I think that bot [name]Emma[/name] and [name]Julia[/name] are lovely and go just fine with [name]Sofia[/name]. If you really love one of those names then you should not compromise because of the similarity in ending or level of popularity.
I [name]LOVE[/name] [name]Juliet[/name] [name]Amelia[/name] as little sister to [name]Sofia[/name]… I also think [name]Olivia[/name] and [name]Sofia[/name] are an amazing match, but don’t love the sound of [name]Olivia[/name] [name]Amelia[/name]. Good luck!
ok a new day - thanks so much to everyone who responded. [name]Julia[/name] is resurrected - i really like it but got scared off from the ia ending. but as someone said, it will be her name for life and only used with her sister’s for a relatively short period. my question is, is amelia also not too matchy? or amelia is more matchy bc of the stress on the ee sound whereas julia has a much different sound? what does everyone think? also i don’t think [name]Julia[/name] [name]AMelia[/name] really works and we would really like to use [name]Amelia[/name] as the middle at least.
still unsure of [name]Charlotte[/name] given the nicknames - i think nicknames might be a bigger issue for me than matchiness with the sibling.
i have always wished that i liked fiona more bc my name, sofia and fiona share the same vowels - which i love as a not so obvious tie, but i don’t love it. same for ella - i wish i loved it.
i really liked some of the other suggestion - elena was a thought for awhile, might add that back. like zoe but its a nieces name, liked chloe for awhile but seems not just popular but too trendy feel (khloe kardashian). natalie is another i really like but nieces name again.
what does everyone ehtink of emma - like me that its waning so maybe go for another name or ignore that?
so i guess we are still considering julia, charlotte, maybe amelia? also emma, elena and maybe ella?
please send along your thoughts on these names as well as anything else. please feel free to be critical!
I think [name]Amelia[/name] is pretty and not at all too matchy with [name]Sofia[/name]. I remember your poll where some people voted to eliminate [name]Amelia[/name] because of matchiness, but I honestly think it isn’t an issue. The names have a similar rhythm and share some vowel sounds, but their beginnings and consonants are totally distinct, and they don’t share any syllables in common–their similarities aren’t, in my opinion, worth fretting over. [name]Amelia[/name], though, does carry the same (if not higher) risk of acquiring a nickname as [name]Charlotte[/name], and it sounds like that’s an important concern for you. But as I said about [name]Charlotte[/name], I don’t tend to think that people will jump in and call your kid a nickname without your initiation, and as with [name]Charlotte[/name], none of the nicknames for [name]Amelia[/name] strike me as really that instinctive. (In contrast with your example of [name]Gabriella[/name]/[name]Gabby[/name].)
I think [name]Emma[/name] is very sweet and always will be. I think that the concern about popularity might be splitting hairs–that is, all of these names are pretty popular, so I’m not sure what might set [name]Emma[/name] apart as unusable because of the popularity. [name]Charlotte[/name] and [name]Amelia[/name] might be on the rise, whereas [name]Emma[/name] might be slightly on the wane (I can’t tell from your post if you consider this a plus or a minus for [name]Emma[/name]?), but they’re all popular classics and all as likely to endure as names while still likely to decline somewhat in popularity.
I do love [name]Ella[/name], but it sounds as though you don’t, so I’d eliminate it.
Still love [name]Julia[/name] for you. I think [name]Amelia[/name] isn’t great as a middle for any of your options excepting [name]Charlotte[/name]. Would you consider [name]Amelie[/name]? [name]Julia[/name] [name]Amelie[/name] works better, I think. Or [name]Julia[/name] [name]Emmeline[/name], if you’d go there.
I really would not worry so much about nick names for [name]Charlotte[/name]. I know three Charlottes and none of them go by nicknames, besides the occasional “[name]Shar[/name]” sound for short. [name]Charlotte[/name] and [name]Sofia[/name] are really nice together and [name]Charlotte[/name] [name]Amelia[/name] sounds lovely.
If you like [name]Emma[/name], [name]Ella[/name] and [name]Amelia[/name] - how about [name]Eliana[/name] (pronounced ellie - AHNA). This name sounds lovely with [name]Sofia[/name] but has different sounds. The nn potential is nice - [name]Ellie[/name], [name]Ann[/name], [name]Anna[/name]…
Otherwise, I think you really have nice names here to choose from. My best advice is worry less about how they go with [name]Sofia[/name] - because the are all good - and think about your new little gem of a daughter and what you truly want to call her as she rests in your arms, toddles around and grows up to be a lovely girl.
Best!
Lynae
It’s sounding to me like [name]Julia[/name], [name]Amelia[/name], or [name]Charlotte[/name] will be the best pick for you. You will get there! If you want here are more thoughts in the meantime.
[name]Julia[/name] - I think [name]Sofia[/name] and [name]Julia[/name] is lovely and totally fine, and again, while [name]Julia[/name] [name]Amelia[/name] is a little clunky it’s stil pretty, and more important that it’s meaningful. However if you’re willing to go to [name]Julia[/name] [name]Amelie[/name] or [name]Julia[/name] [name]Emmeline[/name] I agree with pp that’s quite nice and solves the minor rhythm difficulty.
[name]Elena[/name] - [name]Glad[/name] you like this! It’s a great name, although you seem more neutral toward it than others so don’t think too hard on it if you like others more : D. [name]Elena[/name] [name]Amelia[/name] is pretty.
[name]Chloe[/name] - if it feels truly too trendy, by all means stay away, but without a K spelling, I don’t know, it’s a very old name, in the Bible even, so, that grounds it some to me. [name]Chloe[/name] [name]Amelia[/name] has really nice flow.
[name]Emma[/name] - if it’s waning I wouldn’t worry, as another poster said that can actually kind of be a plus and it is a fairly classic name, so even if it’s not as popular as it once was it won’t have a completely flash-in-the-pan kind of feel. [name]Emma[/name] [name]Amelia[/name] is a little non-ideal but still OK really. But maybe [name]Emma[/name] feels like an honorary form of [name]Amelia[/name] to you?
[name]Amelia[/name] - I agree, [name]Sofia[/name] and [name]Amelia[/name] is totally doable. -ia is a really common ending for women’s names! If you’ll consider [name]Sofia[/name] and [name]Julia[/name], consider this too unless you have other reasons for not doing so.
[name]Charlotte[/name] - This seems such a natural favorite and I really do think it’s possible to avoid the nicknames - and can you see it as possible that if she chooses to take one of the nicknames herself, you could grow into fondness for it? That’s the only really likely scenario I see for a nickname, is if she when she’s old enough decides she prefers it. [name]Charlotte[/name] [name]Amelia[/name] is very nice : D.
You might be done considering other options, and that’s totally fine, but in case not:
[name]Natalie[/name] and [name]Charlotte[/name] are both French-y…and I think you had [name]Juliet/name earlier but ruled it out - do you like
[name]Genevieve[/name]
[name]Anneliese[/name]
[name]Vivienne[/name]
[name]Annabelle[/name]
[name]Margot[/name] (no clear nickname - and [name]Margot[/name] [name]Amelia[/name] is nice!)
[name]Audrey[/name] (also no real nicknames with this one btw! And I like [name]Audrey[/name] [name]Amelia[/name])
These are all perhaps less popular than [name]Sofia[/name] but still fairly familiar ([name]Margot[/name] and [name]Anneliese[/name] maybe the least?), so there wouldn’t be a weird name / common name dynamic, I don’t think.
Also your previous interest in [name]Catherine[/name], as well as love for [name]Charlotte[/name], made me think of
[name]Caroline[/name]
which would also share the o-a-i vowels, works with [name]Amelia[/name], and doesn’t really lend itself to nicknames much. That said, you have to like it and I suspect if it’s not on the list already it’s out. Which is fine. : D.
Good luck!
thanks again everyone, [name]Hilary[/name] - just wondering if you are pronouncing [name]Amelia[/name] with 3 syllables and a “ya” at the end? i prefer the 4 syllable pronunciation with more of an ee-ah at the end which then is more like [name]Sofia[/name]. don’t know if this changes your mind on the machines. i guess the pronunciation is another reason i was thinking maybe its best left in the middle spot where pronunciation and nicknames are not an issue… i was also wondering if you do like [name]Charlotte[/name] from my list or more just because i mentioned it?
lynae - i really appreciate the words about not worrying as much about how they go with [name]Sofia[/name]. I think I’ve gotten myself in a panic over it and the best name for her for her lifetime really is more important than how the subset sounds so thank you for reminding me of that!!
jesba - thanks for all your input today and yesterday, i might just take you up on the offer to PM about it…
right now i think i am between [name]Charlotte[/name], [name]Emma[/name], [name]Julia[/name] and [name]Amelia[/name] (in no particular order) although that is still back to my list of names with issues…argghhh
[name]Naomi[/name],
I like both pronunciations of [name]Amelia[/name] and, yes, I think they are both fine with [name]Sofia[/name]. As with [name]Julia[/name], [name]Amelia[/name]'s “ia” sounds different (in emphasis) from [name]Sofia[/name]'s whether you are pronouncing it “ya” or “ee-ah.” I think I prefer the latter as well, and in some ways that may even distinguish it more from [name]Sofia[/name], since it adds an extra syllable. But it works either way.
Oh, I do really like [name]Charlotte[/name]! It’s beautiful. Actually, I don’t know if I mentioned, but I have a [name]Sophia[/name], and I could see myself considering [name]Charlotte[/name] for another (hypothetical) daughter. It’s a natural fit and a lovely name in itself. (I also love [name]Lottie[/name], but I think it’s incredibly avoidable.)
I know the decision feels monumental, but I don’t think you can go wrong.
[name]Hilary[/name]
[name]Charlotte[/name] [name]Amelia[/name] [name]LOVE[/name]
[name]Amelia[/name] [name]Charlotte[/name] [name]LOVE[/name]
[name]Emma[/name] seems a little plain next to [name]Sofia[/name] to my eyes.
[name]Julia[/name] NMS as hate the nn “[name]Jules[/name]”
i do like the combos of [name]Charlotte[/name] [name]Amelia[/name] and [name]Amelia[/name] [name]Charlotte[/name] but worried about using either of them as the first name due to the more formal nicknames. I do actually like jules as a pet name for [name]Julia[/name]/[name]Juliet[/name] though