View Message

[Opinions] Berit
I'm wondering what folks here think about the name Berit. We are considering it for our second child if it's a girl. We have one daughter, Ingrid, and our last name is simple (two syllables) but unfamiliar to most Americans, i.e. people usually need help spelling it and/or pronouncing it. We love the meaning of Berit (bright, glorious. goddess of fire and poetry!), and to our ears it sounds strong and spunky and pretty, and it reflects our heritage. But we are concerned that it is too unfamiliar, i.e. that people will hear "Berit" and say, "What's that? Boy? Girl? Is that the last name or the first name?" You get the idea. So we are trying to gather some more opinions on the name, though we don't want our family and friends involved in the decision! You all think about names a lot...Do you think Berit is "weirder" than a lot of the other names being used today? Do you think a girl born this year named Berit would feel burdened by the name, or with the huge variety of names being given now, would she fit right in? Other thoughts about the sound/connotations of Berit? Thanks!
Archived Thread - replies disabled
vote up1

Replies

Do you think Berit is "weirder" than a lot of the other names being used today?
Not "weirder," but definitely different. It's not the worst I've heard, but when I first read it, I struggled on the pronounciation and immediately thought of it as a male name. But hey, that may just be because of where I'm from :-P.Do you think a girl born this year named Berit would feel burdened by the name, or with the huge variety of names being given now, would she fit right in?
I highly doubt she would feel burdened by it...unless she really didnt like it. Other thoughts about the sound/connotations of Berit?
I'm still struggling on the pronounciation.
vote up1
FYI, It's pronounced like "bear it" (or "bare it" ... hmm...) One reason I'm thinking it might fit in well these days is that "last name" names are so popular, and it's pronounced the same as "Barrett" (though I don't know if that's an actual name that people use!
vote up1
I was wondering if it sounded like Barrett, rhymed with merit. The "bare it" thing might be a problem. :-/
vote up1
I immediately thought 'boy' as the gender. Looking it up, I saw that it was a Bridget variant, but that was not obvious at all. I'd go with a different variant if you want the meaning. Birgit, Britt, Birgitta, Britta are also Scandinavian. If your ln is 2 syllables, Birgitta would probably flow best, unless the emphasis is on the last syllable, then Britt would likely work very well too. I don't think Berit is weirder than a lot of names given now, though that doesn't mean that it's a great name either because there are a lot of really awful names being given these days. I know a Britt and a Britta, so I don't think those would be out of place at all.
vote up1
I like the idea of it, but I'm not sure how to prn. it. :-/ I'm assuming either BAYR-it or ber-EET. Maybe? :b I adore the name Ingrid, and Berit is also a Scandinavian name so they would work as sisters, imo. No matter how it's pronounced, even if I don't care for the sound of it or it's very different, etc., I'd still rather see a legit name like Berit than an overused or trendy or kre8tyv one any day.
vote up1
I love Berit and I can see it working, but bear in mind that I live in a place where a lot of people have Norwegian heritage--I know Ingrids, Sigrids, Larses, Jenses, Signys, Solveigs, and so on. I think it's gorgeous and workable here. And I expect in most other places it would be, too.Ingrid is a lovely name, too, btw. :DArray
vote up1
Array, maybe we are neighbors ... we've got Sigrids, Ingrids, Freyas, Anderses, etc. up the wazoo. Hope to hear some responses from others in other not-so-Scandinavian areas, since what's really giving me pause is how my west coast relatives will react. They are the ones I can picture saying, "What?"
vote up1
I live in Seattle, where there is an old Scandinavian population, but I've never heard it before, and I can't see it on a girl. I know Britt's and Britta's though.
vote up1