Some rather unusual names - which ones do you like?

[caitlinrose]

These are not on our list but names I encountered this past week. I'm curious to hear what you think of them and whether you find all of them usable:

Ayaka
Citra
Lindsay
Christabel
Makena

Makena is a name I loved as a teenager and I'm sort of liking it now. I pronounce it like Makenna/Mackenna. Would it be usable?

Which spelling of Lindsay is best? And I am aware that Lindsay is one that's not unusual ;)

I’m not keen on any of them but whatever floats your boat.

Christabel and Lindsey (spelt this way as it comes from a place name) are the only names I recognise. Both are ok though I prefer Lindsey on a boy as that is what's traditional. I'd have to do research into the others to see whether they are modern inventions or legitimate names in other languages.

McKenna/Makenna etc is a surname, not a first name.

Are Lindsay and Christabel ‘unusual’?

Citra is a hop ...

Ayaka is pretty awful tbh. To many connotations of Yakking up ie being sick.
Lindsay is better Lindsey with an e.
Christabel should really be Cristabel imo.
Again Makena needs to be spelled in the other ways you describe so as not to be known as Mak-e-na

Your comment is not helpful and it would actually nice if you could read the post before answering.

I don't really like any of them. First thing that springs to mind:

Ayaka - Kayak or a cat being sick.
Citra - lemons.
Lindsay - pretty common, I know several of middle aged ladies with the name.
Christabel - fairly common, always seems a bit seasonal to me.
Makena - The song Macarena.

Christabel

I don't really see how it matters as this is about whether you like the name or not. Does it matter whether it's invented? They are "legitimate" names in other languages, by the way (I personally don't understand how a recently made-up name wouldn't be legitimate).

Makenna etc. is a surname but has also been used as a given name, sort of like Mackenzie or Taylor.

I don't like any of them.

Thank you, that was a helpful reply! I liked reading about your associations.

A lot of names on that list sound like industrial cleaning products

@caitlinrose You asked for our opinions on the names. Those are my opinions. I don't like surnames as first names and I don't like modern invented names.

I had a look on BehindtheName (one of the most credible names databases out there) and Ayaka is Japanese whilst Citra is Indonesian. Both of these would pass my criteria, I just couldn't be bothered to research them before.

Christabel is quite nice, good NN potentially too like Christy, Chrissy pr Bel if LO wanted to go by something a bit less frilly as they get older.

Lindsay isn’t at all unusual, it’s just dated. You get loads of 40+ Lindsays/Lindseys.
I know 2 Mackennas, both American and in their 30s. It’s also a surname. So again not especially unusual although I wouldn’t pronounce Makena the same way.
Ayaka never heard of it, is it Japanese?
Citra sounds like citrus and is just odd.

Christabel is quite nice, though it sounds like a character in an old fashioned children's book. Lyndsey sounds like a middle aged woman. The rest I'm not keen on at all, I'm afraid, and you would be setting a child up for a lifetime of having to spell their name for people.

Don’t like any of them

Not a fan of any but what matters is that you like them.

Citra? I would wonder what part the beer if the same name had played in conception.

Christabel is lovely, but comes across as quite old-fashioned, and seems middle/ upper class to me. Lots of old-fashioned names have come back in fashion, so why not this one?

Lindsay seems like a 70s/ 80s name to me (I’m in my 40s and knew a couple at school/ university). The unusual spelling could be annoying to the child (constantly having to correct it).

Ayaka and Citra sound odd to me (white British background). PP has said they are Japanese/ Indonesian, so I’d expect a cultural connection and think it odd if they didn’t have one.

Makena - I don’t like surnames as first names. It seems very American.

I always think Christabel (Cristabel better spelling imo) sounds like an indecision between Crystal and Isobel/Annabel.

I don't like any of the others at all.

Lindsay is just Lindsey (middle aged gran name) in disguise

Ayaka and Citra might be international names, but they are not particularly pretty and make no sense if you are not from those countires.

I know surnames as forenames (Taylor / Hunter / McKenzie etc) are very popular in the US but I personally think they sound naff and try hard.

Sorry to be blunt, but if you are seeking opinions, that is mine.

Mac means son of, so I find those names very odd to use for a girl. It's like Madison, I suppose, which I don't like for a girl for the same reason.

Just an additional question:

Do you all see Lindsay as an odd spelling? I always thought it was the original but I will do more research.

I have also seen Lyndsey, Lyndsay, Lynsey, Lynsay, Linzi, though.

I'm a Lyndsey and have spent my whole life telling people how to spell my name because there are so many variants. It's also a very dated name, I think I'd be a bit surprised if I met a baby Lyndsey/Lindsay/Lindsey, etc.

No because that’s how Lindsay Lohan and Lindsay Hoyle (although he’s a man obvs!) spell it and off the top of my head those are the most famous Lindsays I can think of!

I’ve always understood Lindsey to be a male name and Lindsay to be female.