A Sister for George & Silas

Girl Names
1

[name]Hi[/name] there. I’m new here, my name is [name]Annie[/name]. My husband [name]Todd[/name] and I expecting our third child (a girl) in [name]January[/name] and we really need some input on names. Our sons are [name]George[/name] [name]Marlowe[/name] and [name]Silas[/name] [name]Thoreau[/name] ([name]Marlowe[/name] honors [name]Christopher[/name] [name]Marlowe[/name], a poet we both love, and [name]Thoreau[/name] honors [name]Henry[/name] [name]David[/name] [name]Thoreau[/name] and is a nod to the fact that “[name]Walden[/name]” was written in the town [name]Todd[/name] grew up in). We like classic/old-fashioned names that aren’t too common. [name]Silas[/name] was almost named [name]Theodore[/name], but we’re not big on nicknames and we thought he might permanently become [name]Ted[/name] or [name]Theo[/name]. We’d like to avoid G, S and K names (our last name is Kittredge) and names with obvious nicknames (we’re not totally against nicknames- we call our sons [name]Georgie[/name] and [name]Si[/name] at home, but I’m talking more traditional nicknames, like [name]Kate[/name] for [name]Katherine[/name] or [name]Nora[/name] for [name]Eleanor[/name]), plus names that are really popular. We’ve compiled this list, which is a bit scattered style-wise, so I’d love some comments on these names and any suggestions. The middle name will most likely be another literary surname, and we’re thinking of using a female author/poet name such as Bront”, [name]Austen[/name], [name]Eliot[/name] (after [name]George[/name], not T.S, though both are worthy namesakes), [name]Wharton[/name], [name]Parker[/name] or Bradstreet. Here’s our list:

[name]Mercy[/name]
[name]Cornelia[/name]
[name]Ione[/name] (we’d pronounce this EYE-uh-nee, we love Greek mythology)
[name]Imogen[/name]
[name]Helen[/name] or [name]Helena[/name] (we like the HEL-en-uh prn)
[name]Daisy[/name]
[name]Blythe[/name]
[name]Leda[/name]/[name]Leta[/name] (not sure which spelling we prefer)
[name]Ruth[/name]
[name]Maude[/name]

Thanks a ton,
[name]Annie[/name]

2

I really like [name]Helena[/name] [name]Maude[/name] Kittredge the best, it’s very pretty and sounds so elegant. Plus, each name has a different number of syllables so you get a really nice flow. I’d say look no further. [name]Do[/name] you guys really love [name]Helena[/name]?

3

From your list, I really like [name]Helen[/name] or [name]Helena[/name] with [name]George[/name] and [name]Silas[/name]. [name]Cornelia[/name] is pretty but I much prefer [name]Cordelia[/name], and [name]Ione[/name] would get mispronounced frequently. [name]Daisy[/name] is too nicknamey but [name]Margaret[/name] nn [name]Daisy[/name] would be wonderful! I’ve never been a fan of [name]Imogen[/name], [name]Blythe[/name], [name]Leda[/name] or [name]Ruth[/name], but there’s nothing wrong with them. [name]Maude[/name] is nice, and under-appreciated in my opinion, but I think it’s still too old ladyish for the rest of the world. It would make a great nickname, or you could use [name]Matilda[/name] nn [name]Maude[/name].

4

I like [name]Ruth[/name] [name]Austen[/name] Kittredge ([name]Ruthie[/name]) :slight_smile:

[name]George[/name], [name]Silas[/name], and [name]Ruth[/name]…sounds good to me!

5

[name]George[/name], [name]Silas[/name] and sister…

[name]Ruth[/name] [name]Wharton[/name]
[name]Maude[/name] [name]Eliot[/name]
[name]Helena[/name] [name]Austen[/name]

6

[name]Christopher[/name] [name]Marlowe[/name] wrote of the "face that launched a thousand ships"and that was [name]Helen[/name]! I think using [name]Helena[/name] would be perfection!

I also love: [name]Mercy[/name], [name]Imogen[/name] or [name]Leta[/name] as the fn!

I don’t love:
[name]Cornelia[/name]- it’s too close to being masculine after having two boys
[name]Ione[/name]- I love this name, but I feel it may be too culturaly distinguished amid [name]George[/name] and [name]Silas[/name]
[name]Daisy[/name]- a sweet thought, but it feels to light and unsubstantial with the other girls choices
[name]Blythe[/name]- With [name]George[/name] and [name]Silas[/name] I may wonder if [name]Blythe[/name] were your third boy
[name]Ruth[/name]- You will hear [name]Ruthie[/name] all your life and you said you don’t like common nn’s. A way to dispute this would be to call her [name]Rue[/name].
[name]Maude[/name]- This is the only name on your list I have a strong dislike for. It falls on the “so far out, it’s out” side of antiquity.

[name]Just[/name] a side note [name]Elliot[/name] has always been my uni-sex, on a girl, guilty pleasure!

Blessings,

[name]Bella[/name] <3

7

[name]Annie[/name],

So, I’m wondering if you and [name]Todd[/name] are big [name]George[/name] [name]Eliot[/name] fans considering you’ve used [name]George[/name] for your first son, which is obviously [name]Eliot[/name]'s pen name, and [name]Silas[/name] for your second son, which reminds me of [name]Eliot[/name]'s novel, [name]Silas[/name] Marner. This is making me think that [name]Eliot[/name] is definitely the middle name for you, right? It just lines up perfectly.

All of this [name]George[/name] [name]Eliot[/name] talk makes me want to discuss some of the names she used in her works. Firstly, I’d just like to mention that her given name was [name]Mary[/name] [name]Anne[/name] ([name]Mary[/name] [name]Ann[/name], [name]Marian[/name]) [name]Evans[/name], and [name]Mary[/name], [name]Marian[/name], [name]Maria[/name], or [name]Marianne[/name] would be lovely with big brothers [name]George[/name] and [name]Silas[/name]. Also, you might draw inspiration from [name]Eliot[/name]'s novels in naming your daughter. The Mill on the [name]Floss[/name] features one [name]Maggie[/name] Tulliver, so [name]Maggie[/name] - alone - or the longer [name]Margaret[/name], [name]Marguerite[/name], or [name]Margot[/name] could work as your daughter’s first name. [name]Silas[/name] Marner features female characters named [name]Molly[/name], [name]Nancy[/name], [name]Dolly[/name], and [name]Sarah[/name], though I think [name]Molly[/name] and [name]Sarah[/name] are the most accessible - obviously, [name]Rebecca[/name] Romijn would disagree on the [name]Dolly[/name] front, considering she named one of her twins [name]Dolly[/name] [name]Rebecca[/name] [name]Rose[/name]. [name]Eliot[/name]'s Middlemarch has a large cast of female characters, including a [name]Dorothea[/name], [name]Mary[/name], [name]Celia[/name], [name]Rosamond[/name], [name]Eleanor[/name], and [name]Lucy[/name]. [name]Celia[/name] is probably my favorite off this list, though [name]Rosamond[/name] and [name]Lucy[/name] are wonderful choices. The last novel I’ll mention is [name]Daniel[/name] Deronda, which features such characters as [name]Gwendolen[/name], [name]Mirah[/name], and [name]Lydia[/name]. Anyone who knows me on NB is well aware of my love for both [name]Lydia[/name] and [name]Gwendolen[/name], and either would be wonderful with brothers [name]George[/name] and [name]Silas[/name].

(I really do like [name]Marian[/name] [name]Eliot[/name] Kittredge, partly because it honors you, [name]Annie[/name]. I also think [name]Margot[/name] [name]Eliot[/name] is wonderful.)

Now, off your own list, I’m most intrigued by [name]Mercy[/name], [name]Cornelia[/name], [name]Imogen[/name], [name]Helena[/name], and [name]Ruth[/name] - I list the last one only because I think [name]Ruthie[/name] is cute. However, [name]Cornelia[/name] is a name that sort of lends itself to a nickname, which doesn’t seem to be what you’re looking for - I’d say goodbye to her. [name]Mercy[/name] is an interesting choice with [name]George[/name] and [name]Silas[/name], but it definitely still fits. It’s in keeping with that bohemian, vintage style that I really like. [name]Imogen[/name] is a fun name with [name]George[/name] and [name]Silas[/name], and it doesn’t necessarily need a nickname, though both [name]Immy[/name] and [name]Gen[/name] are available. But, [name]Helena[/name]'s my favorite off this list - it’s one of my own personal name loves. If you were, however, to use [name]Eliot[/name] as your daughter’s middle name, though, you wouldn’t want to choose a first name ending in a vowel - thus, [name]Mercy[/name] [name]Eliot[/name], [name]Imogen[/name] [name]Eliot[/name], and [name]Ruth[/name] [name]Eliot[/name] would be your best bets. I’d vote for [name]Imogen[/name] [name]Eliot[/name], myself.

Oh, and I just wanted to mention that I love your choice of author surnames for middle names, and you’ve got such wonderful choices for a daughter! [name]Austen[/name], [name]Bronte[/name], and [name]Wharton[/name] are some of my personal favorite authors, though [name]George[/name] [name]Eliot[/name] certainly seems to have a tie to your family!

[name]Lemon[/name] :slight_smile:

8

Thank you all for your thoughtful responses! It’s been a busy weekend but later tonight I will try to respond more in detail.

@[name]Lemon[/name]: It’s funny you noticed the [name]George[/name] [name]Eliot[/name] connection! It wasn’t done on purpose though we have noticed it, and we are [name]Eliot[/name] fans (Middlemarch is a personal favorite- we’d use [name]Dorothea[/name] but it’s a bit heavy for us…). I will definitely go over some of the names you mentioned, since it would be quite funny if we kept on that track.

  • [name]Annie[/name]
9

[name]George[/name] and [name]Silas[/name] are so cute together! And I love that you’ve used literary middles ([name]Thoreau[/name] and [name]Marlowe[/name] are personal favorites of mine as well, as are lots of the authors you’ve mentioned.)

[name]Mercy[/name] - though this name is a bit more out there and gets much less use than [name]Silas[/name] and [name]George[/name], I think it can work. It’s a bit serious, but still girlish and it has an old-school vibe that works nicely. If you were to continue on the [name]George[/name] [name]Eliot[/name] road, I’d say [name]Mercy[/name] [name]Eliot[/name] Kittredge would be great, and if not, then [name]Mercy[/name] [name]Wharton[/name] Kittredge (I adore [name]Edith[/name] [name]Wharton[/name]) would be an excellent choice.
[name]Cornelia[/name] - I love this name, particularly because [name]Cornelia[/name] [name]Street[/name] in Manhattan holds a special fondness for me. But it is one of those names that definitely lends itself to nicknames and since you’re not fond of those, I’d strike this name. However, I do know a [name]Cordelia[/name] that’s never gone by anything but [name]Cordelia[/name], so I guess it’s not entirely impossible. I’d pair this with [name]Wharton[/name] or [name]Bronte[/name]- [name]Cornelia[/name] [name]Wharton[/name] Kittredge. [name]Cornelia[/name] [name]Bronte[/name] Kittredge. Excellent!
[name]Ione[/name] - [name]Love[/name] [name]Ione[/name]. I think it’s background is too unusual with [name]George[/name] and [name]Silas[/name] though.
[name]Imogen[/name] - I like this a lot with [name]George[/name] and [name]Silas[/name]. It’s pretty much nickname proof, its strong and feminine and just uncommon enough. [name]Imogen[/name] [name]Eliot[/name] Kittredge would be fabulous.
[name]Helen[/name] or [name]Helena[/name] (we like the HEL-en-uh prn) - I love [name]Helena[/name]. Stylistically [name]Helen[/name] would fit too (it has that serious vibe that [name]Mercy[/name] also gives off). [name]Helena[/name] [name]Bronte[/name] Kittredge or [name]Helen[/name] [name]Bronte[/name] Kittredge would be great.
[name]Daisy[/name] - I feel like this is a bit too light with [name]George[/name] and [name]Silas[/name].
[name]Blythe[/name] - I normally love this name but I’m loving other names on your list more. It feels a bit insubstantial with [name]George[/name] and [name]Silas[/name].
[name]Leda[/name]/[name]Leta[/name] - I love the mythological connections with [name]Leda[/name] but the name doesn’t feel vintage enough (and maybe a bit too hipster…) with [name]George[/name] and [name]Silas[/name].
[name]Ruth[/name] - Oh I love [name]Ruth[/name]! [name]Ruth[/name] [name]Eliot[/name] Kittredge or [name]Ruth[/name] [name]Bronte[/name] Kittredge would be fabulous. It’s vintage and sweet and I think it goes fabulously with [name]George[/name] and [name]Silas[/name].
[name]Maude[/name] - I don’t feel that this name is too old. It just doesn’t feel feminine enough with [name]George[/name] and [name]Silas[/name].

Oh, and I just noticed that you have [name]Parker[/name] on your list of possible middles. After [name]Dorothy[/name], I assume? She’s my all time favorite (hence the quote on my signature). I’m wondering if you’d like [name]Dorothy[/name]. It does traditionally have nicknames ([name]Dot[/name], [name]Dory[/name], [name]Dottie[/name]) but I think that those can be avoided pretty easily, as it is a name used in full a lot of the time. [name]Dorothy[/name] [name]Eliot[/name] Kittredge would be great and I love [name]Dorothy[/name] with [name]George[/name] and [name]Silas[/name].

[name]Hope[/name] that helps!

10

[name]George[/name] and [name]Silas[/name] are so handsome together! Off your list I would probably say [name]Helena[/name] is the best pick. It seems like a name that gets pronounced so many different ways though. It might get old correcting people.

A few others you might like:
[name]Ada[/name]- This is actually the first name I thought of after reading your boys names
[name]Cora[/name]
[name]Cecily[/name]
[name]Eloise[/name]
[name]Freya[/name]
[name]Viola[/name]
[name]Clara[/name]
[name]Iris[/name]
[name]Hazel[/name]
[name]Ingrid[/name]
[name]Eve[/name]
[name]Maeve[/name]
[name]Jane[/name]
[name]Pearl[/name]