My friend SaLy reminded me we haven’t yet discussed the name of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner’s second daughter.
I’ve been thinking about it since I heard it, and…I can’t decide! Can you? On the pro side, it’s like the name Sara/Sarah, but with something different on the end. This is an excellent formula for making an unusual name that still feels familiar—and it leaves a good plain nickname for a baby who grows up more left-brained than right-brained. On the con side, SPELLING OMG. I had to keep looking it up again and Again and AGAIN. I kept wanting to spell it Serephina or Saraphina or Sarephina or Sarefina or Serafina or Sarafina or Serefina. Even after I thought I’d gotten the hang of it, I wrote it Sarephina, then corrected it to Serephina. DANG IT! I’m still not positive I’ve got it right.
So what do you think of the name? Let’s put a poll over to the right. [Poll closed; see below.]
Poll results (306 votes total):
I like it! I’d use it!: 40 votes, roughly 13%
I like it for someone else’s baby: 164 votes, roughly 53%
Neutral / no opinion: 20 votes, roughly 6%
Mild dislike: 62 votes, roughly 20%
Strong dislike: 20 votes, roughly 6%
I’ve actually loved this name since reading His Dark Materials series. That one and Lyra. Totally love Lyra. Pre finding out we were having a boy I considered Seraphina for a minute until I decided it was a little too out there for me (in the Midwest).
But overall, I think a really good choice for celebs that can “afford” to be out there. And I think they might be on the leading edge of something, much like with Violet. Plus I think the middle name Rose is cute to match Violet. But why two? Maybe there is some family history behind Elizabeth?
My niece is actually named Sera – a play on seraphim – because my brother-in-law’s name is Gabriel. I really really like the name for the same reasons you state, but have similar reservations about the spelling disaster that is destined to follow her around.
I wonder if they will use Sera as a nickname. I would find Seraphina a bit of a mouthful myself, but I like short names.
Normally, my taste in names is pretty conservative but I think Seraphina’s beautiful and I don’t mind the spelling “problem” too much. I’m not liking the two middle names. too wordy, especially with Seraphina and Elizabeth both having 4 syllables.
I, like Jen above, love the name Seraphina from the His Dark Materials series, though Pullman spelled it with an “f”. And Lyra, what a good name!(Though if I named a daughter Lyra, I’d be concerned people would say it wrong. I say it “Lie-ra” not “Leer-a”).
I like the name and I agree it’s interesting while managing to still be familiar. My only thing is that I don’t think it goes overly well with Violet. Violet sounds pretty plain in comparison instead of sweet and simple like it would have with a different sibling name choice.
My main thought is that I wish it was Seraphina *Elizabeth Rose* so that her initials were SERA instead of SREA. But maybe that’s too gimmicky for some.
Other than that, I’m rather “meh” about the name.
Serafina has been on my short list since I found it on the Ellis Island records and suggested it here for a mom looking for an Italian name a few months ago. I think it’s beautiful, has an easy nickname, and fits in with the ultra girly names like Isabella.
I like it too! But I don’t think it goes very well with Violet.
It reminds me of Sophia… And I like Sera/Sara/Sarah. It does seem familiar but different. Overall, not a bad choice… but for someone else’s baby!
I actually don’t think the spelling is a problem at all, and its quite a beautiful name – much like Sofia with a little extra jazz. SOunds like a goddess. Seraphina with two (one long) middle names is a bit much though; Seraphina Rose would have been just fine.
Oh to love long names but have a long last name. Alas. This is on my list of “dream names” that I like but wouldn’t actually use on a baby of mind for practical reasons. I prefer the Serafina spelling with the nickname Fina. Besides having a long last name, my daughter’s name is Fiona and Fiona and Fina are just way to similar. Two strikes against it for me.
I agree with the others who say Serafina doesn’t go with Violet though. I would have used Sylvia instead. Violet and Sylvia – perfect.
BTW, I have Serafina on a poll I created at Behind the Name about unusual long names with nicknames. Ironically, Serafina is winning so far. For those who are interested in voting, here’s the poll: http://www.behindthename.com/polls/view.php?id=135862
I love it. And I especially love it considering the fact that they could have gone for something along the lines of Moxie or Apple.
I had the same thought as a PP – I got the middle names transversed because I assumed they were going for an acronym of SERA.
I don’t personally like it for myself, but I am glad that it seems ilke a regular name and not a full-out made-up celebrity baby name.
I feel like it’s a regular name in the Italian tradition. I can’t help but wonder if it might be a family name? I think Violet was named after a family member. I bet they’ll call her Sera.
I agree that it just doesn’t “go” with Violet. But I like it. I don’t think the spelling is off either, because I instantly thought of seraph or seraphim when I heard it. That’s what years and years of Sunday school will do to ya!
I think it’s a nice name, I love Rose because it’s my middle and my mom’s and grandmother’s name. I have to say, I have never thought about how sibling’s names go together until I started reading this blog! FWIW, I think Seraphina and Violet are really nice together.
Swistle, the poll you created about Seraphina really made me think – in particular the option “I like it for someone else’s baby”. Is there any chance you could post an entry asking for names that people like, but only on others’ babies? I’d be very curious to see what the responses are.