Baby Names: What makes you like/dislike a name?

[doodle]

I know there are oodles of baby name threads on here, but my curiosity is more about what specifically draws you to a name. Obviously, how it sounds with the last name tends to rank pretty high, but what else factors in for you? For example, if you and your SO and everyone in both your families were blonde-haired so your child would likely be as well, would a name with the meaning "dark-haired" be a no-go for you even if you loved the name? How important are names passed through your family? Do you tend to be drawn to names that are hyper-masculine or hyper-feminine? Do you dislike some names because they''re too trendy, too old-fashioned, sound too young or too old? Do some names conjure up certain connotations that you particularly do/do not care for? Has your taste in names changed considerably over the years?

For me, one example that comes to mind is my distaste for female names ending with "-ene" I live in the southeast US, and names ending with this syllable tend to be a common stereotype--kind of like the feminine equivalent of Billy Bob and Sammy Ray and all the other double names that people tend to use when mocking southerners, I suppose. I blame the country song with the line, "He wrote Billy Bob loves Charlene" for that association! Even with two of my best friends having _arlene names, I still just don''t like them!

I love names with softer vowel sounds (Aidan, Laila, etc). This directly stems from living in the south and having my first name "Maggi" because most people sound like they''re at the doctor getting checked with a tongue depressor when they say my name, and it makes me insane, so I tend to not like names with nasal vowel sounds as much. I also love female names that end with "a" and male names that start with "d" and "j" although I don''t really know why--maybe it''s just a coincidence that there happen to be a lot of names I like that fall into this category, or maybe it has to do with those being the only few letters that are legible with my terrible handwriting!

 

[somethingshiny]

Has to sound good with middle and last name.
Has to not make weird words with the initials.
I prefer to use family names for boys, but never like a repeating girl''s name unless it''s the middle name.
I like virtuous middle names for girls: Faith, Hope, Grace.
No trendy or androgynous names.
I always look at the meaning of the name. For example: Kennedy means "helmet head"
I like very feminine or masculine names. Eva, Linnea, Elisabeth, John, Levi, Joseph

And, my family is huge. I have 60 cousins that I see regularly so there are LOTS of names that are off the table for us. We don''t repeat first names within the same generation, it usually skips at least 2 generations before being used again.

 

[Puppmom]

Wow, Shiny! That''s some system you have!

My requirements are:

Can''t rhyme with my last name. A lot of names rhyme with my last name.

The meaning is important to me but not everything. DH and I are not religious and I have this hang up where I feel like using a name that has religious meaning would almost be disrespectful of us...I''m sure that''s all in my head but I can''t get past it.
Nothing too trendy! Although, I do like classic names that appear in the top 20 every now and then - Anna, Claire etc.
Other than that - I can''t really find a common thread among the names that I like.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Date: 11/17/2009 6:16:30 PM
Author: somethingshiny
Has to sound good with middle and last name.

Has to not make weird words with the initials.

I prefer to use family names for boys, but never like a repeating girl's name unless it's the middle name.

I like virtuous middle names for girls: Faith, Hope, Grace.

No trendy or androgynous names.

I always look at the meaning of the name. For example: Kennedy means 'helmet head'

I like very feminine or masculine names. Eva, Linnea, Elisabeth, John, Levi, Joseph


And, my family is huge. I have 60 cousins that I see regularly so there are LOTS of names that are off the table for us. We don't repeat first names within the same generation, it usually skips at least 2 generations before being used again.

I agree on the virtuous names, but those names don't really bug me. It is names more like Miracle, Heaven, Divine, Charisma, that bug me

Twins with names separated by one/two vowels, or twins with the same name

When parents combine their names into a first name

 

[Haven]

I like unusual names. So, on the flip side I dislike trendy names, and not at all for the way they sound but just because they end up sounding generic when they''re overused. (I don''t want to list for fear of offending someone. But you know the names I''m talking about.) My sister is named Allison, which was one of the most popular names when she was born, and she always grew up with two or three other Allisons in her classes. I don''t like that.

I really like the sound of the letter "f," so I like names with "f" in them. In fact, If DH and I are ever blessed with kids I hope to name a son Rafa and a daughter Famke.

I have a strange aversion to names that end with "da." Amanda, Ada, Melinda, Brenda. For some reason I always see "Aman-DUH!" in my head when I hear someone say that name, and likewise for any names that end with those letters. Strange, I know.

Another strange thing, but I love names that end with "er." Ascher, Piper, Sander. My favorite name in the world is Ascher but DH has a bad association with that name, so it''s off our list for any future kids.

I love names that sound romantic and maybe even a bit old-fashioned. Penelope, Mirabel, Sebastian.

I also like names that have really strong gender associations--Lucy, Henry, Mimi.

I have a handful of names that I either really love or hate based on students I''ve known with those names, but it''s purely about association and not about the sound of the actual names.

 

[packrat]

I didn''t want anything popular..I wanted like, the names to not even register on the SSN list. But, I just wanted something that sounded special and meant something to *us*. For London, I wanted something that sounded feminine and unique and pretty, and that''s what her name sounds like to me. For Trapper, I wanted an outdoorsy name that had meaning for JD, unique w/out being off the wall.

I don''t think I gravitate towards anything in particular..just names that sound like the feeling I want to convey, if that makes sense. I guess I like names that "feel" good when I say them. Like certain words feel nice when you say them.

 

[packrat]

Haven-how do you pronounce Famke? It''s SO pretty written out.

 

[jcrow]

i have a lot of considerations which make finding a name difficult.

- should sound good with last name
- must not have a strange spelling [ideally there would be only one spelling]
- if it''s a longer name, i want to like the nickname too [say, if i like christopher, do i like chris too?]
- not too trendy [sad because the names i like are older ones that are way popular now!]
- i like the name to have been heard before
- i tend to like names that are obviously boy and obviously girl names
- i also tend to like "ie" as an ending in names for girls [as in julie] and "un" for a boy [as in dylan]
- ideally i''d like the name we''d pick to have a french heritage [but that may not happen]
- and ideally a religious name [again, may not happen]

 

[Haven]

I love the names London and Trapper, Packrat. I actually thought of you when I read this thread because of how much I love your kids'' names.

I prefer this pronunciation of Famke: fɑmkə (FAM-kuh)
It is also pronounced FAM-kee.

 

[packrat]

Aw thanks Haven! It''s funny-I don''t care if people don''t like the names we gave our kids..but I LOVE when people DO like them-it thrills me to no end!

Is it like Fam, rhymes with lamb or Fam like Fahm? I see a beautiful dark haired/dark eyed little girl. It''s exotic sounding, to me..so pretty!

I''m not much for names with nicknames either..I''m kind of a freak about it too. Maybe b/c JD''s name is his initials, and my name is shortened? I dunno why..I guess I figure if I wanted my child to be known by X I would''ve named them that. My brother has a nickname that he''s been known as since he was a Freshman in High School, so about 15 years, but it has nothing to do w/his name, so that doesn''t bother me.

 

[zoebartlett]

As a teacher, I always end up crossing off names I like if I have a student who rubs me the wrong way.

I don''t know why, but I tend to like names that begin with a hard sound, like Kate and Kathryn, Connor, Caleb, and Carter. I also like names with an "L" in them: Emily, Lucas, and Liam.

 

[zoebartlett]

Doodle -- I LOVE the name Aiden! It''s one of my favorites. I''m also drawn to Irish names. My husband is convinced that if we have a boy, we''re going to name him Lucas Liam L_______. I''m all for Lucas, but all those Ls are a bit much, even for me (who loves the L sound).

 

[Haven]

Fam like Fahm. I love it! I hope we have a daughter one day so we can name her Famke.

The great thing about London and Trapper is that they are unusual but not bizarre, if that makes sense. I love that your kids are probably going to be the only London and Trapper in their circles, it makes the name stronger in my opinion.

ETA:
The way *I* like the name it's pronounced FAHM-kuh.
The other way to pronounce it is FAM-kee. I misspelled in my last response.

 

[packrat]

I like Famke pronounced that way too..I like the Ah sound! I know what it feels like to be chomping at the bit to use a name, so I will cross my fingers for you for a girl in the future!

Yep, that''s what we were hoping for, with the kids'' names. We did see another London in the paper, but I think it was spelled Londyn and had a different middle name. Plus, there will be a 4 year age difference, so a lot better than having another in her class. Trapper, there''s one who is a little younger than me, but in a town miles and miles away, and one who is about the same age as my dad-tho it''s his nickname and not his real name.

 

[Octavia]

I like traditional names (Elizabeth, Sophie, Michael, Joseph, etc.) but don''t like that they''re so popular right now. Fortunately, our children will have to have names that sound okay in both English and FI''s native language, so it rules out pretty much any of those names. There are some beautiful girls'' names in his language, but it''s going to be hard to find a boy''s name.

I have a longer list of names I wouldn''t choose to name my child (not that I don''t like them for other people, but wouldn''t want to be saying them over and over for the next 18+ years):
Place/street names (Madison, Savannah, Austin, Trenton)
Names that sound like hybrids of two others (Ryleigh, Jayden)
Names (or spellings of names) that end in -ee (Ashlee, Caylee)
Names that sound like nicknames, but aren''t (Kai, Jace, Liv)
Overtly religious names
Anything that sounds really trendy (as opposed to just popular)

I could go on and on...apparently I''m really picky. Yikes.

 

[kama_s]

I love soft, unusual names. I have an affinity with the letter 's', somehow they sound soft and flowy to me. I'm also really not into common names. And finally, I like short names, no more than 6 letters.

I have a few beautiful sanskrit names stored somewhere on my laptop as potential future baby names, I definitely want to insert a bit of my Indian culture in there.

 

[Lilac]

DH and I were just talking about names, because someone we know just named their baby girl a name that definitely wasn''t our taste (although as long as they love it, that''s what counts!)

I like names that are strongly associated with a specific gender - girly names for girls, and boy names for boys (a couple we know just named their girl Dylan - and while I do like the name a lot for a boy, I would always associate the name with a boy, so I wouldn''t name my daughter a name that most people thought was a boy''s name. Similarly, I wouldn''t name my son a name that was often used for girls).

I would make sure my child''s initials didn''t spell anything (or spelled something very neutral).

I love traditional names - I''m not particularly fond of anything too original or unusual for my own son or daughter. (Just a matter of personal taste... I also don''t want to use a very trendy name that has been overused). I really like traditional names or family names.

I want it to sound good with our last name.

 

[Lanie]

Date: 11/17/2009 8:57:24 PM
Author: Octavia
I like traditional names (Elizabeth, Sophie, Michael, Joseph, etc.) but don't like that they're so popular right now. Fortunately, our children will have to have names that sound okay in both English and FI's native language, so it rules out pretty much any of those names. There are some beautiful girls' names in his language, but it's going to be hard to find a boy's name.

I have a longer list of names I wouldn't choose to name my child (not that I don't like them for other people, but wouldn't want to be saying them over and over for the next 18+ years):
Place/street names (Madison, Savannah, Austin, Trenton)
Names that sound like hybrids of two others (Ryleigh, Jayden)
Names (or spellings of names) that end in -ee (Ashlee, Caylee)
Names that sound like nicknames, but aren't (Kai, Jace, Liv)
Overtly religious names
Anything that sounds really trendy (as opposed to just popular)

I could go on and on...apparently I'm really picky. Yikes.

Octavia...I think you and I are name twins! I have pretty much the same rules, except for the part about my DH. His native language is English. Where is your FI from?

I really hope I don't insult anyone on here. I really REALLY dislike weird spellings of names. Like Austyn or Jordyn. There's another name I strongly dislike that was super popular about 10 years ago and my cousin-in-law just named her baby that name, but with a weird spelling and I cringe whenever I hear it.

I'm also a teacher, and some kids can just ruin a name for you!

One of my friends is naming her baby Ruby (if it's a girl). It's such a cute name, but I don't think I could name my daughter that, so there are a few that I like but wouldn't name my own kid (Lola is another one).

My sister and I always laugh about how all of the nursing homes in 50 years are going to be filled with women named Ashlee and Mikayla and Mackenzie instead of Mabel and Betty and Gladys!

 

[Lanie]

Hahaha...one of my cousins is named Gregory Alan S*****. His initials spell GAS and my aunt didn''t realize it until he was almost a year old!

 

[fieryred33143]

While I don't care if I choose a popular name (DD is #7 on 2009 top 10 baby names), I do not care for "unique" names.

I'm also a fan of traditional names: Elizabeth, Mary, Richard, John, etc.

I'm not a fan of this new trend to add "y" and "k" to everything and I really don't like unique spellings. For example, people went from spelling Christopher (which I love) to Kristopher (which I got used to) to Kristofer (eh) to Krystofer. Really?

My name is a very old name that I don't see people use that much anymore. If it weren't so vain, I would have given DD my name because I seriously love it the most lol

 

[miraclesrule]

I just discovered that I have an affinity for names ending in "A". I never thought about the "duh" However, now that I have a grand daughter Veda, I am going to notice the "Duh"

d''Oh!

 

[Haven]

Miracles--I like the name Veda! The first syllabus is so strongly stressed that it doesn''t evoke the "Ve-DUH!" imagine in my mind when I hear it at all.
It''s really pretty and unique, no hint of the duh problem there, for me at least!

 

[Blenheim]

We had a time picking out baby names. Some of our considerations, in no particular order:

--Couldn''t rhyme with last name. First name couldn''t run into last name (ex: Greg Garfield, Diana Anderson).
--Initials had to be OK.
--We like traditional names - they had to have a long history of use.
--Not trendy, and not so popular that he''s almost guaranteed to have another kid with the same name in one of his classes. I have a very popular first name, and it got annoying at times although I like it now.
--Obviously boy or girl, and on the traditional gender.
--Can see an adult in a wide variety of professions having the name - president, judge, accountant, artist, musician, athlete. Would look fine on a resume.
--If the name lends itself to a nickname, we had to like the nickname.
--Recognizable and easily spelled.
--We''re somehow drawn to "G/J", "E", and "V" names.
--Prefer middle names to be family names.
--Meaning isn''t the most important thing, but it was a consideration. For example, George Everett is kind of a homage to my late grandfather Everett, who was a farmer (George''s meaning is earthworker). We were aware of Mary''s meaning (sea of bitterness) as well as Virginia''s (virgin) but not particularly put off by them, however.
--No overwhelmingly bad personal associations or teasing potential. Googling First + Last doesn''t lead to any prominent people who I wouldn''t want the child to be associated with.
--My husband - I still can''t pinpoint what makes him decide that a name is acceptable or not, it seems kind of erratic to me.

For this baby, we ended up choosing George Everett and Virginia Isobel (or Mary Augusta, we were on the fence), and ended up with a George. Our next son is probably going to be Edmund Lawrence.

 

[kama_s]

I love the name ''Veda'' too! The Indian/Hindu sacred book of knowledge is known as the Vedas, so inherently ''Veda'' is sanskrit for ''knowledge/wisdom''.

 

[cellososweet]

This was funny when naming our future son. We told our parents the following:

Can''t have bad connotations for the initials. (our last name is K. We won''t be having any Kylie Karolinas in the future.) We told our parents to watch out for DIK, SUK, FOK, etc.

It has to be at least two syllables for the first because our last name is only one.

We like traditional names that aren''t overtly religious or common.

We did family names for the middle, so that was easy.

The biggest thing was associations to other things. I don''t know how many times DH would suggest a name and I''d be like "Sounds like a stripper. Rapist. Con-man. Hick. Dog''s name." Haha. Poor DH.

 

[pennquaker09]

I tend to like traditional and/or southern baby names. The name definitely has to look good on paper. No Lemonjello and Orangejello''s in this family, thank you very much. Can''t stand kids named after cars, Mercedes and Lexus are the two notoriously famous ones. I could see naming a boy Ford, but it''s still not something I get warm and fuzzy about. And oh my world, I can''t stand those double names, it drives me nuts. I love the names Mary and Elizabeth on their own, but names like Mary Elizabeth, John David, John Parker, May Beth, Mary Cecilia, and so on and forth make me want to scream. John David is probably the worst. Not a big fan of super trendy baby names. I think I know a million Emma''s.

Name''s that will end up having one''s child do this for a living: King Burger

 

[lulu]

It should sound good coming after " Senator" or "President".. I put it to you that there will never be a President Tiffany.

 

[miraclesrule]

"I love the name ''Veda'' too! The Indian/Hindu sacred book of knowledge is known as the Vedas, so inherently ''Veda'' is sanskrit for ''knowledge/wisdom''."

I did not know that kama. I just had to run and share that with my DD. So good to know. Thanks for the explanation. It made my night.

 

[Pandora II]

I like very traditional names and classical names (as in Greek/Roman). I don''t mind how popular they are.

We had a ban on anything beginning with my first initial, DH''s initial or our surname initial - also no unfortunate words to be spelt out with initials!

I tend to like what would be described here as ''upper-middle-class'' names - eg. Rupert, Bertie, Henry, Edward, Timothy, Olivia, Tilly, Emily, Flora, Imogen etc

I strongly dislike what would be considered ''chavvy'' or lower-class names (which strangely enough tend to be upper-middle-class in the USA) so I don''t like anything that sounds like a surname - eg. Madison, Mackensie, Jordan, Taylor, Courtney, Kaiden - or anything really weird or hippy - eg. Sky, Rainbow, River, Tigger-Ra, Moon-Unit etc

I do like unusual if it''s classical - I know a family where the children are called Tacita, Ptolemy and Antigone - I would definitely consider Tacita if we had another girl.

Anything that Palin names her kids! ''Bristol'' is cockney rhyming slang for breasts so the English wince whenever the hear the poor girl''s name - like calling your daughter ''Tits''...

I dislike names if I know someone with that name that I don''t like. Hence names like Sarah, Catherine, Emma were no-go names for me.

I like names that have interesting meanings or that relate to something. For example if we had had a child in 2008 we would have had Octavia or Octavian as a middle name.

We called our daughter Daisy Xanthe Pandora - Daisies were one of my favourite flowers when I was a child, Xanthe means ''yellow'' which is my favourite colour and she was an Oceanid and daughter of Neptune, and Pandora has been my online name for years and is a play on my own name in Greek mythology as well as being one of my favourite characters from myths.

 

[Sha]

I don''t like very traditional names or names that are super popular/trendy. I would hate it if my child had the same name as 10 other children in his/her class. There are sooo many other nice names out there to choose from besides the first 10 names on the ''most popular'' list!!

I like unusual/unique names, but not when it crosses off into ''weird'' territory.

Being of Afro-Caribbean heritage, I like African names a lot. I think they sound very regal and I love the fact they have a meaning behind them. For example, we''re considering the first name ''Dalila'' for our daughter, which means ''Gentleness is her soul'', and ''Khari'' as a second name - which means ''Queenly''. I love it when a name has a meaning -it just makes it soo much more...well....meaningful!

How the name flows with our last name, and how it rolls off the tongue is also important!