A Haven for Vee

Thursday, August 16, 2012

What's in a Name?

First, a thank you to all who participated in August's Note Card Party. It was a delight to see your photos and it never ceases to amaze me how talented you all are. I loved the variety — from ghost towns to scripture verses, back porches to lunch, flowers to vegetables, sunsets to swans!

If you haven't had the chance, check out the offerings and, if you haven't joined in before, please consider it for September 19. That will be just a couple of days before autumn officially arrives and I'm pretty sure that I know what that means: pumpkins ☺ beautifully colored leaves ☺ and a lot of mums. Mark your calendars now!

***

Before this post ends, I have a few questions for you. The first: If you had the privilege of naming a little girl, what name would you give her?

According to Family Education dot com, the top seventeen names in 2012 for little girls are as follows:

1. Sophia
2. Isabella
3. Emma
4. Olivia
5. Ava
6. Emily
7. Abigail
8. Madison
9. Mia
10. Chloe
11. Elizabeth
12. Ella
13. Addison
14. Natalie
15. Lily
16. Grace
17. Samantha

The second question: If you had to choose from the 2012 list, which would you choose?

I have another list gleaned from tombstones — you don't find that morbid I hope — I love a cemetery and reading the names I find there.


This list was chosen because I had never heard these names before:

1. Lurena
2. Emeline
3. Almeda
4. Lilias
5. Evelina
6. Zabelle
7. Lillis
8. Olevia
9. Salley (I cheated. I know a few Sallies; however, they don't spell their name this way.)
10. Columbia
11. Marantha
12. Elva
13. Bina
14. Elzada
15. Lovicy
16. Lovina
17. Sylvina

Third question: (You've figured it out, of course.) If you had to select from my old-time list, which name would you choose? 
I'm revealing my choice tomorrow.

Now if I were naming a puppy, I'd choose Bina...what a cute name!

A happy Thursday to you!

Love Vee

37 comments:

  1. In the first list I would chose either Emma or Elizabeth.

    In the second list I would chose Lillis and call her Lily.

    This sounds fun - are you naming a baby? :)

    Deanna

    ReplyDelete
  2. Combine 10 & 14 on the first list you have the name of one of the most darling little girls I know.

    Second list, I really like #4, so unusual.

    If I were to name a little girl I would name her Charlotte Inez and call her Charly (pronounced shar-ly) for short.

    Is this a grand hint?

    ReplyDelete
  3. No. No announcements here. =D

    ReplyDelete
  4. Good morning! I love questions and posts like this for some reason, haha, sooo. Question #1? I can't imagine naming a girl anything other than the one I close for my only daughter....Melody Joy. I just knew she was going to be the melody and Joy in my life, and she is. Question #2? I would actually chose 2 of them. Emily Grace. Love them both. And #3? Well I guess I would go with Emeline.
    This was fun! Enjoy your day!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I don't think you're morbid at all. I love walking through cemeteries, too. So much history ~ so many stories of lives once lived. We lived very close to a cemetery once and my daily walk took me through it.

    I would choose the name Phoebe.

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a fun questionnaire!

    I would go with Lily from modern list, and Lillis from second - and Bina IS a cute puppy name, agreed.

    Have a wonderful day, Vee!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Well, I did name 3 daughters and as you know they are Amanda, Hillary and Mallory! I hopefully don't/won't have to name another one, BUT, if I absolutely had to I would choose Madison (we have 5 of those names in our family already, so it's hard). And from your "old time" list, I like Emeline! Great post!

    ReplyDelete
  8. The first name for me would be Lucy. I would love to have a little grand child running around and me calling out "Lucy come have a cookie!" From the list I would pick Chloe.

    ReplyDelete
  9. First, without a list I thought of Rachel.

    The 2012 list: I think I would choose Elizabeth and call her Beth.

    The vintage list: None of them excite me but Emeline is the one I could live with. She would be Emma.

    ReplyDelete
  10. When I was pregnant many, many years ago, if I had a daughter I was going to name her Kristin. I had a son and named him Jason. So I would still stick with Kristin.

    On your fist list I would choose Madison and probably call her Maddie.

    On the second list I would choose Emeline.

    ReplyDelete
  11. 1) I would choose the name Anna, the name of my maternal great-grandmother, and the name of the inspiring lady of Luke 2.

    2) Abigail (I wanted to name Rebekah Abigail, meaning "her father is joyful"...but her father said, "That is the name of the Halls' dog" and that ended that.)

    3) Emeline catches my fancy.

    What a fun post! Now back to read all the comments...

    ReplyDelete
  12. If I named a girl without a list, today, I would choose Rosemary Anne.

    (My own daughters are Alice and Emily. My granddaughters are Sofia and Clara.)

    From list one I would choose Abigail Grace.

    From your third unusual list I might choose Salley (but may I please change the spelling?).

    This was fun. I'm remembering a day in my early childhood when I told my mother I was going to have six daughters and name them all after flowers. With some horror I recall that they were not even normal flower names, some were names like Rosetta, Violetta, etc. Oh, my.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hmmm...
    I'll go to my heritage with question #1 and say Anastasia.
    #2 Emma
    #3 Emeline
    I love checking out headstones at cemeteries!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Cemeteries are really interesting places. I carry my camera and a note pad! My favorite girls name isn't on the list -- Alexandra. From the first list I like Isabella. (Guess I like names with lots of syllables!!!!) From the last list I like Lurena. Fun post!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Maryanne would be the name I'd name a little girl. I would have named my Debbi Marie that but Ken knew a Maryanne who he didn't like!

    From the first list I would pick Emma.

    I don't really like any of the names from the second list but if I had to I'd pick Salley.

    I look forward to reading your picks.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I did miss participating in the note card party this time and look forward to the next one. I am so ready for fall. The mere mention of pumpkins and mums sounds appealing to me.
    You have such a knack for interesting blog material. Love this post today. Just this morning I was driving and heard the DJ mention the name Valerie. As I drove I was mulling over the sounds of that name and think it sounds so melodious (right word?). Also sounds pretty to me, so I think I might pick that for a little girl.
    From the first list I would pick Emily and the 2nd list it would be Emeline. I do think that Zabelle is kind of interesting. My grandmother's first child was named Ziola.

    Thank you, Vee, for your kind comments. I am always blessed by your words.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Oh boy...don't know as I could pick one off that list. But there was an Olivia, a Madison and an Isabella at our reunion on the weekend. I'll go with Emma...since it is very close to the name of my sweet grandgirlie!

    From the second list...I'll pick Emeline.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love this. I have a great grandmother named Lovina. I love reading tombstones. And no - it's not morbid. It happens to all of us.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I have a cemetery right behind my back door. I love to walk there and look at the stone.

    I have a great niece named Olivia and a great niece named Addison.

    If I were naming a daughter today it would be Nancy Melinda after my great grandmother.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I have always loved the name "Grace", and I also like "Elizabeth". From the 2nd list, I think I would go with Emeline or Evelina. Funny you picked Bina, as I had a friend named Bina, short for Sabina. And I had a neighbor named Bino, short for Sabino. xo

    ReplyDelete
  21. Question #1... It's a good thing that I don't have to name a little girl, because my choice would change, from day to day.

    Question #2... Mmmm, on the 2012 List, we already have a 'Sophia' and an 'Emma' in the family. Mmm, perhaps I'd choose 'Isabella.' I have long loved the sound of that name... Sounding the first 'i' with a very pronounced 'E' sound. "EEEEEEEsabella" :-)

    Question #3... I have known an'EvAlina' in real life. I have known a tv yoga teacher by the name of 'Lillias'. Oh and 'Lillis' is awfully close to the Biblical 'Lillith'!!!! (Adam's 1st wife, if you don't remember...) (The one, who was tooooo much, for poor ol' Adam.) ,-)

    My choice? Yikes! None, I guess. But if pressed, 'Emeline'? Very old fashioned sounding...

    Gentle hugs,
    "Auntie"

    ReplyDelete
  22. I hope I can remember all the questions. If I had another little girl now I would name her Cameo. I heard it on Jeopardy once. From the 2012 list I love Natalie...but I always have....The old names, mercy...they are old. I did know an Elva once...a friend of my moms...but let's see....I think I like Columbia...the best. And if I had a girl puppy...she would be Mercedes...a boy puppy....Baxter...and a kitty...Button. Whew,...probably more info than you wanted!!

    ReplyDelete
  23. So you get to name a baby? How wonderful. As you know I'm a baby nurse so I could have told you the top names. :-) I do love Emma, and Elizabeth is a classic name. I love the old ones coming back like Lila or Lilly or Helen. Rose. Of the old list, Almeda if pronounced or accented like the song "Oh my darling...Alme DA.

    I also like Lillias because I know one in history.

    It would be so hard to choose a name!

    Having a name that has to be explained or repeated every time someone hears it for the first time, I'm tempted to give a vote for plain "Jane."

    ReplyDelete
  24. Oh I love old fashioned names! I like Emma & Olivia from the first list. I also like Emeline.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Well, ironically my current favorite girl name right now happens to combine two names from your first list.

    Emma Grace.

    So I guess those are my first two answers.

    I really don't like any of the names on the third list all that much. I do know a Bena (pronounced like you would say Bina). I like it spella that way but still wouldn't choose it. I would pick Emelina on that one.

    Fun!

    ReplyDelete
  26. My daughter's name is Emily and I find 31 years later I must still like the sound of that name because I would choose Emmiline.
    Next would be Lillis.

    ReplyDelete
  27. What an interesting post. I love some of the older names in the second list and would choose Emeline. I actually have a friend whose grand daughter is Emeline. I also like the name Lily in the first list. There are a few of them around. Other favorites are Lucie (my grandmother) and Maggie.

    ReplyDelete
  28. It's always fun coming here!! If I was gonna name a kitty from this list. I would choose Emeline. She would have to be a petite cat. A more robust creature might be named Elzada.

    ReplyDelete
  29. My girl's name is on the first list! Olivia! And my cousin's name is on the second list...Emmeline! We call her Emmy! Great post!

    ReplyDelete
  30. This is a fun post, but tough coming up with names since I like so many. I'll choose Ava from the first list and then from the last list I'd go with Olevia and change the e to an i. :)

    ReplyDelete
  31. This is such an interesting post Vee.
    I never had the privilege of naming a girl but at one time it would have been Julie. I do like my own name...is that terribly narcissistic?

    On the 2012 list I would pick Elizabeth.
    On the tombstone list (which was so interesting) I would go with Emeline.

    I loved reading everyone elses lists too.

    ReplyDelete
  32. I missed this yesterday! I like Lily and Emeline. But I noticed there's not a single 'D' name on either list. I named all four of my kids with a 'D' name....so every time I picked out a boy name and a girl name! Of course I still have the 4 girl names if anyone needs them! lol I had FOUR sons! Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Isn't it interesting how the "modern" choices have such old fashioned names?

    I think my favorite name belongs to my youngest granddaughter... Anna Evangeline. :)

    ReplyDelete
  34. About #17 on the first list and #17 on the other list of names..grin!
    or how about Atazia or Kristosha and Sherleena..
    these are three of my grand daughters names that my daughter Elisha named her girls..
    Hugs

    ReplyDelete
  35. From the first list, I'd choose the top name - Sophia. I love its meaning - wisdom.

    And from the second list, Bina. Not for a puppy. But my daughter has a friend named Sabina, and she is called Bina as an endearment.

    Sorry about getting mixed up between the fourth and third Wednesdays for the card party. I'll remember for next time.

    ReplyDelete
  36. I know I'm late but still wanted to play. I personally love the names Stella or Sylvie. From your first list I would choose Emma as that is my daughter's name already :) (she's 15, and I knew no other Emmas when I named her that). Your last list: my paternal grandmother's middle name was Bina, so I choose that;) This list is the first time I've ever seen Bina anywhere else.

    ReplyDelete
  37. My children's pediatrician was named Bina!

    I like many girls names -- if my daughter has a girl she may chose the name Julia :)

    For your second question I would chose Elizabeth -- my daughter's name is a short version of that name ;)

    On the old timer names list I would chose Lovina as my Mother's best childhood freind was a Lovina (nickanmed "Lovie")

    ReplyDelete

🕊
If comments disappear, please don't fret. A simple "hi" will do. The platform surely needs some maintenance.