Konrad, Klara & ?
Hi! After my husband recently told me he just couldn't get on board with my two favorite names - Eloise and Mathilde - it's back to the drawing board for our third child, a daughter. One name I've been considering is Greta, but I worry about how well it goes with our last name: H1ckey. I am curious how you think it goes, or what teasing potential the full name Greta H1ckey has (besides the fact that our last name is H1ckey!)? [I find one major flaw with Greta which I am worried about - and which I will disclose later - but I am probably thinking waaayyy too hard about it, and no one else may even notice.]
I'd also love your thoughts on our new "top names" list for a sister for Konrad and Klara:
Annika (AHN-i-kuh pronunciation)
Anneliese (AHN-uh-leece or AHN-uh-leece-uh)
Briar
Colette
Dorothy (Thea)
Greta
Ruth
Vivian.
Names we like/considered, but can't use include: Rosemary, Scarlett or any other name that doubles as a color (see H1ckey, above.), Georgia, Josephine, Elsie, Louisa or Aurelia (DH vetoed), Iris, Esther or Mabel (I vetoed, with hesitation).
We are open to suggestions, too! We have 8 more weeks (hopefully) to settle on a name. Thank you, you brilliant name enthusiasts who understand my obsession with finding the right one!
Wed, 08/22/2012 - 9:18pm
Replies
Also, I really adore Nora (and its various forms and elongations), but DH's friends have used Nora and Alice and Marlowe, and he wouldn't use any of them now. He also vetoed Stella, Estelle, and Agatha. (Does it seem like we've talked about every name in the book? It definately seems that way to me!)
Shame about Eloise and Mathilde, they are two of my favourite names!
I like Greta but my only concern would be that Great H!ckey sounds slightly like 'great hickey' to me. It could just be me though and it is only a minor issue. Othewise it's fabulous. Would Gretchen work better for you?
We have similar taste in names and I really like Annika, Anneliese, Briar, Dorothy/Thea, and Vivian from your list. I think Anneliese and Annika seem like the best match and sound good with your surname. Although Annika is more 'k' heavy so I'd probably err on the side of Anneliese when picking between the two.
Briar is lovely and a fave of mine but just doesn't go quite as well with Konrad and Klara (if I remember correctly they are actually spelt with a C and you are just using the K for internet privacy?).
I've never been a huge fan of Dorothy but I do love Thea. I think I prefer Theodora, Dorothea or Anthea as the base name but Dorothy does have a certain charm. I just don't like it quite as much as Annika or Anneliese.
Vivian is lovely and also seems to fit with the sibset. No real negatives, again I just don't like it as much as the others.
Colette I like if you happy with 3 C names. I don't see it as an issue but you might feel too themey. They all have different sounds so it isn't too matchy-matchy. If it were me though I'd avoid the third C/K name unless that is the one name you adore.
Ruth I have never cared for, but others may like it so feel free to ignore me. There isn't anything wrong with it, it's just not my style.
I love a lot of names on your rejected list, but I'll see if I can come up with anything else that might interest you. I do think you have some strong contenders though so don't worry if you can't find anything else!
Alice
Amelie
Lucinda
Lucia
Carys
Cordelia
Anastasia
Genevieve
Juliet
Allegra
Clementine
Helena
Susannah
Zinnia
Briony
Elodie
Marguerite/Margot
Penelope/Nell
Anya
Hannah
Thanks, Chimu! You always have such insightful and thought-out comments. And I like your taste in names!
You are right about the K/C issue for privacy. I hadn't thought about "great h!ckey", but I think that just goes to the unfortunate last name. Now that I think about it, the same can be done with Konrad - "rad h!ckey". So be it.
I also like Annika better than Anneliese, but you're right about the "k". I worry that "Annika H!ckey" sounds like "Anna Kah!ckey". DH really likes the AHN sounds, but the LISE/LISA part sounds 80's to me. My other issue with Anneliese is that occasionally I think of Annelids - which then gives me the creepy-crawlies - not a great association for your darling newborn daughter. Why must I have that association? No idea. Biology ruined Iris for me, why not Anneliese too.
You hit the nail on the head with Briar. Such an interesting sound - like Greer - and natural, which I love. But it doesn't really go with the her siblings, and it doesn't seem fair if she wishes she had a more feminine, traditional name like Klara.
I like Colette - not really sure why - and I am not as bothered that it isn't as German. I don't like feeling so theme/letter-driven though. The biggest problem I have is that if we use it then have another child, I'd feel we have to do a "C", even if they all grow up and move to different states. For a boy, no problem, I'd just use Cormac, despite the "ending in K sound" because I love it so much. But I can't think of another girl "C" I'd use.
Despite its popularity, Vivian had me for a few days, but it's started to wear on me already. It's just no Eloise.
Of your list, I like your suggestion of Helena - or Helen, perhaps. But not sure about the alliteration of Helen h!ckey. I like the sound of Juliet, but the name is fraught with associations/friends/Julies for me. I would like to like Briony, especially because it is a nature name, but just never have. I am going to think about Zinnia, though. I've never thought of that one before! My niece in Penelope, and a neighbor just used Genevieve. But both are good suggestions.
Thank you so much for helping me think this through!
I can see that Greta has a few unfortunate issues with your surname but I don't think any of them are that bad. I would still use the name if you love it, I really do think they are minor issues. I would possibly be tempted to go for Gretchen or Margrethe nn Greta. Both fit with the sibling names and still give you the nickname you want.
After thinking about it I actually don't mind the repeated k sounds with Annika H!ickey. It isn't too heavy too me and it kind of nicely ties the name in with the c/k sounds of Klara and Konrad without having the C at the start. It might occaisonally sound a little like Anna Kahickey but again it's not a big issue. If you pronounced it AHN-ih-ka then that would be even less likely as Ahn is a much more uncommon first name.
It sounds like Anneliese isn't quite doing it for you. I really like it but maybe Annika is the better choice here?
With Colette, if you are planning on having another baby then I think you might be locking yourself into a C theme. I adore Cormac (and Klara and Konrad) are also on my list so we do have similar taste. I think using Colette then Cormac would make a nice sibset. If you went with a non C name now though then maybe one with a c/k sound, like Annika to tie them together?
Other names that have come to me:
Freya
Jacqueline
Imogen
Eliza
I didn't see a problem with Greta Hickey until I read the previous post about "Great Hickey" and now I can't get it out of my head. I hear it as "Great, a hickey". However, I do think Gretchen Hickey would be fine, and you could still use Greta as an occassional nickname if you want. Hickey does seem like a really tough last name to work with, especially for girls.
I like Annika, but am not crazy about the flow with Hickey. The repeating internal K sounds aren't great to my ear-though I would consider it a minor problem.
Anneliese has a much better flow with your last name.
Briar Hickey isn't bad, but Briar feels very different in style next to Konrad & Kora.
Colette is lovely and one of my favorites from your list. The only drawback in my mind is the hard K sound, but with a C. Would she feel left out because she doesn't quite share the K with her siblings? Again, a minor issue that I'm probably over thinking.
Dorothy (Thea). My mom's name is Dorothy (Dottie) so this is a hard name for me to see on a little one. However, I love Thea! It works well with the last name and is nice with the sibling names. I really like this option.
Ruth is OK, but seems a little plain compared to your other choices.
Vivian has the opposite problem of Ruth. I like the name on it's own, but it seems a bit too frilly next to the simpler/stronger Kora.
Some other names I think could work: Clare/Clara/Klara, Margot, Tess/Tessa, Agnes, Claudia
Oh, dear.
I love Greta. At the moment, if I was having a daughter, I'd call her Margaret Alice nn Greta. I am not having any more children, but I know I don't have to explain that here. :)
Sadly, though, I think what she would hear would be not Great H*ckey, but, "Get a H*ckey." I should add that I taught 13 and 14 year olds for some time, so my perspective is unique. There is, thankfully, a relatively short window of life when one gets teased.
I am really liking Annika. It has the same sturdy, Nordic quality of Konrad and Klara, and I like that it doesn't run right into your ln. It reminds me most of Mathilde, which I think was my favorite before your dh gave it the boot.
I also like Anneliese very much. I think it will be a bit of a headache with spelling and so on, but it's a very pretty choice.
I like Colette and Vivian fine, but I think they are very different in style from Konrad and Klara.
Ruth and Thea have just the right charm and sturdiness to me, but I do prefer Annika with your ln.
Briar was long one of my favorite names, so I'm surprised to find myself not loving it for you today, but there it is....
Boy, Greta is really taking a hit. It's too bad that I really like it, especially with Eloise and Mathilde gone.
The issue I was thinking of was when she goes to, say, apply for jobs, and they email her resume around under the email title: RE: Greta H!ckey. As in, "regret a h!ckey." But "great, a h!ckey" is pretty bad too.
I find it interesting that some don't mind the flow of Annika with our last name, though some really do. I waver on that. I think it depends on how much you pronounce the "H" sound. I suppose it's not insurmountable.
Maybe I can talk DH into Wilhelmina, nn Willa. Probably not...
I think Annika sounds great, with your last name and the siblings. The double K sounds isn't at all bad, rather, I think it makes it flow. But yes, obviously some don't really see it that way, guess it's just a matter of perception.
I don't think I could do Greta with all the previous reasons.... Gretchen nn Greta maybe...
Ruth, Anneliese and Dorothy/Thea would all be very nice... I like them in that order.
I also don't think I could do Collette cause of all the C's. I would just be bothered that probably other people would all think it was an intentional theme.
Wilhelmina/Willa would be great! Hopefully your dh will like it.
I think if Greta is your favorite name then you should use it. Because honestly your last name has teasing potential no matter what the first name, so I don't think you are adding to it by using it. But you could always go with Margaret or Gretchen. That way if Greta is an issue she can switch to her full name or another nickname like Maggie.
One would hope that adults can handle seeing RE: Greta H!ckey while at work.
Of your other choices I like Annika and Anneliese best, and Briar the least.
Hmm, I did love the vetoed names, sorry those are out!
For Greta, I immediately thought it sounded like (re)Gret a H1ckey, independent of any re: line on an email, etc. I didn't think of the "great" issue until others mentioned it.
I love Annika, but it does sound like Anna Kah1ckey to me--now that you've mentioned it, actually, I can't think of anything else.
I like Annaliese, but only the AHN-ah-LEE-zuh pronunciation, and that is a bit long and I think it will require a lot of corrections over her life, so that would give me cold feet on that one. Then again, if you were willing to pull the trigger on Mathilde (which I love, ESP. this spelling), then maybe this is not a deal-breaker for you.
Colette is nice, but having a third C name would rule it out for me. I go with the "two may be a coincidence, three is almost certainly a theme" theory, and even if it was not really an intentional theme, it would feel too matchy for me.
Dorothy nn Thea (or better yet, Dorothea) would be my top pick from your new list. It is interesting, feels right with the other two, and sounds fine with the LN (although I think Dorothea sounds much better than having both first and last names ending in -y).
Vivian works really well with the LN--by far the best of the bunch, I think--and also goes very nicely with the other two kids, sounding both strong and pretty to me. It is a strong contender for my first choice, and would definitely be at the top of my list (of your new list) if it weren't getting a bit popular these days.
Ruth, I love, but I think it runs together a bit with the last name. Roo Thickey?
Briar is nice, but seems too different from the sibling names to me.
Long story short, my vote goes to Dorothy, Dorothea (if you would consider that), or Vivian.
Other new thoughts/votes for names already mentioned above: Sylvia, Susannah, Margaret, Helena, Wilhelmina, Philippa, Anthea, Althea, Eleanor, Beatrix, Adela, Eliza, Johanna, Saskia, Geneva, Tabitha, Leona. I generally think 3-4 syllable names, especially those ending in -a, seem to go well with your surname. I love Zinnia (and Hyacinth, if you're considering unusual botanicals), but it seems to go less well with your other two than some of the other options.
I think Ruth sounds nice - very straightforward and the whole name rolls off the tongue.
How about Francesca?