Still stuck for a name

[poespretty.livejournal.com]

So, with one week left until my ultrasound where I potentially find out the gender of the baby I can still entertain the idea of girls names.  (if it turns out to be a boy, I already know what name we're using so the discussion would be moot).

Right now, if it's a girl, I'm stuck between Arielle and Georgia.  

My daughter (in case anyone doesn't know) is Amelia.  I go back and forth on Arielle for two reasons: one, I don't know that I want to do the siblings with the same first initial thing so that I'm not stuck with it if I have kids in the future.  also, my step son (their brother) has a different initial so I don't want anyone to feel 'left out' so to speak.  second, there's the Little Mermaid association.  and while I do like the movie, I'm not sure that I want  to get stuck hearing "her name's Arielle? Like the mermaid?" and have people buying her red-headed Disney mermaid merchandise for the rest of her life. (I made the mistake of calling my daughter 'Duckling' when I was pregnant and was overrun with... you guessed it, Ducks.)

As for Georgia, I am really leaning towards it, mostly because I don't have all the hang ups like with Arielle (plus I just really love it for a number of reasons).  My question about Georgia is how everyone else perceives it.

So, impressions/opinions about Arielle or Georgia?

I also love Tess/Tessa but am on the fence about it right now. wdyt?

Comments

[neroli.livejournal.com]

The names are at different points in the popularity cycle. Ariel (in various spellings) hit its popularity peak in the U.S. in the 1990s, and is now falling in popularity; whereas Georgia is still just getting started here. (It's been showing up on U.K. popularity lists for a while, and the U.S. often seems to track a number of years behind the U.K. on certain name trends (e.g., Emma, Chloe, Sophie, etc.)), which does make me suspect that it'll be rising over the next 5 years here too.)

Ariel was #222 in 2005, dropping off gradually over the last decade and a half:

2005 222
2004 220
2003 213
2002 215
2001 197
2000 184
1999 171
1998 147
1997 144
1996 163
1995 151
1994 144
1993 121
1992 87
1991 66

Georgia was #323, and looks like it is starting to register on people's naming radar:

2005 323
2004 367
2003 371
2002 378
2001 392
2000 334
1999 349
1998 428
1997 528
1996 582
1995 610
1994 640
1993 624
1992 594
1991 676

Based on the numbers, I'd say that Ariel is "safer" and will appeal to people who aren't watching the name charts because they've heard it around more and it has a fairly attractive pop culture image pairing. It probably won't be regarded as particularly innovative, and name fans may fine it a bit ordinary. Georgia, on the other hand, will probably get some "old lady" comments from people who aren't into names. However, it will probably get more positive responses from name fans, and, since you are ahead of the curve, it will gradually be met with more positive comments as time goes by.

I'd go with Georgia.

[poespretty.livejournal.com]

I love it, you rationalized it all out exactly like I would. ;D

I myself did look up/notice those trends too but then I couldn't decide how much they mattered to me personally in the long run. I only say that because my daughter's name didn't seem all that popular to me at the time I named her but now seems to be climbing... I normally would NOT pick an overly popular name, but had I realized it was growing, I still would have named her it anyway because it just felt like it should be her name.

and I LIKE old lady names. I consider Amelia to be that kind of name too seeing as the only person I knew in real life with the name was my great-aunt who was most definitely an old lady. at least by the time I knew her anyway. ;p

thanks for the input.