Quickies: My Shortlist (What’s in a Name, Part II)

i’ve been thinking about the issue of gender-neutral names for the past few days (and poring over several different lists found online and provided by friends…), and that thinking has led me to create a shortlist of names i am considering using.  In the creation of this list, i employed a multifaceted selection criteria: the name had to originate from a language or culture in my own ancestry (so as to avoid appropriation as best as i could), the name’s meaning had to have some kind of appeal to my personality, the name had to have more than incidental gender-neutral usage, and it had to be a name that wasn’t too closely connected to someone else who plays a regular part in my life.  So, without further ado, here is my shortlist.  Input is welcome, of course…

• Aubrey/Avery – Anglo-Saxon – “Elf ruler” – This name, of course, appeals to my enjoyment of fantasy fiction and role playing games.  i am very fond of elves.  i’m more drawn to Avery than Aubrey here, because Avery tends to be more gender-neutral in its modern usage, and it has a better mouthfeel when matched up with my last name than Aubrey does.
• Dylan – Welsh – “son of the sea” – This name appeals to my affinity for water, in both physical and mental terms.  Water-related names also appeal to the fluidity of my gender.  The drawbacks of this particular name are the fact that its meaning is rather gendered, despite its generally gender-neutral modern usage, and when matched with my last name, it causes alliteration, which makes me come off like a Stan Lee protagonist…
• Glaw – Welsh – “rain” – Water again…  And i love a good rain storm.  i’m not totally sold on this name, though.  It isn’t all that common in modern usage, and it would feel a little “put on” to use.  i’m not totally sold on its mouthfeel, either.  It doesn’t sound quite right as a name for me…
• Indigo – English – “purplish-blue” – i like blue, i like purple, and i kind of like the mouthfeel of this one.
• Morgan – Celtic – “dweller of the sea” – Water yet again.  i also rather like the mouthfeel of this name when paired with my last name.
• Morwenna – Welsh – “ocean wave” – This is probably my favorite of all the meanings in the names i have selected, but the flow and mouthfeel of the word feel a little artificial to my ear, as with “Glaw,” it feels a bit “put on.”
• Ocean – English – means exactly what it says – It’s another water-based name, but it’s a bit too literal for my taste, i think.
• Phoenix – English (via Latin through Old French) – mythological bird that rises from its own ashes – This one feels appropriate given the changes i’m going through, but again, it feels a little too literal.
• Rain – English – means exactly what it says – Water again, yes.  And this one has plenty of modern usage, so that its literal meaning doesn’t sound quite as hackneyed to my ear as “Ocean” does.
• Sasha – German – “man’s defender” – It’s kind of a cool meaning, but it’s probably the one that fits me least.  Mouthfeel is okay when matched with my name.

i think my  front-runners right now are probably Avery, Morgan, and Rain (possibly spelled differently)…