A Distinctive Name to Go With Reverie

General Name Discussion
1

Hello there. I recently discovered this site and am so glad I did. My partner and I are expecting our second child and have been making no progress in finding a great name. Our four-year-old daughter is named Reverie [name]Alice[/name]. I’m a writer and my partner is a linguist so we love word names, foreign names, anything literary. We had no idea what we wanted for our first daughter, and one day I was reading, came across Reverie and it just fit perfectly. We love the meaning, love that it comes from French and has connections to music and art. [name]Alice[/name] honors both “[name]Alice[/name] in Wonderland” and a dear friend.

For number two, we’re stumped. We’re not sure if we want another word name. But we can’t use something normal or “blah” because it just wouldn’t stand next to Reverie.

For girls, some names we’ve considered: [name]Sonnet[/name], [name]Muse[/name], [name]Dulcet[/name], Gossamer, [name]Plum[/name], [name]Hyacinth[/name]

Boys names we’ve considered: [name]Fiero[/name], Skylark, [name]Roux[/name], [name]March[/name]

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the names listed. We’re not totally sold on any of them, but maybe you could convince us (in either direction!) We’d also love and appreciate suggestions! We live in the US and our last name is hyphenated and three syllables total.

Thanks!
[name]Julia[/name]

2

I really like [name]Sonnet[/name], [name]Muse[/name], and Gossamer for girls and [name]March[/name] for a boy. The only one I don’t like is [name]Roux[/name] because all I think of is the sauce thickener.

I’m not very good at coming up with names but maybe you might like [name]Minuet[/name], [name]August[/name], [name]Calliope[/name], [name]Jazz[/name], or [name]Winter[/name].

3

I like [name]March[/name] but it doesn’t really go with Reverie, not so crazy about the other boys names especially Skylark, that seems more like a candidate for a girl. My suggestion for a boy would be Resolve, it’s a good match with Reverie and has a very strong sound and meaning.

As far as the girls choice-[name]Sonnet[/name] isn’t too bad but she’s probably end up getting the nickname [name]Sonny[/name] at school whether you like it or not. [name]Dulcet[/name] is alright and [name]Dulcey[/name] is sweet. [name]Hyacinth[/name] is interesting but again nn’s [name]Hy[/name] or [name]Cindy[/name] probably aren’t what you are looking for. Gossamer is lovely, Goss is not. The other two do nothing for me. For some reason the names [name]Sparrow[/name] and Gaily come to mind in connection with Reverie so maybe those. Also I had an aunt named Elloa-pronounced E-lo-a, her mother invented the name and she’s the only one I ever heard of so that would fit the bill of it being unique.

4

First of all I love Reverie! I think it is beautiful!!
I thought maybe I could share some names that I like that my Hubby won’t go for because they are too out there in his opinion
Girls:
Avonlea
[name]Ever[/name]
[name]Isolde[/name]
[name]Avalon[/name]

Boys:
[name]Gawain[/name] (ga-wyn)
[name]Olly[/name]

Best of luck it looks like you will come up with something unique and beautiful

5

From your current lists, I love [name]Muse[/name] and [name]Plum[/name], and also Skylark for a girl. Have you thought about Larkspur for a boy? It seems more masculine.

For either gender, how would you feel about a virtue name? [name]Virtue[/name] names to me have a different “feel” than word names, because they were chosen to represent a specific trait. I also tried to think about your language connections – you mentioned loving the name Reverie because of its French and music/art associations, so I took that into consideration. Let me know if any of these strike your fancy:

Girls:
[name]Fable[/name]
[name]Hero[/name] - could be either, but I prefer it on a girl
[name]Clemency[/name]
[name]Constance[/name]
[name]Lux/name - with or without the E
[name]Fleur[/name]
[name]Honor[/name] - on either gender
[name]Clio[/name] (muse goddess of history)
[name]Calliope[/name] (muse of epic poetry)
Euterpe (pron. You-TERR-pe, muse of music/flutes)
[name]Thalia[/name] (muse of comedy)
[name]Comfort[/name] - a guilty pleasure of mine although I don’t know how well it would go over in today’s world
[name]Glory[/name]

Boys:
[name]Atlas[/name]
[name]Valor[/name]
[name]Honor[/name]
[name]Hero[/name]
[name]Clement/name
[name]Earnest[/name] - kind of fusty-musty, but a guilty pleasure of mine
[name]Hawthorne[/name] - [name]LOVE[/name] this with Reverie! Reverie and [name]Hawthorne[/name]…
Wilde (or [name]Wilder[/name])
[name]Croix[/name]

[name]Hope[/name] that helps!

6

Reverie [name]Alice[/name] is a gorgeous name!

Girls: Memory, [name]November[/name], [name]January[/name], [name]Sunday[/name], [name]Remember[/name], Whisper
Boys: [name]Bay[/name], [name]Steel[/name], [name]Colm[/name], [name]Pate[/name], [name]Pax[/name]

7

You have my ideal naming style! Eclectic & imaginative & words/literature inspired. And lovely. :slight_smile:

For a girl - from your list my favorite is [name]Dulcet[/name]. a) it’s totally wearable in real life but completely unique b)it has a sweet meaning, literally c) it has cute nicknames, which children like even if it’s not important to Mum & Dad d) it goes well with Reverie. Second choice would be [name]Sonnet[/name]. My one dislike = [name]Muse[/name]. I like the idea of it, but not the sound, reminds me of abuse (verb). And mucus, oh dear.

For a boy - from your list my favorite is [name]March[/name], I love that month name. Though for me the literary reference is Lousia [name]May[/name] [name]Alcott[/name] so I wouldn’t give it to a boy. Skylark and [name]Roux[/name] also seem very feminine to me. [name]Fiero[/name] is cool but Reverie & [name]Fiero[/name] is a bit of a mouthful.

Some ideas:
Girl - Alycone (name of a star, rhymes with [name]Bryony[/name]), [name]Bliss[/name], [name]Cypress[/name], [name]Echo[/name], [name]Golden[/name], Kestrel, [name]Opal[/name]
Boy - [name]Cairo[/name], [name]Dune[/name], [name]August[/name], [name]Langston[/name], [name]Legend[/name], [name]Frost[/name], Harbinger, [name]Rio[/name], Talisman, [name]Thor[/name]/[name]Thoreau[/name], [name]Shaw[/name], [name]Wolfe[/name]

I’m thinking if you do have another girl, and they are relatively close together in age, that for a literary reference the little sister might also like to have a name that comes from a book she would like as well. In other words when Reverie starts reading [name]Alice[/name] in Wonderland and realizes the link with her name, the younger one may feel left out if her name refers to say, Tolstoy, or something she can’t read any version of. [name]Just[/name] something to ponder! I love [name]Dorothy[/name] for [name]Frank[/name] L. Baum, [name]Josephine[/name] for [name]Little[/name] Women, [name]Charlotte[/name] or [name]Fern[/name] for [name]Charlotte[/name]'s [name]Web[/name], [name]Mary[/name] for the [name]Secret[/name] Garden, [name]Anne[/name]…of [name]Green[/name] Gables of course! :D, and lots more

8

Wow, thank you all so much for your thoughtful and speedy replies! I’ll try to respond to all the ones so far, and then will be back on tomorrow evening.

soshelly - I also love [name]Calliope[/name] and [name]Jazz[/name]. [name]Calliope[/name] feels a bit too mainstream for some reason, even though I’m sure it’s not popular at all. Maybe because it’s been used on television? [name]Jazz[/name] could definitely be a contender for a boy.

joel613 - Resolve is interesting. I love the meaning. But it reminds me too much of the stain remover. I’m not too concerned about nicknames. Reverie gets called “Rev” often (but never Revy or Revie) but mostly just by family and close friends. A [name]Sonnet[/name] would probably get called “[name]Son[/name]” (prn. SAHN, like the first syllable of the word) not [name]Sonny[/name], though I’m actually not adverse to [name]Sonny[/name]/[name]Sunny[/name] as nn. I like Gossie for Gossamer, though Goss is less appealing, you’re right. [name]Sparrow[/name] is great. My partner might think it’s too “celeb” mainstream but you never know. Gaily, while pretty in sound, would be tough in our family- my partner and I are both women, making the name major grounds for teasing potential.

icmommy - I love Avonlea! I wish I could use it but [name]Daisy[/name], my partner, isn’t a fan. [name]Isolde[/name] is gorgeous as well.

greyer - [name]Love[/name] Larkspur! [name]How[/name] did I not think of that. And I’m with you on virtue names, I love them. I tried for [name]Patience[/name] and [name]Prudence[/name] and [name]Bravery[/name] (for a boy) the first time around but no luck. I like [name]Fable[/name] a lot, will definitely consider that one. And [name]Hero[/name] is excellent as well. Also, [name]Hawthorne[/name] is brilliant. That’s definitely on my list from now on.

flying monkeys - thanks! Memory and [name]Remember[/name] are both fantastic. Reverie and Memory are too much, but I might be able to get away with Reverie and [name]Remember[/name]. Too close? I don’t know. I like [name]Bay[/name], which reminds of [name]Bayou[/name], both of which I’ll bring to the attention of my partner.

peanut - I hear you on [name]Muse[/name]. [name]Dulcet[/name] is definitely standing out on the list for me right now. [name]Bliss[/name] is really sweet. And I like Kestrel. It reminds me of [name]Kismet[/name], which I forgot about. [name]Legend[/name] is super cool. If it was twins- [name]Legend[/name] and [name]Hero[/name]? Hahaha. It’s definitely past my bedtime. Harbinger’s cool but maybe has bad connotations? Though not necessarily. And I totally agree about literary namesakes being related to children’s lit. That’s part of the reason we picked [name]Alice[/name]. I’d definitely go for [name]Mary[/name] (or [name]Lennox[/name]) from [name]Secret[/name] Garden, [name]Dorothy[/name] (for both the [name]Oz[/name] character and [name]Parker[/name]), or [name]Fern[/name] for girls. Not so sure for a boy… [name]Colin[/name] ([name]Secret[/name] Garden), [name]Wilbur[/name] ([name]Charlotte[/name]'s [name]Web[/name]) or even something else from Wonderland - Cheshire or [name]March[/name] (as in [name]March[/name] Hare) or [name]Gryphon[/name].

Thanks again, all!

9

From your girls list, I really love [name]Sonnet[/name], [name]Plum[/name] and [name]Hyacinth[/name].
The boys list I love [name]Fiero[/name] and [name]Roux[/name].

I’ll try not to repeat suggestions–

Girls:
[name]Thora[/name]
[name]Twila[/name]
[name]Thisbe[/name]
[name]Aviva[/name]
[name]Crimson[/name]
[name]Flavia[/name]
[name]Mafalda[/name]
[name]Xiomara[/name]

Boys ones I’m less useful in suggesting, so these might be completely off…
[name]Cobalt[/name] (sorry, stuck on colours today)
D’Artagnan :slight_smile:
[name]Fabian[/name]
[name]Leander[/name]
Mycroft
[name]Ptolemy[/name]

10

I’m really liking [name]Bliss[/name] or [name]Dulcet[/name] and [name]Hawthorne[/name] or Larkspur for you right now! I thought you might want to check out this thread:

It has a lot of more obscure virtue names as well as those in the title like Lovejoy and Hopestill.

From this thread, I like:
[name]Everhart[/name]
Zeal
Solstice (not sure if this is wearable but reminds me of [name]Dulcet[/name] with the same soft sounds)

Bonnevie (to matchy with Reverie?)
[name]Clarity[/name]
[name]Verity[/name]
[name]Patience[/name] (I think you said this has been nixed but I actually know a teenager with this name and it makes me love it all the more)
Hopewell

11

Wow you’ve had some wonderful replies :slight_smile:

Here’s some more. I used the names from your list I liked. [name]Just[/name] be careful that the name still sounds like a name. Some of these and border on pet names eek! [name]LOVE[/name] [name]LOVE[/name] [name]LOVE[/name] Reverie because it has a name feel and is so romantic.

So here we go…

[name]Dulcet[/name] [name]Noelle[/name] ([name]LOVE[/name] this)
[name]Hyacinth[/name] [name]Matilda[/name]/[name]Amelia[/name]
[name]Luna[/name]
[name]Cadence[/name] [name]Juliet[/name] (I like this too… but [name]Cadence[/name] might be too common i guess?)
[name]Clarion[/name] [name]Jane[/name]/[name]Patience[/name]
[name]Tallulah[/name] [name]Fleur[/name]/[name]Belle[/name] (Same whimsical feel as Reverie)
[name]Briar[/name] [name]Juliet[/name]

For your boys names I am OBSESSED with [name]Roux[/name], I don’t even want to talk about the other ones. It is SUCH cool name that I haven’t ever heard before.

[name]Roux[/name] -->Middle names: [name]William[/name], [name]James[/name], Heathcliffe, [name]Darcy[/name], [name]Samson[/name], [name]Sawyer[/name], [name]March[/name] (love this), [name]Sterling[/name]

12

I love [name]Sonnet[/name] and [name]Plum[/name]! [name]Dulcet[/name] is cool too.
other ideas-
boys-
[name]Banyan[/name]
[name]Ocean[/name]
Merit
[name]Alaric[/name]
[name]Haven[/name]
[name]Roque[/name]
[name]Caspian[/name]
[name]Japhy[/name]
Tremain
[name]Romeo[/name]
[name]Justice[/name]
[name]Truman[/name]
[name]Darrow[/name]
Kipling
[name]Casimer[/name]
[name]Penn[/name]
[name]Hazen[/name]
[name]Lafayette[/name]
[name]Uriah[/name]
Aero
[name]Story[/name]
[name]Orson[/name]
[name]Hadrian[/name]
Faroe
[name]Boston[/name]

girls-
[name]Season[/name]
[name]Tansy[/name]
[name]Vesper[/name]
[name]Shalom[/name]
[name]Bijou[/name]
[name]Cybele[/name]- si-be-lee
[name]Lyric[/name]
[name]Tempest[/name]
[name]Starling[/name]
[name]Sojourner[/name]
Meridian
Blessing
Diem
[name]Promise[/name]
Ballad
[name]Apolline[/name]
[name]Temple[/name]
[name]Dove[/name]
[name]Reason[/name]
[name]Domino[/name]
Solace
[name]Keturah[/name]

13

this post interested me- i am also looking for an unusual name and I love your daughter’s name.
i am considering [name]Dulce[/name] for a girl, meaning ‘sweet’ which is a word name, but is also very close to the name name [name]Dulcie[/name].
what do you think?
i prefer your girls’ suggestions to your boys’ (more my style I think)
i will have a proper think later but off the top of my head, what about [name]Arden[/name] or [name]Tempest[/name]?
both have Shakespearean but also simply romantic connotations and go beautifully with Reverie.
Another suggestion is Damson (as in the plum). I think it is very handsome sounding for a boy.
i would use it had i the guts.
for a son: [name]Canyon[/name], [name]Cedar[/name], [name]Bardo[/name] (Buddhist state between lives, similar to sleep), [name]Sylvan[/name], [name]Aquilo[/name], [name]Thoreau[/name], [name]Orpheus[/name], [name]Nile[/name], [name]Narcissus[/name]- great myths to do with these- another i’m considering for a boy is [name]Altair[/name] meaning ‘bird’ in Arabic.
[name]Circe[/name] (for the girls) also means ‘bird’ and is also a delicious name! plus that one has the classical connotations (im sure you know that anyway as an author. wow!)
are any of these your style?
good luck. this page is so much fun. x

14

So many great suggestions! I just wanted to tell you that I adore [name]Hawthorne[/name] and [name]Sparrow[/name] (for a boy or a girl)!

15

[name]Love[/name] your daughter’s name and your style.

Of your list I like

[name]Sonnet[/name], [name]Muse[/name], [name]Plum[/name], [name]Fiero[/name]

suggestions from my list
Girls
[name]Alba[/name] - means dawn or white
[name]Autumn[/name]
[name]Aria[/name]
[name]Artemis[/name]
[name]Beata[/name] - means blessed
[name]Cassia[/name]
[name]Clea[/name]
[name]Danae[/name]
[name]Eris[/name]
[name]Eira[/name] - snow in welsh
[name]Evanthe[/name]- greek, good flower
[name]Luna[/name]
[name]Echo[/name]
[name]Pagan[/name]
[name]Thea[/name]
Elowen
[name]Tempest[/name]
[name]Ione[/name],
[name]Juno[/name]
[name]Ianthe[/name] - greek, purple flower and name of a mermaid
Eilys - snow drop in Welsh
[name]Leda[/name]
[name]Seren[/name] - Welsh for [name]Star[/name]
[name]Vesper[/name]
Lumi - Finnish for [name]Snow[/name]
[name]Lyra[/name]
Runa - means secret lore
[name]Pax[/name]
[name]Aura[/name]
[name]Wylda[/name]/[name]Wilda[/name] - wild or willow
[name]Fae[/name] - fairy

boys
[name]Rune[/name] - pn roon-eh, secret lore
Runo - Finnish for poetry
[name]Taliesin[/name]
[name]Orion[/name]
Myrddin
[name]Roan[/name]
[name]Oisin[/name] - Irish for little bear
[name]Odhran[/name] - pn aw-ran, pale green shoot in Irish

16

My grandmother’s name is [name]Ouida[/name] (pronounced Wee-Duh). As a literary connection it was used as the pen name of the Victorian romantic novelist [name]Marie[/name] [name]Louise[/name] de la [name]Ram[/name]”e ([name]Ouida[/name] being a kind of nn for louisa). I have always thought it was a pretty name, but its not my husbands style to use any “weird” names. I think Reverie might go nicely together.

17

Pixie Hollow anyone? Need I remind you that these are children, not toys? Name a boy Larkspur? Seriously? Have you seen a larkspur? Gossamer? Honestly.

18

I’m glad I could help with some of my suggestions, virescence! You’ve gotten some really awesome suggestions from everyone so far. Some of the other posts reminded me of a few more, and if I’m repeating any I apologize. Had you considered…

[name]Magnolia[/name]
[name]Journey[/name]
[name]Fauna[/name]
Solstice
[name]Signe[/name]?

And this might be too far out there for ANYONE, but a guilty pleasure name of mine is Lightfoot. It was the name of a little girl in the novel Cold Sassy Tree.

You and your partner are going to choose an absolutely lovely name for this baby just as you did with the first one. And if people can’t say anything nice, then they shouldn’t say anything at all. I hope you’ll keep us updated with your thoughts on the suggestions and your favorites!

19

What a fantastic post, with some wonderful suggestions. I’m bookmarking it for future reference.

[name]Just[/name] a few more to add, that I love for you:

[name]Amaryllis[/name] - the name [name]Augustus[/name] [name]John[/name] gave to his daughter
[name]Zephyrine[/name]
[name]Rune[/name]

[name]Tennyson[/name]
[name]Lorcan[/name]
Swinburne

I love the idea of [name]Lennox[/name] for a middle name for a boy or a girl.

20

Again, thank you all so so much for your replies. They’ve been so helpful. Our list now looks a bit different and is definitely longer! Something that we’re keeping in mind is flexibility within a name, so we’d like the name we choose to have some kind of nickname within it - Reverie, should she ever want a more mainstream or just a different name could go with [name]Eve[/name], [name]Evie[/name], Reve/[name]Reeve[/name], [name]Ever[/name], or her middle name, [name]Alice[/name]. Same thing should be true for this child.

Also, I wanted to add that we would never name our child after something or someone we didn’t know a great deal about, hadn’t seen or experienced in person or didn’t truly love. My partner and I (and Reverie, of course) live a unique, quirky, crazy but amazingly fun life, and a name that doesn’t fit that bill won’t fit in our family. As for Larkspur, in particular, I would have no qualms about naming a boy after a beautiful flower.

Our lists now look like this (bolds are favorites, right now, of us both):

Girls:
[name]Sonnet[/name]
[name]Dulcet[/name]
Gossamer
[name]Fable[/name]
[name]Hero[/name]
[name]Bliss[/name]
[name]Kismet[/name]
Meridian (also like Meriwether)
[name]Circe[/name]
Lumi - new to this name but love the meaning and sound
[name]Amaryllis[/name] - we loved this with Reverie and would definitely consider it again

Boys:
[name]Roux[/name]
[name]March[/name]
[name]Hawthorne[/name] - I’m gaga for this at the moment
[name]Legend[/name] - I’m also vaguely obsessed with this, but could be hormones.
[name]Jazz[/name]
Larkspur
Talisman - this too, see [name]Legend[/name]. [name]Adore[/name] the meaning.
[name]Bayou[/name]
[name]Cobalt[/name] (also Balto could be interesting)
[name]Heathcliff[/name]

Thanks all, again. I look forward to whittling and refining this list with you guys.