[name]Do[/name] the names on your lists suit you?
Why do you think they do/don’t?
[name]How[/name] can you tell if a name will suit someone? (Is this all done by stereotypes or past experiences with people?)
Are there some names that are like ‘You can’t have a so and so with blonde hair’ etc.?
Discuss Away Berries!
~Whirlie
I don’t think any names are off limits dependent on appearance. For me, as long as it’s a real name and not something like Lampshade or Bu’Fonguinanaya, then it’ll suit the person it belongs to. Why wouldn’t it? It’s their name. 
I hope I’ll have a daughter one day. I have no idea what she’ll look like but I know she’ll most likely be called [name]Aira[/name] and she’ll suit her name because it’s hers.
None of the names on my list would suit me because I’m [name]Ren[/name]
I’ve thought about it, hahaha. I’ve always wanted a girl with thick blonde hair and blue eyes (like me) named [name]Erica[/name]. But I’e realized since then that, thanks to genetics, my children are more likely to end up with brown hair and brown eyes. In my opinion, it’s not about the baby and the name fitting together perfectly. That name is their name. As they grow up being known by the name, the name will grow to fit them - not the other way around.
Some names are my suitable for some looks, in my opinion. I was almost positive my baby would have blue eyes (90% blue eyes on my side, all blue eyes on his) but she has brown eyes. And the same with the blonde hair, but she’s (this far) very dark. So I’m kind of glad I didn’t go with [name]Xanthe[/name], that’s such a blonde name. I do think it’s more about personality though, and I think parents will choose names that suit their personalities and therefore will suit the little one (in most cases).
But I agree with the others, the name will suit the little person bearing it, because it will be hers. Or his.
I do have my own visceral responses to names, but they’re just based on personal imagery. Generally speaking, I wouldn’t say a name is appearance-specific unless it’s strongly (and perhaps only) associated with a particular ethnic group that very obviously mismatches with the wearer’s ethnic appearance. Examples being a redhead named Hiromi, an Icelandic dude named [name]Jos[/name]é. [name]Even[/name] then there is so, so much wiggle room, and some are more accessible than others.
For my own list, I have a handful of names that I have a strong visual association with and would have trouble adjusting to a different physical appearance wearing them, but it’s usually because I associate them with characters/actors as opposed to their being associated with (or originating from) a specific ethnic group.
I’ve definitely had thoughts like, “Wow, she really looks like an [name]April[/name].” after hearing someone’s name.
Some people’s names definitely feel as though they fit them well.
I think some of it is the style of the name–it’s easier to imagine a happy, outgoing [name]Molly[/name] than a happy, outgoing [name]Veronica[/name]. Of course, a lot of that is related to your own history. If you’ve known a fun outgoing [name]Veronica[/name] that’s probably your first thought. But I do think that certain names have a harder or softer tone, a more relaxed or serious vibe, etc.
Some names, since they’re more connected with certain cultures, have the visual connection with those ethnic traits. Again, it’s not required, but it’s easier to imagine [name]Francesca[/name] having long black hair and warm skin rather than looking Scandinavian.
And of course, the really direct ones like rude [name]Joy[/name]'s or negative [name]Hope[/name]'s or [name]Robin[/name]'s that you just wish would shut up!
So, I’d say that there are some names that fit better, but I don’t think I would ever eliminate a name from my favorites just because I didn’t think my kid would ‘look’ right to wear it.
I do think there are some names that are very ethnic, and I wouldn’t want my kid to be constantly questioned about their apparent ethnicity not matching their name’s ethnicity, but that’s the only “rule” I’d hold to.
There was a girl I met about a week ago, she had light brown hair fair skin and beautiful green eyes. She looked like a [name]Maggie[/name] or [name]Ruby[/name], a little typical American girl. She introduced herself as “Well my name’s kinda weird… It’s… [name]Blue[/name]… Like the color?” bracing herself for my laughter. Of course I had a moment of being overjoyed, being a berry and all. I wanted to know her siblings names, her middle names, her parents personalities, etc… but my second thought was, [name]Blue[/name]? Really?
All in all, some names really just won’t go. [name]Blue[/name] still doesn’t look like a blue to me, there’s nothing [name]BLUE[/name] about her. As long as the name isn’t too ethnic or out of character for how your children will probably be, it should be fine. Of course, [name]Blue[/name] isn’t an ethnic name. But it did open my eyes to how you shouldn’t give your children a harsh label (Out of the crowd, over the top [name]Blue[/name] [name]IMO[/name])
There are very few names I can’t picture on a variety of people. [name]One[/name] of the standout exceptions is my friend of 15 years, [name]Amber[/name]. She has black hair and fair skin and has never looked like an [name]Amber[/name] to me. That’s one name that feels very blond to me, which her mom is actually.
I know an [name]Amber[/name] with very tan skin, dark blonde hair, and one blue eye and one green eye. The name totally fits her!
I can’t imagine a blonde, blue-eyed [name]Molly[/name] for some reason. Its one of the reasons my daughter is [name]Johanna[/name].
[name]Molly[/name] feels like a redhead’s name to me!
I met a fair-skinned and freckly southern belle type named [name]Leilani[/name] once. It was a ridiculous misfit of a name. She hated it and used nicknames almost exclusively. Apparently, she was conceived during a Hawaiian vacation and her parents chose her name accordingly. She did NOT feel that that made it better, lol.
I’m a fair, blonde, brown-eyed [name]Alexandra[/name], and I’ve found that most people assume I will be a brunette when knowing my name before my face (interviews, etc) or they think I look like an ‘[name]Allison[/name]’ or ‘[name]Ashley[/name]’ - I always get ‘A’ names, which is also weird. My younger sister is a [name]Lacie[/name] and she HATES it. She is a huge tomboy and definitely is not growing into her name as she gets older.
I put a lot into the meanings of names (no Claudias or Gideons for me, unfortunately) and I have a hard time using a name that literally relates to appearance, like [name]Flynn[/name] or [name]Crispin[/name] (son of the red-haired one and curly-haired). If my husband had brown hair and I named my baby boy [name]Flynn[/name]… it irks me too much to even consider, even though I really like the name. I also could never stand to use names like [name]May[/name] or [name]Winter[/name] unless the baby was born in the respective month/season.
I really wish that there wasn’t such an issue when people use names from other cultures/ethnic groups, because there are some names that I love so much that I am pretty certain my children will not “match.” [name]Mio[/name] is one of my favorite names, and means “beautiful cherry/thread” in Japanese, but alas, it’s not likely I’ll have a Japanese baby (also, I feel like people will think it is a Spanish name). Irish, Italian, and French names have seemed to cross over, but I would still feel odd naming a baby [name]Parvati[/name] or [name]Noor[/name].
I know a blonde/blue-eyed [name]Molly[/name] and a brunette/brown-eyed [name]Molly[/name]. I’ve known the latter for longer, but the former is the one that embodies the name for me - partly due to her bubbly personality!
I do think it has a lot to do with past experiences with people and what they look like. Its interesting about [name]Molly[/name] as I know quite a few people with this name and they all look different! [name]Molly[/name] has to be a bubbly personality though. I also think that it is another reason why some people choose more unusual names-because if they have never met anyone with that name they don’t have anything their child has to live up to or any negative feelings towards that name. Conversely, some parents name their children after people who have made a good impression on them such as my sister being named after an amazing actor in a school [name]Shakespeare[/name] play. But just imagine if my sister had been really bad at acting? It would have put a bit of a spin on things.
The only really strong association that comes to mind is [name]Heidi[/name] = blonde woman
I think of molly as brown hair and eyes, a la the American Girl doll of the same name. [name]Felicity[/name] had dark hair too, so that’s a brunette name to me too.
Then again I think/imagine I have lighter hair than I do, and sometimes don’t think I look like a [name]Kate[/name] myself, but other times I do… I think the kid makes the name most always. Hmm
[name]Scarlett[/name]. It sounds like a name for a red-haired girl or even a blonde one, but not a brunette.
I think it has to do with the people we know and their names. For example, my sister’s name is Megan. She has blonde hair and blue eyes. It’s hard for me to picture a girl who has dark hair and brown eyes as a Megan.
I really can’t picture certain names on certain people, like a blonde [name]Adriana[/name] doesn’t work in my mind.
I totally agree. My own personal example is with my daughter [name]Violet[/name]…my entire pregnancy I was stuck on the name [name]Ingrid[/name]…just loved it and really wanyed to name baby if a girl (we found out her gender at birth) [name]Ingrid[/name]. Aftee she was born she did not look like an [name]Ingrid[/name], or, any other name we jad talked abput and put on the list! But she is a [name]Violet[/name]…spunky personality (her nn is “Vio”) and a beautiful mess of redish brown curly hair. She is really not an [name]Ingrid[/name]!