[name_m]Hi[/name_m]. I am working on a short story, an adaptation of the Brothers Grimm [name_f]Cinderella[/name_f] (Aschenputtel) in which the hero gets help from a magic tree instead of a fairy godmother.
[name_f][/name_f]Here are a few possibilities for the [name_f]Cinderella[/name_f] character’s name:
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Fenna[/name_f], named after the fennel plants around the cottage where she is born. She plants fennel seeds after her stepsisters start to torment her and gets the nickname “Ashyfennel.” It is a combination of [name_f]Ella[/name_f] (used in modern [name_f]Cinderella[/name_f] adaptations based on Perrault’s tale) and [name_f]Finette[/name_f] (as in Marie-Catherine d’Aulnoy’s Finette-Cinders).
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Olive[/name_f], after the tree near the church in her village. She plays there a lot before her mother’s death. Af ter moving in with her stepfamily, she requests an olive tree of her own from her father. She waters the tree with her tears, allowing it to grow quickly. That same tree grows magic olives to help her in times of need. There are Biblical references to olive trees relating to victory.
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Senna[/name_f], named after the herb around the cottage where she grows up. After moving in with her stepsisters, she plants senna seeds in her gardens. Her stepsisters and peers then give her the nickname “Ashysenna.” This sounds similar to “cinna”, which itself is similar to the “cin” in “Cinderella.” However, I created a [name_f]Scarlet[/name_f] to live in the same fairy-tale universe; I am not keen on my “Cinderella” and “Red Riding Hood” characters sharing a first initial.
[name_f][/name_f]Which of these ideas do you like best? Any more ideas for symbolic names fit for a sensitive girl?