Blended family naming - UPDATED Possible middles on 2nd page

Girl Names
1

Our baby girl is almost here and we’re at a total loss! This is DH and I’s first child together, and will probably be our only, but we both have kids from our previous marriages (he has full custody of his bio children).

My bio children :
[name]Annaliese[/name] [name]Lucia[/name] (LOO-chee-a) (sometimes “Lielu”, prn [name]LEE[/name]-loo, mostly her full name)
[name]Vanessa[/name] [name]Florence[/name]

[name]Lucia[/name] is after my mother, [name]Lucy[/name], [name]Florence[/name] is after my grandmother and [name]Anna[/name] is a family name on my ex-husband’s side, so [name]Annaliese[/name] was for that.

His bio children :
[name]Zander[/name] [name]Cassius[/name]
[name]Poppy[/name] [name]Glenda[/name]
[name]Lilac[/name] [name]Pamela[/name]
[name]Amaryllis[/name] [name]Jane[/name] (the girls’ middles are family names, all from DH’s side).

Now you can see my problem - my step-daughters all have flower names. The youngest is only seven, and they all live with us, so we are really concerned about our new little one’s name fitting with ALL of her siblings, floral and non-floral. But we worry that not continuing the theme would make her stand out (my bio daughters are 12 and 11, so our new little one will be a little closer in age to my two of my stepdaughters), but also that continuing the theme would feel artificial and leave out my bio daughters …

Like I said, this will probably be DH and I’s only child together, so we want the name to be perfect, but at the moment I’m feeling like I’d just settle for ANYTHING which didn’t make some of the kids look left out.

Sorry for the rambling post, but I just don’t know what to do!

2

You both have very beautifully named children by the way!

My first thought was [name]Magnolia[/name]. It’s a flower name but to me, also sounds good with [name]Annaliese[/name] and [name]Vanessa[/name] because it’s a bit longer (unlike [name]Poppy[/name] and [name]Lilac[/name]).

You could give her a floral first name to please 3 of her sisters and an Italian middle name to go with [name]Florence[/name] and [name]Lucia[/name] to please the other 2 sisters? That could keep everyone happy! Also might I point out that [name]Florence[/name] also has a strong floral connection.

You could even go with [name]Fiorella[/name] or [name]Floriana[/name]? They mean flower in Italian so cover all bases! Or there’s [name]Giacinta[/name], Italian for [name]Hyacinth[/name]. ([name]Violetta[/name] or [name]Rosetta[/name] would work in the same way)

Personally though I’d go for something like:

[name]Calla[/name] [name]Romany[/name]
[name]Iris[/name] [name]Alessandra[/name]
[name]Ivy[/name] [name]Francesca[/name]
[name]Jacinda[/name] [name]Paolina[/name]

Best of luck!

3

Personally, I would probably not continue a theme from children’s names from previous relationships. I would choose a new name that sounds lovely with all of the siblings names but that has special meaning to you and your husband.

[name]Annaliese[/name] [name]Lucia[/name]
[name]Vanessa[/name] [name]Florence[/name]
[name]Zander[/name] [name]Cassius[/name]
[name]Poppy[/name] [name]Glenda[/name]
[name]Lilac[/name] [name]Pamela[/name]
[name]Amaryllis[/name] [name]Jane[/name] and…

Here are a couple suggestions that I think would fit in without following any previous themes. By the way, you both have great taste and the names all sound great together! I don’t think you’ll have a hard time finding a name that you both love.

[name]Camilla[/name]
[name]Beatrice[/name]
[name]Bianca[/name]
[name]Mirabel[/name]
[name]Lorelei[/name]

Good luck and congrats!

4

I would personally agree with [name]Jemma[/name] about the theme. Not to mention, his son doesn’t have a nature name.

That being said, here are some names that are of the same theme, but I think some of them would be a great crossover to your bio kids too.

Nature Names:

[name]Rosemary[/name] (flower name)
[name]Linnea[/name] (flower name)
[name]Chloris[/name] (Greek [name]Goddess[/name] of Flowers)
[name]Yasmine[/name] (jasmine flower)
[name]Elodie[/name] (marsh flower)
[name]Susanna[/name] (lily)
[name]Ellery[/name] (island with elder trees)
[name]Hazel[/name] (the hazelnut tree)
[name]Rowan[/name] (tree name)
[name]Tamara[/name] (date palm tree)
[name]Sylvana[/name] (from the forest)

Congrats on your baby!! :slight_smile:

5

I would go with a name that is flowery, but doesn’t SOUND flowery.

Some non-obvious nature names:

[name]Susannah[/name] “[name]Rose[/name]/[name]Lily[/name]”
[name]Daphne[/name] “laurel”
[name]Jessamine[/name] “jasmine”
[name]Alyssa[/name] - Alyssum is a type of flower
[name]Marguerite[/name]
[name]Anthea[/name] “flower”

I’m sure other nameberries can help more.

6

That’s a hard situation, maybe a name with a feminine/naturey meaning but not so tied to a flower? some names I feel fit in with all your childrens:

[name]Hazel[/name]
Caraway
[name]Laurel[/name]
[name]Flora[/name]
[name]Isadora[/name]
[name]Luna[/name]
[name]Nova[/name]
[name]Pearl[/name]
[name]Rosalie[/name]
[name]Scarlet[/name]

7

[name]EDIT[/name] Can’t believe I didn’t say [name]Rose[/name]!!! Any name in the [name]Rose[/name] family. :slight_smile:

8

I don’t think there’s any reason to feel bad about not continuing the flower tradition for your daughter . . . you’ll now have 6 girls in your family and it won’t be apparent to others that some are “his” and some are “yours” based on their names - people will just think you like some flower names and some other non-flower names. This is especially true if you want to continue the tradition of having a family name as a middle name, which it seems like you’ve both been doing anyway - that adds a nice cohesion to all the girls’ names.

These blog entries have name ideas that might be appealing:

https://nameberry.com/blog/2009/07/12/newer-names-in-older-categories-fresh-florals-and-varied-virtues/

https://nameberry.com/blog/2010/03/21/springtime-baby-names-names-to-celebrate-the-new-season/

The “new season” concept (with names like [name]Spring[/name], [name]Primavera[/name], Nouvelle, etc) sounds like it might be a nice way to honor your new family together.

9

Personally I think it would be strange to continue a theme from a previous marriage. [name]Just[/name] because of how personal choosing a name is and all that and I would feel like the ex had a hand in naming my child. That’s probably just me, though.

10

Thank you all! Your help is SO appreciated - we really like the idea of using a half-flower name, so to speak, that several of you mentioned. It feels like a good compromise, and makes it sort of ambiguous, whether we meant to follow the theme or not.

@ Ljandrl - thank you! I actually love [name]Fiorella[/name] - it”s new to me, and sounds beautiful. I ran it by DH and he likes it a lot (he tends to like the [name]Ella[/name] names). I tested it out, as I do with most names, and it feels ”right” saying it; I could definitely imagine myself having a daughter named [name]Fiorella[/name]. Our only concern is that it sounds too Italian for a couple with no Italian heritage ” What do you think?

@ [name]Jemma[/name] - thank you! I really enjoyed researching and choosing my first two daughters” names, which is part of the reason this indecision is upsetting me so much. [name]Beatrice[/name] is a name we both like, but not quite enough for a first name. DH likes your suggestion of [name]Mirabel[/name], but I”m not sure yet.

@ Wagnerm - Thank you. [name]Linnea[/name] and [name]Elodie[/name] are lovely! [name]Linnea[/name], especially, I feel is a possibility.

@ [name]Fay[/name] - [name]Anthea[/name] is such a nice name, (I like [name]Thea[/name]) but too close to [name]Annaliese[/name]”s.

@ improvident_lack wit - thank you for the reassurance - it was really good to hear that the theme wouldn”t be too obvious to people. And you”re right! I feel quite a bit better now. Those blog entries were very helpful! I like [name]Zinnia[/name], and also [name]Camelia[/name] but it”s way too close to my name ([name]Amelia[/name]). I love the idea of the ”new season” names. We were considering having some sort of naming meaning ”love” or ”togetherness” or something of that ilk in the middle, for the same reason.

@ lyndsayjenness - no, it”s not just you - you”ve just described exactly how I feel! As this will almost certainly be my last child, I really want to be able to just pick names I love, and not worry about other factors, especially not fitting into someone else”s theme (DH”s ex-wife had the last say on names) ” but at the same time, it”s really important to both of us that our children”s names sound like one family, because we ARE one family.

So, what do you think of our options at the moment : [name]Fiorella[/name] (too Italian?), [name]Linnea[/name] or [name]Zinnia[/name]? I have to say, our current favourite is [name]Fiorella[/name], but we”ll have to see whether it stays that way.

Thank you all, so much - I am so pleased to have found such a helpful, knowledgeable group of people to help us!

From, [name]Mimi[/name].

11

Heres a few suggestions…

[name]Gemma[/name]
[name]Isla[/name]
[name]Willow[/name]
[name]Maeve[/name]
[name]Neva[/name]
[name]Janiyah[/name]
[name]Delilah[/name]
[name]Ruby[/name]
[name]Charlotte[/name]
Saffyra (pronounced:Saf-fY-ra)
[name]Anya[/name]
[name]Trinity[/name]
[name]Eden[/name]
[name]Savannah[/name]
[name]Camilla[/name]
[name]Jada[/name]
[name]Violet[/name]

:slight_smile:

12

SHe could have a hybrid name. [name]Flower[/name] first name and middle name from your side of the family. She can be a part of both traditions. And if you don’t want to be obvious about the flower name, you could pick a flower that is a little less known.

[name]Camellia[/name] and [name]Anemone[/name] flowers are very beautiful.

[name]Acacia[/name]
[name]Aster[/name]
[name]Begonia[/name]
[name]Bluebell[/name]
[name]Buttercup[/name]
[name]Dahlia[/name]
[name]Forsythia[/name]
[name]Fern[/name]
Hollyhock
[name]Hyacinth[/name]
[name]Juniper[/name]
[name]Primrose[/name]
[name]Petunia[/name]
[name]Pansy[/name]
[name]Sage[/name]
Sweetpea
[name]Violet[/name]
[name]Veronica[/name]
[name]Zinnia[/name]

13

[name]Fiorella[/name] is so freaking cute. If she doesn’t want to stand out too much she can go ella. Its the best of both worlds floral but also very old worls sophisticated like your older daughters. Have you considered [name]Violetta[/name] nn [name]ETTA[/name]?

14

from your update my vote goes to [name]Zinnia[/name]…lovely!!!

15

I love [name]Fiorella[/name]! I like [name]Zinnia[/name] a lot too, but [name]Linnea[/name] not as much just bc I always feel awkward pronouncing it, but maybe that’s just me.

Ps my name’s also [name]Amelia[/name]!

16

Well not just because I suggested it, but of your updated choices I do prefer [name]Fiorella[/name]! I don’t think it’s too Italian for a non-Italian person to use. I have no Italian roots and I have a cousin called [name]Francesca[/name] and I’ve considered [name]Mirabella[/name] and [name]Sancia[/name] for future children! I think it just depends how comfortable you are with the name.

I think it goes beautifully with all the other children’s names and doesn’t seem like you’ve just followed your husband’s ex-wifes theme. The name seems unique but compliments all the names.

Also you have the nicknames Fi or [name]Ella[/name], neither of which have an Italian association so that probably makes the name more usable in day to day life.

I like [name]Linnea[/name] (although I must admit I’m not sure I’m pronouncing it correctly!) but it seems a little plain to me with the other childrens names. And [name]Zinnia[/name] isn’t my style.

[name]Do[/name] you have a middle name picked out?

17

I like [name]Linnea[/name] the best of the three. I think it goes very well with both name sets and it is a flower name without being too obvious about it.

18

[name]Fiorella[/name] is lovely - the perfect compromise, and made so accessible by the nn [name]Ella[/name].

[name]Zinnia[/name], while I think it is a great, unusual name with a lot of spunk, seems perhaps too spunky with your [name]Annaliese[/name] and [name]Vanessa[/name]'s calm, classic names. Plus, she’d share an initial with [name]Zander[/name], which may or may not be a problem for you …

[name]Linnea[/name] again, would share her first two letters with [name]Lilac[/name], plus I can’t say that I find it nearly as pretty as your other daughters’ names - sorry!

Good luck! [name]Auburn[/name]

19

[name]Fiorella[/name] is lovely - the perfect compromise, and made so accessible by the nn [name]Ella[/name].

[name]Zinnia[/name], while I think it is a great, unusual name with a lot of spunk, seems perhaps too spunky with your [name]Annaliese[/name] and [name]Vanessa[/name]'s calm, classic names. Plus, she’d share an initial with [name]Zander[/name], which may or may not be a problem for you …

[name]Linnea[/name] again, would share her first two letters with [name]Lilac[/name], plus I can’t say that I find it nearly as pretty as your other daughters’ names - sorry!

Good luck! [name]Auburn[/name]

20

Thank you all! We think we’re settled on [name]Fiorella[/name] - we love that it is unusual, but has the really easy [name]Ella[/name] nn to fall back on. [name]Baby[/name] Girl’s due date is [name]Saturday[/name], but I’ve been having false labour on and off this past day, so we really want to get this name wrapped up before she makes her appearance! [name]Linnea[/name] and [name]Zinnia[/name] will be good back-ups, though.

@ improvident lackwit - nice to meet another [name]Amelia[/name]!

@ ljandrl - thank you for the reassurance!

As for the middle name, we’re considering :
[name]Charlotte[/name] (the frontrunner, this is for DH’s father [name]Charles[/name], plus I love this name)
[name]Beatrice[/name] (we just like)
[name]Freya[/name] (we like the ‘love’ connection, but we have a little neighbour with this name. Actually, it sounds way too much like [name]Fiorella[/name], doesn’t it?).

The children, whom we haven’t shared the name with yet, have made suggestions. We were considering doing a vote and letting them decide? We think we’re safe with what they pick, as they are aged 17 to 7 … Suggestions they have made : [name]Belle[/name] (wouldn’t use if she’s [name]Fiorella[/name]), [name]Mauve[/name] (erm …), [name]Cassandra[/name] ([name]Annaliese[/name] has just read I Capture the Castle), [name]Ruby[/name]. If we were letting them vote, we’d add [name]Charlotte[/name] in there, too.

Thank you again!

[name]Mimi[/name]