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Help[Opinions] Names you like that go against your usual taste
Are there any names that you like whose style goes against everything else you like?
For instance: my tastes tend to be "romantic" and lean toward older, more "established" names, eschewing a lot of "modern" ones. I also have butted heads (so to speak) with the "surnames as first names" trend--particularly with occupational surnames. Yet these are also names I really enjoy, despite going against the grain:
Alannah
Amber / Ember
Autumn / Summer / Winter
Beverly / Everly
Briella
Crystal
Hailey
Lindsay
Makenna
Meadow
Paige / Sage
Raven
Shea
&
Grayson
Harris
Harrison
Jackson
Knox
Lennox
&
River (for anyone)
What about you?
***
Please rate my personal name lists:
www.behindthename.com/pnl/69381
www.behindthename.com/pnl/69381/117507
www.behindthename.com/pnl/69381/109399
www.behindthename.com/pnl/69381/132018
"If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe." - Carl Sagan
For instance: my tastes tend to be "romantic" and lean toward older, more "established" names, eschewing a lot of "modern" ones. I also have butted heads (so to speak) with the "surnames as first names" trend--particularly with occupational surnames. Yet these are also names I really enjoy, despite going against the grain:
Alannah
Amber / Ember
Autumn / Summer / Winter
Beverly / Everly
Briella
Crystal
Hailey
Lindsay
Makenna
Meadow
Paige / Sage
Raven
Shea
&
Grayson
Harris
Harrison
Jackson
Knox
Lennox
&
River (for anyone)
What about you?
***
Please rate my personal name lists:
www.behindthename.com/pnl/69381
www.behindthename.com/pnl/69381/117507
www.behindthename.com/pnl/69381/109399
www.behindthename.com/pnl/69381/132018
"If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe." - Carl Sagan
Replies
For some reason, I feel like Campbell sounds cool on a girl.
YES!
Nevaeh--I did use it for my main characters' grandmother name in one of my stories (fantasy). I don't normally go for modern names but I like the sound.
Surname names as first names: not my usual but I like:
Soames
Hayes
Beck
Vega
Surname names as first names: not my usual but I like:
Soames
Hayes
Beck
Vega
I never got the Nevaeh hate. Like I get it, but I don't get how people see it as the absolute worst name ever. There's much worse names out there. It doesn't even have a bad sound!
My taste has changed massively over the last year or so, I find it difficult to say which names are "my usual taste" and which aren't at this point. But these are the ones that stand out the most, I think:
Jack
Riley - on a boy only
Harvey
Georgie - George is ok, but Georgie? Perfection, and I don't know why. And again, only on a boy
Joe
Kitty
Maria & María
Mies
Jack
Riley - on a boy only
Harvey
Georgie - George is ok, but Georgie? Perfection, and I don't know why. And again, only on a boy
Joe
Kitty
Maria & María
Mies
This message was edited 4/30/2025, 11:24 PM
My least favorite category of names is probably the traditional ones that have been in the US top 1000's since they entered them, or the trendy ones that will sound weird in less than 20 years. I'm very unlikely to use these because I don't want my kids to fade into the background among shared bearers, but I do like:
Leo
Will
Henry
James
Scott
Adam
Liam
Jacob
Mason
Nathan
Jackson
Johnathan
Evan
Ethan
Ezra
Sebastian
Julie
Marianna
Mia
Ember
Anna
Sara
Lea
Emma
Olivia
Maya
Amy
Julia
Lily
Indie
London
Talia
Laken
River
Jordan
Alex
Morgan
Cameron
Sage
Skylar
Harper
Madison
Jade
Kennedy
Justice
Allison
Kendall
Jamie
and so on
Leo
Will
Henry
James
Scott
Adam
Liam
Jacob
Mason
Nathan
Jackson
Johnathan
Evan
Ethan
Ezra
Sebastian
Julie
Marianna
Mia
Ember
Anna
Sara
Lea
Emma
Olivia
Maya
Amy
Julia
Lily
Indie
London
Talia
Laken
River
Jordan
Alex
Morgan
Cameron
Sage
Skylar
Harper
Madison
Jade
Kennedy
Justice
Allison
Kendall
Jamie
and so on
I don't know why, but I love Oaklynn and Lakynn
I usually dislike cutesy names, nicknames, and very frilly girly names...
but I really like Daisy. Daisy is melodic, gives me positive vibes, and goes with many other names.
I also have soft spot for Billie, Stevie, Hank and Joanie – they sound kind of cool, retro and hippie-ish which I enjoy.
As for the frilly names, a few of the Russia names are intriguing – Valentina, Anastasia, Tatiana.
The last group I usually dislike is LNFNs for boys (they sound too preppy to me, as opposed to girls, which give me a rather trendy/modern vibe) but I do like Brooks, Clark, Reed (this spelling only) and a few others.
but I really like Daisy. Daisy is melodic, gives me positive vibes, and goes with many other names.
I also have soft spot for Billie, Stevie, Hank and Joanie – they sound kind of cool, retro and hippie-ish which I enjoy.
As for the frilly names, a few of the Russia names are intriguing – Valentina, Anastasia, Tatiana.
The last group I usually dislike is LNFNs for boys (they sound too preppy to me, as opposed to girls, which give me a rather trendy/modern vibe) but I do like Brooks, Clark, Reed (this spelling only) and a few others.
Yes, Frankie fits the style as well – but I still prefer it as a nickname for Frank/Francis/Frances. I like the sound of Hal but it feels very informace. In this case, I'd choose Henry.
I'm not a fan of Junie or June; maybe Juno is the name I like best.
I'm not a fan of Junie or June; maybe Juno is the name I like best.
I go through moments of finding Crystal, Sage and Paige really likable too.
It's hard for me to say what goes against my taste, since it's all over the place, but generally I'd say I am also a romantic who dislikes trendy, modern-creative names.
So these are some names I'm fond of that don't really go with my usual style, and might surprise people:
Everleigh
Dove (I even came up with a combo for this one I really like)
Reverie
Oakley (all the awful Oak-names, really; even Oaklynn is growing on me)
Peyton
Collins
Runa
Dustin
Fe
Charmaine
Truly, Trulee
Unisex:
Aspen
Bailey
Quincy
Fallon
Jericho
True
Océane
Boys:
Truitt
Callan
Cade
Sullivan
Izan (a phonetic European Spanish version of Ethan)
Murphy
Munro
I don't know if I'd actually use any of these for anything, but I've warmed up to them in one way or another.
It's hard for me to say what goes against my taste, since it's all over the place, but generally I'd say I am also a romantic who dislikes trendy, modern-creative names.
So these are some names I'm fond of that don't really go with my usual style, and might surprise people:
Everleigh
Dove (I even came up with a combo for this one I really like)
Reverie
Oakley (all the awful Oak-names, really; even Oaklynn is growing on me)
Peyton
Collins
Runa
Dustin
Fe
Charmaine
Truly, Trulee
Unisex:
Aspen
Bailey
Quincy
Fallon
Jericho
True
Océane
Boys:
Truitt
Callan
Cade
Sullivan
Izan (a phonetic European Spanish version of Ethan)
Murphy
Munro
I don't know if I'd actually use any of these for anything, but I've warmed up to them in one way or another.