Imogen or Astrid?

[Anonymous]

People are welcome to have opinions on the names, but thinking they’re really out there says

[Anonymous]

Sorry OP, I posted about similar-style names when pregnant and forgot how conservative people are around here. Everyone's kids are named Henry and Caroline.

I prefer Astrid of the two. It's classic, pretty and a nice fit with your Scandinavian last name.

Imogen is lovely too but feels a little more plain to me. Kind of like the difference between Claudia and Celeste to my ears. Astrid feels lighter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love Astrid! My co-worker's daughter has that name. His family is Swedish.

Another vote for Astrid. What a pretty name. It calls to mind a scene from The Sound of Music where the kids are running across a field of flowers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry OP, I posted about similar-style names when pregnant and forgot how conservative people are around here. Everyone's kids are named Henry and Caroline.

I prefer Astrid of the two. It's classic, pretty and a nice fit with your Scandinavian last name.

Imogen is lovely too but feels a little more plain to me. Kind of like the difference between Claudia and Celeste to my ears. Astrid feels lighter.

Agree. Astrid says “bright” while something about Imogen says “morose”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they are both awful. Imogen sounds like a pharmaceutical company. Astrid sounds like a wicked witch. Don’t saddle the poor girl with either name.

This.

Imogen?! Beyond horrible

It's quite common in the UK, so if you have British roots, it makes total sense.

[Anonymous]

I like Astrid. Imogen sounds like a medicine.

[Anonymous]

I like Astrid

[Anonymous]

Also prefer Astrid over Imogen.

[Anonymous]

I have seen Imogen come up way too often on naming forums for past few years, so it might end up being pretty common. I am not fond of the name personally but if you like it go for it.

[Anonymous]

Greta, Ingrid, Stella, Claudia - any of these would be better while similar spirit

[Anonymous]

Astrid is a very pretty name. Reminds me of the book White Oleander. It’s also easy to pronounce, despite its uniqueness.

[Anonymous]

Neither!

(But if you must, Imogen is better than Astrid.)

[Anonymous]

Honestly, both of these names sound like prescription medication.

[Anonymous]

My son has a cute blonde Astrid in his class. She is the coolest kid - bright, creative, funny, nice. I love her unique name, but wondered if she got made fun of because of it. My son looked at me like I was crazy when I asked him, so I don't think it's an issue for her at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I still like both names. I get that they might feel unusual to some folks, and that's find. Imogen is a version of a family name and Astrid has personal significance for my husband and I, as well as being a relatively common name in his parent's home country (we want a name that will feel at home with our extended family as well).

It sounds like there is a slight preference for Imogen, which I will take into account. Thank you to everyone who provided good faith feedback. To everyone else: sorry you are so limited!

Limited??? Those kids will change their names as soon as they can.

No way. I have an unusual name and love it. So glad I wasn’t one of 7 Jennifers or 5 Heathers in my class.

Exactly. And these names aren't even that unusual. Imogen fell out of favor for a while but is fairly popular in the UK now, and Astrid is a classic name that has been around forever. I think people are responding to the fact that they are just outside the mainstream or that they might be harder for some Americans to pronounce. But my in-laws have trouble pronouncing names like Eleanor and Melanie. My husband's name gets mispronounced constantly even though it is phonetic. That's not a reason to not use a name, it's a reason for people to be more open minded and try a little harder.

No, it isn't. And I'm British.