Alina - too similar to last name? and mn ideas?
Hello,
I'm looking for a bit of advice. I love the name Alina. To me, it sounds a little bit unusual but easily pronounced and with an international flavour. It also has good nickname possibilities (Ali, Lin, Lina, or at a push, Nina). However, I'm concerned that it's too similar to our last name, which sounds similar to the word learner. Is the repeated "L-vowel-N" too close for comfort to your ears? Do I need to give up on this beautiful name, or could we make this work?
I'm also struggling to think of middle names - I think one syllable names would work well (e.g., Grace, Rose) but either these feel like "filler" names to me or are they are names of friends/family that I wouldn't want to use. Other middle names I've considered all start and/or end with a vowel or have a very similar stress pattern (Melinda, Sofia, Delia, Elissa) which I think might be a bit much. Other names I like are Leila, Liana, Joanna, Mariella, Samira, and Maira. My goodness, I just realised that they all end in -a! Maybe I need to branch out a bit....
If you have any thoughts, they would be gratefully received.
Thu, 05/24/2012 - 1:39pm
Replies
Donne - Just trying Alina out with the word "learner" it does seem to flow together in a way that makes the name get lost a bit, I'm afraid. It ends up feeling like a blur of Ls and vowels. I wonder if it might be better to find a name that doesn't have the stress on the letter L. It doesn't sound funny or anything, so if you really don't have any other girl names that you love, I don't think you're cursing your daughter, by any means, but I agree with you that it's not an ideal combo.
I wonder if a longer name might work better with the last name. Something that has more strength and harder consonants to balance out the vowel-heaviness of the last name. Not that it's these - or this style - necessarily, but something more along the lines of Josephine, Genevieve, or Charlotte. Even the L in Charlotte seems to make it a little tongue-twistery...
I agree that the repeated L is a bit of a tongue twister. Would you consider Amina? Seems like a bit of a cross of Alina and Samira and without the L problem. I think the flow is much nicer with "Learner". Nicknames could be Ami, Mina, or Mia. Or perhaps Annora or Amara?
Something with 2 syllables could work as well. For example, with Adela Learner the L is a little difficult but I don't have the same problem with Adele Learner. Aline or Alice maybe?
Looking at your longer list, I think Sofia (or Sofie), Joanna and Maira sound nice with your last name. Instead of Delia, maybe Cordelia? You could use Delia or Cordy as nicknames.
It is definitely a tongue twister with 'learner'. I agree that something less L and vowel heavy might work better. I like many of the suggestions given above.
To me a 1 syllable or 3 syllable name sounds better.
Jane Learner or Grace Learner for example flow well.
Geveniveve Learner or Penelope Learner also work well.
I think if you want a two syllable name something without l sounds might be better?
Something similar to Alina might be Amara? Honora is also along the same lines.
It's more repetitive than I would usually go, but I think it could work--after all, a very similar pattern seems to have worked fine for Tina Turner. If that's really the name you'll always regret not using, I don't think you have to pass on it for that reason alone.
Alina Charlotte or Alina Gretchen Rose sounds very pretty :)