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HelpNames on my mind + potential BA + question!
Starting with the names on my mind over the past few days...
Rita
Margaret "Meg"
Mary
Emma
Stanley
Kian (or Kean / Cian?)
Keenan
Caleb
Opinions / images / colours / rates / combos - basically, however you "see or feel" names - would be much appreciated on the above names.
My cousin and his wife are expecting their first child, a girl, in April. He told me the other day that they were going with Zelda. A family friend who overheard at the time, later asked if they were joking, and seemed genuinely surprised when I said that he wasn't. Is Zelda that bad?
And finally a question!
Rose or Alexandra?
They are my top two girls names, currently fighting for the number one spot. If it makes any difference, my nickname preference for Alexandra is Allie / Ally.
My constantly changing PNL:
http://www.behindthename.com/pnl/117870?sort=rating&pop=ew
Top rated = Rose and Alexander :)
Bottom rated = Kacey (g) and Onyx (g) :(
Rita
Margaret "Meg"
Mary
Emma
Stanley
Kian (or Kean / Cian?)
Keenan
Caleb
Opinions / images / colours / rates / combos - basically, however you "see or feel" names - would be much appreciated on the above names.
My cousin and his wife are expecting their first child, a girl, in April. He told me the other day that they were going with Zelda. A family friend who overheard at the time, later asked if they were joking, and seemed genuinely surprised when I said that he wasn't. Is Zelda that bad?
And finally a question!
Rose or Alexandra?
They are my top two girls names, currently fighting for the number one spot. If it makes any difference, my nickname preference for Alexandra is Allie / Ally.
My constantly changing PNL:
http://www.behindthename.com/pnl/117870?sort=rating&pop=ew
Top rated = Rose and Alexander :)
Bottom rated = Kacey (g) and Onyx (g) :(
This message was edited 2/6/2014, 9:06 AM
Archived Thread - replies disabled
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Replies
Zelda is a whole lot better than Grizelda! It's got a good sound and a lively, modern feel. I like!
I do find Rose trite; Alexandra would be my knee-jerk preference. What about something a tad longer with Rose as a nn - Rosemary, Rosamond, Rosalind, Rosalie ... I once knew a woman named Dorothy Perkins whose nn was Rose.
Rita - dated and a bit dusty, but energetic and unpretentious.
Margaret "Meg" - I like Margaret a lot, but Meg isn't the most obvious nn at present. She and/or you would have to take a very firm stand against the Maggie brigade.
Mary - calm and quiet and due for a comeback.
Emma - feeble and silly and over the hill.
Stanley - once I knew a Stamatios who was known as Stan. He's in his early 40s now. All the Stanleys I've ever known are or would have been over 80. I don't mind it, but I'm not sure it's due for a comeback.
Kian (or Kean / Cian?) - see below
Keenan - Yuck. So trendy and flimsy.
Caleb - always sounds comical to me; never seen or heard it used where I live.
I do find Rose trite; Alexandra would be my knee-jerk preference. What about something a tad longer with Rose as a nn - Rosemary, Rosamond, Rosalind, Rosalie ... I once knew a woman named Dorothy Perkins whose nn was Rose.
Rita - dated and a bit dusty, but energetic and unpretentious.
Margaret "Meg" - I like Margaret a lot, but Meg isn't the most obvious nn at present. She and/or you would have to take a very firm stand against the Maggie brigade.
Mary - calm and quiet and due for a comeback.
Emma - feeble and silly and over the hill.
Stanley - once I knew a Stamatios who was known as Stan. He's in his early 40s now. All the Stanleys I've ever known are or would have been over 80. I don't mind it, but I'm not sure it's due for a comeback.
Kian (or Kean / Cian?) - see below
Keenan - Yuck. So trendy and flimsy.
Caleb - always sounds comical to me; never seen or heard it used where I live.
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Of the names you have been thinking about I like:
Meg - but just Meg on it's own, not a fan of Margaret
Mary
Emma
Keenan
Caleb - my younger brother is Caleb
I think Zelda is a great name and was pleasantly surprised to see that someone wants to use it for their baby girl! Very nice name imo, I don't know why people don't like it.
Out of Alexandra and Rose, I would definitely go with Rose. It gets used very often for a mn, but not so much for a fn. Rose Alexandra would make a nice combo actually.
Meg - but just Meg on it's own, not a fan of Margaret
Mary
Emma
Keenan
Caleb - my younger brother is Caleb
I think Zelda is a great name and was pleasantly surprised to see that someone wants to use it for their baby girl! Very nice name imo, I don't know why people don't like it.
Out of Alexandra and Rose, I would definitely go with Rose. It gets used very often for a mn, but not so much for a fn. Rose Alexandra would make a nice combo actually.
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Rita - It's okay
Margaret "Meg" - My name's Margaret so maybe I'm biased but I really like it. Meg is such a cute nickname for it.
Mary - Lovely name, beautiful but still simple.
Emma - Fine, but it kind of bores me.
Stanley - It reminds me of an old man with a pocket protector. Not a fan.
Kian (or Kean / Cian?)- I don't really like it. It seems like the sort of name Americans who couldn't even point out Ireland on a map would use to honor their so-called "Irish heritage".
Keenan - Ditto
Caleb - Love. One of my absolute favorites
I think Zelda is actually really cool, I'd love to see it on a baby.
Alexandra wins, no question.
Margaret "Meg" - My name's Margaret so maybe I'm biased but I really like it. Meg is such a cute nickname for it.
Mary - Lovely name, beautiful but still simple.
Emma - Fine, but it kind of bores me.
Stanley - It reminds me of an old man with a pocket protector. Not a fan.
Kian (or Kean / Cian?)- I don't really like it. It seems like the sort of name Americans who couldn't even point out Ireland on a map would use to honor their so-called "Irish heritage".
Keenan - Ditto
Caleb - Love. One of my absolute favorites
I think Zelda is actually really cool, I'd love to see it on a baby.
Alexandra wins, no question.
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Rita - I get nothing for this; neither like or dislike it
Margaret "Meg" - love it; color-wise I get red and white from this, the latter relating more to the "pearl" meaning
Mary - love it; white; elegant and simple
Emma - like it; pale pink petal in the sunshine
Stanley - prefer Stan, oddly enough, which feels quite handsome to me; Stanley brings a thermos to mind so I guess it's ingrained more as a brand name in my mind, bother
Kian (or Kean / Cian?) - of these, Cian is the only one I care for; handsome
Keenan - never have cared for this
Caleb - it's alright; I always see a black lab but that's not a negative for me
I like Zelda and I've always seen it as a fun, youthful, "flapper-era name" rather than as a "grandmother name". It's not terrible at all.
I like both Rose and Alexandra but Rose wins out for me because I enjoy the imagery it triggers and the sound of that long "o".
Margaret "Meg" - love it; color-wise I get red and white from this, the latter relating more to the "pearl" meaning
Mary - love it; white; elegant and simple
Emma - like it; pale pink petal in the sunshine
Stanley - prefer Stan, oddly enough, which feels quite handsome to me; Stanley brings a thermos to mind so I guess it's ingrained more as a brand name in my mind, bother
Kian (or Kean / Cian?) - of these, Cian is the only one I care for; handsome
Keenan - never have cared for this
Caleb - it's alright; I always see a black lab but that's not a negative for me
I like Zelda and I've always seen it as a fun, youthful, "flapper-era name" rather than as a "grandmother name". It's not terrible at all.
I like both Rose and Alexandra but Rose wins out for me because I enjoy the imagery it triggers and the sound of that long "o".
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Rita- Very middle-aged, and I want to say it in a whine: "But Reeeeetuh!"
Margaret "Meg"- Margaret is nice and has a ton of nickname potential. I'm not big on Meg.
Mary- Classic. Nothing fantastic about it (aside from the religious association, of course), but nothing at all negative about it either.
Emma- Never liked it, for no good reason. I like Emily, Emilia, and Emmy, but Emma just doesn't do it for me.
Stanley- Sweet on an old man or a teddy bear, too nerdy on a child.
Kian- I like it. I like Cian too, but others may confuse it with Cain. I don't like Kean.
Keenan- will forever remind me of Kenan & Kel.
Caleb- A nice biblical classic that isn't as popular as others.
Zelda- Congrats to your family, but Zelda in real life is definitely going to get some funny looks. A lot of the younger generations probably associate with the video game character. While it's NMS, I've seen worse.
Of Rose and Alexandra, I like Alexandra (and love the nn Allie). Rose is fine, but I prefer it as a nn for a longer name (preferably Rosalie or Rosaline). How about Alexandra Rose, nn Allie and occasionally called Allie Rose?
Margaret "Meg"- Margaret is nice and has a ton of nickname potential. I'm not big on Meg.
Mary- Classic. Nothing fantastic about it (aside from the religious association, of course), but nothing at all negative about it either.
Emma- Never liked it, for no good reason. I like Emily, Emilia, and Emmy, but Emma just doesn't do it for me.
Stanley- Sweet on an old man or a teddy bear, too nerdy on a child.
Kian- I like it. I like Cian too, but others may confuse it with Cain. I don't like Kean.
Keenan- will forever remind me of Kenan & Kel.
Caleb- A nice biblical classic that isn't as popular as others.
Zelda- Congrats to your family, but Zelda in real life is definitely going to get some funny looks. A lot of the younger generations probably associate with the video game character. While it's NMS, I've seen worse.
Of Rose and Alexandra, I like Alexandra (and love the nn Allie). Rose is fine, but I prefer it as a nn for a longer name (preferably Rosalie or Rosaline). How about Alexandra Rose, nn Allie and occasionally called Allie Rose?
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I think Zelda is pretty bad. Pretty ugly really. And think of how it started as a nickname for Griselda. And what could be worse than Griselda?
I love Alexandra but it's tired and so are all the nicknames for it, including Ally or Allie. That's why I think Rose is better. Rose is tired as a middle name, but not as a first name.
Actually, there's one nickname for Alexandra that isn't tired. Zan. Which I like.
If your cousin wants a Z name, I think Alexandra nn Zan would be much better than Zelda.
I love Alexandra but it's tired and so are all the nicknames for it, including Ally or Allie. That's why I think Rose is better. Rose is tired as a middle name, but not as a first name.
Actually, there's one nickname for Alexandra that isn't tired. Zan. Which I like.
If your cousin wants a Z name, I think Alexandra nn Zan would be much better than Zelda.
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Rita - one of those quasi-exotic names from the mid 20th century which is now relatively pedestrian seeming, like Donna and Lorraine. Rita seems smart and maybe sporty. Happy and competent. It's a good name, just doesn't have a particular appeal to me.
Margaret "Meg" - Margaret is conservative and very feminine. Meg is probably the weakest, cutest, most diminutive nick for it. It's ok
Mary - conservative and feminine but somehow less domesticated than Margaret. Mary is sort of heroic. Also generic, though. I like it, but my impression that it's generic makes it seem not usable.
Emma - there's something smug about the name Emma. it's nms. It's very dignified though
Stanley - square.
Kian (or Kean / Cian?) - has a weird clipped quality that makes it butch despite having a whiny sound. I dunno, it's ok, just that on paper I tend to see it in the context of the trend for Irish and C/K___n names for boys and that makes it seem faddish/mediocre
Keenan - I could never fail to notice how it sounds like keening. Also, seems very surnamey and impersonal, which is nms
Caleb - conservative ugly clunker I wish had never been revived in the 80s/90s.
Is Zelda that bad? No, not in itself. It's just so much of the moment that it's annoying. Like, very few people ought to really LOVE the name Zelda so much that they'd want to BE Zelda and give it as a name to their own kid. But if you shine it up by ascribing it an image based on it not conforming to popular aesthetic standards yet still being a familiar traditional name ... they might use it. It's hipster. I dunno that it's "bad" to name kids that way. It might be good, for the kids, in some ways.
Margaret "Meg" - Margaret is conservative and very feminine. Meg is probably the weakest, cutest, most diminutive nick for it. It's ok
Mary - conservative and feminine but somehow less domesticated than Margaret. Mary is sort of heroic. Also generic, though. I like it, but my impression that it's generic makes it seem not usable.
Emma - there's something smug about the name Emma. it's nms. It's very dignified though
Stanley - square.
Kian (or Kean / Cian?) - has a weird clipped quality that makes it butch despite having a whiny sound. I dunno, it's ok, just that on paper I tend to see it in the context of the trend for Irish and C/K___n names for boys and that makes it seem faddish/mediocre
Keenan - I could never fail to notice how it sounds like keening. Also, seems very surnamey and impersonal, which is nms
Caleb - conservative ugly clunker I wish had never been revived in the 80s/90s.
Is Zelda that bad? No, not in itself. It's just so much of the moment that it's annoying. Like, very few people ought to really LOVE the name Zelda so much that they'd want to BE Zelda and give it as a name to their own kid. But if you shine it up by ascribing it an image based on it not conforming to popular aesthetic standards yet still being a familiar traditional name ... they might use it. It's hipster. I dunno that it's "bad" to name kids that way. It might be good, for the kids, in some ways.
This message was edited 2/6/2014, 9:41 AM
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Rita: cheap, bleached-blonde, cigarette-dangling, gin-swilling 1940's It girl.
Margaret "Meg": dowdy.
Mary: Yawn.
Emma: Loathe it.
Stanley: nerdy and hopeless. Flat Stanley is a popular character.
Kian etc: Irish overdose.
Keenan: Ditto plus it's whiny and keening.
Caleb: Okay.
Yes, Zelda is that terrible.
Rose. Less snotty and aristocratic, and even if she's a tomboy she won't call herself Alex.
Margaret "Meg": dowdy.
Mary: Yawn.
Emma: Loathe it.
Stanley: nerdy and hopeless. Flat Stanley is a popular character.
Kian etc: Irish overdose.
Keenan: Ditto plus it's whiny and keening.
Caleb: Okay.
Yes, Zelda is that terrible.
Rose. Less snotty and aristocratic, and even if she's a tomboy she won't call herself Alex.
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