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HelpAlexandra?
Having a baby girl end of July. I cannot settle on a first name... her middle name is still undecided as well, however I do know that it will be Ren or a -ren combo. I just need to a) pick a first name and b) decide whether I want/need to add a second syllable. Ren is Japanese for lotus, which I am using as an honor name for my mothers whose mn are Lynn and Sue. I have been quite lucky to have some very knowledgeable people offer terrific advice on using a Japanese name, as well as suggesting longer versions which are simply lovely! You can see some of that advice on the Name Facts Message Board here, if you're interested. Anyway, I ramble...
I like Alexandra, Alexa, and Alexis. They are all much more popular than I wanted, but they all are on a down slide, so I can deal. I also like Clarissa and Marissa, but Dad does not. To get to the point, I'm not sold on anything. So I thought I'd feel out some perfect strangers reactions to these names, and ask for suggestions of other names based on these requirements:
Nothing from the top 20.... the less popular, the better.
I like classic sounding, feminine names and their variations.
Meaning is important, and I'd like a name with a "softer side".
I have a two year old named Elaina Marie Louise, to give an idea of my tastes. She is named for family, too.
Thank you in advance for your input!
I like Alexandra, Alexa, and Alexis. They are all much more popular than I wanted, but they all are on a down slide, so I can deal. I also like Clarissa and Marissa, but Dad does not. To get to the point, I'm not sold on anything. So I thought I'd feel out some perfect strangers reactions to these names, and ask for suggestions of other names based on these requirements:
Nothing from the top 20.... the less popular, the better.
I like classic sounding, feminine names and their variations.
Meaning is important, and I'd like a name with a "softer side".
I have a two year old named Elaina Marie Louise, to give an idea of my tastes. She is named for family, too.
Thank you in advance for your input!
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Replies
Thank you to everyone who's chimed in and/or voted. Dad was NOT on board with Monet :( but the positive response to Alexandra Maren has alleviated some of my stress. I still have a couple months, and I will undoubtedly be playing the name game until we sign the birth certificate, but that's my nature lol.
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I think Alexandria is the best "Alex" name, then Alexandra. Alexa and Alexis sound like unfriendly teenagers to me. I like Ren. I'd also like Lotus as a middle name, although it's a little more cheesy.
There's also Charis, Charissa, Larissa, Alessa, Alessandra, Iliana, Laurel, Chanda? Those might fit with your name style.
There's also Charis, Charissa, Larissa, Alessa, Alessandra, Iliana, Laurel, Chanda? Those might fit with your name style.
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Charis made the list! Apparently all -ssa names are out, guessing Dad makes some association I am unaware of. Alexia was originally on the list, until I was informed that it is also the medical name associated with injury related reading disorders. Which, coincidentally, Dad suffers from. Alexandria didn't make the cut for us, just too fancy. My mother with the hearing impairment also struggles with the -ria pronunciation. Thank you for posting, I really do like Charis!
This message was edited 5/18/2014, 3:07 PM
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a question ...
How does Ren honor Sue and Lynn? Neither of those names is Japanese, neither has anything to do with a lotus, I'm just wondering.
Alexandra is okay. I used to like it more but now it seems a bit fancified to me. I mean, it's classic and classy and familiar, but it's just not as regal as it seems to think itself to be.
Alexa is annoying but I don't know why.
Alexis is the Alex girls' name I like the best.
Clarissa annoys me too. It sounds the prissiest of all the issa names, maybe because it is the most old-fashioned. Marissa is all right. I much prefer Melissa, which is nowhere near as popular as it once was and certainly less so than Alyssa, which I also like a lot.
Elaina and Alyssa or Elaina and Alexis might be too matchy-matchy for your taste, though they don't bother me that much.
Alicia? That might be an option.
Off the top of my head:
Karina, Tamara, Vanessa, (really like this one) Veronica, Jessica, Christina, Diana.
How does Ren honor Sue and Lynn? Neither of those names is Japanese, neither has anything to do with a lotus, I'm just wondering.
Alexandra is okay. I used to like it more but now it seems a bit fancified to me. I mean, it's classic and classy and familiar, but it's just not as regal as it seems to think itself to be.
Alexa is annoying but I don't know why.
Alexis is the Alex girls' name I like the best.
Clarissa annoys me too. It sounds the prissiest of all the issa names, maybe because it is the most old-fashioned. Marissa is all right. I much prefer Melissa, which is nowhere near as popular as it once was and certainly less so than Alyssa, which I also like a lot.
Elaina and Alyssa or Elaina and Alexis might be too matchy-matchy for your taste, though they don't bother me that much.
Alicia? That might be an option.
Off the top of my head:
Karina, Tamara, Vanessa, (really like this one) Veronica, Jessica, Christina, Diana.
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Lynn - From an English surname which was derived from Welsh llyn "lake".
Sue - Diminutive of Susanna - From Σουσαννα (Sousanna), the Greek form of the Hebrew name שׁוֹשַׁנָּה (Shoshannah). This was derived from the Hebrew word שׁוֹשָׁן (shoshan) meaning "lily" (in modern Hebrew this also means "rose"), perhaps ultimately from Egyptian sšn "lotus".
I am being very loose with the definitions, but Lynn is a "water" name, Sue is a "flower" name, and a lotus is a "water flower". I spent about two months searching for a way to combine my mothers' names in a way we'd like, and Ren, while a bit of a stretch, is our favorite. Lynn has been used far too much in both our families, neither of us care for Sue names, and my mothers' first names (Teresa and Tina) just didn't give us anything we liked to work with in either meaning, variations, etc.
Your stating that Alexandra seems 'fancified' is the very reason "Alexandria" is not an option! Of your suggestions, I also like Vanessa. I believe it will make the list!
Thank you for the input
Sue - Diminutive of Susanna - From Σουσαννα (Sousanna), the Greek form of the Hebrew name שׁוֹשַׁנָּה (Shoshannah). This was derived from the Hebrew word שׁוֹשָׁן (shoshan) meaning "lily" (in modern Hebrew this also means "rose"), perhaps ultimately from Egyptian sšn "lotus".
I am being very loose with the definitions, but Lynn is a "water" name, Sue is a "flower" name, and a lotus is a "water flower". I spent about two months searching for a way to combine my mothers' names in a way we'd like, and Ren, while a bit of a stretch, is our favorite. Lynn has been used far too much in both our families, neither of us care for Sue names, and my mothers' first names (Teresa and Tina) just didn't give us anything we liked to work with in either meaning, variations, etc.
Your stating that Alexandra seems 'fancified' is the very reason "Alexandria" is not an option! Of your suggestions, I also like Vanessa. I believe it will make the list!
Thank you for the input
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I absolutely ADORE this idea! Very clever and really beautiful. Thank you!
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Yeah, I get this. Not a lot, but it's come up. Darn bad - mannered Chihuahua running a perfectly lovely name ;-).
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Ditto
Also, if the OP has no cultural ties to Japan, I think it seems a little odd to use Ren.
What about just combining Sue and Lynn for a middle name? Sue-Lynn or Lynn-Sue are cute! Although I'm partial to Sue since it's my daughter's middle name (after her great-grandmother). :)
And I'm too tired to come up with suggestions, but also for the OP: I think Alexandra is gorgeous. It has a lot of history to it. It used to be one of my top names.
Also, if the OP has no cultural ties to Japan, I think it seems a little odd to use Ren.
What about just combining Sue and Lynn for a middle name? Sue-Lynn or Lynn-Sue are cute! Although I'm partial to Sue since it's my daughter's middle name (after her great-grandmother). :)
And I'm too tired to come up with suggestions, but also for the OP: I think Alexandra is gorgeous. It has a lot of history to it. It used to be one of my top names.
This message was edited 5/18/2014, 8:36 AM
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Suellen or a variation in spelling was on the board for a while (I am a lover of classic books, and I have read 'Gone With the Wind' about a hundred times). We just can't fall in love with Sue :-(. I have no idea why. It is a beautiful name, with a wonderful background.
I wondered about the cultural aspect. However, one suggestion I've taken seriously is to use a combination name like Maren which has meaning in Western culture as well as Japanese.
I wondered about the cultural aspect. However, one suggestion I've taken seriously is to use a combination name like Maren which has meaning in Western culture as well as Japanese.
This message was edited 5/18/2014, 9:10 AM
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I get that. I've tried to make myself like Frederick, which is a perfectly fine name, since it's my dad's middle name and his dad's first name... but I just can't like it!
Maren is beautiful! Alexandra Maren, swoon! Whatever you go with, I think the important part really is just that you like it and feel good about using it, and if you place significance upon it then it can be meaningful for you. :)
Maren is beautiful! Alexandra Maren, swoon! Whatever you go with, I think the important part really is just that you like it and feel good about using it, and if you place significance upon it then it can be meaningful for you. :)
This message was edited 5/18/2014, 10:24 AM
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Yeah, I thought of those two, but my first thought was that Renee had left her e's someplace and was wandering around without them.
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This made me giggle!
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I love Alexandra! It's second on my name list at the moment, only just behind the beautiful Rose. I find it a lot prettier and much more sophisticated than Alexa or Alexis. I love Allie as a nickname or just Alexandra on her own, I'm not a fan of Lexie.
Other suggestions:
Amber
Arianna
Bryony
Caroline
Isis
Rose
Jasmine
Georgina or Georgiana
Henrietta
Ember
Ramona
Luna
Lucia
Kimberly
Margot
Natasha
Penelope
:)
Other suggestions:
Amber
Arianna
Bryony
Caroline
Isis
Rose
Jasmine
Georgina or Georgiana
Henrietta
Ember
Ramona
Luna
Lucia
Kimberly
Margot
Natasha
Penelope
:)
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Thank you! I agree about nicknames, we also like Alex. From your suggestions, I quite like Arianna (it's on the list now! ). I worry that it might seem too modern next to Elaina, however. Thoughts?
I love flower names, but with this baby's mn meaning lotus, and my sister dreaming of a future Lily and Iris, I don't think we will go that route.
One last point I forgot to add to my original post: one of my mothers is legally deaf, so I do have to take into consideration her ability to pronounce a name. This means that while I may love a number of suggestions (for example, from this post: Bryony, Kimberly, and Penelope) they just aren't options for us.
I love flower names, but with this baby's mn meaning lotus, and my sister dreaming of a future Lily and Iris, I don't think we will go that route.
One last point I forgot to add to my original post: one of my mothers is legally deaf, so I do have to take into consideration her ability to pronounce a name. This means that while I may love a number of suggestions (for example, from this post: Bryony, Kimberly, and Penelope) they just aren't options for us.
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I created an account and a name list, if anyone is interested in voting that way... I'll add new names that are suggested and that I like as well!
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Of the Alex-names, I think Alexandra is the best. It's the most timeless and heroic, and dresses up feminine far better than Alexis. I like Alexa too, but it's a little too slick for my taste, and doesn't sound as good when, say, I imagine it as the author's name on the spine of a book that will be read by my great grandchildren. It's just too fashiony. Alexis is super trendy IMO. It has that spunky unisex thing.
I love Marissa and I kinda like Clarissa. I also like Karissa and Carlissa amd Calissa ... but these are the only issa names I like. =)
Have you considered Calista or Callista?
I love Marissa and I kinda like Clarissa. I also like Karissa and Carlissa amd Calissa ... but these are the only issa names I like. =)
Have you considered Calista or Callista?
This message was edited 5/17/2014, 11:34 PM
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I agree with you about Alexis, actually. I think I need to give a trend-ier feeling name a fair shot, though. I have a very unusual full name, so I fear I may have a warped perspective on naming in general. I think Alexa is almost redundant... its IN Alexandra, after all, so it could easily be a nn. But, again, I want to see how people feel about it compared to Alexandra.
Dad won't budge on an -issa name. They are so pretty, though. Calista is one I had not thought of! I don't know how dad will respond, but I like!
Dad won't budge on an -issa name. They are so pretty, though. Calista is one I had not thought of! I don't know how dad will respond, but I like!
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