Favorite Names That I Wouldn't Use

These are my favorite names that I wouldn't use, because quite simply, I would never be brave enough to do so!
  1. AramintaHeart
    • Origin:

      Invented hybrid name from Arabella and Aminta
    • Description:

      Araminta is an enchanting eighteenth-century invention familiar in Britain and just beginning to be discovered here. It was used in 1693 by William Congreve in his comedy The Old Bachelor, and in 1705 by the versatile Sir John Vanbrugh, architect of Blenheim Palace as well as a playwright, for his comedy The Confederacy.
  2. AugustineHeart
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "great, magnificent"
    • Description:

      Augustine is more substantial (and saintly) than August, less pretentious than Augustus, and, along with its nickname Gus, is definitely a viable choice.
  3. CastielHeart
    • FlorianHeart
      • Origin:

        Latin
      • Meaning:

        "flowering"
      • Description:

        If Flora and Florence have returned full force, Florian, with its trendy Latinate ending, could also have a chance. Popular in Germany, Austria and Switzerland -- he was the venerated patron saint of those in danger from water and of firefighters -- might sound a tad feminine and floral to English speakers. But as a middle name, Florian could be a great way to honor grandma Florence (or any other flower name).
    • IolantheHeart
      • Origin:

        Greek
      • Meaning:

        "violet flower"
      • Description:

        Iolanthe is known primarily through the 1882 Gilbert & Sullivan operetta of that name, in which the title character is a fairy. Iolanthe is a softer version of Yolanda, and is the kind of multi-syllabic classical name once considered too weighty for a modern baby girl, but now within the realm of possibility--this one as a dramatic twist on Violet. The biggest drawback is its variety of legitimate pronunciations in English.
    • IsoldeHeart
      • Origin:

        Welsh, German
      • Meaning:

        "ice ruler"
      • Description:

        Now that Tristan has been rediscovered, maybe it's time for his fabled lover in the Arthurian romances and Wagnerian opera, a beautiful Irish princess, to be brought back into the light as well.
    • JuniperHeart
      • Origin:

        Latin tree name
      • Meaning:

        "young"
      • Description:

        Juniper is a fresh-feeling nature name -- it's a small evergreen shrub -- with lots of energy. A new favorite of fashionable parents, Juniper joins such other tree and shrub names as Hazel, Acacia, and Willow.
    • ValentinaHeart
      • Origin:

        Latin
      • Meaning:

        "strength, health"
      • Description:

        Valentina is a more romantic and artistic ballerina-type successor to Valerie; a pretty, recommended choice. Mexican-born actress Salma Hayek and husband Francois-Henri Pinault named their daughter Valentina Paloma.
    • ValentineHeart
      • Origin:

        Latin
      • Meaning:

        "strength, health"
      • Description:

        Valentine is an attractive Shakespearean name with romantic associations, but those very ties to the saint and the sentimental holiday have sent it into a decline, one which we think may be about to turn around.
    • WilhelminaHeart
      • Origin:

        German, feminine variation of Wilhelm
      • Meaning:

        "resolute protection"
      • Description:

        Wilhelmina was long burdened with the Old Dutch cleanser image of thick blond braids and clunky wooden clogs, but that started to be changed somewhat by the dynamic Vanessa Williams character on Ugly Betty, and even further by the choice of Wilhelmina by ace baby namers Natalie and Taylor Hanson. For the less adventurous, Willa is, for now, still a more user-friendly female equivalent of William.