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Baby names

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Original poster

Juniper...first/middle name

26 replies

DefinitelyMaybeBaby · 22/09/2020 11:56

Hi all,

I love Juniper - I love that it's floral/nature inspired without sounding overly frilly, love Juno or Juni as nicknames and most importantly my Gran who was really important in my life was named June but my baby is due in February so this seems like the closest I can get to naming after her.

However I keep going back and forth on whether I'm brave enough to use it as a first name or I would be better to use as a bolder middle name choice.

My two main options really are...

Juniper Joy Surname
or
Norah Juniper Surname / Freya Juniper Surname

Thoughts? If you went bold for a first name, are you glad you did? And if you have an unusual first name do you like it or would you trade it for something more run of the mill?

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milienhaus · 22/09/2020 12:01

I love either Juniper for the first name or Freya Juniper.

I had a very common name and would have liked a more unusual one!

Original poster
DefinitelyMaybeBaby · 22/09/2020 12:14

Thank you. I loved Freya since I was young, I remember hearing it in the early 2000s and thinking it was so unusual and so beautiful. But it's so popular now and still rising, having just recently gone into the top 10 most used names in the UK, and I don't know if it's popularity has taken a bit of the specialness away for me. It is gorgeous though.

OP posts:
FluffyEggsontoast · 22/09/2020 12:30

Love Juno!!

iloveyoubutilovememore · 22/09/2020 12:51

It's lovely. How funny I know someone whose little baby is called Juniper Joy.

Bbq1 · 22/09/2020 12:53

Juniper is a gorgeous name. Very pretty and sweet. I Don't like Norah though at all.

MercyBodle · 22/09/2020 13:33

I love Juniper, and while unusual it's not unheard of, so I think it's becoming less bold. I much prefer it over Norah, and like it more than Freya.
I have a very popular name and would have preferred something more interesting. But my mum gave me a popular name deliberately because she had a quite unusual name and found it difficult. Such a dilemma!

markzuckerbergsgreytshirt · 22/09/2020 14:03

Not all babies called June have to be born in that month? I prefer June to Juniper which just makes me think of gin Gin

Kanaloa · 22/09/2020 14:20

I would choose Norah Juniper. Norah seems a bit more wearable to me, and Juniper Joy sounds slightly cartoony. Nothing really wrong with either name though, and the link to your grandmother is lovely.

SeanCailleach · 22/09/2020 14:59

Go for Juniper, lovely name and lovely strong story with it.

TOFO1965 · 22/09/2020 15:04

I associate it with Jennifer (as in the song). Juno is lovely though.

LotusClover · 22/09/2020 17:47

I really don't like Juniper or Norah, but Freya is lovely. Have you considered Flora? It's sort of a mix between Freya and Norah. And it's well outside the top 200.

elfran · 22/09/2020 18:02

I love Juniper for the reasons you state; nature but not frilly. I wouldn't consider it out there or overly unusual, likewise it isn't likely to become crazy popular, either. It's in a sweetspot.

Juniper Joy is gorgeous, but I also love Norah Juniper.

Firebird83 · 22/09/2020 22:43

I know a toddler Juniper nn Juni/Juno. I don’t think it’s too out there.

I prefer Norah Juniper though.

Tillygetsit · 22/09/2020 23:15

I love Juniper. Juniper Freya is lovely.

Flowersupnorth · 22/09/2020 23:18

Juniper is lovely! Juniper Joy is adorable. It is unusual but not weird. Really like it.

DramaAlpaca · 22/09/2020 23:19

Juniper is a bold choice but I reckon you should go for it as a first name if you really love it.

It's so much nicer than Norah and more interesting than Freya.

Juniper Joy is great, actually. It's a really happy sounding name.

Auto · 23/09/2020 01:07

Juniper is great, fresh and quirky. Joy goes quite well as middle name. Freya is nice but doesn't flow as well with Juniper. How about Juniper Faye?

I find Norah a bit frumpy sounding, sorry.

Itwasaquarterpast11 · 23/09/2020 01:24

I don't like the name, but the combination of Juniper Joy is lovely. Norah and Freya are both bloody awful IMO.

twirlywooly · 23/09/2020 07:18

I like it. Was seriously considering for this one if was a girl- though had same slight concerns if whether was a bit too out there and think I would have had to work in DH!
Think it's ok though as you have standard nn of June to fall back on & is a beautiful name. I liked Juniper Alice. Juniper Joy and Juniper Norah are cute though. If you're worried I would suggest a more popular middle name so they have that option too to switch growing up.

averythinline · 23/09/2020 07:28

Juniper is great .. and not too out there I think... Juniper Joy is fab
I also like Freya but Freya Juniper doesnt sound as good to my ears as Juniper Joy

Juniper suits all ages and - a positive family link to a name is really nice middle names dont relaly get used much in real life... you're unlikely to call freya juniper surname accross the park (unless she's been very naughty :))

not so keen on Norah its quite old lady/bland

Antonin · 23/09/2020 15:05

I think Juniper is quite acceptable and it has a nice ring to it.
I dislike Norah as the ones I have met have all been very old fashioned even for their respective ages. It also reminds me of “gnaw a bone”

bridgetreilly · 23/09/2020 19:16

Juniper Joy is absolutely lovely.

Flappingflamingo · 23/09/2020 19:30

I'm not a fan of juniper sorry so I would keep it as a middle name, Freya juniper sounds good, Freya June sounds even better to me. Actually I really like norah aswell, norah june

Inkpaperstars · 24/09/2020 00:45

I like Juniper Joy. Go bold!

markzuckerbergsgreytshirt · 24/09/2020 13:04

Sounds like jumping for joy - not a fan of this combo.

Also anyone I've ever met called Joy has invariably been a right misery guts