Top 5 and why?
Mar. 3rd, 2007 12:19 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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babynamesJust out of curiosity, what are everyone's top 5 names for both genders and why do you like them so much? Are there any in your top 5 that you wouldn't use for a first name - why?
Girls
1. Annelise [nn Annie] - My top name for a girl. I just love the nickname Annie, but I don't like Ann or Anna or Annabelle or any of those and Annie just seems so plain by itself. Annelise is just gorgeous to me, and it has Scandanavian roots, which fits in perfectly with all of the Ottos and Eriks and Knutes on my dad's side of the family.
2. Maren - another name with Scandanavian roots, and I just love the sound of this name for some reason. It's cute without overdoing it, and I can totally see it on a grown woman as well as a little five-year-old with pigtails. It's also one of those names where if she wants to be a girly girl, it fits her, and if she wants to be a tomboy, it doesn't seem out of place like a name like Lily or something would (nothing against the name Lily, I happen to really like it ;))
3. Emily - this has been my favorite name for pretty much forever, and while it sometimes gets replaced as my top name, it's definitely always on my list. I have nothing but positive memories of this name because of the fact that some of my very close friends are named this, and any time I picture myself with a little girl, for some reason, the name Emily is the one that always comes to mind. The only reason I'd be hesitant to use this is that it's SO popular, but I guess that doesn't matter to me and I hope that by the time I have kids in 5-10 years, it's not as insanely popular as it is now.
4. Julianna [nn Jules] - another name that I have loved FOREVER. There's just something so gorgeous about this name and it has really...kind of weird personal meaning to me. I also just adore the nickname Jules for some reason, so that's definitely what I'd call her. If I don't use Julianna, I might use Juliet or Julia instead. Basically any derivitive is beautiful to me, too.
5. Louisa - my love for this name was totally unexpected. I was a volunteer day camp counselor a few summers ago and there was a little girl there who was from England and her name was Louisa and I just adored her. Flash forward to a couple months ago when I saw this on someone's list and I immediately fell for it, probably in part due to the little girl because she was just such a cute kid and the name fit her so well. I might be hesitant to use it because it doesn't have any good nicknames that go along with it, and I don't want to leave my kids without that option if they want it. But, I do love it, so who knows.
Boys
1. Sam - I have an obsession with one-syllable boys' names for some reason. Especially Hebrew names. And Sam is one of my favorites. I have no idea why, but it's just such an awesome name for a little boy IMO, and it fits an adult really well, too.
2. Jake - the attack of the one-syllable Hebrew boys' names strikes again ;). Again, I'm not sure what makes me love this name so much, but I do. The popularity of it might keep me from using it, but I like with Emily, I don't care THAT much, and maybe by the time I have kids, it won't matter.
3. Michael - this is probably my absolute favorite boys' name ever, in part because it's my brother's name and my brother and I are really close and I would love to name my son after him someday. However, the fact that it's my brother's name is also a reason why I would probably not use it as a first name - I'm definitely going to be using it as a middle name, however.
4. Atticus - before anyone says anything, I would *not* use this as a first name. I love it, so much, mostly because of To Kill a Mockingbird and the association I have with it because of that. It's just such an awesome name to me. Like with Michael, though, I'd only use it as a middle name.
5. Luke - Again, it's the one-syllable boys' name thing. Plus, the meaning ("bringer of light") just makes me smile every time I hear it.
Girls
1. Annelise [nn Annie] - My top name for a girl. I just love the nickname Annie, but I don't like Ann or Anna or Annabelle or any of those and Annie just seems so plain by itself. Annelise is just gorgeous to me, and it has Scandanavian roots, which fits in perfectly with all of the Ottos and Eriks and Knutes on my dad's side of the family.
2. Maren - another name with Scandanavian roots, and I just love the sound of this name for some reason. It's cute without overdoing it, and I can totally see it on a grown woman as well as a little five-year-old with pigtails. It's also one of those names where if she wants to be a girly girl, it fits her, and if she wants to be a tomboy, it doesn't seem out of place like a name like Lily or something would (nothing against the name Lily, I happen to really like it ;))
3. Emily - this has been my favorite name for pretty much forever, and while it sometimes gets replaced as my top name, it's definitely always on my list. I have nothing but positive memories of this name because of the fact that some of my very close friends are named this, and any time I picture myself with a little girl, for some reason, the name Emily is the one that always comes to mind. The only reason I'd be hesitant to use this is that it's SO popular, but I guess that doesn't matter to me and I hope that by the time I have kids in 5-10 years, it's not as insanely popular as it is now.
4. Julianna [nn Jules] - another name that I have loved FOREVER. There's just something so gorgeous about this name and it has really...kind of weird personal meaning to me. I also just adore the nickname Jules for some reason, so that's definitely what I'd call her. If I don't use Julianna, I might use Juliet or Julia instead. Basically any derivitive is beautiful to me, too.
5. Louisa - my love for this name was totally unexpected. I was a volunteer day camp counselor a few summers ago and there was a little girl there who was from England and her name was Louisa and I just adored her. Flash forward to a couple months ago when I saw this on someone's list and I immediately fell for it, probably in part due to the little girl because she was just such a cute kid and the name fit her so well. I might be hesitant to use it because it doesn't have any good nicknames that go along with it, and I don't want to leave my kids without that option if they want it. But, I do love it, so who knows.
Boys
1. Sam - I have an obsession with one-syllable boys' names for some reason. Especially Hebrew names. And Sam is one of my favorites. I have no idea why, but it's just such an awesome name for a little boy IMO, and it fits an adult really well, too.
2. Jake - the attack of the one-syllable Hebrew boys' names strikes again ;). Again, I'm not sure what makes me love this name so much, but I do. The popularity of it might keep me from using it, but I like with Emily, I don't care THAT much, and maybe by the time I have kids, it won't matter.
3. Michael - this is probably my absolute favorite boys' name ever, in part because it's my brother's name and my brother and I are really close and I would love to name my son after him someday. However, the fact that it's my brother's name is also a reason why I would probably not use it as a first name - I'm definitely going to be using it as a middle name, however.
4. Atticus - before anyone says anything, I would *not* use this as a first name. I love it, so much, mostly because of To Kill a Mockingbird and the association I have with it because of that. It's just such an awesome name to me. Like with Michael, though, I'd only use it as a middle name.
5. Luke - Again, it's the one-syllable boys' name thing. Plus, the meaning ("bringer of light") just makes me smile every time I hear it.
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Date: 2007-03-03 07:11 pm (UTC)Arden - It's the name of the enchanted forest in Shakespeare's "As You Like It." It also reminds me of the word "ardent" which means burning, glowing, or passionate. Plus, I've known two very nice Ardens.
Gemma - I love Libba Bray's series that includes A Great and Terrible Beauty and Rebel Angels. Gemma Doyle is the main character in both, and she's one of my favorite literary characters of all time. I also like that the name has "gem" in it and is supposedly really popular in England, where I may live some day.
Helena - Name of one of the main characters in Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." I love the character, and the name is really pretty to me.
Rosalind - Favorite Shakespearean character of all time, from "As You Like It." Well-known as probably Shakespeare's best-written female character in a comedy. In Latin it means "beautiful rose," which I like. I've always liked the name Rose but have always thought it was just a bit too short. So Rosalind it is.
Also, I know the names Isolde, Fae, and Scarlett will be used as future middle names if I have daughters. Isolde because of the legend of Tristan & Isolde (plus I just think it sounds pretty when it's pronounced correctly), Fae because of my faerie obsession (just look at my username) and Scarlett because scarlet is one of my favorite colors... and again, I just think it's pretty.
Caspian - I love The Chronicles of Narnia. Prince Caspian is an amazing character. I love the sound of "-an" and "-ian" names, but I don't like how random they're getting and how popular they've become. Caspian actually has meaning to me.
James - It's just a classic, lovely name. I've known many James's and they've all been very sweet. Plus, it's Harry Potter's dad's name, and I ♥ Prongs. He's a great character. After he got out of Hogwarts, that is.
John - It's my dad's name, and he passed away when I was 16 because of lymphoma. I want to honor him by putting his name somewhere in one of my future son's names. Plus, I love the nickname Jack.
Sebastian - I don't know, I just like it. And yeah, Cruel Intentions probably influenced me a bit. Heh XD
William - Classic. I just love it. I like it for the same reason I like James - I've known many sweet Williams. And a lot of attractive ones. It's a good, strong name that I don't think can ever be too dated.
My future sons names will probably be James Caspian and John William if my taste doesn't change - which honestly, it very well may. But I'm always going to be much more decisive with my male names than with my female names.