The Baby Name Wizard

WOW! I haven't hear of the "Aylin" names yet. They must not of made there way to the west yet.

Ok, I'll bite: What are the names that fill this criteria?

"16 names rhyming with AY-lin made the girls' top 1000 last year, with 8 more on the boys' list."

I'm particularly stumped by the boy's names.

Noooooo... I saw this coming, but still - it ruins the name Adalind forever. :-( And to a lesser extent, Ada... I wouldn't be surprised if that name takes off in a few years.

This seems to be the reverse of the trend for boys: adding letters to Aidan to create names.

I went through the top 1000 lists pretty quickly and here's what I found:

Girls: (in addition to Aylin itself)

Cailyn, Jailyn, Kaylen, Braelyn, Jaylyn, Kaylyn, Kaylynn, Jaylin, Jaylynn, Kailyn, Kaylin, Jaelyn. There's also Jalynn, which could be pronounced to rhyme with Aylin, I suppose. I'm missing a few, according to Laura's numbers.

Boys:

Jaylan, Jaylon, Jaylin, Jalen, Jaylen, Talen, Kelan, Talan, Talon... the last three (Kelan, Talan, Talon) are a bit of a stretch as far as the rhyme goes, so I think I'm still missing some.

A fourth possible derivation for you is the Manx Gaelic name Aalin, which means "beautiful." I've seen it spelled Aalyn in birth announcements from the Isle of Man:

http://gov.im/mnh/heritage/library/publicinfo/manxNames.xml

I think Adalyn/Adelyn is both an Adeline variant and inspired by Madelyn and Addison.

Kaelyn(337)
Jaelyn(360)
Kaylin(376)
Ayla(383)
Adeline(388)
Kailyn(488)
Jaylynn(543)
Jaylin(562)
Aylin(592)
Jaelynn(594)
Kaylynn(599)
Kaylyn(642)
Jaylyn(765)
Braelyn(811)
Adelyn(844)
Kaylen(849)
Adalyn(878)
Jalynn(904)
Jailyn(966)
Cailyn(974)
Okay that's 17 variations on the theme. Not as popular as the "Aiden's", but still pretty silly if you ask me. Also, what about the others that haven't made the top 1000. I've thought of Raelynn, Raylynn, Mailynn, Malynn, Maelynn, Braylyn, Braylynn, and Gaylynn. And of course if you add the infamous "e" to the end you get a multitude of additional alternates.

interesting

Galen is an "established" "legit" name, that rhymes, but is not in the top 1000 at the moment. it was 929 in the 90s, falling from a peak of 407 in the 40s. I guess the GAY sound is a turn off to a lot of babymakers nowadays.

for the life of me i cannot understand the appeal of these names. jaelyn = jailin'. i don't get it. aylin (as in english)? sounds like colloquial ailing to me. i know they are variations of caitlin, which in english sounds like two filler middle names smushed together. (sorry kates, lynns, and caitlins!)

Maureen,
Maybe I missed this announcement, but what did you name your 4th girl if you don't mind me asking?

I have a friend who recently named his daughter Adlay. Pronounced like Adlai Stevenson (at least the way I've always pronounced Adlai, I've heard it pronounced Ad-leye, too). I assume this is a spinoff of all the Ad names too, and am wondering if Adlai will possibly take off for girls with all kinds of unfortunate spelling variants.

If I were to go with an Ad name I would select Adela. It is one of the few underused names that offers two of the hottest trends available: the Ad beginning and the A ending. I wonder why this one hasn't taken off yet. I think that it is beautiful. Adelaide is nice too, but a little stuffy for my taste. Ada is a podunk town in southeast Oklahoma where I spent my early childhood (also the setting of John Grisham's Innocent Man), so the name is forever spoiled for me.

Isn't it funny how living near any town, city, mountain, lake or whatever with a personal name ruins the name as a name? Even if the place is nice, it never again feels personal or special. I think that is why many people with place names were named after places their parents visited or wanted to visit, not places their parents grew up. I might be wrong, but that's my perception.

We very nearly named our last child Ada Rosalie, and then turned it around to Rosalie Ada because we felt it would fit better with older sister Margaret Grace. Then it turned out we were having a boy anyway. ;) But we liked Ada and Rosalie because we felt they were old-fashioned and a little stuffy in a good way. Guess that won't last long with Ada...

(For the curious, we named our boy Robert Bingham, after a great-grandfather.)

Aylin seems to fit right in with all the 'din/'den/'don boy names as well (Landon, Aiden, Jaydin...). I expect that creative spellings like Aylinn will appear to emphasize the pronunciation.

Kristine, I think that every time I hear of a child named Camden or Brooklyn. I grew up in the Philly area, so to me, Camden is the place with an aquarium, and concert venue, and a lot of streets you do NOT want to be driving down after dark. It is also (I believe) the murder capital of New Jersey. It baffles me that people would want to give their child that name.

Now having been a New Yorker for the last ten years, Brooklyn just sounds sort of odd.

What is the pattern behind the headless phenomenon? Certain names wont work headless. To take my two favorites, I cannot conceive of anyone naming a child Osephine or Imon. Or Uliana. Or Athaniel. Is it the "A" beginning followed by a fairly strong consonant sound (d and t) that makes a headless name "work"?

On a totally off topic topic:

Has anyone here seriously considered changing their name as an adult. I know a version of this question was posed a while ago, and the most common answer seemed to be that everyone debated a name change as a teenager and then grew out of it.

Personally I never grew out of my dislike of my name, and have always considered changing it... but never as seriously as now. We are about to move to a brand new city where we don't really know anyone yet which seems like the perfect opportunity to change if I'm ever going to.

Part of me feels really vain for even considering it. And part of me says, I'll live for 50 or 60 or 70 more years, why live with a name I've never liked?

Coll, Uliana is a name in several languages, including Russian.

And unfortunately, I can see some parents going for some of the others, too, just because of how "different" they sound. However, the head-lopping *definitely* wouldn't work with the name Morgan.

On places influencing naming...

The place I live inspired me to consider two names - Gaines and Lanier - which I like, but DH says that people would connect the names too closely to the places. I guess one day I may move or grow out of liking them.

captcha names: keifer and trinity

Karyn, that's interesting. I should have figured...Uli is a relatively common name in parts of Europe, right? I'm still standing by the impossibility of Osephine, however,

My friend named her little girl (age 10 mos now) Adelyn Grace, and another friend's mom is named Adelina (add-deh-LEEN-nuh).
I also know a little girl named Abelyn, after her father, Abel.
re Place names, there don't seem to be too many city names near me that work as people names, although I have heard of the city where I grew up being used. But it's a nice enough place that it doesn't bother me. Our friend named her daughter Cambria after the town in California... it's where they honeymooned, and while their dd wasn't conceived there (she was their 3rd), they weren't ever planning on a girl and were stuck for a name. But I think that one works.

Kristine, I've never thought about changing my name as an adult, but I worked with a woman who did. She really disliked her given name of Deborah; it never fit her sense of who she was, and I suspect she felt awash in a sea of Deborahs. In her mid-30's she legally changed her name to Devon. I met her after the name change, and she really seemed like a Devon to me--she inhabited the name with ease and confidence. It was only during a discussion about her family and childhood that I learned she had grown up as Debbie. By then, happy with her new name, the Deborah part of her past was presented as an interesting tidbit.

In another case, our neighbor changed his name as a teenager, shedding the name of a father to whom he wanted to ties. He went from a name with strongly Hispanic roots to a name that could have been attached to a pilgrim, and at the time I thought I would never get used to it. Now I can remember calling him by his former name, but my emotional connection to him is as (insert new name here). I think that his mother's acceptance of the name change made a big difference in that situation; it made the transition easier for everyone who knew them.

Would you mind me asking if you have a new name in mind? Just curious...always curious about names, you know. :)

I worked with a man who changed his name from a very conventional one (Michael) to one I've never heard anywhere else, so I don't know if he made it up. It only took me a couple of months before I couldn't really think of him as Michael any more.

RE: naming babies from place names recalls Picabo Street, a skier in the Olympics of 1994. Quoting from Wikepedia -

"Her given name was inspired by the nearby Idaho town of Picabo, Idaho, (pronounced "Peekaboo"), which in turn takes its name from a Native American word meaning "shining waters"."

I actually sort of like Osephine. It seems like it could plausibly have the same kind of vibe as names like Otteline or Ottilie or Delphine. I'd pronounce it OSS-a-phine, though, to rhyme with cross, rather than OH-sa-phine. Not that I would actually name my child this...

Kristine -- I think especially with your upcoming move, it would be an ideal time to change your name. It's not exactly the same thing, but I used to work with someone who we called by her fn. Turned out everyone else in her life called her by her mn so eventually she asked us to do so. It was awkward at first, but it didn't take long to adjust to the new name.

Coll-Camden means something different to me... As a Marylander, I think of Camden Yards, the beautiful ballpark of our Orioles! In this area, there are a glut of dogs named Camden, named after the ballpark. I don't know any people Camdens though.

Just glancing at the top 1000 girls names, I can see several names that might get their first letter(s) chopped to make another name:

Ailey (Hailey, Bailey, etc)
Ayla (Kayla)
Andra (Alexandra)
Aya (Maya)
Abriella (Gabriella)
Ara (Sara)
Arilyn (Marilyn)

Kristine, this is one of the most interesting questions ever posed here, in my opinion. I, too, would like to know if you have a name "possibility" or a list of them waiting in the wings?

Were I you, I'd consider taking a nickname from "Kristine" or a telescoped version of your name or combo of your first and middle names, possibly.

I envy you since you could derive my favorite nickname (usually used for "Katherine" but plausibly applicable here)-- "Kit". I think it is so charming, breezy yet reminiscent of prior centuries. If it seemed too truncated, "Kitt" would work as well. But that's just my very specific taste, not shared by many, I suppose. Glamorous cabaret singer Eartha Kitt gave her daughter her (Eartha's) last name Kitt as a first name.

If I were to change my name, I'd have to go with a recognizable version of my own name-- probably "Nell". For me, it's sentimentally important to maintain the connection to what I've been called, and what my parents chose for me.

But I realize there are all kinds of different viewpoints on this. Would love to hear further thoughts from you and others...

I don't know anyone who has legally changed her/his name, but I know someone who decided to start going by her middle name when she was 23 or so. It was because her first name was Anglo and her middle name was Japanese, and she wanted to use a name that connected to her Japanese culture. Everyone in her life (including close family) had been calling her by the Anglo name her whole life, but the transition seemed to go well for her. I got used to the new name in just a few weeks. I also know someone who changed his name in the process of transitioning from female to male (though he never changed it legally), and that, too, went well with his friends. Don't know how the family felt about it, though.

Now I'm starting to think about what I'd rename myself if I had to... what an interesting question!

Aylin (EYE-lin) sounds so much like Isla (EYE-la). And since I know two new baby girls named Isla, it makes sense that Aylin won't be far behind. In fact, more people may be attracted to Aylin because it avoids the "Iss-la" pronounciation that is currently irritating my friends.

Yeah, Isla isn't "headless," but it sounds like a headless Lila, Kyla, etc. Same with Ellen/Helen and Elena/Helena --all established names, but there's a possibility some would use the E- versions to join the trend, even without realizing that's part of their decision. What sounds "fresh" and why isn't always something folks can explain.

But if we start seeing Ittany, Icole, and Shley, I give up!

Or Atthew, Arles and Ristopher.

The name Ayla (EYE-la) is one I've seen several times around here in recent years. I wonder if Ayla has inspired Aylin in some cases.

My husband changed his name from Kenneth to Tom (his grandfather's name) when he was in college. His sisters call him Tom but use Ken to talk about their childhood memories. His parents use Ken more than Tom, although his father is better about sticking to Tom. He said that even as a child he hated the name Kenneth and didn't feel like it fit him.

My old roommate knew a woman who changed her name every five years. She didn't do it legally (too much trouble), but instructed all of her friends and family to make the changes along with her. Many people, of course, couldn't make the transitions. So it was very easy to tell when people had first been introduced to this woman by the name that they used! My roommate was trying to get used to the changed from Ellen to Quinn and was having trouble.

I know an Andra who has got to be in her 40's at least. and Imon wouldn't work for a boy but it really reminds me of Iman--itself a truncated version of Imani I think. Or Amani to use the form I've heard more frequently for East African boys.

but Ittany is bad, just bad.

Are we all writing down variations on Iley for next year's pool?

Wasn't there an Ayla in Clan of the Cave Bear? It seems to me we've discussed this one before.

What is interesting to me here, is that I think Isla/Ayla has a very different feel than something like Adalyn or Aylin. I guess it's the lyn sound, but I don't see a mom considering Ayla or Isla giving much consideration to the latter two. Anyone else?

Don't forget Adair-I'm bound and determined to sell it to someone on this board.

Hi Kristine, I can answer your question having changed my name fairly recently as an adult!

I had never liked my name. I actually think it helped hammer a sense of low self-esteem into me as a child (if that doesn't come off as too melodramatic). My parents had actually always said, when I complained about it, "Just change it", but I felt it would look silly to walk into school one day and announce "My name is now 'X'"; I had similar concerns about it being 'vain' to change it. Also, as I grew older I started to get compliments on my name, whereas as a child I was mostly getting puzzled looks and mispronunciations. So I just thought, whatever, other people seem to like it so I'll just stick with it.

Then one day, I was nearing the end of my degree, and I was on the phone sorting out some bills when the person asked me for my name. I told her, and she repeated it back to me so mangled (and it really isn't an unheard-of name), that I just thought, stuff this, life is too short to be bashfully mumbling a name I don't even like! Also by then I was my own person, living independently away from my hometown. Even though I'd never considered changing my name before, my "new name" just came to me like it had been there all along; I never considered any others. It's short, sweet and everyone can say it! I changed my "old name" to be my new middle name (I didn't have one before), and the two names sound really good together.

So, I'm really, really pleased with my name change and I almost wish I'd done it sooner! My family, and friends I've known since school, will always call me by the "old name", but now at work and with new people I'm the "new name". Funnily enough my boyfriend and some of my newer friends started calling my by the "new name" just for the novelty of it, and it's actually stuck, so I get called both by them, which is more than I had expected. I respond to both names (I never "forget" when someone's calling me by the new name), but being called by the "new name" almost feels like receiving a compliment, and more 'me'. I haven't had any hassle so far, either; it's all gone very smoothly.

So, in short, life *is* too short in my opinion, and now sounds like the perfect time for you if you really want to do it. Maybe you could keep your old name as a middle name like I did, to make the transition less scary and hold on to your old identity (for practical as well as sentimental/family reasons - say, if you have to pick up a parcel addressed to "Kristine Smith" it's better to have ID saying "Isabel Kristine Smith", for example, than just "Isabel Smith").

J&H's mom, I know someone named Adair! She's probably about 23 or 24. She has an older sister named Lucinda (Lucy) who's a friend of mine, and a younger, high-school-aged brother named Mark. They all grew up in Manhattan. The name suits her well--she's quite brainy and also rather sophisticated.

Lucie, now I'm beyond curious as to what your old and new names are. Is Lucie one of them? I of course respect internet privacy desires, but you are dangling tempting bait in front of a group of NEs.

Coll... I will reveal that my 'new' name is Lucy, spelled that way. I've taken to using the Lucie spelling on the internet, just because I find it looks nicer in computer print (whereas I love handwriting out the swirly capital L and y of Lucy!), and it creates a little 'alias'. My old name is nothing hideous or even extremely unusual, but I just loathed wearing it so much as a child that I could never be comfortable with it as an adult. Sorry to have dangled the bait!

I have no desire to change my name. As a 1979 baby named Jessica, You would think that my life would be inundated with others just like me. WRONG!! But if I were to change my name.... I dont know. I may very well choose Mary. huh. I will have to ponder that.

I think moving is a great time to implement a change. BUT make sure that you are not going to feel like a stranger in your own house. New life and new name can cause an identity crisis. Would you legally change it or just create and alias?

My friend Christina has "always" been Tina but would love to be Christina. She has given up on introducing herself as Christina bc then when people call her that she has this subconsious reaction "O yeah, those people dont know me very well."

Imon reminds me of Imus. As in Don.

Coll, it's funny you know sisters Adair and Lucy... I know a woman named Lucy Adair (fn mn)! That's the only Adair I've ever known in real life, though it's not even her first name. I think it's a great name.

Guest, I just realized you asked about my fourth daughter. We went with Delphine Lucia.

Adelyn was going to be our girl's name, but it is out now that I realize it is so trendy. I love the George Strait song Adelida, so it was a take-off from that not Madelyn or Addison, but oh well. There are other contenders.

I have never liked my name, but unless I was moving somewhere alone, where I knew nobody, I wouldn't consider changing it. If I did, I would love to be either Kate or Dempsey (my absolute guiltiest pleasure name EVER, lol). The main reason I wouldn't change it is because I know my mom loves the name, and that's why she gave it to me. I've never told her that I don't like it, I worry it would hurt her feelings (and for her, it *totally* would).
I have a friend who has always gone by her given Chinese name, but is now wanting to go by Cindy. It's really hard for me, after 12 years, to change what I call her, but I'm trying. We work together and she did it mid-year, so maybe after summer break it'll be easier.
I LOVE Adair. It would never go with my last name (Italian, starts with A, 4 syllables, unusual), but it's going on my suggestion-list. Great name!

Is everyone thinking Adair for a girl? Now, I remember coming across it in a P.G. Wodehouse story ("Mike and Psmith", anyone?), for a boy - well, I guess it was his surname, being set in a boarding school, but I remember that "Adair" was the golden sporting hero of the school! It's never made it onto my favourites list, but I've always liked it - the jaunty sound, and the look of it (I was so disappointed to learn that the similar looking Scottish Alasdair is just pronounced "Alister"!). I guess because of the similarity to Claire and Adele, it could work well on a girl too.

I seriously considered changing my name from Lisa to Elizabeth when I moved across country 10 years ago, but I feared that I might offend my parents. I wish I'd gone through with it because I find that I still make deprecating remarks about my first name whenever I am introduced. Elizabeth seemed like the most logical new name since Lisa is derived from it, and people would assume that Lisa was a silly childhood nickname.

Kristine, I'd keep your current name as a middle name. Is your middle name something reasonable? Could you simply start answering to your middle name?

I know at least 3 people who hated their names and changed them.

Jennifer/Jenny to Linnea

Beatrice to Star

Unknown name to C4iji (take out the 4, pronounced Cee-gee)

Linnea is the only one I knew both before and after. This was years ago and I still have difficulty using the correct name when talking about her.

Star is in her mid-30s. I can't imagine her as a Beatrice. I think of Beatrice as a dainty prim and proper British woman. She's a LOL funny effusive Hispanic woman. (I don't know if that is why she dislikes her original name; that's just my take.)

The last person won't disclose her original name. From what little I know, it was a benign name like Deborah.

I say go ahead and change it for the move. However, I wouldn't try to force old family and friends to adopt it, or get offended if they don't. I would just tell them the new name and let them decide.

FYI, this was my list of 16 "AY-lin" names:

Kaylin
Jaylin
Aylin
Kaylen
Jaylen
Jaylynn
Kaylynn
Kaylyn
Jaylyn
Kailyn
Jailyn
Cailyn
Jaelynn
Kaelyn
Jaelyn
Jalynn

Did I miss any?

Lucie: Thank you SO MUCH for sharing your experience. I found it really, really helpful. I, too, hate giving my name out at restaurants, on the phone, etc., even though there is nothing wrong with it, per se. I just don't like it.
My mom, too, has said, "just change it." Even my husband is on board. So I think I will do it.

Now that I’m seriously considering changing my name, a whole world of possibilities has opened up that never felt real before. Among them:

Anne. The name I’ve liked the longest. However, it is my 3-year-old daughter’s first name. She is Anne Juliet, called Juliet. I would hope that if I changed my name to Anne she would treasure the enhanced connection between us. But she might equally well - maybe even at the same time - resent me treading on her own first name.
Anneliese
Beatrix. Like this so much, but not sure I want to steal it from my future daughter.
Cicely. Might be confusingly close to my childhood nickname, Krissy.
Clare
Esme. My husband likes this one, but only pronounced Ez-mee. I’ve been told this pronunciation is incorrect, but we’ve known actual women who pronounced their name like this, so it's a little up in the air.
Fiona. Only concern is that this one might shoot up the popularity charts.
Ione
Jane
Joan
Liesel
Lucy
Laurel
Margaret
Marguerite
Marie. My actual middle name, which would make the transition easier. A little seventies, though.
Violet

I am also completely open to suggestions. Everyone’s honest thoughts would be MOST appreciated. I am not at all sensitive, so go ahead and opine.

To those who suggested taking my first name as a middle name, I might. And I definitely wouldn't force old friends or family to call me a new name or be offended. I just remembered a family story. My grandpa's name was Charles Rodney. At home in South Dakota, he was always called Rodney. Then he joined the navy, and his superior called him Charles. When he didn't respond, he got in trouble! Eventually he started going by Charles, and that is how I and everyone who knew him after age twenty or so referred to him. But back home in South Dakota he was always called Rodney. I imagine it would be similar with me.
Sorry for taking up so much room on the post. I couldn't make this decision without input from this blog, I'm on it so much.

Kristine, my favorites from the names you suggested are Fiona and Marguerite (I really like Marguerite). Good luck!

Wow, so fascinating to imagine changing your name as an adult. As a bearer of a name I've never identified with (not the one I use here, but a dated 70s surfer name that's never felt to me like _me_), I'm envious of your chutzpah ... but at over 40, entrenched in the place I'm likely to stay for a long time, and with a career that depends on name recognition (I'm a journalist), I just don't think I could do this.

I have no idea how to advise Kristine on name choices as I don't know her taste ... but I will say that currently trendy names like Fiona or Violet or Beatrix (I know, it's not on the charts, but it still sounds like a name that would be trending upward in upscale playgrounds) are a bit odd on a grown woman. Why not save Beatrix for your future daughter (it goes well with Juliet) and go with one of the My favorite of the names you list is probably Laurel, but Clare and Anneliese and Marie are all lovely -- which do you feel the most like?

Krissy is a bit confusing -- if your real name is Kristine, does this really constitute a name change? If it feels like it does to you, that would certainly cut down on the embarrassment factor of telling everyone, 'Please start calling me this now," since you'd just be asking them to switch to a nickname.

And finally: I'm kind of a stickler when it comes to name-theft issues (like, I really would think it was annoying if a friend used any part of my daughter's name for their child), so I'd avoid taking your daughter's first name even if she doesn't use it. But others, including your daughter, might be fine with it.

Oh, rereading your post I see that "Krissy" wasn't put forth as a new name choice -- you were just saying that was your childhood nn. Sorry.

"Last February I talked about the emerging style of updating trendy names by lopping off their initial consonants."

Having a very old-fashioned "headless" name myself, I just wanted to point out that it may be a RE-emerging style, but it is in no way new. However old the name Ellen is, it has always been a derivative of Helen, an even older name. I'm sure there are others, but this was (obviously) the easiest for me to comment on.

Hi again, Kristine! I'm so glad I could help, I was worried I'd written a bit of an essay! Of your list of possible names, Violet really stands out for me, it's beautiful. I like most of your list, although I'm not sure how to pronounce Ione (eye-oh-nee?).

Actually, how worried (or not) are you about ease of pronunciation/spelling? For me, even after having been a lifelong name-nerd, I suddenly found that when choosing myself a name I was strongly drawn to an simple favourite of early childhood, Lucy. I think choosing such an 'easy' name has helped smooth things, especially as I was so self-conscious of my old name. Of course, this may not be an issue for you - in fact, maybe it would be a pleasure spelling out your beautiful new name instead of trotting out the disliked old one!

Regardless of that, my favourites from your list are: Violet, Lucy (of course!), Jane, Joan, Liesel and I love Cecily spelled this way, although I appreciate Cicely too (I know Cicely is as "legit" as Cecily, but my first thought upon seeing Cicely is an impulse to change the 'i' and the 'e' around to make the beautiful Cecily!). I'm sort of ambivalent about Margaret, but I love the opportunity it gives for the nickname Meg.

Keep us updated and best wishes!

Kristine,

My great-great grandfather was named Abraham Wilson. He hated the nickname Abe so as an adult switched his name to Wilson Abraham and went by Wils. Or so I'm told. He might have just said, call me by my middle name folks, its what I want.

If you like Marie, I think I might just use that--its a lovely name in itself and it doesn't sound very 70s to me. Other than Marie Osmond I can't think of any other fn Maries at all, even though I have a full family of women with Marie for their middle name.

OTOH, Fiona is cool and it sounds like a grown up name to me!

I see the point of staying away from the up and coming popular names. At the same time, you are a totally different demographic than they are and will sound different on a grown woman than a new baby.

I would be inclined to stay away from Anne. Anneleis is questionable. Only you can know if it too close to Anne or if it could draw you together.

I really like Marguerite. Marie is ok. Laurel is pretty. Leisel I like too.

Oh, I forgot to say I really like Anne as well (that 'e' makes all the difference!), and I think it's lovely to have that link with your daughter (especially as she goes by Juliet; it's more of an overlap than having the same name). I guess like lizpenn said, it depends which you most feel like.

OT--

A question for those of you who have used multiple middle names (and those who chose not to do so as well)--how is it/did it work for you?

I'm seriously considering giving this boy 2 middle names--one fn style name (probably Gabriel since I can't use it for the first name) and then my ln. I'd been planning on just my ln but the last few days I've been thinking using a different middle name would give the kid another option someday if he wants it. My ln will never be a 'ln first' option.

DD already uses both my ln and DH's ln after her first/middle, even though my ln is not officially in her name. Someday she'll notice it though I really like the idea of having a name connection to her, especially since I do all the kid related stuff so people are always calling her by my name anyway.

I'd appreciate any experiences with multiple mn. I know its a topic that people seem to be either for or against.

"

"Last February I talked about the emerging style of updating trendy names by lopping off their initial consonants."

Having a very old-fashioned "headless" name myself, I just wanted to point out that it may be a RE-emerging style, but it is in no way new. However old the name Ellen is, it has always been a derivative of Helen, an even older name. I'm sure there are others, but this was (obviously) the easiest for me to comment on."

Just to clarify, Helen/Ellen and Heloise/Eloise represent a global change in pronunciation (in French and in some forms of English) in which aitches are dropped, initially and sometimes medially (Jehan/Jean. Mahaut/Maud). This affects all aitches present in the language or dialect at the time the change occurred, not just those in names (for example herb/'erb). So Ellen and Eloise result from a sound change, not an attempt to 'freshen up' a name by dropping an initial consonant.

Speaking of Aylin, last week on America's Best Dance Crew (don't ask), one of the judges, Lil Mama, was directing a comment to one of the dancers who was named Aylin. Lil Mama called her 'Alien' as in creature from outer space, and the dancer immediately said 'eye-LEEN' in quite a peeved tone.

Off-topic: What is your reaction to Merlin?

I don't see Bailyn on your list. I have a niece by that name. :)

Kristine, great list. I love Clare, Jane, Cecily Anne, Ione, Esme.

By the way, there's a long, respectable tradition in English-speaking countries of giving it the Ez-mee pronunciation, rather than the Frenchified -may. Lots of Brits say -mee. Both are correct, and you can feel confident choosing whichever you prefer.

In line with my preference for "salvaging" something of the original names, I might go with your second name Marie, or a version of it like Mary, Mari, or Maria.

I also love the mystery of "just initial" names, i.e. "P.D. James". So "K.M. Last Name" sounds good to me. The initials make a pleasing sound, kay-emm, too. But I suspect you want a full name...

another amy-- at the risk of being boringly repetitive, I highly recommend multiple middle names! As I've said many times here, my son has five names altogether (three middles), and it's worked out fine. The only reason NOT to do it might be a worry that some bureaucracies might not be set up to handle longer names. But I say fie on them! I'm all for making things hard for bureaucracies.

As it happens, though, we've had no trouble. He knew all his names at a very early age, and liked reciting them. Each has some sort of family or personal significance, as I'm sure yours do as well.

My mother had three middle names as well, and it was a boon to her. They were: "Martha Katherine Joyce Lilly Last Name". She didn't like Martha and so was called Katherine from the time she was tiny. I know she liked having a variety to choose from...

By and large I think most of the Arthurian names are on the precious/pretentious side--now, and I think in many cases then as well. I would not be naming my kids Lancelot, Guinevere (Jennifer is of course fine, and one day no doubt it will sound fresh again), Gaheris, Agravaine, Modred, Ygerne, Uther, Perceval/Parzival, Galahad, Bors, Bedivere, Yvain, Morgause, Lot, Ban, Balin/Balan, Pellinor, Bertilak/Bercilak, Brangane, etc., any time soon, if I were having kids, which I am not.

Arthurian names I think are certainly usable ((in my opinion) include Arthur (of course), Elaine, Anna, Kai, Gavin (Gawain), Owen (Owain), Lynette, Bruce, Mark, Morgan/Morgana, Helena, and Howell (Hoel).

Possibles (on the margin, again from my perspective)) include Laudine, Ninian/Nimue, Tristan, Yseult/Isolde. I would put Merlin in the possibles category. Unlike, say, Laudine and Nimue which to me are verging on the precious, Merlin strikes me as rather down home, perhaps because I think of Merlin Olson, the football player.

So for Merlin I would say OK, but not at the top of my list. BTW the name was originally Welsh, Myrddin (the DD is pronounced like a th). It is conjectured that when the character began to appear in French romances, the name became Merlin because the French version of Myrddin would be Merdin, and that was too close to you-know-what. Dunno if that has any real validity or not....

Hating your name: A simple thought that turned into a short essay

This talk of name changes is very interesting to me because I relate to it, although not about my first name, which I like, but rather about my last name, which I hate.

The funny thing is that although I hate it, and I cringe whenever anyone calls me by my whole name aloud (eg. at a doctor's office or when attendance is being taken,) I wouldn't even consider changing it when I get married. (Where I live women's names are not legally changed upon marriage so in official capacities my name would never change, but many women choose to change their names socially.)

If I were to change my name when I get married, I would be going from one four letter noun to another, but while mine is a stupid name (in my opinion) my boyfriend's is a good, strong name. One downside to taking his name is that it would result in alliteration, something that really doesn't work for me - though some people really like it... and I have to admit that I don't hate it as much as I used to.

And you know, even though my last name is a four letter noun which is very common in daily life people *still* have trouble spelling it - as if they cannot believe that it's as simple as it sounds. When they try to stick in extra letters I always say "No... ---- as in ----" and they laugh because of how easy it should have been (and I stand there wishing that so much attention hadn't been called to my name).

But here's the thing: although I hate my last name, it still feels like *me*, and therein lies the difference. Since it's a common item I hear it frequently and I relate to it in a positive, familiar sense, even in its non-name capacity. I'm just mortified when it is called out loud.

When people want to change their first names it seems to me that it is generally because the name given at birth doesn't *feel* like them, regardless of them possibly liking the name well enough for someone else. I hate my name, but for better or worse it's me.

And I have the comfort of knowing that my children will be blessed with a much less embarrassing name.

I had a cat named Nimue. I wouldn't use the name for a person because no one could pronounce it, even when it was sounded out for them: Nim-ooo-eee.

Thanks all for the input. I am reading all comments to my husband, who for once thinks this blog is really interesting!

For the record, I am also considering May.

Soon-to-be-not-Kristine,
I may be in the minority, but I think sharing Anne with your daughter is lovely, especially if she goes by her middle name. She's young enough that she'll probably never remember her mother having any other name. I especially like the idea of Anne with your current name as the middle name, perhaps going by both. Anne Kristine sounds regally Danish to me, and nothing like just Kristine. You could also use Anne Marie, keeping your current middle name in its spot.
If, however, you have any doubts about sharing Anne with Juliet (and Anne Juliet is simply gorgeous), I'd suggest using one of your other names that doesn't feel so of-the-moment, unlike Violet or Fiona. I feel like you wouldn't want your name to sound like it was picked out in 2008, but rather in 197-(?), when you were born. I think Laurel, Cicely, Clare, or Margaret would achieve a more timeless name sound. I don't know what era May sounds - really more like about to hit in 5 years, in my crystal ball - but I love it.
You know, I've always kind of thought my name, Katie, was little-girlish, but I don't think I'd ever get up the nerve to ask people to call me by my full name, Katherine, or the wonderful nn's of Kate or Kit. I'm impressed by your bravery. Although it's also an issue of sound for me - I have a one syllable last name and can't really condone a one syll first name, but still. I don't know how I'd start.

hyz,

Catching up on posts, I noticed that I had a very similar alphabetical name list to yours on the thing two posts back - and I hadn't read yours when I posted. I thought it was just coincidence that we both wanted kids named Ivy and Rowan (though of course you're ahead on getting there), but it seems we share our love of the names Beatrix, Calla, Juniper, Oliver, Quinn, Silas, Theodora, Valentin, Willa, William, and Zinnia as well! I also meant to choose Henry over Harvey, so add one more. I didn't realize we had such similar tastes - 14 out of the 48 (I gave up on U and Y) is really amazing.

But if you go look at that post, please ignore my 18 kids list. I was at work and totally forgot about the fact that they're all supposed to coexist as siblings, and therefore birthed a Calla, a Calvin, and a Callum. I lose.

...or win, I suppose, if the point is to get to use my favorite nickname, Cal, as often as possible. I'd certainly hear it a lot.

Fiona IS a grown-up name (at least in the UK). Very much so.

I'm excited for you, Kristine. I disliked my name as a child but it's grown on me. Of the names you put forward, my favorites are Clare (particularly spelt that way), Jane, Lucy, Laurel and Violet.

Valerie, you're right, in the UK Fiona is a grown-up name. I remember meeting a 18 year old Fiona when I was studying abroad in Edinburgh and it seemed to be a pretty common name there. I think though that it's too new to the U.S. to work here...unless Kristine doesn't live here, in which case, go for it!

Just checked SSA - Fiona appeared on the top 1000 in 1990 and has since peaked in 2006 at 333, which feels like a nicely underused but modern-era name to me. Not like Adalyn is modern era of course, but more like Ava or Ella, just on a lower scale. I'd stay closer to (American) classics or pseudo-classics in the search for a new name.

@Darice - weird coincidence, the name I've had at the top of my list is Ada Rosalind / Rosalind Ada (I go back and forth about the order) - it's interesting that we have such similar naming tastes, although I hate the thought of Ada becoming popular. :-(

@everybody else - I just got a Zune (mp3 player) and one of the first things that happens after you install your Zune is the software asks you to name it, so being an NE I gave my Zune a name that would probably be better suited to a little girl: Zelda Marinne. I may end up calling it/her Z. ('zed', not 'zee') for short. ^_^

For what it's worth, I think that Ada Rosalind flows a lot better than Rosalind Ada because two "d"s so close together makes the transition between the names harder.

Katie,
it was fun putting together both of those lists, and it's neat to see the overlap! Like you, I tried not to look at other peoples' lists (esp. the alphabet one) before making mine, because I didn't want to be influenced. I really do feel like it would be easier naming more children, because it allows you to branch out so much. I found that I really was able to come up with a boy and girl name from *almost* every letter of the alphabet that I could live with, if not love. From our overlap, the only one I don't really love is Quinn, but it's perfectly nice--Q was hard for me. I have a cousin (born on Valentine's Day) named Blaise Valentin, and I think that's just so cool. His brothers are Galen and Nathan, by the way--my aunt was way fashion forward 30+ years ago.

Kristine--I agree with the others that it will probably be easier to transition to a name that doesn't sound *too* posh toddler. And I'm on the fence about Anne. I think it's an excellent name, and it's not like your daughter goes by it, and fathers and sons share a name all the time, so I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with it--but I can see feeling funny picking the same name twice. With that in mind, from your list, I really like:

Clare
Jane
Lucy
Laurel
Margaret
Marguerite
May

They all sound very classic and strong to me. Between those, I think it would just depend on what you *feel* most like. Personally, I'd probably pick Margaret, but I'm probably very skewed towards that because it's my MN. My next choice for myself would probably be Laurel or Clare. But that's just me--I can't tell you about you. :)

Nicole Amanda--it's funny--Ada and Rosalind are both family names for me, and we considered them both. I *really* wanted to use Rosalind, and it sounds great with the LN, but DH gave me a hard time about it being a super old lady name. Hmph. So I dropped it this time, but if we have another girl, it's going back on the list. Hmph.

Kristine--I love the idea of you going by Anne and think that either Anne Kristine or Anne Marie sounds great. Anne Juliet is beautiful by the way. If she doesn't go by Anne I don't think she'll be upset, and she might actually think its cool--like, I'm special, my mom was named after me! Other than Anne, I like Clare, Jane, Joan, Lucy, Laurel, Marguerite, and Marie.

I wouldn't worry about datedness unless it's extremely, extremely trendy, like Jaelyn, or extremely outdated, like Ermintrude. Most non-NEs are only vaguely aware of these things.

Does anyone else like Azalea as a name? I really really do but think it might be too out there...thoughts?

I like Azalea. The "z" is so enticing. The only thing that puts me off is that the plant is sort of garish and not very fashionable (for those of us who also follow garden trends).

Acacia is also a name I like.

Someone mentioned Picabo Street on the previous post. I read this interesting story about her name:

"Picabo's 'rents decided to let Picabo choose her own name when she was old enough so for the first two years of her life, she was called "Little Girl." When Picabo was two, her mother took her to get a US passport for a trip to Mexico. When Dee tried to write down "Little Girl" as daughter's first name, the guy at the passport office gave her a funny look and told her she had two weeks to give her daughter a "real name." So, Stubby and Dee named their daughter Picabo (after a small village in Idaho.) When she was four, Picabo's parents said she could change her name but she decided to keep it."

http://www.kidzworld.com/article/1520-picabo-street

If I let my 5 year old pick her own name, it would probably be "Butterfly." (At least this week.) Butterfly doesn't make for a very good nick names. But? Butter? Fly? She is also into "Bluebird." I guess she likes nature names like her Mommy.

On the other hand, if I knew I was going to let my kid pick her own name at age 4, I might try out different names on her. One month she could be Sage, the next she could be Quinn, the next she could be Chrysanthemum. That could actually be fun! ;)

Thanks so much for everyone who has chimed in about… well, about my name! I’ve found the comments to be really helpful. I can see the point about not choosing something too “posh toddler” (to quote hyz) and I think I agree. Also, everyone’s thoughts on Anne being shared with my daughter were really good to read. Believe it or not, and you probably do, as you are all NEs, I’ve been keeping a tally. The tally won’t dictate my decision, obviously, but it is quite interesting. I thought Laurel, for instance, was kind of an outlier, but apparently not. Here are the results so far:

Anne +4 -2
Anneliese +1 -1
Beatrix -1
Cicely +1
Clare +6
Esme +1
Fiona +2 -3
Ione +1
Jane +5
Joan +2
Liesel +2
Lucy +4
Laurel +6
Margaret +2
Marguerite +4
Marie +3
May +2
Violet +2 -2

Other names suggested: Kit, Cecily +2, Margaret called Meg, Mary, Mari, and Maria

Eo: Thanks for clarifying the pronunciation of Esme! Your comments were really helpful.

Karyn: I see what you are saying about how a name has to feel yours. That has always been a problem for me. I feel like when people say my name that there is some disconnection between it and me.

Sabrina: “I’m special, my mom was named after me!” Iol. I never thought of it like that before. Also, I like Azalea. It has a lot of zip because of the “z” but also a quaintness, because of the flower. Another similar option might be Azure.

Another opinion...

Although the names on your list are not ones that I personally relate to, from a purely "that name sounds pretty" point of view I like Esme, Marguerite, Marie and Anneliese. (I find this funny since I reside in a largely French region and I guess I have been influenced by that more than I realized.) Fiona and Violet are nice names and really suit some people.

Since I have no idea what you look like or what sort of personality you have I can't really rank them for you, only as abstract names. Because often a name isn't one that I would like but it really works on the given person.

I tend to have quite different taste in names than many/most people who frequently comment here and I am not one who likes those plain/simple/old standard names - call them what you will - so I don't like names like Clare (although I like that spelling much more than Claire, for some reason), Jane, Joan (to me this to me is a middle-American, middle-aged woman with bad fashion sense... sorry to any Joans out there who don't fit that mental image) or Lucy.

Don't like Liesel, either - too Von Trapp.

Keep us updated!

Tirzah--Acacia's pretty cool. I dislike the magenta-y azaleas but really like the pale pink or peach-ish ones.

Kristine--Something about the second syllable in Azure sounds odd to me...not sure why. Any thoughts on what name you're leaning toward yet?

i am so happy that the adult name change issue
was brought to the table. i have never liked my name; rhona; growing up.no one could pronounce it; the h was superfluous...and it was too odd.my family was quite dysfunctional; it does not; for me;harken to lovely times past; i remember thinking when i was in grade 4 ..if only i was a becky..my life would be so much better!...well fast forward 40 yrs; and i am still struggling with my name. i named my daughter victoria..she enjoys her name; i am so
happy she does! i would love to change my name..
but...my profession is an unusual one and i am fairly well known in my field.if i change my name will i lose respect? i believe that most people i have asked think that changing your name is strange; but; like the previous writer; i believe that life is too short to be unhappy with one's name..so perhaps all you fellow name lover(naming lovers?) can help me.
my middle name is marylin(meant to after marilyn monroe; mother could not spell!)
i dont love this name either...
names i enjoy
harlowe...sloane..dominique...anjelica..harper
here again is a question .. i know when i meet someone in their 40's named sunshine star that more than likely they changed their name!

so i want my new name to be time appropriate..
to the early sixties..

katharina..i know not appropriate for a jewish girl born in the sixties..but i love it..

so..i am open to all suggestions..i am beginning to feel this name obsession taking over my life!! i would love to find the perfect fit..

i have described the feeling as one similar to the beam of light on star trek. the beam is me..but my name does not resonate with the vibration of the beam...hope that is not to esoteric for you all...

thank you again..

rhona

Kristine-
I like the idea of using your mn or a name that has some sound in common with your given name, so my votes would go to Marie or Clare.
Clare is also one of my favorite names ever, and I think it has a classic ring that fits a confident woman of any age. I also like Marie, and while it's true it was super popular as a mn (probably still is), I only know one girl with Marie as a fn (my niece, actually). I do love all your choices, though. What a fun dilemma!

There was a TV movie about the cold war with a beautiful Russian ballerina named Azalea. I don't know how they spelled it, but it was so beautiful spoken.

And yes, I think of Adair as a girls' name, and as I'm not usually a proponent of girls with "boys'," names, you can imagine my horror upon discovering it came from the boys' name Edgar. I still love it, though. Like others, I have a particular affection for A names. Another guilty pleasure of mine is Avalon.

Interesting to hear from other people who have considered or are currently considering changing their names! Rhona, of the choices you are considering, I like Katharina.

Anybody have thoughts on what an adult named Margaret would go by, other than Margaret in full, which I already like...

Rhona--

One of my father's cousins was married to a Catherine, so the name is not completely inappropriate for a Jewish women born whenever. (Cousin Catherine would be well over 100 if she were still alive.) If you are Ashkenazic, I would assume that you are named for someone and that you have a Hebrew or Yiddish name. If so, you should keep that name for use on religious occasions, and the new vernacular name you choose should in some way relate to it. If your parents did not follow the custom of double naming and naming for a deceased relative, you might do that now, choosing to honor a dear grandparent or other family member who has passed away. Jewish tradition does allow for re-naming someone who is desperately ill, but short of that, I personally would find it horrifying to discard the name given in memory of a deceased relative. If your family did not follow that tradition and did not name you for someone, then the sky is the limit. The only names I would find inappropriate are those that are specific to other religions like Rosary, Lourdes, Concepcion, Cruz, Trinity, Bethany, Dolores, Guadalupe, Christianne, Fatima, Mercedes, and so forth.

Kristine -- for Margaret, I like Mara, Meg, and Greta, in that order. Maisie and Maggie are also great nicknames, but I like them better for kids than adults. There's also something I find charming about Peggy, though I wouldn't use it, personally.

I went to school with a Jewish Katherine who is now 27. The name spans generations and, while it isn't commonly Jewish, it isn't inherently un-Jewish either.

However, I do always find it very odd when I encounter Jewish "Mary"s and "Christina"s... (seems wrong even though they did both begin as Jews...)

Lucie la Morena - I love Mike and Psmith (Psmith is so cool - and I'm a Wodehouse fan in general). Adair sounds like a boy's name to me, so that may be why I feel that way. On the other hand, most last names as first names sound like boys' names to me anyway...

Rhona- Personally, I love the name Sloane. I know a little girl with that name, but spelled Slonne (which I don't care for). Katharina isn't one I really care for, but I love Catherine. Could you keep Rhona for professional contacts? I know women who keep their maiden name for professional reasons but go by their married names socially.

I love Acacia, Avalon, and Azalea. Azure isn't my favorite, but I do like it. I like quite a few A names too, but not many of the traditional ones. :)

What about adding letters? Just met a baby Hallyson. Nickname Hally (pronounced like Halle Berry)

Kristine, Thanks for sharing your list of possible names! My preferences probably say more about my tastes (traditional, "Fuddy Duddy") than which would be the right name for you. I would choose Laurel, Margaret, May, Jane, or Lucy for their sounds and style.

If I were choosing for myself, though, I would give extra consideration to a name that my parents had chosen for me--I might not have thought of this when my parents were alive, but now that they are gone I see my name as both a link to them and a gift from them. So I like the idea of you including either "Kristine" or "Marie" as you move forward.

Thinking of names as links between generations, I also like the idea of you sharing a name with your daughter. Since she is known as Juliet she wouldn't have to deal with being "little Anne" (nor you with being "Big Anne"); the shared name would seem to be more of a private bond between the two of you.

Eo: thank you for the clarification on Esme's pronunciation. In another of those strange coincidences I had just been wondering about it, idly thinking, "Ezmee or Essmay? Hmmm..." and now I know.

Regarding Banks's multiple middle names, would you think it too nosy of me to ask how you handled official documents (such as the birth certificate, social security, etc.)? Did you list only the first of his middle names on the official form? Or did you force them to make room for each of his names? (And I mean 'force' in an admiring way--cause the system to adjust to the individual boy.)

Wow! This is getting hard to keep up with.

I went to HS with a (female) Adair. She'd be in her late 30's now. (We lived in NY, but her family was southern. As I recall, her sister had a last name for a first name, and I have been racking my mind trying to remember it.)

Kristine - wow, you'll have my respect if you go through with the name change! I never got up the courage to do it. I thought about it long and hard when I went to college, but decided it was too much hassle.

As to adult name changes, we recently got an email at work announcing a baby #2, and a *Last* name change for the whole family. The old last name was something like "Dick", and the new last name came from elsewhere in his family.

Rhona-- Of course take this with a grain of salt since I've already revealed I like the "changed" name to have some, however tenuous, relation to the "old" name. But, I love the idea of you going to "Rose". To me it's one of the most beautiful names ever, and, as an added bonus, has a rich association with Jewish naming traditions...

And in a funny way, it could almost be a nickname or an endearment for "Rhona".

Are there any other "Ro-" names you do like? I love "Romilly"-- of course the "o" is pronounced a bit differently. Tyrone Power named his daughter "Romina". There's classic "Rosemary" with its sporty nickname "Romy". Your loved ones are already associating the "Ro" sound with you, so these might be easy transitions. But only if you like that sound...

Auntie Beth: Birth certificate and adoption certificate-- No problem- they included all five names, no questions asked. Ditto, school registration.

Since we got his Social Security card before the 9/11 terrorist attack, they did refuse to put anything other than one middle name on his card. We did press it, to no avail. However, I've been told that, post-9/11, they will acquiesce in putting on all names, since they want as much specific identifying info. as possible....

Many have brought up the interesting psychological downsides of changing one's name; I especially appreciated the idea that a Chris-to-friends and Christina-to-business associates would always feel an emotional distance from new friends to whom she introduced herself as Christina.

But I believe most of these downsides are not ultimately as compelling as the need to feel comfortable in one's own identity-"skin." I imagine trandgendered people also feared the many negatives of presenting themselves opposite to their biological sex, but in the end, they just couldn't live with an outward identity that did not match their internal one. That must be the worst kind of torture.

In that spirit, out with the old and in with the new. I see no reason to keep a connection to a given first or middle name, unless one's parents would be traumatized otherwise. The only truly chilling problem is that of the beauracratic nightmare that a name change might bring down on you. Maybe Lucie can shed some more light on the practical element.

My own tastes veer directly away from the understated and oft-used (i.e. Anne, Joan, Jane, Elizabeth, etc.). In fact, without meaning offense to any fellow NEs, I cannot imagine naming myself something this, well, usual. (Naming a child that, yes, possibly--since children are separate entities who will have to live with the consequences of my choice for them, and may not appreciate being called Turmeric or Coreopsis).

I believe the name that you choose should not merely be one you have always loved the sound or history or emotional resonance of. That's what we look for for our children, whose personalities and identities we do not yet know. When naming yourself, I believe you should pick a name that you imagine yourself as, that you feel seamlessly meshes with your self-perception, even if that name may not mesh with others' perception of you. It is a name you can imagine yourself introducing yourself as and feeling more than pride over a pretty or elegant name, but comfort in its familiarity to you; it is a name you can imagine your friends saying with affection, “Oh, that (new name): you’ve gotta love her.”

To that end, even saying for the sake of argument that Fiona is going to be a name associated in the U.S. with the mid-2000s, (although only one of the five or so Fionas I know is a youngster; the others are over 30), if that’s “your” name--the name that fits all of the criteria I listed above--than that prophecy cannot disturb you overmuch. If “Fiona” or “Violet” is what matches the inside of your head, than you will only ever respond to a surprised “gee, that’s a weird name on someone of your age!” with a beaming smile. “Maybe,” you might say, “but that’s my name. That’s me!”

eastern betty

i love how you clearly articulated my problem.
who is rhona exactly? i feel i am more than the sum of my parts. i have parts of me that feel very yang(male) and so i love the name campbell/harper/colby et al; then there are the yin(female parts of me) that scream out name like katharina//tatiana/julianna...and there lies my dilemma..how to choose a name that can encompass all of me?

still;for now; rhona

Kristine, I see nothing whatsoever wrong with sharing the name of your daughter after you have named her. After all, as others have pointed out, you would not name yourself after someone you did not find very special and to whom you wanted to further link yourself. Others have also mentioned that men have had not run into any self-doubt over naming their sons after themselves. Although studies have shown that "juniors" sometimes suffer low self-esteem, this does not appear to be a problem in the case of a child who goes by Juliet.

Also, if the opinion of an NE with a taste for archaic, multi-syllabic, foreign-language and/or sometimes inaminate-object names would be relevant to you, the names from your list that most appeal to me are:

Anneliese
Beatrix
Cicely (probably would be my choice for myself; herbs are my passion, and the sound and syllables are delightful).
Fiona
Ione
Liesel
Lucy
Margaret
Marguerite
May
Violet

I see nothing wrong with pulling a J.K.Rowling and matching your name to your personality based on your own perceptions of a name (note, though, that your view of a name's "personality" may NOT match others'). For instance, I see Cicely as more spunky and nature-loving than the more elegant and staid Cecily.

Of all these, May seems to me to the most connotation-diverse; a May can be a mature older woman, a tiny child, a methodical and organized lab technician or a spontaneous artist-type. May can appear plain in understated good taste, or be a flamboyently eye-catching beauty. It has historical familiarity, but not over-usage.

I think it's a wondeful name. Very best of luck, and please update us on your journey.

Okay it took a while to read everything, let me see if I can remember everything I wanted to comment on.

Azalea is pretty, a nn could be Aza,Lea, or even Za. Aza could be pronounced like Azah with short or long beginning sound or like Asia the country. I don't care for Acacia or Azure.

Merlin sounds like a wizard to me but maybe could be shortened to Merle as in Haggard.

Adair sounds funny to me. It sounds like a lengthened Dare which is a girls name in a book I'm reading now.

Kristine-May I come at this from another point of view-the genealogy perspective. While I believe you should like/appreciate/feel comfortable with your FN, I beg of you not to change it to something TOO different. Even if you do, I suggest you make sure your family (as in your daughter and other relatives to follow) know of your true given name. It it horrible to be looking in census records for Kristine LN and find an Anne and think "okay where did that girl come from and who is she"? It is not so bad when you find a Marie Kristine and think "oh she just switched what she wanted to be called". What I'm trying to say in short is-Make it make sense. I would suggest maybe Anne-Marie Kristine. Or you could do Lucy Kristine or something where Kristine is your new middle name. If your MN now was used in any "official" capacity then make sure you also include it. I am not fond of multiple middle names-getting into the other discussions posted on this thread-but in this case I think it is necessary. Of course that said, I think on a purely "whats the prettiest name" basis that I agree with some of the other posters on Laurel. Laurel Kristine Marie LN would be my pick!

Took my son to a kid-restaurant near Woodstock NY. Almost anything goes diversity-wise in that community. On the wall was a thank-you note from a preschool listing the kid's names (I've forgotten a couple regular-Joe type names):

Alyson
Anaay
Anakin (!)
Jose
Jesus
Esthefony (!)
Elvis

I have to admit, I wondered what it would be like to have Jesus, Elvis and Anakin in the same classroom.

My multi-mn son has all 4 names on SS card. No questions asked. And had to have it reprinted bc it was mis-spelled.

Count me in as -Beatrix. My sister says use Anneliese and nn Anne. I have decided that I really like Clare. Clare Marie. Clare Nanette. Clare Kristine. I also like the Margaret with nn of choice.

Rhona: Can you change your name socially and still use your professional name? I like Catharina but I like K/Catherine much better. Depending on your personality and persona, I think Rose would be nice also. Ealry sixties would be a couple years late but Susan is a great name from that era.

Megan W--heehee. Esthefony might just be a spelling based on the common Spanish pronunciation of Stephanie.

rhona--I second Rose or maybe Susan.

Kristine--In light of Zoerhenne's comments, might I suggest choosing Kristine Anne (or Kristine Clare or whatever you choose)? It would probably be much less legal hassle, and it wouldn't be too hard to tell people to call you by your middle name. Plus, it would up the connection factor to Juliet...may I ask why she goes by her mn?
Oh, and I just remembered--a girl I know is named Anna but goes by her mn Kristina. My friend Christine said that if given the choice she would use Anna. Funny the connections.

Thanks for the Azalea comments, guys. I think my favorite nn at this point is Zale or Zae, but in hypothetical land where this person actually exists I might call her Leah, after my great-grandma...she was Jewish and even though I'm ethnically only half and religiously Christian, I feel connected to the culture and would like to honor a tradition from it.

And if you'll indulge me again...thoughts on Clio Arielle?

Sabrina-Thanks for the nod at my comment. I personally would NOT do Clio Arielle because I do not care for the way it sounds. To me it is to much like some other "body part" words if you understand that. I do like Chloe Adira though.

Kristine and Rhona,

Could you give us a sense of your personality and style so that we can match it to a name? Also, if you could let us know what you don't like about your current name, that would help as well. A name communicates an impression of a person, whether it's true or not. If you are choosing a name as an adult, you want the new name to match who you are as closely as possible.

One last suggestion that I'll just throw out there. It would be really great to see a picture of you from everyday life. I know some people are uncomfortaable with that, but I've thought about the issue a lot and have come to the conclusion that posting a picture of one's self (or even one's children) without specific identifying information poses very little risk. And this comes from a very risk adverse person! Regardless of whether you want to link to a picture, it would be great to hear what personality and style you wish to convey.

tirzah et al...

thank you so much for trying to help.
i feel i should join name's anonymous!
so describing myself...outside/in
i am 5'2"
46 yrs.old
reddish curly hair
small dainty features

fiery spirit(must be the red hair!)
verbose
lover of beauty(my libran self)
compassionate
creative
kind
nurturing
perfectionist(trying to soften that quality!)
inner(rather than outer)strength
lesbian( i hesitate to add this; but being gay
is an integral part of who i am)

i think i look like a cross between holly hunter
and stevie nicks

ok..i hope that helps..
i dont enjoy the name rhona for many reasons..
1. not mellifluous enough
2.negative connotations from family
3. i dont like how it goes from ro to na
i think that is similar to 1. but i thought i would add this..

as a footnote..
i have an as yet untested theory about names and how you are perceived in the family..
for example/ in my family i was the 'unusual' one with the unusual name..
my sister was the 'good' one with the popular name of..yes ..susan!! so...for obvious reasons
cant choose that one..

ok..i hope this brings more clarity.....

thanks again

rhona

"Esthefony" looks odd, but it's not unusual to find the name "Esthefany" in Spanish-speaking families (it's a version of Stefania)--so maybe the O was an A?

Rhona,

My suggestions for you are Miranda, Rose, Naomi, Kat (Katherine/a), Tess (either alone or as nn for Therese/a), Adair, Lark, Robin, Alex (Alexandra), Hollis. Since you are drawn to some masc. sounding surname names like Sloane and Harper and also to fem. sounding names like Angelica and Katharina, it seems like having a fem. name like Alexandra with a masc. nn like Alex might work well for you... There are tons more names that fit that form. Good luck!

Rhona: Thank you so much for your "bio". :) Bummer about Susan! I mean.. well, ... I think you know what I mean.

I think MAureen has some great suggestions! I second:
Katherine / Kat
Alexandra / Alex / Alexa
Tess from your choice of origin
Myranda / Randa

I would seriously shy away from Sloane, Harper and Angelica. They feel to far out on either side to me. But that's just me!

I think Easternbetty has some great points! I think in the long run you will benefit from having a connection to your birth name. I also think that getting feedback for your family about what name fits you may be very beneficial. They know you far better than any bio you could give us. Even if you only keep Rhona as a "hidden" middle name. Years form now when your family is looking for Aunt Alex and all they find is Rhona... :)

Kristine:
I want to really encourage you to keep a form of your birth name. Maybe as 2 mn. I am a serious fan of Anne-Marie Kristine. I know that is slightly repetetive form above... Sorry.

(I am not about to change my name but have decided today that if I were, I would be Claire Nanette. ) :)

is it possible to name a baby Juliet without the Romeo and Juliet connotation overtaking her?

Yes, I think Juliet has more substance than the Romeo and Juliet reference. Heck, even Shakespeare used it more than once (it's also a character name in "Measure for Measure"). French actress Juliette Binoche and Mexican-American singer Julieta Venegas give variations on the name more recent representatives.

The character on Lost doesn't seem to be named Juliet with any meaningful reference to Shakespeare (and on Lost, MANY characters have referential names--I mean, Christian Shepard? John Locke/Jeremy Bentham?).

Many thanks to all those who chimed in on my name change! Easternbetty, I think you really got to the heart of the matter when you said the bother of changing a name would be worth it “to feel comfortable in one’s own identity.” I kind of thought that I would feel awkward with the whole thing, but now that I’ve decided to do it, I feel only light and happy about it, and surprisingly confident. Who knew?

I also like “pulling a J.K. Rowling and matching your name to your personality.” Nicely put, from one Harry Potter fan to another.

As far as keeping part of my name: I will definitely keep my maiden name as my middle name, and may add a second middle name of either Christine or Marie, depending on what I choose as a first name.

Tizrah: You asked what I don’t like about Kristine. I don’t like: 1) The popularity of this whole family of names. If you add up children given Kristin, Kristen, Christina, etc in the late seventies/early eighties you wouldn’t believe how many there are. 2) The spelling. Whether or not Kristine is a legitamate version of Christine, my parents choose it because it was “different” and that is how I believe most people perceive it. It feels inauthentic and invented to me. 3) The “een” sound at the end is unattractive to my ear. Christina is no better, as it still has the “een” sound in it. But really, all these flaws I could totally put up with if the name felt right for me. It just doesn’t.

Sounds I DO like in names include the jaunty “ily” as in Cicely/Cecily, “d” in the middle of the name as in Madeline (though that one is too popular for me), and “et” as in Juliet, my daughter’s name, and Violet, and… well, I’ll have to think about it.

I generally like Brit Lit type names, if that’s any help to anyone. I’m sure I wasn’t the only English major to comment on this blog.

And, finally, Guest: When we decided to call our daughter Juliet, we braced ourselves for scores of “Romeo and Juliet” jokes, and so far we have never heard even one! I think the name stands by itself because of its connection to the classic Julia and because it is becoming more common - though not too common.

kind of made a hack job of the word "legitimate" there

Tirzah, I'm sorry I misspelled your name! I'll also add that along with the "ily" "d-in-the-middle" and "et" sounds, I also like "eah" as in Beatrix and Leah, although I have a cousin close in age to me named Leah so I couldn't use that one.

very interested in the changing your name as an adult discussion. My parents gave me a "real" first name when I was born, but never really intended to call me that. Through age 21, I was always called by a rather cute, kind of frilly and somewhat uncommon nickname. When I first entered the working world, I didn't have the confidence to introduce myself by the name that was truly mine, but sounded more cutesy than I was comfortable with. Also, my nickname must always be spelled and remarked upon, and I just couldn't stand the additional attention it provoked. For years, I gave my formal name when I was introduced to people, and saved what felt like my real name for close connections. Now, though, at age 38, I'm so much more comfortable in my various worlds that I am slowly coming around to using my nickname exclusively. So what if I have to spell it over the phone? It's MY name!

Whome: good for you!

One more question for everyone (though maybe Eo knows as she knew with Esme): I have heard Ione pronounced EYE-oh-nee and eye-OH-nee. Which is correct, or are they both?

Thank you to those who pointed out that Esthefony could easily be a Hispanic name. Never once crossed my mind! That is what is so terrific about this board.

Kristine: I had an aunt Ione and she pronounced it eye-oh-n. I really like the names Maeve, Meredith or Lilian for you.

I love the conversation about changing your name as an adult. I was given a short, nickname type name as my given name because I have a long maiden name. All of my siblings were as well. I have always longed for a 'resume' name that I could use in more formal situation.

My given name is Cami and I would like to change my name to Camille. My parents are totally fine with it and actually would have chosen it themselves if my maiden name wasn't so long. What's interesting is my husband is greatly opposed to it. I'm not sure why but he always says 'That's not your name' when we talk about changing it. I've considered just telling people that my name is Camille when we move next year.

Hi Rhona,

Thanks for that profile! Going off the premise that you want your new name to feel like it could have been your original name, I looked up the top 500 names from 1962 on the Social Security Administration's web site. You are correct about “Susan”; it was ranked #3 that year, while Rhona wasn’t ranked. BTW, I found the list extremely fascinating. It really is like a snapshot in time. I've set forth below the names I feel would fit your description of you, but there were a lot of names I passed over. You should take a look!

Vivian - To have a spirited redheaded named Vivian would be right out of a novel. So vivid! So full of life! If you prefer a flowerier spelling you could use Vivianne or the French Vivienne, like the designer, or Vivien as in Vivien Leigh (also a short spitfire of a woman).

Jacqueline – So classic. Always stylish. Lends itself to masculine nicknames Jack or Jackie.

Cassandra - A melodic name for a creative soul. It also says strong, possibly because of the suffering her Greek namesake had to endure. I can see this on a curly-haired redhead as well. In fact, here is the Classical Cassandra painted as a wavy-haired redhead!

http://integral-options.blogspot.com/2008/01/insomnia-blogging-cassandra...

Roxanne - Spunky. Hip. Cool Roxy nickname. Yet, totally appropriate for 1962.

Robyn/Paige/Darcy - I couldn't find any Colbys or Sloanes for you in 1962, but these names have somewhat similar impressions.

Robyn definitely works for a redhead. In fact, you could tell people that Robyn is a nickname based on your red hair (Red Robin). You could use the same justification for Scarlett. I don't know if you watch So You Think You Can Dance, but there is a redheaded dancer named Jessica whose Mom calls her A