We are trying to keep the classic to modern favorites theme going, but I am worried that the third girl’s name choice might be too similar! The big sisters just happen to have nicknames that both start with E which we use more than their given ones, so hubs would also like to continue with the 3rd E. I’m not convinced this wouldn’t get confusing or not sound silly. Their middle names are family names: [name]Isabella[/name] [name]Doris[/name] ([name]Ella[/name])
[name]Evangeline[/name] [name]Theresa[/name] ([name]Evie[/name])
What do you think about [name]Emmeline[/name] [name]Ivie[/name] ([name]Emme[/name]) for the 3rd? I also worry that have two endings spelled the same but pronounced differently might be problematic. Evange’lean’ vs [name]Emme[/name]‘line’.
I love your daughters’ names! [name]Isabella[/name] and [name]Evangeline[/name]/[name]Ella[/name] and [name]Evie[/name] are adorable together. I really like [name]Emmeline[/name] [name]Ivie[/name], and I think [name]Ella[/name], [name]Evie[/name], and [name]Emmy[/name]/[name]Emme[/name] could work, although the similarities to [name]Evangeline[/name] and [name]Emmeline[/name] make me hesitate–[name]Evie[/name] and [name]Ivie[/name] are only one letter apart, and [name]Emmeline[/name] [name]Ivie[/name] smooshed gives you [name]Evie[/name], and [name]Evangeline[/name] and [name]Emmeline[/name] both end in the “line” ending (I instinctively say both with the “leen” sound–I don’t know if it bothers you, but I think you’ll get [name]Emma[/name]-lyn, [name]Emma[/name]-line, and [name]Emma[/name]-leen just about equally). It would be a bit too close for me–I think [name]Isabella[/name], [name]Evangeline[/name], and [name]Emilia[/name] might be more workable, and you could still use [name]Emmy[/name]/[name]Emme[/name] as a nn?
The only other option I can really think of would be [name]Estelle[/name]/[name]Estella[/name]/[name]Estrella[/name], nn Estey. I think [name]Ella[/name], [name]Evie[/name], and Estey are a bit more distinct. Or [name]Edith[/name]/[name]Eden[/name], nn [name]Edie[/name]? Although [name]Evie[/name] and [name]Edie[/name] are more similar than [name]Evie[/name] and [name]Emme[/name]. All the other ideas I can think of are too close to either [name]Ella[/name] or [name]Evie[/name].
Congratulations on girl #3, and welcome to Nameberry!
My opinion is that [name]Ella[/name], [name]Evie[/name] and [name]Emme[/name] would be too cutesy and matchy for sisters if those were their full names. I don’t see it as too much of a problem since they’re nicknames, especially if you use their full names occasionally. I suppose the similarity could be a problem when you’re calling the girls; we know a family that sometimes confuses [name]Hannah[/name] and [name]Samuel[/name] when one is being called, because the vowel sounds are similar! You might want to keep that in mind for a while when you call your older daughters–“Does that sound too much like [name]Emme[/name]?”
I might suggest running a poll to see how many people pronounce [name]Emmeline[/name] “[name]Emme[/name]‘line’” vs. “[name]Emme[/name]‘lean’.” It can be pronounced both ways. See what your family and friends think. If most people think of it as “[name]Emme[/name]‘line’,” the way you intend to pronounce it, it probably wouldn’t be a problem beside [name]Evangeline[/name], whose pronunciation is (I think) pretty well established.
I think you could use an E name as long as the sounds were very different. [name]Emmeline[/name] doesn’t pass muster-- it is way too similar to [name]Evangeline[/name].
Some thoughts, for a classic E name and sisters [name]Isabella[/name] and [name]Evangeline[/name] (some of these will be closer to [name]Doris[/name], some closer to [name]Isabella[/name]):
[name]Edwina[/name]
[name]Edythe[/name]
[name]Eugenia[/name]
[name]Eliana[/name]
[name]Eithne[/name]
[name]Eleanor[/name] / [name]Eleonora[/name]
[name]Eleri[/name]
[name]Eliora[/name] (“God is my light”)
[name]Elira[/name] (“to be free” in Albanian!)
[name]Elowen[/name]
[name]Eloise[/name]
[name]Elodie[/name]
[name]Emmanuelle[/name]
[name]Erika[/name]
[name]Esme[/name]
Esteri (Finnish form of [name]Esther[/name])-- or [name]Esther[/name] itself
[name]Eudora[/name] (“good gift”)
Euphrosyne (a mouthful, but she was a [name]Grace[/name], the goddess of joy and mirth, in addition to the name of Byzantine empresses and saints)
I think all of these have sufficiently different sounds from [name]Isabella[/name] and [name]Evangeline[/name] to work.
Personally, I don’t think that the nicknames by themselves cause a problem… after all, they are only nicknames. However, it feels like [name]Evangeline[/name] and [name]Emmeline[/name] are so close in composition, and when the nicknames are added in to the equation, it all feels a bit much for my tastes. My suggestion, keep the nickname, but find a new route to it
[name]Isabella[/name] [name]Doris[/name] ([name]Ella[/name]), [name]Evangeline[/name] [name]Theresa[/name] ([name]Evie[/name]), and [name]Clementine[/name] [name]Ivie[/name] ([name]Emme[/name]) <— too classic for your tastes?
Isabella Doris (Ella), Evangeline Theresa (Evie), and Amelia Ivie (Emme) <— I really love that this gives you the nickname, but that each girl’s first name is uniquely their own
I agree that [name]Ella[/name], [name]Evie[/name], and [name]Emme[/name] aren’t a problem together, but I don’t like the full name of [name]Emmaline[/name] next to [name]Evangeline[/name]. Have you considered just calling her [name]Emme[/name] to begin with? (Or [name]Emma[/name], or [name]Emily[/name] nn [name]Emme[/name]?)
You could also use something like [name]Elena[/name] to assuage your husband’s preference. It would still be an E name to fit in with your girls, but then it would also offer her unique nicknames like [name]Lainy[/name] or [name]Lena[/name]. Good luck! =]
I’m going to have to agree with everyone else that [name]Evangeline[/name] and [name]Emmaline[/name] are too close, and although you want the [name]Emme[/name]-line pronunciation a lot of people pronounce it as [name]Emma[/name]-leen.
The nickname [name]Ella[/name], [name]Evie[/name] and [name]Emme[/name] would be adorable and are different enough in sounds to work, so maybe [name]Emilia[/name] or [name]Esme[/name]?
I also think [name]Evangeline[/name] and [name]Emmeline[/name] are too similar.
For a different “e” nickname, what about [name]Etta[/name], short for [name]Henrietta[/name], [name]Julietta[/name], [name]Rosetta[/name], [name]Loretta[/name], etc? Or [name]Elsie[/name], short for [name]Elizabeth[/name], [name]Elise[/name]? (But Isabella is a form of Elizabeth, so that wouldn’t really work…) Or [name]Edie[/name], short for [name]Eden[/name], [name]Edith[/name]?
Somebody mentioned [name]Clementine[/name] ("[name]Emme[/name]"), but I still think the “ine” is too matchy with [name]Evangeline[/name]. If you really like [name]Emme[/name] for the nickname, you could consider [name]Emilia[/name], which is similar to [name]Emmeline[/name] (and prettier [name]IMO[/name]), or [name]Emmanuelle[/name]. Or [name]Esmeralda[/name] could work, I think. It’s a bit of a stretch, but what about a name that starts with M, since [name]Emme[/name] sounds like the letter? (Assuming that you’re not pronouncing it like [name]Emmy[/name], but even if you are, it might still work.)
