Berries, please help me to figure out our baby naming dilemma!
Before our DD was born we had narrowed our list down to three names: [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], Emily / [name_f]Emma[/name_f], and [name_f]Audrey[/name_f].
For middles, we were choosing between [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] / [name_f]Kate[/name_f], and [name_f]Rose[/name_f].
We decided to name our little girl [name_f]Audrey[/name_f] [name_f]Rose[/name_f]. We have strong family ties to the name [name_f]Rose[/name_f] and I loved the combo. I came to find out about the [scary] book / movie later and was so worried that I wondered if we should change her middle name to [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]! But we decided to stick with our choice (in part because it seemed that very few people our age are familiar with the story).
Anyway, a few months later, the [name_f]Princess[/name_f] [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] was born! Now, as we think about our second, I am still in love with the name [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f]. But I just couldn’t give her the same name as the [name_f]Princess[/name_f]! I feel like we missed our chance to use the name we love, or should have chosen [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] as our DD’s middle after all…
I still like Emily Catherine and love the NN combo [name_f]Emma[/name_f] [name_f]Kate[/name_f] - which is perhaps the best three-syllable match for [name_f]Audrey[/name_f] [name_f]Rose[/name_f] - I just can’t let [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] go! Help me figure out what to do.
[name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] was fairly popular before [name_f]Princess[/name_f] [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] was born (and unless you live in the UK I don’t see it being an issue). If you could think of an alternative middle name for [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], I think it would be a good sister name for [name_f]Audrey[/name_f].
If you really love [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], but want to avoid the [name_f]Princess[/name_f] [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] connection, [name_f]Emma[/name_f] [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] would be a beautiful compromise.
[name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] is very pretty, and honestly I couldn’t care less about the princess connection. I think, if you still love then name, then use it. There’s no reason not too. If people want to assume why or how you chose the name that is their nosey business, and not for you to worry about. I think [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] is much prettier than [name_f]Emma[/name_f] [name_f]Kate[/name_f]. And I feel that [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] sounds nicer paired with [name_f]Audrey[/name_f].
I actually really like [name_f]Emily[/name_f] [name_f]Catherine[/name_f]/[name_f]Emma[/name_f] [name_f]Kate[/name_f] with [name_f]Audrey[/name_f] [name_f]Rose[/name_f]. It’s truly beautiful! If you really want to use [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], I think that’s fine too! I don’t think you can go wrong here. I guess it comes down to- will you regret not using [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] down the road or can you fall in love with [name_f]Emma[/name_f] [name_f]Kate[/name_f] enough to forget about [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f]?
I truly think both are beautiful and I don’t think people will make the connection between the princess and your daughter. Would you consider a different middle name for [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] as a compromise?
As I mentioned before, you can’t go wrong here! But if the princess connection bothers you too much you could always find a middle name that is just as gorgeous with [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] as [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] is! Good luck!!
I think it is fine to use the names you love. I had forgotten that [name_f]Princess[/name_f] [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f]'s middle name is [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]. Soon enough others will, too - unless maybe you live in the UK. Both names are classics and have likely been paired by others. You could add a second middle name, too. [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] [name_f]Anna[/name_f] [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]. [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] [name_f]Lizabeth[/name_f]. [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] [name_f]Emma[/name_f] [name_f]Kate[/name_f].
[name_f]Emily[/name_f] [name_f]Catherine[/name_f]/[name_f]Emma[/name_f] [name_f]Kate[/name_f] is great, too. As others have said, “You can’t go wrong.”
I’d use Charlottle [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]. You love it. It pairs nicely with [name_f]Audrey[/name_f] [name_f]Rose[/name_f]. People rarely use both given names at the same time. And is it such a horrible connection? Maybe when she’s older she would like that she shares a name with a princess.
[name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] [name_f]Emily[/name_f] or [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] are also lovely. If you want a flower connection between sisters, you could use [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] [name_f]Lily[/name_f]. [name_f]Lily[/name_f] is also a nn for [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f].
If you love the name, use it! It sounds lovely with your daughter’s name, and [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] and [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] are both classic names with associations outside of royals, if you don’t want that to be your primary association.
Besides, imagine if she goes through a princess stage? I bet she’d find it really cool to share name similarities with a princess!
I agree completely. [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] is a lovely name, and I wouldn’t assume that you were copying the royal family if you named your baby that. [name_m]Even[/name_m] if you lived in the UK. I will just restate that [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] WAS very popular before the princess was born. I say go for it! [name_f]Audrey[/name_f] and [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] are such classy sister names:)
I see no issues with using [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] as it’s been popular for a while. [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] is an incredibly common middle name so I wouldn’t think anything of it. If you were to use [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] the only way I would think of [name_f]Princess[/name_f] [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] was if you mentioned her specifically or added [name_f]Diana[/name_f]/[name_f]Diane[/name_f]/[name_f]Dinah[/name_f]/[name_f]Di[/name_f]-anything as a second middle name.
[name_f]Audrey[/name_f] and [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] would make fantastic sisters!
The thing about [name_u]Royal[/name_u] names is that they are almost always classics. You will always hear and love them. [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] is far less popular than [name_f]Emma[/name_f]. [name_f]Audrey[/name_f] and [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] are a perfect pair!
Perhaps a variation on one of the names ([name_f]Emma[/name_f], [name_f]Emily[/name_f], [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] and [name_f]Kate[/name_f]) will strike you?
[name_f]Carlotta[/name_f]
[name_f]Loretta[/name_f]
[name_f]Scarlet[/name_f]
[name_f]Charlene[/name_f]/[name_f]Carlene[/name_f]
[name_f]Carla[/name_f]/[name_f]Karla[/name_f]/[name_f]Cara[/name_f]/[name_f]Kara[/name_f]
[name_f]Amelia[/name_f]/[name_f]Emilia[/name_f]/[name_f]Amelie[/name_f]
[name_f]Emmy[/name_f]
[name_f]Esme[/name_f]
Emmabeth (this is like a combo of [name_f]Emma[/name_f] and [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]! ”)
[name_f]Eliza[/name_f]
[name_f]Emmaline[/name_f]
[name_f]Gemma[/name_f]
[name_u]Emery[/name_u]
[name_f]Elena[/name_f]
[name_f]Elin[/name_f]
[name_f]Elise[/name_f]/a
[name_f]Elle[/name_f]/a
[name_f]Elodie[/name_f]
[name_u]Eloise[/name_u]
[name_f]Eleanor[/name_f]
[name_f]Elsa[/name_f]
[name_f]Elspeth[/name_f]
[name_f]Liesel[/name_f]
Lilibelle
[name_f]Lilibeth[/name_f]
[name_f]Lillith[/name_f]
[name_f]Lisabette[/name_f]/a/Lisbette
[name_f]Lisbeth[/name_f]
[name_f]Lisette[/name_f]
Catelina/Katelina
[name_f]Caterina[/name_f]/[name_f]Katerina[/name_f]
[name_f]Catrina[/name_f]/[name_f]Katrina[/name_f]
[name_f]Corrina[/name_f]/[name_f]Karina[/name_f]
[name_f]Catriona[/name_f]/[name_f]Katriona[/name_f]
Here are some more beautiful, classic names that I feel like would make a nice fit (either as FNs or MNs) with the others you like:
Well, been a while since I posted this… turns out one of my best friends just had a girl and she named her [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f]. I am thrilled for her, but I couldn’t help feel a pang of sadness because I now feel like I cannot use the name… definitely not as a first name but maybe not even as a middle. What would you do in this situation?
(In case you’re wondering, she did know it was our runner up name and later said she hoped it did not create ill feelings and that she hoped I would still use the name if I wanted to…)
I definitely don’t think the princess should stop you from using [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]. I didn’t even know her middle name. A best friend using it would probably stop me, but if you really love it more than all other names and can’t find anything else, then go ahead and use it anyway. It sounds like your friend wouldn’t mind. I also think when the name is near the top of the popularity rankings, the parents aren’t choosing the name for its uniqueness, so it shouldn’t be as big a deal.
I am a teacher and although I have had a number of Charlottes, I still love it. I definitely think that the princess should not keep you from [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]; she doesn’t own the name! Whether you duplicate a first name in your circle of friends is a personal preference–it wouldn’t necessarily bother me— but I think you could certainly use [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] in the middle.
If you choose a name in the top ten or twenty then you have to expect that there will be plenty other children with the same name. This is especially true if it’s a classic name.
[name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] is a gorgeous name. I think you should still pick it, even if your friend has chosen it.
For me, deciding to use [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] would depend on how much contact I have with this best friend. If my life-long, bosom buddy, bestest of bestests who lives one town over used it, I would feel like that was actually my daughter too so I couldn’t repeat the name. If it was one of my college friends who I rarely see because she lives on the other coast, I’d just say “haha, you’ve got the right idea, I’m using it too!” (I’m considering stealing/repeating [name_f]Linnea[/name_f], which was used by a college friend, if I have a girl in the future!) As for the middle name, I love [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] [name_f]Elise[/name_f]–a variant of [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] that sounds a bit more fresh.
I guess it comes down to- will you regret not using [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] down the road or can you fall in love with [name_f]Emma[/name_f] [name_f]Kate[/name_f] enough to forget about [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f]?