I’ve lurked for a while to get some inspiration and I could really use your help. I’m pregnant with a little girl and I had been set on naming my first daughter [name_f]Elodie[/name_f] for years and I still love it but while it’s gorgeous i didn’t think ‘this is the one!’ so we held off on the monogrammed towels lol. Elegant, classic and a little unusual is our style I’d say. I like names that may not be common anymore but fall into the category of ‘definitely a name’ if you get me. My husband tossed out some crazier ones like [name_f]Rosaline[/name_f] so he agrees! Tbh gender neutral names aren’t to my taste most of the time as I generally find stuff like ‘alex’ or ‘lennon’ etc.on girls a little ‘blah’.
So I was surprised when I thought of the name [name_u]Wallace[/name_u]. And I love it! I’m Scottish living in the US with my American born husband and I feel like it’s a great mix of the two cultures. [name_m]William[/name_m] [name_u]Wallace[/name_u] was a famous Scottish warrior which is a cool namesake. I think we could pull it off because our surname is very dynamic and 2 syllable and imo it doesn’t sound too law firm-y. Also for some reason I hate it on a boy - it’s very girl to me, I don’t know why.
I’m thinking a very feminine middle like maybe [name_f]Pearl[/name_f], [name_f]Juliet[/name_f], [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] (I like the idea of her being named after a warrior, and a queen). [name_m]Bear[/name_m] in mind we were considering things like [name_f]Violet[/name_f], [name_f]Olympia[/name_f], [name_f]Alice[/name_f], [name_f]Hestia[/name_f], etc. so it’s really not our style but it feels very right. I realise what I’ve written is basically ‘yeah I don’t like gender neutral names but its ok when I do it’ so be brutally honest. Especially if you’re a lover of girly names - does it make your skin crawl?
Suggestions for middle names are welcome although maybe not huge lists? Sorry I get overwhelmed easily haha.
Thanks so much guys! x
ETA: I feel like I’m gonna get a lot of suggestions of ‘[name_f]Elodie[/name_f] [name_u]Wallace[/name_u]’ or ‘[name_f]Hestia[/name_f] [name_u]Wallace[/name_u]’ but my husband is pretty adamant that its a first name or it’s not in there at all and I agree.
I know a girl named [name_u]Wallis[/name_u], spelled that way, and she pulls it off just fine. I would just say, though, that I’m not sure [name_u]Wallis[/name_u] [name_m]Simpson[/name_m] is a positive connection I would want for my daughter. [name_u]Wallis[/name_u] [name_m]Simpson[/name_m] was a known Nazi sympathizer in WWII.
Honestly, It’s not my taste but when you break down the sounds it’s a lot like [name_f]Alice[/name_f] so I can see where you are coming from at the same time! I think that while it is unusual (on a girl) it’s not really that common for boys right now either, so you might be able to get away with it a little more if that makes sense? I knew a girl named [name_u]Ryan[/name_u] and after the initial “huh, isn’t that a boy name?” you get over it quick and it suited her fine.
Oh yeah I’m not thrilled about the [name_u]Wallis[/name_u] [name_m]Simpson[/name_m] thing but since they’re spelled differently and I don’t think many people would make that connection in real life, I think it’s ok. I had no idea she was so terrible! I just threw her name in there as an example of it being used as a first name. I thought she was just kind of a scandalous socialite, I hope I didn’t offend anyone!
I also met a little girl named [name_u]Wallis[/name_u] and think it’s so cute. [name_u]Wallis[/name_u] spelling seems more fem maybe. I don’t know any thing about the Nazi sympathizer. I immediately think of [name_m]William[/name_m] [name_u]Wallace[/name_u] and I am American.
Love the sound. However, I do struggle with the Wallace spelling on a girl and despite the connections to Wallis Simpson, do prefer the Wallis version. I also think Wallis lends well to nicknames Allie, Lissy or even Ailis or Alice, which would give your daughter a lot of name flexibility.
Although I would probably never choose one myself, I often do enjoy boys’ names on girls. I really like [name_u]Rory[/name_u], [name_u]Kieran[/name_u], and [name_u]Brennan[/name_u] for girls. However, I think that [name_u]Wallace[/name_u] could be a difficult name to carry, and it is not a name I would want for myself. We have a family name similar to [name_u]Wallace[/name_u] that a relative used as a first name, and it was not that well received even on a boy. The nickname [name_u]Wally[/name_u] and the [name_u]Wally[/name_u] Cleaver association is something else to consider.
As soon as I saw [name_u]Wallace[/name_u] I immediately thought of [name_m]Simpson[/name_m]. It’s the connotation with the sound of the name not the spelling that matters. It will be heard more than read. Exactly why yooneek spellings don’t really individualize the names.
In the latest season of Netflix the crown there is an entire episode devoted to the [name_m]Duke[/name_m] and [name_u]Wallis[/name_u]’ Nazi connections and at the end there is a real photo of Hitler kissing [name_m]Simpson[/name_m]'s hand.
Since you asked us to be “brutally honest” I honestly…really dislike it. I don’t tend to like gender neutral names on girls either, but [name_u]Wallace[/name_u] feels so distinctly male/surnamey that I feel that she would constantly be explaining her name to people. “Yes, my name is really [name_u]Wallace[/name_u], no my parents didn’t just want a boy,” etc. People will forever ask her why that’s her name, and I just feel like it’s a bit of an unnecessary burden.
I think as far as surname/male names go, it’s not terrible. I met a girl named [name_m]Stewart[/name_m] last year and I consider that much worse. But I wouldn’t say I like it either. [name_f]Elodie[/name_f], [name_f]Rosaline[/name_f], [name_f]Violet[/name_f], [name_f]Olympia[/name_f], [name_f]Alice[/name_f], and [name_f]Hestia[/name_f] are all such lovely choices, I think it would be a shame to choose [name_u]Wallace[/name_u] over them. ([name_u]Love[/name_u] seeing [name_f]Hestia[/name_f] in the group by the way. She’s a fantastic goddess and I always thought it was an under appreciated name!)
Anyway, this is just my opinion. [name_f]Do[/name_f] whatever your heart tells you!
Also agreeing with silversky109. I think it would be similar to naming your daughter [name_m]Stewart[/name_m], or [name_m]Herbert[/name_m] which aren’t hugely appealing surnames-as-first names.
I wouldn’t have thought of [name_u]Wallace[/name_u] for a girl, but I think that it works. If it feels “right,” go with your instinct. Perhaps she is telling you her name. Lol.
I agree that it should be paired with a girly name. Personally, I love [name_u]Wallace[/name_u] [name_f]Azalea[/name_f], but fear that [name_f]Azalea[/name_f] might be to “out there” for your tastes. Same with [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f]. You could go with a classic, such as [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], [name_f]Katherine[/name_f], [name_f]Kathleen[/name_f], or [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f].
I think, I woud give her something with a bit more zest. If [name_f]Azalea[/name_f] is out, I love these:
I usually hate surnames as first names but I make an exception for [name_u]Wallis[/name_u] and [name_u]Ellis[/name_u].
To me they bring to mind gamine 1920s flappers, jazz, women starting to shun traditional feminine roles and conventions and dress and daring to smoke, drive, wear masculine clothes etc.
I do prefer the spelling [name_u]Wallis[/name_u] as i think it looks more elegant.
It’s an elegant nane.
I love [name_u]Wallis[/name_u] [name_f]Katherine[/name_f]
You said to be honest, so I will. I don’t love boy names on girls in general but [name_u]Wallace[/name_u] is one that particularly makes me crinkle my nose. It’s my son’s middle name, honoring my husband’s family. His family tree actually includes the [name_m]William[/name_m] [name_u]Wallace[/name_u]. So I agree he’s a great namesake. But I find it so gentlemanly. If I saw the name [name_u]Wallace[/name_u] I would never think hmmm I wonder what gender this [name_u]Wallace[/name_u] is. I’d assume boy. So I think she’ll have to deal with that confusion a lot.
Good luck. It is weird when you are super drawn to a name that is so far from your usual taste… like, well, why [name_f]DO[/name_f] I like this, where do i go from here? Haha.
It honestly does make my skin crawl a little bit as it is used (or rather has been in the past, being quite popular actually) as a boys name so it isn’t quite gender-neutral to me, more along the lines of [name_u]Elliott[/name_u] or [name_m]Bennett[/name_m], both surnames in theory but used exclusively on boys for decades/centuries.
I also think you may have some regret later on, especially when it comes to choosing a name for a potential second child you may not be comfortable having one girl named [name_u]Wallace[/name_u] and another named [name_f]Rosaline[/name_f] but you’d also struggle to find another unisex name to go with [name_u]Wallace[/name_u].
I personally think this name is too masculine for a girl, and I wouldn’t choose it for a first name at all. Maybe reserve it for a middle name.
My brothers name is [name_u]Riley[/name_u], and people always assume he’s a girl by his name and because of that he’s hated the name his whole life. I feel like little [name_u]Wallace[/name_u] would be in the same situation, except even more so since [name_u]Wallace[/name_u] is SO uncommon for a girl but well known for boys.
I get the appeal to this name, but I can’t see it on a girl. Sorry!! Maybe go for [name_f]Alice[/name_f] instead!
