Voila, a list!

[barelyshocking.livejournal.com]

Hello all! I'm relatively new to this community. I've commented on a few other name lists, and I thought it was time to join in and post my own name list. I've been 'collecting' names since I was in primary school, doodling dream lists on the back of notebooks and in diaries. I have to say that a lot of names have come and gone (thank the heavens!) but I've stayed true to many of them. My absolute favourite names are bolded, however all the names have earned their place. I encourage feedback, and most of all suggestions of other names you may think I'd like (depending on any trend that may be apparent in my choices).. Also, if you know of a meaning for a name I haven't listed, I'd love to hear it!

Another note: I tend to favour classic names. Not common names so much, just classic or historical. I have a great love of Greek names, being a student of Ancient History, and I also find that I prefer the Italian version of a name much more than the standard (for example, Alessandra). My heritage to my knowledge is a blend of all things British, with some Prussian thrown in for good measure. In honesty, my ancestry does not play a huge part in the names I choose.

And a final note; I'm not expecting, and I don't have immediate plans for children. I do like to be ready though!

Boys
Lucius - Latin, meaning 'Right'
Lucas - Greek, meaning 'From Lucania'
Darcy - Celtic/Gaelic, meaning 'Dark One'
Vincent - Latin, meaning 'Victorious'
Jakob - Hebrew, meaning 'Supplanter'
Rafe - English, meaning 'Wolf Counsel'
Sebastian - Greek, meaning 'Venerable'
Ajax - Greek, meaning 'Of the earth'
Nicholas - Greek, meaning 'Victory of the People'

Girls
Stella - Latin, meaning 'Star'
Celeste - Latin, meaning 'Heavenly'
Olivia - English, meaning 'Elf Army'
Ruby - English, meaning 'Red Gemstone'
Lydia - Greek, meaning 'From Lydia'
Lilah - Persian, meaning 'Lilac Tree'
Sofia - Spanish, meaning 'Wisdom'
Juliette - French form of Juliet, meaning 'Downy'
Nathalie - French, meaning 'Born on Christmas Day'
Alessandra - Greek, meaning 'Defender of Men'
Scarlett - English, meaning 'Red'
Hermione - Greek, meaning 'Pillar Queen'
Antoinette - French, unknown meaning

(All of the above name meanings have been sourced from http://www.babynames.com. I am sure there are alternate meanings floating around out there, but for simplicity's sake I have stuck to the one, online guide.)

Another name which I simply can not find a meaning for is Lascia (pronounced Lah-sha). I know this is a genuine name, possibly Polish because I had a good friend in primary and high school who had this for a middle name, and her family were Polish/Italian. Perhaps I've spelt it wrong, I'm not sure. I think it looks beautiful though, and sounds lovely. I have used it as a WoW character name, along with Christobel, and I have strong attachment to both names.

There are a couple of names that I will not budge on. Stella, for example. I have adored this name ever since 'discovering' it a long time ago in A Streetcar named Desire. I find it beautiful, and I know without a doubt that my first born daughter shall be Stella. The middle name, I'm not so sure on. If I have children with my current partner, then I would likely use his Nonna's name, Maria, in one form or another. I have also entertained Stella Celeste, and Stella Suzanne, after my mother.
William is not in the above list, simply because I would not use it as a first name. It is my much loved Grandfather's name, and I intend to use it as a middle name if I have a son. Now, I'm not as bothered as some people (not that it is a bad thing, I assure you) when it comes to whether or not names 'fit' together. I'd be more than happy to name my son Lucas William, or Sebastian William, even if the name didn't quite roll off the tongue. I think it comes down to a lot more than that; personality, the meaning and strength of the name, and the importance of the name to the parents. My partners Grandfather was Sebastiano, and there is a bit of a tradition in his family to continue the family name, which I respect. These sorts of things mean more to me than alliteration, syllables and so forth.

I would use any of the listed names as 'real names'. I do have a 'If only.. ' name list which may wait for a later date, which includes gems such as Achilles, Odysseus and Grier. Usually though, I don't fall in love with a name that I wouldn't use for my own children.

Phew ! If you've made it through this essay, then I applaud you! I think this community is fantastic, and I appreciate being able to discuss baby names without actually having children/expecting children myself. I enjoy reading the 'birth notices' and so forth, and I love comparing what is fashionable and popular in the States with what is happening here (I live in Australia).

Thanks everyone!

Comments

[anapology.livejournal.com]

Boys
Lucius - Latin, meaning 'Right' - Reminds me too much of Lucifer.
Lucas - Greek, meaning 'From Lucania'- One of my favourites, Love.
Darcy - Celtic/Gaelic, meaning 'Dark One'- I know we have Mr Darcy, but this is feminine to me. Probably because of Dacrcy Bussell the ballerina.
Vincent - Latin, meaning 'Victorious'- Vinne? No, too thuggish.
Jakob - Hebrew, meaning 'Supplanter'- Nice name, but I prefer Jacob.
Rafe - English, meaning 'Wolf Counsel'- Not my style but it's okay.
Sebastian - Greek, meaning 'Venerable' Another favourite, Love.
Ajax - Greek, meaning 'Of the earth'- Too made up sounding (though I ppreciate it's not)
Nicholas - Greek, meaning 'Victory of the People'- Know far too many.

Girls
Stella - Latin, meaning 'Star'- I think of the beer.
Celeste - Latin, meaning 'Heavenly'- Very pretty.
Olivia - English, meaning 'Elf Army'- Lovely but it's geting too popular.
Ruby - English, meaning 'Red Gemstone'- Same as Olivia.
Lydia - Greek, meaning 'From Lydia'- I like, but for some reason I think of toilet seats/lids.
Lilah - Persian, meaning 'Lilac Tree'- Pretty sound, bit wishy washy for my tastes.
Sofia - Spanish, meaning 'Wisdom'- I prefer Sophia, makes it Greek. I would use this as a middle name with no trouble.
Juliette - French form of Juliet, meaning 'Downy'- I prefer the spelling Juliet but I love it.
Nathalie - French, meaning 'Born on Christmas Day'- Always hated this name.
Alessandra - Greek, meaning 'Defender of Men'- Pretty. I also like Alessandria.
y.Scarlett - English, meaning 'Red'- Lovely.
Hermione - Greek, meaning 'Pillar Queen'- You just can't, the HP references would be terrible!
Antoinette - French, unknown meaning- Don't like.


You have such a great list, I know there's a couple I don't like but far more great names than I agree with.
& you have my top boys names (same as yours) I think we have similar style on the girls' names too, my favourite would fit into your description of classic.

Or maybe i'm biased because I just returned from Autralia & am desperate to go back!

[barelyshocking.livejournal.com]

Where did you visit in Australia? I'm in the west.

In regards to Hermione - oh my lord, the HP references would be killer. Hopefully by the time I have kids it won't be such a big deal. I really love the name, and I've found it so interesting for so long. Of course, if HP was still as big as it is now, I wouldn't put my kid through that torture ;D

I know a lot of Nicholases as well, mostly in the form of Nick. Can't explain why I like it though.

And Stella, haha! A lot of people comment "Oh like Stella Artois", but that's okay with me :D

[anapology.livejournal.com]

Ahh I didn't make it to the West Coast, I was visiting my boy who's in Melbourne, we did Brisbane down thruogh Surfers & Byron Bay (oh my god in love!) down to Sydney.

I spent a lot of time up in Mount Hotham where my boyfriend works, great skiing this year.
:-)

[barelyshocking.livejournal.com]

I've never been to Mount Hotham, but I'd love to go. Byron Bay is lovely, yes. I think it is the dream home of a lot of people!

[http://users.livejournal.com/-mary-jane--/]

Lucius means light. Lucifer, before he fell, was the bringer or light. So Lucius is the root of the name for Lucifer.

[sloane-hd.livejournal.com]

Lucius - don't like
Lucas - like
Darcy - love this name but for a girl
Vincent - don't like it at all
Jakob - love it
Rafe - it sounds nice but I don't like the way it's written
Sebastian - adore this one
Ajax - Dutch football team, he'd get teased around here
Nicholas - love it


Stella - as in Artois?
Celeste - adore it.
Olivia - not a fan
Ruby - sorry hate it
Lydia - old fashioned around here but it sounds cute
Lilah - sorry no
Sofia - love it
Juliette - really cute with Jules as a nickname
Nathalie - used too often
Alessandra - very nice
Scarlett - mmm, I'm still not sure about this one.
Hermione - My grandmother's name and HP kinda ruined it. I love it though.
Antoinette - too french.

There are a few names I don't like but over all you have good taste.

[barelyshocking.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[omgzits--tam.livejournal.com]

I really like Natalie, spelt without the h. I know they're pronounced the same, but I always want to say, Nath-a-lee.
Stella is pretty, but I always hear the name being yelled in my head.
Lucas is so, so, so cute and I really like Rafe as well, but the spelling is kind of iffy.

[barelyshocking.livejournal.com]

Rafe is a tricky one. I do think it looks a little too much like rape or rage, in brutal honesty. This has bothered me for a while. I've considered using 'Rafferty' and then I could shorten it to Rafe if I chose. I'm still unsure.

I think Stella is one of those names that can be associated with so many things, like the beer or A Streetcar, or even Stella MacCartney. I'm not bothered so much, because I don't think any of those Stellas are bad. I think it is a strong enough name to stand on its own.

I get the same deal recently when people say "Ainsley.. as in the chef" and I just want to roll my eyes and say "Sure, only he wasn't on TV when I was born so I guess I'm not like him after all." It isn't so bad though, not insulting at least.

[omgzits--tam.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Rafe sounds too similar to rape, I just think it might be a kind of difficult name to grow up with. Treading on a thin line, you know?

And what I find comforting about associations is that by the time the kid is born (if you liked the name while you were younger, long before you were actually pregnant) the association has worn off. For me, I LOVE the name Slade, but people say it's a band from the UK. If/When I have a son, I'd like to call him Slade, and that association will probably have bit the dust.

[barelyshocking.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I think Alexander is such a great name (no pun intended ;D). I would include it in my list for potential names, except my best friend is having a baby this year and if it is a boy, it will be Alexander.

I'm glad you like the spelling of Nathalie as well. Natalie doesn't do so much for me, so I guess the 'h' must add something special. I don't know. I suppose it is a legitimate alternate spelling that isn't too new-age and kooky :D

[coolteamblt.livejournal.com]

Boys
Lucius - I'm never quite sure how to pronounce it.
Lucas - It's nice, not my style.
Darcy - I worked with a kickass girl named Darcy, but to me, it's in the same category as Macy, Marcy, Lacy, Misty, and Brandy.
Vincent - I used to live in Rhode Island. Everyone was named Tony or Vinnie, and they all worked for the mob. No go for me, personally.
Jakob - It's a bit popular, but no one will spell it right.
Rafe - Not my style, but not bad.
Sebastian - One of my favorites!
Ajax - In the US, this is a sink cleaner.
Nicholas - One of my best friends is named Nicholas. I prefer Nicholas to Nick, though.

Girls
Stella - Pretty!
Celeste -Not my style, but nice.
Olivia - I loved this name growing up, but it's popular in my area for girls between about 3 and 11.
Ruby - This is the name of my 1984 Bronco. The name reminds me of a truck stop waitress that calls you "toots" and has a cigarette hanging off her lip at all times.
Lydia - So pretty! It's old fashioned, but I really like it.
Lilah - I like it.
Sofia - Love it, but it's also popular.
Juliette - I like it as just Juliet, but either way, it's adorable.
Nathalie - I prefer it without the H. No one will spell it right. Not my style much, either.
Alessandra - I've never been a big fan of any the variants of Alex.
Scarlett - Makes me think of "Gone With the Wind". Not bad, but a bit dramatic for me.
Hermione - I love it, but it won't be really usuable IMO for several years because of Harry Potter.
Antoinette - I've never liked it. It's hard for me to spell, I don't like the sound, and it's a bit much.

Sorry if I came off as a bit harsh! I'm really opinionated about names. I'd love to see your "if only" list. I have one, too. I use it to name cars and animals and characters in books.

[barelyshocking.livejournal.com]

No I appreciate your thoughts! Ajax, sadly, is a sink cleaner here too :( This one kind of hovers between the Real Name and the If Only.. list. I think of Ajax as being the strong Greek warrior, but I can't expect others to read my mind ;D

I'll wait a week and then post my "If Only.." list. It will be grand!

[samaside.livejournal.com]

Boys
Lucius I like it but I'm fairly certain the child would always be marred by the whole Harry Potter thing; Personally, for me, it'd probably make me always think of the character from Rome
Lucas I prefer Luke over Lucas
Darcy It's beautiful; I actually like a few of the more femine names for boys
Vincent I like it and may use it as a middle name for one of my boys; it's my grandfather's name
Jakob I like this spellin gonly if it is spelled that way for a reason; ethnic, religious, historical, etc. Otherwise I'd just go with Jacob
Rafe Better as a nickname for Raphael
Sebastian I really like it
Ajax I also like this one but I don't think I'd ever use it
Nicholas Good, classic name

Girls
Stella
Celeste It's nothing I would use but it's nice; I like names with nicknames
Olivia Cute
Ruby Again, I wouldn't use it but it's nice
Lydia I like it; I have a classmate named Lydia
Lilah I have a classmate named Lyla as well
Sofia I like it but I prefer Sophia or Sophie
Juliette I like it but I will probably stay away from the names of well known literary characters
Nathalie I prefer the spelling 'Natalie' because this just makes me think I need to use some excotic pronounciation
Alessandra I like it but, again, I'd prefer the more common Alexandra, personally
Scarlett All I could think was 'scarlet woman!' Sorry. XD;
Hermione See, I actually liked the name before Harry Potter but now it's more or less unusable without getting that association
Antoinette

[barelyshocking.livejournal.com]

It is such a shame that HP has taken over so many names that I like :( Damn you JJ Rowling!

I have a love for the Italian or French spelling of a name, hence Nathalie, Juliette and Alessandra. I can see how people would think I was trying to be a bit arty or wanky, but really those names are quite common. I think that if I have kids with my current partner (which I hope!) the Italian names will be relevant, because he is Sicilian.

Jakob.. where did I get this from? I can't really remember. I've had it on my list for the longest time, and I'm guessing I thought "Well I love the name Jake, and I don't like Jake coming from Jacob so I'd have to make that a K." It is probably my sole 'arty' entry ;D

[samaside.livejournal.com]

Oh JK Rowling... I suppose the thing about most of the names, though, is that some of them - for the lesser characters anyways - are relatively common. I mean, even Harry and Ronald are common. All of the Weasley names are common. But there are just a few key names that you could just never use unless you were okay with the HP references. Like, I've always loved Neville but I could never use that in the States. I plan to go into the foreign services so maybe if I settle down with a spouse who is British, I could get away with it. Even though my family is English/Welsh I doubt I could get away with it, lol.

Names with specific spellings and pronounciations are cool. I mean, I love how names change between cultures. But for some reason I just don't like it when people use the names to be artsy. If there is a reason, I'm all for it. It's just a personal thing, lol.

There are a few Jakob's on my dad's side. If I remember correctly it's German and Scandinavian which explains the Norwegian cousins, lol. So, for me, the 'k' is actually more of the normal way. But I have known people with names like that to spell it wrong even through ignorance. I have a friend named Josef whose name was spelled that way not because his parents were being creative but because they were Korean immigrants who didn't realize that the 'ph' ending also made the same sound. =P

It'd be great to see you share your middle name combos if you've thought of any.

[bobinwales.livejournal.com]

I love every one of your boys names except Vincent!

Girls I like Lilah, Sofia, Juliette, Alessandra, Scarlett, Hermione, Antoinette

[samaside.livejournal.com]

I love every one of your boys names except Vincent!

To be expected of someone running about with a Gryffindor icon! ♥

Personally, it probably will be one of my kids's middle names at some point. It's my paternal grandfather's name and it's a tradition in our family to use father's and grandfather's names as middle names in our sons' names. My dad and uncle never had any sons so... I'll take it up.

[bobinwales.livejournal.com]

:D
If it means something to you, and you like it, then thats every reason to use it!

[barelyshocking.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

Antoinette is a name that I've always found beautiful, and yes, very French! It hasn't really made a place on my list until just recently. I was thinking of how great my Dad is, and how I would love to include his name in my list somehow. I really don't dig Anthony though. I thought Antoinette, most likely as a middle name, would be a great tribute to him. I think it borders on being a little too posh for a first name, and 'Ant' doesn't appeal to me :)

[curious-cookie.livejournal.com]

Boys
Lucius - Malfoy
Lucas - pronouned with or without the 's'?
Darcy - MR DARCY!!!
Vincent - Crabbe...
Jakob - pronounced as "yak-ob" or "jay-kob"? I like "Yakob"
Rafe - Fiennes... lol, Voldemort
Sebastian - I like... though "Little Mermaid" refernces may be made...
Ajax - ROFLMAO!!! Sorry *giggle snort* Ajax is a brand of toilet cleaner down here... so it wouldnt really go down well in the playground...
Nicholas - Looooooooooooove

Girls
Stella - Cute
Celeste - Yes!!! Celeste is the bomb! I've loved that name ever since Babar
Olivia - Elf army? How cute! Love Olivia
Ruby - Love
Lydia - Mr Darcy!!! Sorry, Pride and Prejudice is stuck on my brain
Lilah - ...it's different
Sofia - I like Sophie better
Juliette - Like Juliet better...
Nathalie - Just as long as the kid doesnt have a speech impediment...
Alessandra - ...it'd have to grow on me...
Scarlett - Love
Hermione - Just as long as she didnt marry a Ron...
Antoinette - A little too over the top for me...

[alexandria-skye.livejournal.com]

i really like rafe and sebastian, and i love hermione!

UGH! STUPID JKROWLING FREAKING STOLE AND WRONGLY CONNOTATED ALL THE GOOD NAMES!!!
(can you tell i'm frustrated by this?)