Where did you find inspiration for the meaningful names on your list? I need to know where to look for other meaningful names!
There are so many places to find a name! There’s family names, a special place, or just a name with a really great meaning. I’m looking for more places to find names with meaning, I’ve gotten all the names I like from the family tree, and even though it’s a really great idea, I want something a little more personal than simply choosing a name with a meaning like “peaceful” or “happy”.
Let me know where else I should look for names! Thank you!
I have a lot of honor names on my list, which generally come from direct honors. However, some of them come from more indirect honors, such as honoring my grandma [name_f]Martha[/name_f] with the name [name_f]Margaret[/name_f]. A lot of my honor names are feminizations, too, of masculine names. I also find inspiration in places, such as the names [name_u]London[/name_u] / [name_u]Londyn[/name_u]. Aside from my family tree, however, my second biggest (or maybe just as big) comes from books! Whether it’s a character I’ve created that has made me fall in love with the name more, or my favorite characters, they have made me love their name even more. [name_u]Honor[/name_u] names can be found in anything you or a loved one enjoy, whether it is a favorite color or the name itself! [name_f]My[/name_f] “forever four” favorites are all direct honor names, but the names [name_m]Theodore[/name_m], [name_f]Hialeah[/name_f], and [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] come from stories that will always hold a special place in my heart; [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] from an old, beloved doll of mine; [name_f]Rebekah[/name_f] and [name_f]Miriam[/name_f] from faith… inspiration is everywhere imaginable!
I use books, movies, and the family tree but I also started looking at animal names. I like actual animal names (Wren, [name_u]Fox[/name_u], [name_u]Otter[/name_u], Peregrine), names with animal meanings (Ronan, [name_f]Oona[/name_f], Cuan, Orson), or names associated with the scientific name of animals (Nova from Megaptera novangliae, [name_f]Nura[/name_f] from Pteronura brasiliensis, [name_m]Castor[/name_m] from [name_m]Castor[/name_m] canadensis, Alca from Alca arctica)
I love books, so reading is a way I tend to find names I love - or through TV shows!
Taking names from places I’ve been is another way I find names, or even from kids I’ve worked with in the past.
Another way might be considering things you enjoy or things people who mean a lot to you love - for example, if you or a family member loves the sea, searching for a name with a sea meaning might work, or if someone’s into music, then a musical name?
[name_f]My[/name_f] biggest inspiration is probably history. Learning the stories of people from the past - some ordinary, some extraordinary - helps me to understand and appreciate those names more. [name_f]Inspiration[/name_f] could come from anywhere, from watching a documentary about the ancient Romans to reading a biography of a 20th century film star to visiting an art gallery to find a painting that resonates with you.
[name_f]My[/name_f] other main inspiration is fiction e.g. literature and films/television.
All of my meaningful names come from these three places…
Name Meanings! If the meaning of a name is already something that feels important to me, I feel inclined to love it even more. Meanings of names aren’t dealbreakers for me, but a great meaning enhances a great name. Notable examples on my list include [name_m]Benedict[/name_m] (meaning: blessed) and [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] (meaning: gift of God).
Family and Friends! I’ve got a ton of family names on my list, from [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] to [name_u]Merit[/name_u]. Also, honor names for family names, eg. [name_f]Alice[/name_f] from Alisyn. Inspirational friends and loved ones names also make my list, from [name_u]Harry[/name_u] for a boy after my father’s best friend / my sister’s would-have-been boy name, to silent ‘e’ ending names for girls, after a really divine family of girls I know whose names all end in these.
Literature and Film! Tons, tons, tons to parse here! From [name_u]George[/name_u] nn [name_m]Geordie[/name_m] to [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] nn [name_u]Jo[/name_u], I find loads of loves in literature. Names from movies don’t really make my lists so much in terms of actual things I may name a child… but then again, I really can see myself with a little [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] or [name_f]Scarlett[/name_f], [name_m]Dacre[/name_m] or [name_m]Jarvis[/name_m] one day!
