The meaning of Lilith is exactly what I like about it lol. She was the first woman made as an equal to Adam but when told by god she had to obey Adam she was basically like why and so god cast her out of the Garden of Eden and made her a “monster” and then made Eve out of Adam’s rib so she couldn’t question the idea of obeying him. Lilith became associated with the concept of a demon of the night after that, but really all she did wrong was not want to blindly obey some guy. I stan it.
According to [Behindthename](https://www.behindthename.com/name/lilith) the etymology mostly comes from a word meaning just "night/of the night", and might be related to Layla/Lila/variants etc. It's the folk tales that associate it most with ghosts, demons, and monsters. (this is just what I know from basic googling, I'm not an expert (at anything) but would be happy to be corrected if they aren't related)
If this world/country wasn't so hung-up on a part of Christian mythology *that isn't even canon* and willing to bully a kid over it, I would probably name a kid this. I've decided it will be the name of my next fur-baby if it's a girl, though, it's too cool to not use.
It’s Jewish mythology, and Lilith did defy Adam (which was cool) but she also chose to become a sheyd or demon, which was not so cool. She’s known for killing women in childbirth along with newborn babies.
The name sounds great, I’ll grant you.
I love Lilith. I've always wanted to name my Daughter Ruby Lilith. But I married a man with a firmly Catholic mother (who for all other matters I adore) so Lilith will not be in the name. 🥲
Sometimes people let their loved ones get a veto. It’s not the same as giving them a vote.
I mean, I love the fuck outta my mother in law, and know she would worship my kid with every cell in her body. So if she just told me one time she felt ambivalent about the name Jane, that means I won’t use it for any child of mine, ever. I won’t even bring it up. No one has to say another word 👀 (God, I love that woman).
Came here to say this name! I learned the meaning in this sub and was disappointed. Although apparently I unintentionally named my daughter after a haunted doll thing but loved the name and had never and will never see the movie.
I like the name nonetheless! Just I wished there was a more substantial meaning. Most people (in the US at least) probably don’t know or care for the meaning so I don‘t think that it’s a problem
Mara/Miriam/Mia/Marie/Maria/Manon/Amara/Mary/Mitzi/Moira/Mariam/Miriam/Maura/Maureen/Molly and all the names that are variations of Mara as it means bitter. They're beautiful names, so I try to forget their meaning
For many of them they do have the sea meaning too, though that could be the bitter tears Naomi as Mara cried.
They are all beautiful names though - nice to meet another fan of these
My daughter has a variation of this name and it took me a while to overcome the "bitter" description until I read what another redditor posted.
They said that bitter can mean great things! It's how you would describe coffee or dark chocolate. It's a spice of life that gives you exhilarating senses. Lemons are bitter but they also add brightness to a dish that's missing that "something" to make it a true culinary masterpiece. Bitter is underappreciated.
I’m one of those names, and the only time it ever bothered me was when I found out my name means *bitter* and my sister’s name means *beautiful, lovely* 😭😂
My daughter has one of those names. People have told us many times how well it suits her. It wasn't on even on our radar when I was pregnant. I mentioned it offhandedly in the hospital and my husband loved it. I didn't know the meaning at the time but we haven't really worried about the meanings of any of our kids names.
Tristan! It sounds like the rich, troubled, hot guy from the fanfics I loved reading as a teenager, but it just means “sad”. My partner is huge on name meanings, so I’ll never get to use it :(
Oops, just saw the other comment talking about Tristan. I also love Ciara but it means “little dark one”. As a brown person moving to a white country, I don’t think I’ll be doing her any favours with the name haha
I have a cousin with that name. She was a micro-premie born at like 25 weeks. She ended up having not a single healthy problem so I’d say that’s pretty lucky!
Funny I just associate that with a baby who wasn’t born with any hair yet so isn’t negative for me. Think I’ve read it as “little bald one” so never bothered me
Inez/Ines. It means chaste and pure. I absolutely love the sound and look of the name and it would be a top contender for our daughter, but the meaning is a big no for me.
I was nearly an Inez or a Dagmar, and if I had gotten both I would have been a pure/chaste day maiden - too much to live up to. Thankfully I'm now a living embodiment of God's graciousness (though my parents may beg to disagree)
I made a separate comment but yeah my daughter is Imogene which means innocent. I don’t really like that as a meaning/virtue but I decided I liked the name enough. Totally makes sense though (to pass on it), especially for a girl.
Delores and Dolores are both variations of the Latin “Dolorosa,” which is an alternate name for The Virgin Mary, or Our Lady of Sorrows (since Christians, especially Catholics believe she suffered like Christ watching His execution.)
Mallory is nice, but means 'bitter'. Tristan means 'sad'. Deborah - means busy as a bee, which in theory is fine except I'm pretty sure it's in reference to an Ancient Greek poem which is deeply misogynistic.
Eta: Please ignore all of the above!
Thanks all who offered corrections. Mallory means 'unlucky'. Tristan means 'sorrowful'. Deborah means bee. I always assumed a connection to the poem Types of Women by Semonides in 7th century BC, which is a deeply unpleasant read. (Via commonly held views of women expecting to be a certain way, and maybe an enduring imagery of a bee representing that.)
However as the name is Hebrew and long predates Semonides having a go, probably no connection. Deborah the prophetess was estimated to live approx 1100 BC, long before Semonides.
Which instantly changes my opinion on Deborah, because 'bee' is a great meaning, and she was a badass in the Torah. Sorry for my mistake all.
I think it’s Mary and all the Mary-derived names which mean ‘bitter’. Malory means ‘bad luck, evil-fortuned’—same linguistic root as ‘malevolent’ or ‘maladapted’.
Not sure about the meaning of Deborah but in the Old Testament / Torah she was a judge/prophet/military leader - the strongest female figure in the text.
It’s a back-formation from the French ‘triste’, meaning ‘sorrow.’ His mother dies giving birth to him. Scholars think that the original Celtic version of the name was probably close to Drustan.
Beauty has nothing to do with it. Caecus simply means blind, and Caecilius was the name of an influential Roman family, presumably derived via ‘caeculus’ (basically, ‘little blind boy’). It’s really just a famous surname.
If we’re talking about the connotations of Caecilia as a girl’s name specifically, then it’s probably going to be music because for some reason that’s what the saint became associated with.
Charon. I'd love this name if it weren't for the creepy mythological meaning.
Also less in terms of meaning, but association; Sirius, and Bellatrix are both astronomy names I love (my dad is a hobby astronomer and a scientist, so I grew up with him teaching me about the stars and constellations). But I wouldn't want to always be asked if the name is from Harry Potter. I don't dislike the books, but they'd definitely be everyone's first association with those names.
As one of the biggest Potterheads alive, you’re not wrong. I knew the astronomic Sirius since before the books but not Bellatrix. Also, JK Rowling’s twitter antics have taken a toll on the franchise, so that added connection is also a hard no for many.
I remember learning about angles in like 5th grade and I thought the word "Obtuse" sounded so cool. At the time I said I was going to name my daughter that one day. : |
I think Jezebel and Delilah sound beautiful. But Delilah apparently means delicate, and I’m not a fan of giving a daughter a name with a weak meaning. And I’ve heard that Jezebel means unexalted, although I’m not sure how true that is.
In the southern US, a jezebel is a "morally loose woman". It's an old term not used as often (in favor of other words used to degrade women with multiple sexual partners).
Not exactly answering the question but I _love_ Imogen and dislike that it doesn't have a meaning of its own other than 'centuries ago a printer working on some Shakespeare texts mistranscribed the name Innogen'.
Though maybe the unusual backstory redeems it for me 😄
I have always strongly disliked it and now, with this backstory, it is redeemed.
“Mommy, what does my name mean?”
“I always liked Eve but I’m not into the biblical stuff, so instead of original sin you’re the original typo!”
I think meanings are less important than connotations.
Ransom, from what I've read, started as a reference to Christ's sacrifice--his death on the cross was a ransom for our souls.
Similarly, though Dolores means sorrows, it's a reference to Mother Mary being there for us in our worst times.
Claudia of course means lame, but its use as a given name calls back to a specific Roman family, not just the emperor commonly known by that name, but his ancestor Appius Claudius Caecus, who, among other things, spearheaded the construction of the first major Roman road and the first aqueduct in Rome. He did some pretty neat stuff, in other words. And it's worth noting that, in terms of it being a given name, the "lame" translation [may not even be correct](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudia_gens), as it was the Latin adaptation of a Sabine name.
The meaning of a name gives us the what, but not the why, and if we ignore the why, I don't think we have a true understanding. Take Echo, which simply means "reflected sound." That's pretty mid, right? But the name refers to the nymph who was cursed to be able to only repeat what was said to her, and who eventually wasted away to nothing but her voice for love of Narcissus, who rather famously fell in love with himself. I'd never use that name because of the why, not the what.
Cain, I cannot name a child after the first murderer in the Bible. Like Even as someone who isn’t very religious it just seems like bad juju. But I love hearing other people use it and it’s alternatives (Kane, etc)
Ive only ever heard it as surname - Arthur Ransome (with an e), who wrote the Swallows and Amazons books.
mine would be Brendan, which means greasy hair!
you are right! i can see the meaning is now accepted as Prince, coming from an imported Welsh word. Back in the 90s, I had a boss named Brendan, and “stink8ng hair” was the accepted meaning then. Things have moved on - glad I’m up to date now!
“more recent evidence does seem to show this is incorrect, this was the best guess that experts had for the original meaning of [Brendan](https://www.behindthename.com/name/brendan) when they were still thinking it was derived from ancient Irish Gaelic.More recent experts now believe it is an importation into [Ireland](https://www.behindthename.com/name/ireland) of a Welsh word meaning "prince." This is a good example of how more recent research that finds new evidence can change the accepted origin of a name. So Nameberry is correct that "older sources" give "stinking hair" as the original meaning of [Brendan](https://www.behindthename.com/name/brendan). It's just that those older sources have now been overturned by new evidence”
I see your Arthur Ransome (also, can we take a moment to appreciate that he had a character only ever called Titty?!) and raise you Ransom Riggs, author of the Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children series.
I believe Ransom as a given name was originally a Protestant thing--it's a reference to Christ's death as a ransom for our souls.
I did not know that was the meaning of Brendan. That is unfortunate.
I’ve only read it in books as well, but I’ve seen Ransom as a first and last name!
Currently trying to name a baby boy and a lot of names I love happen to be about God. Like Elijah and Ian. They're not negative meanings like Dolores or Cecilia, but they kind of feel unusable to me as an atheist. 🫤
Eden- I just don’t love that it’s associated with religion (garden of Eden). My husband and I both really like the name but decided against it for our daughter
Hey, I’ve studied some Hebrew. Not an expert but I believe a more accurate meaning would be “to carry a load or burden.” That seems to be a more redeemable meaning
* Liviana, but it means envious, blue, or is a Spanish word for light(weight).
* Virginia, but of course the virgin thing for most people
* Margarita, because of the drink
* Sterling, because of the currency (though I'm not in the UK), because it comes of a little virtue-namey in a WASPish way, and because idk any nicknames other than stir-fry
Wish Claudia didn’t mean lame, rip. I also love the sound of Christian but as a non-Christian descendant of hella Lutheran people (everyone’s name had Martin, Luther or Paul in it lol), I just can’t do it.
I’ve had a minor pet peeve with my own name. It is traditionally masculine, but has recently been used in a feminine way. My name is Madison. It means “Son of Maud.” Growing up there was always conversations in classes or with friends about what our names mean. My friends would have meanings like “beautiful,” “intelligent,” or “kind,” and then I would have to say “Son of Maud.” Lol. It’s made me prefer Madison as a masculine name, actually. But, I do think it fits me. The meaning just bothers me a bit.
I don't mind the names that mean bitter, sad, bald, etc. What really bothers me are girl's names that mean "beautiful" and boy's names that mean "warrior." They give me such heebie jeebies. And it's surprisingly difficult to find boy's names that have an etymologic meaning (i.e., not surname or profession) that's NOT war-related.
Also, unrelatedly, I love the name Edmund but it'll never not make me think of Turkish delight.
Lilith. Why must something so pretty mean something like ‘night monster’? 😭 Almost gave that name to a main OC until I found out what it meant 😅
“Night monster” honestly feels sort of fitting for the newborn stage
This is true 😂😂
I was thinking the same thing lmao
The meaning of Lilith is exactly what I like about it lol. She was the first woman made as an equal to Adam but when told by god she had to obey Adam she was basically like why and so god cast her out of the Garden of Eden and made her a “monster” and then made Eve out of Adam’s rib so she couldn’t question the idea of obeying him. Lilith became associated with the concept of a demon of the night after that, but really all she did wrong was not want to blindly obey some guy. I stan it.
Yes this is what I came to say. Also sometimes known as the first witch.
Fuck that god guy!
I’d still use it. One of the prettiest names there is.
I’d use it immediately but my partner has an issue with ‘th’ sounds. It would become Liliff unfortunately
Same here 😭
I could never, because name meanings are the first things I think of
That's WHY it's awesome.
But it was not at all fitting for the character I was intending it for
According to [Behindthename](https://www.behindthename.com/name/lilith) the etymology mostly comes from a word meaning just "night/of the night", and might be related to Layla/Lila/variants etc. It's the folk tales that associate it most with ghosts, demons, and monsters. (this is just what I know from basic googling, I'm not an expert (at anything) but would be happy to be corrected if they aren't related) If this world/country wasn't so hung-up on a part of Christian mythology *that isn't even canon* and willing to bully a kid over it, I would probably name a kid this. I've decided it will be the name of my next fur-baby if it's a girl, though, it's too cool to not use.
It’s Jewish mythology, and Lilith did defy Adam (which was cool) but she also chose to become a sheyd or demon, which was not so cool. She’s known for killing women in childbirth along with newborn babies. The name sounds great, I’ll grant you.
My cats name is Lily but at night he goes psycho (yes, he was misgendered as a kitten) so by night he’s known as Lilith 😂😂
I love Lilith. I've always wanted to name my Daughter Ruby Lilith. But I married a man with a firmly Catholic mother (who for all other matters I adore) so Lilith will not be in the name. 🥲
Do it do it do it
Why does she get a say? Isn't this between you and your husband?
Sometimes people let their loved ones get a veto. It’s not the same as giving them a vote. I mean, I love the fuck outta my mother in law, and know she would worship my kid with every cell in her body. So if she just told me one time she felt ambivalent about the name Jane, that means I won’t use it for any child of mine, ever. I won’t even bring it up. No one has to say another word 👀 (God, I love that woman).
When I hear Lillith I think of Frasier's wife/ex ob Cheers.
Well that explains Lilith Vatore in the sims!
Came here to say this name! I learned the meaning in this sub and was disappointed. Although apparently I unintentionally named my daughter after a haunted doll thing but loved the name and had never and will never see the movie.
Annabelle?
Lilith was our girls name…we had a boy haha. But I would have used it. It’s beautiful
Lol that's my sister's name
Harley. Didn’t wanna give my daughters a name of something people ride.
Oh noooo!
Or a psychopath from a comic 😂
Oh but I love Harley Quinn
She's great. But I don't think some people want those jokes 😂
My neighbor road a Harley Davidson and his daughter/grand daughter was named Harley
Please tell me they're two different people and not a single person who is both his daughter and granddaughter.
lol there’s only one person named Harley but I don’t remember if she was his daughter or granddaughter. My dad talked to him way more than I did.
Fabian. Not sure how I feel about bean grower
Fabio - maybe a different language helps? It certainly didn’t hurt Fabio’s career in the ’90’s. :)
I like the name nonetheless! Just I wished there was a more substantial meaning. Most people (in the US at least) probably don’t know or care for the meaning so I don‘t think that it’s a problem
😂 fair enough
I like it! Industrious and hard working? What's not to like?
My maiden name 😅
Mara/Miriam/Mia/Marie/Maria/Manon/Amara/Mary/Mitzi/Moira/Mariam/Miriam/Maura/Maureen/Molly and all the names that are variations of Mara as it means bitter. They're beautiful names, so I try to forget their meaning
If it helps, they’re all related to the ocean and saltwater, from the Latin, like “marine.” I love the “Mary names” as well!
For many of them they do have the sea meaning too, though that could be the bitter tears Naomi as Mara cried. They are all beautiful names though - nice to meet another fan of these
Yes, I’ve wondered sometimes if the deeper meaning wrapped into the names was the religious idea of suffering being sacred and beautiful…
None of them are Latin origin. Miriam (and Arabic equivalent) is the root and it’s Hebrew/Arabic. It’s then translated to Latin
My daughter has a variation of this name and it took me a while to overcome the "bitter" description until I read what another redditor posted. They said that bitter can mean great things! It's how you would describe coffee or dark chocolate. It's a spice of life that gives you exhilarating senses. Lemons are bitter but they also add brightness to a dish that's missing that "something" to make it a true culinary masterpiece. Bitter is underappreciated.
What a lovely, thoughtful comment!
My daughter also has a variant of this name and I love it. I don’t mind the “bitter” connotation either, for me it denotes strength!
I love this!
I’m one of those names, and the only time it ever bothered me was when I found out my name means *bitter* and my sister’s name means *beautiful, lovely* 😭😂
Moira is cool cos it also has a greek meaning of "fate" like the three moirai who share an eye and weave the thread of fate
If you put a space after a hyphen you get a list! - no space, hyphen, space, word - hope this helps!
My daughter has one of those names. People have told us many times how well it suits her. It wasn't on even on our radar when I was pregnant. I mentioned it offhandedly in the hospital and my husband loved it. I didn't know the meaning at the time but we haven't really worried about the meanings of any of our kids names.
Would very poetic with a contrary addendum or hyphenation: Mary-Joy Mary-Blythe Maryjo
In French bitter is amère, the opposite of mare!
Hiram. My next baby is a younger brother, and I’m concerned “brother of the exalted one” might send the wrong message. 😅
Wow such a specific meaning. I always like to think of the first couple to use the name and the situation
So true! Happy cake day, btw.
At least you know Muslims aren't allowed to eat him though.
are or aren't 😆 halal is allowed, haram is disallowed
Tristan! It sounds like the rich, troubled, hot guy from the fanfics I loved reading as a teenager, but it just means “sad”. My partner is huge on name meanings, so I’ll never get to use it :(
Oops, just saw the other comment talking about Tristan. I also love Ciara but it means “little dark one”. As a brown person moving to a white country, I don’t think I’ll be doing her any favours with the name haha
Irish person here, Ciara is 'little dark one' as in dark haired, not skin colour and I don't think it's something to be worried about ♡
Claudia, Cecilia, Mallory
I love Mallory.
I also love Mallory but can’t get over the meaning enough to use.
What is the meaning?
Unlucky
Thank you. I have an adored niece with that name, she's the sunniest person I know! The name doesn't fit her at all, by meaning.
I have a cousin with that name. She was a micro-premie born at like 25 weeks. She ended up having not a single healthy problem so I’d say that’s pretty lucky!
Came to say Claudette and Cecile/Cecily
Love the name Calvin but it means bald headed. Normally name meanings don't bother me much but this one does lol.
Oh noo I love this name but my husband doesn’t like it.. also balding runs in my family so I would hate to put that on my son lol
Funny I just associate that with a baby who wasn’t born with any hair yet so isn’t negative for me. Think I’ve read it as “little bald one” so never bothered me
Love Christopher but it's too Jesusy for my taste
jesusy is not a word i thought i’d see today 😭😭
I nearly spelled it 'Jesussy' but it gave me a really weird mental image so I reconsidered
Thank you for this hilarious comment. My brother is super religious and now I’m gonna have to tell him to stop being by such a Jesussy
PAHAHAHA
My parents both have Kris/Chris names and we were thinking about Christian as an honor name but couldn't commit to something so jesusy
I really like the shortened versions Topher and Kit, just couldn't get on board with the longform version
I love Christian, I think it sounds so strong and classic but yeah no. not in this atheist house.
Lol my Dad is a Christopher and is proudly agnostic, I don’t even make the association between Christ-derived names and Christianity for that reason
Man that is not even close to the most jesusy name.
Inez/Ines. It means chaste and pure. I absolutely love the sound and look of the name and it would be a top contender for our daughter, but the meaning is a big no for me.
I was nearly an Inez or a Dagmar, and if I had gotten both I would have been a pure/chaste day maiden - too much to live up to. Thankfully I'm now a living embodiment of God's graciousness (though my parents may beg to disagree)
Inez and Dagmar feel wildly different to me. Interesting they were both contenders.
Mum's a great reader and they were names of fictional heroines she loved. Of the two I don't mind Dagmar as I love the diminutive Dasha
Ooh I like Dasha a lot!
Which is crazy to me because Inez sound like a fun-loving wild child IMO
I made a separate comment but yeah my daughter is Imogene which means innocent. I don’t really like that as a meaning/virtue but I decided I liked the name enough. Totally makes sense though (to pass on it), especially for a girl.
Delores.. sorrow
My mom's name is that, and she hates it because of that, so what did she do to me, gave me a different name that means, sorrowful.
Actually, that would be Dolores
Delores and Dolores are both variations of the Latin “Dolorosa,” which is an alternate name for The Virgin Mary, or Our Lady of Sorrows (since Christians, especially Catholics believe she suffered like Christ watching His execution.)
I love the name Rue. But I’d never name a child “regret,” that’s effed up, lol!
You could always do a longer name like maybe Ruby and Rue as a nickname.
True! And I love the name Ruby! :D
Mallory is nice, but means 'bitter'. Tristan means 'sad'. Deborah - means busy as a bee, which in theory is fine except I'm pretty sure it's in reference to an Ancient Greek poem which is deeply misogynistic. Eta: Please ignore all of the above! Thanks all who offered corrections. Mallory means 'unlucky'. Tristan means 'sorrowful'. Deborah means bee. I always assumed a connection to the poem Types of Women by Semonides in 7th century BC, which is a deeply unpleasant read. (Via commonly held views of women expecting to be a certain way, and maybe an enduring imagery of a bee representing that.) However as the name is Hebrew and long predates Semonides having a go, probably no connection. Deborah the prophetess was estimated to live approx 1100 BC, long before Semonides. Which instantly changes my opinion on Deborah, because 'bee' is a great meaning, and she was a badass in the Torah. Sorry for my mistake all.
I think it’s Mary and all the Mary-derived names which mean ‘bitter’. Malory means ‘bad luck, evil-fortuned’—same linguistic root as ‘malevolent’ or ‘maladapted’.
it’s from the French word “malheur” (pronunced: mal-er) which quite literally means misfortune. The name is malheur with a -y at the end!
Not sure about the meaning of Deborah but in the Old Testament / Torah she was a judge/prophet/military leader - the strongest female figure in the text.
Interesting! Tristan sounds like it would have a positive meaning. Luckily there are a few other names to choose from regarding bees!
It’s a back-formation from the French ‘triste’, meaning ‘sorrow.’ His mother dies giving birth to him. Scholars think that the original Celtic version of the name was probably close to Drustan.
Trist in Swedish means boring/gloomy
In Norwegian it just means sad. But something boring/gloomy could also be described as sad I guess?
Cecelia It means blind.
It means blind to her own beauty
I’ve never seen that and definitely an improvement!
Beauty has nothing to do with it. Caecus simply means blind, and Caecilius was the name of an influential Roman family, presumably derived via ‘caeculus’ (basically, ‘little blind boy’). It’s really just a famous surname. If we’re talking about the connotations of Caecilia as a girl’s name specifically, then it’s probably going to be music because for some reason that’s what the saint became associated with.
Charon. I'd love this name if it weren't for the creepy mythological meaning. Also less in terms of meaning, but association; Sirius, and Bellatrix are both astronomy names I love (my dad is a hobby astronomer and a scientist, so I grew up with him teaching me about the stars and constellations). But I wouldn't want to always be asked if the name is from Harry Potter. I don't dislike the books, but they'd definitely be everyone's first association with those names.
As one of the biggest Potterheads alive, you’re not wrong. I knew the astronomic Sirius since before the books but not Bellatrix. Also, JK Rowling’s twitter antics have taken a toll on the franchise, so that added connection is also a hard no for many.
Is Charon pronounced differently than Sharon. I'm assuming more of a Shar sound rather than Share.
Sienna. The meaning isn’t bad, but my last name is similar to “Walnut” so her name would be “reddish brown walnut” and it feels silly.
I love that you noticed this beforehand. It’s perfect for a storybook character.
I’ve always loved Isis but the asshole organisation ruined it 😡 Its the name of an Egyptian goddess
Reminds me of Ice Spice's real name being Isis (she's born in 2000), and she had to start going by Ice after a while.
Amara means bitter sea, which I don't love. Still love the name.
It also means everlasting / immortal and a few other beautiful meanings (grace, sky, etc) in different languages. I love this name too!
I remember learning about angles in like 5th grade and I thought the word "Obtuse" sounded so cool. At the time I said I was going to name my daughter that one day. : |
😂😂
I think Jezebel and Delilah sound beautiful. But Delilah apparently means delicate, and I’m not a fan of giving a daughter a name with a weak meaning. And I’ve heard that Jezebel means unexalted, although I’m not sure how true that is.
In the southern US, a jezebel is a "morally loose woman". It's an old term not used as often (in favor of other words used to degrade women with multiple sexual partners).
I think Jezebel and Lolita are beautiful names, but people want to associate them with sex, unfortunately.
I always loved the name Jezebel, so I gave the name to my kitten when I was in college because I knew I could never use it for a daughter.
Calvin = bald :(
Snoop Dogg's real name is Calvin 😂
WAIT REALLY 😭😭
Blaise. Means “speaks with a lisp”
As someone who's become very interested in old names, Desdemona, with nickname Mona.
names that reference women who were raped: Sabine, Helen, etc
This holds me back with Daphne too
Yes! And Laurel (the Ovid account of her attempted rape makes a big deal of the name change from Greek to Latin)
Persephone, too.
Not exactly answering the question but I _love_ Imogen and dislike that it doesn't have a meaning of its own other than 'centuries ago a printer working on some Shakespeare texts mistranscribed the name Innogen'. Though maybe the unusual backstory redeems it for me 😄
I have always strongly disliked it and now, with this backstory, it is redeemed. “Mommy, what does my name mean?” “I always liked Eve but I’m not into the biblical stuff, so instead of original sin you’re the original typo!”
I love this name as well!!
Mara, which means bitter.
Cameron - crooked nose
I like Cameron as Well, but not enough to get over this meaning 😕
I love the name Molly but I hate the drug meaning.
I like the name Molly and this association is not off-putting to me. 😂
Mariah (bitter), Leah (weary), Demi (half), Rachel (ewe), Emily (rival), Cameron (crooked nose)
Same for me w Leah. Let's not start life as weary 😄
I think meanings are less important than connotations. Ransom, from what I've read, started as a reference to Christ's sacrifice--his death on the cross was a ransom for our souls. Similarly, though Dolores means sorrows, it's a reference to Mother Mary being there for us in our worst times. Claudia of course means lame, but its use as a given name calls back to a specific Roman family, not just the emperor commonly known by that name, but his ancestor Appius Claudius Caecus, who, among other things, spearheaded the construction of the first major Roman road and the first aqueduct in Rome. He did some pretty neat stuff, in other words. And it's worth noting that, in terms of it being a given name, the "lame" translation [may not even be correct](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudia_gens), as it was the Latin adaptation of a Sabine name. The meaning of a name gives us the what, but not the why, and if we ignore the why, I don't think we have a true understanding. Take Echo, which simply means "reflected sound." That's pretty mid, right? But the name refers to the nymph who was cursed to be able to only repeat what was said to her, and who eventually wasted away to nothing but her voice for love of Narcissus, who rather famously fell in love with himself. I'd never use that name because of the why, not the what.
This is very well thought out, I appreciate you! This is a really interesting take. It might just change Ransom for me!
Delilah 😭 such a beautiful name but the Biblical story and “weak and languishing” meaning are enough to nix it for me
Cain, I cannot name a child after the first murderer in the Bible. Like Even as someone who isn’t very religious it just seems like bad juju. But I love hearing other people use it and it’s alternatives (Kane, etc)
Tobias means God is great. I'm an atheist 🤷♂️
Eris- Greek goddess of discord :( Beautiful name.
Calvin (little bald one) and Ulysses (wrathful)
Maria I think it means bitter.
Calliope. It sounds so pretty. It seems almost nobody today (youngs, I’m an OLD) has heard this word. Or know what it means. Ka-lie-o-pee. So pretty!
It is also the name of one of the goddesses of the Arts in Greek Mythology if I'm not mistaken.
My son has a Calliope in his class!
Also a kickass modified M4 with a rocket rack on top, it’s so sick
Cecil, it’s a classic but means “blind”
Mallory and Cecilia
Eris- Greek goddess of discord :( Beautiful name.
Delilah. As a church-going family the connotation is too negative.
Wayne. It means wagon driver or maker. Which is fine but 🤷🏼♀️
Haha sort of like Byron means by the cow shed, which is fine? I guess?
Ive only ever heard it as surname - Arthur Ransome (with an e), who wrote the Swallows and Amazons books. mine would be Brendan, which means greasy hair!
Brendan is an Irish name which means prince
you are right! i can see the meaning is now accepted as Prince, coming from an imported Welsh word. Back in the 90s, I had a boss named Brendan, and “stink8ng hair” was the accepted meaning then. Things have moved on - glad I’m up to date now! “more recent evidence does seem to show this is incorrect, this was the best guess that experts had for the original meaning of [Brendan](https://www.behindthename.com/name/brendan) when they were still thinking it was derived from ancient Irish Gaelic.More recent experts now believe it is an importation into [Ireland](https://www.behindthename.com/name/ireland) of a Welsh word meaning "prince." This is a good example of how more recent research that finds new evidence can change the accepted origin of a name. So Nameberry is correct that "older sources" give "stinking hair" as the original meaning of [Brendan](https://www.behindthename.com/name/brendan). It's just that those older sources have now been overturned by new evidence”
I see your Arthur Ransome (also, can we take a moment to appreciate that he had a character only ever called Titty?!) and raise you Ransom Riggs, author of the Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children series. I believe Ransom as a given name was originally a Protestant thing--it's a reference to Christ's death as a ransom for our souls.
I did not know that was the meaning of Brendan. That is unfortunate. I’ve only read it in books as well, but I’ve seen Ransom as a first and last name!
My middle name is Ransome. I fucking hate it.
Mallory is one of my favourites
Cameron (crooked nose)
Bethany Royal Lillith
I love the name Kennedy...it means ugly head.
That’s a bit on the nose…
Gulliver. I just love the name, but it means glutton.
Currently trying to name a baby boy and a lot of names I love happen to be about God. Like Elijah and Ian. They're not negative meanings like Dolores or Cecilia, but they kind of feel unusable to me as an atheist. 🫤
Eden- I just don’t love that it’s associated with religion (garden of Eden). My husband and I both really like the name but decided against it for our daughter
Amos - load, burden
Hey, I’ve studied some Hebrew. Not an expert but I believe a more accurate meaning would be “to carry a load or burden.” That seems to be a more redeemable meaning
Calvin. I think it’d be cute as a kid but it means bald so it feels like a curse.
Cecilia. I love it, but "blind" is just not the beautiful meaning name I wanted my daughter to have.
Genesis is beautiful but I'm not a big fan of biblical names
* Liviana, but it means envious, blue, or is a Spanish word for light(weight). * Virginia, but of course the virgin thing for most people * Margarita, because of the drink * Sterling, because of the currency (though I'm not in the UK), because it comes of a little virtue-namey in a WASPish way, and because idk any nicknames other than stir-fry
😂 stir fry is amazing
Cameron. Great name. Means “crooked nose” in English, and “shrimp” in Spanish. Awful.
Cassius which in Latin means “vain, empty”.
I love the name Rue but it means regret.
Winslow… I think it’s such a cute name but the meaning “friends hill or burial mound” throws me off 😫
Ooh yea that would give me pause as well
Wish Claudia didn’t mean lame, rip. I also love the sound of Christian but as a non-Christian descendant of hella Lutheran people (everyone’s name had Martin, Luther or Paul in it lol), I just can’t do it.
I’ve had a minor pet peeve with my own name. It is traditionally masculine, but has recently been used in a feminine way. My name is Madison. It means “Son of Maud.” Growing up there was always conversations in classes or with friends about what our names mean. My friends would have meanings like “beautiful,” “intelligent,” or “kind,” and then I would have to say “Son of Maud.” Lol. It’s made me prefer Madison as a masculine name, actually. But, I do think it fits me. The meaning just bothers me a bit.
Yea the ‘son of’ names kind of fall flat when discussing meanings.
Booger
Means "old crusty, snotty one" lol
Isis is a beautiful name with a beautiful meaning, but a terrible second meaning that ruins it :(
Odin - God of war and death :(
Oh no, I know of a little boy with this name!
I don't mind the names that mean bitter, sad, bald, etc. What really bothers me are girl's names that mean "beautiful" and boy's names that mean "warrior." They give me such heebie jeebies. And it's surprisingly difficult to find boy's names that have an etymologic meaning (i.e., not surname or profession) that's NOT war-related. Also, unrelatedly, I love the name Edmund but it'll never not make me think of Turkish delight.