So, we’re now a mere seven weeks away from meeting our first baby and the husband and I have whittled down and compromised as much as possible on our own. We’re Team Yellow and planning on staying that way until the bitter end but have chosen two possible boy names: Rufus and Wilfred (which, entertainingly, is described as ‘gone and best forgotten’ by nameberry!) [name_m]Both[/name_m] of these names would be given a family name of mine (it’s Cornish and sounds a bit like ‘Penzance’) as a middle name.
To give you some more context we’re in the UK and have a double-barrelled surname, each part of which has two syllables (if it helps, it’s in the same ball park as something like Gotha-Coburg!!) Because of this we’re keen to keep a girl’s name reasonably simple (the husband has vetoed my request for two mns, for example) Our general style is somewhere between uber classic and slightly hipster. We’re massively struggling with girls names and would hugely appreciate your thoughts on the current list!! At the moment this is how it stands:
We’re potentially open to other suggestions but the husband is hugely picky so are mostly interested in help with the selection above (or another combination of the above). If you would like to offer alternatives then you should know that my oh has been pushing for [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] but I’ve vetoed because it’s number 2 on the popular list over here and I can’t live with anything higher than #50 (tbh I’d be happier with something much, much lower than #250…)
My favorite on your list is [name_f]Frederica[/name_f] [name_u]Vivian[/name_u]. It seems the most flexible of the names. She can go by [name_u]Freddie[/name_u] as you desire and use either her full name or even [name_f]Erica[/name_f] when she is older, if desired.
I really love [name_f]Elisabetta[/name_f] [name_f]Susan[/name_f], though I prefer [name_f]Bette[/name_f] or [name_f]Betta[/name_f] as a more sophisticated nickname than the folksy [name_f]Betty[/name_f].
Thank you both! I really like [name_f]Bette[/name_f] and [name_f]Betta[/name_f]/[name_f]Etta[/name_f] as nicknames too - we’ll just be steering clear of [name_f]Liz[/name_f]/[name_f]Lizzie[/name_f] type nicknames for the time being.
On a separate note, I don’t know why the middle names are coming up as Vivan rather than [name_u]Vivian[/name_u] - it’s definitely [name_u]Vivian[/name_u] that we’d be using!
I think [name_f]Prudence[/name_f] Vivan (nn [name_f]Prue[/name_f]) & [name_f]Frederica[/name_f] Vivan (nn [name_u]Freddie[/name_u]) are the more intriguing of your combos. They are defiantly classics but with a little hipster twist to them.
It might be because I’m not huge on [name_f]Susan[/name_f], but I find the Vivan [name_f]Susan[/name_f] and [name_f]Elisabetta[/name_f] [name_f]Susan[/name_f] combos less appealing. Though I do like both [name_u]Vivian[/name_u] and [name_f]Elisabetta[/name_f] and would probably like a [name_u]Vivian[/name_u] [name_f]Elisabetta[/name_f] or [name_f]Elisabetta[/name_f] [name_u]Vivian[/name_u] combo. If [name_f]Elisabetta[/name_f] I think [name_f]Etta[/name_f] would be right on trend for old but hip nn.
And to Vivan vs [name_u]Vivian[/name_u] I just assumed you had a sticky i key.
[name_m]Ah[/name_m] yes - thank you lexiem. I really like the [name_f]Elisabetta[/name_f] [name_u]Vivian[/name_u] combo too, both ways round. [name_u]Vivian[/name_u] is oh’s (recently deceased but absolutely awesome) grandmother’s name. [name_f]Susan[/name_f] is in the mix because it’s the name of a much-loved (and childless) aunt of mine - the one worry that I have is that said aunt’s sister is called [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] so I’d hate for the one aunt to think that the less prevalent aunt was being honoured over her; this could of course all be fixed by the double middle name but that’s a no go. [name_f]Prudence[/name_f] ([name_f]Prue[/name_f]) is my overall favourite but oh’s overall least fave on the refined list. This naming business is tricky…
[name_f]Prudence[/name_f] [name_u]Vivian[/name_u] gets my vote - how wonderful. I also love [name_f]Elizabetta[/name_f] nn [name_f]Betty[/name_f] (and [name_f]Etta[/name_f]!) but [name_f]Susan[/name_f] drags it down a little bit for me. I don’t dislike it, but the feeling isn’t right. What about -
As an [name_f]Olivia[/name_f], I genuinely love my name, and whilst I dislike it’s popularity and wouldn’t recommend it as a first name, [name_f]Frederica[/name_f] [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] or [name_f]Prudence[/name_f] [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] sound absolutely lovely to me.
And how do you feel about [name_f]Olive[/name_f]? Maybe a bit short, but I think it fits your style pretty well. I would also suggest [name_f]Agatha[/name_f]?
My choice would be [name_f]Elisabetta[/name_f]. [name_f]Betty[/name_f] is sweet but I prefer the other suggestions of [name_f]Bette[/name_f] or [name_f]Etta[/name_f]. Either way, gorgeous name. My second choice would be [name_f]Prudence[/name_f], but it’s a very “love or hate” name. [name_f]Frederica[/name_f] is just not my taste - it’s very harsh-sounding to me and lacks femininity. I still hear “[name_m]Frederick[/name_m].”
I like the suggestion of [name_f]Olive[/name_f] as an alternative to [name_f]Olivia[/name_f]. Have you considered [name_f]Susanna[/name_f] to honor [name_f]Susan[/name_f]? It would be gorgeous in either a first or middle name spot. I’ve hear the nickname [name_f]Zanna[/name_f] which I think is spunky yet so pretty.
Ooh - a grown up [name_f]Olivia[/name_f]! Thanks for your ideas. I really like your name and it would definitely be on our list if it wasn’t quite so popular but as a teacher I have a real aversion to needing to use an initial to differentiate between classmembers - it’s an occupational hazard! You’ve definitely picked up on our style though because we [name_f]LOVE[/name_f] [name_f]Agatha[/name_f] but oh has vetoed on the grounds that the one he knew at his college at uni was ‘a bit much’. Sadly he’s ruling out quite a lot of awesome names on the grounds of association with other people - [name_f]Olympia[/name_f], [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f] and [name_f]Cosima[/name_f] have gone the same way. [name_f]Olive[/name_f] is lovely and we’ve considered it but not sure if it’s too weighed down by the ridiculous surname…
I really like the symmetry of [name_u]Vivian[/name_u] [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] and the feel of [name_f]Elizabetta[/name_f] [name_u]Vivian[/name_u] too. Thanks again!
Thanks Sllah - [name_u]Vivian[/name_u] [name_f]Susannah[/name_f] is definitely food for thought; that may well be a goer. Again, I’m a fan of [name_f]Frances[/name_f] but it’s been vetoed by my husband on the grounds of the two syllable thing… with our surname it could sound like a little bit of imabic pentameter gone wrong and a little clunky…
All of your names are quite lovely, but I would pick [name_f]Prudence[/name_f] [name_u]Vivian[/name_u].
I know a lot of people give their children double-barreled last names, but it has been quite a burden for my fiancé. Because neither of us wants the double-barreled name and we do not want to pass it on to our children, he plans on dropping one of the names when we get married. [name_m]Just[/name_m] something to think about especially if you have a son.
We definitely wouldn’t create a double-barrelled name [name_f]Madelyn[/name_f], for all of the reasons that you mention and more. But this is my husband’s name that I’ve taken on rather than a creation - it’s very old and would cause quite a lot of upset all round if we changed it. I was also fairly happy to foresake my maiden name which is very boring compared to my married name! So we’re v happy with the surname, just concious or working with it rather than against it!
I really like [name_f]Elisabetta[/name_f] [name_f]Susan[/name_f] and love [name_f]Betty[/name_f] as a nn. [name_m]Rufus[/name_m] and [name_f]Betty[/name_f] would be so cool, [name_f]IMO[/name_f]
Hm, difficult as it is to give up a name you love, I’d axe [name_f]Prudence[/name_f] from the list. I’ve known 2 (one British, one British-American) and in both cases their names came in for lots of unpleasant commentary from others, especially in our teen years… There’s a sexual connotation to the name [name_f]Prudence[/name_f] that is really, really hard to shake and not something I’d inflict on a girl. Boys were cruel. It is perceived by most in the mainstream as a “homely” name. I think it is perhaps easier to pull off if your child ends up beautiful or striking in some way, but there’s always the chance she will be plain. [name_f]Pru[/name_f] is a cute nickname, definitely, but the name as a whole, especially with a double barrel surname… it’s not one I’d pick for myself. Would you? Really?
[name_u]Vivian[/name_u] is a much lovelier option without the baggage. Same for your other choices. Best of luck!
I totally agree with this. Let’s face it: an exceptionally beautiful, exceptionally charming girl who is perceived as special not just by her parents but by society at large could pull of ANY name. For the rest of us, “[name_f]Prudence[/name_f]” would be unnecessarily difficult to wear.
I think that make coming up with a version of [name_f]Susan[/name_f] that’s more interesting a good idea.
[name_f]Do[/name_f] you feel the name needs to be exact to honor someone? Or could it for example have the same meaning (Like [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] and [name_f]Pearl[/name_f]?)
Namberry lists the meaning of [name_f]Susan[/name_f] to be "lily” in hebrew. Maybe [name_f]Lily[/name_f], [name_f]Lillian[/name_f] (I sort of like this as a [name_f]Susan[/name_f] alliterative as it has the same ending), [name_f]Calla[/name_f], [name_f]Flora[/name_f]/[name_f]Fleur[/name_f] etc would work. [name_u]Vivian[/name_u] [name_f]Fleur[/name_f] or [name_f]Lillian[/name_f] [name_f]Prudence[/name_f] would both be lovely. You could tell your aunt how her name inspired this version and how you choose it to honor her.
