What do you think of my favourite girl name combinations? (child, travel)

[isabella20]

Originally Posted by sheena12

OK speaking of names. Does anyone have any feelings about the changing of a child's name who was adopted as an "older"adoptee? ( older in adoption speak - over five)

We have been offered the referal of a child who's given name is very very ugly and in her own country is old fashioned. My children have "Golden Mean names" not trendy but not "mothbal"l.

They begin with letters that are similar. They blend but nothing crazy like the Duggers.

This girls name sounds like a gazillion unsavory words in English - one, a woman of ill repute, and it also sounds like crush or smash or mash, another for a person who is a con artist.

I believe that family names should be harmonious - not random.

If you have a girl with an ultra feminine name such as "Larissa" or "Melissa'' - then "Jody" or "Casey" do not go. Joanna or Cassandra may be better fits.

There is a great deal of disagreement among the adoption community among changing the names of adopted children.Essentially one school says that to change is a rejection of the child. Another says that a new name signifies a new start.

Also in the bible, many people took or were given new names when a significant change occurred in their lives. I agree with the second. Also naming is what parents do. If a child was taken away from a parent, because of abuse or neglect, how is keeping that name given by the former parent good?

The girl is from an Eastern European country where I actually love many of the names - Katya, Tatiana, Ksenia, Kristina, and others.

But there are a few Nadshezda, Nastia, Yanna, and Vinola that are very bad,
This one is up there.

Advice welcome.

I searched for some Russian girl names that begin with "m" and came up with Maritsa, Marisha, Miesha, and Maiya. To me, Marisha was kind of close to Masha, but has a much prettier sound.

I think it would be nice to give her a name from her culture and not too different from her original name, but that is a pretty name she will hopefully like.

[Bluesmama]

Originally Posted by haiher

You can put them into categories, just copy and paste the list and give your opinion on each, make suggestions or anything you want - I just want to know what you think. Thanks guys! (:

Zoe Kathryn ~ don't like it
Charlotte Harper – Charlie ~ cute, I like it
Aria Genevieve ~ no, doesn't flow together
Hannah Juliet ~ I don't like Hannah
Mclaine Allison - Lanie ~ cute, I like it (but prefer Allison Mclaine)
Madeline Sophia/Ariel - Maddie ~ like Madeline, don't like Maddie
Gabriella Violet - Ella ~ like Gabriella, don't like Ella (or Violet)
Jaelyn Amelia ~ the two don't flow together
Emma Scarlett ~ Nah
Liliana Taylor - Lily ~ Yes
Chloe Noël ~ Nope
Alexis Raine ~ Yes, classy!
Rebecca Hope - Becca ~ Yes
Alana Mae ~ It's okay
Lila Rosalie ~ No

I tend to not go for short versions of names, like Ella or Maddie, but there's always the risk of that happening, anyway.

At least these are names that, for the most, are feminine. I am SO tired of masculine names.

[sheena12]

Originally Posted by Wmsn4Life

When I hear Masha I think of that Chekhov play The Three Sisters.

As for alternatives, what about Misha? Or Sasha?

Or Mariya?

I do too, but it was not my favorite name then either. I am not sure how many friends,or teachers will even make that connection.

Sasha is the diminutive of Alexander and Alexadra. Either gender.It would be no more similar than any other Russian name that was not hers. It is more masculine to Russians, as a matter of fact, Russians and Ukrainians tend to be far more Gendered when it comes to naming than are North Americans and other Anglo countries.

I know a Ukrainian girl who simply HATED "Sasha" because she thought it was "too masculine" - and to me it sounds as feminine as could be.

You are correct, Masha is diminutive for "Mariya" (Maria) and "Maria" and all of it's variants are "older peoples names" over there. As are Boris, Nikkita, and Leosha for boys, and Mariya (Masha) Nadshzda, and Yevzheniia.

They also have trendy names - "Alina" is their "Emily" for example.

[sheena12]

Hmm so much to think about when naming a child, weather adopted or by birth.

I could just let her chose a name she likes - but then I could wind up with a "Khloe" (they get that awful Kardahian show there too.) after all!

[sheena12]

Oh the word that I was referring to, with unsavory associations was "Masher" - a man who makes unwanted amorous and unsavory advances towards woman, using pressure and force.
Not quite a rapist, but not a "nice guy either"

It might be obscure or archaic, but i remember my mother using it with reference to a family acquaintance, and when I inquired as to it's meaning she snapped " a not man who is not very nice"
Stuck in my head.

[JustJulia]

Originally Posted by sheena12

Oh the word that I was referring to, with unsavory associations was "Masher" - a man who makes unwanted amorous and unsavory advances towards woman, using pressure and force.
Not quite a rapist, but not a "nice guy either"

It might be obscure or archaic, but i remember my mother using it with reference to a family acquaintance, and when I inquired as to it's meaning she snapped " a not man who is not very nice"
Stuck in my head.

"Masher" reminds me of the Coneheads movie.

Prymatt: You mean Ronnie was behaving like a flarndip?
Connie: Flarndip?
Prymatt: Flarndip ... an uninvited grasper of cone. A masher, a hustler.
Beldar: Flarndip??! [Leaves to find Ronnie]

[JustJulia]

Is Misha exclusively a boy's name in Russia? It's very close to Masha, but it's also the diminutive for Mikhail if I remember correctly. Is it also a female name? There's Mischa Barton. I think it sounds pretty and feminine for a girl. (But, as with Sasha, native speakers might disagree.)

[sheena12]

"Misha" is diminutive for Mikhail (Michael) ans yes, it is EXCLUSIVELY a boy's name. I know a lot of Ukrainians and Russians, both from being the director of a summer hosting programj that brings children here for the summer, and because I live right in the middle of a Russian, Polish, Ukrainian, Slovak community.

I'm also sort of an "armature nameologist" - i.e. the subject of names, who uses them and why have always been an interest to me and I read and ask about the subject quite a bit.

Yes, "Sasha" is about as flowing and delicately feminine sounding as you cam get to me, but it is wildly macho in Russia, Ukraine and other Russian or Slaviic countries. It can go both ways but it is a bit "sporty' and "boyish" for many Russophones.

Gender nutral names are rare and not particularly desired and even many names ending in an "A" which in most countries are unequivocally feminine. Examples -" Leoahsa" - for Leonid, "Adrusha" for Andrey. And a name ending in an "i" is always a dig deal.

I would also agree that Misha would be pretty and light and airy for a little American girl, but the'd be quite horrified about the thought!

British actor Sacha Baron Cohen, has Eastern European roots (think of his character "Borat")

I was trying to get opinions from the non-adoption community, about the name which to my ears straddles "ugly' and "frumpy" in equal measure.

The naming thing is a "hot button issue" among the international adoption community. There are extremist on both sides, and not too many in the middle. One group says" keep the name or you will traumatize her forever!" - no matter how young or how inappropriate, and the other saying "Name it and claim it! Is he or she any less than your own child? Then she deserves a name given by you.

I have come the point of "phooey" when it comes to either extreme. But unlike 151/2 years ago when we adopted my daughter, I might have used Tae Hee and if you read earlier, I would have one unhappy teen in my home.

If other children in our house are all bear exotic names (indeed I know of a family with a child from seven nations, who took great pains to retain each name no matter how unwieldy, or odd. Now as teens all of the kids have adopted American names, and they have raging attitudes.

It was the progressive and PC thought then, but I've changed quite a bit since then. Sometimes I think some of those parents do it with not the most pure motives.

I have to admit coming from a back ground that is not overly traditional with names, - we are liberal Protestants and as such, I am more likely to look to a current and well written name book for an interesting name, then to my family tree. My son does have "David" as his middle name, which is a mane that appears on both sides of the family tree and I've always liked for it's meaning (beloved) and it's timeless attractiveness, I have to say that had DH and Gramps and Uncles name been "Cloyd" no matter HOW much I loved "Uncle Cloyd" - that would have SO not been used!

[Mightyqueen801]

My grandfather and uncle were both Jacob (Jake). It was SUCH an old-man name when we were kids, especially because it was biblical so it was ANCIENT.

Around the time my daughter was born, it apparently was resurrected, and she had several Jacobs in her class. I was shocked at first to learn this had become a popular name again!

[sheena12]

Very true! I LOVED Jake when it retrned, But now evey pre=school seens to have 4 or 5 little Jakes.
Still, to me a cool but classic name.