Hormonal ramblings about baby names, bear with me please

amother

Periwinkle

Tue, Jul 18 2017, 3:11 pm

I don't know gender, and I don't have much direction on names. I want names I LOVE but I can't think of any. We have a few family names to choose from, but eh.. not a huge fan. Maybe for a middle name. I want a first name I'm excited about, that I can imagine talking to my baby and calling him/her by that name.

For those of you familiar with the TV show "Friends," I am waiting for my "Emma moment." I'm waiting for that perfect name to come along that I absolutely love and know that's the one. Suggestions are welcome.

amother

Periwinkle

Tue, Jul 18 2017, 3:44 pm

Iymnok wrote:

Are there feelings that resonate with you?
A name that is:
Strong
Thankful
Soft
Musical
Unique but traditional
Modern
Light
Found in nature
Just sounds nice
Short and sweet

Ooh, good questions. Thank you! I like meaningful names that sound nice. "Meaningful" is different to everyone, I know. My spiritual side says to choose a name that's a bracha to my child to be close to Hashem and have good middos or something along those lines. My favorite name in that regard is "Chana" because of the connection to davening, but we can't use it because of a close living relative with that name, also I'm not a fan of "ch" names right now. Or for a boy, "David" because of David HaMelech and Tehillim. But my very extremely hormonal side, which is totally winning right now in case that wasn't obvious, just wants a nice sounding name I won't have to explain or feel weird about in public (when I'm not in the Jewish world, I mean). Or even if it's something I really like the sound of, and also the meaning. For example "Aliza," which I think is very pretty and also not too unusual that Americans would have trouble with it. (Other than maybe thinking it's pronounced like "Eliza" at first.)

At different times I used to really like:

GIRLS
Ayelet (now I'm not so crazy about it anymore)
Eliana (I still like this one, just not totally sold on it)
Aliza (I like the "happiness" meaning, and the sound)
Kayla (totally "eh" now, to me.)
Talia (I like the sound, but it kind of lost its sparkle over time)

BOYS
Levi (Still like it a lot, but don't like how popular the secular name LEE-VYE is, and that people will mispronounce it constantly)
Asher (but DH and I disagree on how to pronounce it and he also just doesn't like it)
David (still a frontrunner, but we'd probably say it "Dovid" even though we'd keep the traditional spelling, and that makes me nervous about public opinion, I guess.)
Yehuda (I like the meaning, but the name itself doesn't sound amazing to me)
Betzalel (I love the meaning, but not the sound)

If I was picking a secular name I like Megan for a girl, I don't know why. It just sounds like a great name. Don't even know what I would name a boy, even if all options were wide open.

Thanks so much for taking the time to help. For whatever reason I just really think having better ideas of what names to pick will help me feel calmer right now about everything.

Iymnok

Tue, Jul 18 2017, 4:07 pm

I can give you some names from my family, they may speak to you.
Also, when are you due? The parasha or chag then may be good inspiration.

Miriam
Devorah
Esther
Ronit
Malka
Batsheva
Tovah
Tzipporah
Brocha
Tamar
Menucha
Rut (Ruth)
Eliana
Rachel (Hebrew pronunciation)

Aharon
Mordechai
Doniel
Yonatan
Chanan
Chaim
Yitzchok
Avrohom Yeshaya
Meyer
Avrohom
Yaakov
Hillel

I like the "unknown" names of Tanach personalities, Sarah=Yiska
Esther=Hadassa
Moshe=Avigdor, a list of ten names in Rashi

amother

Periwinkle

Wed, Jan 24 2018, 4:39 pm

OP here. I forgot all about this thread!! BH I gave birth and I had my “Emma moment” as I put it in my first post. One of the family names I wasn’t so thrilled about at first suddenly excited me and became “the right name.” It couldn’t be more perfect or fitting and I love it!! :-)

As far as names to show thankfullness, are you looking specifically for girl names? Eliana and Hodaya you mentioned already. What about something a less literal like Leora. It doesn’t mean “thank you,” per se, but it demonstrates gratitude by saying how the baby lights up your life. Just one option, but there are many names you can choose that can have a similar connotation. Bshaa Tova!!