This week’s Name Sage is about naming a sister for Nora Penelope. He says Anna, but she thinks it’s a little plain. She says Ivy, but he just doesn’t like it.
They’d love something with that same mix of tradition + the slightly unexpected. (I mean - how cool is Penelope as a middle name?)
I would suggest [name_f]Ivy[/name_f] [name_f]Annabel[/name_f] as the first and most obvious choice but if he doesn’t like [name_f]Ivy[/name_f] then it seems an unfair compromise… So how about the following:
[name_f]Annie[/name_f] (a cross between [name_f]Anna[/name_f] and [name_f]Ivy[/name_f], still underused and very vintage in style)
[name_f]Nancy[/name_f]
[name_f]Etta[/name_f]
[name_f]Edie[/name_f]
[name_f]Cleo[/name_f]
[name_f]Olive[/name_f]
[name_f]Ada[/name_f]
[name_f]Martha[/name_f]
[name_f]Blythe[/name_f]
[name_f]Rosa[/name_f]
[name_f]Mabel[/name_f]
[name_f]Sylvie[/name_f]
[name_f]Violet[/name_f]
[name_f]Ida[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f]
[name_u]Love[/name_u] the mention of [name_u]Ruby[/name_u]! [name_u]Ruby[/name_u] would be so sweet with [name_f]Nora[/name_f].
Some other suggestions I would make are [name_u]Jean[/name_u] (maybe even [name_u]Joan[/name_u] for a more vintage take), [name_f]Helen[/name_f], [name_u]Louise[/name_u], [name_f]Ellen[/name_f], [name_u]Kay[/name_u], or [name_f]Annie[/name_f] (blending his [name_f]Anna[/name_f] and her Ivy). Some combo with those names:
[name_f]Edie[/name_f] [name_f]Clementine[/name_f] was the first name that popped into my head and I see PPs have suggested [name_f]Edie[/name_f] & [name_f]Clementine[/name_f] too! [name_f]Edith[/name_f] nn [name_f]Edie[/name_f] would be nice. Maybe [name_f]Edith[/name_f] [name_f]Annabel[/name_f]?
I also think the suggestions of [name_u]June[/name_u] or [name_f]Gwen[/name_f] would be great
[name_f]Claire[/name_f] (bright, clear) pairs well with [name_f]Nora[/name_f] (light)
[name_u]Julie[/name_u] or [name_f]Juliet[/name_f]
[name_f]Diane[/name_f]
I hope her husband can get on board with [name_f]Ivy[/name_f]. It’s so cute with [name_f]Nora[/name_f]!
I also like…
[name_f]Lucy[/name_f]
[name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] (so cute with Nora)
[name_f]Delphine[/name_f]
Rosalyn/Rosalie
[name_u]Ruby[/name_u]
[name_f]Juno[/name_f] (my favorite with [name_f]Nora[/name_f] and on it’s own, maybe [name_f]Juno[/name_f] [name_f]Annabel[/name_f], [name_f]Juno[/name_f] [name_f]Ivy[/name_f], and [name_f]Juno[/name_f] Calliope)
[name_f]Faye[/name_f]
[name_u]Hazel[/name_u]
[name_f]Audrey[/name_f] (taking this one from novembermom because it’s awesome)
[name_f]Eloise[/name_f]
[name_f]Charlotte[/name_f]
[name_f]Iris[/name_f]
[name_f]Violet[/name_f]
[name_f]Mabel[/name_f]
[name_u]Josie[/name_u]
Millie/Milly (perfection)
Lily/Lili
[name_u]Harper[/name_u]
[name_f]Rosie[/name_f]
[name_u]Coco[/name_u]
[name_u]Nico[/name_u]
Nelly/Nell
[name_f]Dixie[/name_f]
[name_f]Ione[/name_f]
[name_f]Lilou[/name_f]
[name_f]Posey[/name_f]
The best suggestion I can think of is [name_f]Evangeline[/name_f]. It contains the “an” from [name_f]Anna[/name_f] & the long I & v sounds from [name_f]Ivy[/name_f]. Could be nicknamed to [name_f]Eva[/name_f], [name_f]Evie[/name_f], or [name_f]Annie[/name_f].
Other names that contain similar sounds to [name_f]Ivy[/name_f] and/or [name_f]Anna[/name_f]:
[name_f]Nora[/name_f] [name_f]Penelope[/name_f] is stunning I can totally see a little sister being [name_f]Ivy[/name_f] Annabel/ [name_f]Annalise[/name_f]
Absolutely LOVE [name_f]Nora[/name_f] [name_f]Penelope[/name_f] and all your suggestions. You really hit the mark! [name_f]Nora[/name_f] was top of my list for my little girl, but she became [name_u]Vivian[/name_u] through compromise with my husband, and I couldn’t love it more now.
[name_f]My[/name_f] suggestions to add to your list:
[name_f]Claire[/name_f]
[name_u]Louise[/name_u]
[name_f]Daisy[/name_f]
[name_f]Phoebe[/name_f]
[name_f]Rose[/name_f]
[name_f]Hope[/name_f]
I love the suggestion og [name_f]Margot[/name_f]. If the mom likes short names like [name_f]Ivy[/name_f], perhaps she’d consider the nickname, [name_f]Meg[/name_f]. [name_f]Nora[/name_f] and [name_f]Meg[/name_f] would make a darling sibling set.
For an unexpected middle I could imagine with Nor@ Penel0pe something like …
[name_f]Margot[/name_f] [name_f]Imogene[/name_f]
[name_f]Margot[/name_f] [name_f]Eugenia[/name_f]
[name_f]Margot[/name_f] [name_f]Beatrice[/name_f]
[name_f]Margot[/name_f] [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f]
[name_f]Margot[/name_f] [name_f]Theodora[/name_f]
[name_f]Margot[/name_f] [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f]
[name_f]Margot[/name_f] [name_f]Rowenna[/name_f]
[name_f]Margot[/name_f] [name_f]Eloise[/name_f]