Alright Berries, we need some help.
We are due with baby #3 and would like to honor [name_f]Carol[/name_f]. It’s been used in some form for 5 generations and I’d like to continue but I’m not crazy about [name_f]Carol[/name_f]. [name_f]Caroline[/name_f] is probably my ok-ist option. Is there anything else?
We don’t care for [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], [name_f]Cora[/name_f], [name_f]Coralie[/name_f], [name_f]Carolina[/name_f], [name_f]Coraline[/name_f]. Does that make it impossible?!
So you can go a few different ways with this. You can do an etymologically related name, which it seems like you’ve already considered. You can do a sound alike name, though the options are limited. Or you can try for a name with a similar meaning.
Sound-Alikes (also anagrams)
[name_f]Coral[/name_f]
[name_f]Clora[/name_f]
Etymologically Related:
[name_f]Charlize[/name_f]
[name_f]Carly[/name_f]
[name_f]Karla[/name_f]
[name_f]Callie[/name_f]
Same Meaning- [name_f]Carol[/name_f] comes from [name_m]Charles[/name_m], which means “man.” That’s obviously not the best meaning to work with, but I’m taking [name_f]Carol[/name_f] as the dictionary word “carol,” meaning “a joyful song.” So the names below all mean song or something similar:
[name_f]Aria[/name_f]
[name_u]Carmen[/name_u]
[name_f]Gita[/name_f]
[name_f]Tarana[/name_f]
Canta
[name_f]Daina[/name_f]
[name_f]Melody[/name_f]
[name_u]Shir[/name_u], [name_f]Shira[/name_f]
I agree with [name_f]Coral[/name_f] as a nice alternative. It’s easy enough to tell just by looking at it how it honors [name_f]Carol[/name_f], yet I think it is much more current and on-trend than [name_f]Carol[/name_f].
I also like the idea of using a musical tie like [name_f]Melody[/name_f] or [name_f]Cadence[/name_f].
[name_f]Clara[/name_f] might be too much of a stretch, but I think you could use it as an honorific if it suits your fancy.
I instantly thought of using a song/music-related name, such as [name_u]Lyric[/name_u], [name_u]Harmony[/name_u], etc. I think [name_f]Coral[/name_f] is a lovely suggestion too.
[name_f]Callie[/name_f] (both [name_f]Carol[/name_f] and [name_f]Callie[/name_f] are derivatives of [name_f]Caroline[/name_f])
[name_f]Cara[/name_f]
[name_f]Carla[/name_f]
[name_f]Carlene[/name_f]
[name_u]Carlin[/name_u]
[name_f]Carly[/name_f]
[name_f]Carys[/name_f]
[name_f]Clarice[/name_f]
[name_f]Coline[/name_f]/[name_f]Colleen[/name_f]
[name_f]Coral[/name_f]
[name_f]Lark[/name_f] (all sounds from [name_f]Carol[/name_f] except the O)
[name_f]Lina[/name_f] (both [name_f]Carol[/name_f] and [name_f]Lina[/name_f] are derivatives of [name_f]Caroline[/name_f])
[name_f]Meryl[/name_f]
You might look into names with similar meanings? [name_f]Carol[/name_f]/[name_f]Caroline[/name_f] has many meanings, so there’s a lot to play with -
One meaning is song/hymn (like [name_u]Christmas[/name_u] carols), so you might be interested in a winter-y or [name_u]Christmas[/name_u]-y name like [name_u]Robin[/name_u], [name_f]Noelle[/name_f], [name_f]Natalie[/name_f]/[name_f]Natalia[/name_f], or something related to music, like [name_f]Cadence[/name_f], [name_f]Melody[/name_f], [name_u]Harmony[/name_u], [name_f]Allegra[/name_f]… one definition says ‘joyous song,’ so perhaps [name_f]Joy[/name_f], or another word meaning happiness…
Other meanings: champion/victor, strong. There are tons of names out there with similar meanings or associations: [name_f]Ailsa[/name_f], [name_u]Aubrey[/name_u], [name_f]Colette[/name_f], [name_f]Daphne[/name_f], [name_f]Devora[/name_f]/[name_f]Devra[/name_f]/[name_f]Debra[/name_f]/[name_f]Deborah[/name_f], [name_f]Elora[/name_f], [name_f]Jaya[/name_f], [name_f]Judith[/name_f], [name_f]Kendra[/name_f], [name_f]Lacey[/name_f], [name_f]Laura[/name_f]/[name_f]Laurel[/name_f]/[name_f]Lorna[/name_f], [name_f]Myrtle[/name_f], [name_f]Nia[/name_f], [name_f]Nicole[/name_f]/[name_u]Nicola[/name_u], [name_f]Nicolette[/name_f], [name_u]Nikita[/name_u], [name_u]Nila[/name_u], [name_f]Netta[/name_f], [name_f]Nya[/name_f], [name_f]Roxanne[/name_f], [name_f]Signy[/name_f], [name_f]Sigrid[/name_f], [name_f]Stefania[/name_f], [name_f]Veronica[/name_f], [name_f]Victoria[/name_f],
I love the previous poster’s suggestion of [name_f]Coral[/name_f]-I think it’s such a lovely, unusual but instantly recognisable name. It really clearly works as an honour name for [name_f]Carol[/name_f] and isn’t as stretched out as some other honour names. My only other suggestion would be [name_f]Carrie[/name_f], a sweet nickname name which feels more current than the slightly dated [name_f]Carol[/name_f].
There are some nice suggestions looking at linked meanings, but when a name has a slightly dubious, or not very specific meaning like [name_f]Carol[/name_f], I tend to find that these names hold less weight than say as honouring a [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] with a [name_f]Daisy[/name_f] or a [name_f]Pearl[/name_f].
I love both [name_f]Carol[/name_f] and [name_f]Caroline[/name_f]. You could also use [name_f]Carolyn[/name_f] or [name_f]Carrie[/name_f].
[name_f]Carola[/name_f] is the only name I can think to mention that hasn’t already been suggested.
I’ve loved the nickname/name [name_u]Caro[/name_u] ever since reading “Chocolat”. It’s soft and sweet but also very chic and spunky. Would that work for you?
I think [name_f]Caroline[/name_f] is a beautiul name, but my own [name_f]Caroline[/name_f] complains that it has been over-used here.
[name_f]Carlotta[/name_f] is another feminine version of [name_m]Charles[/name_m].