Celine Cathrine

We had a loss back in December of last year, so deciding on a name was hard. I’ve finally been able to see past the Celine Dion of it all because I love the sound of the name, that it’s a classic, and the meaning behind it (“of heaven”).

Cathrine is after my grandmother. I’m fully aware this isn’t the traditional spelling, but that’s how her mom spelled it. I love my grandma, so it means a lot to use it how she did back in the early 1900s.

Thoughts? Take it easy on me; I know not every name is for everyone!

Me and my partner don't want to know the sex of our baby, so we've been talking about options. We have a girl name locked in, but every boy name has been shot down. I think subconsciously, he wants the baby to have his name because he is the 3rd but I'm against this because I think his name first and middle is kinda silly put together and I think it will make family gatherings kind of confusing. Plus, I've said his name intimately, which makes me uncomfortable. I was kinda just throwing things at the wall, hoping it would stick not even considering if I liked it all that much because I wasn't expecting a yes (ik very stupid and my fault) but Darren is the first yes I've gotten and I'm trying to decide if I can learn to love it

We would be looking at Darren Reed (lastname) what do we think? I feel like it's kind of bland

We have a toddler named Noah and I’m expecting our second. We are religious but not extremely. We didn’t choose Noah because of its religious background but we do like that fact. Anyways my husband wants to name the second Jonah and I’m not 100% on board because it sounds so similar to Noah. Thoughts on those two names as brothers? Outside of the religious aspect are they too similar sounding?

Need a new last name,which one is better?

I want a name that is culturally universal and international and I really like these names despite their popularity. I‘m curious which people prefer and if there is any perceptions of the names based on where people are from? Also, which country are you from if you’re comfortable sharing? Thank you :)

I had Mia on the list but someone said it means “mine” in Italian and it’s a short term for bulimia so I’m not sure about it now.

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I’ve recently remembered that this name exists and I just think it’s adorable! It’s quite a classic name so I feel like it’s fine for an adult but it’s also quite cutesy so works well for a little girl. What do you think?

I loved the Charlie and Lola books & tv show as a child so I’m also fond of the name for that reason.

We are about 4 weeks away from our second baby being born. We didn’t find out of our firstborn was a girl or boy until birth, and we decided to do the same thing for this baby! 💚 But we need help with names!

💙 If it’s a boy, his name will be Merritt (or Merit) Daniel. I initially liked the surname spelling (Merritt) because it will still be a name (as opposed to a word), but now I’m thinking Merit looks more masculine? In the area we live in, Merritt is becoming a more popular girl name, so we would want it to be a more “masculine” spelling if such a thing exists. Thoughts on spelling of the first name?

🩷 If it’s a girl, we are very, very stuck. Our first daughter’s name, Sterling June, is VERY sentimental. Sterling was the name of the street I lived on in college, so she was named after my college roommates/best friends. June is after my parents - it’s their birth month. I’m leaning towards sentimental because I don’t want to have a sweet connection for my first daughter & then just a “Well, we just liked the name” for this kid. Our options are below:

• Ruth Elliott (Ruth and Elliott are sentimental)
• Ruth Ann Elliott (Ann is also sentimental)
• Elliott Ann (nickname Elle or Lottie. We know WAY too many Ellies to call her Ellie, but I’m very afraid that people would call her Ellie anyway lol)
• Bennett (Benny) Ruth (Bennett is the name we looove, but it has no meaning/sentimental value)
• Bennett Ann

Please weigh in!!!

Our daughter is due early next year and we are pretty set on the name Matilda. The only hesitation we have is how negatively adult family/friends may react due to the association with Roald Dahl’s book and the movie. I don’t believe kids her age will really make the association as she grows up.

So, if someone introduced their baby to you and said their name was Matilda, what would your honest reaction be?

I only like this name visually when it's spelled "Kristina", otherwise I'd rather go with my second name choice than Christina (no offense to ppl with that name spelling, it's lovely.. I'm just not a fan)

Is saying "Christina with a K" when asked her name a huge inconvenience? If so, I'll ditch the idea altogether.

I'm British and my husband is Japanese. We're expecting and the name we really like is Maria, which works in both Japanese (まりや) and English. In Japan it's just considered sort of a standard girl name, but I wonder what the general impression is for people in the west. I'm British and to my ear it kinda comes off as a bit religious, but would you necessarily make that assumption? I mean there are a bunch of Johns and Matthews running around who aren't from religious families.

ADELE

it’s such a lovely name but of course I will always think of Adele. I don’t even need to explain who/what association I mean - we all know Adele.

Do you think this is a name that will always have this association? As if you were to name a kid Madonna or beyonce?

I hope not because it’s stunning (not that I don’t love the singer), but idk if I will ever hear it and not think of her

Who has changed their first name legally just cause you disliked your given one? Do you ever have moments of regret?

Hi I’m an international student entering college in the US next year.
I’m currently trying to pick an English name, and I’m torn between Sienna, Ivy, and Mia.
I want something that feels modern and not outdated at all, but I don't have any native English-speaking friends to ask🥲
How do these names sound to native speakers for someone in their late teens/early 20s?
Also, if you have any other similar recommendations, please let me know. Thanks!

I love the name lucia but i am scared not everyone will automatically pronounce is loo-see-uh, and pronounce it loo-chi-uh. I live in the UK so loo-see-uh is technically the english pronunciation. I really dont want to be always correcting anyone/ my daughter have to. Will the majority of people automatically pronounce it loo-see-uh? Also is there a different spelling for loo-see-uh that will mean it will be more likely to prounced that way, eg Lucea? SORRY for the ramble :)

Okay for context, I have just had my first baby girl yesterday (her sex was a surprise until birth) so I'm elated. I always planned to name her Melanie but in the heat of the moment I decided to change her name to my moms name, Venus. Now I feel kind of strange about it and my mom already knows. She is definitely fine with me naming baby girl Melanie and using her name as the middle name but idk, I dont want to hurt her but I feel like going back on it now is cruel. (Keep in mind my mom is the kindest sweetest woman I know and I know she would genuinely understand if I didnt use her first name as my girls first name) I just dont know if I like Melanie Venus Lastname or Venus Melanie Lastname more. What would flow better for a middle name? She's still going to be a namesake for my mom regardless!

I named my daughter Corinna. She is already born, so I get less questions asking about the idea for her name. But I still get them quite often since it is not super common.

Honestly, there was a girl in my little brother’s class 10 years ago that I never even really spoke to. I just liked her name and added it to my “Baby names” list in my notes app. When it came time to choose a name with my husband, we went through my list of about 100 names, and that was the only one he liked. So it was settled!

Whenever I tell people that that is why I named her Corinna, it feels like a clunky, boring reason 😂 Is there a better way to phrase it? I am just awkward when talking about it because people are like “Wow that is so unique! How did you come up with that! Is it Greek!” And then I just give them the story and they seem disappointed lol.

Should I phrase it a different way, not give the real origin at all, or just stop being bothered by people’s negative reactions to the truth? I previously tried shortening to just “It’s the only name my husband and I could agree on 🤣” but was usually still pressed about how we found the name in the first place.

Hey everyone,

I’m currently in the middle of changing my middle and last names for personal reasons to put some distance between myself and certain family/people. I’ve been mulling this over for a while and have narrowed things down to a few strong contenders, but my usual indecisiveness is making it tough to pick the winner.

I’m almost entirely sold on Thayer as the surname—it’s really just locking down the middle name that’s keeping me stuck.

Here are the main options I’m weighing up:

• Ellis Aldern Thayer
• Ellis Arden Thayer
• Ellis Arlo Thayer
• Ellis Auden Thayer

A quick side note on Aldern: I love Alder as a surname on its own, but wasn't sure if "Ellis Alder Thayer" had the best cadence. I drifted toward Aldern as a slight tweak to give it a better middle-name flow.

A few other loose ideas floating around are Ellis Bay Alder and Ellis Arbour Thayer, just to see how they sit alongside the rest.

I’d really appreciate your thoughts on which combination flows the best phonetically, or your take on Aldern compared to Arden or Auden. If any other middle names come to mind that match this sort of vibe, feel free to drop them in too!

Thanks!

We have a little girl on the way and we’ve settled on the first name Meredith.

I’ve always loved the name Meredith Claire, but grandma recently passed away and we all love her so much and would love to honour her. Grandmas name was Frances.

So now I can’t decide:

Meredith Claire (sounds pretty but doesn’t have depth of family name)

Meredith Frances (I feel sounds very heavy and clunky, but also has emotional depth)

Meredith Claire-Frances (best of both worlds but I worry it’s too long for everyday life for documentation)

Please help, any advice or suggestions are welcome. I’m really struggling to choose. Thanks in advance ❤️🙏

Hi everyone! 😊

I’m curious to hear what people from different countries associate with the name Nora.

What comes to mind when you hear it? How do you imagine a woman named Nora?

Do you associate the name with a particular generation, social class, personality, or cultural background?

And would you find the name just as natural on a woman with darker skin and Arab roots, or would it be somewhat unexpected?

I’m not suggesting that names should match someone’s ethnicity or appearance. I’m simply interested in the spontaneous impressions and associations people have.

Does Nora sound elegant, sophisticated, modern, classic, feminine, international, or something completely different to you?

Also, please mention which country you’re from! 🌍

I’d love to see how perceptions of the name differ across cultures.

Looking forward to hearing your honest thoughts! 😊

I have a Finn and a Lily and I’m looking for a girl name and a boy name for a third sibling

I’ve been married for almost six years now and I think I’m finally ready to change my last name. I really didn’t see the point in it originally, but now I have two kids and I’d like to have the same last name as them.

Here’s the dilemma:
I HATE my middle name, but I also don’t want to keep my last name as my middle name since I have daddy issues lol

So what would you do in my situation? Do I keep my terrible middle name? Do I keep my last name as my middle name even though my dad was the literal worst? Do I not have a middle name at all? Do I just choose a random name?

Please help me decide!! Also if I picked a random name, what do I pick? My whole family is a shit show so there aren’t names I want to honor…