🌷 your favourite names + why you love them

[daisymeadows]

i always love hearing people share why they love their favourite names, so i thought i’d ask:

what are your most favourite names (one boy name and one girl name, or whatever you’d like!!) and why do you love them? feel free to answer as brief or as lengthy as you please!

[unknownsel]

[name_f]Athanasia[/name_f] - It’s long, it sounds good, and it’s the name of one of my favorite characters

[name_m]Terrance[/name_m] - Nice sound + long and I like the S pronunciation at the end

[A.B.Galaxy]

[name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] has always been a favorite of mine. The sound, the endless nicknames, and at one point I wished it had been my name actually.

[name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] goes really well with [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] so that’s one of the reasons. The nickname [name_u]Nat[/name_u] and [name_u]Niall[/name_u] are so cute and a character on [name_m]Little[/name_m] Men is named [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m] and he’s one of my favorites.

[bird_s_eye]

ahh I can’t narrow it down! I’ll post here when I do!!

[emeraldsea]

[name_u]Oliver[/name_u] has been on every baby name list I’ve ever made, dating back to my middle school years! I love his connection to the olive branch symbolism, the saintly namesake, and his soft sounds! I’ve also always been a sucker for O names, and the nickname [name_u]Ollie[/name_u]!

[name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] “Nora” is probably my favorite name in the entire world. It’s a very important family name for me, as it’s the name of my great grandma, who passed away when my grandma (her daughter) was very young. I feel like [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] is so versatile and classic. [name_m]Even[/name_m] if she becomes the next [name_f]Emma[/name_f], I will still use her!

[AerieEerie]

[name_m]Isaac[/name_m] - I love the sound, the look, but also the image it gives off. I imagine a little [name_m]Isaac[/name_m] to be a bit serious, but so caring and compassionate.

[name_f]Ursula[/name_f] - honestly I love it so much because my boyfriend loves it and whenever he talks about a hypothetical daughter, he calls her [name_f]Ursula[/name_f]! She just feels like ours.

[bee3661]

marceline i love the nicknames marcie and mars, also it flows beautifully with our last name. it is a name that just feels special and unheard of to me in my real life. it is intuitive and every ounce of my being knows that it will be the name of my daughter one day
alder although i may not actually end up using this name, i absolutely adore it. my partner’s name is alexander, so it pays tribute to him with the al- and -der. also alder trees are used to make electric guitars, which pays homage to my partner as well. overall, it is a gorgeous, unique, earthy name.

[Greyblue]

[name_f]Sarai[/name_f] - I love the sharp, distinct sounds of [name_f]Sarai[/name_f], that strong eye ending, the way it looks. I like how it means princess and feels very beautiful but is also sharp and snappy. [name_u]Rai[/name_u] makes a cute nn if i ever wanted to use one and I’ve also loved it for ten years now and none of that has faded, so it feels like the ultimate fave

[name_m]Sholto[/name_m] - I love how it’s rugged, earthy and cool, how it has the sounds of other names I like (like [name_m]Otto[/name_m], [name_u]Shiloh[/name_u], Arlo), but feels very distinct. I discovered it in [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] Gaskell’s novel [name_u]North[/name_u] and [name_u]South[/name_u] so it has literary ties! It wasn’t one that I committed to immediately like with [name_f]Sarai[/name_f], but it stuck in my head and I eventually realised how it was one of the few masc names that have actually stayed on my mind!

[AStudyIn_Scarlet]

I want to take a break from my favourite names (Athena & Alistair) for a short while, so I’ll be mentioning my back up names!

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[name_f]Emerald[/name_f]: (English, green gemstone) I was very close to choosing [name_f]Persephone[/name_f] for this post, as well as [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f], [name_f]Marigold[/name_f], [name_f]Rose[/name_f] and [name_f]Ada[/name_f] (a recent love), but [name_f]Emerald[/name_f] was the clear winner. It has many personal meanings to me, making it one of the best names I could use. I like [name_u]Ruby[/name_u] but I have a bad association with it, and [name_f]Emerald[/name_f] is the perfect alternative to that. It sparkles with elegance and vigour

[name_u]Arthur[/name_u] (Celtic, bear) and [name_m]Apollo[/name_m] (Greek, sun god): If I don’t end up using [name_f]Athena[/name_f], then [name_u]Arthur[/name_u] or [name_m]Apollo[/name_m] will definitely be used. I know I’m cheating with two boy names instead of one, but it was very difficult to choose. [name_u]Arthur[/name_u], as I remember, was one of the first boy names that I loved. Some may say that it is too ‘old-fashioned’ but I disagree. It is as cute on a baby as it is on an adult. It has literary connotations which make it even more delightful to use. [name_m]Apollo[/name_m] on the other hand would be called more ‘modern’. It exudes power and strength. The sun god meaning is all the more meaningful to me, as it relates with my own name.

[leafsgirl44]

rhett 🌊

it wasn’t always my favourite but, as soon as I suggested it for our baby, s/o was pretty well on board. we kept coming back to rhett over and over, and when we found out we were having a boy, it just kept popping up more and more. we were frustrated and running out of boys names either of us liked and s/o suggested rhett again. i slept on it for a couple of nights and then one day, it just came out when talking about our son, and it stuck. it’s now the only thing i can really see suiting our little guy (i mean, we haven’t seen him yet - he makes his big debut in early september).

s/o and i have both watched this channel/show on youtube called good mythical morning since we were teenagers (before we started dating) and one of the hosts/creators is named rhett, and it’s always stuck out to me as a cool name choice. we still watch the show together every day and have done since we first got together, and we thought that connection was pretty cool to have for our son’s name. we also love that it’s uncommon where we live (i work in childcare and have yet to meet one in the last 3 years!, and so have my friends/colleagues who’ve been in the field as long as 21 years!) and that it’s familiar enough to be recognizable, mainly thanks to thomas rhett, the country singer (we also like his music, but not who we got the name from).

we’re also from a small town that literally loves country music so the fact that rhett has a southern flair also kind of reminds us of our childhoods out in the country.

stephanie 🌺

stephanie has been off and on my list since i was little, i’ve always thought it sounded so cool and effortless. my best friend in kindergarten was a stephanie, and i remember her just being the nicest person ever. i also used to watch full house reruns with my mum when i was a little kid, and stephanie tanner was always my favourite - i don’t know why, but for some reason i always related to her well. it’s full of nostalgia for me and just gives me this warm, fuzzy kind of feeling. it’s all butterfly hair clips and roll-on body glitter for me, but in the best possible way.

[9Faith3]

Gragson I love the name because it’s different not popular no one has really heard the name before. And it’s associated with my favorite sport which is NASCAR racing and one of many of my favorite NASCAR driver [name_u]Noah[/name_u] Gragson. I like way more then I do the names [name_u]Gray[/name_u], [name_u]Grey[/name_u], [name_u]Grayson[/name_u] and [name_u]Greyson[/name_u].

[october.sunflower]

Summer - it’s always been my favourite season I have SAD and so I’m always a billion times happier in the summertime. It makes me feel like… maybe life isn’t so bad after all! It gives me vibes of sunshine and warmth, and i imagine my little girl to be bubbly and sweet, just like the seasons. Paired with a more feminine middle, it can still have the girly vibes i want, and is slightly (!) more unique than some of my other favourites

Oscar - i love the O at the start. It is short and sweet and also makes me think of happiness. I could see myself using hundreds of girl names (maybe a slight exaggeration) but I can’t imagine many names on a little boy for me. Oscar has just the right amount of sweetness and handsomeness to make it a good choice for me. To help things, it’s the only name that my bf and i have agreed on so far

[Strawberry.Bunny]

[name_f]Margot[/name_f]: I have no idea why I started loving this name, it just happened. But now, I love [name_f]Margot[/name_f] bc it isn’t too popular, but isn’t uncommon. It feels complete, while being short and straight at the point. It’s romantic without being too frilly. It’s just the right amount.

[name_u]Arthur[/name_u]: I think I loved this name since I was around 10. It’s an old man’s name, but it has romantic and historical feel to this name. It has the cute nns [name_m]Arty[/name_m] and [name_m]Thor[/name_m] to make it more “youthful”.

[MichelleM]

Sure!

I’ll tell you my favorites from my list. [name_f]My[/name_f] favorites are names that I already used for my pets. c

Girls:

Guinevere-I heard this name in a Death [name_m]Cab[/name_m] for Cutie song when I was a teenager circa 2001. I fell in love with the album and the name. It’s the most amazing balance of romantic & feminine & bold. It’s well known, but somehow hasn’t caught on in popularity yet. I love the golden color that it invokes. It feels like sunshine.

Daisy-This one is slightly newer to the list. Within the past couple of years. [name_f]My[/name_f] dad (David) passed away, and it just hit me one day that this is a beautiful ‘D’ name to use as an honor name. It’s so smiley & sweet & has beautiful floral imagery.

Boys:

Julian-I don’t feel as strongly about my boy names as the girls. But I’ve loved [name_u]Julian[/name_u] probably about as long as [name_f]Guinevere[/name_f]. It doesn’t have a special story. I just think that it’s charming & handsome & kind. It’s masculine but not too macho. It’s sort of popular according to the SSA list, but I still have yet to meet a [name_u]Julian[/name_u] in real life, which is amazing. Also, I like the Beatles connection. [name_f]My[/name_f] mom named me after a Beatles song.

Colm-I read a really great historical fiction baseball novel (I have a thing for those!) and there was a character named this. He was actually a deceased husband of this lovely Irish immigrant, & then he sort of came back as a spirit dove (which is what [name_m]Colm[/name_m] means) and saved the new guy who his wife fell in love with. It was just all really cool! But anyway, I just love how peaceful [name_m]Colm[/name_m] sounds. But it still feels strong too. I just don’t think that I would ever use it, because I’m American living in the Midwest, and it doesn’t sound nearly as beautiful when a non Irish accent person says it.

[mololy]

[name_u]Clifford[/name_u] - it was my grandpa’s name. It’s soft and cuddly sounding (to me at least). It’s rarely used and it has great nickname potential. (I use the nn [name_u]Kit[/name_u] for it though it’s a stretch). I imagine [name_u]Clifford[/name_u] to be a sweet quiet little boy who loves to read and may be on the serious side but is very compassionate.

[name_f]Flora[/name_f] - I just love how elegant it sounds while still being short and sweet. I imagine a little girl who loves to dress up but is outgoing and not afraid to start a fight if she thinks it’s necessary. I also like that it’s a [name_f]Disney[/name_f] character without being super obviously a disney character

[namergirl3]

[name_m]Just[/name_m] a few:

[name_f]Eira[/name_f]- she’s the newest to our list but we are 99% sure it is the top choice for a daughter. The biggest thing we love about this name is that it created a spark in our hearts when we heard it. That’s how our son’s name is for us and nothing else even came close to that for us. It was a struggle. Then we came across [name_f]Eira[/name_f] and there was an immediate love.
The name, which also is tied to my husband’s heritage, means snow. [name_u]Snow[/name_u] and winter, brisk air and snowflakes against purple skies, seeing your breath in the air, wonderful holidays of togetherness and warmth…every feeling this name evokes is pure magic.

[name_f]Ada[/name_f]- I wish to include her here. She has been my greatest name love for the longest time. This name, to me, is gingham and summer picnics. It’s leather and lace. It’s a smile and endless joy.
I still adore the name but it doesn’t feel like she’s ours, you know? I also know so, so, so many girls with [name_m]Ad[/name_m]- names these days that it makes me sad.

[name_u]Franklin[/name_u]- my top choice for a boy. This is silly but I grew up watching the [name_u]Franklin[/name_u] turtle tv show. This name is sweet but also has strength. It has history. I love that I can picture a [name_u]Franklin[/name_u] at any age, including calling my little [name_m]Frank[/name_m] or [name_u]Frankie[/name_u] in from playing outside. When I picture another son, [name_u]Franklin[/name_u] feels so right.

[shanade213]

[name_f]Linnea[/name_f] - I love the -ea ending and that it starts with L. I love that it is Swedish and that it has a nature meaning. I love its connection to [name_m]Carolus[/name_m] Linnaeus. I love that it is long but not too long. How it has a literary connection. Unusual but not unheard of.

[name_m]Ronan[/name_m] - I love the -an ending. I love that it is Irish. I love the meaning and how it relates to the ocean. I love that it is similar to more popular names but is not overly common. (I love the subtle [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m] connection)

[elanorelle]

[name_f]Lilia[/name_f]

I love the sound of it – graceful, light, feminine. I love its elegance and its floral connection. I love that it honors my mother in a special way. [name_f]Lilia[/name_f] has been my favorite name for so long, and, no matter how many girl names I fall in and out of love with, I can never get away from it!

[name_m]Theodore[/name_m]

I love its soft sound, yet strong, masculine feel. I love that it is traditional, more old-fashioned than not. I love that it’s literary and comes with the adorable nickname “Teddy”. And I love that it honors my grandfather. (I went through a period after finding out he actually disliked the name where I wasn’t sure if I could use it to honor him, and I am still not 100% sure. But, regardless, it’s my favorite boy name – there’s no denying it.)

[Rosebeth]

Excluding my children’s names for now…

Ísrún - my favorite girls name. It honors my heritage, and reminds me of growing up in [name_f]Iceland[/name_f]. To me, it sounds magical and a bit mysterious. I love the -rún ending. It’s feminine but not frilly. And it would work alright outside of [name_f]Iceland[/name_f], maybe I’d have to correct the pronunciation a bit, but that’s not a big issue. I’d use it in a heartbeat, if only my husband agreed

[name_f]Vienna[/name_f] - our top name for a girl. It sounds elegant and a bit spunky at the same time. It has a long history of usage, but has never been too popular. It honors my dad, because [name_f]Vienna[/name_f] by Ultravox was his favorite song. [name_f]Vienna[/name_f] reminds me of my dad every single time I say it out loud, of his unconditional love for me and my brother, of the way he made me feel safe and cherished, of his courage and his smile even when things were extremely difficult.

[name_m]Astrophel[/name_m] - The name we would have used if we had another boy. I adore the meaning “lover of the stars” and the literary association. I think it sounds dreamy and sparkling. It has some great nicknames (Aster, [name_m]Astro[/name_m], Astra) and works well in many languages.

[name_m]Obsidian[/name_m] - I just love the way it sounds. It makes me think of home, of [name_f]Iceland[/name_f] (obsidian can be found there) and I love the mysterious black color of the volcanic glass. I also have a thing for -idian endings (like [name_u]Meridian[/name_u], Viridian)

[Eliza_Dot]

[name_f]Rose[/name_f] - The all-around perfect name for my daughter. It has a lot of significance as an honour name for my family since it’s: my sister and aunt’s mn, and the birth month flower of my sister, brother, another aunt, and late grandmother. St. [name_f]Rose[/name_f] Venerini was known for being a great teacher and founding schools for young girls, which resonates me as a future teacher. It’s a subtle nod to my patron saint who is known for performing a miracle involving roses. Sleeping [name_f]Beauty[/name_f] is one of my favourite [name_f]Disney[/name_f] movies, and the fairies usually shorten [name_u]Briar[/name_u] Rose’s name to just [name_f]Rose[/name_f]. Whenever I hear [name_f]Rose[/name_f] it makes me so happy

[name_f]Lucy[/name_f] - [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] is my longest name love. I’ve been hoping to use it on a daughter since I was younger than 6 when I first read the story of St. [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] in my little book of saints. I also love [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] [name_u]Pevensie[/name_u] from The Chronicles of [name_f]Narnia[/name_f], her kindness, spirit, bravery, and hope is so inspiring. [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] [name_f]Maud[/name_f] Montgomery’s [name_u]Anne[/name_u] of [name_u]Green[/name_u] Gables books have had a huge effect on my life and I have many happy memories visiting L.M.M’s home in [name_u]Bala[/name_u], [name_m]Ontario[/name_m] which has been turned into a small museum. I also love that with the one mn that I have set in stone right now, her full name (Lucy Jane) would mean “the [name_u]Light[/name_u] of [name_m]God[/name_m] is gracious”

[name_u]Henry[/name_u] - [name_f]My[/name_f] longest name love for boys. Looking back at my pre-teen notebooks it’s always at the top of every name list I ever scribbled down in the margins. I’ll always associate it most with [name_u]Henry[/name_u] [name_m]Mills[/name_m] from Once Upon a Time, which was a show I used to bond with my mom over. I really admire the character’s hope and belief in happy endings. [name_u]Henry[/name_u] Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem “Christmas Bells” has helped me through the past couple of grief tainted holidays. Like [name_f]Rose[/name_f], St. [name_u]Henry[/name_u] de Osso y Cervello dedicated his life to teaching, which is an occupation near and dear to my heart. Despite the popularity I don’t know any Henry’s in my area which is definitely a bonus.

[name_u]Arthur[/name_u] - The most recent name to make it to the top of my list. I love the world of Camelot and there is an ever growing collection of [name_m]King[/name_m] [name_u]Arthur[/name_u] books on my shelves. Disney’s The Sword and the [name_m]Stone[/name_m] is one of the first movies I can remember watching when I was 3 or 4 years old. [name_u]Arthur[/name_u] a strong name associated with an honourable leader and chivalric age of history. The meaning “Bear” is a subtle nod to my dad, who is known to his friends as [name_m]Grizzly[/name_m]. St. [name_u]Arthur[/name_u] [name_u]Bell[/name_u] was a franciscan martyr, so it checks off my saint’s name category too!

This has become very long lol, but I love getting to talk about my favourite names!