Why I love X

General Name Discussion
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I’m sure we’ve all seen the threads on NB before that talk about names or trends that we don’t like or don’t see the appeal of. I used to participate in these threads a lot because I have strong opinions (especially about names!) and I love to voice them. After some time though, I realized that those threads often just leave me feeling upset because I’ll often see favorites of mine on those lists. What I also realized is that I felt this way because those threads don’t offer an opportunity for me to defend those names and explain what appeal they have to me and why I love them!

There are lots of names that I dislike, and I’m sure everyone here can agree with that sentiment! But I’m always fascinated by the reasons why others love them. Sometimes my mind is changed, sometimes it isn’t, but I love having discussions with people where their love shows something in a new light. That’s where this comes in!

I want to know what favorites of yours often appear in the “Names You Hate” threads and why you love them!

I can’t wait to read what makes these names sparkle for you :grin:

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I’ll start with one of my own: [name_u]Parker[/name_u].

This spunky beast is often cast aside because she’s unisex (leaning masculine), occupational, and a surname, which I know isn’t everyone’s taste, and they’re completely entitled to feel that way! But here’s why I love it.

I was a competitive dancer for ten years, up until I graduated from high school. In 2016, an 8-year-old girl from a studio in my state that we frequently saw at competitions was diagnosed with DIPG, which is a rare and inoperable brain tumor that forms on the pons of the brain. DIPG typically impacts children, it has a 0% survival rate, and the treatment options for it have not improved since the disease’s discovery almost fifty years ago. The girl’s name was [name_u]Parker[/name_u] Monhollon, and her parents and older sister started the group/charity [name_u]Parker[/name_u] Loves Life as a way to bring awareness to her condition, as well as fund her journey through fighting the cancer.

[name_u]Parker[/name_u] traveled to [name_u]Memphis[/name_u], [name_m]Germany[/name_m], and Mexico seeking treatment for the tumor. Throughout the process, she and her parents (whoever was with her at the time) made videos documenting their struggles. Each time, no matter how difficult the news, [name_u]Parker[/name_u] greeted the camera with a big smile and a sweet, “[name_m]Hi[/name_m] guys!”. Sadly, she passed away in [name_u]July[/name_u] 2017, only a couple weeks before her 10th birthday. She was a beautiful, sassy, spunky, courageous little soul who loved Eminem (her Make a Wish was to meet him!), dance, and the color purple. When I think of the name [name_u]Parker[/name_u], I’ll always think of her, and that’s why I love it.

If you would like to cry, watch this: - YouTube
[name_u]Rivers[/name_u] is [name_u]Parker[/name_u]’s older sister who is a competitive dancer as well. This is the dance she choreographed and performed with some other members of her studio, dedicated to [name_u]Parker[/name_u], competed just before her passing.

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Okay well guess who’s now sold on [name_u]Parker[/name_u] for a girl?

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Agreed @jonquils! I adore [name_f]Winifred[/name_f] and think she’s so usable.

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I’m always so sad when people say [name_f]Harriet[/name_f] is an old lady name! The name [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] has been around forever and yet it’s still super popular! [name_f]Harriet[/name_f] gets to a great nickname, [name_f]Hattie[/name_f], and is a great way to honor [name_u]Harry[/name_u] or even [name_m]Henry[/name_m] or something similar. It has soft sounds but can be strong when it needs to be, with the “r”. I’ve only met one [name_f]Harriet[/name_f] in my life, a teen who wore it very well!

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I agree with PPs about [name_f]Winifred[/name_f] and [name_f]Harriet[/name_f]! (Especially because of [name_m]Tuck[/name_m] Everlasting and [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_u]Austen[/name_u]'s [name_f]Emma[/name_f]!) I also love [name_f]Constance[/name_f] and [name_f]Prudence[/name_f]! I like [name_f]Gertrude[/name_f] more than most people, but I do prefer [name_f]Gretel[/name_f]! [name_f]Laura[/name_f] is one of my absolute favorite girl names, and gets a lot of negative feedback from others.

I don’t really have a good way to defend these uncommon name preferences, because I usually get attached to a name bc of the feeling I get from them! The names stated above just give me warm, fuzzy feelings!

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I love [name_f]Laura[/name_f]! It’s a name that just makes me smile when I read or say it.

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Claudius :It was the name of an emperor who did great things in spite of his disability. Chances are it does not mean stupid and actually comes from the Latin claudere, to close. I hate seeing it written off as a name not for a child of this century or too hard to live up to when, say, [name_m]Alexander[/name_m] is still commonly used. [name_m]Alexander[/name_m] the Great isn’t exactly easy to live up to either.

Dolores :“Why would you want to name your child after pain?” It refers to the pain [name_f]Mary[/name_f] felt when she saw [name_m]Jesus[/name_m] on the cross, not general pain. It goes to show that the parent-child bond is one of the strongest there is and that’s beautiful.

Anne: [name_u]Anne[/name_u] is not overused, it ranks even lower than some NB favourites like [name_f]Hazel[/name_f] and [name_f]Maeve[/name_f]. It sucks to see people dismiss it as an old maid name or whatever. What’s wrong with old maids? They did what they had to do to survive. It’s a simple name that everyone knows, but is seldom found.

Gerald: I don’t see why this gets dismissed as a grandpa name, but names like [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] and [name_u]Francis[/name_u] are coming back into use. Yet again, a very known name that almost no child has. Ger (jair) is a perfect nickname imo. I’d definitely consider it if I didn’t already have a G3rry in my family.

Now for some lesser liked names on NB

Ley names: Yes, yes, they’re overused, boring, won’t age well; we know, we’ve all seen the rants. Many of these have been around for centuries, like [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] (field of ashes), [name_f]Kinsley[/name_f] (king’s field), [name_u]Hadley[/name_u] (field of heathers. They evoke an Old [name_f]English[/name_f] charm. Yes, they probably will be associated with the early 2000s heavily in the future, but so what? P names are very 60s with [name_m]Paul[/name_m], [name_f]Paula[/name_f], [name_m]Peter[/name_m], [name_f]Pamela[/name_f], but no one complains about those.

Sophia: This name would be beloved if it weren’t for its popularity. It’s Greek, has a nice meaning, distinctly remind, historical. It’s like [name_f]Theodosia[/name_f], which is rather liked.

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Ooh, this is good.

Lets see…all I have is-

[name_f]Mia[/name_f]-This is just a personal thing, because it’s my sweet wonderful kitty’s name. I named her [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] when I adopted her almost 15 years go. She was a teeny tiny eight weeks old, & [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] seemed too big on her. She was just the perfect little [name_f]Mia[/name_f]. And now I associate w/a funny, lovable, cuddly angelic cat. Seriously, she’s the cat people dream of. :heart_eyes: :cat: :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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[name_f]Clementine[/name_f] - for some reason I just adore this name so much! I read it in a book a while ago and I fell in love with it.

[name_f]Lavender[/name_f] - I LOVE flower names, but everyone says it’s to cutesie for when she’d get older.

[name_f]Beatrice[/name_f] - This name is top of my list I love it so much! The nickname [name_f]Bea[/name_f] is darling, but again everyone says it’s an old woman’s name.

[name_m]Knox[/name_m] - don’t get me wrong I know it’s a little out there, but i think it’s a lovely name for a boy.

[name_u]Darcey[/name_u] - I love this name for a girl (probably spell it [name_f]Darcie[/name_f] for a girl) a boy, but no one seems to like it for a boy :sob:

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That’s a beautiful story about [name_u]Parker[/name_u]!

I don’t really have much reason for why I love certain names other than sound and the name’s meaning which is why I generally say various names aren’t my style. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with using the name, I’m just not into it.

@dogs_books I oddly also see [name_f]Harriet[/name_f] as a child in addition to the old lady image. Might be because I saw some movie about a child named [name_f]Harriet[/name_f]. I hope you get to name a child [name_f]Harriet[/name_f] and I’m sure the child will grow into it and wear it well! Maybe [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] is popular because of royalty?

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Mackenzie (and variations) seem to cop a lot of hate, and I don’t know why. I think it sounds sassy and fun, and I love [name_u]Kenzie[/name_u] as a shortening.

Clementine is another name I keep seeing people bash on. It’s sound so feminine and pretty to me, and has cute nickname potential.

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*Stands up and applauds @GenEric for such a fantastic spiel on some very underrated names – particularly [name_m]Claudius[/name_m], [name_f]Dolores[/name_f], [name_u]Anne[/name_u], and [name_f]Sophia[/name_f].

I’m planning to come back and add to this thread soon. Fabulous idea @SparkleNinja18, and I loved your story about [name_u]Parker[/name_u]. :heart:

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So…[name_f]Emma[/name_f]. :heart_eyes:

I adore [name_f]Emma[/name_f]. It’s generally despised among Berries for being plain/popular/etc. (along with other classic beauties like [name_f]Sophia[/name_f] and [name_f]Isabella[/name_f]), which I do understand. But I really think it’s unfair to dismiss [name_f]Emma[/name_f] and others like her because of that. It’s as classic as [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], and no one dismisses that name for being too popular, despite its being in the Top 100 since…well, forever.
I’ve loved [name_f]Emma[/name_f] ever since I read the novel of the same name by [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_u]Austen[/name_u] about 7 years ago. It’s so bright and beautiful and completely timeless, imo, and I feel like it deserves more love than it gets.

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[name_m]Don[/name_m]'t worry, I’m giving [name_f]Emma[/name_f] loads of love with you! Sometimes I forget how similar our styles are @elanorelle! Your whole user card is just :heart_eyes:!

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I’ve only known one [name_f]Harriet[/name_f], and she’s the same age as me (20) so this definitely baffles me! She really rocks her name too. It’s definitely not just for old ladies!!

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A lot of people dislike two of my most important names: Neel and Amy/Aimee.

I get asked to consider [name_u]Neal[/name_u] a lot, but I won’t. [name_u]Neel[/name_u] and [name_u]Neal[/name_u] are two different names, with [name_u]Neel[/name_u] being of [name_f]Indian[/name_f] origin and [name_u]Neal[/name_u] of Irish. [name_u]Neel[/name_u] means ‘blue’ which is my pseudonym, and the first name I ever loved. The middle name [name_m]Jason[/name_m] also isn’t really loved by Berries, but it honors someone who was an important role model in my life.

Most people tell me [name_f]Aimee[/name_f]/Amy is dated, but it’s another important honor name to me. It’s also a name I’ve loved since I was a kid. This one is definitely one I would use if I wasn’t [name_f]Indian[/name_f]. If I end up adopting, or a have a biracial child, I might just end up using [name_f]Aimee[/name_f]. Honestly, I don’t get how [name_f]Aimee[/name_f]/Amy comes off as dated when people use names like [name_f]Josephine[/name_f]. That’s just my personal opinion though.

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Emily: Now I used to find this name endlessly boring. It went through a huge wave of popularity and it quickly became a “basic” name because of its ubiquity. Lately, I’ve changed my assessment. It’s got three syllables, it’s short, and it’s got a lovely sound. I first started liking the name when [name_m]Richard[/name_m] [name_m]Gilmore[/name_m] would say “[name_f]Em[/name_f]-i-lee” in such an aggravated, but loving way when they were running around the house. I had never before heard the name on someone older, and suddenly the name adopted a vintage, sweet sway that I just couldn’t forget. Then I babysat for a mom named [name_f]Emily[/name_f], and she was one of the best moms I’ve ever encountered, so she also helped my appreciation for the name. I just watched the new [name_u]Perry[/name_u] [name_u]Mason[/name_u] on HBO and the woman on trial is named [name_f]Emily[/name_f] [name_m]Dodson[/name_m]. Her name sounded so haunting, melodic, and full, I finally understood why people had such a long love affair with the name.

Lily: [name_f]Lily[/name_f] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] makes me love the name! She was a fierce, devoted mother willing to sacrifice her life for her son. That made me view the name in a brave light I had never shone on the name before. Also, [name_f]Lily[/name_f] from the Secret Life of Bees was a childhood love.

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I think I’ll add [name_u]Parker[/name_u] to my UC. It’s so sweet and has lots of soft sounds.

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I really like [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u] for a boy.

To me, it’s very handsome and dignified, but has a warmth and friendliness to it as well. It’s got a long history as a male name, and feels more approachable than [name_u]Auberon[/name_u] (which is great too).

Cool meaning too!

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