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HelpHaving a hard time with girl's name selection
We are expecting our second child, a girl, in a couple months' time. We are a multiracial family (Canadian, Iranian, Chinese) with a two year old boy, Cyrus. We have shortlisted the following names, but don't have a clear winner. Would love some feedback!
Adele - have always loved this name, but it has no connection w/ our heritage and I don't like that it's so strongly associated with the singer these days.
Jasmine - like it, but don't love it (yet).
Mina - cute and simple, seems to be used across many cultures
Mira - similar to Mina. Less cute, but a more serious ring?
Sara - classic and lovely, but we know so many people with the name
Valerie - love it, but not sure about going with a Christian martyr's name
Farrah - kind of like the name on some level
And then we also really like Mia and Sophie, but are turned off by their supposed top 10 popularity status. Can this really be correct? Growing up, I only ever knew one Mia and a couple Sophies. Names like Sarah, Rachel, Jennifer, Karen, Elizabeth, Julie, Catherine were the very common ones. Maybe it's a generational thing?
Adele - have always loved this name, but it has no connection w/ our heritage and I don't like that it's so strongly associated with the singer these days.
Jasmine - like it, but don't love it (yet).
Mina - cute and simple, seems to be used across many cultures
Mira - similar to Mina. Less cute, but a more serious ring?
Sara - classic and lovely, but we know so many people with the name
Valerie - love it, but not sure about going with a Christian martyr's name
Farrah - kind of like the name on some level
And then we also really like Mia and Sophie, but are turned off by their supposed top 10 popularity status. Can this really be correct? Growing up, I only ever knew one Mia and a couple Sophies. Names like Sarah, Rachel, Jennifer, Karen, Elizabeth, Julie, Catherine were the very common ones. Maybe it's a generational thing?
This message was edited 8/26/2015, 7:59 AM
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Can I just say I like all the names here! A nice range of different names too!
I guess if you're really into the name linking to you culture/heritage I wouldn't use it. But if you really like it it shouldn't put you off! Also, once your kid grows up I doubt anyone will remember the singer.
Jasmine's pretty I like it too (also don't love it but it's definitely a nice name)
Mina is a good name
Not too big a fan of Mira, prefer Mina but I agree it sounds a bit more serious
Sara is a good strong classic names, maybe a bit too popular for my taste but definitely a gorgeous names that a lot of cultures use!
I think Farrah is an unusual but really pretty sounding name! Also an amazing meaning!
I guess if you're really into the name linking to you culture/heritage I wouldn't use it. But if you really like it it shouldn't put you off! Also, once your kid grows up I doubt anyone will remember the singer.
Jasmine's pretty I like it too (also don't love it but it's definitely a nice name)
Mina is a good name
Not too big a fan of Mira, prefer Mina but I agree it sounds a bit more serious
Sara is a good strong classic names, maybe a bit too popular for my taste but definitely a gorgeous names that a lot of cultures use!
I think Farrah is an unusual but really pretty sounding name! Also an amazing meaning!
This message was edited 8/30/2015, 5:05 PM
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Thank you everyone for the wonderful feedback... maybe a poll is in order. Glad to see a fair amount of support for Mina. It seems to be the leading choice among our immediate family members, though I personally prefer Mira. Still have a couple months to try to win them over.
I have an issue with picking a name to get to the dimunitive/nickname that we actually plan to use in daily life. We were leaning towards Nina for a long time but gravitated towards Mina as Nina did not seem to have much meaning on its own. Mina has its own meaning in several languages (I believe it means daisy/azure in Persian) and is not an uncommon girls' name in Japan/Korea. The only exception to this rule is Calliope to get to Callie, which is a name I like. I also know a Xenophon who goes by Xen, which is a very cool and unique name (incidentally the Greek historian who wrote the biography of Cyrus). If I didn't know this guy quite well, we might have used the name for Cyrus.
If Mia wasn't so common, it would probably be our top choice.
Still fond of Adele and Farrah, but maybe more likely as a middle name. Mira Adele or Mina Adele/Farrah
Sara and Valerie...maybe in another life (or in event of future birth control mishap)
Somebody suggested Shirin - yes we both love this name, but unfortunately it is associated with an unpleasant work acquaintance.
BTW, we have been running all these names by Cyrus to gauge his feedback. His response has consistently been "Wendy, Wendy." It is strange as we do not know anyone with that name, not have we ever mentioned it.
I have an issue with picking a name to get to the dimunitive/nickname that we actually plan to use in daily life. We were leaning towards Nina for a long time but gravitated towards Mina as Nina did not seem to have much meaning on its own. Mina has its own meaning in several languages (I believe it means daisy/azure in Persian) and is not an uncommon girls' name in Japan/Korea. The only exception to this rule is Calliope to get to Callie, which is a name I like. I also know a Xenophon who goes by Xen, which is a very cool and unique name (incidentally the Greek historian who wrote the biography of Cyrus). If I didn't know this guy quite well, we might have used the name for Cyrus.
If Mia wasn't so common, it would probably be our top choice.
Still fond of Adele and Farrah, but maybe more likely as a middle name. Mira Adele or Mina Adele/Farrah
Sara and Valerie...maybe in another life (or in event of future birth control mishap)
Somebody suggested Shirin - yes we both love this name, but unfortunately it is associated with an unpleasant work acquaintance.
BTW, we have been running all these names by Cyrus to gauge his feedback. His response has consistently been "Wendy, Wendy." It is strange as we do not know anyone with that name, not have we ever mentioned it.
This message was edited 8/27/2015, 7:44 AM
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Mina Adele is gorgeous! I LOVE the name Mira, but Mira and Cyrus together is too much R for me. That said, Mira Adele is also gorgeous.
Mina Farrah doesn't flow very well to me.
Mina Farrah doesn't flow very well to me.
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Gosh, thanks for all these new options but I'm not really feeling it with any of them! He seems obsessed with the name though. Maybe a future pet...
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Adele - gorgeous. It goes great with Cyrus.
Jasmine - meh. Played out. Yasmina would be a great alternative.
Mina - ok, a little frilly and sort of insubstantial. It's pretty but I prefer it as a nickname.
Mira - I do prefer it to Mina and think it is more "serious" or "professional" sounding.
Sara - it's ok. I know that I personally would likely always be saying the wrong name between Sara and Cyrus, though.
Valerie - I like it. It's cheerful sounding and young but sort of ageless. It falls flat next to Curus though I think.
Farah - I prefer this spelling and it's my favorite of the bunch. It's gorgeous and goes great with Cyrus.
Jasmine - meh. Played out. Yasmina would be a great alternative.
Mina - ok, a little frilly and sort of insubstantial. It's pretty but I prefer it as a nickname.
Mira - I do prefer it to Mina and think it is more "serious" or "professional" sounding.
Sara - it's ok. I know that I personally would likely always be saying the wrong name between Sara and Cyrus, though.
Valerie - I like it. It's cheerful sounding and young but sort of ageless. It falls flat next to Curus though I think.
Farah - I prefer this spelling and it's my favorite of the bunch. It's gorgeous and goes great with Cyrus.
This message was edited 8/26/2015, 11:21 PM
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Just so you know, my name is Jasmine and my nickname has been Mina my whole life. It's worked out well! I've always loved Mina and sometimes wished that was my name instead. (On the other hand, I'll always advocate for another Jasmine in the world; I'm complimented on my name a lot!)
Adele is a delicate, elegant name and I don't think of the singer instantly. I've only met one Adele my whole life. Makes a great mn.
As far as Mia and Sophie, most little girls I know are being named Bella, Emma and, of course, Ava. Most of the Sophies I've heard of are teenagers now. Mia is a name I only heard every once in a blue moon, and I do like it a lot (Miya's not bad either).
Mira stands out because it's a name you don't hear everyday. It has a quiet sweetness to it.
Valerie is soft and pretty yet dated. I do like it as a mn.
Farrah I've never been a huge fan of. It's definitely different but still a name most people have heard before.
Sara's a definite classic. Only downside is that it's so common it's boring. But it's common for a reason...it's a pretty name!
My picks are Mia, Valerie, Mira and Mina. No particular order, by the way.
Let us know what you choose! Best of luck. :)
Adele is a delicate, elegant name and I don't think of the singer instantly. I've only met one Adele my whole life. Makes a great mn.
As far as Mia and Sophie, most little girls I know are being named Bella, Emma and, of course, Ava. Most of the Sophies I've heard of are teenagers now. Mia is a name I only heard every once in a blue moon, and I do like it a lot (Miya's not bad either).
Mira stands out because it's a name you don't hear everyday. It has a quiet sweetness to it.
Valerie is soft and pretty yet dated. I do like it as a mn.
Farrah I've never been a huge fan of. It's definitely different but still a name most people have heard before.
Sara's a definite classic. Only downside is that it's so common it's boring. But it's common for a reason...it's a pretty name!
My picks are Mia, Valerie, Mira and Mina. No particular order, by the way.
Let us know what you choose! Best of luck. :)
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Adele and Jasmine are my faves. Personally I prefer Jasmine, which I find really rather beautiful. Jasmine Adele would make a lovely combo actually.
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About popularity: In the US anyway, the current very most popular names are given to far fewer girls today, than the most popular names of 25 years ago were. The names themselves are almost entirely different.
For example, the #10 name in 2014, Charlotte, was only given to 0.5% of girls - and in 1990, every name ranked above #30 was given to a larger percentage of girls than that.
So Mia might be top ten - but if it were given at the same rate 25 years ago, it only would have been at #18. So popularity isn't as big a deal as it used to be, except for the top 2 or 3 girl names.
There's a lot of regional variation in the top names, too. In some places Mia might be very common, and in others it might not be. I haven't seen many Mias where I live, but the schools are teeming with Sophies.
I love Cyrus!
Adele - eh. I'm not attracted much to A names with second syllable stress because in my accent the A often comes out like a stutter, uh-Dell, uh-Melia. But I don't like any names that start with "addle" sound, so ... eh. Adele is not bad, it's just nms. I suggest Ada (AY-da) instead.
Jasmine - I like it a lot. It is just the faintest shade tacky (nn Jazz, Disney princess), but on a real person it just seems pleasantly modest. Being such a pretty flower name, it needs that modesty IMO.
Mina - It's alright. I know a Meena who is at least part Indian, so I think of Mina as an Indian name. I personally don't love it because of the "mean" sound - not that it bothers me on other people, but it would bother me on my own kid.
Mira - I like it on paper but when I say it aloud I hear "mirror." It's pretty, but I personally wouldn't want to use it.
Sara - it's classic and lovely enough that if you love it, its being frequent shouldn't stop you. I think it's very likeable.
For example, the #10 name in 2014, Charlotte, was only given to 0.5% of girls - and in 1990, every name ranked above #30 was given to a larger percentage of girls than that.
So Mia might be top ten - but if it were given at the same rate 25 years ago, it only would have been at #18. So popularity isn't as big a deal as it used to be, except for the top 2 or 3 girl names.
There's a lot of regional variation in the top names, too. In some places Mia might be very common, and in others it might not be. I haven't seen many Mias where I live, but the schools are teeming with Sophies.
I love Cyrus!
Adele - eh. I'm not attracted much to A names with second syllable stress because in my accent the A often comes out like a stutter, uh-Dell, uh-Melia. But I don't like any names that start with "addle" sound, so ... eh. Adele is not bad, it's just nms. I suggest Ada (AY-da) instead.
Jasmine - I like it a lot. It is just the faintest shade tacky (nn Jazz, Disney princess), but on a real person it just seems pleasantly modest. Being such a pretty flower name, it needs that modesty IMO.
Mina - It's alright. I know a Meena who is at least part Indian, so I think of Mina as an Indian name. I personally don't love it because of the "mean" sound - not that it bothers me on other people, but it would bother me on my own kid.
Mira - I like it on paper but when I say it aloud I hear "mirror." It's pretty, but I personally wouldn't want to use it.
Sara - it's classic and lovely enough that if you love it, its being frequent shouldn't stop you. I think it's very likeable.
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Popularity is a generational thing, definitely. In 1990, the top girls name was Jessica but Jessica is now number 179. The top girls name now is Emma, which was number 130 in 1990.
There are some names which have plummeted or rocketed up much quicker but I think you will find there are far fewer young girls called Jennifer and Julie than there were 20 years ago.
Adele - I like this. It is quite strongly associated with the singer, but that's not really a bad thing as she is a talented person and hasn't had any scandal surrounding her.
Jasmine - This is ok, but not really my style.
Mina - This is lovely. If you're worried it's not serious enough, you could always use it as a nickname. Possible full-length versions could be Amina, Wilhelmina, Jasmina (could work as a nn for Jasmine at a stretch)
Mira - I prefer Mina but Mira is nice too. I like it as a nn for Miriam
Sara - Nice but a bit boring. Which pronounciation will you use?
Valerie - I think this is dated, I don't really like it
Farrah - not my style, although I don't know why I don't like it!
There are some names which have plummeted or rocketed up much quicker but I think you will find there are far fewer young girls called Jennifer and Julie than there were 20 years ago.
Adele - I like this. It is quite strongly associated with the singer, but that's not really a bad thing as she is a talented person and hasn't had any scandal surrounding her.
Jasmine - This is ok, but not really my style.
Mina - This is lovely. If you're worried it's not serious enough, you could always use it as a nickname. Possible full-length versions could be Amina, Wilhelmina, Jasmina (could work as a nn for Jasmine at a stretch)
Mira - I prefer Mina but Mira is nice too. I like it as a nn for Miriam
Sara - Nice but a bit boring. Which pronounciation will you use?
Valerie - I think this is dated, I don't really like it
Farrah - not my style, although I don't know why I don't like it!
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Adele - My first thought is the singer. I like it, but prefer some of your other choices
Jasmine - I think Jasmine is absolutely lovely. It's one of those names that I really think is great but would never use myself as feel any child I had would have the wrong colouring (very pale skin)
Mina - It's pretty, but not a favourite of mine. Cyrus and Mina would be cute though
Mira - like it slightly less that Mina but its nice enough
Sara - I much prefer Sara to Sarah (assuming you pronounce the two differently). I think Sara is lovely and not so commonly used these days. I was going to suggest Saira but then realised it be be Saira and Cyrus lol
Valerie - cute, no idea about the Christian thing. Not sure it fits Cyrus greatly, but if you're not to bothered about that
Farrah - lovely name and think Cyrus and Farrah would be a gorgeous sibset
Mia and Sophie are very popular, but I like both.
Jasmine - I think Jasmine is absolutely lovely. It's one of those names that I really think is great but would never use myself as feel any child I had would have the wrong colouring (very pale skin)
Mina - It's pretty, but not a favourite of mine. Cyrus and Mina would be cute though
Mira - like it slightly less that Mina but its nice enough
Sara - I much prefer Sara to Sarah (assuming you pronounce the two differently). I think Sara is lovely and not so commonly used these days. I was going to suggest Saira but then realised it be be Saira and Cyrus lol
Valerie - cute, no idea about the Christian thing. Not sure it fits Cyrus greatly, but if you're not to bothered about that
Farrah - lovely name and think Cyrus and Farrah would be a gorgeous sibset
Mia and Sophie are very popular, but I like both.
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The only one I really like from your list is Mina. Jasmine and Adele are alright, but I prefer Adela.
Mia and Sophie are extremely popular now. It's a generational thing, there aren't many Jennifers or Karens born these days.
Mia and Sophie are extremely popular now. It's a generational thing, there aren't many Jennifers or Karens born these days.
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Adele wins. It's super cute and stylish. The others are boring, except Mira, but I prefer Myra.
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Opinions and suggestions:
Adele - It's a really nice name, very melodic. It is true that the singer is very prominent these days, but it's not a bad association, so if you really like this name, I wouldn't see it as a huge problem. She has a good voice and does not rely on sex to promote her work. I would be more concerned by someone using Miley. Adele and Cyrus, by the way, may sound pop singer-ish together.
Jasmine - Not a huge fan
Mina - It's nice and seems to fit your family, but I don't really like it that much
Mira - I like it much more than Mina. It;'s a great choice imo. My favourite on this list.
Sara - Too plain.
Valerie - Not many people would be aware of the Christian martyr thing. It's fine, and not that common.
Farrah - I don't like it.
The popularity of Mia and Sophie is not "supposed" :) Check the Social Security website for lists of the most popular names by year. They constantly change, especially the girls:
http://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/
Adele - It's a really nice name, very melodic. It is true that the singer is very prominent these days, but it's not a bad association, so if you really like this name, I wouldn't see it as a huge problem. She has a good voice and does not rely on sex to promote her work. I would be more concerned by someone using Miley. Adele and Cyrus, by the way, may sound pop singer-ish together.
Jasmine - Not a huge fan
Mina - It's nice and seems to fit your family, but I don't really like it that much
Mira - I like it much more than Mina. It;'s a great choice imo. My favourite on this list.
Sara - Too plain.
Valerie - Not many people would be aware of the Christian martyr thing. It's fine, and not that common.
Farrah - I don't like it.
The popularity of Mia and Sophie is not "supposed" :) Check the Social Security website for lists of the most popular names by year. They constantly change, especially the girls:
http://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/
This message was edited 8/26/2015, 10:08 AM
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I normally would say you should go with Adele, but Adele and Cyrus might be a bit too pop-star-ish together.
I think Jasmine is beautiful. Maybe you could consider Jessamine or Jessamyn? They are a bit softer.
Mina and Mira are cute, but don't have much substance on their own. Jasmina with the nickname Mina? Miranda or Miriam with the nickname Mira?
Sara is lovely, nothing negative to say about it. I prefer this spelling to Sarah too.
Valerie is very pretty and I don't associate it with a Christian martyr.
Farrah is gorgeous.
Yes, names go in and out of style. Just like your parents probably didn't grow up with many Jessica's and Jennifer's, it became more popular when you were a kid. I didn't know any Mia's and Sophie's growing up but now there are tons of little ones in the last few years.
I think Jasmine is beautiful. Maybe you could consider Jessamine or Jessamyn? They are a bit softer.
Mina and Mira are cute, but don't have much substance on their own. Jasmina with the nickname Mina? Miranda or Miriam with the nickname Mira?
Sara is lovely, nothing negative to say about it. I prefer this spelling to Sarah too.
Valerie is very pretty and I don't associate it with a Christian martyr.
Farrah is gorgeous.
Yes, names go in and out of style. Just like your parents probably didn't grow up with many Jessica's and Jennifer's, it became more popular when you were a kid. I didn't know any Mia's and Sophie's growing up but now there are tons of little ones in the last few years.
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First, Mia and Sophie are very generational. They are considered trendy, which means they enjoy popularity for a while. Many of the names that you remember as common ones are not so common today.
I think both Mia and Sophie are usable, but they are going to be linked to this generation for sure.
Of your list, I love both Mina and Farah (spelled this way). Mina seems like the perfect choice for you actually and I love how it sounds next to Cyrus. I have liked this name for a long time, specifically because it is so cross-cultural (we are a multicultural family as well).
Mira is adorable, so I guess if I had to choose I would go with Mina or Mira. Mira is a bit more spunky but serious against the cutesy Mina, but both work beautifully.
Jasmine is a name I like a lot, but it has such stereotypes thanks to Disney that I shy from it a lot more than I normally would. I do think it would work in your case as it is very culturally representative of your backgrounds, but I like it far less than Mina or Mira.
Farah was the name we were going to use for our daughter. We loved it for the meaning of "joy" and the sound. We also thought it worked cross-culturally with our Filipino/Italian/American backgrounds. We had a family member use the name so we scrapped it at the last minute, but I think it's a great choice if you decided not to go with Mina or Mira.
Of the others on your list (Valerie, Adele and Sara), I like them but they seem a bit ho-hum against the other options. They don't stand out like Cyrus does.
I think both Mia and Sophie are usable, but they are going to be linked to this generation for sure.
Of your list, I love both Mina and Farah (spelled this way). Mina seems like the perfect choice for you actually and I love how it sounds next to Cyrus. I have liked this name for a long time, specifically because it is so cross-cultural (we are a multicultural family as well).
Mira is adorable, so I guess if I had to choose I would go with Mina or Mira. Mira is a bit more spunky but serious against the cutesy Mina, but both work beautifully.
Jasmine is a name I like a lot, but it has such stereotypes thanks to Disney that I shy from it a lot more than I normally would. I do think it would work in your case as it is very culturally representative of your backgrounds, but I like it far less than Mina or Mira.
Farah was the name we were going to use for our daughter. We loved it for the meaning of "joy" and the sound. We also thought it worked cross-culturally with our Filipino/Italian/American backgrounds. We had a family member use the name so we scrapped it at the last minute, but I think it's a great choice if you decided not to go with Mina or Mira.
Of the others on your list (Valerie, Adele and Sara), I like them but they seem a bit ho-hum against the other options. They don't stand out like Cyrus does.
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Oh my gosh your family must be so beautiful.
What about Jasmina or Yasmina? That sort of puts two of your names together (Jasmine and Mina).
I love Mira - it's eerily beautiful and yet also has a "seriousness" to it, as you say.
And I'm also a Farrah fan! I like its exotic retro style. Farrah and Cyrus would be a really fun duo.
I absolutely don't think you have to worry about the Christian martyr thing with Valerie. For a moment I had no idea what you were talking about.
Other ideas:
Mila - a twist on Mia/Mina/Mira
Mara, Dara, Lara - similar to but more unique than Sara
Adela, Adelaide, Adeline - less singer-y, and you can use Adele as a nickname
What about Jasmina or Yasmina? That sort of puts two of your names together (Jasmine and Mina).
I love Mira - it's eerily beautiful and yet also has a "seriousness" to it, as you say.
And I'm also a Farrah fan! I like its exotic retro style. Farrah and Cyrus would be a really fun duo.
I absolutely don't think you have to worry about the Christian martyr thing with Valerie. For a moment I had no idea what you were talking about.
Other ideas:
Mila - a twist on Mia/Mina/Mira
Mara, Dara, Lara - similar to but more unique than Sara
Adela, Adelaide, Adeline - less singer-y, and you can use Adele as a nickname
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When you were growing up, Mia and Sophie weren't popular, but they are now. Very popular.
My own daughter is named Valerie; we're not Christian but that didn't stop us from naming her that. In fact I didn't know till now that Valerie is a Christian martyr. It's a lot of other people too.
Jasmine is another good choice. You could spell it Yasmin/Yasmine for a more Arabic kind of flair.
My own daughter is named Valerie; we're not Christian but that didn't stop us from naming her that. In fact I didn't know till now that Valerie is a Christian martyr. It's a lot of other people too.
Jasmine is another good choice. You could spell it Yasmin/Yasmine for a more Arabic kind of flair.
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I didn't know that about Valerie either. BTW, I've only known one, in high school.
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