I love books that have complicated naming rules. One of my favorite sci-fi series, the Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold uses them to signify the class system and family relations. Anyone whose last name begins with "Vor-" is the upper class, and then there are Greek, Russian, etc. divisions within and without the vor class. (With the name of the planet being derived from the Emperor's surname) The main character Miles has a non traditional first and middle name due to plot points which later becomes very important to the creation of his off-world alter egos. Such great names in those stories!
I also really enjoyed George R.R. Martin's series because he has such fun with names and nicknames!
And I just reread all of the Anne of Green Gables books--oh my they are FULL of the antique charm names!
How about Curiosity? NASA is showing us that they're still kicking and sending us amazing pictures of the red planet to boot. Otherwise I really like the suggestions of Trayvon and Tebow.
I think that two in a family with the same initials is plenty. Beyond that I think it sounds gimmicky. I have a friend who has an "A" name and so do BOTH of her siblings...I like all of the names individually, but when I hear them all together I cringe.
I would prefer for all of my kids to have their own initial (especially for labeling things!) but probably not to the point of giving up a very favorite name.
Surprised not to see George RR Martin's Game of Thrones mentioned yet. He has some great names in there. (And A TON of them!) I like that they are often variations on more common names. I also just started watching the series with my husband and was surprised by some of the pronunciations used on the show. Probably in part because I am American though!
Hahah yes, my husband actually read this to me last week when we were starting a D&D campaign with some friends! I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks Gazebo sounds evil.
This sounds like accents, not poor pronunciation. I am Texan and I say all of those names the way you spelled them out. That's just they way language and prounciation WORK in that region. We say ya'll, we're fixin to do stuff, and we say Margaret as "Mar-grit."
My name is Angela! I didn't always like my name, but I love the way it looks in cursive. I love the big low looping g and the big high looping l and finishing with a flourish on the ending a. Maybe that helps?
As for your nickname, I think you should just go by what you like (Angie or Kay) as much as possible as suggested by others. Also maybe therapy, if you had an abusive childhood. It might be that no matter your name, you would still feel bad about yourself until you get help.
I've been writing fantasy stories since I was a kid, and I have always loved to make up names. In one book I planned in high school, I named the evil prince Gazebo...years later I'm working on a novel in that same fantasy world, and I can't stop myself from loving Gazebo as a bad guy name!
I had a story about some twins named Lelsey (made up version of Leslie??) and Kelsey.
I also played Barbies A LOT as a little girl, and though I don't remember what I named them (I usually just had them reenact fairy tales) but I remember making my little brother play with me, and he always just named them "sister" and "mother." LOL.
Whenever I named my character in my pokemon games I always pretended my name was either Emily or Clara! Very normal, actually!
Haha I am one of those Americans who doesn't like Louise! It sounds very middle-aged to me too. I dislike the "lew" sound, reminds me of "lewd."
Eloise and Louisa are nicer than Louise, but I still can't get myself to like them. Maybe it's my Texan accent. There was some talk about accents and names on the bnw forums, and unfortunately my accent rings Eloise as a long-voweled ELOWEESE.
My pet peeve is when people (or parents of kids) with unusual names get offended when their name is mispronounced or mispelled. This includes foreign names!
I understand that it is annoying to have to correct people constantly about how to say or spell your unusual name, but when it comes down to it, blame your parents, not the innocent bystander!
I was a substitute teacher for years and had to deal with this on an almost daily basis. I lost my temper a few times when the responses to my accidental mispronunciation was too rude to just roll my eyes at.
The vegetable was my first thought too. I love your alternate names, especially Jack (that's my son's nickname!) and Dylan. What about Carl? It has a similar sound and is very masculine.
That's strange! I have never heard the ZAY-vier pronunciation, just EX-zavier and hav-iER (the spanish). But then, I live in San Antonio!
Regarding the Catholic connection, I am Catholic and wouldn't think Xavier is very Catholic. No more than any other saint name like Nicholas or Paul. I would consider Magdalene, Maria, etc. to be "very" Catholic.
I already have a Gunnar Frederick (Jack) but let's pretend I get pregnant again and it's nine instead of one...
Boys (Middle names are after my two brothers and my husband's brother)
James Nicholas
Anthony Eric
Gabriel John
Girls - I had to get a little creative since I really only have one or two favorite girl names! I threw in some family names and some secret wouldn't-really-use names too!
Most of the names on this list look misspelled...like Henrry and Demetrious look like someone was trying to put Henry and Demetrius but messed up. Which is possible, since my dad mispelled his name and his birthplace on my birth certificate!
My favorites from the list:
Trevan - I actually have a character in a book I am writing named Trevan!
Pascal - Not bad, he was a philosopher so there's that
Kelsey - I have a female cousing named Kelsey, but I can see it on a boy too. I wonder if it used to be a boy's name, like Morgan and Ashley etc.
Eston - Would make a great fantasy character name
Glendon - Same as above
Girls
There are a lot of interesting spellings on this list that really make me cringe, like Daphnie and Alexsa, and Mollee. There are a few pretty compound names like Ellagrace, Sarabeth, and Marykate (which I'm assuming would have a space or hyphen, but doesn't show up on the official ss list)
Cool Finds
Zori - Kind of a cute, spunky twist on Tori, though it sounds like a nickname
Quorra - I'm into Legend of Korra right now, this is an interesting but cool spelling of the same name
Tzivia - A very Jewish name, but so pretty!
Loreal - reminds me of the hair products, but if it weren't for that, it would be a really pretty name
Kansas - I guess any state can be a name...I just never thought of Kansas as a possibility. I looked it up and there were also 5 boys named Kansas! How interesting. I wonder how some place get to seem more femenine and some more masculine. Like Dallas and Austin are fairly common boy names, but London and Sydney are common girl names. Wierd!
Alaska - another state name, my birth state! There was a character in a John Green novel with this name.
That's funny! I live in San Antonio Texas and there is such a mix of cultures that I wouldn't blink at seeing a white girl named Marisol or a more hispanic looking girl named Shannon. In fact, my dad is 100% Mexican but you would never guess by looking at him. His name is Guillermo though, which gives it away.
My name, Angela, was about #30 or so in my birthyear. I have actually only met three or so other Angelas in my life though. I guess it was more popular in the 70's (#7) but I don't feel like people assume I'm 10 years older than I am because of my name.
I went through a phase where I didn't like the hard "g" sound in my name and wished I was an Emily or a Claire or something, but now I really like my name. Though I HATE the nickname Angie and have always quickly corrected people who try to call me that. It bugs me when people are determined to shorten names that are only two or three syllables long. The name is short enough! You don't need a nickname! But that's probably because I like my full name better personally.
I would have been John Charles if I was a boy, which is what my little brother is named. He is named after my mom's oldest brother and my dad's only brother.
My mom really wanted to name me Josephine, but my dad's mom is Spanish-speaking and hated the Spanish pronunciation "Ho-sa-fee-na." So I'm Angela (Ahn-hay-la in Spanish) which I like. My mom's mom, who was also not a native English speaker, always thought my name was Angelica like her favorite nun who had a radio or tv show, Sister Angelica.
My middle name, Rhea is the same middle name as my older sister who died as an infant, which I always thought was special.
OMG Cordelia is in my top two if my next baby is a girl. I haven't had any bad reactions when I've told friends so far. I love the book "Cordelia's Honor" by Lois McMaster Bujold. That Cordelia would make anyone fall in love with the name!
I love books that have complicated naming rules. One of my favorite sci-fi series, the Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold uses them to signify the class system and family relations. Anyone whose last name begins with "Vor-" is the upper class, and then there are Greek, Russian, etc. divisions within and without the vor class. (With the name of the planet being derived from the Emperor's surname) The main character Miles has a non traditional first and middle name due to plot points which later becomes very important to the creation of his off-world alter egos. Such great names in those stories!
I also really enjoyed George R.R. Martin's series because he has such fun with names and nicknames!
And I just reread all of the Anne of Green Gables books--oh my they are FULL of the antique charm names!
How about Curiosity? NASA is showing us that they're still kicking and sending us amazing pictures of the red planet to boot. Otherwise I really like the suggestions of Trayvon and Tebow.
I think that two in a family with the same initials is plenty. Beyond that I think it sounds gimmicky. I have a friend who has an "A" name and so do BOTH of her siblings...I like all of the names individually, but when I hear them all together I cringe.
I would prefer for all of my kids to have their own initial (especially for labeling things!) but probably not to the point of giving up a very favorite name.
Surprised not to see George RR Martin's Game of Thrones mentioned yet. He has some great names in there. (And A TON of them!) I like that they are often variations on more common names. I also just started watching the series with my husband and was surprised by some of the pronunciations used on the show. Probably in part because I am American though!
Hahah yes, my husband actually read this to me last week when we were starting a D&D campaign with some friends! I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks Gazebo sounds evil.
I was born in 86 and I think of the racial stereotype and the pancake syrup. I would cringe if I heard of a baby with this name.
This sounds like accents, not poor pronunciation. I am Texan and I say all of those names the way you spelled them out. That's just they way language and prounciation WORK in that region. We say ya'll, we're fixin to do stuff, and we say Margaret as "Mar-grit."
My name is Angela! I didn't always like my name, but I love the way it looks in cursive. I love the big low looping g and the big high looping l and finishing with a flourish on the ending a. Maybe that helps?
As for your nickname, I think you should just go by what you like (Angie or Kay) as much as possible as suggested by others. Also maybe therapy, if you had an abusive childhood. It might be that no matter your name, you would still feel bad about yourself until you get help.
Good luck to you, fellow Angela.
I've been writing fantasy stories since I was a kid, and I have always loved to make up names. In one book I planned in high school, I named the evil prince Gazebo...years later I'm working on a novel in that same fantasy world, and I can't stop myself from loving Gazebo as a bad guy name!
I had a story about some twins named Lelsey (made up version of Leslie??) and Kelsey.
I also played Barbies A LOT as a little girl, and though I don't remember what I named them (I usually just had them reenact fairy tales) but I remember making my little brother play with me, and he always just named them "sister" and "mother." LOL.
Whenever I named my character in my pokemon games I always pretended my name was either Emily or Clara! Very normal, actually!
Haha I am one of those Americans who doesn't like Louise! It sounds very middle-aged to me too. I dislike the "lew" sound, reminds me of "lewd."
Eloise and Louisa are nicer than Louise, but I still can't get myself to like them. Maybe it's my Texan accent. There was some talk about accents and names on the bnw forums, and unfortunately my accent rings Eloise as a long-voweled ELOWEESE.
My pet peeve is when people (or parents of kids) with unusual names get offended when their name is mispronounced or mispelled. This includes foreign names!
I understand that it is annoying to have to correct people constantly about how to say or spell your unusual name, but when it comes down to it, blame your parents, not the innocent bystander!
I was a substitute teacher for years and had to deal with this on an almost daily basis. I lost my temper a few times when the responses to my accidental mispronunciation was too rude to just roll my eyes at.
The vegetable was my first thought too. I love your alternate names, especially Jack (that's my son's nickname!) and Dylan. What about Carl? It has a similar sound and is very masculine.
That's strange! I have never heard the ZAY-vier pronunciation, just EX-zavier and hav-iER (the spanish). But then, I live in San Antonio!
Regarding the Catholic connection, I am Catholic and wouldn't think Xavier is very Catholic. No more than any other saint name like Nicholas or Paul. I would consider Magdalene, Maria, etc. to be "very" Catholic.
I already have a Gunnar Frederick (Jack) but let's pretend I get pregnant again and it's nine instead of one...
Boys (Middle names are after my two brothers and my husband's brother)
Girls - I had to get a little creative since I really only have one or two favorite girl names! I threw in some family names and some secret wouldn't-really-use names too!
I picked 25 because that's how old I am.
Boys:
Most of the names on this list look misspelled...like Henrry and Demetrious look like someone was trying to put Henry and Demetrius but messed up. Which is possible, since my dad mispelled his name and his birthplace on my birth certificate!
My favorites from the list:
Girls
There are a lot of interesting spellings on this list that really make me cringe, like Daphnie and Alexsa, and Mollee. There are a few pretty compound names like Ellagrace, Sarabeth, and Marykate (which I'm assuming would have a space or hyphen, but doesn't show up on the official ss list)
Cool Finds
That's funny! I live in San Antonio Texas and there is such a mix of cultures that I wouldn't blink at seeing a white girl named Marisol or a more hispanic looking girl named Shannon. In fact, my dad is 100% Mexican but you would never guess by looking at him. His name is Guillermo though, which gives it away.
My name, Angela, was about #30 or so in my birthyear. I have actually only met three or so other Angelas in my life though. I guess it was more popular in the 70's (#7) but I don't feel like people assume I'm 10 years older than I am because of my name.
I went through a phase where I didn't like the hard "g" sound in my name and wished I was an Emily or a Claire or something, but now I really like my name. Though I HATE the nickname Angie and have always quickly corrected people who try to call me that. It bugs me when people are determined to shorten names that are only two or three syllables long. The name is short enough! You don't need a nickname! But that's probably because I like my full name better personally.
I would have been John Charles if I was a boy, which is what my little brother is named. He is named after my mom's oldest brother and my dad's only brother.
My mom really wanted to name me Josephine, but my dad's mom is Spanish-speaking and hated the Spanish pronunciation "Ho-sa-fee-na." So I'm Angela (Ahn-hay-la in Spanish) which I like. My mom's mom, who was also not a native English speaker, always thought my name was Angelica like her favorite nun who had a radio or tv show, Sister Angelica.
My middle name, Rhea is the same middle name as my older sister who died as an infant, which I always thought was special.
OMG Cordelia is in my top two if my next baby is a girl. I haven't had any bad reactions when I've told friends so far. I love the book "Cordelia's Honor" by Lois McMaster Bujold. That Cordelia would make anyone fall in love with the name!
I love the name Arwen but I'm afraid it's too nerdy to give my baby at Lord of the Rings name! I'm nerdy enough as it is!