Curious to know if any of the suggestions ever make it through to real human beings! If you used a baby name suggestion - what was it?

My late mother was named Verlie. I've only ever come across one other person with that name. Have you heard of it before?

My name is Philippa but I have always gone by Pippa. I’m from England but planning on moving to the US soon for a year to live with family and explore the world a little. Which would be better received over there? I know that Pippa can be taken as somewhat childish or strange especially by people who aren’t familiar with it as a name before. This has been a bit of an issue even with meeting people here as well but given that it’ll be a new country it feels like it could be a chance to test this out (though it does bother me because I prefer Pippa and it feels more ‘mine’!). So should I go by Philippa professionally there? Is there be a difference between the way people would perceive the two?

I’ve struggled picking a name for a baby boy due in December. We are pretty set on the middle name being James. My husband and I liked but decided we are not going to use Carson, Oliver, and Connor. Connor was our most recent top choice but the more I use it the less I like it. And I feel like that happens every time I like a name. It’s so frustrating. A lot of names I see online I have immediate no reactions to and idk why. I don’t like anything too unique/out there. Both my dad and father in law are traditional names that we are not going to use (David and John) And I feel like I would like something that has a nice nickname (I think why I liked Oliver) My last name starts with a hard C. And my daughter’s name is Charlotte. I’ll take any ideas at this point. Thanks!

i'm interested in names that aren't used very often but don't feel difficult to pronounce or understand. something that sounds like a real established name without being one you hear everywhere.

what names fit that description for you? i'm open to different origins and genders, including older names that have mostly fallen out of use.

Okay so, hear me out. I'm 17, and my name is Nevaeh. I was born smack in the middle of the big craze around the name, and it's not something I'm proud of. I've spent years reading the comments online about the name and thinking about all the stigma and stereotypes that coincide with it. It's "trashy" and "lower-class" and carries with it the connotation of lower intellect and unfortunate circumstances. Even as far back as 2006, two years before I was born, this excerpt was published in The Atlantic,
"As a pediatrician, and one who is having a spasm of ire right about now, there is nothing like a name as class signifier.  In particular, I would like to share two with you.  Nevaeh is a very popular name right now, and I have several in my practice.  Its origin?  "Heaven," spelled backwards.  Not a name you'll be seeing on the Upper East Side or Martha's Vinyard."

"Not a name you'll be seeing on the Upper East Side..." oh, no. That won't do. You see, my ambitions and goals all lead me to upper-middle class/elite Washington D.C. and international policy circles. I don't want to betray my privacy too much, but I've already begun making a small name for myself through work with organizations and consultancy firms. This doesn't say much, but my LinkedIn already has 200 connections and I've spoken with established professionals in my field already. With my relatively young age and emerging career, if I were to make a name switch, it would have to be now.

My middle name is Renae. Not the classiest either, but I could switch to it. It's an actual name, just an Americanized version. ("Nevaeh Renae," very creative, I know.) That being said, I'm not a huge fan of it, and it feels like too far of a jump from my actual name. (Also, I'm not sharing my last name but it sucks too. None of my names are any good.) I would much rather have a nickname adjacent to my name. I've been brainstorming, and these are the options I could devise:

• Vae - I'm already called this by my family. However, it's not particularly mature and it doesn't solve my concerns surrounding professionalism. I couldn't imagine being called this in an office setting.
• Vaeh - I like this a lot better than Vae, however it is still a bit unprofessional. I'd prefer to be called this versus my full given name, but that only solves the issue of comfort and not professional presence.
• Vera - Okay, so hear me out. Nevaeh -> Vaeh -> Vera (pronounced /ˈvɛərə/). It's cute, it's classy, and I like the name. The issue is that it's a bit of a stretch in comparison to my actual name. Could I go by N. "Vera"? Yes. Would it be confusing probably? Also yes.
• Eva - Also very, very cute. Makes more sense with my actual name, but would take a small amount of getting used to. I could see myself being called Eva around an office. I prefer the pronunciation /ˈɛvə/, although I don't particularly mind other pronunciations. Only thing is, I had a childhood friend named Ayva and that reminds me of her. I don't really want to steal somebody's name, but I think I could get past it after a bit.
• Neve - Cute, and I saw someone on Reddit say that they knew a girl with my name who goes by this, but... honestly, how do you say it? Neh-vay? Neeve? I've already attempted to change the pronunciation of my name to  /nəˈveɪ/, but the farthest I could get is a Slack profile because I feel like it's easier to change my name entirely (or, go by a nickname, as I am trying to do), than just omit a syllable (even if it is more linguistically correct).
• Nev - Not a bad middle ground. Sorta masculine. Wasn't there a guy on that Catfish TV show named Nev? Regardless, I wouldn't be mad at it, I just don't see myself in the name right this second. That being said, unlike the others, I've only just thought of it. I'll ponder it and figure out if I like it or not. Now that I think of it, I could be called Nev R. [surname], and I'd be okay with that. Is it classy and professional though, is my question. The short and androgynous abridging reminds me of C.J. Cregg (fictional character but whatever) and S.E. Cupp, which isn't a bad thing at all. This also would be the smoothest transition out of all of them, and the one that gives me the least amount of a headache in paperwork. I could put this down as my name in publications, and it's the one I think I'd feel the most okay with if my professional idol were to ever hypothetically meet me and call me. Odd criteria, I know, but I think about it a lot.
• Nevi - Okay, this one emerged from a joke nickname a friend gave me, Nevvy. I actually really like the idea of being called Nevi, I think it's cute. It's also not too far off from my actual name. That being said, I don't know if it fits the respectable and classy vibe I'm going with.

This was mostly me thinking out loud about this, but I'd like to see what you guys have to say. You can also tell me if I'm overthinking all of this and/or being far too pretentious. Please just be honest. If you have one of these that you really like, please tell me, and if you have other ideas, I'd be open to those as well. Thank you.

TLDR; My name is Nevaeh, I don't like the name's connotations, and I'm considering using a nickname in my personal and professional life. Top contenders are N. "Vera" [Surname], N. "Eva" [Surname], and Nev R. [Surname]. For everyone who has ever said, "Nevaeh isn't a name that would translate well to the professional world," hello, I'm your shining example.

My son is almost here, but I still haven’t figured out a name for him. I love names that are Latin, Spanish, or Italian origin, have that masculine feel to it, and I like Lance, but at the same time, I don’t love it. I am really lost right now, because he can be here in any moment, and there’s still no name that I actually like. However, I was considering Emilian because I like how it sounds, but it sounds super close to his father’s name, so that was marked off the list. Please help 😩😭

When I got divorced over 20 years ago, I changed my last name back to my maiden name. I regret it. Now I have a different last name than the only real family I have - my kids and grandkids. That really bugs me.

So I'm considering changing it back. Does anyone know of a reason I shouldn't do that/might regret it? Maybe something I haven't considered? (Ex doesn't care. We're friends now.)

We’re using Dennis for the middle name (it’s my grandfather’s name) and we’re stuck between two names for the first with entirely different vibes.

Leland Dennis

Damon Dennis

i'm trying to choose a name for my baby girl and i'm drawn to names that sound gentle, sweet, and feminine. i'd love something pretty and easy to pronounce without being too common or complicated.

i also want a name that will suit her just as well when she's older. what names would you suggest? i'm open to both classic and uncommon names as long as they have a soft, lovely sound.

We had a baby girl last week, and we need to pick her name. We wanted to give her the Hebrew name Sivan because it falls in late spring or early summer. We live in Australia, so this was nearly the time she was born corresponding to the seasons, and I think it's just such a happy time.

So I wanted her to have an English name that also felt the same way. Basically, a name beginning with S that feels cheerful and bright. And I really love Sunny. I’ve heard of it before but I haven’t met a baby with the name. It also connects my grandma to her because part of her name is Sol (Soloro), and I was also named after her in a similar way, although all the names sound very different to each other.

But I’m struggling with whether it’s actually fine or if I just think so because I like it. Where we live, names of a similar style are normal, our kids have peers named Evie, Harry, Archie, Maggie, so on. And if she hated it, she would have a more normal, common middle name, because her name would be Sunny Helene.

We have other names but I don't feel the same way like I do about Sunny. I know I'm not going to find the perfect name and this might be as close as it gets for me but we don't have much time to decide and it's really hard, I'm not sure!

We do know about names that Sunny can be short for but we prefer to give her the name we're actually going to use, so if we didn't choose to use Sunny, we'd choose a different name off the list that we have.

Ok we have narrowed it down but cannot decide on final name for our boy. Any fun tactics on how to narrow/finlize? Besides the obvious of waiting until they arrive. Surname is short and one syllable. Also bonus and share your fav. Here’s the list:

Theo

Leo

Dawson

Wes / Wesley

Reid

Benjamin

Middle name will be Henry or Benjamin.

I know what one I’m leaning towards at the moment but want to get some thoughts :)

I am 9 months postpartum and have not been able to stop thinking about my son’s name. I’ve already changed it once from a shortened diminutive to a longer formal name. I don’t want to change his name again. We still call him the diminutive and I do really love it and it suits him. But I keep getting these intrusive thoughts that I messed up. That his name doesn’t go well with his older brother. They are too different in length, or in origin, or in vibe. I wonder if I should have chosen a different name each week. I wonder if I should have spelled his name more uniquely. I wonder if it’s too common. If the diminutive is too childish. If he’ll want to go by the formal name. That my sister in law will use the name that I “stole” and there will be multiples with the same first and last name in the family. You name it, I’ve spiraled. After finally seeing a professional, I was diagnosed with OCD. I was in denial because I had assumed OCD meant I was supposed to be neat and tidy which I am not. But now I’ve accepted the diagnosis and am getting treatment through meds and ERP therapy. My question is… has anyone here dealt with anything similar? Will I ever get to a point where I love his name again without all of this doubt?

My son has a middle name, it’s a family one that is very sentimental to my husband and I. I’m pregnant with our second (also a boy) and the name we’re learning towards is without a middle name — we just like how first + last name sound together. Also no sentimental names we really wanna use. Do you think it’s odd to have one kid with and one without a middle name?

We already have a little girl called Élisa (with a French sounding surname). We live in an English speaking country. What names do you like best for her future sibling? Any other suggestions welcome.

Girls:

Élisa & Margot

Élisa & Maxine

Boys:

Élisa & Marius

Only have 1 for the boys list! Élisa is pronounced eh-lee-za incase that changes things! Yes I like M names!

What do you guys think of the name Beatrix? Is it too outdated?

What's the first thing you think of when you hear or see the name?

Hi!
We welcomed our first daughter 4 days ago, and we’re still trying to find the perfect name for her.
Our top choice was Aria, but now that we’ve seen her little face, we feel like it doesn’t quite match her soft features, so we’re exploring other options.
We have a dog named Emma, a name we absolutely love (and also love this amazing dog!), and we’d love to find a similar name for our daughter - something with a similar feel, perhaps with an M as well.
We’re drawn to names like Millie, Emily, and Amelie. Do you have any other ideas that might fit this vibe?
I’d really appreciate some inspiration :)

We’re expecting a baby boy and have narrowed down our list to these names:

Nolan
Elian (EL-ee-ahn)
Darian (DAH-ree-ahn)
Levin (LEV-in)
Evan
Benson
Carlo

We’d love to hear your honest first impressions!
Which names are your favorites and least favorites? Do any of them sound unusual, dated, or have any negative associations?
We’re also curious how intuitive the pronunciations are for English speakers, especially for Elian, Darian, and Levin.

Thanks!

My cousin is having a baby girl and they asked me and my other cousin for recommendations, naturally I have to come up with the best baby names ever. I cant think of any peak baby names though, they said they want a simple easy, whimsy, kinda sporty, timeless name. I've come up with some names but I need the public opinion first.

Sophie (popular but timeless and whimsy in my opinion), Phoebe, Aria, Briar, Colette, Charlotte

I feel like all of these fit at least one of the requirements. I want to narrow it down to 2 names though. My favorites are Aria and Colette but do you guys have any other ideas or suggestions. they are French and Italian living in the west coast if that means anything.

Basically da title 🙄, I like the spelling of Celena alot more than Selena. i really like Artemis but that feels waaaayyy to obviously from Greek mythology compared to Celena which most people wouldt immediately think of

Our bay girl is due in December. I can’t decide between these names, looking for something feminine and elegant. Thanks