"good names"

[girlsteve.livejournal.com]

So, I have a question: do you ever hear people raving about a name and think ‘I just don’t get it’? I’m not talking about the hugely trendy Jayden type names. I mean the names that, when you post them up here, you just know are going to get a favourable response?

For example, I know a lot of people like Violet, but I just don’t get it. It sounds like vile, and looks like Violent. I also remember a time when everyone liked Harper, and all I ever heard was Harpie. Similarly, my SO will not budge on Evie, even though I love it and as far as I can tell so do most other people…

I hope no one is offended by my posting this – clearly I’m in the minority on such names, so I hope anyone with these on their list won’t hate me. I was just thinking, so often you get a generally glowing review of a name, especially the traditional or classic ones, and then people don’t come forward and say they don’t like it… I just think I’d hate to give my kid a name that I thought was great, and everyone else seemed to love, only to then have someone point out that it sounds like X or looks like Y, and turn me off of it once it’s too late. I’d like to know all possible connotations before I use something, so I can decide whether or not I still like it…

Comments

[blosmbee.livejournal.com]

I like Violet and Harper. They were both pretty high on my list for this kid.

I don't get:
Emily
Isabell/Isabella (and all variant spellings)
All girl's names ending in "son"
Nevaeh
Makayla

[mountain-nest.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to see that everyone in this thread is able to say what they think and not get jumped on. I don't get MOST names, but one name in particular that I don't "get" lately is Grace or Gracie. It's nice and all, just overused these days and it reminds me of Grease or Greasy.

Although, my son is Travis and I've read in this comm that people think that's a hick name, and my daughter is Gretchen, and I've read somewhere that people don't like the "Retch" part of it. But I love the names and those things didn't bother me or my husband :]

[cremepuff.livejournal.com]

Well, for the record, I also like Gretchen. :)

[mountain-nest.livejournal.com]

:D

[girlsteve.livejournal.com]

I'm really glad nobody took offence too, but then that's why I like this community so much. You're never going to find a name that pleases everyone.

For me, I wouldn't be too worried if other people didn't like a name I picked, so long as I did. What I would like to avoid is someone saying 'Scarlett? What, as in 'little scars'?' years after I've named my daughter that, and me thinking 'oh, never thought of that...I don't really like it as much anymore'.

[intothefireugo.livejournal.com]

FWIW, I think that unless you didn't like the name to begin with, nothing anyone says will make you not like the name once it's attached to your little baby. Scarlett = little scars? Ah, who cares! (Before the baby is born though... that's a different matter.)

[freezemyazaleas.livejournal.com]

I like both of your kids' names.

[mountain-nest.livejournal.com]

thank you dahling :]

[cremepuff.livejournal.com]

I do not get Addison--especially as a feminine name. It's the name of a street in Chicago as well as a suburb. Even worse, it's the address of Wrigley Field, the home of the Chicago Cubs--whom I hate! To me, it's not a name you give to a cute baby girl!

Basically I do not get the 'last names as first names' trend: Addison, Madison, Reagan, Kerrigan, Harrison, and so on. No offense.

[kilobites.livejournal.com]

I agree with you on the Addison front so much. And actually, all the names you listed except Harrison, haha.

[kilobites.livejournal.com]

I hate Harper, so I totally agree. It's funny that you mention Evie--we are in a similar place with that name! I like it, and would use it as a nickname for Eve or Eva, but he's so against it. He loves Eve though. Go figure.

Addison as a female name completely baffles me, as does Avery. I know that a lot of people here agree with me, though. I don't really "get Isabella. It's pretty enough, but it's so overused, and I just really prefer Isadora. I also dislike Harlow because it seems so close to 'Harlot', and while Violet is pretty, I don't get why everyone loves it as much as they do.

[kitchen-poet.livejournal.com]

I am totally baffled by the popular of Landon and Evan. Evan is just so plain and suburban looking to me, but Landon is just weird. I always think of Lando from star wars.

I don't get Harlow either. It sounds like harpie.

[esilva7.livejournal.com]

Harlow reminds me of Harlot - and why would you name a child something that is even remotely similar to a word that means prostitute?

And to jump on the McK-bandwagon, I can't stand the McKenzie/Mikayla craze.

[freezemyazaleas.livejournal.com]

Amelia, Aurelia, Adelaide, anything that includes "bel", "belle", or "bella", biblical boy names that end in "ah".

[snailrevolution.livejournal.com]

I don't like Amelia; I think it's the "meal" part in the middle. Carys is another I don't like, and for a while it was pretty popular around here. Eloise looks awkward, Rory both looks and sounds rough and awkward, and most Mc-names look better without the Mc to me.

However, most boys' names I am A-Ok with.