Baby Name Problem. Please Help

[MeAndAHalf]

Ok Guys and Girls, the future happiness of a child is in your hands.

Some family friends asked me a couple days ago to be Godmother to their new baby girl. She's two weeks old, still needs a name and her parents want me to give it to her. I think a name is incredibly important, it is the first thing of value that you are given and a huge part of your identity. It stays with you your entire life and is one of the first things that people find out about you, I want to name her something unique and with meaning but I have to choose wisely and carefully.

My favorites at the moment are;

1. Azure - She has the biggest most vivid blue eyes that I have ever seen... captivating

2. Sapphire

3. Ciara (k-ee-ra) - Means Light

4. Bethany- She kinda looks a bit like a Bethany

5. Illyria - Just like the name

In that order

I gave her parents the list so they could veto anything they hated, but they liked them all and I still can't decide.

So what would your first impression be if you met someone with this name? What thoughts do they condure up in your head? And can you think of any mean or taunting nick names (kids can be cruel) or any cute ones?

Thanks for the help and Baby (blank) thanks you too :)

Name her Azure

Name her Sapphire

Name her Ciara

Name her Bethany

Name her Illyria

Updates

+1 y

Oh, just noticed I miss-wrote the pronunciation pf Ciara its K-ee-a-ra

Updates

+1 y

Also I hear what people are saying about not giving her a stripper name or one that is to hard to spell or pronounce but I just don't want her to go though life with something too ordinary. We're (her parents and I) aren't aiming for something trendy just something that will fit her like a glove for the rest of her life.

Updates

+1 y

I keep thinking about her being at junior school and boasting that her name is Sapphire because she has such blue eyes and her friends calling her 'Sapphy'. About her future husband falling in love with her when he hears that her name is Azure, and seeing his children with the same psychedelic blue eyes. Her introducing her self at university or her first job interview as Ciara. Or someone at work calling her Lia and her turning round. I see a cute little girl Bethany, but never an adult.

Updates

+1 y

Her Name is Ciara (KEE-a-ra) Meaning lights.


It's pretty and unique and I think she's going to like it!

[WhiteSteve]

whatever happened to "Jennifer?" I don't understand the need to come up with some unique name for a baby. it's to the point where the "unique" names are actually getting cliche. if I meet another little boy named Aiden, or Jaden, or Braden, I'm gonna jump off a roof. It's just lame. I'm not trying to be rude, I'm just being dead honest. The more "unique" the name, the more you sound like a stripper. Either that or you need to be out-of-the-ordinary good looking to pull it off. If your name is "Sapphire", you better be a dimepiece when you grow up, otherwise it looks kind of stupid. Gun to my head, I'd vote for Bethany, because at least I've heard of that one before the year 2000 when everyone decided that "Michael" and "Jessica" were just too boring to name their totally awesome and special baby that in reality, to the rest of the world, is just as dime-a-dozen as the rest of us losers, haha. again, totally not trying to be a jerk, it's just an issue that I'm pretty passionate about, and you can't really say it out loud to people you know. just trying to do my part to save the world from a whole generation of "Aidens." best of luck with the baby though, for real!

[Primrose]

lol I like the name aiden. not complicated and easy to pronounce.

[WhiteSteve]

i just can't stand "trendy." there's a great old George Carlin comedy routine where he says, "whatever happened to 'Eddie?' guys used to have normal names...eddie, jimmy, johnny, bob. now everyone's 'taylor, tyler, dakota, and kyle. I'll bet you anything that 10 times out of 10, eddie, jimmy, johhny, and bob will kick the SH*T out of taylor, tyler, dakota, and kyle." I don't know...this is probably just me getting old and crotchety, haha.

[confusedgirl239]

I think the important test is whether or no you could take the person seriously if they were to become POTUS. If the President's name was Azure or Sapphire, I would never take her seriously. She will live her whole life that way, with no one ever taking her seriously, all because her parents wanted to be unique. I bet she would have loved to have been named something normal, like Kate, Shannon, Melanie, Madeline, Kara, or something normal.

[WhiteSteve]

hahaha, just remembered a great SNL skit with Nicholas Cage. a guy (Cage) and his wife are trying to decide a name for their unborn baby. Everything the wife suggest, Cage shoots down, claiming that it will leave the child open for mockery from other kids. "How about Matthew?" "No way, you know how cruel kids can be! They might call him Fat Matt." This goes on for a couple minutes, then all of a sudden the doorbell rings. Cage answers the door and it's a UPS guy saying "Hi, I have a package here for an...Asswipe Johnson?" and Nic Cage goes "Yeah, that's me. And it's pronounced 'ass-WEEP-ay', OK, buddy?"

[7gnat]

Good stuff :P

[glitterberryalisa]

hahaha love snl

[samhradh_leannan]

Azure is an interesting name, but I think it might be a little much- stripper-esque, as some others have mentioned (although I think it's a shame that our society can ruin a perfectly nice name that way). Sapphire might be heading in that direction too. However, Emerald and Ruby don't do that for me, nor does Pearl, so those might be options if you want something jewel toned.

Illyria and Ciara are pretty. If Ciara is spelled with a C she might get a lot of people pronouncing it wrong- but maybe that's okay. Goodness knows people were never able to pronounce or spell MY name when I was young (well, they still can't spell it haha) and I survived. Illyria is very unusual, but that can be a good thing, and I think it's really lovely.

I don't think you can really go wrong with Bethany, although it might be a little bit on the opposite extreme- not terribly interesting.

[samhradh_leannan]

I hear you, and I am a fan of unusual names. I'm glad that I have one.

But hang on a sec- how on earth do you get Kee-ra from Ciara? When I first read your question, I thought you were pronouncing it Kee-a-ra which makes a lot more sense phonetically. If you want a name that's pronounced Keera, you might consider a different spelling.

I don't suggest that you pick a name that's in style, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't make considerations about the connotations that a name comes with- you

[samhradh_leannan]

said so yourself. So it is something to think about. I do think Azure is a little odd, but Azura might be better. I'm not sure why. Go with your gut though. Maybe you should play around a little more before you decidel

[samhradh_leannan]

*decide.

[MeAndAHalf]

ok, at this point I'm going to go right ahead and blame the miss-spelling of the pronunciation Ciara on my dyslexia. You had it right the first time! :P

[samhradh_leannan]

Oh okay! :P Good luck! Baby names are hard. I can't imagine being responsible for someone else's name right now. But it seems like you are doing a good job and being smart about it. I AM a fan of unusual names, I think it's just a matter of making sure they are unusual in the right way.

[TheoryOfAvarice]

Sapphire sounds too.. blunt, or something.

Illyria sounds like something straight out of a fantasy novel.

Azure... I just don't like the way it sounds. Azula has a better ring to it, I think.

Bethany, I'm kind of indifferent about that name, it's kind of plain. They say people with ordinary names lead ordinary lives... I've never met a particularly interesting Bethany.

I think Ciara is the prettiest name out of those choices. It's simple, unique but not over-the-top.

But that's just my input! Go with your gut. Or flip a coin :b

[TheoryOfAvarice]

@ your update - don't try to predict / control her life based on what you name her. Whatever name she ends up with, it will be special no matter what. But you can't like control how people react to her name, what nicknames they give her or whatever...

[Settingemstraight]

definitely no on 5. and 3.

Simply because of spelling. Nobody will be able to spell her name. And it will be super hard for her to learn to spell it also. I know it doesn't sound like much but it is a growing consencious in the mind studying communities that having a difficult to spell name can hold a kid back several months compared to their peers.

I like sapphire the best just for sound. And I also love bethany but I'm biased cause that's my mom's name.

Azure just sounds strange to me

I like the name Kathrine personally. Mainly because it has so many nicknames. Kitty Kate katie. and they all appeal to me

[tomfeltonforever]

Definitely Ciara. Many people would judge her for having names such as Azure, Sapphire, and Illyria; unfortunately, this would affect her in school and when she's trying to get a job. Some people I know say, "Once I see an application with a name like ____ in it, I just toss it." I don't have a problem with the names, but old-fashioned people really do not appreciate "made up" names such as these. I think that Bethany sounds somewhat old-ladyish, so I'm not a fan... lol @ the person who said it was a "fat girl name."

[vishna]

Bethany, it's the best choice imo from the list.

Ciara isn't so bad but it doesn't look how it is pronounced and children with names that were given purposefully contorted spellings do have a harder time with spelling, on average.

Ciara (Cee-eh-ra) is cute

Azure is...for a stripper

Sapphire is for a stripper

Illyria...I don't even know how to pronounce that and kids will give her flack for that name.

When naming a child, look to the future for guidance. You want her to be taken seriously and given a fair shot.

[BeautifulMischief]

I like the names Sapphire and Azure, I think they're very pretty and very unique. Everyone's issue with them seems to be either kids picking on them or them sounding like a stripper name, but lets add some rationality to these claims.

1. Strippers don't choose their names from the universal stripper name handbook, they choose them from normal names they like, so following that line of logic any name can indeed be a stripper name and/or sound like one.

2. No one makes it out of grammar school unscathed, everyone is picked on about something because kids are little a**holes and its just what they do, it can't be helped. If her only target is her name she'll be a lucky girl.

[Primrose]

I like the first and the last the best. Illyria has something royal and regal about it. LIke a European city that was rich and full of success.

Azure is an awesome name too. I feel like compared to Sapphire (which is kinda borderline stripper name in my opinion) it's unique, almost unisex and would make an awesome signature.

I would love to name my daughter (in the future if I had children)

Aoife (ee-fa) it just seems to sign well. It's simple so the complexity of her pronunciation wouldn't bother her too much. (My first name is long, super original and it was annoying that so many people mispronounced it.)

Eunice - I really favor the nickname version too which is Euny. It's really cute.

[Primrose]

Bethany (no offense, just add more to my comment) sounds like a bitch name lol and Ciara reminds me of a stripper as well. No offense to those who have those names, this is my opinion by just isolating it to its name, not to the people who has it.

[Alessus]

Well I'd say go with Bethany, since that is the most normal name of them. I mean sure parents want their children to be unique and all, but if she has that type of name, other kids will just make fun of her. Children can be quite cruel and names like Azure, Sapphire and Illyria are just asking for trouble. I should know, I have gotten flak for both my first name and surname.

[MeAndAHalf]

Ok, now you know I have to ask your name :P Send me a message if you don't wan everyone to see.

[Alessus]

Well since my name untranslated will not really mean anything to anyone that doesn't speak finnish, it doesn't matter if I type it here or not. But I'll send you the name translated into English.

[suki248]

A nice-sounding name that's easy to pronounce is good. Think about when she applies for a professional job. What name gives what impression? Think about calling her back from the playground to go home, or her teacher taking attendance, or her name being announced at graduation. Think about things like that and you'll pick the most suitable name.

[noidfome]

Well, whatever you do name her: any name that is super unique and unconventianally spelled is going to be hard for the kid. Imagine a 2 year old trying to learn to spell lllyria. I'd feel bad for her. Maybe choose something so cool as a middle name? She can still go by it but it won't be hell in school either. I mean think of the substitute teachers pronounciation, how she will never be able to find a cool name keychain etc.

[proudtexasgirl]

Bethany would be my number one. Ciara would be a distant second.

What's up with the ridiculous names people want to name their kids? Teachers will never been able to pronounce it correctly, and people will ALWAYS misspell it. You're just setting your kid up for a lifelong headache.

[Yriuqni]

They are all kinda weird honestly.. try to name her something that she won't hate when she grows up , sometimes parent's taste do not match their kids' so put that in mind.. Bethany sounds the best honestly, but you can do better..

How about Dahlia or Daisy ?

Ella

Ruby

Eliza

Emma

Isabella

[TheGodEmperorLeto]

Hate to say, but Azure and Sapphire sound like stripper names.

[smokahontas]

I thought the exact same thing :O

[Anonymous]

Even if her eyes are blue now, babies eyes change colors. So don't call her Sapphire because her eyes are blue now. When I was born my eyes were blue but now they are brown. But her eyes could still be blue. I have a twin brother and his eyes were blue and they are still blue.

[Little-Hippie]

Sapphire is a stripper name.

Bethany is a fat girl name.

Now you only have to choose from 3 options :)

[iAmAWESOME18]

Omg I was going to say the exact same thing!

[Settingemstraight]

you just called my mom fat. I hate you

[Little-Hippie]

Well, is your mom fat, bro?

[Anonymous]

I personally prefer Bethany out of this list. The first three sound like strippers and p*rn stars, and the last one sounds like a Buffy-Verse supervillain. I really think the coolness factor of the first two names will be beat out by all the people who don't take the name seriously, or all the guys who might think she sounds like a slut. Stick with bethany. You said she looks like a bethany anyway.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, but most of those sound like hooker names. lol

I'd go with something like Scarlett, or Claire. I like the name Teresa.

Just please don't go with Brittany or Katie. Too many of those in the world, make it unique and feminine.

Think of her in 20 years, and what she would be best suited to.

[Opinion Owner]

I guess of those names though, I would go with Bethany.

[smokahontas]

I like the name Scarlett :)

[Anonymous]

Definitely not Sapphire... that's a stone... mehh... sounds like a stripper name. So does Azure... and Ciara... I like Bethany a lot, but it is a plainer name. Illyria is awesome and unique. That isn't a name I hear often. I think Ciara is nice, but most people will pronounce it sea-air-ah. not Keera. Would about Kiara? That's a pretty name! Like key-are-uh. lol. That's close to Keera!

[aMuse]

Beth is the only one that sounds half way normal. The rest sound like strippers/porn stars.

[snowangle]

I'm torn between Azure and Bethany. While I like the name Bethany and am considering it for my future daughter, I do like meaning behind names... so naming her Azure because of her eyes would be beautiful.

[siquetumeamaste]

I think Illyria would be hard to spell/pronounce. They're not on your list but I think Amelia, Stephanie, and Olivia are really cute names. It also depends on how the first name will sound with her last name in my opinion!

[siquetumeamaste]

I just thought of one-- Cleo. I think it's unique without being too out there. I know a girl named Cleo and she's really cool :)

[Purplelove010]

Neither I love the name Amelia. When I have a little girl I'm going to name her after Amelia Earnhart.

Or Janelle is another pretty name for a girl.