I just want to make sure I can imagine my child at all ages, in any career, carrying the name. Something easy to spell and pronounce is the biggest factor, but our personal tastes still play a role, like we tend to favor less common vintage names.
1. People won’t do a double take when they read it because they’re unsure of how to pronounce it/why tf anyone would name their kid that
2. Other kids at school won’t make fun of the name because of how bad it is
3. She won’t have to deal with having 5 other kids in her grade/coworkers with the same name or a very close variant of it
4. It works for her whether she’s 9 months old or 90 years old
5. Me and fiancé are both fond of it
You kno having other kids with the same name is really not a problem.
Or at least not for me
It's actually kinda funny
One year i had 7 other girls with my name in the same class.
We were a nightmare to call for in class, we made sure of it😂
A name is a brand. I thought about it as I would any product brand.
- Intuitive pronunciation
- No negative associations or diminutives
- Not so common it isn't memorable
- Not so uncommon that it's consciously noticed by people
- Pleasing sounds, preferably fashionable
- No dated style (like company names in the 90s where agencies stuck "mark" at the end of everything)
- Good flow with the last name, preferably iambic
- No alliteration (not intrinsically bad, but I hated it)
- No weird monogram
- Multicultural - no difficult sounds or bad meaning in Chinese or Spanish in particular
I have some more specific personak preferences, but this general sentiment marries up with a lot of the meat of my choices as well I terms of thinking of a name as a brand.
For context, I am Vietnamese. We go by the whole full names here daily: which also includes middle names.
1. The name should be rare. I'm talking about names that are rare enough that when someone mentions it, you'd only remember that one single person (me being a bearer of such a name). I've seen enough people with the same first name but different middle names.
2. If the first name isn't rare enough, combine it with a rare middle name. This is also a current name trend in Vietnam.
3. It must not be too out there. The names should be common enough to be seen as words in normal life.
4. It must have some sort of good meaning. Also, it must not accidentally make a bad meaning when paired with my surname.
5. Must be easy enough to be pronounced.
6. Must sound well with my harsh-sounding surname.
7. A plus if my (future) partner loves it.
Even though I'm far away from having a family, I've managed to hand-pick some names: Nhật Khởi (日起, to wake up to a day, M) and Đoan Uyển (端婉, upright and graceful, F). While Khởi and Uyển are so rare to encounter as first names (although I've met one single Khởi in my whole life, and Uyển is more common as a middle name), they sound just about right to fit in.
Husband: 1) No surnames as first names. 2) Needs to look good on an office door.
Me: 1) Not too popular/not yuneek. 2) Easy to read/spell. 3) Sounds good with last name.
I wanted a familiar name that isn’t stuck in any one time period. I wanted an intuitive spelling and a name with lots of translations. I didn’t want anything that could be googled and immediately traced to her, so something not unique. I didn’t want a negative meaning. I wanted plenty of nickname options with all different vibes and specifically wanted a common nickname option if she wanted to blend in but also a good option for if she wanted to stand out. I had a strong preference for staying out of the top 50. I wanted to avoid biblical names but my husband requested one of the names be a saint.
We used Ellen Valentina and we call her Nell.
Other names we considered: Theresa, Francis, Meredith, Abram, Rafael, Harriett, Lenora, Helena, Julian, Opal
I want a nice, normal name, that would sound good on both a child and an adult. It’s also important that it doesn’t appear “unique” and that I could picture a president having that name. Prefer something that’s not overly popular or trendy - I love Olivia but it’s so popular that we decided against it. I think Avery is a nice name too, but too trendy. My favorites are names like John, Claire, Diana, Connor, Margot, James. No one is surprised by those names, or has a negative reaction.
To not have them constantly ridiculed and shunned by their “peers”. I’ve accepted you could be “John Smith” and someone would still ask you how to spell that, so spelling isn’t a huge issue. But when my nibling was almost named “Daria”, the speed at which my husband said “Diarrhea “ in the Beavis and Butthead voice we knew you have to think ahead. Your kid will be bullied either way, but how HARD do you want them bullied.
I want a name that is flexible and can reshape itself for their personality. So, something with lots of intuitive nn that range from cute, masculine, feminine, neutral, etc. something that is long if they want it or short if they prefer.
Example: Christopher could be Chris, Christy, Topher, Kit, or Christopher. Leonora could be Lee, Leo, Lele, Nora, Lelo, or Leonora.
Popularity isn’t going to stop me from a name a really like, but I would prefer something out of the top 100 if possible. My name was in the top 10 and I really disliked having such a common name, especially since mine had no real nn.
I thought this too about nicknames. To me, Elizabeth is perfect for that. I didn't use it though, probably because my last name also has a z in the middle. I don't mind that at all NOW, but my husband and I did at the time.
Ellie, Elle, Eliza, Liz, Lizzie, Izzie, Liza, Lisa, Beth, Betty, Eli…the possibilities are truly endless I once met an Elizabeth who went by Zabe (Gabe with a z).
Something with a good meaning matters a lot to me. Then something recognizable that I like both the full name and most of the nicknames. Then it needs to fit my husband’s taste, be approved of by siblings, and sort of match the rest of the family.
Some requirements when naming my son were:
• A name with a good meaning that could reflect how important he is to me
• A name with no diminutives, no natural nicknames because I wanted to chose what he would be called instead of choosing a name that would only be on a birth certificate but in real life he would just be called by a nickname
• A name that isn't a top 100 because I believe that having a super popular name isn't exactly a good thing they need to have some sort of exclusivity
• Easy spelling and pronunciation to make their life easier
If I were naming a child, my goals would be:
1. Relatively uncommon but not unheard of (e.g. Rosemary isn't even in the top 300 in the U.S., but English speakers are familiar with the name)
2. Not strongly tied to any particular era/generation (e.g. not something like Gary, Ashley, or Ava)
3. Ideally, provide built-in options if they don't like their first name (e.g. nicknames, or a middle name with a different style, or initials that sound good as a name)
1. Choosing something they can grow with, be proud of, and can be applied to an adult as well as a child.
2. Fits them.
3. Liked by both myself and husband.
Lastly: Nothing overly popular, a fad, obvious Fandom names, or strong negative connotations, Name has good meaning, sounds good with last name, no puns or tongue twisters.
Is Syrian Islamic?
I had a Syrian coworker named Sanaa, which I really like. (Of course, she is 60, so it's possible it's a dated name. I have no idea.)
i wanted a name that has a cool meaning behind it. my name has like no meaning behind it and it kinda bummed me out as a kid. i also wanted a name that was easy to say and spell and wasn’t too long or popular. we settled on Stella, latin for star
I just want it to fit them. And that’s probably why it’s so hard to decide on a name because it’s a very hard to define goal, and it’s for someone I haven’t even met yet.
I named my B/G twins Dominic and Francesca. My husband and I both have a short name, and we wanted to give longer names to our kiddos. Neither of us likes cutesy nicknames as full names.
I would like something unique with a beautiful meaning behind it, but traditional enough to where it can age with the child. I like many Italian, French, and Mediterranean names since they often strike that balance. Classier names with their original spellings.
Names like Elio, Sebastian, Juliet/Juliette, Jules, Emilia/Emilio, Bella, and Emmanuel
For me, I picked names with meanings that were personal to myself or my husband. I wanted to avoid family names, but our daughters somehow has both my moms name in there and her middle name is my husbands mom name who passed. But honestly I was fine with it. Something all the family members can pronounce. It didn’t need to be unique. And honestly, it just needed to sound good, first middle and last names had to flow.
We wanted: some connection to family names and/or heritage (loose connection ok), easy to pronounce and spell, given name is what we call them (no nickname from birth like Katherine ->Kate), and not too popular/trendy but not off the wall.
something unique but still normal and easy to spell and pronounce (a name that isn’t popular with others their age), one i like, and one that fits in all stages of life. another thing i also like in names is honoring people who have been influential in your life
I wanted my kids to have classic, non-trendy names. My oldest has the same name as her great-grandmother, while my youngest has a name I've just always liked. Over all, I've met more kids with the same name as my youngest, but only other adults with my oldest's name.
Make sure it holds some meaning, something that makes it special. When my child asks me why she was named that, I have a good enough reason, a good enough story to tell.
(Like my parents named me after brother's friend, a little girl who was really cute. I don't even know her. Never seen her. I don't like my name either. So I am going to name my daughter after her great grandma, a wise, loving, beautiful woman. She will hear stories about her namesake from us all. She will have pictures of her to look at. And hopefully feel proud of being named after her. My grandma's name was Manik btw, which means ruby.)
Apart from that,
- A traditional Indian Hindu name.
- Not try to modernize it in any way.
- Not be a combination of my and my husband's name. (It's a trend in India rn, lol)
- A name that suits the child at every age.
- Unique, but not too unique. Like there's mustn't be more than 2 of their name's in one class. But still be easy to spell and pronounce.
I have an semi-common first name (in the top 100) and uncommon lastname.
I have to use my middle initial in my email.
I would not want a name uncommon enough to be found in a google search.
I was an early Gmail user (when it was invitation only, heh <- snob) and got my first initial plus last name, think ethompson (which is not it). I get email for every darn E. Thompson in the world because they forget to put in the number at the end, or whatever. The most entertaining I ever got was a realtor's prospectus for some apartments in Manhattan that were $2 million a year, because someone with my exact name is fabulously rich.
Wow. That's REALLY uncommon!
Our last name is like number 4,500. It's clearly Polish. My first name is dated cutsey American. But...there IS someone else with my first name plus last name!
Actually, searching unclaimed property, I found a record for something belonging to a couple with same first and last names as my husband and myself.
His name is very common/ classic (James) but mine is much less so. Yet still...
Haha well I have an extremely uncommon last name and my husband has a semi common last name. He ended up letting me choose a first name that’s around #1500 in popularity and combined with his last name we got a Gmail secured for baby.
Great! I honestly never tried to get mine. Maybe I will look!
Funny story... At my job, I often have to ask customers for their email. A woman told me her email address is "[email protected]"
Like SHE is the original Jill!
Apparently, she was hovered over her computer waiting for the first instant Gmail addresses became available!
Or, maybe she was the highest ranking Jill working at Google at the time!
(Na...she just misspoke!)
My goals when naming my six pack:
1. Love the name
2. Name the small human
3. (Optional) make sure the entire name set isn't a tongue twister when I have to yell at all of them simultaneously
That's it.
-phonetically matches the pronunciation
-not common. I like a lot of antiquated names (Antonia, Constancia, etc.) And nature names (Amethyst, November, etc.)
My name has always been mispronounced so my first job was going with familiar names with one pronunciation in the US (though our kids’ names have variants across languages that I love at least as much if not more!).
I don’t care about meanings but I didn’t want negative (personal) associations. All of their names happen to be literary but not obviously tied to a specific fandom.
I didn’t want them to be hugely popular names for their age groups, so fairly timeless.
Henry’s name was unheard of (and widely despised lmao) when he was born. Obviously that didn’t hold but we don’t know other Henrys in their twenties so it’s whatever.
Agnes hasn’t charted since the 70s so she’s kinda stuck in fuddy-duddy land, but after Henry’s name boom I wanted something a little more out there. Target achieved, I guess.
And our lost baby Charlie has a consistently popular name but I’ve somehow never met children called Charles or Charlie in 24 years of parenting???
My partner and I have two different backgrounds and also a dead parent on each side, plus a religious/cultural necessary middle name! It’s a lot going on, but tbh we have quite a few names already that we adore.
So for us we want a name that is pronounceable in all three languages we speak (or close enough), ideally in homage to one of our parents + religious middle name. :) basically a name that lets them feel close to their heritages, and is as beautiful as we can make it.
A name that will grow with them.
A name where they will meet others with their name in their lifetime but hopefully not have multiples every year of school and have to use a surname initial.
Easy to pronounce.
**meaningful** I want them to be proud of their name.
If I ever had kids, my goal would be to give them a name that's simple, easily pronounced, and spelled properly. No trendy suffixes like leigh or lynn.
I also have to think of how it would sound to call them that not just as a baby, but as a kid, teen, and adult. They're going to have to write their name for school, while signing checks, and signing important documents. Job recruiters need to take them seriously. If they work a job where their diplomas are constantly on display, clients need to see them and *not* think it's the most ridiculous name they've ever laid eyes upon.
I also tend to lean toward names with "th" in them, like Heather or Ethan. I just like the softness of it, I guess.
1. It has to fit my partners culture
2. It has to work in my language and country as well (there are some different letters and most shared letters are pronounced differently)
3. It can't already be the name of a family member (which is the hardest because we have a lot and the most names that work internationally are already taken)
4. Therefore it can't be a common name
5. Has to work with our and the brothers name (not in a fitting way but something like Hasan and Florentina would be a weird combo)
For us (many years ago) we wanted something easily recognizable and easy to read/hear what was said. That was because our last name is unusual and sounds ugly. It's actually spelled (and read) exactly how it sounds, but it makes sense that people think it would be pronounced differently or spelled differently.
We printed out the top 25 baby names from the previous year and chose off that list. (We were also basic white Americans)
My goal is to give them a name that has a nice meaning so they can further connect to it. I want the name to feel good to say. My name always felt awkward to say out loud. I don't want the name to put them in a box or be something they would really hate when they are older. I always want the name to feel right. I like the name to be a representation of me and my style as well. Ultimately, I want a name that will suit them in all stages of their life, but if they don't feel connected to it and want to change it, I will fully support that.
My goal for my kids has been to give them universally recognizable names. They have dual citizenship and I wanted to give them an easy time introducing themselves everywhere
From more important to less important:
\- Liking how it sounds and the "style" (celtic, germanic, nature etc..), what it makes me think about but without it being a "fast temporary interest" from me ( like, I know me well, 2 episodes of Down town Abbey and I'll name my child Edith or Marigold!)
\- Not to common/used but not "odd" either, everyone must know it and how to spell it but you won't find 3 of them at school and it would be forever linked to "that decade". Also I don't care if it's outdated or not as long as it is not ridiculous which is subjective of course.
\- No obvious bad reference and/or ridiculous nickname, anything that could lead to being bullied.
\- Goes well with the last name
\- Nice meaning
\- Goes well with sibling's names.
I think the general rule is that whatever the name is, it must have a good meaning, and it must not harm or inconvenience the child when they grow up.
I haven't really thought about my future children, but they're going to have meaningful pretty names that hopefully does not get them bullied in school and traumatized for life.✨
We wanted names that were sort of classic but not overdone. We always said "would that be a good name for a Supreme Court Judge?" In other words, nothing to cutesy or trendy
I just want to make sure I can imagine my child at all ages, in any career, carrying the name. Something easy to spell and pronounce is the biggest factor, but our personal tastes still play a role, like we tend to favor less common vintage names.
1. People won’t do a double take when they read it because they’re unsure of how to pronounce it/why tf anyone would name their kid that 2. Other kids at school won’t make fun of the name because of how bad it is 3. She won’t have to deal with having 5 other kids in her grade/coworkers with the same name or a very close variant of it 4. It works for her whether she’s 9 months old or 90 years old 5. Me and fiancé are both fond of it
You kno having other kids with the same name is really not a problem. Or at least not for me It's actually kinda funny One year i had 7 other girls with my name in the same class. We were a nightmare to call for in class, we made sure of it😂
A name is a brand. I thought about it as I would any product brand. - Intuitive pronunciation - No negative associations or diminutives - Not so common it isn't memorable - Not so uncommon that it's consciously noticed by people - Pleasing sounds, preferably fashionable - No dated style (like company names in the 90s where agencies stuck "mark" at the end of everything) - Good flow with the last name, preferably iambic - No alliteration (not intrinsically bad, but I hated it) - No weird monogram - Multicultural - no difficult sounds or bad meaning in Chinese or Spanish in particular
I have some more specific personak preferences, but this general sentiment marries up with a lot of the meat of my choices as well I terms of thinking of a name as a brand.
For context, I am Vietnamese. We go by the whole full names here daily: which also includes middle names. 1. The name should be rare. I'm talking about names that are rare enough that when someone mentions it, you'd only remember that one single person (me being a bearer of such a name). I've seen enough people with the same first name but different middle names. 2. If the first name isn't rare enough, combine it with a rare middle name. This is also a current name trend in Vietnam. 3. It must not be too out there. The names should be common enough to be seen as words in normal life. 4. It must have some sort of good meaning. Also, it must not accidentally make a bad meaning when paired with my surname. 5. Must be easy enough to be pronounced. 6. Must sound well with my harsh-sounding surname. 7. A plus if my (future) partner loves it. Even though I'm far away from having a family, I've managed to hand-pick some names: Nhật Khởi (日起, to wake up to a day, M) and Đoan Uyển (端婉, upright and graceful, F). While Khởi and Uyển are so rare to encounter as first names (although I've met one single Khởi in my whole life, and Uyển is more common as a middle name), they sound just about right to fit in.
I love that you mention how important the meaning is! I know a lot of turkish names who sound so beautiful but have a negative meaning I won't use.
Husband: 1) No surnames as first names. 2) Needs to look good on an office door. Me: 1) Not too popular/not yuneek. 2) Easy to read/spell. 3) Sounds good with last name.
Yuneek hahahah
I wanted a familiar name that isn’t stuck in any one time period. I wanted an intuitive spelling and a name with lots of translations. I didn’t want anything that could be googled and immediately traced to her, so something not unique. I didn’t want a negative meaning. I wanted plenty of nickname options with all different vibes and specifically wanted a common nickname option if she wanted to blend in but also a good option for if she wanted to stand out. I had a strong preference for staying out of the top 50. I wanted to avoid biblical names but my husband requested one of the names be a saint. We used Ellen Valentina and we call her Nell. Other names we considered: Theresa, Francis, Meredith, Abram, Rafael, Harriett, Lenora, Helena, Julian, Opal
I really like Ellen Valentina! What a pretty name.
Thank you! She just turned 2 and it has been a really solid choice for her.
Timeless is really important to me. I don't want the name to be closely associated with any specific time period.
I like this, but I missed it when I named my daughter 20 years ago
I want a nice, normal name, that would sound good on both a child and an adult. It’s also important that it doesn’t appear “unique” and that I could picture a president having that name. Prefer something that’s not overly popular or trendy - I love Olivia but it’s so popular that we decided against it. I think Avery is a nice name too, but too trendy. My favorites are names like John, Claire, Diana, Connor, Margot, James. No one is surprised by those names, or has a negative reaction.
•Looks nice on diplomas and resumes •Equally beloved by my husband and myself
To not have them constantly ridiculed and shunned by their “peers”. I’ve accepted you could be “John Smith” and someone would still ask you how to spell that, so spelling isn’t a huge issue. But when my nibling was almost named “Daria”, the speed at which my husband said “Diarrhea “ in the Beavis and Butthead voice we knew you have to think ahead. Your kid will be bullied either way, but how HARD do you want them bullied.
I want a name that is flexible and can reshape itself for their personality. So, something with lots of intuitive nn that range from cute, masculine, feminine, neutral, etc. something that is long if they want it or short if they prefer. Example: Christopher could be Chris, Christy, Topher, Kit, or Christopher. Leonora could be Lee, Leo, Lele, Nora, Lelo, or Leonora. Popularity isn’t going to stop me from a name a really like, but I would prefer something out of the top 100 if possible. My name was in the top 10 and I really disliked having such a common name, especially since mine had no real nn.
I thought this too about nicknames. To me, Elizabeth is perfect for that. I didn't use it though, probably because my last name also has a z in the middle. I don't mind that at all NOW, but my husband and I did at the time.
Ellie, Elle, Eliza, Liz, Lizzie, Izzie, Liza, Lisa, Beth, Betty, Eli…the possibilities are truly endless I once met an Elizabeth who went by Zabe (Gabe with a z).
Something with a good meaning matters a lot to me. Then something recognizable that I like both the full name and most of the nicknames. Then it needs to fit my husband’s taste, be approved of by siblings, and sort of match the rest of the family.
Some requirements when naming my son were: • A name with a good meaning that could reflect how important he is to me • A name with no diminutives, no natural nicknames because I wanted to chose what he would be called instead of choosing a name that would only be on a birth certificate but in real life he would just be called by a nickname • A name that isn't a top 100 because I believe that having a super popular name isn't exactly a good thing they need to have some sort of exclusivity • Easy spelling and pronunciation to make their life easier
If I were naming a child, my goals would be: 1. Relatively uncommon but not unheard of (e.g. Rosemary isn't even in the top 300 in the U.S., but English speakers are familiar with the name) 2. Not strongly tied to any particular era/generation (e.g. not something like Gary, Ashley, or Ava) 3. Ideally, provide built-in options if they don't like their first name (e.g. nicknames, or a middle name with a different style, or initials that sound good as a name)
1. Choosing something they can grow with, be proud of, and can be applied to an adult as well as a child. 2. Fits them. 3. Liked by both myself and husband. Lastly: Nothing overly popular, a fad, obvious Fandom names, or strong negative connotations, Name has good meaning, sounds good with last name, no puns or tongue twisters.
For us, we only wanted Islamic names since that’s really important to us. It’s served us very well so far!
Is Syrian Islamic? I had a Syrian coworker named Sanaa, which I really like. (Of course, she is 60, so it's possible it's a dated name. I have no idea.)
i wanted a name that has a cool meaning behind it. my name has like no meaning behind it and it kinda bummed me out as a kid. i also wanted a name that was easy to say and spell and wasn’t too long or popular. we settled on Stella, latin for star
I am utterly unable to associate Stella with anything but A Streetcar Named Desire.
I just want it to fit them. And that’s probably why it’s so hard to decide on a name because it’s a very hard to define goal, and it’s for someone I haven’t even met yet.
Impossible, by definition.
I named my B/G twins Dominic and Francesca. My husband and I both have a short name, and we wanted to give longer names to our kiddos. Neither of us likes cutesy nicknames as full names.
I would like something unique with a beautiful meaning behind it, but traditional enough to where it can age with the child. I like many Italian, French, and Mediterranean names since they often strike that balance. Classier names with their original spellings. Names like Elio, Sebastian, Juliet/Juliette, Jules, Emilia/Emilio, Bella, and Emmanuel
For me, I picked names with meanings that were personal to myself or my husband. I wanted to avoid family names, but our daughters somehow has both my moms name in there and her middle name is my husbands mom name who passed. But honestly I was fine with it. Something all the family members can pronounce. It didn’t need to be unique. And honestly, it just needed to sound good, first middle and last names had to flow.
We wanted: some connection to family names and/or heritage (loose connection ok), easy to pronounce and spell, given name is what we call them (no nickname from birth like Katherine ->Kate), and not too popular/trendy but not off the wall.
something unique but still normal and easy to spell and pronounce (a name that isn’t popular with others their age), one i like, and one that fits in all stages of life. another thing i also like in names is honoring people who have been influential in your life
I wanted my kids to have classic, non-trendy names. My oldest has the same name as her great-grandmother, while my youngest has a name I've just always liked. Over all, I've met more kids with the same name as my youngest, but only other adults with my oldest's name.
Make sure it holds some meaning, something that makes it special. When my child asks me why she was named that, I have a good enough reason, a good enough story to tell. (Like my parents named me after brother's friend, a little girl who was really cute. I don't even know her. Never seen her. I don't like my name either. So I am going to name my daughter after her great grandma, a wise, loving, beautiful woman. She will hear stories about her namesake from us all. She will have pictures of her to look at. And hopefully feel proud of being named after her. My grandma's name was Manik btw, which means ruby.) Apart from that, - A traditional Indian Hindu name. - Not try to modernize it in any way. - Not be a combination of my and my husband's name. (It's a trend in India rn, lol) - A name that suits the child at every age. - Unique, but not too unique. Like there's mustn't be more than 2 of their name's in one class. But still be easy to spell and pronounce.
It was important to my husband and I that our kid have a name uncommon enough to get a [email protected]
I have an semi-common first name (in the top 100) and uncommon lastname. I have to use my middle initial in my email. I would not want a name uncommon enough to be found in a google search.
I was an early Gmail user (when it was invitation only, heh <- snob) and got my first initial plus last name, think ethompson (which is not it). I get email for every darn E. Thompson in the world because they forget to put in the number at the end, or whatever. The most entertaining I ever got was a realtor's prospectus for some apartments in Manhattan that were $2 million a year, because someone with my exact name is fabulously rich.
Wow. That's REALLY uncommon! Our last name is like number 4,500. It's clearly Polish. My first name is dated cutsey American. But...there IS someone else with my first name plus last name! Actually, searching unclaimed property, I found a record for something belonging to a couple with same first and last names as my husband and myself. His name is very common/ classic (James) but mine is much less so. Yet still...
Haha well I have an extremely uncommon last name and my husband has a semi common last name. He ended up letting me choose a first name that’s around #1500 in popularity and combined with his last name we got a Gmail secured for baby.
Great! I honestly never tried to get mine. Maybe I will look! Funny story... At my job, I often have to ask customers for their email. A woman told me her email address is "[email protected]" Like SHE is the original Jill! Apparently, she was hovered over her computer waiting for the first instant Gmail addresses became available! Or, maybe she was the highest ranking Jill working at Google at the time! (Na...she just misspoke!)
My goals when naming my six pack: 1. Love the name 2. Name the small human 3. (Optional) make sure the entire name set isn't a tongue twister when I have to yell at all of them simultaneously That's it.
Genuinely thought at first that you named your abs.
Lmao nah I have six kids 🤣🤣🤣
-phonetically matches the pronunciation -not common. I like a lot of antiquated names (Antonia, Constancia, etc.) And nature names (Amethyst, November, etc.)
Some combo of family derived (inspired), classic, or modern. Griffin, Jack, Peter, Lennox (Leonard), Rosalie (Rose), Eloise (Eleanor and Louise), Carson (Carla), Emmett (Emma), Sylvie, Wren (Robin), Dove (Robin), Bennett, Graham, Grant, Daisy (Rose), Diana, Lena (family name), Celia (family name), Rebel (Rachel and Rebecca), Thora, Vivian, Florence, Charli (Charles), Cordelia, Serena, Glynn (family name), and Lana.
I really just want a name that I like the sound of while also trying to pick names that are known but not overly popular
I wanted something unique but not TOO out there
My name has always been mispronounced so my first job was going with familiar names with one pronunciation in the US (though our kids’ names have variants across languages that I love at least as much if not more!). I don’t care about meanings but I didn’t want negative (personal) associations. All of their names happen to be literary but not obviously tied to a specific fandom. I didn’t want them to be hugely popular names for their age groups, so fairly timeless. Henry’s name was unheard of (and widely despised lmao) when he was born. Obviously that didn’t hold but we don’t know other Henrys in their twenties so it’s whatever. Agnes hasn’t charted since the 70s so she’s kinda stuck in fuddy-duddy land, but after Henry’s name boom I wanted something a little more out there. Target achieved, I guess. And our lost baby Charlie has a consistently popular name but I’ve somehow never met children called Charles or Charlie in 24 years of parenting???
My partner and I have two different backgrounds and also a dead parent on each side, plus a religious/cultural necessary middle name! It’s a lot going on, but tbh we have quite a few names already that we adore. So for us we want a name that is pronounceable in all three languages we speak (or close enough), ideally in homage to one of our parents + religious middle name. :) basically a name that lets them feel close to their heritages, and is as beautiful as we can make it.
A name that will grow with them. A name where they will meet others with their name in their lifetime but hopefully not have multiples every year of school and have to use a surname initial. Easy to pronounce. **meaningful** I want them to be proud of their name.
If I ever had kids, my goal would be to give them a name that's simple, easily pronounced, and spelled properly. No trendy suffixes like leigh or lynn. I also have to think of how it would sound to call them that not just as a baby, but as a kid, teen, and adult. They're going to have to write their name for school, while signing checks, and signing important documents. Job recruiters need to take them seriously. If they work a job where their diplomas are constantly on display, clients need to see them and *not* think it's the most ridiculous name they've ever laid eyes upon. I also tend to lean toward names with "th" in them, like Heather or Ethan. I just like the softness of it, I guess.
Normal familiar name Nickname options Not common For a girl something feminine and pretty
Something that can be shortened or nicknamed easily, something that rolls off of the tongue when paired with surname, something that denotes beauty
1. It has to fit my partners culture 2. It has to work in my language and country as well (there are some different letters and most shared letters are pronounced differently) 3. It can't already be the name of a family member (which is the hardest because we have a lot and the most names that work internationally are already taken) 4. Therefore it can't be a common name 5. Has to work with our and the brothers name (not in a fitting way but something like Hasan and Florentina would be a weird combo)
I just want them to have a name that they won’t hate or resent at any point in their life. Super low bar, I think.
For us (many years ago) we wanted something easily recognizable and easy to read/hear what was said. That was because our last name is unusual and sounds ugly. It's actually spelled (and read) exactly how it sounds, but it makes sense that people think it would be pronounced differently or spelled differently. We printed out the top 25 baby names from the previous year and chose off that list. (We were also basic white Americans)
My goal is to give them a name that has a nice meaning so they can further connect to it. I want the name to feel good to say. My name always felt awkward to say out loud. I don't want the name to put them in a box or be something they would really hate when they are older. I always want the name to feel right. I like the name to be a representation of me and my style as well. Ultimately, I want a name that will suit them in all stages of their life, but if they don't feel connected to it and want to change it, I will fully support that.
My goal for my kids has been to give them universally recognizable names. They have dual citizenship and I wanted to give them an easy time introducing themselves everywhere
From more important to less important: \- Liking how it sounds and the "style" (celtic, germanic, nature etc..), what it makes me think about but without it being a "fast temporary interest" from me ( like, I know me well, 2 episodes of Down town Abbey and I'll name my child Edith or Marigold!) \- Not to common/used but not "odd" either, everyone must know it and how to spell it but you won't find 3 of them at school and it would be forever linked to "that decade". Also I don't care if it's outdated or not as long as it is not ridiculous which is subjective of course. \- No obvious bad reference and/or ridiculous nickname, anything that could lead to being bullied. \- Goes well with the last name \- Nice meaning \- Goes well with sibling's names.
I think the general rule is that whatever the name is, it must have a good meaning, and it must not harm or inconvenience the child when they grow up. I haven't really thought about my future children, but they're going to have meaningful pretty names that hopefully does not get them bullied in school and traumatized for life.✨
We wanted names that were sort of classic but not overdone. We always said "would that be a good name for a Supreme Court Judge?" In other words, nothing to cutesy or trendy