I would absolutely love to name a daughter Kestrel. It's the name of my favorite bird, actually...and I thought it would make a nice name... But my sister is constantly making fun of it and tells me that it reminds her of the word "castrate", which isn't a very pleasant word at all.
So, I would absolutely love to use it, but I wouldn't want her aunt to dislike her just because of her name. My sister did suggest the middle name Zophia for it, though, and told me that she would just always call her KZ / Kazie / Kessie. Still, I would prefer if she would just stop being so sick-minded about it... It's not very mature, and I personally love Kestrel...
For a boy, if I could use ANYTHING, I might use Rilo or Rupin. I love those names, but they seem a bit odd and not easily accepted. I don't love these names as much as some other boys' names on my list, but I do really love them. Not as much as Kestrel, though. I still think Kestrel is amazing. :)
I'd also love to use Ava is popularity wasn't a factor... It IS number one right now, after all, and I prefer names that are slightly less common. I do love Ava, and have loved it for quite a long time because of a friend with a similar name, but I don't think I could ever use it as a first name because of the popularity.
This was a fun question, I found it really interesting!
-- Amy