A Challenge

[requiem-morrow.livejournal.com]

Below I have collected names from various sources (history, literature, mythology, astronomy, etc). Taking them out of their context of origin (or most frequent association, assumed origin, etc), what do you think of the names?

Athenais
Arcadia
Adrasteia
Andromeda
Artemis
Andraste
Alora
Azra
Antigone
Althaia
Almathea
Arachne

Archimedes
Abraxas
Ashley
Acheron
Aeneas
Apollo
Ares
Aramis

Bast
Bellatrix
Briony
Bronte

Bain
Balendin
Beowulf
Boone

Circe
Coraline
Chloe
Cassiopeia
Charis
Cosette

Curran
Caius
Charon
Caspian

Dagny
Danae
Dido
Desdemona

Dresden
Darwin
Draco

Elysia
Elysian
Eyre
Echo
Eowyn

No E boys names

No F girl names

Fitzwilliam

No G names

Hannelore
Haydn
Harlow
Hera
Hero

Hadrian
Hannibal
Hrothgar
Horatio

Ianthe
Isolde
Inara
Ismene
Illyria

Ianto

Juno
Juliet

Jericho

Kallisto
Kleio

Kisten
Kallias

Layla
Lyra
Lenore
Leonora
Lorelei
Loredana

Leander
Lysander
Lear
Lennox
Laertes

Magdalena
Mneme
Mercy
Madelief

Malachi

Nimue
Nyx

Nicholai
Nico

Ophelia
Ofelia
Oriana

Orion
Othello
Orpheus
Olivier
Oberon
Odysseus

Posy
Petra
Psyche
Phaedra (also spelled Phedre)
Persephone
Poe

Paladin
Payne

No Q names

No R girl names

Rhett
Romeo

Scout
Scarlett

Seeley

Thessaly
Tyche (Tie-kee)
Trilby

Thane
Thorne

Urien

Ulysses
Uther

No girl V names

Valentine
Vlad
Vladimir
Valmont

No girl W names

Wilde
Wilder
Willem
Wolf
Westley

Xanthe

Xenos
Xenocrates

No girl Y names

Yeates
York
Yorick

No Z names

Comments

[freezemyazaleas.livejournal.com]

I like:
Artemis (my favorite goddess, but I probably wouldn't like the name out of context)

Ashley

Chloe

Dagny
Danae

Hannelore

Juno
Juliet

Kisten

Lorelei

Laertes (I always loved this one.)

Nico

Rhett

Scout
Scarlett

Westley

[murderprotocol.livejournal.com]

The ones I like: Briony, Bronte, Chloe*, Danae, Haydn (spelt Hayden), Harlow, Lorelei (spelt Lorelai), Ophelia, Psyche (as some sort of a nn rather than a name), Scout, Scarlett, Seeley (this one's a bit biased because I'm a Bones fan), Vladamir (spelt Vladimir), Wilder and Xanthe.

I think the one that capture my attention the most is Arcadia. I can't really say why; just that I'm really intrigued by it. It's pretty, mysterious, has that 'mythological/historical' connotation to it, it's strong and classy, and Cady (in any of its forms: Cadi, Cadie) is a somewhat modern nickname if Arcadia seemed too 'old' for a child.

[requiem-morrow.livejournal.com]

Haydn is after the composer and pn High-den; Lorelei is after the rock myth, and Vladamir is a typo, sorry:)

[murderprotocol.livejournal.com]

I know (except for Lorelei; that's interesting!), I just prefer the look of them spelt differently. :)

[vieillot.livejournal.com]

Love: Antigone, Aramis, Briony (I prefer it spelled Bryony), Bronte, Elysian, Echo, Isolde, Ianto, Juliet, Leander, Nicholai, Ophelia, Persephone, Poe,

Like: Adrasteia, Aeneas, Alora, Andraste, Arcadia, Athenais, Artemis, Azra, Abraxas, Acheron, Apollo, Archimedes, Cassiopeia, Danae, Desdemona, Eyre, Harlow, Ianthe, Ismene, Illyria, Lyra, Lenore, Lysander, Mneme, Olivier, Orion, Orpheus, Urien, Valentine, Westley, Wilde, Willem, Xanthe, Yeates, York, Yorick

I bolded my favourites.

[0o-faerie.livejournal.com]

I really like Arcadia, Aeneas, Antigone, Elysia, Eowyn, Caspian, Hadrian, Harlow, Lyra & Thessaly, but the first 4 I just cannot see without context.

Madalief is interesting. I've never seen it spelled that way (Madelief is a Dutch name, it means 'Daisy' and is one of my favourites =)).

[anapology.livejournal.com]

Bolded are the names I love, I really have such a strong adoration for these kind of names.


Athenais
Arcadia
Andromeda
Alora
Archimedes
Aeneas
Apollo
Ares
Aramis
Bellatrix- Clearly Harry Potter has ruined the name, but out of context..
Chloe
Charis
Caius
Caspian
Darwin
Draco
Elysia
Horatio
Ianthe
Illyria
Juliet
Kleio
Kallias
Lyra
Leander
Lysander
Lear
Lennox
Laertes
Nyx
Nicholai
Nico
Ophelia
Orion
Othello
Olivier
Odysseus
Persephone
Rhett
Romeo
Scarlett
Thessaly
Valentine
Wilde
Xanthe

[shortbutfast.livejournal.com]

i like

Aramis
Bronte
Chloe
Cassiopeia
Layla
Lennox
Nicholai
Poe
Thessaly
Valmont

[waitingonsunday.livejournal.com]

Taken with no past associations, these are the names I like. I bolded the ones I still like when taking associations into account:

Arcadia
Artemis
Antigone
Bellatrix
Briony
Circe
Coraline
Chloe
Charis
Cosette
Caspian
Desdemona
Elysia
Elysian
Echo
Harlow
Hera
Hadrian
Inara
Juliet
Layla
Lenore
Leonora
Lorelei
Leander
Lysander
Lennox
Nicholai
Ophelia
Oriana
Orion
Orpheus
Odysseus
Petra
Persephone
Poe
Scout
Scarlett
Trilby
Willem
Xanthe

[spikes-sexkitty.livejournal.com]

these are the names i like... i'll astrix the one's i'd might even use someday:

Artemis
Alora
Antigone*
Almathea
Coraline
Chloe*
Cassiopeia*
Danae
Elysia*
Harlow*
Inara
Illyria
Juno
Layla*
Leonora
Lorelei*
Ophelia
Phaedra (also spelled Phédre*)

Archimedes
Abraxas*
Aeneas
Apollo
Ares
Boone*
Caspian
Hadrian*
Lysander
Lennox
Laertes
Nicholai*
Orion
Olivier
Westley*

[istytehcrawk.livejournal.com]

I like:

Alora
Coraline
Hannelore
Persephone

[satanictwin.livejournal.com]

I think Artemis would make an interesting choice for a little girl and I don’t think Apollo for a boy would be a totally outrageous possibility. Ashley, for a boy? Just say no. I understand the appeal of the Ashley Wilkes association but it’s a name that continues to be overwhelmingly popular for little girls.

Chloe is a pretty name, a little on the trendy side but pretty nonetheless. Dagny and Danae are both distinctive without being over the top. Desdemona, come on it even SOUNDS sad. No, not after what happened in Othello.

I love the name Darwin. I just do.

Ianthe and Isolde are unusual, maybe too unusual for actual use but I like the way they sound.

Juno is cute and lively and definitely more of a possibility now after the popularity of the movie by the same name.

To me, Juliet seems to have finally shaken off the dreaded “Romeo” association and could be stylish again. Romeo: is still a big fat no.

Layla, this is my little sister’s name (though she spells it “Leila”) so of course I am a bit biased. But I somehow think I’d like it anyhow.

Lenore simply doesn’t feel very modern. “Leonora” feels fresher and more with the times.

Leander and Lysander both sound familiar and doable because of their similarity to Alexander.

[bobinwales.livejournal.com]

Most of these, except the ones I've bolded I would never use, but I like the sound of them!

Arcadia
Andromeda
Artemis
Archimedes
Caspian Always loved!
Ianto Well, I would use it if every didn't know what a huge TW fan I am, and assume it's straight off there.. Which it would be...
Juliet
Lyra
Leander
Lysander
Ophelia
Orion
Scarlett
Thessaly
Thorne
Wolf

[darkenough.livejournal.com]

I love these kind of names. My favourites:

Arcadia
Andromeda
Artemis
Antigone

Archimedes
Acheron

Bellatrix
Briony
Bronte

Bain
Beowulf (my mum wanted to name a son that but didn't in the end lol.

Circe
Coraline

Caspian

Danae - love this name. my mum's nurse is called this
Desdemona

Dresden
Darwin
Draco

Elysia
Elysian
Eyre
Echo - really like
Eowyn

Hero - love this

Hadrian
Horatio

Isolde
Inara

Ianto

Juliet

Kallisto

Kallias

Layla
Lyra
Lenore
Leonora
Lorelei
Loredana

Leander
Lysander
Lennox

Mercy
Malachi

Nimue
Nyx

Nicholai
Nico

Ophelia
Ofelia
Oriana

Orion
Othello
Orpheus
Olivier

Posy
Petra
Psyche
Phaedra (also spelled Phedre)
Persephone -really like
Poe

Rhett
Romeo

Scout
Scarlett

Tyche (Tie-kee)

Thane
Thorne

Ulysses

Valentine

Wilde
Westley

Xanthe

Xenos

Yorick

[laminy.livejournal.com]

I like the name Briony a lot, actually. Luckily, I don't think enough people saw the movie/read the book to get the connection. That was kind of a joke. Boone, Harlow, Isolde a lot, Juno I love, Scout.

[blue-suspenders.livejournal.com]

I like
Azra

Apollo
Ares

Bellatrix

Bain

Caius
Charon
Caspian

Danae

Dresden
Draco

Echo

Hero

Illyria

Ianto

Juno
Juliet

Jericho

Kallisto
Kleio

Kallias

Layla
Lyra

Leander
Lysander

Malachi

Nyx

Nicholai
Nico

Ophelia
Ofelia
Oriana

Orion
Othello
Orpheus
Olivier
Oberon
Odysseus

Romeo

Thane



Valentine

Wolf
Westley

Xanthe

Xenos