Alexis[/name]
[name]Serge/name

17

I worry a little about this, too! I definitely have an eclectic style, and while in some cases it works, there are a few combinations that I’m not sure do.

I am mostly a fan of old-fashioned, British-sounding names like
[name]Clara[/name]
[name]Alice[/name]
[name]Penelope[/name]
[name]Eleanor[/name]
[name]Imogen[/name]
[name]Maud[/name]
[name]Nora[/name]
[name]Virginia[/name]

[name]Alfred[/name]
[name]Algernon[/name]
[name]Otis[/name]
[name]Bertram[/name]
[name]Ernest[/name]
[name]Hugo[/name]
[name]Ellis[/name]
etc

I also like [name]Violet[/name], [name]Jane[/name], [name]Zadie[/name], [name]Eloise[/name], [name]Astrid[/name] etc, as well as [name]Asher[/name], [name]Soren[/name], [name]Espen[/name], [name]Gray[/name].

[name]Plenty[/name] of these work together, but not all of them. However, I think it will work out as I name each child as they come, and it’s sort of silly to stress about. I do feel like I’m setting the tone for my family by the first name I pick, though. Ha.

18

My style is traditional (more classic than vintage, I’d say), mostly names that were previously most popular from about 1880-1920. Names that I can imagine on a suffragette or a WWI pilot!
However, I love lots of names that don’t fit into that style at all. In terms of siblings, I’d definitely try to give a similar ratio of normal: unusual, but style is definitely not the only determinant of that!

19

For girls, I tend to like lush, feminine names with history and some strength and backbone: [name]Sophia[/name], [name]Cordelia[/name], [name]Genevieve[/name], [name]Isabel[/name], [name]Elodie[/name], [name]Emilia[/name], [name]Acacia[/name], [name]Alexandra[/name], [name]Helena[/name]. But I also like shorter, swifter, but still feminine names for girls–ones that I think blend sweetness and daintiness with strength: [name]Thea[/name], [name]Mila[/name], [name]Clara[/name], [name]Mira[/name], [name]Rosa[/name], [name]Flora[/name]. And I love certain nicknames significantly more than their typical parent names: [name]Posy[/name], [name]Maggie[/name], [name]Lottie[/name], [name]Pippa[/name], [name]Kate[/name].

For boys, my taste runs toward the Slavic ([name]Nikolai[/name], [name]Sascha[/name]) and toward gentle, androgynous names ([name]Rowan[/name]/[name]Rohan[/name], [name]Avery[/name], [name]Loren[/name]).

20

I have a hard time pining down my style actually, because while as a general rule I prefer slightly unusual, long names with multiples nicknames, ([name]Aurelia[/name], [name]Tallulah[/name], [name]Bianca[/name], [name]Caspian[/name], [name]Balthazar[/name]) I really appreciate a lot of other styles as well.Most of my favourites fall into something akin to quirky British or fusty names, especially for girls (ie [name]Rosamund[/name], [name]Wilhelmina[/name], [name]Heloise[/name]; [name]Leopold[/name], [name]Sterling[/name], [name]Rupert[/name]). But lately I’ve really fallen for other options (like [name]Fleur[/name], [name]Faye[/name], [name]Thisbe[/name], [name]Vesper[/name] and [name]Crewe[/name], [name]Rhys[/name], [name]Pierrot[/name]) that feel quite different than my former list. Maybe I’m just changing my tastes!