An Exotic Girl Name

This post is for my friend, Christen. Christen is the pickiest baby namer I have ever met. I am NOT joking. She has shot down almost ev.er.y.thing. I've thrown out in the past, but she was stuck, and I decided that I was up for the challenge. I've decided to break this one down into two posts. I will post the girl's list first, and then the boy's.

My first task was to figure out her style of naming. Here is the list of names she gave me (I included her boy names here so that you could also get a sense of what her naming style is like):

Esther
Isla
Jasmine
Leonie
Leilani/Lani
Maya
Naomi
Ruby
Samara
Selah

Cassidy
Cortez
Ezekiel
Jasper
Javier
Jeremiah
Julian
Kingsley
Kirk
Levi
Myles
Noah
Pierre
Raphael
Simeon

Take a long, hard look. Do you see a pattern? Christen and I decided that she tends to lean toward biblical names and international names. She likes names that sound exotic because her precious babies will be nothing short of that. Anyway, to complicate things even further, her husband has said no to every single name on the previous list.

Christen has also said that meaning matters to her. Plus, her last name makes the task even more difficult. For her privacy, I am going to use Kessler as her last name because the same problems exist. Names that end in -er are obviously awkward as well as names ending in -s.

I would just like to add, Christen, that you may have to give up something. I don't think the ends in -s names are nearly as bad as you think they are with your last name, but that's just my opinion.

Okay, onto my girl name recommendations:

Agnes - Esther makes me think of Agnes. I think Agnes Kessler doesn't sound terrible at all.   Amabel - lovable

Ana - grace - I thought the names that mean "Grace" would be nice to honor the Grace in your husband's family without naming your daughter Grace.

Anastasia - resurrection

Anina - let my prayer be answered

Annemarie - grace

Annika - grace

Antonia - priceless one

Ariandne - most holy

Athena - Don't count this one out immediately. My son has an Athena at his church. I didn't like it for the first year that I knew her. It grew on me and now that adorable little brunette girl is nothing but an Athena. It's a great name, and I can't believe I was so judgmental about such a great name!

Aurelia - gold

Calista - most beautiful - I love the option of calling her Kit!

Calliope - beautiful voice (kuh-lie-oh-pee)

Callixta

Corisande - healing heart

Cosette

Cosima - universe

Daphne - bay tree

Delia

Elodie - marsh flower

Evadne - pleasing one

India

Ione - a violet colored stone (ee-oh-nee)

Josephine - Jehova increases

Katrina

Lena

Liesel - pledged to God

Linnea - twinflower

Lyra

Maeve - she who intoxicates (mave)

Margeaux/Margo/Margot - Pearl

Naima

Nala

Nalani - calm skies

Nina

Noa

Noor - light

Ottilie - prosperous in battle

Paloma - dove

Priya - beloved

Rhiannon - devine queen (welsh)

Rocio - dewdrops (ro-see-oh)

Roxana - dawn; little star - Also the name of Alexander the Great's wife.

Ruth - compassionate friend

Sabine/Sabina

Saskia - name of Rembrandt's wife

Shea

Soleil - sun (so-lay)

Thalia - to flourish (Tahl-ee-uh)

Thisbe - (thiz-bee)

Zelie

I think my favorites for Christen are Nina, Nalani, Cosima, Athena, and Anina. I also love Naomi and Selah!


Email me at piperandposey@gmail.com if you have any questions!


-Chantal