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Is it pronounced dee-anna or dean-a?

Glad you're staying away from Daniela, Danielle etc. Daniel is too good to feminise; if I'd had a second son, he'd have been Daniel for sure.

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Deanna ... seems very dated; I know one who's in her 70s, and that's it. I dislike Dean on a boy (and occupation names in general), and I find Anna flat and dull compared to the lighter and livelier Anne. So, no, I wouldn't go there.

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I had a wonderful colleague once who was always known as Dee; she was actually named Dinah, which I like very much.

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My suggestions for D- names would be:

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Dinah
Daisy
Dorothy (or Dorothea)
Danica (a Dan name, but with such a lovely meaning!)
Deirdre
or even Deborah, which seems to be creeping back into use

I know a really awesome Deanna so I can't knock it-- but what's important is that you love the name yourself!

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Danielle, Daniella and Danica are all very nice names. I personally connect Diana to the Roman Goddess, though I know for many people Spencer is the more obvious connection.

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My name was also going to be Daniel, but I ended up being Rebecca. Unfortunately many find Rebecca to be a bit dated, too, but I'm quite biased.

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What names do you know you like? Maybe we can help suggest some new ones both you and your partner might like.

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What about Dana or Dayna?

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Congrats on your expected little one. :)

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I think Deanna is a perfectly nice name. I have no strong associations with it and find nothing wrong with it. To be completely honest (hoping that's what you're after), this name is not one I find particularly beautiful sound-wise, but I'm not put off by it either. I would say my ear is fairly neutral to it; if I happened to know a wonderful little Deanna, I'm sure it could grow on me.

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Just for fun, I happen to love Dorinda. How does that one strike you? :)

It has kind of a trashy vibe.

This message was edited 1/13/2015, 5:44 PM

Wow.

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Hm.

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Deanna. You know what? Yes to Deanna. I was not sure at first, because it feels kind of dated. But it's actually very sweet. And Dee is an adorable nickname. And Anna, the classic, is always there as an option too. Yup, I've talked myself into it. Deanna is good. Go for it.

Deanna Troi! That's who I think of, having grown up watching Star Trek the Next Generation. :)

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I think it's a nice choice. (I assume you've nixed Danielle?) Deanna's not overly used (or really used much at all). It sounds perhaps a bit dated or modernly-old-fashioned, but I think it would be perfectly acceptable. You could even call her Danni, Anna/Anne, Dee, or even Danna, for nicknames, which are always good options to have.

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Throw us out any other ideas you're having, and let us know what you decide on. Good luck!

I had a friend in middle school named Judi. Judi was overweight. So was her mother, Deanna. Judi told me about how her mother would go around the house singing to herself, to a tune she made up, "Oh, Deanna, you're so fat, you're going to have a heart attack."

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That's all I can think of when I hear this name. The "song" starts playing around my head.

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That association aside, it's not a bad name.

I personally like Deanna. I'd like to say it's as ready for revival as Dean is. But I tend to like dated names more than most people here do.

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Using Deanna today seems somewhere between independent-styled and eccentric (you decide where, but I don't think Deanna sounds the least bit eccentric). I think it's like Dana ... it doesn't seem ugly now, it just has fallen out of use gradually. Sounds like a name her dad picked, like Janine in 1990 ... but not half so bad as if you named her a more faddish name that was the same "age," like Brenda or Denise. Deanna's "age" is more vague because it was never all that fashionable. But it does have some chance of feeling "too old for her" when she is a young woman.

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You might ask him if he likes Dana or Eden, if those appeal to you at all.

This message was edited 1/13/2015, 9:59 AM

I like it! I think it's upbeat. I went to school with several Deannas, with a variety of personalities and nicknames.

Deanna is pretty nice, but I like Diana better.
There's always Danielle and Daniela if you want something closer to Daniel.

I've known some good Deannas, and I do like the name, but it definitely feels like it has already had its day in the sun. Compared to timeless Daniel, Deanna is very much a 1970s name.

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Have you considered Daniela, Danica, Dana, Diana, Danae, Diantha, or Dinah?