I’m due in a couple months and am curious about the name Isadora. My husband and I love it as a fresh take on the popular Isabelle (he loves Isabelle, me not so much). I like that it’s unique (fairly uncommon) yet familiar and easy to pronounce.
Concerns:
• We would likely use the nickname Izzie. Do you think she will be one of many because of all the Isabella/Isabelle’s?
• Will she get “is a door” jokes. Not a deal breaker, but could get really annoying. We’ve mentioned the name to a few people and they’ve gone there. “When is a door not a door” “when it’s ajar”, etc…
• too close an association with the tragic death of Isadora Duncan? Or is that long enough ago that this generation will not have that association?
thanks!
1. I do think she will find herself among Isabella-Izzies, just as Adelines find themselves among Addison-Addies. But many Isabelles/Isabellas go by Bella, or by the full versions of their names. If the nickname Izzie bothers her for its popularity or for the way some people will mistakenly assume her full name is Isabella, she can go by a different nickname or by Isadora. This seems like a good issue to consider ahead of time, in case you think it will bother you too much to want to use the name, but not something that has to be a deal-breaker.
2. I do think some people will make the door joke. I think they will stop when her name is more familiar to them. It seems unlikely that the same people would make the joke over and over again, since it isn’t very funny. But each person who is inclined toward that sort of humor will make the joke once. Again, I’d say good to consider it ahead of time to be prepared for it, but it doesn’t have to rule out the name.
3. I had to look up Isadora Duncan. The name was familiar to me, but without a tragic-death association. Since she died in 1927, I don’t think there’s any “too soon” danger here. The main issue is that the name is so unusual; I’d say we don’t, for example, need to worry about Natalie Wood‘s tragic death when we use the much more common name Natalie. I am hoping that in the comments section we’ll get a good idea of whether other people leap right to that association or not—and, if they do, whether they think it means the name shouldn’t be used.
I’m encouraged by the increasing number of baby girls named Isadora in the United States:
1989: 12
1994: 24
1999: 31
2004: 74
2009: 119
2014: 167
It’s still in no way a common name, but the increasing usage will, I think, reduce the second two issues you raise.
I wanted to raise my immediate association. It is not negative and by no means a deal breaker but Dora is an obvious possible nickname and Dora the Explorer is still big association in the preschool set.
Regardless of your intended nickname it is worth acknowledging this as possible and maybe more likely than the lame ‘Is a door’ joke. It wouldn’t dissuade me. Just putting on radar.
My husband and I have been set on the name Isadora for a long long time if I ever get pregnant with a girl. We will call her “Do” for nickname sake. Pronounced like the female deer. I think it’s a way better alternative than Dora. Which turned me off to the name isadora at first
Oh my, I LOVE this name! I think it’s beautiful, easily known/recognized/pronounced, but still unique.
The “door” joke did not occur to me (although I can see see it happening, but I think repeated eye-rolling will be an adequate response – I grew up as an Alice before Alice was popular; every single person thought they were the first to make the hilarious joke “oh?? how’s Wonderland??” – never became funny but also never was a huge burden).
I also did not know about Isadora Duncan’s death / have no negative association with the name as a result.
Love it! and Dora or Dorie are adorable nicknames, ones I like better than Izzie anyway!
When I first read the name Isadora, I had a very slight ring of recognition (thinking of Isadora Duncan, not of her horrible death but just of her overall reputation), but I’m 66; my guess is that for most younger people there would be no association at all. The Dora-the-explorer association seems sweet, like Alice’s “Alice in Wonderland” connection or “Graham cracker” or like “Anna Banana” — there’s just nothing there for a mean person to take advantage of. I can imagine even the doting parents occassionally saying, “There goes our little Isadora Explorer again!”
I taught a preschooler Isadora a few years back! I loved the name (and the child was wonderful too)! She went by Izzy or Isadora. I have run across many Isabelle/Isabellas who have mostly gone by Belle/Bella with a few Izzys. I don’t think Izzy/Isadora will meld with a sea of Izzy/Bella/Isabellas.
Don’t worry about Dora the Explorer. Some students put it together (“sounds like Dora”) but it wasn’t a thing. That might be more of a problem in the upper grades, but since there really isn’t a negative association with Dora, I personally wouldn’t worry about it. I had no idea who Isadora Duncan was.
As for “is a door” jokes… Amanda was a HUGE name, so many Amandas in my schools growing up. “A man, DUH” was uttered a few times but always died out quickly. You can think of so many other names that have not-great rhymes or sayings that could be dreamt up, even for classically popular/common names like “Luke puke.” Don’t let “is a door” to dissuade you from using Isadora.
I love Isadora and hope you’ll use it!
The Isabel/Isabellas/Isabelles I know seem to either go by their full name or Bella variants. I think you might get some Is a door jokes, but I think it is exactly the kind of eye-roll inducing joke that only gets said a couple of times and dies out quickly.
Without googling I did not know who Isadora Duncan was. I’m going to say that future generations are even less likely to know unless they make a biopic sometime during your daughter’s lifetime.
Also, I like the nicknames Dorie and Dora even with the Finding Nemo and Dora the Explorer associations.
Love Isadora!
If there are too many Izzy’s, you could go with Isa (ee-sah) like Salma Hayek’s character in Fools Rush In. In high school in t he 90s I had an edgy friend named Isabel who went by Is and it really suited her. And, of course, Dory and Dora are sweet, too! I think a lot of the Isabelle are opting for Belle or Bella, but it’s great to have so many nickname options!
Fingers crossed that you use Isadora <3
I don’t think any of the issues raised would be more than occasional, minor annoyances (#2). If it seemed like there were too many Izzies (though I don’t think there would be), Isa, which someone else mentioned is a nice option as well. I knew how Isadora Duncan died, but I associate the name more with her achievements than her death. I also think of Isadora Quagmire from the Series of Unfortunate Events, and that’s a plus for me.
I don’t think she’ll get “lost” in a sea of Izzies, but it is likely that she’ll meet another one once in a while. FWIW, most of the Isabel/Isabellas I know go by the full name or Belle/Bella-not Izzy.
The is a door joke is lame. It strikes me as the type of thing you might hear more often before she is born, but (hopefully) some people may not go there once it’s attached to an actual child. I’d probably reply to the joke with an annoyed face and comment about “bad grandpa jokes.” It’s really not a huge issue IMO.
I do associate the name with Isadora Duncan & I did already know how she died. However, my mind didn’t go straight to her death. Instead, it was more like “oh, like Isadora Duncan” then “her death? oh, yeah” then I moved on. I doubt most people make the connection at all & most kids her age will probably never even know who Isadora Duncan was. I don’t see an issue here at all.
Agreed. Hard to get away from the association with Duncan, but I think of her achievements as a pioneer of modern dance than I do her death. If anything, the name comes across as artsy to me – which is absolutely not a negative.
I love the name!
My name is April and I got (and still occasionally do get) “Hey April! Where’s May and June?” or “Is your middle name May?” but it’s never been a big deal. I always respond with “huh.. never heard that before…”
And I had no idea who Isadora Duncan was so no association for me!
Prior to this post I didn’t know who Isadora Duncan was.
I thought of Samantha’s mother from the tv show Bewitched; which for me is an awesome association.
Love the suggestion of using Isa (ee-sah) as her nickname.
The Bewitched character was Endora, which I think is a made-up name.
I agree that the nickname Isa is adorable.
I love the name Isadora! Another nn option that hasn’t been mentioned is Sadie
I think Isadora is lovely and your concerns will end up being nonissues. One alternative you could consider: Isabetta. Not quite Isabella, no door jokes. Betty vs Dora nicknames which is neutral to me.
My son’s middle is Isidore, and in almost 8 years we’ve only heard the Is A Door joke once. Minimized, I’m sure, by the fact that we don’t always use his middle, but really not an issue. Go for it!
The other two “issues” you mention are not problems in my mind either. Good for your husband for considering such a unique alternative to the name he loves!
I’m a Genevieve who grew up surrounded by Jennifers. I went by Genny in elementary school…like many of the Jennifers went by Jenny. Now, some people call me Gen, although I mostly switched to the full name around age 11.
So, I’ve personally lived concern #1. It really wasn’t a big deal. To be honest, the most frustrating part (as I recall) was that people kept spelling my name wrong because they assumed it was short for Jennifer.
My only association with the name is it’s the name of the necklace in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
I love Isadora! I did not have any association with Isadora Duncan, but instead I thought of Icelandic artist Björk’s daughter, Isadora.
The “is a door” joke would have not occurred to me. I don’t think it’s worth worrying about. People with that sort if humor will find a joke or rhyme to any name, so go with what you love!
Another name possibility I can think of is Isobel.
My main association with the name is also Bjork’s daughter, who must be around 10 by now.
In general I think Izzie / Izzy is a pretty popular nickname–along with Isabel, I’ve also heard it used for Isaac.
You could also consider Isabeau, nn’d Beau.
None of your other concerns register even a little bit with me; overall, I think it’s a beautiful, underused name.
I strongly associate the name with Isadora Duncan, but I love dance and dance history – I don’t think most people would. And for me, it’s a positive association! I would be astonished if you could find a single elementary-aged child who knew about her, though. It’s a beautiful name.
I do think of Isadora Duncan immediately. I don’t know much about her, but it is an uncommon enough name that the association is strong. I kind of can’t even say the name Isadora without following it up with Duncan. I didn’t know about how she died, and so that association didn’t come up for me.
My daughter (almost 4) is named Isadora, and we have had none of the issues raised by the letter-writer. We did know about Isadora Duncan but realized that most people do not. I imagine the Izzy/Isabella issue will be of more or less concern depending on the naming landscape of your area; we don’t seem to have too many in my neck of the woods, so it hasn’t come up for us.
I had originally anticipated that we might use Izzy, but she nicknamed herself Dora when she was 2 and learning to talk. To my surprise, people rarely bring up Dora the Explorer. When they do, they’re usually adults or older kids who know that Dora is a somewhat unusual name. Other little kids don’t seem to have that impression yet, so they just accept my daughter has the same name of a character on TV.
The “joke” we hear sometimes is “Is-adorable”…but we think that’s sweet!
I love my daughter’s name. My other child’s name was much more difficult to come up with, and though I do like it just fine, it doesn’t give me the mini-thrill that Isadora does whenever I fill out a form for her or introduce her. If you really like a name, and your partner agrees to it, I think you should do yourself the favor of using it. Unless you are the Duggars, you won’t get to name very many people.
Is-adorable is too cute!
I think it’s a lovely name! Also I am actually named after Natalie Wood but her death has never been brought up, so I wouldn’t worry about that. Even if people recognized the name, surely they wouldn’t be so crass/awful as to say OH LIKE THAT WOMAN WHO DIED IN A TERRIBLE CAR CRASH? If they are, be sure never to see them again.
I immediately thought of Isadora Duncan, but it was not a negative association for me. Her contribution to dance is what I think of first, not her tragic death. I love the name!
Love this name! My mind immediately went to is- adorable, rather than is-a-door. ‘Dorable is a sweet in-family pet name.
I’m on the I don’t think your concerns will be big issues bandwagon. Go for it! Isadora is a wonderful name!
Never heard of Isadora Duncan. Think the name is cute!!!
I think izzy will be assumed by some to be Isabelle.
Is a bell-a ‘ringin is my brain thought when I meet an Isabelle, I hear is a door for isadora ( wouldn’t verbalise it though!).
I only know about isadora Duncan’s death (thought she might be an actress??) but it isn’t an overly heavy association or even that vivid or negative (it was an accident not a gruesome murder or something) kind of along the lines of how I think of grace Kelly or princess Diana.
I wouldn’t consider any of these points deal breakers, they are all pretty minor hesitations unless there is another contributing factor like a really tough surname or initials that would also be negatives. Personally I would go for it 😄
I say use it! I think it’s a beautiful name.
I teach in a bunch of preschools and of all the Isabelle/Isabellas I have met (and there have been many in recent years), I’ve only ever had one that went by Izzy. The rest all went by Bella or the full name. So there may not be as many Izzies as you fear.
I do leap straight to the Isadora Duncan association, but that wouldn’t prevent me from using the name. I honestly don’t think most people will make that connection.
When thinking about the name in the abstract, I do think of Isadora Duncan and her decapitation. This is probably because all of my children are enamored with wrapping things around their necks and then careening around with dramatic trailing ends a-flapping, so I frequently call upon Isadora Duncan’s untimely death as an example for why this is such a very bad and NOT SAFE idea. Thus, there are at least three young children in this generation who will be very aware of Isadora Duncan’s legacy. (The most morbid of my kids thinks it is the best story ever; I am thinking that there might be an Isadora Duncan Halloween costume in our future someday.)
However, I ALSO know an Isadora and when I think of her, it’s very associated with HER and I’m not thinking about tragic automobile-incompatible fashions in the slightest. As such, I really wouldn’t worry about it, and I am, as I said above, someone who invokes the name of Isadora Duncan on a very regular basis. I really doubt this is going to be an association that many people have, and for those that do have it, they won’t say anything to your daughter (because, rude) and then quickly your daughter will become the name for them.
LOVE IT!!! PLEASE USE ISADORA!!!!
This is one of those names that over the last several years (since I’ve become a huge name fanatic) that I’ve so hoped someone uses. Sigh. Love it.
I personally don’t care for the nickname Dora, which is a potential… Although you stated that you are planning on using Izzy or Isadora. Another name you could consider would be Isolde; but it just doesn’t give the same amazing vibe as Isadora.
Please update us!! I hope you choose it!!!
I think immediately of Isadora Duncan, but chiefly of her accomplishments as a pioneer of modern dance. I know about her death, but it is not at all the first thing I think of. It’s a positive association for me.
The door joke would never have occurred to me.
I have observed that Izzy is used slightly less often than other nicknames for the Isabelle/Isabella set, at least where I am. I think it would still be unique and fun!
I think it’s a great name!
I LOVE Isadora, and I had none of the negative or pesky associations you mentioned! Just as a slight alternative in case you want one, I know an Isamar and I love her name. Isamar! Isn’t it pretty?
I know a preschool-aged Isadora, and MAN does that kid have personality! It’s a great name.
Off to look up who Isadora Duncan is and how she died…
1. I love the name Isadora
2. Yes, all Izzie/izzys will get lumped together. However, a lot of kids like having the same nicknames and they have ways of working things out (e.g. big Izzy, little Izzy). You can also call her Dora or Dori, both of which are adorable.
3. I would more likely expect Is-a-dork or Is-a-dork-a. There’s just not much funny about being a door. But as PPs have mentioned, you can find a way to make fun of nearly any name if you try. I wouldn’t let this deter me.
4. Isadora Duncan who?
One of my current students is called Isadora, and I think her friend’s call her Isa (eye-za)…it’s a nice name!
Oh my god autocorrect…that apostrophe is chilling. Also wanted to add my student is 18, and it suits her well…I like testing names out on different age groups and seeing how it fits…
I know an Isidora/Izzy born in ~1990, and it never read as weird or off — fit her well and was familiar enough to the ear.
Isadora is a great name! Love the nickname Izzie too!
I like the suggestion of Sadie for a nickname.
Isabeau, Isolde and Elizabella are all alternatives that popped into my head too!
If you love Isadora, just go for it!
Good luck!
I was raised on the story of Isadora Duncan, I guess so we would be careful while wearing scarves? But even though I know it I love the name Isadora, I think it’s beautiful.
I’ve never heard of Isadora Duncan until today. I’ve taught a few students with the name Isabella, and they’ve all gone by the nickname Izzy. If she ends up going by Izzy, I could see some people assuming her full name is Isabella, but I don’t think that is a big issue.
Isadora is a beautiful name!