Serena Ariana, is it too much?

[aliza87]

I am set on the middle name Ariana for my Iranian baby, I don't want her first name to be Ariana because it is quite long, so i love Serena as a first name, works in both cultures but I love Ariana too. Is it too much as a middle name?

Serena is a lovely name but I wouldn't pair it with Ariana personally! I think Grace would be a nice middle name to do with Serena

Selena is lovely. No middle name for me 😘

Grace is lovely, I don't know if it will work in both cultures though, I also have Jasmine, Aria and Amalia as middle name options but have my heart set on Ariana... I know it doesn't have a perfect flow though which is a shame...Feel tempted to keep it anyway as no-one really says full names out loud most of the time

Both lovely names, but yes a bit too much together, sorry!

How about seren? I think the two 'a' sounds are a bit much together. Both individually are lovely though.

I have a similar mix of backgrounds, and I love Noor as a middle name. Wish DH agreed!

I like it!

I think it’s the combination of a name ending in a, followed by another a at the beginning of the next - makes it quite hard to say out loud. They’re both lovely names though.

They’re both lovely but dont really flow well together, I think it’s all the ‘A’s’.

Ah judging by your responses I think I'll have to dismiss Ariana... I had a suspicion that it would be too much, thanks for your advice so far! :)
Noor is pretty too! Seren.. that is also an option to consider although we are pretty decided on Serena... I guess we could consider switching it to Ariana Seren...

I don't like Seren at all but Serena is lovely.
Serena Ariana is too much.
Jasmine Ariana is nice but Serena Jasmine is nicer.

Grace is a filler middle name, I'd pick something else, something that isn't Grace, Rose or May.

Ariana is too long and will be Ari. Know what I mean 'Arry?

Oriana is prettier.

Yes I agree, really don't like the nickname Ari... gutted though that Serena and Ariana don't go well... any other names similar to ariana that could go?

I suggested Oriana, it means Dawn.
It still doesn't really go with Serena. Would Nuur be an option. It's very pretty and means Light.

Serena Noor Familyname?

If you love Serena Ariana, then go with that. Yes, it's a bit 'frilly' but middle names aren't used that often and Serena is lovely.

Both lovely names- but too much together.

I have just tried speaking those two names out loudtogether and it is a mouth tangle!!
Especially as the first name ends with the same letter as the start of the next name- they roll into one- Serenaariana.

How often do you speak the first and middle name together? Hardly ever, I would go for it if you love them both

Go for it if you love them
They sound a little like a Harry Potter spell but that could be fun

Thank you everyone for your suggestions! I'll probably go for Serena Ariana as we like it and I have my heart set on it. Nothing else is sticking. Harry potter spell? haha! If so, I guess that's a beautiful name for a spell! 😆

Go for it then op if you really love it. Both my children have two middle names (dps family tradition ) and they never get used apart from filling out forms.

I think you should use it. While they're not perfect together it's fine. As others have said you don't often use first and middle names together, and it certainly doesn't sound bad at all. Both names mean a lot to you, and while we can be fussy and search for the ideal name on sites like this, in real life no-one would bat an eyelid at Serena Ariana.

One of those as a first name and a single syllable name as a first name. If Ariana can't be the first name then it could be a third name.

Serena Grace
Serena Rose
Serena Jade

etc.

Thank you for the encouragement to go ahead with it! I was worried that they sound hideous, but as long as the names sound nice and elegant I am fine with it. Yes having a third name could work, I was thinking of adding my grandmother's name into it but the three names + surname could be quite a pain on forms etc...

It is ok if you say Ariana as Ahr-yah-na. It's the Arry-Ahna that makes it not flow.
Sorry but shoving in a filler middle name like Grace, Rose or Jade is a bit pointless.

Ariana Serena flows better.

Ariana Serena does flow better... We want to pronounce it like 'Aah Ree Yah Na" as opposed to the ArryAnna pronunciation which is the Italian pronunciation I think and they spell it like 'Arianna' if I'm not mistaken... We are a British Asian family with an Iranian heritage so I wanted to honour that with the name Ariana. Serena is a beautiful Western name, I love the mix of the two names and I think it will fit in well with both cultures. Some of the other Eastern names on my shortlist are far too traditional and could be difficult to pronounce for my liking and sound odd with Serena next to them. It's such a dilemma though because I don't want her to be judged by her name if it looks too 'frilly' and if it doesn't look well thought out. In my mind, Serena and Ariana are strong female names but i have been told by some friends that it sounds a bit OTT. It has casted a huge doubt in my mind. My family love it though... I've been getting a tonne of mixed responses..