Valencia

[melissa_22]

Hello beautiful berries,

I am hoping to get your opinion on the name Valencia. I have no attachment to the city whatsoever, no desire to travel there, no family or cultural heritage, I really just like the sound of the name and the meaning, brave/strong.

What do you think about naming a child after a place name that has no relevance you?

Thanks for your advice, I am also open to suggestions,

Melissa

[emmabobemma]

I think it's a wonderful name. Makes me think of Valencia oranges, and Spain of course. There was someone here a while back who was considering it.. She was a former Los Angelean I believe, and had lived on Valencia St.
I might feel a little funny naming someone Valencia if I'd never been there, but I think it's completely doable. People name their kids Georgia without any connection to the place.

[taz]

My first thoughts are of oranges & California. I like the sound. Why not?

[jetta]

I think it is a lovely name! Different and unique, but not too weird or made up. Lots of parents call their daughters Siena, Verona, Geneva etc. without having a link to these beautiful cities.
The only question I would have is what you would use as a nickname? Val? Cia? Lena?

[palejewel]

For what it's worth, someone I went to high school with just named her daughter Valencia Charlotte. The name was never even on my radar before - I wonder if people are starting to take note of it?

[juliet.a]

I just adore Valencia! I wonder about a nickname, though...

Lencie?

Cia?

[lucialucentum]

I actually lived in Valencia (in the autonomous community, not the province or city)... I don't like Valencia as a name, even though it's place near and dear to me. I have a hard time seeing it on a person, I guess because it is not used as a name in Spain, so that puts me off it.
Valencia (anywhere in the Community) has the best sky in the world, so even though I don't like it as a name, it makes me kind of sad you don't want to travel there, haha.
I'm not much of a fan of place names, so I can't speak to whether or not I'd use one I don't have a connection to... likely not. I definitely wouldn't use the name of a place I had no interest in ever seeing, that's for sure. In terms of place names, I tend to go for a name that is significant to a place, though not the name of the place itself. I've had Amparo high on my list since I moved to Valencia, since that is the name of the patroness of the autonomous community; a culturally relevant name means more to me, I think.

Obviously there are thousands of parents naming their kids London and India when they themselves have never been to any of those places (and maybe don't want to go), so it's not like it's a huge naming no-no, but just personally, I wouldn't name my kid the same name as a place. I really think the assumption that the places *does* mean something to me would just grate on me because I know I'd get tired of the "Oh, is that where you went on your honeymoon? Is that where you met? Do you want to go there? Do you, uhhhh, like the oranges?" questions, and then the looks of *Wow, that's an anticlimactic story* when I say, "No, none of that. The place doesn't mean anything to me." The exception for this would be a name with a different origin than the name of the city, like Milan.

[jyoti]

I think its pretty. I can't imagine that people would ask lots of questions about why you chose the name, personally.

You asked about naming a child after a place that has no relevance to *you* - and my answer is that I would not do it. For me, the meaning of a name is crucial. Valencia, the Spanish city, does have a long and storied history - so I were to use it as a name - I would study that history - and then I'd personally would use it as a middle. But I don't see anything wrong someone else using it.

By the way - there's a street in San Francisco called Valencia (it runs through a very hipster neighborhood that has attracted artists and creative types and immigrants for a few generations) and a city in Southern California with the same name - the city is known for its orange groves.

[c@29]

It's on my list too, so yes I love it. It's very beautiful, elegant, sweet, and makes a nice alternative if you tired with Valentina.
I know one Valencia, her nickname is Valent..

[melissa_22]

Thank you all for your thoughtful advice,

I truly adore the name and your opinions have made me confident to include it on my short list. I agree that the meaning of a name is important, we named our first daughter Felicity for our belief that happiness is pivotal in a successful life, so I will brush up on the history of the city but brave and strong are qualities I my husband and I hold high.

As for nicknames, I foresee Val, or Valen but we tend to use full names or nicknames that are personality driven.

Again, thank you all for your help

Melissa

Btw, I do happen to love oranges