Heather writes:
I’m hoping you can give me guidance and frank feedback regarding our thoughts on a name for our second child, due at the beginning of October 2013.
Our son, Ayrton James Walter Crepsky was born one year ago, in August. I asked my husband if he would take the lead on choosing the name because I wanted him to feel an intimate connection to our son, and since I was physically attached, this was a way for him to feel vitally responsible in our son’s earliest days. While my husband had the final word in the hospital room, there was however, endless discussion about names that we liked and ones that held special meaning to us. I think it was always the case that we wanted something unique and uncommon. Although I did like Henry, and he did like Russell. My husband seriously considered Roman. We both loved Gaius and Augustus. In the end, he went with Ayrton because of its sound and our personal connection to the name. We each have immediate family members who are F1 fans and so as kids, we knew all about the driver Ayrton Senna and had a sense of his accomplishments, philanthropy and legacy. Middle names James and Walter are after my husbands closest friend and father respectively.
Since I found out we are expecting another baby – this time a girl – I’ve been lost about a name. Nothing like with our first. Is this common?? The guilt has started and she’s not even here yet. Anyway, there are a few names we’ve considered but I don’t feel even close to the degree of certainty that I did with the list we had for Ayrton before he was born. To make things more difficult, my husband has asked me to take the lead on naming her, since he did the first one. I’m also not sure if this will be our last, or if in a few years we might try for a third.
My dilemma is that the names suggested by my husband often sound just too “girly” (whatever that means) for my taste. He likes Elia, after his grandmother. Or Elle or Elsa. I suggested Esmeralda, which could be shortened to Esme. The name has historical significance in Chile, where his mother is from. But still quite a girly name.
I’m also worried about naming her something too ordinary sounding next to Ayrton. I like Marie. It sounds simple yet elegant to me. I also like Rafael for a girl, it incorporates the Spanish background. I also seem to like names with a “V”: Vera, Verona, Vespa.
In all honesty, my absolute favourite name is Vineyard. I adore the way it looks, sounds and conjures vivid imagery. But when I read on your blog a few comments about names sounding “made-up”, I was moved to write to you and hear your feedback on this particular “made-up” name. I mentioned the name awhile back to my husband to see what he thought and he has been surprisingly encouraging about it. Just last week he said how much it’s growing on him. But whomever I’ve tested the name out on (friends, family) have cringed and looked at me like I’ve become some kind of crazy celeb-wannabe or cult-leader. Is it too different?
Lastly, for middle names I think we would have to chose our mothers names: Cecilia and Laurie. I would prefer just to go with Cecilia, but I really don’t want to be unfair to the moms and since Ayrton has two names I’m supposing she should too.
Thanks in advance for reading this note. I would be grateful to hear back from you. I appreciate your honesty and fresh view on naming.
Vineyard is a very pretty-looking word. If I say the sounds aloud, considering them for a name, I hear the Vin from Vincent or Lavinia or Devin or Calvin, followed by the -rd of Howard, Leonard, Edward, Richard, etc. So there are name-like elements, though the -yerd sound doesn’t appeal to my ear: it sounds a little dated to me, as in Howard and Leonard.
As a name, I think Vineyard looks feminine, though I’d have a hard time saying why. I suppose in part because plant-related names are more often girl names—but Vineyard would be more place-name than plant-name. More like Meadow, or Garden, or Field. But only Meadow seems clearly feminine to me from that list: Garden feels unisex to me and Field seems masculine, so I’m still not sure. Vinnie makes a cute nickname and adds even more “nameishness” to Vineyard.
Certainly it qualifies as “different,” in the sense that it is not used as a name in the United States. However, I think of “made-up” as referring more to combinations of popular sounds, or changes to familiar names: Maddilee, for example, would feel “made-up” to me. Vineyard falls instead into the Surprising Noun Name category; the famous examples are Apple and Pilot, but I think Garden and Field from my previous paragraph are more comparable: I would feel differently about encountering a Garden on a class list than I’d feel about encountering an Apple.
One thing that would be an issue for me is that I associate vineyards strongly with wine. Presumably vineyards also grow the grapes I give the kids for lunch, and of course wine can bring to mind sacred ceremonies and classy dinners, and vineyards also make me think of beautiful sunny/hilly fields with lovely vines growing on whatever those vine-growing structures are called—but the association for me is still predominantly wine. Names such as Brandy/Brandi and Chardonnay demonstrate that alcohol is not a taboo association for children’s names (Vineyard, because it is associated with alcohol production rather than with alcohol itself, is a step removed from those particular examples), but I am not inclined toward it myself.
Garden might be another possibility to consider. Or Ivy? Haven? Olive? River? Vienna? Avalon? Waverly? Verity? Silver? Roma? Or I know a girl named Emerald.
If you use your mothers’ names as middle names, would this mean your father would be the only grandparent unhonored? This is likely something you’ve already thought about: perhaps he is not a suitable candidate for honoring, or perhaps another grandchild is already named after him, or perhaps there is some other reason. But if not, I’d suggest choosing one mother’s name (your mother’s, since your son is named for your husband’s father) and one good friend’s name (again, one of your friends, since your son is named for your husband’s friend)—or perhaps a sister’s name, or your own middle name, or another female relative from your side. Or, if you decide against Vineyard as a first name, it might work beautifully as a middle name.
Let’s now see what everyone else thinks of Vineyard as a name:
Name update! Heather writes:
Thank you so much for posting my baby naming question in August, and for offering such thoughtful feedback. Thank you as well to your readers who posted their thoughts on the name, Vineyard.
After reading so many responses that were firmly against the name, I decided quite quickly that as much as I liked the name Vineyard, I no longer felt comfortable using it because I just might be setting her up for a lifetime of uncomfortable or even negative reactions to her name.
Once I decided that Vineyard was out, it became much clearer to me what were the most important factors in choosing her name. I wanted a Spanish/Chilean element to honour my husbands mothers side. I also wanted to honour my mother. And again, thank you for helping me to realize how important it is to honour my fathers side of the family in some way (since my son has his paternal grandfathers name in the middle spot).
And so, on October 11th, we welcomed Elia Mary Laurette Crepsky to our family. Elia (pronounced Ell-ee-ah) is the name of her great grandmother from Chile; Mary is the name of my fathers mother; and Laurette is my mothers name. Our family members were all surprised and visibly quite moved by the name. My husband adores the name Elia and I feel like it is a perfect fit.
For me the most appealing part of the name is the beginning. I think another name with Vin would work. I love Lavinia, and I wonder if Heather might like just Vinnia or Vinia.
There’s also Alvinia, Corvina, Davina, Elvina, Marvina, Olivine, Ravenna, Ravinia, Sylvinia, Silvina, Vincentia, Vincenza, Venetia, Viveca,
Most of those could be -vinna, -vinia, or -vina.
I would not want to have Vineyard for my name.
These are great suggestions.
I know how vineyard is pronounced, but looks-wise it looks like Vine Yard – neither of which are “pretty” to me.
It is, however, the alcohol connection that kills it for me.
I agree about not wanting Vineyard for my own name, and I also like Swistle’s V-derived name list. I think you can get the feeling and/or the beautiful imagery without the literal-ness of the word Vineyard. But if you really love the name, maybe it would work well in the middle name spot where it’s there but not featured quite so prominently.
I also tend to like V names on girls but I can’t quite get there with Vineyard. I think it’s the hard consonant at the end. My favorite V names…Vera, Vesper, and Verity.
I definitely do not like Vineyard as a name. I also think Vinnie or Viney would be horrid nicknames on a girl. I really like Esme and think that sounds lovely next to her brother’s name.
This is a tough one, as I hate to tell someone to not choose a name that they feel a connection with or one that they love as not everyone’s naming styles are the same. It is definitely a different name, although Gwyneth Paltrow has an Apple and Courtney Cox has a Coco and Kim Kardashian has a North West… so really, why couldn’t you have a Vineyard? It isn’t my naming style but if you and your husband are both onboard, I really don’t see why not as it isn’t an offensive name.
As for your feelings of not having a name for your second child that you absolutely love like you did for your first…. I had the exact same problems. With my daughter, the very first time I heard her name when I was 27 weeks pregnant, I knew that was “her” name – we fell in love and never looked back. My son was a different story. We went back and forth between about 4 names that we liked but could find reasons why we didn’t’ like as well. Our son was born 10 days overdue, if he had been born even a week prior I’m sure his name would’ve been something different. I initially was having feelings of guilt about it, however his name is his name and I couldn’t imagine it being anything different so those feelings passed fairly quick.
Other options: Vienne, Olive, Orla, Isadore/Isadora, Vadamae or Vada.
I love Esmerlda with nn Esme. I don’t think it is it to frilly of a name.
Good luck and keep us posted.
I agree with this post! If you and your husband are both on board, why not? I know a woman named Prairie and a woman named Harvest (unrelated–but cute potential sib set no?), and they are both lovely, happy people. If you love Vineyard, go for it.
If you’re still looking at V names, I love a previous suggestion of Vesper! Something so pretty and breathy about it. Perhaps because it sounds like Whisper a bit.
Esmerelda is also so gorgeous and unique.
Maybe Vineyard as a middle name if you aren’t sold on it? Esmerelda Laurie Vineyard…
But Prairie and Harvest are neutral/positive nature words. Vineyard is also a nature word, but it involves alcohol and so ceases to be neutral. Some people will have a positive reaction to Vineyard, but others who have negative associations (or experiences) with alcohol will react negatively to the name. It’s a nice sound, but a loaded name. :-/
This does not pass the “would I want to have this name?” test for me? Does it really for you?
Aside from the likely possibility of joking and teasing, what if, God forbid, the kid or someone very important in their life turns out to be an alcoholic? There’s potential for the associations to be not just annoying, but awkward/painful.
I do agree that if you think purely of the sounds and spelling and the image of a beautiful lush vineyard in Italy, it works as a name. But, practically, it doesn’t, IMO. This is from someone who 1) happily drinks wine and 2) used to think Zinfandel nn Zinnie would make a pretty name–but eventually realized it might be okay for a cat, not a person.
Aside from that, though they are both uncommon, I feel like Ayrton and Vineyard are in totally different ballparks when it comes to naming stylel. Vineyard is a very familiar word that no one has heard as a name, a natural and very quirky vibe…Ayrton is a name I’ve never heard, but sounds like it could be a surname or a place, and has a bit of an uppercrust British vibe…just my take though.
I voted “I can’t decide” because I honestly don’t know how I’d react to a baby Vineyard. I know I wouldn’t use it myself but I feel as if the polls are asking whether we can fathom the idea. I can definitely fathom it, and I want to be open minded about it but I think it is the sounds that make me dislike it. Vineyards are lovely, “Yerd” is not really a lovely sound. And when it comes to names I think sound trumps lovely mental picture, because they are in essence a collection of sounds used to identify your child. If a name is pleasant on the ears AND has a pretty association then that is fine. Are you pretty invested in what image the name conjures for you? Would you consider Arbor instead? I think of grape arbors, a similarly beautiful image but with the bonus of a soft, feminine sound. I see you don’t like “frilly” names and for me Arbor is feminine but not frilly.
If you do choose to go with Vineyard, I think it will sink in and feel normal to your family and friends. Once a baby is there in person, chosen moniker bestowed, people tend to change their tune towards it. So if you find yourself reading through these comments and thinking “Fools, all of you!” lol then I think that’s a sign that you should go for it. The plus side is you have one unusually named child so it’s not like you’ll be introducing them as “William and Vineyard” or “David and Vineyard”. Ayrton and Vineyard sound quirky and compatible. Good luck!
The other Heather has said pretty much exactly what I would want to, only much more clearly. If we were discussing this in person, I would be nodding and smiling and probably pointing and saying, “Yes!” I also think Arbor is an excellent suggestion.
If you love Vineyard then you should go for it! Vineyard Cecilia Crepsky is beautiful.
However, I very much like Swistle’s suggestion of Garden, as I’ve always loved the name Gardner for a boy, but my husband is not on board with it :( Like Swistle, I think the middle names should be your mother’s, which I’m assuming is Cecilia? and another name with great significance to you. Or, you could always use Cecilia as the first name, I adore this name as it is classic, feminine and strong. There is Cecily too! Oh, Cecily and Ayrton…I’m in love!
I think I have trouble with the -yard aspect of it. A vineyard is a beautiful place, like a meadow, so it does seem like it should work as a name. But most other yard words are kind of plain and ordinary.
My thought would be to hold onto the V sound and the imagery of Vineyard while switching to another language…the internet is telling me that Vigna means Vineyard in Italian, for example. Or Vigneronne is the feminine form of the French word for wine maker which I think has an absolutely gorgeous sound…and is sort of on trend as both an occupational name and a surname name.
I just wanted to share a name that I had heard before, but just stumbled across in written form and found it quite appealing by looks and sound. I have heard it pronounced a couple of different ways, so I guess you could take your pick: Neva. It also has a Spanish connection as it is a derivation of “snow,” or “to snow.” Good luck!
I just this week met a baby with this name, and I loved it as well. Her parents said she was named after the Russian river, Neva.
Yes, I read that as well! I understand that it also has meaning in the Norse/Scandinavian culture as well. It’s such a pretty name! It has the added benefit of being not too popular, but was quite popular near the turn of the century, so it fits in with that trend as well.
I would like to go on record as saying I am one of those people that does not think celebrities have the right idea of using North, Apple, etc etc as a name for a child. I think not all Nouns are created equal.
If you really want to use it, a middle name is fine, I just can NOT get past how much a name like Vineyard will be picked on in school, or how much the child will probably not be happy with it as they get older. The alcohol connotation is just too much. I am also not a fan of Garden. It’s too common place. Why not pick something FROM a garden…like a Rose, or Violet, or Hyacinth? Yes, there are some “out there” names that can really work on a person. And for a boy, Vin is pretty cool as a nickname. But ….no. There’s not even a solid nickname they could fall back on when they get older (Vin is too masculine to me). Not to be a debbie downer, because I love a lot of the other names on the list as possibilities, and cecelia is a great name as well…
I also agree on the middle names…if you’re using both names before from your husband, two should come from you this time. otherwise there will be hurt feelings outside of the family.
I actually just wanted to point out that North has been used as a baby name since at least the 1800’s. I just saw some name records about it. Celebs aren’t the only ones or the first ones or the exclusive ones using noun names. I imagine the majority of names started as nouns! Names have to start somewhere : )
I love V names, but Vineyard doesn’t appeal to me. It starts out nice enough with the Vin part, but yard is a train wreck. I would rather see a made-up name than such a common word that is unattractive to boot. What about taking the nice part of Vineyard and combining it with a nicer ending-Vinessa, Vinella, Vinna, Vinar, Vinotte, Vineza, Vinnie? Honestly, even Vino (Italian word for wine) sounds more attractive to me.
I’m sorry, but to be perfectly honest I think this name would be terribly hard to live with. And although it looks like a pretty word the pronunciation is harsh, ‘vin-yerd’. That said though I’m from Australia where we have different naming trends. All the best with your new baby :)
Ayrton is a pretty cool name, so I feel your pain finding a complimentary girl name. I love V names, but in my opinion, Vineyard sounds like you’re trying too hard. :( As a hiring manager I would feel sorry for someone starting their career with that name, so I believe Vineyard isn’t really in the child’s best interest in the long run.
I really like the simple, effortless elegance of Vesper, as someone recommended above. It sounds lovely with Ayrton, too!
I must confess that I would like to be named Vineyard. It is unique and conjures up images of nature, life, sunshine, green and purple, etc. I also like the nickname Vinnie is adorable.
I think I might use a variation of Laurie for one of the honor names because I like the flow better.
Vineyard Cecilia Lauren Crepsky
I’d keep Vineyard in the middle spot, if you decide to use it. It immediately makes me think of wine, which isn’t an association I’d want for my daughter’s name.
After wondering about wine I’d wonder if there was some kind of Biblical connection. Because of the part in the Bible where Jesus says: ” I am the vine; you are the branches.” And vineyards are mentioned in the Bible too.
Garden makes me think of Gardenia. I think I’d choose Gardenia over Garden. Lavinia would also be lovely.
Vineyard has a very pretty sound, but for me it doesn’t pass the “Would I want this for my name?” test. I’m quite liberal on word/noun names, too– names like Prairie, Sonnet, Echo, Spring, Lavender, all are fine by me. My significant other likes them quite a lot.
But I think you owe it to your daughter to sit down and have a serious reality/day-to-day life check over Vineyard. Mostly because of the alcohol factor. Brandy, Sherry, Chardonnay are all established girls’ names, but they are names that have strongly negative connotations for many people. (In the UK especially I know Chardonnay has become a ‘joke’ name, shorthand for lower class or criminal…I feel for the innocent Chardonnays who had no say in their name and have to deal with such stigmas.)
A vineyard is classier than a distillery I guess, like wine is classier than brandy, but it’s still an alcohol reference. Some people will like the name and find it daring when they hear it, but many, many others will have a shocked and negative reaction. Try to see it from your daughter’s standpoint. Are you sure that a lifetime of mixed reactions is something you want for her? This is where the fact that all unsual word names are not the same comes into play. Someone named “Prairie” might go through a lifetime of similar puzzled looks, but the negatives won’t be so negative because Prairie (or Echo, or Cobalt, or Oak) is an essentially NEUTRAL name. Vineyard is not. It’s a name that has the potential to polarize people and also lead others to make judgments about her and her background that she should not have to deal with.
Though I think Vineyard has a very pretty sound, in some ways I think its alcohol factor is even more pronounced than Brandy or Sherry or Chardonnay because it has no history at all of being used for naming. So the alcohol factor is much stronger. I have nothing against drinking (I drink socially myself) but what if, god forbid, your daughter developed an alcohol dependency later in life (not influenced by her name or anything, just because a certain number of people do)? The name Vineyard would be a burden in such a case.
I love that you considered Vera. Vera is a beautiful and unusual name and works in so many languages.
I also thought of Pilar. I think that is a gorgeous yet not too frilly name, and really fits in with the Spanish/Chilean aspect.
Pilar Cecilia Laurie actually flows very well to my ear.
You will probably think “too girly”, but what about Paloma?
Or… Arbor! Arbor is much less loaded than Vineyard. Not too girly but gently feminine (to me at least). I see someone else suggested it earlier. I think it is a great option.
I also think Esme would be a good choice. (No need to use the fuller form Esmeralda if you don’t like it. Esme is fine on its own.)
I also thought of Anouk.
This is a very thoughtful answer. And mostly I’m just commenting because: Chardonnay?!? People really name their babies Chardonnay? Yikes.
At first glance I thought this an interesting name choice, however the wine connection kills it for me. Vineyard leads me to think of wine, specifically red wine, which is in a way sexy and very mature. Not a good association for a little girl!
I think with Vineyard you would be setting up your child for a lot of jokes and snickers behind her back. People would wonder if she were conceived in a vineyard or after her parents were getting drunk at one. I imagine teachers would laugh when they got their class lists.
Another V name that no one has mentioned that has similar sounds (and a nice meaning, I think) is Vivienne. It’s also clearly female without being too cute. The Spanish version Viviana makes it more girly and loses the “in” sound, but might appeal to you too.
To me, the most significant part of your letter was when you mentioned liking Marie because it is “simple and elegant.” It sounds like that description might better sum up your girl-name taste, and that Vineyard might be an outlier. Esme, Vera, Verona, Vespa– all of those are simple and elegant. While I don’t care for Rafael on a girl, I adore Rafaela, which is also simple and elegant.
So based on that, here are some more simple and elegant girl names that sound lovely with Ayrton and your surname:
Laura
Paola
Mara
Veronica nn Vera or Vero
Clara
Jane
Mae
Best of luck to you!
I agree that Vineyard would be a very difficult name to live with, when I ask myself the “Would I want this name?” question. The alcohol factor is a high one, as is the place name-ness as is the noun-ness. I like nouns as names, and place names as names, so maybe it is the combination that is not sitting well with me. I would not want to have my name meaning be: place where grapes are grown to make wine. I think of the phrase “tour the vineyard” and just cringe.
I also agree that you are not bound to both moms names, unless you really desire, for all the reasons listed above.
I am not a fan of Vineyard. I do, however, love all the other names you mentioned. It makes me wonder whether you are pushing your own boundaries with Vineyard in order to come up with a name that you perceive to be as unusual as your son’s. I don’t think you need to do this. I love Marie with Ayrton. From your list my favorites are Vesper, Vera and Maire. Could Marie be a n.n. for Esmeralda?
Also, we too struggled with a name for no. 2. It is not surprising really, with your first pregnancy you have the time and space to think of nothing else but your bub on the way. Second time around, no such thing as time and space! Good luck.
I’m torn on this one. I’ll get the pathetic pun out of the way by saying that the name is already growing on me despite reading the post minutes ago. However, my first thoughts were that it was masculine and silly, but I’ve heard of a woman named Vine and kind of loved it. The sounds and imagery are quite lovely and become nicer as the shock wears off. Vinny is a pretty easy nickname if you are okay with it. If you decide it’s too much for a first name, please use it in the middle! Rafaelle Vineyard Cecilia, for example.
I think your son’s name is great, and although I think Vespa is too much automotive, Vespera would be pretty great. And although I love Esmeralda, Swistle’s suggestion of Emerald seems even better.
My favourites, along with some similar sounding/feeling names:
Ayrton and Vespera
Ayrton and Emerald
Ayrton and Vine
Ayrton and Rafaelle
Ayrton and Wynn
Ayrton and Viola
Ayrton and Yardley
Ayrton and Ludivine
I love the spelling of Rafaelle… just the look of it totally made a masculine name more feminine.
Thank you! I think I may have made this up after a few too many glasses of vino. I was going for Raphaëlle without the trema/umlaut (or whatever the dots are called) but have always preferred Rafael over Raphael. I guess it’s the Italian masculine form, but it really works as a very pretty and unpretentious girl’s name.
I also wanted to add after reading to other comments, I totally overlooked Marie, as I think many people do. It is simple, but very uncommon I expect. Marie Vineyard Cecilia would be so wonderful.
I knew a girl with the last name Vineyard in college, so I’m used to it as a name. But I just can’t get on board with it as a first name, and previous comments detail the reasons well.
I definitely see the appeal of Vineyard. I love the sound and the imagery. I can see the name leading to teasing, though, particularly in middle school. Perhaps another unusual nature/landscape/place name that’s more neutral?
Arbor
Arden
Arcadia
Florence
Tuscany
Veneto
Marin
Marina
Asia
Island
Sicily
Sierra
Lake
Ithaca
Agate
Jasper
Fern
Juniper
I really like Arden, which has some of the same sounds as Vineyard, but which might be too close to your son’s name. Vineyard and Arden makes me think of Vardin, or Verity. I also find I like Verne for a girl, especially with a feminine middle name. Verne Laurie Cecilia Crepsky. Verne Crepsky. Ayrton & Verne. That gets my vote.
This discussion reminds me of ones I’ve had about the name Aquifer, which I find beautiful and poetic and on-trend with naming sounds, yet which nearly everyone else finds way-too-out-there……..I do like the sound Vineyard, though it does remind me of halyard, a sailing term, as well as Richard, so I think it skews more masculine than feminine. That said, I’m unsure if I’d want the name for myself. I think it would make all kinds of drinking issues tricky, at best. Someone earlier mentioned “what if the child is an alcoholic?” But it would be just as bad for a teetotaler, or someone whose preferred beverage was ale…….
I do like Valentina, a V name so far not mentioned. Good luck, and great imagination, btw!
I love Cecilia as a first name. What about Cecilia Vineyard? Or what about connecting the imagery of a vineyard and the name Laurie by using Laurel. I also have seen it spelled Lauryl, which I think is very pretty.
Vineyard is not my style. As others have mentioned, phew, that’s quite the moniker a kid would have, “Vineyard Crepsky” . Have you really meditated on whether you yourself would enjoy having that name? Whenever “cool” names pop up on name blogs, I always wonder if the parents are considering the possibility that their baby, instead of being a super-cool type who can glamorously carry the name, is kind of a nerd. You know?
Another thing I wanted to say is that my first and strongest association with Vineyard as a name is, well, I would assume that your family is very ardent Evangelical Christians. If that’s not an association you’re comfortable with, I would reconsider.
I think Vineyard is fine as a middle name, as long as you have a more standard first name to use.
Oh, I didn’t make this connection but now it will stick. Yes, that is a very very strong connection.
I’m not liking Vineyard as a first name. It’s just Too Much I think. My brother once dated a girl named Vincentia, I believe her family was Portuguese (via Hawaii) & her nickname was Vinnie. Maybe something like Vincentia or Vincenza would appeal to you?
Or, if it’s really the visual imagery of Vineyard that is appealing, maybe something else that produces a similar feeling/visual. Venice has the same kind of romantic/rustic feel & some of the same sounds. It’s unusual but still familiar & doesn’t seem quite as “out there” as Vineyard.
I really like the name Esme, but I’m not sure about it with the surname. Esmirelda sounds better with the last name, but it seems stylistically different than Ayrton.
Some of the names that others mentioned that I really liked: Ravenna, Orla, Cecily, Laurel, Neva.
A few others I’ll add to the mix: Sylvan, Linnea, Acacia, Cordelia, Genevieve (lots of good V sounds!), and Nerissa.
I think Vineyard works, although I don’t think I’d want it for my own name. I liked the suggestion of Arbor. I wonder if you might like Briar.
I second Briar!
I love quirky names and I almost always feel that parents should “go for it” with names they love, especially when they BOTH love it, no matter what anyone else says. But Vineyard as a name doesn’t appeal to me for all of the reasons that have already been stated.
Your son has a distinctive name, yes. You named him after people you admired and love. I think you should take the same tack with your daughter’s name. Rather than a noun name, think of people you love and admire and are significant to you that you could name her after.
I can’t wait to hear what you choose, and I wish you all the best. :)
I like unusual nature names (like Honeysuckle, which I saw as a name for the first time when I was watching Foyle’s War), so I am fine with Vineyard. But with the negative reactions here, I’m wondering if maybe Venetia or Violet or Veronica might not be good alternatives?
Wow. I just want to thank everyone so much for reading my post, and for your feedback and suggestions. This process has been quite helpful to me, and I have a lot of new thoughts to seriously consider. For example, it never occurred to me that Vineyard would have such a strong association with wine, which could potentially be very negative.
I appreciate very much the alternate name suggestions – some of which I had thought of and am now revisiting – many of which I hadn’t heard of or thought of before.
Many thanks.
Just wanted to throw another name out there (I love V Names) – Viridian, or Viridiana
I’m another reader who thinks Vineyard is a bit ‘too much’. Just wanted to suggest either Vita or Vida – I think both of these are fab ‘V’ names. And I believe both mean ‘life’, which I think is a great meaning if you are interested in meaning! I also love Viola and Valentina, which have already been mentioned.
Oooh, Vita is a great choice! So sophisticated.
While the sound of Vineyard is appealing, I just can’t see it as someone’s name.
Love the name Ayrton though! Interestingly, Ayrton Senna’s sister’s name is Viviane. Another lovely ‘V’.
I really like the suggestion of Lavinia. The nickname Vinia sounds very like Vineyard. Viane/Vianne is a nice name too. What about Vanessa, Viola or Vittoria?
All the best!
Being from New England, I have to add that Vineyard for me is also “the Vineyard,” Martha’s Vineyard, which isn’t a stretch to off-color, limerick-style jokes about the other nearby island, Nantucket. Also, I agree with many that the word Vineyard does not sound pleasing to my ear. I would recommend Vicenta, Lucila, or Lourdes, or Esperanza since you like Esmeralda. I like Elia – there is also Elvia or Élida. Pilar is a really nice suggestion. I like a lot of the names that are popular for girls in Chile right now, like Isidora, Maite and Martina. There are tons and tons of interesting, original non-girly names out there!
Or Silvana! “Protector of the forests”
Regardless of whatever first name you choose, I strongly urge you to use 2 middle names from your side of the family!
Funnily enough, just a few days ago I was thinking about the word “vivid” and wondering if anyone had ever used it as a name.
Vivid has most of the sounds of Vineyard, without the “nya” sound, and without the potential awkwardness. To me Vivid conjures up bright, pleasant images.
Some other thoughts:
Viva – meaning life or alive, a celebratory name
Verde – Spanish for green, conjuring up similar images as Vineyard and with a Chilean/Spanish link. I’ve met a little girl named Verde and it works well.
Vignette (Vin-yet) – Starts similarly to Vin-yard but with a feminine ending. Has many meanings
Vanya – a Russian boys name but could work as a girls name in English, goes well with your surname (maybe too well?)
I know others have suggested Olive, and perhaps it is too girly for you, but if there’s anything that goes well with the image of a vineyard and drinking wine, it’s an olive grove and eating olives.
Otherwise, are there any wine growing regions or areas that have a particular meaning to you that you could use?
Best of luck to you. Love your boy’s name and am sure you’ll get something just right for your girl as well. Keep us posted.
I voted no because for me Vineyard is right up there with Rainbow, Holly Madison’s daughter. Vern is a great suggestion. Or Verde, or Olive. Still different, but not seeming like its different just to be different. Very Liveable if that’s a word. They wouldn’t look bad on a resume, but Vineyard might.
I like Vinya as an alternative. The sounds are very similar, but I think it goes much better with Ayrton in style. Or how about Viana?
I love most noun names and am quite open minded! However, I am hesitant about Vineyard. It does look so pretty, but I can’t get past the -yard part. Still, I can imagine hearing of a baby Vineyard these days.
Since you like V names, would you like Vesta? As in the Vestal Virgins from Ancient Rome (you seem to like Roman names). There’s also Juno, Aurora, Cybele, Demeter, Artemis, Hera, Athena. . .
I also wanted to suggest Gardenia instead of Garden. I love Gardenia!
I can’t stop thinking what a good name Vignette would be, and wondering why people don’t use it more often.
A vignette is a small picture, or a short story, complete in it’s own right but also a small part of a bigger picture/story. Just as a baby is a complete person on their own, but also part of the larger family picture as well.
I really like the suggestions of Ludivine and Lavender, Lavender in particular because it can be a tie to Heather’s name too–a field of Heather is lavender in color.
I KNOW a Vineyard! He’s a dentist in Vancouver.
http://www.ratemds.com/doctor-ratings/58367/Dr-Vineyard-Choy-Vancouver-BC.html
I love Esmeralda nn Esme. Or Cecilia. Pretty!
A beautiful name for an absolutely beautiful baby.
I love Elia! I think it’s classic, with a little dash of verve, and I think you’ve settled on a really great name. :)
Elia Mary Laurette is lovely. Congratulations.
I’m late to this one, but I would have suggested Carmel (car-MELLE), which means “vineyard” in Hebrew. It’s a somewhat common modern Israeli name, as well as a place name (Carmel is a cute little coastal town in California and the name of a mountain in Israel) as well as a quasi-Biblical name (it’s not a name in the Bible, as far as I know, but the word appears frequently in the Psalms and elsewhere). Obviously it doesn’t have a similar sound to the word “vineyard,” but if the meaning is what you like, it gets there without sounding quite as unusual/made-up as Vineyard.