Somewhat unusal names

isaaqsmom · April 2009

Just wanted to run a couple names past the wise women of the name board and see what the opinions are.

For a boy we like: Elias

and for a girl: Nazaneen

Any opinions?

AllThatGlitters101 · April 2009

Elias Yes

Nazaneen

kristen230 · April 2009

Love the name Elias. Not a fan of the girl name.

naflmj · April 2009

Elias is OK but for some reason reminds me of Elios Pizza...Nazaneen is nms...is there some significance to the name?

dpdw · April 2009

Sorry, I'm not a fan of either, especially Nazaneen. Are they Bible names? I keep thinking of Nazareth.

soontobecapek · April 2009

I agree with everyone before me

isaaqsmom · April 2009

My husband is afghan and I'm american. The names are both Afghan, which it's very hard to find names that are Afghan that can be prounced in English as well.

LMS05 · April 2009

I don't like either names- sorry

Bluesmoothee · April 2009

Nazaneen is too horrible for words. Seriously, that one is a doozy. Did you make that up. It's so bad that I'm going to repost on other boards for a laugh.

naflmj · April 2009

isaaqsmom:

My husband is afghan and I'm american. The names are both Afghan, which it's very hard to find names that are Afghan that can be prounced in English as well.

Have you agreed to use solely Afghan names? I would just worry that Nazaneen would be difficult to pronounce/spell for people but then again I am going to use an ethnic spelling for a common name that I have been advised against.

Temp950106187509203 · April 2009

AllThatGlitters101:
Elias
Nazaneen

This.

I adore Elias (it's a family name for me, but I also just love the way it sounds). Nazaneen is very difficult to say, I think. I totally get wanting to honor your H's heritage, but you might consider something a little more anglicized.

isaaqsmom · April 2009

We are both very flexible but like names that can be pronounced in both English and Farsi.

Our 3 years olds name is Isaaq, usually spelled Isaac but can be prounced in both languages.

AllThatGlitters101 · April 2009

I like Isaaq a lot, and Elias, too. But the girl name is just really, really intimidating in the English world. How about Aviva? I met an Afghan girl named Aviva and I love her name!

soccerwife · April 2009

Elias - not bad

Nazaneen - NMS. ?I went to school with a girl named Nazaneen and everyone called her Naz - she was weird.

Ranita · April 2009

AllThatGlitters101:
Elias
Nazaneen

sugarmama13 · April 2009

AllThatGlitters101:
Elias
Nazaneen

I totally agree.

mrsekins · April 2009

I love wacky names, but they do have to have some asthetics. Nazaneen is just not pretty. I've heard some (afghan?) middle east names that I do like, but are probably a bit weird for main stream. Ragamaya, Nowfaleena...

newportbride715 · April 2009

I like Elias a lot.

Not familiar w/ Nazaneen. I don't like it, sorry!

maltwin1 · April 2009

I'm with everybody else. Love Elias, but the girls name is a little bit much for me. It makes me think of mezanine, like in a theater.

You might try babynamesworld.com. You can search for Afghan names that might work a little bit better in English.

Soon2BMrsN · April 2009

Elias: okay

Nazaneen: god no

maltwin1 · April 2009

Didn't want to diss your name without giving some suggestions, so these are some I found on Baby Names World that I thought were pretty/easy to pronounce:

Ara, Ava, Freba, Lala, Mina, Niki, Rasa, Samira

Erin Mary Ackerman · April 2009

Mariam and Jamilah are my favs...

cjilla · April 2009

Isn't there a puke med similar to the girl name? Nauzeen? Nazeen?Nauzene?

naflmj · April 2009

maltwin1:

Didn't want to diss your name without giving some suggestions, so these are some I found on Baby Names World that I thought were pretty/easy to pronounce:

Ara, Ava, Freba, Lala, Mina, Niki, Rasa, Samira

I think Ava, Ara, and Mina are really cute

jebuell · April 2009

Are you going to be raising your kids as Americans or Afghanis? Even with a cultural background if they are being raised in America it's best to at least somewhat American-ize their names. But if you think you will be raising them where your husband grew up someday I can understand your consideration for wanting a more traditional Afghani name.

I really like Sholah. One of the little girls in my neighborhood is named that and I hear her Mom calling to her all the time and it sounds really pretty the way she says it. Then her sister is something like Hastie and not nearly as pretty sounding!

mrsseguin · April 2009

Nazaneen is AWEFUL!!! Please don't name your child this...PLEASE!

Elias isn't much better, but isn't AS bad.

Toosdai · April 2009

How about Nazreen, instead?

amyfelice · April 2009

I know an Afghani woman named Zarin (pronounced Za-REEN). I think that is very beautiful. Of course a lot of people say ZA-rin, but she doesn't seem to mind.

LoriFalce · April 2009

Love love love Elias.

Nazaneen is nms. At all.

dpdw · April 2009

jebuell:

Are you going to be raising your kids as Americans or Afghanis? Even with a cultural background if they are being raised in America it's best to at least somewhat American-ize their names. But if you think you will be raising them where your husband grew up someday I can understand your consideration for wanting a more traditional Afghani name.

I completely disagree with this. It's insulting to someone's heritage to "American-ize" or in any way temper a name to suit your version of an acceptable name. Makes me think of Ellis Island when the immigration officers made people change their last name because THEY (the immigration officers) couldn't pronouce it. Or the popularity of Connor (2 n's) vs the Irish spelling of Conor. If nothing else it dilutes the value of having an "ethnic" name.

I'm slightly changing my original position on the names. Now that I know they are ethnic names & your DH is of that ethnicty, I think they are fine names, but maybe there are some nicer traditional Afghani names out there.

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