Why Did You Choose Those Names?

General Name Discussion
1

I’m not sure if there is a thread like this already, but I thought it might be interesting if all of us explained why we chose the names in our signatures (or even better, why you chose the names for your actual babies!).

Are they honor names after relatives or loved ones or role models? Are they names you’ve loved since you were a little child? [name_f]Do[/name_f] the names signify a particular aspiration you have for your child/future children? Or do they just tickle your fancy?

I’ll start!

[name_f]Cecilia[/name_f] [name_f]Iris[/name_f]: [name_f]Cecilia[/name_f] is the patron saint of my parish, the place where I was confirmed, and I just love it. [name_f]Iris[/name_f] is after [name_f]Iris[/name_f] Murdoch.
[name_f]Lucy[/name_f] [name_u]Jean[/name_u]: [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] has been a longtime favorite of mine (and of my mom). [name_u]Jean[/name_u] is my middle name and my grandmother’s name.
[name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] [name_f]Dolores[/name_f] (Liddy): [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] is my saint’s name and [name_f]Dolores[/name_f] is my other grandmother’s name. Liddy simply makes me smile!
[name_f]Edith[/name_f] [name_f]Honora[/name_f] ([name_f]Edie[/name_f]): [name_f]Edith[/name_f] is after St. [name_f]Edith[/name_f] [name_m]Stein[/name_m], a wonderful female philosopher and martyr, and [name_f]Honora[/name_f] is just a favorite of mine.
[name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] [name_f]Anouk[/name_f] ([name_f]Lottie[/name_f]): I just love the sound and feel of [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] (and [name_f]Lottie[/name_f]). [name_f]Anouk[/name_f] is a version of [name_f]Anna[/name_f], a family name going back at least 4 or 5 generations of women in my family.

[name_m]Patrick[/name_m] [name_m]Fulton[/name_m]: [name_m]Patrick[/name_m] is a favorite of mine and honors my Irish heritage. [name_m]Fulton[/name_m] is after Bl. [name_m]Fulton[/name_m] [name_m]Sheen[/name_m].
[name_m]Vincent[/name_m] [name_u]Jay[/name_u]: I simply adore [name_m]Vincent[/name_m]. [name_u]Jay[/name_u] is the middle name of my mentor and father figure.
[name_m]Hugh[/name_m] [name_u]Michael[/name_u]: I have loved [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] for about a decade. [name_u]Michael[/name_u] is the first name of another father figure of mine.
[name_m]George[/name_m] [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] ([name_u]Georgie[/name_u]): [name_m]George[/name_m] is my mother’s favorite name for a boy. [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] is one the just tickles my fancy and honors my Irish heritage.
[name_u]Jan[/name_u] [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] ([name_m]Jack[/name_m]): (pronounced YAHN) This is my grandfather’s name and the name of a beloved cousin. [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] has been on my list since I was a little girl.

Why did you pick the names in your signatures?

2

[name_u]Love[/name_u] this idea! My son [name_u]Sage[/name_u] was named this because I loved the meaning and it seemed to fit him well.

[name_f]Valerie[/name_f] - I love ‘V’ names in general, but this one has appealed to me for a while. It rolls off the tongue nice I think.
[name_u]Allison[/name_u] - All the [name_u]Allison[/name_u]'s [name_m]Ive[/name_m] met have been beautiful, successful and confident which are all qualities Id love my daughter to have
[name_u]Leslie[/name_u] - Okay I admit, this one only appealed to me after I watched parks and recreation, but I think it coveys a head strong and confident image, which are things I know my daughter would have if I had one
Alora - I read a book once with a character named Alona Dare, but for whatever reason it stuck with me as Alora. I always though it was so pretty.
[name_f]Summer[/name_f] - I like season names, and this has a soft and warm feeling
[name_f]Elle[/name_f] - Yeah, I got this from Legally Blonde (can anyone guess what kind of personality I have yet? lol) but I love the sound.
[name_f]Marilyn[/name_f] - We thought this was my grandmothers Middle name for years, shes got a bit of an accent and it turns out shes been saying [name_f]Madeline[/name_f] this whole time, but I still think it would honor her. I also would love to be able to call a daughter [name_f]MaryLou[/name_f], and I can do that using this and another honor name!
[name_u]Winter[/name_u] - My son wouldve been named [name_u]Winter[/name_u] if he was a girl, because I fell in love with the nickname [name_f]Winnie[/name_f], but didnt like [name_f]Winifred[/name_f]
[name_u]Reese[/name_u] - I thought about this one recently and fell in love. I love the sound.
[name_m]Nolan[/name_m] - I read a book with this and thought it was handsome. Thats all.
[name_m]Darwin[/name_m] - I wrote a story when I was a kid about someone with this name, and it stuck forever, I wanted to name my son this, but it didnt seen to fit.
[name_u]Alton[/name_u] - I got this from [name_u]Alton[/name_u] [name_m]Brown[/name_m], and then later found out I had a grandfather with this name! I also love the nickname [name_m]Al[/name_m]
[name_m]Lars[/name_m] - Yeeaaah I got this from Futurama, but I love it
[name_m]Conrad[/name_m] - Also Futurama, but still handsome and strong
[name_m]Hart[/name_m] - I just love how it sounds!
[name_m]Tor[/name_m] - is it wrong to honor yourself? No. A bit conceited possibly, but plenty of people have had 'jr’s so this is my version of that I guess! (My name is [name_f]Victoria[/name_f] but I go by [name_f]Tori[/name_f])

3

[name_f]Lila[/name_f] [name_f]Persephone[/name_f]- [name_f]Lila[/name_f] was the name of one of my favorite dance teachers. I only had her for two years but she’s the reason I began competing in dance and became serious about the sport. I also love that [name_f]Lila[/name_f] is similar to “lily” (without being as popular) and “lily” is the meaning of my mom’s name, [name_f]Susana[/name_f]. [name_f]Persephone[/name_f] is after my love of Greek anything plus I love the sound.
[name_f]Violet[/name_f] [name_f]Evangeline[/name_f]- [name_f]Violet[/name_f] has a lot of meaning to me. Firstly, I simply love the V sound. But the real reason is that violets are my mom’s favorite flowers. I was struggling to find names that honored her until I realized I didn’t have to use her name to honor my mom. I also love [name_f]Violet[/name_f] [name_m]Parr[/name_m] from The Incredibles. [name_f]Evangeline[/name_f] again honors many things: she honors my [name_m]Christian[/name_m] beliefs and also [name_u]Ray[/name_u] and [name_f]Evangeline[/name_f] from [name_f]Princess[/name_f] and the Frog (the firefly and the star) have to be one of my favorite Disney couples. I love Disney.
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Ottilie[/name_f]- [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] doesn’t honor anyone specifically, I simple love the V sound and how “ae” looks together. [name_f]Ottilie[/name_f] means “wealth” which is what my current last name’s meaning (possibly my maiden name when I get married, idk if I’ll change it yet). I was thinking about ways to honor my Gramps (dad’s dad) who passed away [name_u]November[/name_u] 2013 without using his name, [name_u]James[/name_u] which is very common. I figured honoring his last name would suffice.
[name_f]Iris[/name_f] [name_f]Magdalene[/name_f]- [name_f]Iris[/name_f] is simply a name I love. I adore the meaning, “rainbow”. [name_f]Magdalene[/name_f] is another nod to my [name_m]Christian[/name_m] beliefs.
[name_u]Eden[/name_u] [name_f]Lavinia[/name_f]- I, again, love the Biblical connections to [name_u]Eden[/name_u]. [name_f]Lavinia[/name_f] was a name I was playing around with and decided I liked as a middle to balance out [name_u]Eden[/name_u]'s harshness.
[name_f]Athena[/name_f]- Again, I love Greek anything.
[name_f]Maia[/name_f]- I seem to have a thing for M names. I like [name_f]Maia[/name_f] [name_m]Mitchell[/name_m] which is a reasoning for spelling it like this but I just simply love the name
[name_f]Margo[/name_f]- I love the name. I started liking it a while ago, back when my favorites list contained modern inventions such as [name_f]Brynlee[/name_f] and McKayden (gag). It was wildly different from those two so I didn’t acknowledge it as a favorite until recently. I love that its strong but feminine
[name_f]Moira[/name_f]- At my dance studio, one of the little girls on the competition team is named [name_f]Moira[/name_f] and she is adorable! I actually have developed a love for the names of every girl in that class: [name_u]Avery[/name_u], [name_u]Marlowe[/name_u], and [name_f]Moira[/name_f]
[name_f]Nola[/name_f]- I have a funny story with this one. Back in 7th grade we read a book about a girl named [name_f]Nola[/name_f]. I pronounced her name [name_f]Nala[/name_f], like from the [name_m]Lion[/name_m] [name_m]King[/name_m] but everyone told me that was wrong. The first syllable rhymes with “roll” or “pole”. I thought that just sounded ugly compared to [name_f]Nala[/name_f]. Now I much prefer it!
[name_u]Rowan[/name_u]- [name_u]Rowan[/name_u] [name_m]Blanchard[/name_m] from Disney channel made me love this. She’s so cute and wears it so well
[name_f]Sadie[/name_f]- I found this in [name_m]Rick[/name_m] [name_m]Riordan[/name_m]'s [name_m]Kane[/name_m] Chronicles series (if you skimmed the rest of my list you’d see a few other names inspired by [name_m]Rick[/name_m]). I love how the meaning is “princess” but the name sounds so sassy.
Saela- I used to love [name_u]Salem[/name_u] but now I find that too masculine. I’ve mentioned my love for the “ae” look and I saw another berry’s daughter was named Saela and fell in love
[name_f]Talia[/name_f]- I like this pronounced with 3 syllables (tall-ee-uh, not tall-ya). I knew an adorable little girl named this. I also like it spelled [name_f]Thalia[/name_f]
[name_u]Vivian[/name_u]- I’ve loved [name_u]Vivian[/name_u] for a long time but I had neglected putting it on my list because of [name_f]Violet[/name_f]. I thought two V names was overkill. But then I realized that I had 2 S names and 4(!) M names, so why is 2 V names bad?

[name_m]Leo[/name_m] [name_m]Sebastian[/name_m]- I actually got [name_m]Leo[/name_m] from [name_m]Rick[/name_m] [name_m]Riordan[/name_m]'s Heroes of [name_m]Olympus[/name_m] series. I loved the character and the name really grew on me. [name_m]Sebastian[/name_m] is just something I love
[name_m]Jasper[/name_m] [name_u]Elias[/name_u]- I’ll be honest, back in fourth grade I liked [name_m]Jasper[/name_m] on a girl. But then I saw the error of my ways lol. I love the sound. [name_u]Elias[/name_u] is a family name I found from a long ways back.
[name_m]Archer[/name_m] [name_u]Murray[/name_u]- [name_m]Archer[/name_m] could be a nod to [name_f]Merida[/name_f] who is one of my favorite Disney princesses. [name_u]Murray[/name_u] is a family name
[name_u]August[/name_u] [name_u]Laurence[/name_u]- [name_u]August[/name_u] is just something I love. I started liking it after meeting a little boy (maybe 3?) on the beach named [name_m]Augustus[/name_m] but his dad called him Goose. I fell in love almost instantly. But I didn’t really like [name_m]Augustus[/name_m] so I went with [name_u]August[/name_u]. [name_u]Laurence[/name_u] honors my B’pa: [name_u]James[/name_u] [name_u]Laurie[/name_u] (not my Gramps. Both my grandpas are named [name_u]James[/name_u]), my best friend [name_f]Lauren[/name_f], and [name_u]Lawrence[/name_u] Kansas.
[name_m]Nolan[/name_m] [name_m]Shepherd[/name_m]- [name_m]Nolan[/name_m] is another one I just love. [name_m]Shepherd[/name_m] is something I saw suggested here for [name_m]Nolan[/name_m] and I liked it. I didn’t love it until I thought of the connection to [name_m]Jesus[/name_m], who is my shepherd. I love that
[name_u]Carter[/name_u]- I’ve loved this name for a long time. [name_m]Even[/name_m] though I don’t plan on using it, I can’t bear to take it off my list
[name_m]Duke[/name_m]- Back in February I went to visit the [name_m]Duke[/name_m] University campus and now I’m considering the school. So, I really like the name now
[name_u]Jensen[/name_u]- NOT AFTER [name_u]JENSEN[/name_u] ACKLES!!! I hate him!! I just like the name! Too bad [name_f]Lauren[/name_f] doesn’t understand that.
[name_m]Malcolm[/name_m]- I got it from Pretty [name_m]Little[/name_m] Liars. Took me a while to really appreciate how nice it was
[name_u]Memphis[/name_u]- This was featured on a blog this past summer as a World Cup name. I thought it was really cool. I have no connection to [name_u]Memphis[/name_u] or [name_u]Tennessee[/name_u] in general so I know using this would be frowned upon in the nameberry community
[name_u]Nico[/name_u]- Another [name_m]Rick[/name_m] name. However I liked this before the book. I just acknowledged I liked it afterwards
[name_u]Percy[/name_u]- Heheh. Um… yeah. I totally got this from [name_u]Percy[/name_u] [name_m]Jackson[/name_m]
[name_m]Ronan[/name_m]- I have no clue where I first heard [name_m]Ronan[/name_m] but I remember I fell in love pretty fast. I love how strong it sounds. I have a thing for Irish names
[name_m]Seamus[/name_m]- [name_m]Seamus[/name_m] is a form of [name_u]James[/name_u] which honors my grandpas. It’s also a [name_m]Harry[/name_m] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] name
[name_m]Torin[/name_m]- I heard this during a church retreat over two years ago. One of the counselors was named [name_m]Torin[/name_m] and he was very cool. I really enjoyed his speech. I love how this is uncommon but still pronounceable. I hope to use this someday.

4

I’m going to have to use paragraphs! :joy:

[name_m]Caspian[/name_m] [name_m]Sherlock[/name_m] [name_m]Walter[/name_m]:
Books, reading and characters are very important to me, I’m always fantasising and daydreaming (but oddly enough, not a writer). The Chronicles of [name_f]Narnia[/name_f] in particular bring back some good memories of watching the old BBC episodes with my mum. [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] adds elements of magic, whimsy, and adventure, as well as the connection to the [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] Sea, which is yet another brilliant association; a reminder of both the calmness and strength of nature. The sound, look, associations, everything, to me [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] is perfect … well, except the fact it’s so perfect, it’s now in the top 1000 here.

Once I started the literary theme, I just couldn’t leave it. I love the combo so much, and I think it’s really handsome, and the flow is perfect. I’m obsessed with anything [name_m]Sherlock[/name_m], and it’s one of the biggest, most recognisable literary names out there, so of course I had to have it as a middle. Especially as the flow with [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] is (in my opinion) to die for, I just couldn’t ignore it.

[name_m]Walter[/name_m] is a vintage name that I love, and believe definitely needs a comeback, and is the name of a character I really like from my absolute favourite book (who happens to also be a detective haha). Altogether, [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] is full of energy, adventures and dreams, [name_m]Sherlock[/name_m] is more serious, intelligent, decisive, and [name_m]Walter[/name_m] is caring, thoughtful, and just slightly more down to earth.

[name_u]Phoenix[/name_u] [name_m]Arthur[/name_m] [name_u]Blaise[/name_u]:
[name_u]Phoenix[/name_u] I’ve loved forever, and always intended on having a little [name_u]Phoenix[/name_u] one day. I love the mythological link with the phoenix, which is so beautiful and intriguing. The symbolism of the phoenix, and the idea of renewal and rebirth, is just such a beautiful, and inspiring message to have within only one name.

[name_m]Arthur[/name_m] also has loads of namesakes important to me. The connection to [name_m]King[/name_m] [name_m]Arthur[/name_m] and the Arthurian legends, is amazing. Legends of not only the honourable stuff, bravery, valiance, valour, but also the darker side of magic and myth. I love the sound of [name_m]Arthur[/name_m] too, there’s a certain softness, and thoughtfulness conjured from the ‘th’ sound, yet there’s still a feeling of power, and strength from the assured beginning. Both my mum and I have an interest in Arthurian legends, and they make me think of her.

[name_u]Blaise[/name_u] is also a nod to my parents’ love for maths, because of [name_u]Blaise[/name_u] [name_m]Pascal[/name_m], and of course it’s just a great name in general.

[name_m]Ptolemy[/name_m] [name_m]Alexander[/name_m] [name_m]Remus[/name_m]:
I first saw [name_m]Ptolemy[/name_m] when I was reading a series of books a few years ago, and kind of liked it, then a little later, really fell hard for the name. This makes me think warriors, scholars, physicians, philosophers, royalty of Ancient [name_u]Egypt[/name_u], Greece, and [name_m]Rome[/name_m]; deserts, sand, and undiscovered lands. In short, the imagery I get from [name_m]Ptolemy[/name_m] is amazing. I just absolutely love [name_m]Ptolemy[/name_m] and, for some reason, I can really imagine myself having a little [name_m]Ptolemy[/name_m] who’d be excitable, playful, and adorable. :slight_smile:

[name_m]Alexander[/name_m] is a brilliant classic, with not only a long history, but a historic feel. I particularly like it in full, and I think it’s a bit too popular for me as a first, so as a middle it’s perfect; it’d always be in full, and popular names in the middle are fine.

[name_m]Remus[/name_m] is simply in honour of [name_m]Remus[/name_m] Lupin from [name_m]Harry[/name_m] [name_m]Potter[/name_m]. I love his character (how can you not? :P), and I absolutely adore the name as a result. I also like the link to wolves (I like wolves, they’re beautiful creatures), and you can never have too many literary names!

[name_m]Horatio[/name_m] [name_m]Albert[/name_m] [name_m]Louis[/name_m]:
I love the adventurous, daring, and historical feel I get from [name_m]Horatio[/name_m]. I love that it’s such an underused vintage name, with not only a sense of adventure, and fun, but also bravery and valour. I definitely see [name_m]Lord[/name_m] [name_m]Nelson[/name_m] as a brilliant namesake; a true hero in his era, and field, in the sense that he was devoted to protect what he believed was important.

[name_m]Albert[/name_m] reminds me of the Victorian age, and [name_m]Prince[/name_m] [name_m]Albert[/name_m], as well as one of my favourite ever love stories; [name_f]Queen[/name_f] [name_f]Victoria[/name_f] and [name_m]Prince[/name_m] [name_m]Albert[/name_m]. Along with that comes the entire Victorian package: inspired literature, new inventions, advancements in medicine, better educational opportunities etc. So many great people and advancements in almost every field all in one era! And I’m reminded of all that through [name_m]Albert[/name_m], and of course, [name_m]Albert[/name_m] Einstein comes to mind too, another amazing mind.

[name_m]Louis[/name_m] (Loo-ee) is another name dripping with history, more Renaissance grandeur, palaces, and not all good, but I also like the relaxed, light-hearted, fun loving sound of it.

My girls’ names are in a mess at the moment, as I can’t decide what my favourite girls’ name is. I’ll just do it for the two contenders.

[name_f]Pandora[/name_f] [name_f]Valencia[/name_f] [name_f]Fae[/name_f]:
This has been my favourite girls’ name/combo for a while now. I’ve just always loved the sound of [name_f]Pandora[/name_f], and it’s always come across as a strong and feisty name. I think I might have really started to love it after a [name_m]Doctor[/name_m] Who episode (:D), and it’s just stuck. The myth side of it doesn’t bother me, and I actually love the link to Greek mythology, which I’ve always found intriguing.

I adore [name_f]Fae[/name_f] and the extra bit of magic it brings to the already mystical and beautiful name, and I’m really interested in faeries and folklore too (they’re my favourite supernatural creature). [name_f]Valencia[/name_f] adds an exotic element, and a wonderful meaning, pretty much a virtue name. Altogether the name means ‘All gifted Strong/healthy faerie’, and the whole idea of having a positive combined meaning in the name is my way of honouring my dad, who did the same with my name. It’s quite an important aspect that I’d like to pass on to my first daughter at least, if I have one.

[name_f]Lyra[/name_f] [name_f]Beatrix[/name_f] [name_u]Valentine[/name_u]:
As I’m sure you’ve picked up from my endless ramblings (sorry) I’m all for literary names, and [name_f]Lyra[/name_f]'s no exception. She’s a brilliant example of a strong, feisty heroine with her own mind and determination. Along with the name is the whole universe and imagery from the His Dark Materials trilogy, which again is a magical world of fantasy, but also darkness akin to the real world. And then there’s the mythology, and musical connections which I love as a musician (not a good one, but still) and myth lover. Tied into that is the constellation, which appeals to my love of the stars and astronomy. There’s just so much to love about [name_f]Lyra[/name_f], I don’t know how I can’t use it.

[name_f]Beatrix[/name_f] I think fits really well with [name_f]Lyra[/name_f]. Another character worthy name, but with the added bonus of an author too. I’ve always seen [name_f]Beatrix[/name_f] as stylish and glamorous in a 1950s/60s film star kind of way (like [name_f]Marilyn[/name_f] [name_u]Monroe[/name_u] or [name_f]Audrey[/name_f] Hepburn), an image which is only helped by a character I adore from a show I love (although she almost exclusively goes by [name_f]Trixie[/name_f]). With [name_f]Beatrix[/name_f] there’s the meaning too; she who brings happiness or possibly traveller through life. Either way really positive and inspirational meaning which makes up a little bit for the fact that ‘[name_u]Lyre[/name_u]’ isn’t the best meaning to have as a start of a description haha.

[name_u]Valentine[/name_u] I’ve more recently started to love as a middle especially (for either gender really). In my opinion, it makes the whole combo sound like the name of an awesome book character. Plus there’s the same ‘strong’ meaning of [name_f]Valencia[/name_f], so at least [name_f]Lyra[/name_f]'s middle names would (kind of) mean ‘She who brings strong happiness’ or ‘Strong voyager through life’. Another possible second middle is [name_f]Fae[/name_f], for all the reasons stated above.

See. I wasn’t kidding about the paragraphs… Sorry for the essay.

5

My names are not organized into combos right now, because I am having a hard time finding ones I like together! Also, every one is an honor name in some regard.

[name_f]Adele[/name_f] - A middle name option in honor of my grandfather, whose middle name was [name_u]Odell[/name_u].
[name_f]Alanis[/name_f] - A middle name option in honor of my dad, whose middle name is [name_m]Alan[/name_m]. Other feminine options ([name_f]Alana[/name_f], [name_f]Alaina[/name_f]) I don’t like.
[name_f]Cady[/name_f] - A first name option in honor of my husband’s aunt, named [name_f]Catherine[/name_f]. [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] [name_f]Cady[/name_f] [name_m]Stanton[/name_m] is also a great hero of mine.
[name_f]Catalina[/name_f] - See above. I like this better than [name_f]Catarina[/name_f].
[name_f]Cate[/name_f] - See above.
[name_f]Eleanora[/name_f] - A first name option in honor of my husband’s mom, whose middle name is [name_f]Ellen[/name_f]. She dislikes her first name, so I thought it best to honor her using her middle.
[name_f]Elle[/name_f] - See above.
[name_f]Ellen[/name_f] - See above.
[name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] - A middle name option honoring my family. It’s a traditional middle name for girls for us.
[name_f]Helena[/name_f] - See [name_f]Ellen[/name_f], and also honors my husband’s stepsister [name_f]Helen[/name_f], who is a dear friend of ours.
[name_f]Magdalena[/name_f] - A first name option that honors my mom and grandma. Their names both started with M (mine does not, alas). My best friend also has a name that starts with M. This is also the name of a song my husband and I like a lot, and our current girls’ front-runner.
[name_f]Marie[/name_f] - See above.
[name_f]Matilda[/name_f] - See above. Also, my favorite book probably of all time is [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] by [name_m]Roald[/name_m] Dahl.
[name_f]May[/name_f]- See above.
[name_u]Meredith[/name_u] - See above.
[name_m]Calvin[/name_m] - A middle name option, honoring my husband and his father. I have mentioned on the forums before that in my husband’s family, the firstborns go by [name_m]John[/name_m] C___ Lastname. For example, his grandfather is [name_m]Clark[/name_m], his dad [name_u]Carson[/name_u], and he [name_u]Chris[/name_u]. [name_m]Calvin[/name_m] is a great favorite of mine that fits the trend, and one of my “almost” names if I had been a boy. My dad’s name also starts with C.
[name_m]Chadwick[/name_m] - See above. Also the name of my other grandfather, who I wasn’t very close with but thought was a wonderful man.
[name_m]Ciaran[/name_m] - See above, and honors my heritage.
[name_m]Connor[/name_m] - See above, and another one of my “almost” names. This is my husband’s favorite.
[name_m]David[/name_m] - A middle or first name option, I can’t decide, that honors my uncle, named [name_m]David[/name_m], who died when I was 16. He was kind of the black sheep but we got along swimmingly, and he gave me immeasurable help in life.
[name_u]Glenn[/name_u] - A first name option, honoring my grandfather, named [name_u]Glenn[/name_u].
[name_u]Hunter[/name_u] - A middle name option, honoring essentially my brother from another mother named [name_u]Hunter[/name_u].
[name_m]John[/name_m] - A first name option, see [name_m]Calvin[/name_m] above.
[name_m]Thomas[/name_m] - A middle or first name option honoring my dad, whose saint’s name is [name_m]Thomas[/name_m].
[name_m]Zachary[/name_m] - A middle name option, honoring my husband’s brother, [name_m]Zachary[/name_m].

My current combos are:
[name_f]Cady[/name_f], [name_f]Catalina[/name_f], or [name_f]Cate[/name_f] with middle name [name_f]Adele[/name_f]
[name_f]Eleanora[/name_f], [name_f]Elle[/name_f], [name_f]Ellen[/name_f], or [name_f]Helena[/name_f] with middle name [name_f]Alanis[/name_f]
[name_f]Magdalena[/name_f], [name_f]Marie[/name_f], [name_f]Matilda[/name_f], [name_f]May[/name_f], or [name_u]Meredith[/name_u] with middle name [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]
[name_m]John[/name_m] [name_m]Calvin[/name_m], [name_m]Chadwick[/name_m], [name_m]Ciaran[/name_m], or [name_m]Connor[/name_m]
[name_m]David[/name_m] [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] or [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] [name_m]David[/name_m]
[name_u]Glenn[/name_u] [name_u]Hunter[/name_u] or [name_u]Glenn[/name_u] [name_m]Zachary[/name_m]

Whew! What a list!

6

[name_f]Ophelia[/name_f] [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f] (Elphie) - actually this combo is [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f] [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f] [name_f]Clara[/name_f] but since I haven’t found perfect 2nd middle names for many combos and I preferred the same look for all of them, she’s [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f] [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f] in my signature.
[name_f]Ophelia[/name_f]. I love the look, I love the sound, I love the meaning. I very much like the [name_m]Shakespeare[/name_m] and I adore the [name_m]Pan[/name_m]'s Labyrinth connection, which is the most brilliant movie I’ve seen so far and where I discovered the name years ago.
Over course, the more I though about the name, the more I created my own imagery for it which makes the name even more beautiful.
[name_f]Rosalind[/name_f] I’ve never really loved and I always preferred [name_f]Rose[/name_f] or [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f], however, paired with [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f], [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f] has gained so much charm and beauty for me that it is one of my favourite [name_f]Ros[/name_f]- name now.
I’ve loved [name_f]Clara[/name_f] (clah-ra) for years but prefer [name_f]Flora[/name_f] as a first name, so now she perfectly rounds off this combo.
Elphie I just find utterly adorable and then I LOVELOVELOVE the Wicked connection, too, so it’s the perfect nickname.

[name_u]Elliott[/name_u] [name_m]Victor[/name_m] ([name_u]Ottie[/name_u]) - actually [name_u]Elliott[/name_u] [name_m]Victor[/name_m] [name_m]Frederick[/name_m]
[name_u]Elliott[/name_u] is my no “ifs and buts” name. It’s the name I’ve loved the longest and probably the name I adore the most out of all the names on my list. The thought of a litte [name_u]Elliott[/name_u] just makes me incredibly happy.
[name_m]Victor[/name_m] is one of my mom’s favourite names and a nice nod to her. It’s also the meaning of my grandfather’s middle name, that’s more of an extra, though. Plus, it is the first name of an author whose books I quite enjoy reading (whose last name you’ll find further down in this post).
[name_m]Frederick[/name_m] is another one of my mom’s favourite names but I also just adore the look, sound and strength of it.
[name_u]Ottie[/name_u] might also be my favourite nickname from my list, it’s just adorable. Actually the thought of [name_u]Ottie[/name_u] makes [name_u]Elliott[/name_u] even more fantastic.

I’ll post the rest later :slight_smile:

EDIT 1:
Flora Charlotte (Fleur) -
I adore Flora. In the past I used to switch her out for name crushes I had at that time but I’ve always gone back to her and the crushes never stayed. She’s sweet and flowery, vintage and strong.
Charlotte was my great-grandmothers name and my mom still says that if she had to rename me, I’d be Charlotte.
Fleur is so soft and French, it’s adorable! However, she would probably be Fleurchen in German.

Penelope Ada (Pip/-s/-pa) -
Penelope just has something very fun about it to me. I actually first heard it watching the movie about the girl with the pig nose but it’s such a sweet little film, I love it. Penelope also has this vintage charm, at least here in Europe where it’s not (as) trendy.
Ada I’ve heard before but really fell in love with it watching BBC’s Bleak House. The character is lovely and the sound is just so lovely and sweet.

Rose Wilhelmina - I adore Rose. It’s simply gorgeous. There’s really not more to say.
Wilhelmina has grown on me tremendously and it would honour my grandfather and great grandfather Wilhelm/willy.

Boys will be posted in a bit :slight_smile:

7

I love seeing the names people love and why they’ve picked them!

[name_f]Colette[/name_f]: My mom and I both love it. I also have a bunch of pet names ready for if I get to use it, especially if I put a family middle name in there like I planned.
[name_f]Audrey[/name_f]: [name_u]Love[/name_u] the meaning. [name_f]Audrey[/name_f] Hepburn is also an amazing association with the name.
[name_f]Natalia[/name_f]: I’m not fond of the meaning. But, I love the sound and it’s such a prima ballerina name to me.
[name_f]Vivienne[/name_f]: I’m a huge fan of [name_f]Viv[/name_f] names: [name_f]Viviette[/name_f], [name_f]Vivia[/name_f], [name_f]Viveka[/name_f]/[name_f]Viveca[/name_f]/[name_f]Vivica[/name_f], Avivia, etc.[name_u]Love[/name_u] the meaning, the sound, and the nns. I love [name_f]Viviana[/name_f] and [name_f]Vivienne[/name_f] equally, but [name_f]Vivienne[/name_f]'s the only one I can use.
[name_f]Cecilia[/name_f]: Despite the meaning, I just think the name is beautiful and timeless.
[name_f]Felicity[/name_f]: I’ll be honest, she was my first American Girls doll pre-Mattel. She was one my top three favorites along with [name_f]Kirsten[/name_f] and [name_f]Samantha[/name_f]. I still have all of those dolls and still like those names. I’ve never actually met a [name_f]Felicity[/name_f] in person, which has kept it more positive. I also adore the meaning of the name. I don’t love the nns that come with it, but I can deal with them enough that I wouldn’t mind if they were used.
[name_f]Sylvia[/name_f]: I love the sound and the nn [name_f]Sylvie[/name_f].
[name_f]Naomi[/name_f]: It’s one of the few given names that come from my family tree, which is why it’s an old name to my mom :slight_smile: I love the sound and the fact it’s international. The meaning is wonderful too.

[name_m]Erik[/name_m]: I like the strength and meaning of the name. I also like the fact that there’s a female counterpart, so you don’t see girls given the name. I love it because of two associations: [name_m]Erik[/name_m] from Phantom of the [name_f]Opera[/name_f] and [name_m]Erik[/name_m] [name_m]Erikson[/name_m].
[name_m]Anders[/name_m]: I initially loved it as a nn for [name_m]Lysander[/name_m], [name_m]Leander[/name_m], [name_m]Evander[/name_m], [name_m]Alexander[/name_m], etc. I love the meaning “manly”, the fact that it’s not hard to spell, and girls probably won’t steal it since there are feminine versions like [name_u]Andrea[/name_u].
[name_m]Gabriel[/name_m]: The only thing I’m not fond of is the religiousness of it. Otherwise, I love the sound and the potential nns. I think the first time I heard it was in Mutant X, even though he was the antagonist, when I was like 12 or 13 and it’s been one of my favorites ever since. [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m] [name_u]Aubry[/name_u] is also a very handsome association :wink:
[name_m]Ronan[/name_m]: I first heard it when I saw Guardians of the [name_f]Galaxy[/name_f]; apparently, I like bad guy names. I love the sound of it and it has an animal meaning, which I adore. One of my guilty pleasure sibsets is [name_f]Cecilia[/name_f]/[name_f]Cecile[/name_f]/[name_f]Celia[/name_f] and [name_m]Ronan[/name_m] so I can call them my little seals :slight_smile:
[name_m]Magnus[/name_m]: I love the sound and strength behind it. I first heard it as a word in Latin class and when I realized it was also a name I added it to my list. It doesn’t flow as well into any of my combinations, but I still keep it around.
[name_m]Cillian[/name_m]: I just love the sound of it.
[name_m]Isaac[/name_m]: It’s another one that’s probably too religious for my list, but I keep it around. I love that the name means laughter. I first noticed the name when I played “[name_u]Golden[/name_u] [name_f]Sun[/name_f]” around 12 or 13 years old.
[name_m]Heath[/name_m]: I love the sound and the meaning does tie into a surname in my family. I didn’t put it in my list because of Ledger, but he did help me realize that it is usable as a given name.

8

I don’t have any names in my signature except for my daughter’s name, so here is where we got her name from:

[name_f]Noemi[/name_f]: It is the Spanish form of [name_f]Naomi[/name_f]. My uncle was married to a woman named [name_f]Naomi[/name_f]. She died when I was young, so I don’t really remember her, but I remember liking her name when people talked about her. I also met a sweet little girl named [name_f]Noemi[/name_f], spelled Nohemy. I went with the biblical spelling of the name.

[name_f]Xochitl[/name_f]: My fiance wanted to use this for her first name, but I knew her teachers would never be able to pronounce it correctly. It is an Aztec name meaning flower. My fiance’s family are Aztec. Together, her name means beautiful flower.

9

[name_m]Arthur[/name_m] [name_m]John[/name_m] [name_m]Peregrine[/name_m] - I have loved [name_m]Arthur[/name_m] for so long; it’s just so “old-man” cute and gives me the “warm fuzzies!” It’s also the name of my paternal grandfather; though I never knew him. [name_m]John[/name_m] is the name of my maternal grandfather, who has been a big part of my life. [name_m]Peregrine[/name_m] is a GP name that I love; it’s so quintessentially British and I also love the bird reference (big fan of falconry!) They just work so well together, don’t you think?

[name_f]Margot[/name_f] [name_f]Sophie[/name_f] [name_f]Anneliese[/name_f] - [name_f]Margot[/name_f] honours the many Margarets in my family and I love it’s elegance and spunk. [name_f]Sophie[/name_f] is, obviously, my name (is it arrogant to honour yourself?). [name_f]Anneliese[/name_f] honours my mother whose middle name is [name_f]Ann[/name_f], and is also just a name that I love and works really well in the combo. If I count all family members who have a middle or first that matches these names, it honours 7 people - quite a powerhouse combo!

[name_m]Edmund[/name_m] - I love the nn [name_m]Ted[/name_m]/[name_u]Teddy[/name_u], but [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] is so popular here I started looking for alternatives; however I found most either too eccentric ([name_m]Edgar[/name_m] and [name_m]Edwin[/name_m]) or too boring ([name_m]Edward[/name_m]). Then I found [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] and fell in love - so handsome, love the literary connections too!

[name_m]Rupert[/name_m] - I seem to have a thing for “very British” names (that’s what most people say when they see my list!) [name_m]Rupert[/name_m] is seen as “too posh” by many, but I think it has a very “old-man” cute feel and it reminds me of [name_m]Rupert[/name_m] [name_m]Bear[/name_m] and my childhood.

[name_u]Darcy[/name_u] - a relatively new love, brought on by watching [name_u]Darcy[/name_u] [name_m]Oakes[/name_m] on [name_m]Britain[/name_m]'s Got Talent (so hot!) I think it’s a really handsome, masculine name and reminds me of Mr [name_u]Darcy[/name_u] from Pride and Prejudice. Only one issue with it - [name_u]Darcy[/name_u] is in the top 50 here FOR GIRLS!

[name_m]Jethro[/name_m] - a sort-of GP name, I’m not sure I’d be brave enough to use, but I cannot get it out of my head! Whenever I dream about having kids (not often, but sometimes), it’s always a quiet, shy nature-loving little boy named [name_m]Jethro[/name_m]. I have such strong imagery of this name from the dreams, that I cannot let it go!

[name_f]Helena[/name_f] - another long-term love that, coincidently honours my paternal grandmother (died before I was born). I love the nn [name_f]Nell[/name_f] so much that I go back and forth about whether to just use [name_f]Nell[/name_f], but it looks too short compared to my other favourites, lol!

[name_f]Beatrix[/name_f] - love the spunkiness of this name, and the plethora of potential nicknames to suit any personality (from the conserved [name_f]Bea[/name_f] to the spunky [name_f]Trixie[/name_f] or Bixie; my preferred nickname is actually [name_m]Bean[/name_m]/Beanie!)

[name_f]Ramona[/name_f] - loved this ever since I read the [name_f]Ramona[/name_f] [name_m]Quimby[/name_m] books, and I love the nns [name_u]Romy[/name_u] and [name_f]Mona[/name_f].

[name_f]Prudence[/name_f] - a sort-of GP name that I probably wouldn’t ever use, but I’ve loved it since Charmed, and I love that it’s very British and the nn [name_f]Prue[/name_f] brings it down to earth.

10

edited for privacy

11

[name_f]Freya[/name_f]- I love Scandinavian names, and I love that [name_f]Freya[/name_f] has a soft and feminism sound, but it’s also connected to the goddess of war and love. It’s also easily pronounced wherever you live.
[name_f]Brighid[/name_f]- I fell in love with this after reading [name_f]Brighid[/name_f]'s [name_m]Quest[/name_m]. I love Gaelic names and the meaning ‘strength, exalted one’ makes it even better. This is also the name of a goddess. Strange thing is I don’t like [name_f]Bridget[/name_f] or [name_f]Brigette[/name_f] at all.
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f]- another Gaelic name I love, it’s also a name that honours my great-grandmother. My great-grandmothers mn is [name_f]May[/name_f], and in honour of her my mother gave me the mn [name_f]Mae[/name_f]. It’s something I want to pass down to my daughter (if I have one).
[name_f]Lila[/name_f]- I just love the musical sound of this name, and it makes me think of the lilac flower.
[name_f]Rosalie[/name_f]- similar to [name_f]Lila[/name_f], I read the [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f] in a book and when I looked up the name on Nameberry I came across the name [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f], which I fell in love with.
[name_u]Hayden[/name_u]- I really dislike [name_u]Hayden[/name_u] on a boy. All the [name_u]Hayden[/name_u]'s I’ve known who are boys have all been rude and disrespectful. I read about a female [name_u]Hayden[/name_u] in a story and she was headstrong, sporty and confident. She made me love the name [name_u]Hayden[/name_u] on a girl. (And to all the Nameberry’s with the archaic opinion that ‘girls can’t have boys names’ it’s not always a result of lack of creativity or wishing for a boy Yeesh)
[name_f]Solveig[/name_f]- when you find out how to pronounce this name (sool-vay) the name is absolutely beautiful. It also means ‘daughter of the sun’

I’ll do the boys a little later :).

12

My signature has my top 10 for each gender:
[name_f]Zoe[/name_f]- [name_f]Zoe[/name_f] is my dearest grandmother’s name. Because we aren’t biologically related and she has no biological grandchildren of her own I feel compelled to use it. The name reminds me of her beauty, elegance, and sense of style. And her generosity. I know others see it as trendy, but I can only see it as classy.
[name_f]Jane[/name_f]- I love the simpleness of [name_f]Jane[/name_f], how sweet and elegant she is. She gives me the same feeling as [name_f]Zoe[/name_f] just with less personal connection and with more history.
[name_f]Natalia[/name_f]- I love the frilly-ness of it. Since I was a budding name nerd, I liked the name [name_f]Natalie[/name_f] (it is one of the first girl names I remember liking). [name_f]Natalia[/name_f] gives it that extra sense of elegance. I love it.
[name_f]Isabel[/name_f]- [name_f]Isabel[/name_f] is pretty new to my list. She is sweet and elegant and classic, gives me the same feeling as [name_f]Jane[/name_f] & [name_f]Zoe[/name_f] but with a little more frills.
[name_f]Cecily[/name_f]- [name_f]Cecily[/name_f] is new to my list. But I’ve liked [name_f]Cecily[/name_f] since becoming an official name nerd four years ago. I think she’s sweet and frilly and unexpected but still classic and beautiful. It gives me the same princessy feeling that [name_f]Cecilia[/name_f] has, but with out the CEAL sound that I dislike and the popularity.
[name_f]Margo[/name_f]- [name_f]Margo[/name_f] is short and sassy and fun, but fits in with the classic names on my list as well.
[name_f]Ariadne[/name_f]- [name_f]Ariadne[/name_f] is one of the only names my mom and I both love. I like the frilly sound, the Greek mythology connection, and the meaning “most holy”. It also reminds me of my trip to Greece because one of my most memorable moments was finding an icon of saint [name_f]Ariadne[/name_f] in one of the churches I visited. It is uncommon but fits in with the trends. It is one of the only names I keep on my list that could (and most likely will) have pronunciation problems.
[name_f]Petra[/name_f]- [name_f]Petra[/name_f] is so international, I love it. I think [name_f]Petra[/name_f] ages well, is uncommon yet familiar, and sounds classic to me. It has some pep too! It gives me the same feeling that [name_f]Isabel[/name_f] and [name_f]Margo[/name_f] do.
[name_f]Emma[/name_f]- I go back and forth on [name_f]Emma[/name_f]. I love [name_f]Emma[/name_f]. I love the sound, I love the [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_u]Austen[/name_u] connection. It was a name my parents considered for me. But it is soooo popular. I try not to let that get to me because the name is so pretty. It is short and spunky. It gives me the same feeling that [name_f]Margo[/name_f] and [name_f]Isabel[/name_f] give me.
[name_f]Helen[/name_f]- I like [name_f]Helen[/name_f] because it is classic and unexpected amid the trendy names. I like all the associations with it, such as [name_f]Helen[/name_f] of [name_m]Troy[/name_m] and [name_f]Helen[/name_f] [name_m]Keller[/name_m]. I think it needs to be rejuvenated by a younger population! I also like that it is the English form of my name.

[name_m]Dimitri[/name_m]- [name_m]Dimitri[/name_m] has been my favorite name for at least two years now. It is kind of common in Greece, but that doesn’t bother me because I love it so much. I like the look of it and the sound. I like the saint association. I like the Greek/Russian ties. It is also my dad’s saint/baptism name. So I would use it.
[name_m]Linus[/name_m]- [name_m]Linus[/name_m] is kind of new to my list. I like how it has the nerdy/sensitive vibe. It almost gives me a hipster vibe. I don’t mind the Peanuts connections (I actually quite like the Peanuts but that’s not why I like it). I also really like the connection to the movie [name_f]Sabrina[/name_f]. It is uncommon but recognizable, and fits in with the old [name_m]Roman[/name_m]/Greek names coming back.
[name_u]Gus[/name_u]- [name_u]Gus[/name_u] is new to my list. I’ve never had it on its own before, but I’ve always loved it as a nn for [name_m]Augustus[/name_m]. I like [name_u]Gus[/name_u] because it is short and sweet. It gives me a sensitive vibe, but also reminds me of someone who loves to laugh. I love the feeling it gives me. My mom hates the name [name_u]Gus[/name_u] though, I’d have to win her over.
[name_m]Augustus[/name_m]- [name_m]Augustus[/name_m] gives me the same vibe as [name_u]Gus[/name_u] does, the sensitive sweet feeling, but I feel like [name_m]Augustus[/name_m] has a bit more gravity to it. It is more versatile and strong as compared to [name_u]Gus[/name_u]. I go back and forth on which I like more.
[name_m]Thomas[/name_m]- [name_m]Thomas[/name_m] is kind of new to my list. I’ve actually met a couple Thomases this year, and it totally gave new life to the name for me. I like how it is recognizable and traditional, but isn’t so common or expected anymore.
[name_u]Jude[/name_u]- [name_u]Jude[/name_u] gives me the cool guy vibe, with a dash of sensitivity and a dash of strength. I think [name_u]Jude[/name_u] is really versatile. It is also one of the only names my mom and I agree on.
[name_m]Basil[/name_m]- [name_m]Basil[/name_m] is actually really common in the Greek community. I have a brother who’s saint name is [name_m]Basil[/name_m], and he was named after my Grandfather who had this name in Greek. So it has family history which I love. It also gives me that same feeling as [name_u]Gus[/name_u], but has the Eastern European flair that [name_m]Dimitri[/name_m] has.
[name_m]Samuel[/name_m]- [name_m]Samuel[/name_m] has been a name I’ve liked since I was in elementary school. I think it is super versatile and gives me that same feeling as [name_u]Jude[/name_u]. It is traditional without being tired (yet).
[name_m]Jonas[/name_m]- [name_m]Jonas[/name_m] is new to my list. [name_m]Jonas[/name_m] gives me a sensitive vibe, but also gives me a cool guy vibe and an intelligent/nerdy vibe. I think it is really versatile. I just enjoy the sound of it.
[name_m]Jasper[/name_m]- [name_m]Jasper[/name_m] has that vintage sound, it is sensitive and sort of hipster (I guess like [name_m]Linus[/name_m]) sounding. I think [name_m]Jasper[/name_m] just has just the right amount of everything, modernism, history, usage… It’s got everything going for it.
It also has my crushes:
[name_f]Eulalia[/name_f]- I fell in love with it after visiting the [name_f]Barcelona[/name_f] Cathedral (dedicated to saint [name_f]Eulalia[/name_f], the patron saint of the city). I like the frills on it. It is so unexpected but beautiful. Pronunciation could be an issue.
[name_f]Marta[/name_f]- I have been pondering [name_f]Marta[/name_f] for a while. I love the sound of it. It reminds me of the Sound of [name_f]Music[/name_f], which is a love that my mom and I share. It isn’t traditional in Greece to use [name_f]Marta[/name_f] (they use [name_f]Martha[/name_f]), but I may add it to my list anyway (I use [name_f]Cecily[/name_f] and instead of [name_f]Cecilia[/name_f], should work the same way).
[name_f]Mary[/name_f]- I love [name_f]Mary[/name_f]. It is so pretty and simple and sweet like [name_f]Jane[/name_f] and [name_f]Helen[/name_f], but I’m not sure if I could use it because it is the name of one my grandmothers and my mom and her don’t get along and we don’t have a relationship. I don’t want my family to think I’m naming my daughter after her. And it isn’t traditional to use [name_f]Mary[/name_f], always [name_f]Maria[/name_f]. But I may do what I did for [name_f]Cecily[/name_f], use the English on the birth certificate and use the Greek in baptism.

[name_m]Cassius[/name_m]- I’ve liked [name_m]Cassius[/name_m] for a long time, but I’m not sure I can see myself using it. I go back and forth on it.
[name_m]Charles[/name_m]- I used to love [name_m]Charles[/name_m], but then I found it boring, but now I’m liking it again. I love the nn [name_u]Charlie[/name_u]!
[name_m]Ezra[/name_m]- I’d use it in a heartbeat if I could figure out how to make it work in baptism. It isn’t a saint name.
[name_m]Tobias[/name_m]- same as [name_m]Ezra[/name_m].

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[name_m]Henry[/name_m]/[name_m]Harry[/name_m] - This is my favorite name for a boy, although I don’t have a very good reason for it. It just is, and has been for years. I can never decide if I like [name_m]Henry[/name_m] on its own or if I prefer the nn [name_m]Harry[/name_m], though.
[name_m]Baker[/name_m] - I have four children already. Three of them have very traditional names, while one has a more modern surname name. I determined a while ago that, should I ever have another child, I would like his/her name to be more modern so that my son isn’t the odd-man-out anymore. I could never find one I truly liked until one night I dreamed I had a son named [name_m]Baker[/name_m], named after the [name_m]Baker[/name_m] [name_m]Street[/name_m] in the [name_m]Sherlock[/name_m] [name_m]Holmes[/name_m] stories. When I woke up and remembered my dream, I instantly loved [name_m]Baker[/name_m] :slight_smile:
[name_m]Ronan[/name_m] - Partly my ancestry, and partly my love of [name_m]Ronan[/name_m] Farrow.
[name_u]Rhys[/name_u] - I love the sound. I love that it’s short and sweet. It’s similar to my maiden name, so that might have something to do with it.
[name_m]Shepard[/name_m] - My second favorite surname name, and my back-up for [name_m]Baker[/name_m]. I think I got the idea from [name_m]Shepard[/name_m] [name_m]Smith[/name_m]. What is it with me and news men?
[name_m]Matteo[/name_m] - My love of [name_m]Matteo[/name_m] goes back to my youth (I think it was even before I started school!) when my mother would watch soap operas. If I had even a drop of Latin blood in me, I’d have named my son [name_m]Matteo[/name_m]/[name_m]Mateo[/name_m] in a heart beat.
[name_u]Luca[/name_u] - Handsome and sweet. [name_m]Colin[/name_m] [name_f]Firth[/name_f] has a [name_u]Luca[/name_u] and a [name_m]Mateo[/name_m] and I’m super jealous.

[name_f]Sunday[/name_f] - I grew up watching re-runs of The Addam’s Family and loved the name [name_f]Wednesday[/name_f]. When [name_f]Nicole[/name_f] Kidman chose [name_f]Sunday[/name_f] for her daughter, I instantly loved it. It’s got the same quirky feeling that [name_f]Wednesday[/name_f] has, but has a sweetness to it, probably due to the fact that it’s traditionally a church-going day.
[name_f]Willow[/name_f] - It used to be very cool, a sort of hippie-meets-edgy name, and I’ve loved it for a long time. When [name_f]Pink[/name_f] chose [name_f]Willow[/name_f] [name_u]Sage[/name_u] it was the one and only time I ever swooned over a celebrity baby name. It meets my need for a more modern name to “go with” my son’s name, as well. Others I like in that category are [name_f]Meadow[/name_f], [name_u]Aspen[/name_u], [name_u]Bay[/name_u], and [name_u]Juniper[/name_u].
[name_f]Violet[/name_f] - Certainly more traditional, but unlike [name_f]Caroline[/name_f] or [name_f]Mary[/name_f], it is done in a more quiet and quirky way. It has the same sort of vibe that [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] has, I think.
[name_f]Zoey[/name_f] - I love this name, and feel like it is a sort of bridge between the traditional names of three of my children and the more modern name my older son bears.
[name_f]Mary[/name_f] - I think this is the name I would choose if I weren’t obsessed with my older son not being the odd-man-out. I’ve never actually met a [name_f]Mary[/name_f] who is younger than I am (or younger than my mother, for that matter), but I can imagine it on my little one and I love it.
[name_f]Caroline[/name_f] - I much prefer [name_f]Mary[/name_f], but my late [name_f]MIL[/name_f] was named [name_f]Carole[/name_f], so [name_f]Caroline[/name_f] would serve as an honour name for her. I’d call her [name_f]Caroline[/name_f], or possibly [name_f]Cara[/name_f].
[name_u]Juniper[/name_u] - Partly because of the need for a non-traditional name, and partly because I adore [name_f]Junie[/name_f] B. [name_m]Jones[/name_m], whose given name was [name_u]Juniper[/name_u] [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f]. [name_m]How[/name_m] adorable is that?
[name_f]Ingrid[/name_f] - Simply for the nn [name_f]Indie[/name_f]. That is all. Another name I like for similar reasons is [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f]. I could definitely work a [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] out of that, right? lol

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[name_f]Emma[/name_f]: I have always loved this name! it’s sounds so classic and elegant yet also has a modern feel to it. I honestly don’t think i will ever not like this name.
[name_f]Lydia[/name_f]: Recently feel in love with this name, it has a really strong yet feminine quality about it.
[name_f]Isla[/name_f]: I feel in love with this name after my second cousin was named [name_f]Isla[/name_f]. It’s just a really floaty, romantic name!
[name_f]Saskia[/name_f]: Used to hate this name! but as i heard it more i began to fall more and more in love haha.
[name_f]Mila[/name_f]: Recently feel in love with this name as well. It’s honestly just a gorgeous name (in my opinion)
[name_f]Anneliese[/name_f]: I think i my love of this name goes back to when i was about 6 and the barbie movie “The princess and the pauper” came out there was an [name_f]Anneliese[/name_f] in that movie and i’ve loved it ever since.
[name_f]Edith[/name_f] “[name_f]Edie[/name_f]”: It’s one of those old classic names that feels like it’s starting to be more widely accepted in modern day society. [name_f]Edith[/name_f] just has a pretty feminine sound to it and i love “[name_f]Edie[/name_f]” as a nickname.
[name_f]Scarlett[/name_f]: My best friend originally fell in love with this name and eventually i caught on and began to really like it!
[name_f]Ramona[/name_f]: It’s different to a lot of other names i like…i don’t really know what it is about it that a like so much but i’ve just always thought it was a really beautiful name.
[name_f]Evie[/name_f]: Along with [name_f]Emma[/name_f] this is a name that I’ve loved for a very long time.
[name_f]Violet[/name_f]: I change my mind a lot with this name, sometimes i think it’s too girly and other times i love it…
[name_u]Harper[/name_u]: I first heard this name after [name_m]David[/name_m] and [name_f]Victoria[/name_f] [name_m]Beckham[/name_m] named their daughter [name_u]Harper[/name_u] [name_u]Seven[/name_u], but i ultimately fell in love with the name after i read the book “To kill a mockingbird” by [name_u]Harper[/name_u] [name_u]Lee[/name_u]. This book was so beautifully written with such an important message that i just fell in love with both it and the authors name.
[name_f]Hermione[/name_f]: [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] [name_m]Granger[/name_m] of course! i don’t think any little girl has not wanted to be [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] at one stage in her life. But in all seriousness [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] is an incredibly strong, independent and loyal female character. She taught not only me but thousands of young girls that looks and popularity don’t have to define your life. I would honestly love to name my daughter after such a strong female character.

[name_m]Atticus[/name_m]: Fell in love with the protagonist “[name_m]Atticus[/name_m] [name_u]Finch[/name_u]” in to kill a mockingbird. A long with [name_f]Hermione[/name_f] this is an incredibly strong genuine character that i would love to name my son after.
[name_m]Harry[/name_m]: It just sounds so English to me. [name_m]Prince[/name_m] [name_m]Harry[/name_m], [name_m]Harry[/name_m] Styles…i love them all!
[name_m]Louis[/name_m]: Again although it originates from [name_f]France[/name_f] it just sounds so terribly British to me!
[name_u]James[/name_u]: A beautiful classic name that has a modern yet sophisticated feel to it.
[name_m]Levi[/name_m]: It’s different and a little more unique than some of my other choices. It’s sounds very beachy Australian to me.
[name_u]Theo[/name_u]: It’s a strong, short variation of [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] which i love!
[name_m]Leo[/name_m]: Same as levi really

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[name_f]Matilda[/name_f] [name_f]Belle[/name_f] – [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] is my grandmother’s name & [name_f]Belle[/name_f] is a NN my mom gave me when I was born.
[name_f]Meadow[/name_f] [name_f]Belle[/name_f] – There is no significance with [name_f]Meadow[/name_f], I just like it.
[name_m]John[/name_m] [name_u]Valentine[/name_u] – [name_m]John[/name_m] is my DH’s dad’s name & my mom was born in February, that’s one reason I choose [name_u]Valentine[/name_u].
[name_u]River[/name_u] [name_m]Augustus[/name_m] – there is no significance with [name_u]River[/name_u] except DH and I both love it a lot! [name_m]Augustus[/name_m] is for my brother.

[name_u]River[/name_u] & [name_f]Meadow[/name_f] are 2 names my DH and I have both gravitated towards. We do both like nature names for the most part. I think it’s because they are soft and simple yet beautiful. We both like nature, in general, as well.
And as everyone on here know, it is hard to agree on names – that seems like reason enough!

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I love this thread! I am totally into stories behind names. I have 2 children:

Utopia Xanadu (10) - Utopia is a name I chose shortly before I became pregnant. I love the meaning behind it - peace, harmony, equality, perfection - and that it’s the title of a classic piece of literature. I’m also a huge [name_f]Star[/name_f] Trek nerd, and it’s mentioned several times throughout multiple series that Utopia Planetia is a colony on [name_u]Mars[/name_u] where the [name_f]Star[/name_f] [name_m]Fleet[/name_m] ships are built.

Xanadu - it took me forever to choose her middle name. I think I chose this only a week or two before she was born. With the unusualness of Utopia as a first, I reaaaaally tried for a “normal” middle name - obviously, that didn’t happen! Nothing sounded right, there were no ‘aha’ moments. Late one night we were in bed, tossing around middle names, and her dad jokingly suggested [name_f]Ivana[/name_f], which made me blurt out Xanadu! There was a moment of silence and we both admitted we loved it. I tried not to like it because it’s even more outlandish than Utopia, but it just wouldn’t go away. It felt right. I loved it. Xanadu is a reference to an English Romantic poem by [name_m]Coleridge[/name_m], he calls Shangdu, Kublai Khan’s summer capital, Xanadu. It was reputed to be a city of great beauty, with extraordinary architecture and art. After she was born, we found Xanadu is also a cheesy 80s movie with [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] [name_m]Newton[/name_m] [name_m]John[/name_m], complete with roller skates. But it plays on some greek myths (the muses), so whatever, I can live with the movie reference. Plus, she has the middle initial X and how cool is that?

[name_m]Tiberius[/name_m] [name_m]Apollo[/name_m] (6) - I think it took me about 8 months to name my son, for a couple of reasons. First, how do you follow up Utopia?? He needed a name I loved, that was strong enough to stand next to Utopia but not so weird it opened the possibilty of teasing. Second, my now ex, then long term boyfriend (both kids father) was having an affair through the entire ttc/pregnancy process. The woman was a friend of ours who spent a lot of time with us, and until the end I didn’t suspect/want to see/etc. Anyhow, she was pretty involved with the naming discussions and the two of them pretty much vetoed all the names I loved and then kind of cornered me into a name they liked - [name_m]Vaughn[/name_m]. I didn’t really care for it, but after I outed them I completely threw out the name. [name_m]Tiberius[/name_m] was a name I loved from the beginning, it was a very common name in the [name_m]Roman[/name_m] empire but is not so common now. My favorite namesake for him is [name_m]Tiberius[/name_m] Gracchus, a politician. It also happens to be the middle name of [name_u]James[/name_u] T. [name_m]Kirk[/name_m], again with the [name_f]Star[/name_f] Trek. I should add that he goes by his full name, Tiberius - never Ti or Ty.

[name_m]Apollo[/name_m] - I love Greek mythology, and this name was on my list from the get-go but I didn’t absolutely settle on it until right before he was born. [name_m]Apollo[/name_m] is the sun god (which seemed appropriate for a first son), plus music, medicine, etc etc. There’s also the [name_m]Apollo[/name_m] space shuttles. [name_m]Paul[/name_m] is his dad’s name so it’s kind of close to that.And, funny enough, I was watching an episode of [name_f]Star[/name_f] Trek (original series) the night before he was born (he was 2 weeks late, scheduled induction) and right as I was saying I was going to use [name_m]Apollo[/name_m] as the middle name, a character yelled out “I AM [name_m]APOLLO[/name_m]!” So that pretty much cemented it for me. Lol.

This seems like it got pretty long so I’ll come back later and talk about my current favorites for #3 and the other names in my signature.

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[name_u]Love[/name_u] reading these, so interesting!

[name_m]Konrad[/name_m] [name_m]Wolfgang[/name_m] was named because my husband wanted a junior but I said no (Sorry Hubby, I just can’t get behind a [name_m]Klaus[/name_m], [name_m]Jr[/name_m]) so we compromised and I told him our first son could have his initials. So it had to be a K name and we stuck with hubby’s middle name, [name_m]Wolfgang[/name_m]. [name_m]Konrad[/name_m] was a K name that we both liked for many reasons - we see it as a strong, handsome name that would (and does!) suit our little guy well and represents our [name_m]German[/name_m] heritage. DH’s great grandmother’s last name was [name_m]Conrad[/name_m], so it is sort of a family name, too!

[name_f]Wilhelmina[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f] - I really like [name_f]Wilhelmina[/name_f] and all of it’s nickname options. [name_f]Jane[/name_f] is in honor of my mom, [name_f]Janice[/name_f]. I like how the short [name_f]Jane[/name_f] balances out the longer [name_f]Wilhelmina[/name_f]. Again, super [name_m]German[/name_m] (we kind of have a theme going)
[name_f]Mabel[/name_f] [name_f]Augusta[/name_f] - [name_f]Mabel[/name_f] is a name I have grown to really love, mostly because I think it sounds sweet and is underused. The sounds are different than most names that are being used right now. Again, [name_m]German[/name_m]! And [name_f]Augusta[/name_f] is just so regal and cool sounding.
[name_f]Frieda[/name_f] [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f] - [name_f]Frieda[/name_f] is a name from my family tree that DH actually really likes. And when he likes a name it kind of makes me even more excited :slight_smile: The clunkiness of [name_f]Frieda[/name_f] is balanced well by [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f], I think. [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f] just rolls off the tongue so well and if I ever used it as a first name I have always adored [name_f]Rosie[/name_f]!
[name_f]Louisa[/name_f] [name_f]Marie[/name_f] - [name_m]Ah[/name_m], my absolute favorite and the most meaningful. [name_f]Louisa[/name_f] is the name of the street I grew up on and where my parents still live. It’s a quiet, quaint little street that is just HOME to me. The city I am from is called Louisville, which [name_f]Louisa[/name_f] is a nod to as well. [name_f]Marie[/name_f] is a name that has been used in my family for generations. I know it’s a filler name, but it goes so well with almost any name. Sometimes I wish I could pair [name_f]Louisa[/name_f] with something else, but I know I would regret not using [name_f]Louisa[/name_f] and it would mean so much to my family.
[name_f]Greta[/name_f] - This is a recent name crush. I think it’s adorable on a little girl and stunning on a grown woman. Again, it fits that [name_m]German[/name_m] requirement hubby loves.
[name_m]Hugo[/name_m] [name_m]Frederick[/name_m] - [name_m]Hugo[/name_m] fits every requirement for us; [name_m]German[/name_m], “warrior enough” for hubby and “dashing enough” for me :slight_smile: I love the -o ending and the nickname [name_m]Hugh[/name_m] and just think it’s a really cool, underused name. [name_m]Frederick[/name_m] is DH’s dad’s name. I actually would want to give a boy #2 two middles so it could honor my family as well (since DS#1 has names from DH’s side already). So my ideal combo would be [name_m]Hugo[/name_m] [name_m]John[/name_m] [name_m]Frederick[/name_m].
[name_m]Alaric[/name_m] - I like this a lot, as does hubby. I like that it incorporates the first letter of my name ([name_f]Alyssa[/name_f]) just like [name_m]Konrad[/name_m]'s uses the first letter of [name_m]Klaus[/name_m]'s name.
[name_u]Kai[/name_u] - [name_u]Love[/name_u] this but it seems a little incomplete to me. It’s still [name_m]German[/name_m] (and a lot of other things) but I’m not sure I want to use another K name.
[name_m]Leif[/name_m] - I love the look of this and the fact that it sounds like a viking!
[name_m]Cormac[/name_m] - Again, love the “k” sound. We considered naming [name_m]Konrad[/name_m] this but spelled Kormak; which is actually a legitimate spelling, but it just looked too made-up to us.
[name_u]Arlo[/name_u] - [name_u]Love[/name_u] the -o ending! Again, using an A would be a neat tie in with me name.
[name_u]Rex[/name_u] - A family name for me (my great grandpa was [name_m]Reginald[/name_m] nn [name_u]Rex[/name_u]) I know people thing it’s a dog name but I see it as debonair and poised.

Edelweiss nn [name_f]Ada[/name_f] - My biggest guilty pleasure of all time! So big that I would actually consider using it if we ever had two girls. I have always adored [name_f]Ada[/name_f] for it’s simplicity but striking sounds. Edelweiss is my favorite song and I have a strong love for old musicals, especially The Sound of [name_f]Music[/name_f]. I sing [name_m]Konrad[/name_m] the song “We love you [name_m]Conrad[/name_m]…” from Bye Bye [name_f]Birdie[/name_f] and I absolutely love the idea of singing “Edelweiss” to a little baby girl. The actual Edelweiss flower is lovely and has great meaning. And finally, my catholic faith actually plays a role in this as I recently learned of [name_m]Ven[/name_m]. [name_m]Edel[/name_m] [name_u]Quinn[/name_u] whose full name was Edelweiss. I just keep falling more and more in love

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GIRLS (I only have combos in my signature so there aren’t many girl names right now, because I’m still working on them)

[name_f]Emilia[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f] - I’ve always loved [name_f]Amelia[/name_f], but recently fell in love with the [name_f]Emilia[/name_f] spelling because of some Youtubers I watch. The SacconneJolys are an Irish family that daily vlog. They have a 2 and a half year old daughter that is just the cutest child I’ve ever seen! Her name is [name_f]Emilia[/name_f]. [name_f]Jane[/name_f] is my paternal grandmother’s name. She passed away five years ago. We were very close. I’ve always wanted to use [name_f]Jane[/name_f] as a middle name to honor her even before she had passed.

[name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] [name_f]Louise[/name_f] - I just adore the look and sound of [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f]. Unfortunately, if I ever use the name there might be some people who will connect it to Fifty Shades of [name_u]Grey[/name_u]. :confused: I also really love the name [name_f]Anna[/name_f], but it kind of feels to plain to use it by itself so [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] is a good alternative. [name_f]Louise[/name_f] is just a name I think sounds really nice and it gives me a whimsical feel.

BOYS

[name_u]Aiden[/name_u] [name_u]James[/name_u] - I’ve always loved [name_u]Aiden[/name_u] even though I know a lot of people are sick of it. I first heard the name from the show Sex and the City. [name_u]James[/name_u] has always been a favorite of mine. I think it’s timeless and classic and really handsome.

[name_m]Jase[/name_m] [name_m]Alexander[/name_m] - I first heard [name_m]Jase[/name_m] when I was in 10th grade. I was in study hall and there was this really cute senior in the class as well and his name was [name_m]Jase[/name_m]. I was so smitten. I’ve loved the name ever since. [name_m]Alexander[/name_m] is another classic name that I just love the sound and look of.

[name_u]Tristan[/name_u] [name_u]Roy[/name_u] - I’ve always loved the sound of [name_u]Tristan[/name_u]. I think it’s kind of unique, but not completely unheard of. [name_u]Roy[/name_u] is after my maternal grandfather. He passed away when I was seven.

[name_m]Henry[/name_m] [name_m]Augustus[/name_m] - I keep flopping back and forth between [name_m]Henry[/name_m] [name_m]Augustus[/name_m] and [name_m]Augustus[/name_m] [name_m]Henry[/name_m]. I really love both. [name_m]Henry[/name_m] is similar to [name_u]James[/name_u] in the sense that I think it’s a classic and handsome name. [name_m]Augustus[/name_m] is a more recent fave from the last few years. I’m not ashamed to say I first heard it from the book The Fault In Our Stars. :smiley:

[name_m]Isaac[/name_m] [name_m]Benjamin[/name_m] - I first heard [name_m]Isaac[/name_m] from the show Teen [name_m]Wolf[/name_m]. I think it’s very name. [name_m]Benjamin[/name_m] is after my cousin. I just love the name!

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[name_f]Jessamine[/name_f]- I like to write. Once I was looking for old names with flower meanings for a story, and a search result came up with [name_f]Jessamine[/name_f] as a variation of [name_f]Jasmine[/name_f]. The story didn’t pan out, but I love the name [name_f]Jessamine[/name_f]. More recently, I read Infernal Devices, which has a [name_f]Jessamine[/name_f] nn [name_u]Jessie[/name_u], and now I love it even more!

[name_f]Signe[/name_f]- I found this name on the back of a family portrait. In Swedish, it is pronounced [name_m]SING[/name_m]-neh, but because I do not live in Scandinavia, I would anglicize it to [name_m]SIG[/name_m]-nee. Like [name_u]Sydney[/name_u] but better!

[name_f]EDIT[/name_f]: UGH. I did all of the names in my signature, but then “my token expired.” And…I’m too tired to redo it right now. :expressionless:

20

[name_f]Amelia[/name_f] [name_f]Violette[/name_f]-
I really just liked the sound of [name_f]Amelia[/name_f], but it wasn’t on my short list until I found the nn [name_f]Millie[/name_f].
I actually pronounce [name_f]Violette[/name_f] like [name_f]Violet[/name_f]. The proper pronunciation is very pretty, but I really love it my way better. the spelling feels a bit more complete with [name_f]Juliette[/name_f], another name on my list. There’s a couple great Violets too-Crawley, Baudelaire, and [name_m]Parr[/name_m] are my favorites, which is interesting because they’re all very different.
I had the inspiration for the combination from a BNG, though I can’t remember which one.

[name_m]William[/name_m] [name_u]River[/name_u]-This is a great story. So, I jokingly told my friend I was naming my future daughter [name_f]Aurora[/name_f] [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] “[name_u]Rory[/name_u]” in honor of the Ponds from [name_m]Doctor[/name_m] Who. I came up with [name_u]River[/name_u] [name_m]William[/name_m] as a name to go with it in honor of their daughter [name_u]River[/name_u]. ([name_u]Rory[/name_u]'s last name is [name_m]Williams[/name_m]). It kinda stuck though, and eventually a discovered how much I like the nn [name_u]Billy[/name_u], and switched them around.

[name_m]Arthur[/name_m] [name_m]Rhodes[/name_m]: I can’t remember why I picked [name_m]Arthur[/name_m] originally, but it hs a lot of great Literary and Historic connections that I really like. Plus, it means “bear” which is so cool! [name_m]Rhodes[/name_m] I found on accident and thought it would be a cool unisex mn, sort of an alternative for [name_f]Rose[/name_f].

[name_f]Lucia[/name_f] [name_f]Thisbe[/name_f] and [name_f]Clara[/name_f] [name_f]Juliette[/name_f]: I picked [name_f]Lucia[/name_f] and [name_f]Clara[/name_f] as hypothetical twin names because they mean “light” and “bright, clear” respectively and I thought those meanings were pretty together.
As a mn for [name_f]Clara[/name_f], I picked [name_f]Juliette[/name_f] mostly because I thought it was pretty. I looked for another Shakespearean name, but came up with [name_f]Thisbe[/name_f], from the myth [name_m]Romeo[/name_m] and [name_f]Juliet[/name_f] was based on. I kinda see the names as reminders, for me as a future parent to not judge my daughters’ boyfriends to quickly, but more to my girls to not make major decisions (such as killing yourself) before you have all the facts.

[name_m]Peter[/name_m] [name_m]Fox[/name_m]- My newest addition! I love the Biblical connection, and the meaning: rock. [name_m]Fox[/name_m] just fit well with my other names and I think it’s adorable.

[name_u]Francis[/name_u]: No real reason, I just liked it, I guess.
[name_m]Julian[/name_m]: I saw it in someone else’s signature.
[name_u]Jude[/name_u]: I’m actually changing this to [name_m]Judah[/name_m], but I like the saint connection, though I’m not actually Catholic. I love Hebrew names a lot.

[name_f]Alexandria[/name_f]: I was mostly inspired by the library, but [name_u]Alex[/name_u] [name_m]Kingston[/name_m] who’s actually an [name_f]Alexandra[/name_f]) is a great namesake. Someone used [name_f]Andie[/name_f] as a nn for [name_f]Cassandra[/name_f], so I thought why not [name_f]Alexandria[/name_f]? There’s an [name_u]Alex[/name_u] in my family, so I like that I can actually potentially use this.
[name_f]Esther[/name_f]: [name_f]Esther[/name_f] is my fave Bible lady. Plus, it means star! It makes me really excited.
[name_f]Bethany[/name_f]: Another Biblical one. Lots of stuff happened in and around [name_f]Bethany[/name_f], including the Ascension. I love the name [name_f]Beth[/name_f], but hate [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], so it’s a win-win!

[name_u]Ashley[/name_u]: If you want to watch GWTW with someone, call me up. [name_u]Love[/name_u] this name on a boy!
[name_m]Atlas[/name_m]: Umm… is sounds really cool?
[name_f]Caoimhe[/name_f]: I enjoy confusing people with pronunciation issues. I’m sorta evil. However, it does honor my Irish heritage and is just prettier than [name_u]Keeva[/name_u]!
[name_f]Hadassah[/name_f]: [name_f]Esther[/name_f]'s Hebrew name! Though them meaning isn’t as cool, i’s so pretty!

[name_f]Isobel[/name_f]: This isn’t currently on my signature, but it is on my short list. I like it because it’s a variant of [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] which is a family name. It’s not too common, and I think it does stand out in a world of Isabellas.