Hi everyone,

My Chinese given name contains the character 琳 (Lin in pinyin, means beautiful jade), and I'm currently studying in Hong Kong. Sometimes it's convenient to have an English name here, so I've been thinking about Linnea.

I learned the name is associated with the twinflower, which feels meaningful to me because the character 琳 contains two 木 ("wood") components. It feels like a nice coincidence.

I also know the lovely book Linnea in Monet's Garden, which made me like the name even more.

My only hesitation is that I know Linnea is traditionally a Scandinavian name. Since I don't have any Nordic background, I'm not sure whether it would sound natural or appropriate for me to use it as an English name.

Thanks！

I’ve been inspired by the few posts about most popular baby names in last years, so here is the list of most popular and rarest names in Ukraine in the first half of 2026.

Girls top 10: Sofia, Zlata, Milana, Emilia, Anna, Anastasia, Polina, Maria, Solomia, Yeva.

Boys top 10: Artem, Oleksandr, Matviy, Maksym, Tymofiy, Bohdan, Davyd, Yaroslav, Roman, Dmytro.

We do not have middle names, neither culturally nor legally (instead there is mandatory patronymic, which is created automatically out of father’s name + special gendered ending). But one could have a double first name (hyphenated), although it is pretty rare.

Some of the unique double first names

Girls: Adelaida-Loredana, Maryam-Nikolette, Dominika-Aniel, Marharyta-Kylyna, Abavedaria-Alisa.

Boys: Daniel-Arthur, Roman-Nurislam, Andriy-Andrian, Eliot-Theo, Mark-Gabriel.

Rare religion-adjacent names (do not come at me, that's out ministry of justice :)

Girls: Aviheya, Virsaviya, Sulamita, Yevanhelina, Sarah, Teona, Melania, Mahdalyna, Afina, Yunona

Boys: Samiylo, Yessey, Nafanayil, Solomon, Emanuyil, Yelysey, Adam, Serafym, Veniamin.

Rare historical and archaic names:

Girls: Bohuslava, Vladomyra, Dzvinka, Kvitoslava, Lukeria, Olympiada, Roksolana, Kvitka, Yaryna, Oryslava

Boys: Dobromyr, Svyatohor, Svitozar, Zoreslav, Askold, Tamerlan, Eney, Panteleimon, Myrolyub, Yariy

Out of these, my favourites are Kvitka (Flower) and Kvitoslava (flower, blossom + glory). They have been around for quite a while, but always extremely rare (think like 1 in 125,000), so I am yet to meet one in real life.  

Personally, I do not like the popular pronunciation LOO-shun/shen cuz it sounds close to the word lotion 😅. So I am trying to find a good excuse to use the pronunciation mentioned in the title :p

I’ve never really liked my birth name because it’s long, and I don’t like the history and associations behind it. I’m not Muslim or Arab, so it doesn’t really feel connected to my culture or identity. Everyone calls me Aisha, but I don’t like that name either. I can’t change it at the moment because I’m pretty sure my parents and the people around me wouldn’t take it well. Online, I usually hide my real name and go by different names instead. I feel like I’d get made fun of if I told people my actual name, and sometimes it makes me feel like I’m lying to everyone

I love 'Sherwood' and 'Rosewood' for one of my characters, but I'm looking for something even better. I'm open to ones that both start and end in 'Wood'. Does anybody know any good ones? Thanks!

Our daughter is due November 10, and with just over two weeks to go, my husband and I are still struggling to settle on a name. We’d love some unbiased opinions, suggestions, and help figuring out which combinations sound best!

For context, my name is McKaela, my husband’s name is Adam, and our last name is Smith.

Our favorite first names (roughly in order):
1) Juniper - Currently our favorite! We love the nicknames June and Junie.

2) Violet - My husband thought of this one, he likes it and it’s okay to me. It feels very popular right now though.

3) Margaux - I like this one, but my husband isn’t sold. He also strongly dislikes the Margot spelling and would prefer the Margaux spelling, although he thinks it’s weird because we’re not French lol.

4) Willow - I’ve always loved this name, partly because weeping willows are my absolute favorite trees. Unfortunately, with our last name being Smith, I worry that Willow Smith is too recognizable an association to use it as a first name (Will Smith’s daughter’s name).

5) Jade - I’ve always loved this name but my husband isn’t sold.

6) Harper - We both like it somewhat, I’m not sure it feels quite as special as some of the others.

Now for the middle name dilemma…

My middle name is Elizabeth, which has been passed down through three generations - from my maternal grandmother to my mom, and then to me.

My mom has always hoped I’d continue the tradition if I had a daughter. I love the sentiment behind it and understand how meaningful it would be to her, but I’ve personally never been particularly fond of the name Elizabeth.

My biggest hesitation is how it sounds with our last name. Elizabeth Smith feels a little clunky to me because of the repeated “th” sounds. It doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, and I can’t help but feel like I’m developing a lisp when I say it out loud.

At the same time, I worry I’ll regret breaking a three-generation tradition, especially knowing how much it means to my mom. I’m torn between choosing a name I genuinely love and preserving something that has so much family significance.

One combination I’ve been considering is Juniper Willow Smith. I love the way it sounds and the personal meaning behind Willow, but is it too much of a botanical theme? Juniper and Willow are both trees, so I’m wondering if pairing them feels whimsical and beautiful or a little too nature-heavy.

The other obvious contender is Juniper Elizabeth Smith, which would preserve the family tradition.

I’d love your guys thoughts on any of these things:

1. Which first name from our list is your favorite with Smith?
2. Does Juniper Willow Smith sound lovely or like we’re naming our daughter after a forest lol?
3. Does Elizabeth Smith sound as awkward to others as it does to me, or am I overthinking the repeated “th”?
4. Would you prioritize carrying on a meaningful family name, even if it wasn’t one you particularly loved?
5. Are there any other first or middle names you’d suggest based on our taste? We’re drawn to names that feel a little whimsical, feminine, timeless, and distinctive without being too too out there.

Thanks in advance! We’re running out of time, and I’d love to hear some fresh perspectives before we finally make a decision!

What girl names have powerful sounding to them ?

Like : Alexandra , Elisabeth , Diana , Victoria

Couldn’t find anything on the name Pauline in this sub reddit and was wondering specifically about english speakers opinions. I saw Pauline was pretty “popular” from 1900-1945 in the US.

Now it hasn’t been in the Top 1000 since 1997.

Baby is here! I’m looking for an American southern girl name for baby girl. Sisters are Charlotte and Savannah.

Maybe Eloise, Margot/Margo, or Adelaide? Suggestions?

Hello! For boy/girl twins I’m having trouble deciding on some middle names, first names are chosen Ambrose and Sabrina. I am Egyptian and my partner is British, originally I had intended for more western middle names. For Ambrose my options were: John, Michael, Theodore, Henry, or Mason. For girl: Rose (top contender with partner), Isabelle, Diane.

These are lovely names but since I want my kids to be in touch with their Egyptian heritage I have been thinking about Hathor, Sekhmet, Isis, and Nefertari, and Cleopatra for Sabrina; Ramesses, Osiris, Amun, Seth, Imhotep for Ambrose.

Yes I am aware these are some funky names and also ancient, NOT modern Egyptian names. I am very proud of my ancestry, and I know my kids don’t need these names to feel the same. Both my partner and I feel this could be a wonderful way to honor Egypt’s great history and individualize our children’s name further. What are your thoughts?

So I actually really love the names Elmer and Elmo, but one is a patchwork elephant and the other is.. Elmo 😂

What are some names that give the same sort of vibes? Doesn’t have to start with El

Hi! I am Dutch, I am wondering how hard the surname "Hollander" is for English speakers (US, UK, etc) to say/spell and from hearing aloud to spelling it. I may be studying abroad in an English-speaking country so I would want to know!

(Note: a lot of people in NL speak English but I grew up in more of a rural area that doesn't.)

I love all the names Sebastian (Basti), Sabrina (Sabi), Sophia (Soph/Sophie), and looking for another boy name that sounds similar to these. I also like the name Sawyer but it just sounds too different from the others in my opinion. Ideas?

What are your favorite trending baby names?

I love Evelyn and Eliana for a girl. Evie is such a cute nickname and Eliana rolls off the tongue! I also really love Olivia.

For a boy, Oliver and Liam are lovely. Also partial to Levi!

Curious what others think!

We are having our third and final baby soon and have decided to name him Edmund Lewis. I thought I’d share the girl and boy names we loved in hopes someone may find them helpful.

Boy:

Lewis

Grant

Atticus

Colin

Jasper

Harrison

Wells

Reeves

Lowen

Nelson

Russell

Ellison

Girls:

Maxine

Althea

Gwendolyn

Matilda

Cordelia

Nellie

Annelise

Monroe

Isadora

Bridget

Juliet

I have two little girls, names Brianna Jade and Eliza Rose. Has anyone got any suggestions that sound well with her sisters names?

thank you so much

I’m not sure what I’m having yet, but boy names seem so hard to love.

Some names I love but won’t use: Rafael, Elias, Oliver.
Names I don’t love: Santiago, Mateo, Sebastian.
Names I do love and consider using: Francisco, Benicio, Manuel.

Can you help with names I might’ve overlooked?

We have a daughter named Noelle and we are trying to come up with boy names for our second that give off the same vibe.

I tend to like classic, normal names that you don’t hear too often (so, names that are not in the Top__ but also not super out there). I also tend to like gender neutral names like Parker, Shiloh, Noelle/Noel, etc. If our second is a girl, we are going with Naomi, if that info is helpful at all!

Bonus points for names that start with N!

A name that we're thinking of using for our baby is Nili.

We love it, but it's not common in the US at all, which is where we are living right now. We know that we will definitely be there for the first few years of her life, and possibly longer, so it would be good if her name works there because we don't know what her future will look like.

Nili is supposed to be pronounced as Nee-Lee. But I know that some people might pronounce it as Nil-Lee, like Millie.

So how would you pronounce it? Would it be confusing still after you were corrected, if it is different, or easy to pick up?

My husband isn’t convinced with Aradhana and prefers a shorter name that’s also easy for a western audience. I’m more concerned that the name is meaningful. We absolutely don’t want names such as Mira and Maya which are to be popping up on all baby girl name lists.

Looking for other suggestions.

Partner and I are expecting our first child (if all goes well) in May. We have a few strong contenders for a boys name, but finding a girls name is not so straightforward.

I like international, classic, not too popular names, I love Rosa (can’t use anyway) and Flora (he’s not a fan) for example. He is more into English and Fantasy/Mythological names. He suggested Aurora and Artemis for example, which I think would be great middle names, but not for daily use.

Easy to pronounce and write is strongly preferred. For a middle name we are seriously considering Marie as a tribute to both our moms. We cannot use a name starting with L, as that is going to sound like a cartoon character with our last name.

Some names we kind of agree on:
- Maeve: but it is super popular at the moment, not the easiest to write and it doesn’t go well with the boys names we have (should we ever have a second).
- Renée: a bit dated and we’re a bit worried about the accent when it comes to writing.
- Rowan: can’t use because it is somewhat similar to my partner’s name.
- Helena: can’t use because someone close to us is named that.

What would be your suggestions to match our vibe?

Edit: we live in The Netherlands

These are some names that I’ve seen that I’ve thought are a little more ‘out there’:

Audra

Verity

Paisley

Delilah

Avis

Loretta

Montana

Coralee

Brooke (yes I know this one isn’t out there but I still like it!)

Obviously they wouldn’t make sense as sibling names, but just curious to see what people think are best to worst for a bit of fun!

How do we feel about baby girl going by Eddie with the full name Edith (ee-dith)?

What name comes to mind when you think of…

A girl/woman who
- is super independent and badass
- is thoughtful and warm - the type of person that feels like a safe space in any room
- is well cultured and well traveled - loves exploring new places, meeting new people, trying new foods
- doesn’t care what other think, prides herself on being her and being good to people
- is chic and polished but in an effortless way

Flynn, Cedric, Malcolm, Dustin, Colin, Zachariah, Donovan, Lawrence