Choose a Name

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Hypothetically, if you had to name a daughter today, and you had to use one of these names (well, TWO FOR FIRST AND MIDDLE), which would you pick, and more importantly, why?

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Of the names you listed, here are the combos that jumped out to me:

[name]Clara[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name]
[name]Amelia[/name] [name]Jane[/name]
[name]Eliza[/name] [name]Jane[/name]

[name]Clara[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name] is definitely favorite!

Good luck!

[name]Alice[/name]
[name]Amelia[/name]
[name]Caroline[/name]
[name]Cecily[/name]
[name]Charlotte[/name]
[name]Clara[/name]
[name]Eliza[/name]
[name]Emmeline[/name]
[name]Genevieve[/name]
[name]Jane[/name]
[name]Lydia[/name]
[name]Margaret[/name]

I would choose [name]Charlotte[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name] because I like the way they sound together and they are both pretty and strong names.

The other names I like are [name]Alice[/name], [name]Lydia[/name] and [name]Jane[/name]. But [name]Jane[/name] I only like as a middle name paired with a less plain first name, ie. [name]Lydia[/name] [name]Jane[/name]…

[name]Caroline[/name] [name]Alice[/name]
[name]Lydia[/name] [name]Jane[/name]
I [name]LOVE[/name] the name [name]Lydia[/name] but also love the spelling of [name]Lidia[/name] (Italian) … so unique and pretty!

[name]Alice[/name]
[name]Amelia[/name]
[name]Caroline[/name]
[name]Cecily[/name]
[name]Charlotte[/name]
[name]Clara[/name]
[name]Eliza[/name]
[name]Emmeline[/name]
[name]Genevieve[/name]
[name]Jane[/name]
[name]Lydia[/name]
[name]Margaret[/name]

Wow, that was tough! I love all of the names there, but my favorites are [name]Lydia[/name] and [name]Eliza[/name].
If I had to choose one combo it would be [name]Lydia[/name] [name]Emmeline[/name]. Second and third places would be [name]Lydia[/name]/[name]Eliza[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name] and [name]Lydia[/name]/[name]Eliza[/name] [name]Jane[/name].
If I could do two middles, I would use [name]Lydia[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name] [name]Alice[/name] or [name]Lydia[/name] [name]Caroline[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name] (too long?).
Interesting topic! :slight_smile:

I like [name]Cicely[/name] [name]Charlotte[/name] or [name]Cicely[/name] [name]Emmeline[/name]. In reality i probably wouldn’t chose it though because our surname begins with a C and i’m not a big fan of alliteration xx

I [name]ADORE[/name] your list!!

My favorites for the first name slot are [name]Cecily[/name], [name]Clara[/name], and [name]Lydia[/name], so if I had to name a baby from this list it would definitely be one of these three (probably [name]Lydia[/name], if I really HAD TO choose).
I also think [name]Margaret[/name], [name]Charlotte[/name], [name]Caroline[/name], [name]Amelia[/name] and [name]Eliza[/name] make awesome first names though, and I would happily use any of these as well!

BUT, to answer your question, I guess my top combo from this list would be:
[name]Lydia[/name] [name]Charlotte[/name]

But VERY CLOSE runners up would be:
[name]Cecily[/name] [name]Jane[/name]
and
[name]Clara[/name] [name]Margaret[/name]

Why? Well, what most of the names on your list have in common is that they are classics, feminine but not overly frilly, familiar but not overly common, so that is why I like ALL of them (or at least the ones I mentioned, though the others are nice too).
[name]Lydia[/name] stands out to me even among this crowd because of its appealing sound, the fact that it is at once both playful and serious, but mostly because it is the one on this list that to me is the most elegant (with [name]Clara[/name] close behind and [name]Cecily[/name] also radiating its own offbeat charm).
I like the combo of [name]Lydia[/name] [name]Charlotte[/name] because the sounds in the two names really balance each other out and because I think [name]Charlotte[/name] also adds a certain youthfullness to [name]Lydia[/name]'s stateliness that makes the name as a whole the kind of name that will really suit a person throughout their lifetime.

[name]Clara[/name] [name]Jane[/name]: I already used the middle name [name]Jane[/name] for my real-life daughter. If this is a hypothetical FIRST daughter, I would choose [name]Clara[/name] [name]Jane[/name] for two reasons: (1) I really [name]LOVE[/name] the name [name]Clara[/name]. [name]Jane[/name] complements it well. (2) My twin sister’s mn is [name]Claire[/name] and my mn is [name]Jane[/name], so [name]Clara[/name] [name]Jane[/name] would be a combination of both our middle names.

[name]Clara[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name]: If I was naming a real-life second daughter right now, I would choose this beautiful combination because I love both names. They are a distinctive combination and go together well.

[name]Lydia[/name] [name]Charlotte[/name]: This would be a very close third choice… almost tying with the last one above. Actually, the more I think about this one, the more I love it!! They are two beautiful classic underused name that are perfect together!

BTW, sorry I slightly misquoted you last night in another thread. I should have double-checked your exact words.

This is so hard, I can’t choose a favourite!
I love these combinations,
[name]Lydia[/name] [name]Caroline[/name]
[name]Cecily[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name]
[name]Amelia[/name] [name]Charlotte[/name]
[name]Clara[/name] [name]Jane[/name]
[name]Eliza[/name] [name]Jane[/name]

I think my favourite is either [name]Clara[/name] [name]Jane[/name] or [name]Cecily[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name] :slight_smile:

I love [name]Cecily[/name] [name]Jane[/name]!

The combinations I would choose are:

  1. [name]Caroline[/name] [name]Eliza[/name]
    (My first choice, and [name]Caroline[/name] is my favorite girl’s name - I also thought [name]Caroline[/name] [name]Eliza[/name] was such a stunning combination!)
    Here are my other two favorites:
  2. [name]Charlotte[/name] [name]Jane[/name]
  3. [name]Lydia[/name] [name]Emmeline[/name]

Okay, here are some combinations I like:

[name]Lydia[/name] [name]Charlotte[/name] ([name]Love[/name] this one)
[name]Emmeline[/name] [name]Claire[/name] (liking [name]Claire[/name] better than [name]Clara[/name])
[name]Caroline[/name] [name]Eliza[/name] (?, Personally, I’d probably use [name]Caroline[/name] [name]Rose[/name])
[name]Margaret[/name] [name]Alice[/name]
[name]Cecily[/name] [name]Amelia[/name]
[name]Clara[/name] [name]Jane[/name]
[name]Genevieve[/name] ? (Because of the strong constonant sounds, I’d likely pair this with something that has strong vowel sounds. Maybe [name]Aurora[/name] or [name]Laurel[/name]? :wink: - You’d have your own little namesake.)

[name]Alice[/name]
[name]Amelia[/name]
[name]Caroline[/name]
[name]Cecily[/name]
[name]Charlotte[/name]
[name]Clara[/name]
[name]Eliza[/name]
[name]Emmeline[/name]
[name]Genevieve[/name]
[name]Jane[/name]
[name]Lydia[/name]
[name]Margaret[/name]

These are all lovely names. I’ve had a certain affection for [name]Clara[/name] for a long time. It’s a name we considered for our daughter; I love its sweetness, its feminine simplicity, and its meaning. For me, it also evokes someone with light hair and eyes (as do many C names–I’m not sure why), and we are dark-haired and dark-eyed, so that deterred us from it. Also–this may just be me–I sometimes found it a little difficult to say, or more specifically to say without swallowing letters. (To a much larger extent, I have this same problem with [name]Aurora[/name], which looks lovely on paper). I think that pretty much all names can be enunciated in ways that make them sound more or less pretty, but I guess I had that particular obstacle with [name]Clara[/name].

Anyway, I still want to choose [name]Clara[/name] as one of my favorites for your list. Middle names are hard . . . I’d want a longish middle name with [name]Clara[/name]. [name]Emmeline[/name] is beautiful, but there’s the a/e running together problem. I love [name]Genevieve[/name], and it would sound nice with [name]Clara[/name], but somehow the two names conjure images that don’t quite work together for me. For me, [name]Genevieve[/name] seems highly perfumed–I don’t mean frilly (I don’t think it is that), but it makes me think of a high-heeled pencil-skirted Parisian woman, whereas [name]Clara[/name] is all gentleness and softness. So maybe . . .

[name]Clara[/name] [name]Charlotte[/name]?
or
[name]Emmeline[/name] [name]Clara[/name]?
actually, that last might be the one for me. [name]Emmeline[/name] and [name]Clara[/name] do evoke complementary images for me.

Best wishes!

Wow! Ladies, you never cease to amaze me. I’m doing this because I think I’m in a naming rut and I’m not totally satisfied with my favorites anymore - not to mention that I’ve newly added [name]Clara[/name] and [name]Emmeline[/name] to my list.

[name]Alice[/name] - This is on the list because I think it is quirky and sweet, yet confident and curious. The name reminds me of the childlike naivete of [name]Alice[/name] in Wonderland, yet I also see a strong, sophisticated woman.

[name]Amelia[/name] - I’m not sure why this is on the list, and I don’t think I’d choose it for a first name. I originally liked it with [name]Caroline[/name], and I like that it reminds me of [name]Amelia[/name] [name]Earhart[/name], who I consider to be a remarkable woman.

[name]Caroline[/name] - I just really like the feminine simplicity of this name! It is all elegance, a la [name]Princess[/name] [name]Caroline[/name], yet I imagine [name]Caroline[/name] to have a bit of sass, like [name]Caroline[/name] Bingley.

[name]Cecily[/name] - I picked this one up from The Importance of Being [name]Earnest[/name], and I think it has a childlike innocence hidden under the veil of boldness and theatrics. It has a star quality that I’ve failed to find in many a vintage name, but I don’t know if I could use it for a first name.

[name]Charlotte[/name] - [name]Charlotte[/name] has long been my favorite for a girl. She was my most beloved doll, with beautiful dark brown hair and big eyes, and I adored her - and her name. [name]Charlotte[/name] reminds me of [name]Charlotte[/name]'s [name]Web[/name] and [name]Charlotte[/name] [name]Bronte[/name], not to mention [name]Charlotte[/name] [name]Lucas[/name] in Pride and Prejudice. I’ve recently been battling with an apparent harsh sound to the name, but I can’t let go of it.

[name]Clara[/name] - A new arrival to the list that has good memories for me. As a girl, I went to The Nutcracker each year with my mother, and each year I would watch [name]Clara[/name] dance across the stage, looking elegant and beautiful and lovely. Also, from a young age, my mother would read me stories of [name]Clara[/name] [name]Barton[/name] and the [name]Red[/name] [name]Cross[/name], and I dreamed of being a nurse! She was, you might say, the hero of my young childhood. However, pronunciation issues seem to plague this name. Is it [name]Claire[/name]-uh, as I say the name, or Clar-uh?

[name]Eliza[/name] - Another name I love. It reminds me of the opinionated and witty [name]Eliza[/name] [name]Bennett[/name], and I think the name has a class and sophisticated that sets it above the sea of Elizabeths. It is really a wonderful name in my opinion.

[name]Emmeline[/name] - Well, this one reminds me of [name]Emmeline[/name] Pankhurst, an honorable woman indeed! However, I worry that this name has a childlike sound that makes it unfit for a grown woman.

[name]Genevieve[/name] - I have a good friend named [name]Genevieve[/name], and the name calls to mind the dog in the [name]Madeline[/name] series, a favorite of mine as a child. I think this name is elegant and sophisticated, yet not too frilly as to not be accessible. It is “perfumed,” as [name]Hilary[/name] so aptly described it!

[name]Jane[/name] - Oh, [name]Jane[/name]. [name]Jane[/name] couldn’t ever be a first name for me. Whether it reminds me of my too-good-to-be-true friend [name]Jane[/name], who is remarkably like [name]Jane[/name] [name]Bennett[/name] in her generous, kind spirit, or of [name]Jane[/name] [name]Doe[/name], the name lacks a certain sparkle quality. Yet, it is an elegant middle name indeed.

[name]Lydia[/name] - My favorite. A family friend’s sister has a young daughter named [name]Lydia[/name], and I’ve loved the name ever since. It has a beautiful, melodic sound, and it conveys an image of curiosity and spunk combined with intelligence and wit that is hard for me to pass up. [name]Lydia[/name] [name]Bennett[/name]'s example doesn’t taint the name for me!

[name]Margaret[/name] - Not a favorite at all. Before my mother chose my name, she wanted to name me [name]Maggie[/name]. [name]Just[/name] [name]Maggie[/name]. I think it is a sweet nickname, as is [name]Meg[/name], but the name as a whole is too clunky for a first name. A great middle, though!

On to your suggestions:

[name]Clara[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name] - [name]Love[/name]! I think the two names pair well, because I see a spunky side to both [name]Clara[/name] and [name]Genevieve[/name]. [name]Clara[/name] has a simple sophisticated that partners well with [name]Genevieve[/name]'s sparkle factor, too…
[name]Clara[/name] [name]Margaret[/name] - This name doesn’t sing to me.
[name]Clara[/name] [name]Jane[/name] - Not enough shine.
[name]Clara[/name] [name]Charlotte[/name] - Two beauties, but they don’t sparkle together.

What about [name]Clara[/name] [name]Cecily[/name]?

[name]Lydia[/name] [name]Charlotte[/name] - Very nice! I love the feminine charm and melody of [name]Lydia[/name] paired with the sophisticated [name]Charlotte[/name]. Together they create an image of a playful, curious, yet grounded girl.
[name]Lydia[/name] [name]Jane[/name] - Pretty, indeed.
[name]Lydia[/name] [name]Emmeline[/name] - Awkward vowels…
[name]Lydia[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name] - Pretty, but [name]Clara[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name] is better, yes?
[name]Lydia[/name] [name]Caroline[/name] - This was always my favorite, but maybe [name]Lydia[/name] [name]Charlotte[/name] is better?

What about [name]Lydia[/name] [name]Margaret[/name]?

[name]Eliza[/name] [name]Jane[/name] - Simple and straight to the point. Elegant, but does it need more flair?
[name]Eliza[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name] - This is beautiful! Why does [name]Genevieve[/name] seem to work with every name?

What about [name]Eliza[/name] [name]Caroline[/name]?

[name]Charlotte[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name] - These seem at odds with each other.
[name]Charlotte[/name] [name]Jane[/name] - This doesn’t have sparkle factor for me.

What about [name]Charlotte[/name] [name]Eliza[/name]?

[name]Caroline[/name] [name]Alice[/name] - I don’t know. I think it needs more melody.
[name]Caroline[/name] [name]Eliza[/name] - Definitely pretty, elegant, and sophisticated, but I don’t think it is singing quite yet.

What about [name]Caroline[/name] [name]Amelia[/name]?

[name]Amelia[/name] [name]Jane[/name] - Pretty, simple, feminine. But is it enough?
[name]Amelia[/name] [name]Charlotte[/name] - I just can’t get on board with this.

I don’t think [name]Amelia[/name] can be a first name for me.

[name]Cecily[/name] [name]Jane[/name] - Gorgeous. This is a perfect combination!
[name]Cecily[/name] [name]Charlotte[/name] - I like this, but it seems a bit abrupt.
[name]Cecily[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name] - I think this is shining a bit too much.
[name]Cecily[/name] [name]Margaret[/name] - It’s alright, but it isn’t my favorite.
[name]Cecily[/name] [name]Amelia[/name] - I think this has a rhyme sound that isn’t right.

I can only think of [name]Cecily[/name] [name]Catherine[/name] that sounds good right now.

[name]Emmeline[/name] [name]Clara[/name] - Pretty.
[name]Emmeline[/name] [name]Claire[/name] - Prettier.

[name]Emmeline[/name] doesn’t seem to be hitting a high note for me.

[name]Margaret[/name] [name]Caroline[/name] - Nice, simple, to-the-point, but not fun.
[name]Margaret[/name] [name]Alice[/name] - [name]Alice[/name] [name]Margaret[/name], maybe?

[name]Margaret[/name] won’t be a first name, either.

Alright, you have given me much to think about and I really appreciate it. If anyone wants to respond to this really long post with some comments on my extra names, I’d be happy! Thank you, all!

If I had to choose… well, I don’t think I would be able too. I would probably go random. Some pairings that I [name]LOVE[/name] are:

[name]Caroline[/name] [name]Alice[/name]
[name]Eliza[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name]
[name]Lydia[/name] [name]Jane[/name] (very Pride and Prejudice :slight_smile:
[name]Clara[/name] [name]Margaret[/name]
[name]Charlotte[/name] [name]Jane[/name]
[name]Margaret[/name] [name]Emmeline[/name]
[name]Alice[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name]

I love all of your names so much!!

I love these two:
[name]Cecily[/name] [name]Margaret[/name]
[name]Lydia[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name]

I’m normally not too crazy about [name]Margaret[/name], but I love it in combo with [name]Cecily[/name]. And together, they sound unified without being matchy, so I like that.

[name]Alice[/name] [name]Eliza[/name],
[name]Amelia[/name] [name]Cecily[/name],
[name]Emmeline[/name] [name]Charlotte[/name] or
[name]Margaret[/name] [name]Lydia[/name]

I like all of these but I would choose [name]Margaret[/name] [name]Lydia[/name]

[name]Margaret[/name] [name]Caroline[/name] … I’d call her [name]Gretta[/name]. This works lovely for me, as it turns out my [name]Oma[/name]'s name translates to [name]Margaret[/name] and her middle name is [name]Carolina[/name]! [name]Grietje[/name] [name]Carolina[/name] is my [name]Oma[/name]!

You just happened to have two of my favorite combos in that list: [name]Charlotte[/name] [name]Amelia[/name], and [name]Lydia[/name] [name]Caroline[/name]! I love [name]Emmeline[/name] a lot too, but I couldn’t find a middle name I liked with it in your list.

I’m not sure which I would choose as my favorite today. Probably [name]Charlotte[/name] [name]Amelia[/name]…just because I have liked that one for a really long time.

Okay, first, individually:

[name]Alice[/name]: love!
[name]Amelia[/name]: I like the sound, but one of its meanings is a congenital absence of one or more limbs, so I don’t really like that association and probably wouldn’t use it
[name]Caroline[/name]: I think that it’s pretty, but I know quite a few children named this, so it is starting to feel a little generic
[name]Cecily[/name]: love the sound of this, but it means blind, which I am not too fond of.
[name]Charlotte[/name]: I don’t care for it that much, and, like [name]Caroline[/name], I have met a lot of children named this, so it feels very generic to me.
[name]Clara[/name]: Like a lot
[name]Eliza[/name]: I like it but I can’t see myself using it as a first name. Feels like a quirkier option.
[name]Emmeline[/name]: [name]Love[/name]!
[name]Genevieve[/name]: Like a lot
[name]Jane[/name]: love!
[name]Lydia[/name]: love!
[name]Margaret[/name]: Not the hugest fan. Perfectly respectable name, but I’m just not quite feeling it.

Some combinations I like:

[name]Alice[/name] [name]Eliza[/name]
[name]Alice[/name] [name]Emmeline[/name]
[name]Alice[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name]
[name]Emmeline[/name] [name]Alice[/name]
[name]Emmeline[/name] [name]Clara[/name]
[name]Emmeline[/name] [name]Lydia[/name]
[name]Lydia[/name] [name]Emmeline[/name]
[name]Lydia[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name]
[name]Lydia[/name] [name]Jane[/name]

If I had to choose one today, I would probably pick [name]Alice[/name] [name]Emmeline[/name].