I have seen before that the spellings of Ukrainian names in the Latin alphabet can confuse people. I have seen people asking why we won't spell them 'normally' and why they are like that. My name is included in that.

So I have chosen the three main differences that tend to distinguish Ukrainian spellings from other spellings, and explained them.

The H

In Ukrainian, Galina is Halyna. Olga is Olha. Georgiy is Heorhiy. And you might think, why?

This is because in Ukrainian, there was a language shift where the letter in Cyrillic that was pronounced as a G, which is Г, became pronounced instead very similarly to the letter H in English. This means we translate it that way too.

To account for this change, a new letter was created, which is Ґ, and is pronounced like Г is in Russian. It was usually mainly used for foreign words. However, in the 1930s, the letter Ґ was banned because this letter did not exist in Russian and so it was called nationalistic. It returned to Ukraine in the 1990s, shortly before we became independent.

The iia

This is probably the one that people are most familiar with, but they often don’t understand what it actually means. It is used in names that end with ia, such as Anastasia, which becomes Anastasiia, Natalia, which becomes Nataliia, and Maria, which becomes Mariia.

This is because the letter І is translated how you would think, as i, and the letter Я is translated as ia. Therefore, together, they become iia.

Again, this is an example of linguistic independence as it is part of the Ukrainian National Transliteration System, which is used to translate Ukrainian into the Latin Alphabet. Having our own system is important because under the Soviet Union, names were Russified and translated according to their spelling rules. You might be familiar with it when it comes to place names, such as Odessa instead of Odesa, or Kiev instead of Kyev, and the same was done to names.

All of the Ys

Khrystyna instead of Kristina, Maryna instead of Marina, and Yelyzaveta instead of Yelizaveta. People see that and often think we are just doing that to be quirky, especially since a lot of our names do use the letter i.

But it is actually because they are two different letters that make two different sounds, so they are translated differently. As said before, the letter і is translated as i. But we also have another letter, и, and that is translated as y. You can see when you look at the spelling for Maryna (Марина) and the spelling for Mariia (Марія).

The reason this is not the case for Russian names is that they removed the letter i from their alphabet, and there was no difference between и and i, only where they were used, so they did that to simplify the language. Because ours do not sound the same, it would not make sense for us to do so. Therefore, by translating them differently, it shows that the sounds are different.

I will also say that not everyone believes that their name must be spelt according to the official transliteration rules. If people are living in different countries, they may find it easier to spell it that way or even just prefer the way it looks. It's a matter of personal preference.

But it's important to know that if we choose to spell our name according to these rules, there is a reason behind it, even if it might not make immediate sense if you are not familiar with it.

Does anyone in the U.S. know a Jennifer who is currently older than 60 or younger than 30?

I went on a field trip with my grandson's Pre-K class today. The names in his class were as follows:

Brooks

Jai

Legend

Maverick

Luna

Annie

Stella

Thaddeus

Isabella

Colton

Jhett

Everly

Cortlyn

Jatinder

In the other class the standout name to me was Gary!

A beautiful fall day to visit a pumpkin patch with a bunch of cute little kids!

We just found out we're having a girl (!!) and that she's healthy, which is so exciting! Now comes the stress of actually picking out a name. We have a running list, but nothing feels quite right yet. We're hoping some 3rd party strangers on the internet can help.

We like names that aren't common enough to be on the top 20 list, but aren’t unusual enough that people have never heard of them before.

Here are the names we have been bouncing around:

Top 20 Names:

• Charlotte - this has always been my top name since high school. I'm from Charlotte so it has a personal connection too. It's heartbreaking that it has been such a popular name for so long because I really do love it, especially the nickname Charlie.
• Sophie/ Sofia
• Lily/ Lilian

Gender neutral names:

• Addison
• Blair
• Kennedy
• Campbell

Classic Fem Names:

• Claire - this was my grandmother's (who was like a second mother to me) name. I think it is a nice a classic name, but the family connection is the main reason it's on the list.
• Clara - twist on Claire, but a little different
• Naomi - I love this one, but my husband is on the fence.
• Margot
• Natalie
• Serena

We like V-names, however, both me and my husband have blonde hair and in my head I see these names "fitting" someone with darker hair or darker skin. This could just be a me thing tho, maybe I was too influenced but High School Musical.

• Vanessa
• Veronica
• Vivian

We live in the US, and we're having another daughter. Our first is named Golda Yahav.

We'd like her name to be the same, a feminine first name and then a unisex middle name, because we like both! If we don't choose Aviva as the first name, I was thinking Aviv as the middle name.

Our list is short at the moment.

Golda and Naomi

Golda and Ofira/Ophira

Golda and Aviva

Golda and Yakira

Golda and Dafna/Daphna

Golda and Aluma

Am I very picky, I don't think so, but I irrationally dislike a lot of names. Talia, Margalit, Esther, Bluma, Ruth, and Malka are all names that my husband suggested that I said no to. I also said no to Liora, but I might like Lior as a middle name.

We're not Ashkenazi so we don't need it to be a Yiddish name or anything. My husband just happens to like a lot of them so maybe he was in a past life 😂

My husband and I just found out we are expecting a baby! Yay!!

We have several boy names we love: Lawrence, Augustine, Nathaniel

We have one girl name agree on: Clara

Girls names I love include: Genevieve, Adeline, Iris

Girls names he loves: Eleanor, Madison

I feel like we have similar enough tastes that this shouldn’t be too hard, but I feel like we have gone through hundreds of girls names. I also feel like most of own name opinions are pretty basic, but we cannot find any other girl options we love.

We plan to name our baby girl Maya and was thinking of a middle name. Any suggestions?

I’m having a hard time thinking of names that go with my daughters name (Marlow), that would also honor my fathers name Barry Keith. Keith means wood so we were considering Magnolia but it feels a little trendy at the moment so i’m not sure. if we have a boy I’m considering Beau or just using keith as a middle name in general but girl names are where i’m stumped honestly if anyone has any suggestions please share

***Edit***
Adding on, I currently have a daughter named Marlow Jane and am looking for Sibling names that also honor my dads name

Trying to think of boy names, we both like Gus. Not sure about longer versions, I don't love Gustav (and we aren't Scandinavian) but I really hate August/Augustin. Does anything know any Gus's who are just Gus or is it better to make it something longer (slash will people always assume it's short for something).

Expecting our first baby, a little girl, in a few months and plan to name her after my mother, Ingrid. I want to honour her but honestly, I do not love her name. Please give some suggestions

Jude Alexander
Jude Archer
Jude August
Jude Cameron
Jude Elias
Jude Hudson
Jude Parker
Jude Theodore
Jude Teddy

Open to any other suggestions, especially something beginning with a vowel, an E or an A, or is a bit longer and masculine/traditional.

F20. I want to change my name. What do you think about name Eva? What are your associations? Is it usable now or outdated? International? How do you pronounce it? What do think about Yana? Is it okay in English community? Any associations?

Have been discussing this with my mom and grandma recently and it really got me wondering about the different trends for women’s names back then.

Anything unique and pretty

Looking for the same vibe.

Love Kit, and Shia but not sure if they really match that well? Maybe overthinking. HELP

I have two kids with ie ending names, both with lots of vintage history but a bit whimsy and nicknamey too- think Rosie and Alfie vibes. I love the idea of rounding out my sibling set if I have another girl with a different ending…
Something like
Odette
Opal
Flora

My first girl goes by a nickname at tomes - think Rosie to Rose.

What do you think, can these work together? Does one of the three feel more suited to this style?? Rank them!

And any other suggestions or boy suggestions ?

I know this is pretty specific, but I really want an I name for this character. He is 19 years old, the story takes place in modern day, and he is a kabuki actor.

He was originally named Ikuji Inazumi (稲積 伊久二), but Ikuji sounds too old of a name, I think? Or do you think that would fit him more?

Any and all advice is very welcome and appreciated.

Looking for feedback on my current boy name shortlist, as well as suggestions for other names that might fit our style! 😊
The siblings, in age order, are Felicity, Augustus, Gideon, Phoenix(girl), and Elodie.
We try not to repeat first initials between our children (middle initials can repeat), and all of our children’s middle names are more familiar, established names.
Ideally, I like boy names that fall somewhere around the 300–600 range in US popularity. I prefer names that feel established, a little old-fashioned, and recognizable without being overly common or trendy. I also try to avoid names that are rapidly rising in popularity, although I made an exception for Elodie because I loved it too much to pass up, even knowing the Ellie-name trend was gaining momentum.
I love names that feel distinctive without sounding invented or like we’re trying too hard to be unique. My current favorites are a little more unusual than my other children’s names, so I’m looking for an outside perspective on whether they’re wearable as first names or might be a little too out there.
My top four contenders (the more unusual options):
Nazareth (favorite but also the one I’m most concerned is too out there)
Laszlo / Lazlo
Wilder
Calloway / Callahan
Calloway and Callahan are a little outside my usual naming style, but I’m considering them partly to honor a family member, Cali.
Some of the more familiar options I’m considering:
Jasper
Declan
Malachi
Sullivan
I’d love feedback or any suggestions for names with a similar feel: established, sturdy, a little uncommon, and preferably with some history behind them. Ideally, I’d like to avoid anything too trendy or anything that feels like a made-up spelling.
We’re in the US, so US popularity and naming trends are what I’m interested in.
Thanks for reading! 😊

My first son’s name is Llewyn (which means lion lamb) and we’ll be having our second son around his second birthday!! I love wild/nature names, and names that are very very unique and playful!

Some of my top picks right now are

Wilder
Pippin
August
Sylvan
Alfie

Any help with additional names would be appreciated!

So far we have Georgia and Hannah on our short list. I like Eden but my husband does not. I would like to go with Alice as a middle name (open to it as a first name but then not sure what I would do for a middle name). When running these names by other people, they seem to prefer Georgia but I am sorta leaning toward Hannah.

Any other ideas? Help!

Hi, I know this topic comes back up regularly in this community.

Has anyone changed your first name while being recognized in your community? I give talks at events and conferences. Hearing my name annoys me, and I know it will only get worse. At the same time, I'm afraid that a change will be awkward and pretentious. Moreover, if I decide to go with a new but similar name, I'm worried that people will still use the old one.
For context: my first name is not bad when used in full form, but in my country it's obvious to use a nickname for it (which I hate). I introduce myself in full form and sign emails this way, but most people will ignore it - it seems very official and in my country is rarely used in this form. I sometimes heard 'I understand your preference, but I can't imagine calling you like that, it's so serious'. (Fortunately, closest friends and work colleague respect my preference).

Hi, I’m looking for a new name for myself (23f) and struggling to find something that feels right. I’m not transitioning or anything but I’m finding more and more the name I was given at birth does not fit me. And really just feels disconnected and bring me sadness. I’ve never really thought I could change my name because I’m happy with my gender and have a name that fits my gender. And I don’t necessarily have bad connections to my family or outright hate the name they gave me. But because of that I’m really struggling to look for one. Which for me is strange because I have the longest list of baby names that I adore. But when I tried them out as names for myself they didn’t feel like me. I would like if it was something that seems plausible to have been given to someone my age (2003) and not like I just picked it out this year. I like really feminine and elegant names that have a lot of potential nicknames. My birth name is very short and was picked because my dad hates nicknames and so picked something that cannot be given any nicknames and it’s something I’ve always hated about my name so I really want to have that. But I’m open to a shorter name depending on how it feels and as long as it still can have at least one nickname. I’d love to hear any recommendations! Vibes are elegant, romantic, artistic, vintage, literary, whimsical and dreamy. I would really like that it isn’t super common but maybe has a more common nickname. I am also pretty picky with the flow of pronunciation, I don’t like any really hard sounds in the middle. Or choppy syllables. Think really flowy or airy almost musical sounding.

We have a 3 syllable last name, similar in sound to Pavuru (This is NOT our real last name, this is made up to get the idea across). First name for baby boy is Ari (set in stone). Here are the middle names:

Ari Griffin Pavuru
Ari Callum Pavuru
Ari Reese Pavuru (maybe my fav)

Do any sound nice to you? We’ve been struggling hard but willing to keep trying if they’re bad!

Curious of opinions on this name for a baby boy? My husband worries the “-son” names (Jackson, Hudson, etc.) will maybe sound dated in a few years? I feel like Anderson is pretty classic. I like surnames as first name and this happens to be a family/maiden surname in our lineage (but no close relatives with this surname that are alive). I like the nickname potential. We like Ames, that was our backup boy name. Considering them together. Our last name starts with an A, so initials would be Triple A. Is that cringe? We could do Anderson James but we dislike the nickname “AJ.” Any thoughts? Thanks!

Since my last post I've come up with more middle names I like other then Cordelia.

Cordelia

Iris

Jean

Claire

Ivy

Olivia

The front runners are now:

Samantha Cordelia

Samantha Iris

Samantha Jean

Does anyone have any other suggestions or ideas. Do these names flow ok together?

I want something that feels like a fresh start. Something with abit of strength to it thats hopeful to the future.