About 6 weeks till our 2nd daughter is due, and we are at a loss on names. I would like to honor my mom who will not be around to meet this grandchild, but I am not quite sold on using her name, [name]Elaine[/name], as a first name. She loved all things green, so I thought [name]Emerald[/name] might work, but is it too out there for real life? Middle name will likely be family name from husband’s side- [name]Gordon[/name], so any thoughts on [name]Emerald[/name] [name]Gordon[/name] Saddler?
I really don’t like emerald as a name. What about [name]Esmeralda[/name]? It’s fairly close to emerald.
[name]Emerald[/name] is not the most wearable of first names. [name]Emma[/name] and [name]Emily[/name] have been wildly popular in the US and UK lately, so it fits in there, and there is the nickname [name]Emmy[/name], but I would rather something else which signifies green, such as [name]Marina[/name] (for the ocean? Does that work? Or is it too blue?), [name]Fern[/name], or [name]Clover[/name]. [name]Elaine[/name] is slightly outdated but I did know a girl called that who was very young and upbeat. It’s a nice name too. What about a variation of [name]Elaine[/name], like [name]Laney[/name], [name]Elena[/name], or [name]Helena[/name] (though I pronounce it Hel-en-a, not Hel-ay-na as I have seen on some of the forums)? Congrats! I am sure you will find a great name.
I think the name [name]Emerald[/name] is lovely. If she prefers, there are a lot of nicknames that one can derive from [name]Emerald[/name].
I do like [name]Emerald[/name]. Not keen on [name]Gordon[/name] though. I [name]LOVE[/name] the nn [name]Emmy[/name].
I think [name]Emerald[/name] would actually be lovely! You could nickname her [name]Emmy[/name]. I do not like [name]Gordon[/name] at all, sorry. Maybe you could use your mom’s middle name? [name]Gordon[/name] is just too boyish. I think the middle name could “make” [name]Emerald[/name] as a first name. Actually, [name]Emerald[/name] [name]Laine[/name] is very pretty. I actually like [name]Emerald[/name] [name]Elaine[/name]!
I think [name]Emerald[/name] is definitely wearable, especially in todays naming world. Like already said there are lots of nickname possibilities. It’s [name]Gordon[/name] in the middle that I’m not crazy about, but since it’s a family name I know it’s important, why not adding a third more feminine middle? Or even [name]Emerald[/name] [name]Elaine[/name] [name]Gordon[/name].
Honestly, [name]Emerald[/name] isn’t doing anything for me. Whenever I say it aloud, it sounds like [name]Emeril[/name]… probably not an ideal image for your daughter. I am not an [name]Esmerelda[/name] fan, so here are some other ideas:
[name]Jade[/name]
[name]Giada[/name] (Italian for jade)
[name]Willow[/name]
[name]Laurel[/name]
[name]Olive[/name]
[name]Ireland[/name]
[name]Midori[/name] (Japanese for green)
[name]Fern[/name]
[name]Holly[/name]
[name]Clover[/name]
[name]Verde[/name]
[name]Sage[/name]
Greenlee or Greenleigh or Greenley
[name]Sylvia[/name] (from the forest)
[name]Arden[/name] (great forest)
[name]Liana[/name] (name of a vine in tropical forests)
[name]Kelly[/name]
[name]Viridian[/name]
[name]Teal[/name]
A flower or tree name would conjure images of green wildlife, like [name]Tulip[/name], [name]Acacia[/name], or [name]Juniper[/name].
Good luck!
i am not a fan sorry…
I like [name]Emerald[/name]. I knew an [name]Emerald[/name] and she was Sassy with a capital S. [name]Gordon[/name] is very heavy and masculine [name]IMO[/name].
If not [name]Emerald[/name], what about [name]Kelly[/name] in the middle place (as in [name]Kelly[/name] green?)
[name]Fern[/name]
[name]Ivy[/name]
[name]Sage[/name]
[name]Clover[/name]
[name]Helena[/name] [name]Fern[/name] Saddler? Or changing [name]Gordon[/name] to something else… [name]Gilda[/name]? Is there another name from your husband’s side you might use? [name]Gilda[/name] [name]Kelly[/name] has a very glam old-Hollywood feel to it…
I really like [name]Emerald[/name]! I think it would be a beautiful first name!
thanks for all the quick replies! very helpful to get wider opinions then just family. this one is somehow harder than naming our first, perhaps because it will likely be the second and last child.
For [name]Elaine[/name] I have also considered [name]Elena[/name]/[name]Elaina[/name], [name]Eleanor[/name], [name]Helena[/name] (I love, but husband doesn’t like), maybe even [name]Elowen[/name] (a nameberry discovery)
My mom was also a great lover of flowers- I would probably use [name]Violet[/name] without a second thought, but it is seems so up and coming. And [name]Iris[/name] is great, but [name]Iris[/name] Saddler gives me pause with the ending/starting “S”
I am also a bit unsure of [name]Emerald[/name] [name]Gordon[/name], too D heavy with the last name, and [name]Gordon[/name] is very masculine, so I was considering going back the the first name of the woman it refers to, [name]Sarah[/name], who went by [name]Sally[/name]. [name]Sally[/name]/[name]Sarah[/name]/[name]Sadie[/name] Saddler really don’t sound good, that is why it is getting relegated to the middle.
thanks again for all the input
ok, looked through those again, and there seems to be a consensus that [name]Emerald[/name] [name]Gordon[/name] is part of the problem, might sound better as [name]Emerald[/name] [name]Sarah[/name]. Then you have a very familiar, feminine middle name
I think [name]Emerald[/name] is lovely, I know a girl named [name]Emerald[/name] who goes by [name]Emmy[/name]. And as suggested, [name]Emerald[/name] [name]Elaine[/name] [name]Gordon[/name] has a nice ring to it without the strong contrast of a feminine first name with a strongly masculine middle name.
thanks [name]Lori[/name]- must have seen my other posts trying to take into consideration her older sister [name]Roxanne[/name]…
[name]Lucille[/name] and [name]Estelle[/name]/[name]Estella[/name] is on our long list, as is [name]Maxine[/name], but [name]Roxy[/name] and [name]Maxie[/name] seemed a bit TOO cutesy
And now we have decided we want to incorporate family names, which is harder than I thought!
I like [name]Emerald[/name]. I think it’s totally usable, and I think it’s so cute for a connection. My last name is [name]Green[/name] so I always imagined using a ‘green’ name as a middle to honor that. I had [name]Jade[/name] or [name]Kelly[/name] or [name]Olive[/name] in mind. [name]Emerald[/name] may just make my list now 
With [name]Emerald[/name] [name]Sarah[/name] she could always go by [name]Sarah[/name] or [name]Emmy[/name] if she chooses. I also like [name]Emerald[/name] [name]Sadie[/name], as you said [name]Sadie[/name] was an option.
I really love [name]Emerald[/name] and can’t see any reason not to use it. Gorgeous stone, gorgeous name, cute nickname options. And I quite like the repetition of D’s.
[name]Emerald[/name] [name]Gordon[/name] seems very masculine, and I like unisex names. I think [name]Emerald[/name] is a little out there, but still usable.
[name]Emerald[/name] is cute. I don’t really think it is too out there. If your worried, [name]Jade[/name], [name]Jada[/name] or [name]Jayda[/name] could work. However, [name]Gordan[/name] is a very masculine name that is totally not up for feminization. What about Gordana? Not my favorite, but it could work.
Or [name]Emerald[/name] [name]Elaine[/name] [name]Gordan[/name] would work nicely.
Or, you could use [name]Elaina[/name] as a first name. Also, I love, love [name]Elowen[/name].
Also, [name]Emerald[/name] ranked in the top 1000 from 1991 to 2002, another reason why I don’t see why it would be weird to use.
Wow a lot of feedback, mostly favorable. I think I will keep it as a strong possibility and work on middles. I personally like it quite a bit, just curious about what sort of reactions I might get. And I think it works fine with her older sister, [name]Roxanne[/name]/[name]Roxy[/name].