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Help[Opinions] Regrets
A friend of mine named her now five year old girl Anna Norah Molly Hala and is rather regreting it. I agree it is a rather long name but it was to honour family members. Anna has a sister Elin Marianna Jane and a brother Charles Hollis John. My friend feels that Anna's name isn't as nice as her other childrens and doesn't think Anna will like it when she becomes older.
When Anna was born the name was narrowed down to
Anna Holly Noreen
Anna Rose Marie
and her current name
What do you think of the name? Please be honest. My friend is very happy with Anna which she loves. It is the last 2 names she is worried about. Which possible name do you like best?
The names are for
Norah - her grandmother Norah Rose Janice
Holly - her great-grandmother Molly Marianne(didn't like Molly)
Hala - her grandad Hall
When Anna was born the name was narrowed down to
Anna Holly Noreen
Anna Rose Marie
and her current name
What do you think of the name? Please be honest. My friend is very happy with Anna which she loves. It is the last 2 names she is worried about. Which possible name do you like best?
The names are for
Norah - her grandmother Norah Rose Janice
Holly - her great-grandmother Molly Marianne(didn't like Molly)
Hala - her grandad Hall
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The name is long but what I'm not wild about is that all four names have two syllables with the stress on the first syllable -- very singsong, imo. Also, the n of Anna and Norah run together. I just think the sibs (especially Elin Marianna Jane) have combos with much nicer flows to them. The good news is that she has two other names to fall back on if she ever dislikes Anna. (I don't count Hala and can't imagine that she'd want to be called that.)
Of all the possibilities she could have been named, the one that has the nicest flow is Anna Rose Marie.
Of all the possibilities she could have been named, the one that has the nicest flow is Anna Rose Marie.
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My opinion is that Anna Norah Molly Hala doesn't flow well, is a mouthful, and it isn't a name I'd ever choose myself, BUT I wouldn't change a five-year-old's name for these reasons or because it doesn't match her siblings or may not be as attractive as theirs. The time for those considerations passed before the ink dried on the birth certificate, imo.
The name belongs to Anna now. She should be the one to decide how she feels about it and if she wants to change it. I know that I would feel much worse knowing that my parents decided my name wasn't good enough and had to be changed to match my sibs than I would about being given an awkward name with family connections. Your friend should stand by the name she chose. Even if Anna doesn't like it, she doesn't have to change it; Anna can just present herself to the world as Anna N Lastname. The third and fourth mns don't have to play a part in her daily life.
/rant.
If I had to change it, I'd combine Molly and Hala and go with Anna Norah Mahala.
The name belongs to Anna now. She should be the one to decide how she feels about it and if she wants to change it. I know that I would feel much worse knowing that my parents decided my name wasn't good enough and had to be changed to match my sibs than I would about being given an awkward name with family connections. Your friend should stand by the name she chose. Even if Anna doesn't like it, she doesn't have to change it; Anna can just present herself to the world as Anna N Lastname. The third and fourth mns don't have to play a part in her daily life.
/rant.
If I had to change it, I'd combine Molly and Hala and go with Anna Norah Mahala.
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Anna Norah Rose
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Anna Norah Molly Hala doesn't really flow, I have to say. And changing middle names would be much easier on the kid than changing the first name. I really think Anna Molly Noreen would be nice. Anna Holly Noreen is okay, but the transition is more difficult for me to say. Holly does sort of combine Molly and Hall though. In Anna Rose Marie, it just seems like Rose and Marie are both fillers despite their honoring intentions so I don't know that I would pick that one.
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I have two reactions to this question.
The first is a professional one. I'm a lawyer and the thought of all of her dd's records (SSA, Homeland Security / passport) having two different names gives me a headache just thinking about it. Legally going into court and changing the name is not that difficult. It's the aftermath that I'd shy away from.
The second reaction is to wonder what kind of a psychological wimp your friend thinks she's raising. Kids take their attitudes from their parents. If I had ever gone to my mother and complained about my name not matching my siblings she'd have told me to eat my vegetables and do my homework. She's supposed to be strengthening her dd, not letting her fall apart at every imagined non-issue. What's going to happen when this child runs into a real problem in her life?
Sorry to rant, but this just doesn't seem like a problem worth worrying about to me.
The first is a professional one. I'm a lawyer and the thought of all of her dd's records (SSA, Homeland Security / passport) having two different names gives me a headache just thinking about it. Legally going into court and changing the name is not that difficult. It's the aftermath that I'd shy away from.
The second reaction is to wonder what kind of a psychological wimp your friend thinks she's raising. Kids take their attitudes from their parents. If I had ever gone to my mother and complained about my name not matching my siblings she'd have told me to eat my vegetables and do my homework. She's supposed to be strengthening her dd, not letting her fall apart at every imagined non-issue. What's going to happen when this child runs into a real problem in her life?
Sorry to rant, but this just doesn't seem like a problem worth worrying about to me.
This message was edited 5/19/2009, 2:42 PM
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I like the Anna Norah Molly part. (Though I'm thinking you meant to put Holly?) Anyway, Anna Norah Holly is fine too. But I don't like Hala. She should have just used Hall. Anna Norah Holly Hall is really long, but not too bad. I would have only used two middle names though.
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The main thing is that she still loves Anna. No one even knows my middle name - I really don't think it's that important.
FWIW I like her current MNs best; Norah and Molly are excellent names.
FWIW I like her current MNs best; Norah and Molly are excellent names.
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I would drop Molly since that relative has already been honored with Marianna.
Could Holly honor her grandad Hall? If so, I'd go with Anna Norah Holly.
If not, then Anna Norah Hall. I don't mind surnames on girls when they are established family names and in the middle spot.
Of the two, I prefer Anna Norah Hall. The rhythm is better, and it's just a sweet, classic, understated name (in a good way.) I vastly prefer it to Anna Norah Molly Hala which feels a little jumbled and random.
Hope your friend gets some peace with the name!
Could Holly honor her grandad Hall? If so, I'd go with Anna Norah Holly.
If not, then Anna Norah Hall. I don't mind surnames on girls when they are established family names and in the middle spot.
Of the two, I prefer Anna Norah Hall. The rhythm is better, and it's just a sweet, classic, understated name (in a good way.) I vastly prefer it to Anna Norah Molly Hala which feels a little jumbled and random.
Hope your friend gets some peace with the name!
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Anna Norah Molly Hala is a bit of a mouthful. There's nothing wrong with the individual names, but I don't think they flow well together. They are all two-syllable names with the accent on the first.
If it were up to me, I'd have chosen something like Anna Norah Marianne Hall or Anna Norah Molly Hall.
If it were up to me, I'd have chosen something like Anna Norah Marianne Hall or Anna Norah Molly Hall.
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I like the name. She has many possibilities to choose from which is great. I think she'll love her name! If I could change something I would change Norah to Nora and Hala to Hallie and I'd make it Anna Holly Nora Hallie, or just Anna Holly Nora or Anna Hallie Nora, because Hallie and Holly are so close that they could just honor both people.
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