Need help with middle names....

[neonfuneral.livejournal.com]

My S.O. likes Athena, I really like Aurora (atleast she'd get a nickname option with this one). What middle names could I use with either of these?

Last name will be Dolce (pron. DOL-chay)     I'm afraid Athena may sound too proper and she wouldn't be able to have a nickname.

For boys we [both] like Ethan or Silas. Any ideas for middle names on either with these?
Any opinions on Addison for a boy?

Thanks for any advice. I'm really bad with middle names. I lucked out, my parents picked a name for me that just 'flows'. I want to do the same.

Comments

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

I really like Athena. I DID love Aurora and I still like it but I recently had a friend name her baby Aurora and I've discovered how hard it is for me to say. I'm not sure if this is an "American" thing or if it's just me or what, but either way, it kind of sounds awkward when I say it. The baby I know named Aurora has a nn of Rory which is super cute.

[neonfuneral.livejournal.com]

Haha, I know what you mean about it being hard to say! My bf teases me about it all the time by saying "AurararororororoaH, seeee how hard it is? Athena is so much easier." But I feel like it would be easier to dress the name down with "rory" if someone cant pronounce it

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

Well there's also Althea which sounds like Athena but not quite as "harsh?" Freya/Freja, Aurelia, and Aria instantly comes to mind when I think of Athena/Aurora too.

I think Ethan looks out of place when it comes to the rest of the names you like. Ethan is very common and Silas, Aurora and Athena seems so different. I LOVE Silas though!

Here's some suggestions though for middle names:

Athena Isadora Dolce
Athena Charlotte Dolce
Athena Iris Dolce
Athena Violet Dolce
Athena Ivy Dolce
Athena Ruby Dolce
Athena Celeste Dolce
Athena Eleanor Dolce
Athena Hazel Dolce
Athena Elise Dolce
Athena Evelyn Dolce

Aurora Irene Dolce
Aurora Vivian Dolce
Aurora Elizabeth Dolce
Aurora Signe Dolce
Aurora Lucy Dolce
Aurora Imogen Dolce
Aurora Jocelyn Dolce
Aurora Eloise Dolce
Aurora Camille Dolce
Aurora Karina Dolce
Aurora Tamsin Dolce

I think a lot of the middle names I suggested work for both Aurora and Athena. With Aurora, I don't think I would use color or very nature sounding names as a middle name though.

Silas Henry Dolce
Silas Julian Dolce
Silas Asher Dolce
Silas Gabriel Dolce
Silas Ezra Dolce
Silas Levi Dolce
Silas Oren Dolce
Silas Corbin Dolce
Silas Archer Dolce
Silas Theodore Dolce
Silas Carter Dolce
Silas Connor Dolce
Silas Gideon Dolce
Silas Quinn Dolce
Silas Oliver Dolce

Haha I like a lot of the nymbler options that came for the boys names!

[neonfuneral.livejournal.com]

I love the name Carter but my bf has said he doesn't care for it. :(

Maybe Silas Carter I can get away with?

I know Ethan sounds kind of out of place, and popular. But in my opinion I think girls names leave a little more room for creativity than boys. In school I remember the guys got a lot more flack for 'creative' names than girls. There are other ones I like, but wouldn't use because someone I know/have known has the same name. It will just make me think of that person every time!

[sal_amanda]

The baby name book I have actually had some information about research showing that boys with unusual names tend to have more psychological problems. I thought that was interesting and odd, but I already felt that way, too, that I go a little more normal with boys than girls.

[neonfuneral.livejournal.com]

Also, I'd like to add while most of the names I've picked stray a little bit from the popular ones I'm not really into color, season, or other nature-y names. I think I like a mix (cool first name, normal-ish middle)

Ha, hopefully that makes sense. I don't want to point out any names that *I* think are TOO much. Not here to offend anyone who might have already picked those names! :)

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

People here are pretty honest so it's not biggie... we all have our own opinions! I wouldn't have suggested any nature-y or color names if I would have known you didn't like them. XD

[neonfuneral.livejournal.com]

It's okay! Thank you for replying though, they are very nice!

Some BOLD names like those bring to mind the phrase "hippy-dippy". Heh, just not my style. :)
I guess like a lot of people, I'm trying to find a place right in between unique and popular.

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

I have that problem a lot. I'm so picky on how the name flows AND how well the two names go together... then add it when I think about sib-sets and it gets worse! Haha.

[ounceofpeace.livejournal.com]

I think Aurelia is the better alternative to Aurora. It has the same beautiful sound and nickname possibilities, but is easier to say.

[happysaid.livejournal.com]

I'm not a big fan of Athena, but why couldn't she have a nickname? Do you just not like any? I don't think it sounds too serious, but if you really want to use a nickname, what about Thea or Thena?

Are there any other names you had liked before you narrowed these down that would work as middle names?

[neonfuneral.livejournal.com]

The only nicknames I've ever heard for Athena is Tina and Thena. My mothers name is Tina, so that nickname really wouldn't work. =/

These are really the only ones we've considered for girls. I don't really like popular names such as 'Ashley' or 'Jennifer'. And nothing cutesie like Ava and Sophia.

It seems like the middle names should be simple. I just havent seen anything yet that I think 'flows'.

[aquilinum.livejournal.com]

I've always liked Nina or Nena as a nickname for Athena, although I don't think it needs a nickname. I definitely prefer it to Aurora, which looks pretty and has a nice meaning but is really awkward to roll around aloud. For that matter, even Rory is a bit fiddly (to me).

I'm not a fan of the name Ethan, but Silas Ethan Dolce flows quite well, I think.

[neonfuneral.livejournal.com]

Ethan was one of a few boy names that I've never met anyone with (I know, weird because it's popular) but still sounded cute. Not sure why I hadn't though of the two together. I think maybe I like Ethan Silas!

I think thats how it works with names though, a lot of people have preconcieved notions about certain names because they may already know someone they like/dont like with that name.

Thats how I try to choose them. People I've never heard of/met.

[ohhvelocitygirl.livejournal.com]

athena nn thea is one of my favorites. I know way too many little girls named aurora

[lind-saay.livejournal.com]

I never thought of Thea as a nickname for Athena, but that's actually really cute. I love Thea, but I've only seen it as a nickname for Theodora.

[ohhvelocitygirl.livejournal.com]

I met this ~6 year old girl at a book store named thea, and I thought her parents called her "athena" but it turned out to be "althea". but I decided it was fucking cute as a nickname for athena.

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

I know a girl named Dorothea nn Thea.

[neonfuneral.livejournal.com]

aw, I've never met anyone named athena or aurora, probably why I like the names so much.

[lind-saay.livejournal.com]

I flat out love Ethan and Silas. Addison is definitely a great name for a boy, but it's so popular on girls lately that I would probably hesitate in using it -- it has become the new Ashley. I do like it, though, and I definitely think it sounds better on boys than on girls. But people are stupid and would probably assume (based on his name) that he was a girl.

Maybe use Addison as a middle name? Silas Addison Dolce sounds FANTASTIC. I'm not sure Ethan Addison sounds as good -- the -an and -on endings are too similar -- but I love it with Silas.

Other ideas:

Ethan Tobias
Silas James
Ethan Henry
Silas Oliver
Ethan Isaiah
Silas Gabriel
Ethan Josiah
Silas Asher
Ethan Patrick
Silas Zachary
Ethan Daniel
Silas Paul
Ethan Christopher
Silas William

I think Athena's maybe just a little too out there as a first name. It's too quickly associated with the Greek goddess and, as you said, there's not really a nickname that she could go by to avoid that connotation (which there's a very good chance she'd want to do). If your SO insists on using it, maybe try to convince him that a different first name you both like, with Athena as a middle, might work better in practice.

Aurora is nice. I like Rory as a nickname, but it's also great on its own. Unfortunately, Aurora Athena doesn't flow at all, so I don't know if that would work. But either a different middle name with Aurora or a different first name with Athena could work.

A couple ideas for Athena as a middle name:
Charlotte Athena
Chloe Athena
Audrey Athena
Vivian Athena
Lily Athena
Zoe Athena

And middle names for Aurora:
Aurora Caroline
Aurora Lilith
Aurora Gabrielle
Aurora Kathryn
Aurora Zoe
Aurora Vivian

[joereaves.livejournal.com]

I've seen Thea or just The (with the softer TH from Athena not the harder one of 'the') as nn for Athena.

[sarahness.livejournal.com]

I know a girl named Athena and she goes by Thea. I think Athena is an awesome name. Aurora is hard for me to say, for whatever reason. It's nice enough, though.

Addison is too trendy on girls right now. I consider it a masculine name, personally, but there's too many baby girl Addisons around I think he might get teased for having a "girls'. name"

[neonfuneral.livejournal.com]

Ah, I havent actually been on many baby sites and didn't know about addison being so popular! youre right, best not to get him teased early on

[how-obscure.livejournal.com]

I like Athena much better than Aurora. Aurora is just too awkward to say. Athena could always go by Attie, Ata, Thena, or Thea. Or Athen, if you don't mind something that sounds a bit for masculine. You could also derive a nickname from the first and middle combined, whether it be initials or sounds.
Athena Jane = AJ, Athena Fiona = Affie, Thiona (not the greatest example ever, but hey.)

Athena Charlotte
Athena Madeleine
Athena Laurel
Aurora Cecily
Aurora Jeanna
Aurora Felicity

Silas goes with your other names more, but I like Ethan a bit better. I don't like Addison.

Ethan James
Ethan Orion
Ethan Tyler
Silas Henry
Silas Tate
Silas Martin
Addison Ethan
Addison Miles
Addison Cooper

[neonfuneral.livejournal.com]

I didn't even think of attie as a nickname! Thanks

[wizened-cynic.livejournal.com]

I prefer Athena over Aurora because of the difficulty in pronunciation and because Aurora makes me think of the Disney Princess. Maybe not the first thought that comes to mind, but definitely the second or third.

Love Silas but I have nothing against Ethan either.

[sweetest-asylum.livejournal.com]

my cousins name is Athena. They call her Teeny.
what does Dolce mean? there is a cafe in my town called Dolce Cucina.

[neonfuneral.livejournal.com]

Dolce means "sweet"

[sweetest-asylum.livejournal.com]

what's Cucina mean??

[neonfuneral.livejournal.com]

kitchen

[sweetest-asylum.livejournal.com]

so. sweet kitchen. its a coffee shop that sells pastries, sandwiches and soup. not all that clever and no one can pronounce it. they just call it the owners name. we're rednecks after all. no need to be fancy.