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HelpRe: Common names
in reply to a message by Anya Mel’nik or Mel’nyk
Great question!
I would say I like familiar/classic names. By that, I mean names that most people (in my community) will be able to recognise and spell without strange looks. At the same time, I'm not keen on trendy names. As an example, my great-grandmother was called Elisabeth. I do like that name, and I loved Isabelle since I was young, but then Twilight happened, and suddenly every 3rd little girl was named Isabelle/Isabella/Isabel. There's nothing wrong with that, it's just one of those names that will inevitably be associated with a specific decade.
I have one of those names too. I don't particularly mind that aspect of it, but for my own kids I want to be more creative.
I chose Ester over Estelle as a first name for my daughter, which I learned is more common than Estelle globally, though not locally. There are a lot more people in the world named Ester/Esther than Estelle, but Ester/Esther (like Mary/Maria) is also a classic name. No one will be able to guess my daughter's birthdate based on her name. Estelle is lovely, but it's a name that tends to peak and fall. It seems to be peaking now, maybe as an alternative to Isabelle? And that put me off enough to change it.
So basically, yes. I do like common names, I just prefer that they're consistently prevalent in the parts of the world I move in rather than a trend.
As for middle names... I'm actually not super invested in them as a rule. People do use them here, but it's not as ubiquitous as in Western Europe and the US. My daughter does have a middle name, because my brother did and I want to pass on his initials. Her middle name is quite unique. I chose it because it's easy to write and pronounce where I live, while still being quite feminine - not true for most Germanic "W" names IMO :') Finding a "W" name I like was a journey. I chose it for the initial and would have used it even if it was popular - trendy even! xD I do like that it's not, though. My son's name is very very local. The poor kid is going to be spelling it in the Anglosphere forever, but he'll know where it comes from and hopefully be proud of it (and hey, it's not as brutal as a boy named Sue in the Midwest :P).
I would say I like familiar/classic names. By that, I mean names that most people (in my community) will be able to recognise and spell without strange looks. At the same time, I'm not keen on trendy names. As an example, my great-grandmother was called Elisabeth. I do like that name, and I loved Isabelle since I was young, but then Twilight happened, and suddenly every 3rd little girl was named Isabelle/Isabella/Isabel. There's nothing wrong with that, it's just one of those names that will inevitably be associated with a specific decade.
I have one of those names too. I don't particularly mind that aspect of it, but for my own kids I want to be more creative.
I chose Ester over Estelle as a first name for my daughter, which I learned is more common than Estelle globally, though not locally. There are a lot more people in the world named Ester/Esther than Estelle, but Ester/Esther (like Mary/Maria) is also a classic name. No one will be able to guess my daughter's birthdate based on her name. Estelle is lovely, but it's a name that tends to peak and fall. It seems to be peaking now, maybe as an alternative to Isabelle? And that put me off enough to change it.
So basically, yes. I do like common names, I just prefer that they're consistently prevalent in the parts of the world I move in rather than a trend.
As for middle names... I'm actually not super invested in them as a rule. People do use them here, but it's not as ubiquitous as in Western Europe and the US. My daughter does have a middle name, because my brother did and I want to pass on his initials. Her middle name is quite unique. I chose it because it's easy to write and pronounce where I live, while still being quite feminine - not true for most Germanic "W" names IMO :') Finding a "W" name I like was a journey. I chose it for the initial and would have used it even if it was popular - trendy even! xD I do like that it's not, though. My son's name is very very local. The poor kid is going to be spelling it in the Anglosphere forever, but he'll know where it comes from and hopefully be proud of it (and hey, it's not as brutal as a boy named Sue in the Midwest :P).
This message was edited 2/12/2025, 8:20 AM
