Hi everyone!

I’m new to this sub and not entirely sure if this type of question is appropriate here, but I’d appreciate your input.

Long story short, due to some complicated family reasons, I (30/M, Eastern Europe) was given my mother’s last name at birth. It’s very common in my country—think of something like “Smith” in English.

Recently, I found out I have the option to take my father’s French last name, “Malgrat,” which is much rarer here.

What are your first impressions of the name when you hear it or say it in your native language? I have mixed feelings about it—part of me thinks it’s elegant and unique, but I’m also worried it might sound overly feminine, snobbish, or just strange.

Thanks for any thoughts or perspectives!

Name ideas for a sister for Rumi (boy).

I'm liking names like Inez, Esme, and Este but would prefer something with Turkish or Persian origins.

My husband and I are expecting our first baby, a boy. We’ve been discussing names a lot and we both really like the name Avi

We did a bit more research and found it’s a fairly traditional Jewish name with Hebrew roots. We are not Jewish. But I also know lots of common names like Aaron has Hebrew roots and that’s reasonable for people to use broadly.

My question is - is the name Avi very Jewish associated or has it moved into a more widespread usage? Is it reasonable for us to consider using it for a non-Jewish family?

Thanks! Appreciate your help!

I'm pregnant and don't know if I'm having a boy or girl yet but want to begin thinking about nicknames. We are following a traditional naming system where we give names that the grandmother and grandfather have, so the actual names will already be chosen... we just need to come up with a nickname that they will commonly go by.

I'm just stuck on the boy nicknames though. He will have a Dutch name, 'Floris'.

My husband doesn't like Laurie as a nickname so that might be out. I was wondering if Lio could work as a nickname for Floris though or is it too much of a stretch?

What are some other suggestions too?

That have a nature-y or fantasy / ethereal vibe. Can be made up! It’s for a squishmallow.

I’ve considered the below but none feel exactly right to me:

Flora or Fauna

Fiona

Felicity

Fantasia

Felicia

Freya (I like that this is a goddess)

I am five months pregnant with a baby boy and have had the hardest time feeling like a name was "the right fit". There are so many charismatic and beautiful girl names out there (which are much more frequently discussed in this sub) that I've almost been wishing that I was naming a girl instead - until today! I had the realization, while trying to refine my fickle name list and define the "feeling" I was looking for, that I love names that evoke transcendentalism, early American romanticism, and the conservationist ethic.

They're typically warm, a little creative, semi-classic but not too basic. Inspo Examples:

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Walt Whitman

Henry David Thoreau

William Cullen Bryant

Aldo Leopold

Herman Miller

Rufus Wilmoy Griswold

Bronson Alcott

Oliver Wendell Holmes

James Fenimore Cooper

Gifford Bryce Pinchot

Teddy Roosevelt

Since realizing how attractive I find this era of names, the ideas are flowing forth and I now have six or seven fantastic names that I love. My married last name is more basic Americana than the cultural background and name I grew up with, so this realization has really freed me to get over what I was thinking of as blandness before, and lean into an era of literature and philosophy that I love.

Just sharing with some fellow name nerds because I'm excited.

Create a family of siblings whose names could describe some aspect of their personality/hobbies/vices, e.g. Tom and Susan, or as they have come to be known, Peeping Tom and Lazy Susan

This is for fun, I've also got to name a child and it will give me some new ideas of things to avoid :D

We live in the US and have a common two syllable last name. Our top first name contender for baby boy is Adrian. What vibes does this give off to you?

Other contenders include: Julian (#2), Ian, Nico, Levi and Ethan

Our combined backgrounds include: Hispanic, English, Irish, German.

No wrong answers! Just getting ideas.

Last name is simple, like Smith or Jones.

ETA: baby is coming this month (Dec)!

Hi all!

We've been debating names for our boy/girl twins due in March and two of our favorites are Emily and Liam. I'm worried that they may sound too close -- I often say Emiliam when the names come up. Was curious what you all thought!

If they are too close, we're also considering the following names. Do any of these go better with Emily or Liam, or each other? We want them to sound nice together but are trying to avoid anything that comes across as too matchy-matchy.

For girl: -Emily-Rose -Melody -Amelia -Taylor -Kira

For boy: -Oliver -Arin -Parker -Emmett -Brandon -William

If it helps: middle names will likely be viola and thomas to honor their late great grandparents

I am 36 and didn’t know a single Hannah growing up (MA/Boston area). Now I live in the South and I think it was more popular here? I’ve loved the name for a long time and think it’s beautiful and classic, and not too popular. Tell what you think. Classic and timeless? Had its moment and dated?

Buying a horse named Jane but I cannot use the name Jane. What similar names or variations can we change the name to?

My husband’s last name is two syllables and starts with a B, so baby’s name will likely be ______ Beatrice B——.

I like Sophie, Eleanor, Juliet, Eugenia. Husband is mixed on Sophie and Eleanor, hard no on Juliet or Eugenia. Any suggestions to go with that vibe?

Currently deciding on a name for our little girl due in February and I kind of settled for these 2 options:

Gloria Celine/ Victoria Celine

Any suggestions?

P.S. we are living in Romania and Gloria was NOT a popular name in the 40s like I know it was in the US. Victoria used to sound as an old lady name to me in the past, but now I consider both to be fresh and elegant. What do you think? And what about the pairing with Celine?

We recently shared some names we are considering with my immediate family and I’m a bit surprised at the reactions to one name in particular.

Ines

Is it really that unknown?? Almost everyone was confused by it and didn’t know how to pronounce it. EYE-nes, like highness, and eye-nz, sounding like the condiment brand, were the guesses. The only person who knew it was my Gen Z sister who heard it in the Taylor Swift song 😂

TBH I didn’t realize this would be a problem. Ines is of course our first choice for girl name but now I’m wondering if it’s a bad idea…

Hi everyone, I love earthy names like River or Hazel but unfortunately my husbands last name is Wood. I promise I love my husband lol but I feel all of the names I like sound silly with his last name as in I’m naming our future child after a tree or a housing development. Is there a style of names that still gives off that earthly style without directly being an element or type of wood? Or any suggestions for names that wouldn’t sound like a development?

My family is considering adopting a second cat as a companion for our current cat, Figgy, a blue point Siamese, who was named after Figment the dragon from EPCOT. We haven’t decided on a cat yet so gender and coloration is not known yet but I would like to create a list of possible names which my nearly 8 year old son will pick from.

We love the fantasy genre, LOTR and Witcher are our favorites and my husband is a huge fan of DnD. We’re also big Disney Parks history buffs as well. Also considering a dragon theme or just any name that works well with Figgy.

Hey Reddit,

I’m a 30-year-old guy looking to reclaim my identity and move forward by changing my name. My current name is tied to my abuser father, and carrying it feels like dragging a piece of the past I no longer want.

I want a name that feels fresh, strong, and uniquely me. After some thought, here are a few names I’m considering (It has to be an A lol): • Alban • Archer • Axel • Austin • Atticus • Anderson • Aydin

I’d love to hear your thoughts what vibes do these names give off? Which one feels like it could represent someone determined to move forward and make a new life for themselves?

If you’ve gone through something similar or have any advice about name changes, feel free to share that too!

Thanks for being part of this journey with me. Or if you have any unique A names lmk!!!!!

There are a variety of places where people ask us to say our names. With my name, people just start writing or typing like they are sure how to spell it.

In some situations you actually need my real first and last name, like a doctor, pharmacy, insurance office

At a restaurant or hair salon, you don’t need the right spelling but here’s a second problem, when they misspell my name, they spell it Janet, and call out Janet, which doesn’t get my attention because it’s not my name.

My name has more vowels and is French origin. People can repeat my name back to me, but can’t spell it.

My question - how do I get my name spelled right if the person taking the info doesn’t pause to check with me, whether it needs to be exact, or just close enough ? (My last name presents worse challenges)

I’m an international student, and my legal first name is Siyuan, pronounced See-YOO-en. My friends call me by this name, but I don’t want to have to explain it to every stranger I meet.

I’m considering using “CY” or “SY” (as two initials, or maybe pronounced as “si” in Simon) as a nickname that’s easy to pronounce and doesn’t carry any unintended or weird meaning. Which one do you think is better? Personally I prefer CY because it’s more concise, but SY feels closer to my legal name.

Thank you in advance for your suggestions!

We just had a little boy and decided the on the name Astraeus after the Greek Titan, but we are stumped on the middle name! Any ideas?

Hi there! I'm looking for some middle names that pair beautifully with Sabine. Preferably classic, timeless, or european but I'm open to anything. Not interested in trendy names like Iris, Suki, Isla - they aren't my thing.

Thanks!

This is hypothetical- but if I keep this foster puppy, I want to change his name. It’s Comet. There is no nickname and it’s hard to say! He’s only 6 months old and the last people didn’t take care of him well. My husband likes Comet- but it just doesn’t sound like a name to me!

He’s spunky, silly, smart and dumb at the same time, and cuddly. He is mostly with with a grey/brown mask and spots all over! And the prettiest grey eyes.

He isn’t graceful. He acts like a “Skip” or something. Looks like a terrier, but is chihuahua/lab/pit (lol). Look a bit like a bigger Wishbone.

unpopular opinion i guess but i feel like using an entirely different name defeats the purpose of an honor name

I’m a 20 year-old trans guy looking for a new middle + last name Im going to changing my name legally soon and I have a first name which is Cole im just struggling to find a middle and last name.

I’d say my name style isn’t unique and too out there but not boring or basic either. But heres a few names i like Daxton, Dexter, Dean so i want a similar vibe to that for my middle name.

I say 99% because my 2019 daughter was called Ronan for the entire last trimester, then the day after my due date I changed my mind. She was 4 days late, named Eavan Monica Michelle.

I’m 16 weeks with a boy now, no longer a single mother so am choosing with my dude. We are expecting our wee…

Finneas “Finn” James

Like many parents do, we started out carefully guarding our list of baby names and but now we need help! Our baby boy is almost 2 months old and we cannot agree on a name… we actually seem to be getting father apart as time goes by 🤦🏼‍♀️

My favourite is Ivar. My husband does not like it. His favourite is Ethan, but the name feels too mushy and soft to me.

He’s suggested Christian, Anthony and Nicholas. I don’t want a name that will instantly be shortened.

I’ve suggested Gavin (no) and Eric (lukewarm).

Unfortunately, Owen, Finn, Liam, and Declan are off the table.

Other relevant information: older sisters both have names that start with S. Last name is Mc-

Thank you so much for your suggestions!

I was thinking of Autumn Renee or Autumn Olivia, I am having a hard time coming up with middle names as I don’t want it to clash. 😅

I am an ABC. I asked my parents (immigrants from mainland China) to help me choose Chinese names for my children. They suggested 宸文 for my son and 宸慧 for my daughter.

If there are any Chinese redditors on this sub, can you tell me anything about these names other than just the meanings of the characters? How are they perceived in China? Are they common, unique, modern, old-fashioned, classic, cute, strong, whimsical... ? I would love to understand them a little better so I can tell my kiddos when they are old enough to ask. For example, do they both have the character 宸 because they are a sibset?

Thank you so much!

Hello all , I am not yet pregnant but the discussion of baby names has come up between me and my partner. Problem is my mother in law laughed at the name I want to give my daughter . I have always loved old English names which she and others find weird because we are African American. For the record my name is Missy Lynn .The name I’ve chosen for my daughter is Charlotte May (I was born in April and my husband in March) so May has held a special place to me but not enough for a first name. Am I weird for picking this name??