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Help"fresh" vs. familiar
List your top ten or so favorite names - say, five per gender, names you'd use for a baby, or would want to be named if you were being born this year - and then tell how many people you've personally met with each name, and how many characters or people you've known but didn't meet, who have each name.
Are they mostly names you've called real people? Or are they mostly names of people you've never met?
Is your impression of a name or its "personality" different if you've met a bearer personally, versus if you have only seen and heard the name but never a real bearer?
Do you think you like names more, or less, after you've personally met a real person named them?
- mirfak
Are they mostly names you've called real people? Or are they mostly names of people you've never met?
Is your impression of a name or its "personality" different if you've met a bearer personally, versus if you have only seen and heard the name but never a real bearer?
Do you think you like names more, or less, after you've personally met a real person named them?
- mirfak
Archived Thread - replies disabled
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My top 10 for a baby girl or boy right now:
Antonia - Nobody in real life, the only celebrity I know of is Nicole Kidman's sister Antonia Kidman.
Leona - 1 lady, 40's. She's warm, kind and has a sense of humour. Her personality has really made me grow to love her name.
Cora - Nobody in real life. I am reminded of the Downtown Abbey character Cora Crawley, I've watched the anime The Legend of Korra and Kora Organics is one of my favourite beauty companies.
Violet - Nobody in real life, although this is a name on my family tree. It was one of the names of my grandmother's sisters whom I never met.
Genevieve - 1 lady, twenties, and I think possibly another French girl when I was schooled in France. She was an attractive girl studying an art's degree who had a sense of humour.
Alec - I've only ever seen this name on a teenager working at a restaurant. Then there's Alec Baldwin.
Jasper - 1 man, twenties. He and I were studying Film degrees, and he was this artsy cinematographer who wore suspenders and one of those golfer caps. I'd only ever heard this name from 101 Dalmatians and suddenly it seemed really cool.
Jude - I've never met a man with this name, only a Judith who sometimes goes by Jude. I mainly think of The Beatles song "Hey Jude", which I love.
Theo (Theodore) - I met an Englishman with the name Theo in his twenties. He was warm-hearted and easy going. I also know of a baby called Theodore, who goes by Teddy. I had a teddy bear when I was a child named Theodora as well, so Theo is somewhat nostalgic for me.
Antonia - Nobody in real life, the only celebrity I know of is Nicole Kidman's sister Antonia Kidman.
Leona - 1 lady, 40's. She's warm, kind and has a sense of humour. Her personality has really made me grow to love her name.
Cora - Nobody in real life. I am reminded of the Downtown Abbey character Cora Crawley, I've watched the anime The Legend of Korra and Kora Organics is one of my favourite beauty companies.
Violet - Nobody in real life, although this is a name on my family tree. It was one of the names of my grandmother's sisters whom I never met.
Genevieve - 1 lady, twenties, and I think possibly another French girl when I was schooled in France. She was an attractive girl studying an art's degree who had a sense of humour.
Alec - I've only ever seen this name on a teenager working at a restaurant. Then there's Alec Baldwin.
Jasper - 1 man, twenties. He and I were studying Film degrees, and he was this artsy cinematographer who wore suspenders and one of those golfer caps. I'd only ever heard this name from 101 Dalmatians and suddenly it seemed really cool.
Jude - I've never met a man with this name, only a Judith who sometimes goes by Jude. I mainly think of The Beatles song "Hey Jude", which I love.
Theo (Theodore) - I met an Englishman with the name Theo in his twenties. He was warm-hearted and easy going. I also know of a baby called Theodore, who goes by Teddy. I had a teddy bear when I was a child named Theodora as well, so Theo is somewhat nostalgic for me.
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I don’t really have a top 10 but I will say, as a teacher, names I’ve liked have gotten worn out. I used to like the name Layla a lot but I’ve known three girls named Laila in the past year and now it’s just another name. I will say the first Laila kinda ruined it for me, so there’s that.
Ayla was another name I crossed off my list after loving it since childhood. It was originally the name of a friend but now I just associate it with a student I worked with. The upside is that this makes name-choosing easier!
But I’ve also loved the name Maya for a long time and I worked with one and saying the name repeatedly didn’t take away its magic, so it’s a keeper.
The rest of the names I like I’ve never known anyone personally with.
Ayla was another name I crossed off my list after loving it since childhood. It was originally the name of a friend but now I just associate it with a student I worked with. The upside is that this makes name-choosing easier!
But I’ve also loved the name Maya for a long time and I worked with one and saying the name repeatedly didn’t take away its magic, so it’s a keeper.
The rest of the names I like I’ve never known anyone personally with.
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I think I'm mostly in the "fresh" camp. Not many names that I have really *known* people named, are on my list. But it does seem to help me like a name better, once I have at least seen someone named it in real life.
My "fresh" faves (names for which I have not been personally acquainted with anyone named them - not counting people I only overheard their name, not counting characters etc):
Damon, Merrick, Rowan, Nicholas (! I'm sure I must have known a Nick at some point but none come to mind!), Alexander (same thing ... I just didn't ever get to know any. I've known at least 2 Alexandras though.), and Adrian - it has been on my favorites longer than I've known the Adrian I know
River, Meryl, Isla, Claudia, Edith, Gemma
I've at least heard of, or come across people or characters named all of those. But I didn't become acquainted with them.
My "familiar" faves - names of people I've personally known, that are favorites
Marcus / Marc, Conrad, Raymond / Ray
Julia, Carol, Darcy
Names I didn't like until I encountered children named them, and only then did they become faves: Iris, Mavis, Cyrus, Malcolm
Names I think I might have as bigger favorites, if they hadn't been the names of people I knew: Victoria, Emily, Derek, Thomas / Tom
I think my favorites mostly sound to me like they would belong to children - I don't perceive them as names very likely to be the names of people 25-50. I think having met an adult or peer with a name, makes it feel 'older' to me, and if I've never met any, it doesn't seem as 'old' even if I do think it's 'dated.' But it's less marked for guy names. I don't mind so much if guy names sound older and more familiar.
My "fresh" faves (names for which I have not been personally acquainted with anyone named them - not counting people I only overheard their name, not counting characters etc):
Damon, Merrick, Rowan, Nicholas (! I'm sure I must have known a Nick at some point but none come to mind!), Alexander (same thing ... I just didn't ever get to know any. I've known at least 2 Alexandras though.), and Adrian - it has been on my favorites longer than I've known the Adrian I know
River, Meryl, Isla, Claudia, Edith, Gemma
I've at least heard of, or come across people or characters named all of those. But I didn't become acquainted with them.
My "familiar" faves - names of people I've personally known, that are favorites
Marcus / Marc, Conrad, Raymond / Ray
Julia, Carol, Darcy
Names I didn't like until I encountered children named them, and only then did they become faves: Iris, Mavis, Cyrus, Malcolm
Names I think I might have as bigger favorites, if they hadn't been the names of people I knew: Victoria, Emily, Derek, Thomas / Tom
I think my favorites mostly sound to me like they would belong to children - I don't perceive them as names very likely to be the names of people 25-50. I think having met an adult or peer with a name, makes it feel 'older' to me, and if I've never met any, it doesn't seem as 'old' even if I do think it's 'dated.' But it's less marked for guy names. I don't mind so much if guy names sound older and more familiar.
This message was edited 8/14/2018, 5:43 PM
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would want to be named if I were being born this year:
Fidel - no one except Castro; I don't associate it with him, though
Clay - I know I've seen it IRL, but not that often and I don't think of anyone specific; I'm more familiar with it as a word
Vespasian - I guess I've only heard this in Latin class; it just popped into my head
Hieronymus - just Bosch, though the sounds are familiar in character names
Yves - a couple people I've heard/read about, plus one character in a book; I didn't start liking it until after reading the book
Velma - two characters, Scooby Doo and Chicago
Veda - a grandfather had an Aunt Veda
Tirzah - I feel like I've met one or two, but can't remember when/where, plus a couple characters
Renata - I think I've met or heard about at least one IRL, but no one comes to mind, no characters either...
Minerve - I started liking it after seeing it used for a character in a book; I've seen Minerva more, but I don't like that enough to use
more likely to use on a baby (I wouldn't mind being named these either, but they feel less specific to me for whatever reason):
Dmitri - I have a (female) friend called Demi; plus (including various spellings) at least 2 characters and Mendeleev
Timaeus - I think 2 characters, and I've met several guys called Ty or Tim.
Isidore - just the saint, plus it's sort of like Isabelle / Isabella and Salvatore / Salvador (I've met a couple of each and heard of more)
Fidel - no one except Castro; I don't associate it with him, though
Clay - I know I've seen it IRL, but not that often and I don't think of anyone specific; I'm more familiar with it as a word
Vespasian - I guess I've only heard this in Latin class; it just popped into my head
Hieronymus - just Bosch, though the sounds are familiar in character names
Yves - a couple people I've heard/read about, plus one character in a book; I didn't start liking it until after reading the book
Velma - two characters, Scooby Doo and Chicago
Veda - a grandfather had an Aunt Veda
Tirzah - I feel like I've met one or two, but can't remember when/where, plus a couple characters
Renata - I think I've met or heard about at least one IRL, but no one comes to mind, no characters either...
Minerve - I started liking it after seeing it used for a character in a book; I've seen Minerva more, but I don't like that enough to use
more likely to use on a baby (I wouldn't mind being named these either, but they feel less specific to me for whatever reason):
Dmitri - I have a (female) friend called Demi; plus (including various spellings) at least 2 characters and Mendeleev
Timaeus - I think 2 characters, and I've met several guys called Ty or Tim.
Isidore - just the saint, plus it's sort of like Isabelle / Isabella and Salvatore / Salvador (I've met a couple of each and heard of more)
This message was edited 8/14/2018, 2:26 PM
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Lyle - never known any association
Clarence "Clare" - grandpa mn
Blair - knew a f Blair and didn't like her.
Julius "Jules" - family name but never met, met 1
Cedric - HP
Edmund - Narnia
Beatrice "Tris" - Divergent. My friend loved Beatrix which I didn't
Wilma - Flintsones
Ruth / Ruthie - 7th Heaven
Octavia "Tave" or "Tavia" - no association
I tend to prefer "familiar fresh" names as I'll call them. I am only starting to open up to names of people I didn't like in childhood. Natalie for example is nice but knew a mean one. I think I like names less after meeting someone. Granted a quick positive encounter with a less familiar name is likely to increase my interest in the name, at least for a little while.
Clarence "Clare" - grandpa mn
Blair - knew a f Blair and didn't like her.
Julius "Jules" - family name but never met, met 1
Cedric - HP
Edmund - Narnia
Beatrice "Tris" - Divergent. My friend loved Beatrix which I didn't
Wilma - Flintsones
Ruth / Ruthie - 7th Heaven
Octavia "Tave" or "Tavia" - no association
I tend to prefer "familiar fresh" names as I'll call them. I am only starting to open up to names of people I didn't like in childhood. Natalie for example is nice but knew a mean one. I think I like names less after meeting someone. Granted a quick positive encounter with a less familiar name is likely to increase my interest in the name, at least for a little while.
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Julia - 2 in real life, too many characters / celebs to mention.
Maria - 0 in real life, too many characters / celebs to mention.
Leona - 0 (but one Leonie), 1 celebrity.
Susanna - 1 in real life, 1 celebrity.
Anneliese - 2 in real life, 2 not.
Tristan - 1 irl, 1 character.
William - 1 irl, too many characters to mention.
Theo - none irl, 2 not.
James - 5 irl? Too many not irl to mention.
Alexander - as above.
Maria - 0 in real life, too many characters / celebs to mention.
Leona - 0 (but one Leonie), 1 celebrity.
Susanna - 1 in real life, 1 celebrity.
Anneliese - 2 in real life, 2 not.
Tristan - 1 irl, 1 character.
William - 1 irl, too many characters to mention.
Theo - none irl, 2 not.
James - 5 irl? Too many not irl to mention.
Alexander - as above.
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Interesting. First of all, I can't make sense of 'name' versus 'bearer of name'. I'm quite capable of disliking a name, eg Pearl and Ruby, but liking the Pearl and Ruby people (sisters!) that I know. But using a name to honour someone gets more complicated: then I'd only use a name if I liked it, regardless of how many worthy relatives etc might have had it. But, given a choice between two names I liked equally, I'd go for the family one.
As there are more, and more usable, female names than male, I suppose, my list contains male names where I know and like real people with them, but female names from more varied sources. I think. Let's see:
David - my birth ln is derived from David; distant relative, quite a nice chap; good friend's wonderful husband; celebs would be David Gower and David Lloyd, England cricketers, and David Niven the actor.
Ian - former BIL, pleasant enough; my two very dearest male friends; I've taught more Ians than I can keep track of, most of them OK and one very nice; the only celeb I can think of is Sir(!) Ian Botham.
Peter - my son; a good friend; former neighbour and his son; Peter in the Narnia books and of course Lord Peter Wimsey!
Thomas, nn Tom - both my grandfathers, neither of whom I met; nn of a former colleague whom I like and respect.
William - family name, especially my dear, deceased cousin; he was Bill but I'd use Will; William the Conqueror I suppose, and Will in the His Dark Materials books.
As there are more, and more usable, female names than male, I suppose, my list contains male names where I know and like real people with them, but female names from more varied sources. I think. Let's see:
David - my birth ln is derived from David; distant relative, quite a nice chap; good friend's wonderful husband; celebs would be David Gower and David Lloyd, England cricketers, and David Niven the actor.
Ian - former BIL, pleasant enough; my two very dearest male friends; I've taught more Ians than I can keep track of, most of them OK and one very nice; the only celeb I can think of is Sir(!) Ian Botham.
Peter - my son; a good friend; former neighbour and his son; Peter in the Narnia books and of course Lord Peter Wimsey!
Thomas, nn Tom - both my grandfathers, neither of whom I met; nn of a former colleague whom I like and respect.
William - family name, especially my dear, deceased cousin; he was Bill but I'd use Will; William the Conqueror I suppose, and Will in the His Dark Materials books.
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Okay.
August - 0 irl, 1 character
Micah - 1 irl, 1 character
Leo- 2 irl
Riley- about 5 irl (boys), 1 charcter springs to mind
Archer- 1 irl
Lilia- 0 irl
Willow- 0 irl but I know of a few
Aurora- 2 irl, 1 charcter
Sasha- 1 irl
River- 1 irl, 2 characters
So mostly names that I've either never met anyone with or very few people with. I think a name can lose its charm if you meet someone/ too many people with it, but sometimes it can bring it to life. For instance, I loved meeting a female River, but actually quite liked the name Zoe until I met so many. Zoe is one name where the 'personality' of it has changed for me.
August - 0 irl, 1 character
Micah - 1 irl, 1 character
Leo- 2 irl
Riley- about 5 irl (boys), 1 charcter springs to mind
Archer- 1 irl
Lilia- 0 irl
Willow- 0 irl but I know of a few
Aurora- 2 irl, 1 charcter
Sasha- 1 irl
River- 1 irl, 2 characters
So mostly names that I've either never met anyone with or very few people with. I think a name can lose its charm if you meet someone/ too many people with it, but sometimes it can bring it to life. For instance, I loved meeting a female River, but actually quite liked the name Zoe until I met so many. Zoe is one name where the 'personality' of it has changed for me.
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Certainly lean a bit more toward classic names, as well as those some would consider obscure. Some examples (mostly from my specific culture, not English):
Simcha — gender neutral. Means joy. Have met one person with this name, it suited them well.
Ari — gender neutral, leaning male. Means lion. Have known several people with this name, all of whom have been amazing.
Margalit — feminine. Means Pearl. It’s rare but feel like it would be familiar enough due to the similarity with Margaret, Margarita, etc.
Dror — gender neutral. Means freedom. Have never met anyone with this name, but the sound and meaning intrigue me.
Chesed — gender neutral. Means kindness. Have never met anyone with this name but would love to.
Enid — feminine. English. Have never met any Enids but have seen them on TV, always older ladies. Think it would be refreshing on a young person.
Millicent — feminine. English. Knew one growing up, she was elderly. Like Enid, this name would be refreshing on a young person.
Edwin — masculine. English. Have known several Eds and Eddies, not sure if they were named Edwin in full. I think it’s familiar enough without being overly common.
I tend to like names more after I’ve seen them on a real person. It kind of brings them down to earth and into the realm of the practical.
Simcha — gender neutral. Means joy. Have met one person with this name, it suited them well.
Ari — gender neutral, leaning male. Means lion. Have known several people with this name, all of whom have been amazing.
Margalit — feminine. Means Pearl. It’s rare but feel like it would be familiar enough due to the similarity with Margaret, Margarita, etc.
Dror — gender neutral. Means freedom. Have never met anyone with this name, but the sound and meaning intrigue me.
Chesed — gender neutral. Means kindness. Have never met anyone with this name but would love to.
Enid — feminine. English. Have never met any Enids but have seen them on TV, always older ladies. Think it would be refreshing on a young person.
Millicent — feminine. English. Knew one growing up, she was elderly. Like Enid, this name would be refreshing on a young person.
Edwin — masculine. English. Have known several Eds and Eddies, not sure if they were named Edwin in full. I think it’s familiar enough without being overly common.
I tend to like names more after I’ve seen them on a real person. It kind of brings them down to earth and into the realm of the practical.
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Genevieve - I had two teachers named Genevieve. I can think of two fictional Genevieves, one from Smallville and one from Madeline. I can think of two actors named Genevieve.
Eloise - I’ve never met an Eloise. I only know of the children’s book character.
Tabitha - I’ve met three Tabithas, and I can think of three fictional characters: one from Beatrix Potter’s stories, one from Bewitched, and one from the soap opera Passions.
Adelaide - I have no associations with this name, other than it is a street in the city near me.
Rosalind - I met one Rosalind at work and know of the historical figure Rosalind Franklin and the character from Shakespeare.
Theodore - I’ve never met a Theodore. However, I can think of countless TV characters and historical figures. I especially think of Theodore Laurence from Little Women.
Felix - I’ve met one. I think of the cartoon cat, the TV show The Odd Couple, and my favourite NHL player.
August - I don’t know any and can’t think of any fictional ones either.
Frederick - I don’t know any. I think of the Jane Austen character and Scooby Doo.
Jasper - I can only think of the character from 101 Dalmatians. I don’t know any personally.
I think I definitely prefer names that are clean slates, names I don’t have many real-life associations with. I think it’s due to the fact that so many names have been ruined for me because of people I know. Victoria is an example of a name I love, but would never consider due to horrible associations.
Eloise - I’ve never met an Eloise. I only know of the children’s book character.
Tabitha - I’ve met three Tabithas, and I can think of three fictional characters: one from Beatrix Potter’s stories, one from Bewitched, and one from the soap opera Passions.
Adelaide - I have no associations with this name, other than it is a street in the city near me.
Rosalind - I met one Rosalind at work and know of the historical figure Rosalind Franklin and the character from Shakespeare.
Theodore - I’ve never met a Theodore. However, I can think of countless TV characters and historical figures. I especially think of Theodore Laurence from Little Women.
Felix - I’ve met one. I think of the cartoon cat, the TV show The Odd Couple, and my favourite NHL player.
August - I don’t know any and can’t think of any fictional ones either.
Frederick - I don’t know any. I think of the Jane Austen character and Scooby Doo.
Jasper - I can only think of the character from 101 Dalmatians. I don’t know any personally.
I think I definitely prefer names that are clean slates, names I don’t have many real-life associations with. I think it’s due to the fact that so many names have been ruined for me because of people I know. Victoria is an example of a name I love, but would never consider due to horrible associations.
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