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Help[Opinions] Hania, Jovanka and Nash
Okay, so the title was a bit misleading. I'm sorry :3 This is my first time on these boards and I have a few questions. As I, rather awkwardly, grow older it seems the more and more expectant couples I come across. As such, I have a few naming questions as to what I can suggest.
1) My best friend is expecting. She's got her heart set on using Nash as a name. I have no idea where she's gotten it from, but sometimes it seems like it has a little of a sad-tribute aspect to it, which I'm not sure is ideal. I'm an Evil Dead fan, so rather begrudgingly suggested Ash (heh) which I had on my list of names... but, no, she's set on Nash. Her fiancé has, in an Anglophone culture, a rather unusual, long, semi-exotic surname, so Nash is nicely simple... but it makes me think of Gnash, and is pretty 'macho'. Any views? Or... any combos using it? :3
2) Jovanka. EUGH! Jovanka! I've only ever known it said yuh-VAHN-ka, yoh-van-kah, yah-vahn-kah... that kind of varient... which all sound like someone with an accent, in English, saying... 'you...(ahem)'. The lady in question expecting aforementioned Jovanka plans to either name her child Iovanka 'EE-OH-vahn-ka' (blatantly, in my eyes, made up) or Jovanka said 'joe-VEYHN-ka' or 'zho-VEYHN-kya'. I feel like suggesting Josephine. What do you think?
3) For a part Polish friend - Hania or Zosia? They're expecting a little girl and want a pretty Polish-ish name. Hania has an open pronounciation - it's a debate between the authentic 'ha(h)n-yah' or 'ha(h)-nee-ah/yah' which is the most obvious English way of pronouncing it. They're also considering Ania, said 'Ahn-ee-yah' from a rather funny but slightly pretty butchering of Hania, but Anya would work better, eh? Any name views or suggestions?
4) And fourthly... the fourth pregnant lady friend! My best friend teaches Shakespeare and is pretty dead-set on Shakespearian names for his children. His new wife is a very indignant, very pretty and very pregnant French woman who isn't set on the whole Shakespearian-first-name French-middle-name formula and, in light of the fact that they might be expecting male-female twins has rebelled and threatened to name the children Romeo and Juliet. She isn't budging. Are there any nice combos fitting that pattern I can subtly suggest?
5) Name finds: Irinushka (a pretty elaborate Russian diminutive as a given name. I couldn't ask where that came from); Ira (EYE-rah) (f); Medea (on a three year old... interesting name sake, pretty name); Clélie (f) (one of the weirdest names I found after living for six months in France. I presumed derived from Cloelia and said like (KH)leh-lee or something equivalent... oddly, oddly pretty. Made odder by the fact that clé can mean 'key' in French) ... sorry they're all girls, but what do you think?
Feedback is loved, and nice site you have here!
- Sabina
1) My best friend is expecting. She's got her heart set on using Nash as a name. I have no idea where she's gotten it from, but sometimes it seems like it has a little of a sad-tribute aspect to it, which I'm not sure is ideal. I'm an Evil Dead fan, so rather begrudgingly suggested Ash (heh) which I had on my list of names... but, no, she's set on Nash. Her fiancé has, in an Anglophone culture, a rather unusual, long, semi-exotic surname, so Nash is nicely simple... but it makes me think of Gnash, and is pretty 'macho'. Any views? Or... any combos using it? :3
2) Jovanka. EUGH! Jovanka! I've only ever known it said yuh-VAHN-ka, yoh-van-kah, yah-vahn-kah... that kind of varient... which all sound like someone with an accent, in English, saying... 'you...(ahem)'. The lady in question expecting aforementioned Jovanka plans to either name her child Iovanka 'EE-OH-vahn-ka' (blatantly, in my eyes, made up) or Jovanka said 'joe-VEYHN-ka' or 'zho-VEYHN-kya'. I feel like suggesting Josephine. What do you think?
3) For a part Polish friend - Hania or Zosia? They're expecting a little girl and want a pretty Polish-ish name. Hania has an open pronounciation - it's a debate between the authentic 'ha(h)n-yah' or 'ha(h)-nee-ah/yah' which is the most obvious English way of pronouncing it. They're also considering Ania, said 'Ahn-ee-yah' from a rather funny but slightly pretty butchering of Hania, but Anya would work better, eh? Any name views or suggestions?
4) And fourthly... the fourth pregnant lady friend! My best friend teaches Shakespeare and is pretty dead-set on Shakespearian names for his children. His new wife is a very indignant, very pretty and very pregnant French woman who isn't set on the whole Shakespearian-first-name French-middle-name formula and, in light of the fact that they might be expecting male-female twins has rebelled and threatened to name the children Romeo and Juliet. She isn't budging. Are there any nice combos fitting that pattern I can subtly suggest?
5) Name finds: Irinushka (a pretty elaborate Russian diminutive as a given name. I couldn't ask where that came from); Ira (EYE-rah) (f); Medea (on a three year old... interesting name sake, pretty name); Clélie (f) (one of the weirdest names I found after living for six months in France. I presumed derived from Cloelia and said like (KH)leh-lee or something equivalent... oddly, oddly pretty. Made odder by the fact that clé can mean 'key' in French) ... sorry they're all girls, but what do you think?
Feedback is loved, and nice site you have here!
- Sabina
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Replies
1) Nash makes me think of Gnash too. I don't like it at all. But I've heard worse, it's short and the spelling is simple, and if she loves it that much, then maybe it'll grow on you when you meet the baby. I fail at thinking of combos for surnames as first names because they always look the wrong way round to me, but if he has a long surname, I'd keep it simple.
2) Jovana would remove the word-that-rhymes-with-banker problem. Milanka would keep the -anka part, if she likes that. Jolana, Johanna, and Josefa / Jozefa / Josipa might be ideas too.
3) I like Hania and Ania / Anja / Anya best, although Zosia is quite nice too. I think they're all simple enough that pronunciation's not going to be too much of a problem once explained, if you live somewhere fairly multicultural.
4) There's a useful list of Shakespearean names here: http://www.namenerds.com/uucn/shakes.html. I don't know what he's suggested to her already - for all I know he could want to call them Peaseblossom and Mustardseed or Dogberry and Bottom - but I'd probably mix and match plays and go with something like Duncan and Helen or Robin and Beatrice.
5) Medea is pretty, Ira on a girl is very strange, and I've seen Clélie before, but only in 18th-century French birth records. According to modern French birth data it is rising in popularity, but it's still very, very rare.
2) Jovana would remove the word-that-rhymes-with-banker problem. Milanka would keep the -anka part, if she likes that. Jolana, Johanna, and Josefa / Jozefa / Josipa might be ideas too.
3) I like Hania and Ania / Anja / Anya best, although Zosia is quite nice too. I think they're all simple enough that pronunciation's not going to be too much of a problem once explained, if you live somewhere fairly multicultural.
4) There's a useful list of Shakespearean names here: http://www.namenerds.com/uucn/shakes.html. I don't know what he's suggested to her already - for all I know he could want to call them Peaseblossom and Mustardseed or Dogberry and Bottom - but I'd probably mix and match plays and go with something like Duncan and Helen or Robin and Beatrice.
5) Medea is pretty, Ira on a girl is very strange, and I've seen Clélie before, but only in 18th-century French birth records. According to modern French birth data it is rising in popularity, but it's still very, very rare.
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1) Another person who sees the Gnash bit! Simple does work with the surname, so maybe it will fit the kid...
2) I honestly couldn't say if the lady in question saw the Jovana Jovanka link. Eastern style Joseph based names always make me think of Stalin, lamentably. Josipa looks pretty, but it could be pretty butchered, and I have a soft spot for Johanna. Milanka is really rather nice. I have this odd urge to suggest Milana and then say, hey, Milanka...nickname...dude? But that might just be my semi-generic-Slavophone urge to stick -ka on anything.
3) Ania and Zosia. Hania/Ania won't work and they're getting set on Zosia, but Ania is so growing on me. The whole AH-nee-yah pr whatever... eh... pronunciation is pretty unorthodox, I think, but it tends to blur anyway, and is really rather pretty. I think it's better than Hania, non?
4) Beatrice. I love and adore Beatrice. End of. :D
5) Clélie... seriously? I would never have guessed! Is there a link? I just found it so obscure... and Ira is listed as a Russian nickname for Irina, which I have never heard...ever...hmmm....
2) I honestly couldn't say if the lady in question saw the Jovana Jovanka link. Eastern style Joseph based names always make me think of Stalin, lamentably. Josipa looks pretty, but it could be pretty butchered, and I have a soft spot for Johanna. Milanka is really rather nice. I have this odd urge to suggest Milana and then say, hey, Milanka...nickname...dude? But that might just be my semi-generic-Slavophone urge to stick -ka on anything.
3) Ania and Zosia. Hania/Ania won't work and they're getting set on Zosia, but Ania is so growing on me. The whole AH-nee-yah pr whatever... eh... pronunciation is pretty unorthodox, I think, but it tends to blur anyway, and is really rather pretty. I think it's better than Hania, non?
4) Beatrice. I love and adore Beatrice. End of. :D
5) Clélie... seriously? I would never have guessed! Is there a link? I just found it so obscure... and Ira is listed as a Russian nickname for Irina, which I have never heard...ever...hmmm....
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Yup, Ira (pr. EE-rah) is a common Slavic female name. It started as a nickname, but used on its own now.
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1) I don't like Nash, but I don't think it's TOO "gnash" / macho. If I just randomly heard it, I might think it was 'gnash', but if I knew it was a name I'd think it was Nash. It's not my favorite, but I think it's better than names like Cash and Stryker. I like Ash, by the way.
2) Wow, I never notices the "you ---" thing before. :o But actually, I still like Jovanka better. I'm not sure about which pronunciation of hers, if any, would be authentic, but in my mind they're all better than Josephine. I'm not a Josephine fan at all for some reason... although I like Josefina. Iovanka seems like it's mock-Greek almost, like Iason / Jason and Iocasta / Jocasta.
3) I like all of the options. My favorite is Ania / Anya (I like Ania a little better, prn. AH-nee-a. If they want AHN-ya, then Anya is a better choice.) I also like Hania, but I'd definitely want to use HAH-nee-a. If they don't want to mes with the original pronunciation, I'd pick a different name. And I like Zosia. I'd want to say ZOH-see-uh though, not ZO-sha...
4) Yay, Shakespeare! Boo, Romeo & Juliet. Not a good thing to name twins!! See if you can get her to use them as middle names. Emilia Juliet and Tybalt Romeo? Hermione Juliet and Claudius Romeo? Beatrice Juliet and Lysander Romeo?
2) Wow, I never notices the "you ---" thing before. :o But actually, I still like Jovanka better. I'm not sure about which pronunciation of hers, if any, would be authentic, but in my mind they're all better than Josephine. I'm not a Josephine fan at all for some reason... although I like Josefina. Iovanka seems like it's mock-Greek almost, like Iason / Jason and Iocasta / Jocasta.
3) I like all of the options. My favorite is Ania / Anya (I like Ania a little better, prn. AH-nee-a. If they want AHN-ya, then Anya is a better choice.) I also like Hania, but I'd definitely want to use HAH-nee-a. If they don't want to mes with the original pronunciation, I'd pick a different name. And I like Zosia. I'd want to say ZOH-see-uh though, not ZO-sha...
4) Yay, Shakespeare! Boo, Romeo & Juliet. Not a good thing to name twins!! See if you can get her to use them as middle names. Emilia Juliet and Tybalt Romeo? Hermione Juliet and Claudius Romeo? Beatrice Juliet and Lysander Romeo?
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Ooopps... and Irinushka, as I'm used to, is a diminutive of Irina... only it's a bit 'adult-to-sweet-kid', cutesy and familiar and squishy. If's a bit like calling... hmmm... an adult Melissa Melly if applied to an adult. Adult Irinas can be called Irinushka, but it's pretty super-familiar and emotional. I've encountered plenty of child Irinas who have been casually called Irinushka by family and friends alike, though, cos they're ickle kiddies. It's like a double diminutive thing, the -ush, and the -ka are probably like the difference between calling someone called Melissa, Mel or Melly or even an Isabella, Bella or Belly. You could go 'Oi, Belly' and 'Hi, Bella, can you print this spreadsheet for me?' but... eh, you know what I mean. Rant out!
Medea is just... interesting on an innocent, wide-eyed kid, though, isn't it xD I've always thought it pretty, but a little vampy.
Clélie is... so interesting. Yes!
Medea is just... interesting on an innocent, wide-eyed kid, though, isn't it xD I've always thought it pretty, but a little vampy.
Clélie is... so interesting. Yes!
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1) I do love Ash :3 Nash is definitely better than Cash, Stryker and their ilk, but I'm glad I'm not the only one to think that Nash sounds like 'gnash'!
2) I've only ever heard 'y' beginnings for Jovanka, so who knows where hers come from... but Josefina, ignoring the slightly Soviet unfortunate feel, is definitely prettier than any pronunciation.
3)Ania (AH-nee-ah) is pretty. I understand Zosia to be, a la Behindthename, more ZAW-sha, which means Hania and Zosia would look similar but actually be HAHN-yah and ZAW-shya (which is way prettier when said, and not quite the same)... hmmm... not my place to say, of cause. Ania and Hania wouldn't work, but Ania and Zosia is pretty, in my view
4) Beatrice and Lysander are on the suggestion list. If they reject them, I'm nabbing them. :3
2) I've only ever heard 'y' beginnings for Jovanka, so who knows where hers come from... but Josefina, ignoring the slightly Soviet unfortunate feel, is definitely prettier than any pronunciation.
3)Ania (AH-nee-ah) is pretty. I understand Zosia to be, a la Behindthename, more ZAW-sha, which means Hania and Zosia would look similar but actually be HAHN-yah and ZAW-shya (which is way prettier when said, and not quite the same)... hmmm... not my place to say, of cause. Ania and Hania wouldn't work, but Ania and Zosia is pretty, in my view
4) Beatrice and Lysander are on the suggestion list. If they reject them, I'm nabbing them. :3
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Off topic
I'm really, really no name help, but I have to ask...Evil Dead or Evil Dead the Musical?
I'm really, really no name help, but I have to ask...Evil Dead or Evil Dead the Musical?
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Heh! By default I love both, but I have to vote Evil Dead rather than the musical. The musical, from what I've seen on youtube, is pretty funky, but you can never beat the films :3 I think I forced the current boyfriend to watch Evil Dead 3, and then many years later pinned him down to allow Ash onto any mutual future offspring name list. Ash is a git, but he's a prod-buttock git? He can do anything, with the excuse of...being Ash and having a BOOMSTICK!... ja? So, prod-buttock namesake for future offspring? Double check, in my view.
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NB: 1) and 4) refer to two different specific 'best' friends, one childhood... one uni... not...some comfuzzled family tree. Heh. Sorry. I thought I should add...
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