Good thing I'm not pregnant

[krosp.livejournal.com]

I am a bit frustrated by names at the moment.

I am somebody who has always loved names... I've also always had a fascination for languages and word origins and stuff like that. So it is only natural that over my life I have spent a lot more time focusing on names than other people... I like to look up the meanings and origins of names and see which names are the same as each other in other languages, and follow naming trends, etc.

But despite this fascination with names, I am completely unsatisfied with my own preferences and choices of names.



I think since I was at least 13 or 14 I had lists of favourite names, on and off. But at the moment, none of them excite me enough. It's more that I have features of names that I like, and preferences towards particular names in that I know whether I like a name or not... but there aren't really names that stand out so much that if I was pregnant right now I'd definitely want to use it. I also feel like since I have always had this name fascination, I should have names picked out that are really interesting or meaningful... but I just don't. The ones I do like are mostly for the sound or feel of the name, and I don't always like the meaning.

It is complicated by the fact that my husband has a narrow taste in names- although I think we're roughly on the same page with the style we like, but he just doesn't like many names at all. He likes a few girls' names, and claims to hate 100% of boys' names, although with some prodding I can find a couple of boys' names that he tolerates. To top it off, our last name makes a word with heaps of first names, so a lot are ruled out.

Can anyone relate to all this? Or does everyone else who loves names have an abundance of favourites?


Names I liked when I was 14
Aaron (neutral to it now. I still kind of like it in my own accent, but I don't like how it sounds like Erin or eeeron in a lot of other accents)
Reuben (I LOVED this name, and I'm so over it now!)
Brianna (I still think it's a pretty name, but I now associate it with being snobby or trendy, and it just isn't the kind of name I'd use anymore)
Cassidy (ew, really not keen anymore)
Jeremy (still alright)
Michelle (too many Michelles in my life now)
Natalie (I still kind of like it)
Rebecca (I still kind of like it)
Jarod (still kind of like it too)
Andrew (still ok)
Renee (neutral, seems a bit old and dated to me now)
Anika (I still really like this name but probably wouldn't use it)
Hannah (I don't like it that much)
Nicola (neutral now)
Laura (I still like it)
Andrea (it's ok)
Sarah (too many Sarahs and I am neutral to it)
Miranda (kind of like it still)
Amanda (a bit dated)
Erica (don't like it anymore)
Jenna (neutral to it now)
Imogen (neutral too)
Anna (really like this name now)
Cara (neutral)
Juliet (it's pretty nice but a bit frilly)
Caroline (still nice, but am more neutral to it than i was. I think I liked it cos of someone I knew)
Lauren (not really fussed on it anymore)



Names I kind of like now, and what is wrong with them
Girls

Anna (I do really like this name but my husband thinks that it sounds like a word with our last name. I think it's a bit of a stretch, unless she gets called Annie in which case I can see how it would sound like a word. Only thing about this name is whether it's too ordinary - I find it really sweet and simple and classic, but there are so many Annas in the world in many languages too. I also have a close friend with the name, which is usually enough to make me avoid it, but somehow in this case I'd overlook it cos I like the name so much and it's fairly common.)

Anika (my husband hates it, says it reminds him too much of Anakin)

Laura (I find this name pretty, and I have always liked it, and my husband likes it too. It sounds classic but fresh... feminine but not frilly... but then somehow, I'm just not so sure that I am absolutely and totally in love with it. There is a story behind this name too though- when I was growing up my mum had a best friend really far away, whose daughter was Laura, and she was my penpal. I used to pretend to be Laura and called myself Laura a lot when I was a kid.)

Natalie (I sort of like this name, and my husband likes it too. I am not really sure that I like it that much at the moment though... it's pretty but it seems a little dated. I don't really like Nat for short either.)

Kate (We both really like this name but it's my best friend's name and I don't feel I can use it. We aren't having middle names because my husband is Chinese so we're giving our kids Chinese names instead of middle names. Otherwise, Kate would be a great middle name).

Rebecca (I still kind of like it although there are too many people my age with this name and I am not a huge fan of Bec, but my husband doesn't like it).

Boys
Many of these, my husband has a cousin with this name, and since they'd share a last name it kind of rules it out.

Aaron (a cousin)
Andrew (a cousin)
Adrian (husband doesn't like it)
Anthony (husband hates it)
Benjamin (another cousin)
Christopher (too many friends with this name, I don't like it that much anyway)
David (TWO of husband's cousins, and my uncle. But I really like this name!)
James (I really like this name too, but it's my brother. I am not keen on using the same name amongst living family members, too confusing).
Jarod (I like how this sounds, but my husband doesn't)
Jeremy (I kind of like this name, and my husband doesn't)
Joel (ditto, plus i don't like it in my husband's accent)
John (I like the strength in this name but it's so plain)
Joseph (this was my favourite name for so long, but now I am going off it a bit- I don't like Joe as a nickname at all, and that is almost inevitable. Shame cos I almost convinced my husband to like it for a while there)
Mark (I moderately like this name, and it's the ONLY one my husband admits to liking...BUT.. he has a cousin with it!)
Nicholas (I really like this, but not Nick. But we have two good friends with the name so it might be a bit close, and I am sure it would get shortened to Nick eventually).
Timothy (Tim would almost make a name with our last name)
Jonathan (another cousin)

Ok whew.... sorry for the long post, but any thoughts or ideas or comments are welcome! All I can say is it's a good thing we're not about to have a baby!

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/___heyvanity/]

My favorites are Anika, Jeremy and Andrew. Nicholas could be Nico as a nickname rather than Nick. I like Kate but it's so simple.

[krosp.livejournal.com]

Nico sounds nicer than Nick... but while I was growing up, Nikko was what we called permanent markers (it was a common brand)... so I really can't shake that, it's like calling a kid Sharpie (although better sounding lol)
Shame that, cos I agree with you otherwise.

[anapology.livejournal.com]

It's pronounced Neek-oh, i get the impression you're just saying Nick-oh?

[duckduckcaboose.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean about Aaron. I say it Ahr-on, but I live in Georgia and most people have no distinction between Aaron and Erin. Both are "ehr-in" or if you're really Southern, "AY-rin". Yuck.

Some suggestions for other names you may like-
For Anna/Anika:
Annabel[le]- maybe with the belle in between, it doesn't sound like a word anymore?
Anna Marie
Anna Maria
Ann Marie
Anais
For Laura:
Laurel
Lorelai

Natalie is actually not very dated, but there is also Natalia or Natasha. Also, if you dislike Nat, you could call her Allie, etc.

For Kate:
Katherine/Catherine
Katarina
Katrina/Catriona/Catrina
Katya/Katia

For boys:
Adam
Alexander
Asher
Christian
Davis
Jacob
Jacques
Jamie, Jamison
Jerald/Gerald
Evan, Ian, Ethan, Ewan, Ivan, Juan, Jack, Jackson are all names related to John.
Marcus, Marcel
Nicholas could also be Cole or Nico.

[0o-faerie.livejournal.com]

I also feel like since I have always had this name fascination, I should have names picked out that are really interesting or meaningful... but I just don't. The ones I do like are mostly for the sound or feel of the name, and I don't always like the meaning.

I shouldn't worry too much about that. Most people don't know the meaning of the name...so if you love a name for its sound, I think that's perfectly fine.

I personally have 3 names for each gender that I'd definitely use, plus some names I just like =).

Of your names, I like Anna, Juliet, Adrian & Joseph! Too bad there are so many reasons why you may not be able to use them...but maybe when the time is there, you come across something great =)

[murderprotocol.livejournal.com]

I like that you spell Jarod with an O. It's my preferred spelling, and I see often people prefer it spelt Jared, which is just... meh with me. Rebecca's one of my favourite names, but spelt Rebekah.

I'm kind of neutral about Imogen too. I love it, but it seems weird on a child.

My boss' name is Kara. I'm not really a fan.

[anapology.livejournal.com]

I think you're right to ant to love the nickname as muh as the first names. For instance I love Anastasia but detest Stacey so much that i wouldn't consider using it.

I agree with Nicholas/Nico, I've always had a soft spot for the name.

You should go through a site like behindthename.com that has pretty much every name and make a list, something is sure to inspire you.

[lindiohead.livejournal.com]

My sister's name is Breanna, and she's far from snobby or popular.

[krosp.livejournal.com]

I know, it's a nice name, but a couple of people I have met have ruined it for me :)

[lelah.livejournal.com]

My sister is Natalie, I call her Natty. I don't care for Nat too much either.

[moshimoshi-13.livejournal.com]

I like Anika and Kate best on your list (they're both two of my top names as well).

Favourites for the boys are Joseph and Nicholas, but I understand about not wanting to use them if you hate the nickname.