I really would love to honor her with baby naming but I can’t bring myself to give a baby the name, even as a middlenname! Are there any other ways I can do this? I’ve considered her mother’s name but this doesn’t seem as personal to me.
I think that especially if your [name]Nan[/name] didn’t even like her own name, and you clearly don’t like it, you should pay tribute to her in another way. I think that using the name [name]Lydia[/name] instead, since it was a name she really liked, or [name]Janice[/name] after her late sister, is a much much better idea. Also, since you like so many of her sister’s names, was there one sister that she was particularly close to?
I was named after a grandmother who didn’t like her own name, but my parents used a variation that they all liked. Unfortunately, I don’t know of any variations of [name]Shirley[/name]. I think that using [name]Lydia[/name] or [name]Janice[/name] (or another sister’s name) would make her smile down on you.
And, don’t think that it’s only you without elegant, charming grandmother names to pay tribute to. We’ve got two beloved grandmothers who have passed away named [name]Myrtle[/name] and Waltraude that we want to honor (fortunately they have pretty middle names)!!
I think that [name]Shelby[/name] is similar to [name]Shirley[/name], and [name]Shelby[/name] is very pretty.
And thank goodness your grandmothers had lovely middle names you lucky thing 
I’m sorry that your grandma passed away. 
I know this may be a stretch, but [name]Nan[/name] is a nickname for [name]Nancy[/name] and [name]Anne[/name], so I was thinking that you could use [name]Anne[/name], [name]Anna[/name], or an [name]Anne[/name] name to honor her.
You could always use her maiden name (I love it!) for a middle, and you could even use her month of birth (if it’s a month that works as a name), her month’s flower, or even her birthstone.
Some more Sh names: [name]Shira[/name] (sheer-a) and [name]Shea[/name], but I don’t think those are your style.
You could also go with a name that share’s [name]Shirley[/name]'s meaning, “bright meadow.”
Take care! 
Ahh thanks [name]Jill[/name] brilliant ideas! I especially like the idea of using her birth month.
Thanks for your input as usual!
Maybe as a second middlename to something more substantial?
You’re welcome! I’m glad you’re getting some ideas that may work for you. (I love [name]Augusta[/name] and [name]August[/name].)
The Sheas I know pronounce their name with one syllable–like shay.
I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t use [name]Shirl[/name] in the middle if that’s what you wanted to do. I agree with what [name]Pam[/name] has said before about using the middle names to go with something unusual or out of the box.
(And for what it’s worth, I do think that [name]Shirley[/name] is adorable. I bet it’s going to come back, much like [name]Dorothy[/name] and [name]Millie[/name].)
And I honestly do think that Seabourne would be pretty as one of the middles. I love it with the girlie names you’ve been considering. (I love girlie names.)
Good luck with your name list!
I thought about it a second, and came up with [name]Charlotte[/name]. It’s not a related name, but I think it is close sounding with [name]Shirley[/name]. Alternately, choosing another name with an S initial, or just [name]Lee[/name] or [name]Leigh[/name].
Thanks
Thansk guys
I think using ‘[name]Lydia[/name]’, a name that you know she loved, is a great way to honor her. Perhaps if she liked it so much it might have been the name she would have chosen herself.
‘Seabourne’ is an awesome name, but might be a bit much on a little girl, so what about a name that means “born of the sea”? The Irish name ‘[name]Muirgen[/name]’ means just that in Gaelic (also the name of a mermaid in Irish legend). Other forms of the name are ‘[name]Morgan[/name]’, ‘Muireann’, ‘Muirenn’, ‘[name]Miren[/name]’, or ‘Moirin’.
So how about:
[name]Lydia[/name] [name]Morgan[/name]
or
[name]Lydia[/name] [name]Miren[/name]
(I personally like the name ‘[name]Shirley[/name]’ and I have a red-headed niece with that name. It has an ‘[name]Anne[/name] of [name]Green[/name] Gables’ vibe to me.)
I think [name]Shirley[/name] actually has a lot of spunk to it. [name]Shirley[/name] sounds like a walking good time. Cute as a button and knows how to throw a football all at once. It’s also recognizable without being terribly popular. It passes my “You know the name, but probably haven’t met one.” Or more than one, at least.
Besides Seabourne, which I think might be a bit much for a first name anyway, are there any other creative associations you could make? Home town? Something from a favorite song, or book?
You could go with the second half of the name phonetically – Drop the [name]Shirl[/name], keep the Ley … [name]Lee[/name] or [name]Leigh[/name]?
Oh, and I also really like the other post’s suggestions or [name]Shira[/name], or perhaps [name]Shiri[/name], like the actress [name]Shiri[/name] Appleby (or however it’s spelled).
[name]Hi[/name]!
Well, I definitely think you should use [name]Lydia[/name] - its my all-time favorite! If [name]Shirley[/name] loved it, it is an amazing way to honor her. That’s sort of how I feel about [name]Maggie[/name] - my mom loved it, so using it would be a way to honor her…
What about two middle names, one being Seabourne? That is such a cool name!
[name]Lydia[/name] [name]Catherine[/name] Seabourne LN
[name]Lydia[/name] [name]Sophie[/name] Seabourne
[name]Lydia[/name] [name]Simone[/name] Seabourne
[name]Lydia[/name] [name]Sylvie[/name] Seabourne
Or something like that! I love alliteration!
[name]Lemon[/name]
Thanks [name]Lemon[/name]! [name]Sylvie[/name]'s been growing on me for a while now so I just ran it past my partner and he likes it too
Thanks for the ideas!
That’s an interesting bit of information Thankyou!
Thanks [name]Lemon[/name]! [name]Sylvie[/name]'s been growing on me for a while now so I just ran it past my partner and he likes it too
[name]Lydia[/name] [name]Sylvie[/name] Seabourne is ahhhmazing! I also like [name]Sophie[/name] though
Thanks for the ideas![/quote]
[name]Glad[/name] you like! [name]Linnea[/name] [name]Sylvie[/name] Seabourne could work, too, as [name]Lydia[/name] and [name]Linnea[/name] sound similar. [name]Lydia[/name] and [name]Sylvie[/name] have the same sound, though, whereas [name]Linnea[/name] has a slightly different sound. [name]Both[/name] are gorgeous, though!
[name]Lemon[/name]
[name]Just[/name] to chime in – these are funny to read as my name is actually [name]Katherine[/name] [name]Seaborn[/name]! FYI, it’s my married name, but I’ve received a few compliments on it!
If your grandma didn’t like her name very much then maybe using [name]Shirley[/name] to honour her isn’t the right way to go but instead something similar.
[name]Shirley[/name] means “bright meadow” - a lovely meaning - so here are some similarities in meaning.
[name]Bright[/name] [name]Meadow[/name]:
Akeno
Names meaning bright:
[name]Clara[/name]
[name]Claire[/name]
[name]Clarice[/name]
[name]Clarissa[/name]
[name]Ellen[/name]/[name]Ella[/name]/[name]Elaine[/name] - bright light
[name]Lainey[/name] - bright light
Helcia
[name]Kiara[/name]
[name]Kelly[/name] - [name]Bright[/name] headed
[name]Lena[/name] - The bright one
Malbina
[name]Meryl[/name]/[name]Muriel[/name]/[name]Merilyn[/name] - [name]Bright[/name] as the sea (combines maiden name seabourne)
[name]Morgan[/name] - Possibly means bright sea
[name]Nella[/name]
[name]Phoebe[/name]
[name]Roberta[/name] - [name]Bright[/name] fame
[name]Robyn[/name] - [name]Bright[/name] fame
[name]Roxana[/name] (and variants)
[name]Yelena[/name] - Torch
[name]Zahra[/name]
[name]Zahara[/name] - Shining
[name]Meadow[/name] names:
[name]Meadow[/name]
[name]Lee[/name]/[name]Leigh[/name]
[name]Sydney[/name] - wide meadow
[name]Yeardley[/name]/[name]Yardley[/name] - enclosed grassland
[name]Zahara[/name] [name]Meadow[/name]
[name]Clara[/name] [name]Meadow[/name]
[name]Lena[/name] [name]Meadow[/name]
[name]Kelly[/name] [name]Meadow[/name]
[name]Nella[/name] [name]Meadow[/name]
[name]Kiara[/name] [name]Meadow[/name]
[name]Lainey[/name] [name]Meadow[/name]
[name]Yelena[/name] [name]Sydney[/name]
[name]Zahara[/name] [name]Sydney[/name]
Malbina [name]Sydney[/name]
[name]Ellen[/name] [name]Sydney[/name]
[name]Muriel[/name] [name]Cydney[/name]
[name]Phoebe[/name] [name]Leigh[/name]
[name]Roberta[/name] [name]Lee[/name]
[name]Roxana[/name] [name]Lee[/name]
[name]Morgan[/name] [name]Leigh[/name]
[name]Clarissa[/name] [name]Leigh[/name]
Helcia [name]Lee[/name]
[name]Kiara[/name] [name]Lee[/name]
[name]Morgan[/name] [name]Yeardley[/name]
[name]Robyn[/name] Yeardly
[name]Clarissa[/name] [name]Yardley[/name]
[name]Kiara[/name] [name]Yardley[/name]
[name]Ella[/name] [name]Yardley[/name]
Many options
[name]EDIT[/name]: I just noticed your post that said your last name is actually [name]Morgan[/name], which means bright sea or born of the sea (or something similar) so you could give your daughter the exact same name meaning as your grandma.
Something like [name]Clara[/name] [name]Lee[/name] or [name]Phoebe[/name] [name]Lee[/name] [name]Morgan[/name] would mean [name]Bright[/name] meadow born of the sea just like [name]Shirley[/name] Seaborne.