<p>I like Adrianna for the legal paperwork and for when she grows up and wants an elegant, professional name. In the meantime, she can introduce herself with the nickname driana which would be close to what she wants. I would avoid the name dreanna as it does sound made up and something about seems uneducated, perhaps because it looks misspelled?</p>
<p>Dreanne sounds fine but I can’t get anything from it by looking at the word on paper. “Dreeen” is all that comes to mind; and it does suggest “dreary.”</p>
<p>Everyone’s doing a nice job with variations on the de…ann combination. </p>
<p>But just in case she’s attached to that letter “r” with the D, I’ll list all these names from my name book that use D and R. If you want to know their meaning or origin, write again here.</p>
<p>Dara, Darcie, Darcy, Daria, Darla, Darleen/Darlene/Darline, Darlyn, Darona, Daronit, Davir, Debra, Debora/Deborah, Devera, Deirdre, Delores/Dolores, Deror/Dror (means freedom in Hebrew), Derora/Derorah (Hebrew meaning flowing stream or bird (swallow) or freedom, liberty. Deroria and Derorit are variant forms. Devira (variant form of Devir, meaning sanctuary). Devora, devorah, Devoranit, Devorit, Devra, Diedra, Diedre, Dierdre, Dobra, Dobrah, Dor, Dora, Doralene, Doraleen, Doran, Dorann, Dorcas, Dorcia, Dore, Dorea, Doreen, Dorene, Doretta, Dorette, Doria/Dorie, Dorinda, Doris, Dorit, Dorita, Dorith, Doritt, Doriya, Dorma, Dorona (from Greek, meaning "gift) Darona is a variant spelling; Doronit is a variant form. Dorotea, Dorothea, Dorothee, Dorothy, Dorri/Dorrie, Dorrit, Dorya/Doria/Doriya, Dreama (from MIddle English and Old English meaning joy, music), Durene, Dvera, Dvora, Dvorit.</p>
<p>Drat, I can’t find any more with D and R on this list.</p>
<p>My source: Alfred J. Kolatch, The Complete Dictionary of English and Hebrew First Names.</p>
<p>Turning around her idea, how about: Andrea (often gets nicknamed Andy…)</p>
<p>Deanna is nice. What about Dedra? (or is it Deedra?) The lady/doctor/nurse/whatever who tried to deliver my sister, brother, and I (sis/bro too late, i came too early haha) went by Dee and it’s not a common name at all, but cute and fun yet also shows a touch of strength and personality.</p>
<p>The first thing I thought of was Adrienne. Someone has already suggested Adrianna. Neither of those names sounds black or ghetto-ized to me. She could choose either of them and then use a shortened form for a nickname – Drienne (Dreanne) or Drianna (Dreanna). She could spell it anyway she wants. </p>
<p>I think it best to try to stay close to the name she wants to choose, but let her know that we have nicknames here so although she will be called what she wants, her formal name will be a bit different.</p>
<p>If later on she decides she wants to be more “ethnic,” she still has her middle name Giang.</p>
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<p>aah, very French! I like it! Would pass the Secty of State test.</p>
<p>We do know some girls named Brianne and Bryanna…nicknamed Bry.</p>
<p>Dreanne sounds very black. I would go with Adrienne.</p>
<p>Creative spelling/name creation does indeed conjure up the inner city, which is why I think you’re nervous about it. Maybe she wants that tougher image.</p>
<p>Although I hope that a first name would not prejudice employers, I can’t say whether it would or not. People are strange sometimes.</p>
<p>To me, all name-bias issues aside, Dreanne has the same problems that Giang has: spelling, pronunciation, and difficulty in remembering it when heard. Your daughter should be aware of these potential problems before she chooses her name. After all, people close to her will be tolerant of a first name change, but not a second and a third.</p>
<p>I would go with Adrianne too. It’s a professional sounding name that still has the “dre-ann” sound in it. </p>
<p>My litmus test for a name is to add “Judge” or “Doctor” in front of it to see if it sounds good. I’m a traditionalist, though. My own daughters have “queen” names, lol.</p>
<p>I agree that Deanna has a really nice sound. Easier to spell and pronounce. I’d vote for that, but I like Daria too.</p>
<p>Adrienne is beautiful, but if she knows her Vietnamese history, it might make her unhappy to carry a French name. The French colonized Vietnam before the Americans came in during the l960’s. Think about it; in Vietnam, the French might be considered the oppressors. I just don’t know. I do think Adrienne or Adriana is a pretty name, am just considering all angles, from your D’s point of view as Vietnamese.</p>
<p>Adriana is more Italian name, so perhaps that would be OK if she wants to avoid awkward French connotations.</p>
<p>Does she currently have a middle name? Perhaps adding an American middle name and using her first initial (“G. Deanna”) would work for her, and then if she decides later in life to begin using her Vietnamese name again (when she’s shed some of the teenage angst of “fitting in”), she can simply start using it again.</p>
<p>I have never heard of Dreanne before and agree that it will most likely be a problem with pronounciation. The first thing I think of when seeing it is “dreary”. It sounds made up. </p>
<p>I have a name that is not unheard of but is not super common. The problem is that is very close (one letter difference) to a very common name so I have spent my whole life saying “No it’s not xyz, it’s wxy”. It’s just close enough for people to mistake it for the more common name and so call me that name instead of mine when we first meet. It gets tiresome having to correct people but is also irritating to be called the wrong name. </p>
<p>So my advice is IF she is determined to go with an uncommon name, make it one that doesn’t sound SO close to a common name that it gets confusing. People will always call her by the more common name until she corrects them because that’s just what sounds right to their ears. After awhile it gets to be a pain to correct everyone on the spelling/pronounciation of your name.</p>
<p>How about Delia…different, not common but not unheard of or made up.</p>
<p>If you go with Deann, I would capitalize the A (DeAnn(a) so it doesn’t look like Dean.<br>
I do like Adrienne too if you could talk her into it.
Don’t let her go for the made up name. It might sound cool to her now but she will likely be sorry for it later.</p>
<p>Both my S’s have common Biblical names but go by shortened nicknames.</p>
<p>I love Marite’s suggestion of Brianna. It’s a beautiful name that will pass the Sec of State test. I love traditional names, especially Irish ones.</p>
<p>Deanna is a very common Italian name around here. Too cutsey for my taste. I agree the Dreanne immediately jumps out as a ghetto or Mormon name — it just seems to be made up. Is your surname very ethnic? Sometimes the contrast of first & last name can be almost comical, so your D will want to carefullly consider that. I have a nephew adopted from Guatemala & his parents kept his birth name. It truly sounds ridiculous with our very unusual, very ethnic surname. They later had two biological kids & chose some really odd names, as well. Perhaps it was a way of having their first child feel less different than his siblings.</p>
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<p>If you want to stay with a “body of water” motif, the name Adrian, male root of Adriane, Adrienne, etc, means ‘from the sea’ (or, more specifically, from the area around the Port of Adria on the Adriatic Sea, if I am not mistaken.) Latin origin is Hadrian, Roman emperor.</p>
<p>Marite probably knew this when she suggested Adriana, another feminine derivation. </p>
<p>I’ll second Marite’s suggestion then, both because of the meaning, and because it is a pretty way to get the “Dree” sound in.</p>
<p>Just one article about names and how reactions to them from a jobs context: <a href=“http://www.sptimes.com/2003/02/12/Columns/Names_of_pride_or_lab.shtml[/url]”>http://www.sptimes.com/2003/02/12/Columns/Names_of_pride_or_lab.shtml</a></p>
<p>I don’t like the name Dreanna. It is hard to pronounce and spell, and it seems made up.</p>
<p>I’m puzzled why your daughter would pick a name like this if she wants an “American” name. It’s pretty far out of the mainstream.</p>
<p>If you think she might enjoy widening her search, there is a book that I have always liked, “Beyond Jennifer and Jason.” We used it to name our daughter many moons ago, and have kept a copy on our bookshelf. My husband is a writer, and he uses it to name characters. And it’s lots of fun to read and browse.</p>
<p>Have your daughter read the chapter on names in Freakonomics. It’s a fascinating study of how names reflect family education and income.</p>
<p>I’ve got a prejudice for names I recognize and that are spelled traditionally, I realize however that millions of Americans don’t agree with me. I do think the “Dre” beginning makes me think of Dr. Dre. Possibly quite unfairly.</p>
<p>Great suggestion mathmom. Here’s a link to an excerpt from that chapter in the book: <a href=“Freakonomics - The hidden side of everything”>Freakonomics - The hidden side of everything;
<p>Just wondered—does ‘Dreanne’ have a similar sound as “Giang” (her real name?). Seems like on some level she’s trying to replicate (naturally) her real name with the new name.</p>
<p>If it were me, I’d try to find something that sounds similar to the natural name, thus honoring it. Deanne seems to fit the bill. Maybe you could suggest others that are more mainstream than Dreanne?</p>
<p>Also, if her name is pronounced “G - Anne” then it will already sound almost mainstream. If she removed the g at the end, there would be few pronunciation errors. (Giann? Gianna? Jiann? Jianna?). Just thinking down the road how nice it would be to keep at least the centerpiece of her real name. Agree; parents put so much thought into middle names–they are almost never, ever used in life!</p>