Elisabeth, Greta or Mercy?

I’m just in the baby fever stage…nothing official yet. I’m mulling around names in my mind and these 3 over in my mind for girl ideas. They are stylistically quite different, yet I love each of them and forgive me for the length, but I’ll go into reasons in the following paragraphs (sorry for ALL the info). We have 3 kids: [name_m]Samuel[/name_m], [name_f]Esme[/name_f], and [name_f]Georgia[/name_f].

[name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f] - I know it’s quite popular, especially with a z, but I’m really liking the flow of it and how classic it is. Also, the older I get, the more I appreciate the classic names and in personal experience, it really doesn’t bother me to come across other kids with the same names as my kids (when I first started having kids I was so worried about this for some reason). The reason for the “s” spelling is that my middle name is [name_f]Elise[/name_f] and I prefer the “softer” spelling. Not planning on using a nickname, but we will see how that goes. :slight_smile: The only hold back is I wonder if it’s too close to [name_f]Esme[/name_f]? Possible combos: [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f] [name_f]Pearl[/name_f], [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f] [name_f]Blythe[/name_f], [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f] [name_f]Ruth[/name_f], [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f] [name_f]Mercy[/name_f].

[name_f]Greta[/name_f] - This is a name I’ve almost used for both [name_f]Esme[/name_f] and [name_f]Georgia[/name_f]…I love it, but apparently I’m gun-shy. I’ve had negative feedback from family in the past, but I find myself regretting that we didn’t use it. Now I wonder if it’s too similar to [name_f]Georgia[/name_f] (which we chose as a softer alternative to [name_f]Greta[/name_f] in the first place). This one is my husband’s favorite. Possible combos: [name_f]Greta[/name_f] [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f], [name_f]Greta[/name_f] [name_f]Christine[/name_f], [name_f]Greta[/name_f] [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f], [name_f]Greta[/name_f] [name_f]Mercy[/name_f].

[name_f]Mercy[/name_f] - And sometimes I just like to throw a monkey wrench into things…I know it’s “out there” compared to other names but something about this name is just drawing me…maybe it’s the meaning (compassionate), maybe it’s something to aspire to, maybe it’s something we all need, maybe it’s because I don’t hear it on the playground. [name_u]Ever[/name_u]. Possible combos: [name_f]Mercy[/name_f] [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] or [name_f]Mercy[/name_f] [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] [name_f]Ruth[/name_f]

Thoughts appreciated!

Hmm,

I love [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f] [name_f]Pearl[/name_f], but I feel as though [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f] and [name_f]Esme[/name_f] are too close.

[name_f]Greta[/name_f] is beautiful, and I really like the flow of [name_f]Greta[/name_f] [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f] ([name_f]Greta[/name_f] [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f] [name_f]Elise[/name_f], to combine in [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f]?), and normally I dislike two siblings with the same FN inital in one set, but I think [name_f]Greta[/name_f] and [name_f]Georgia[/name_f] are different enough.

[name_f]Mercy[/name_f] is a lovely name, and I quite like [name_f]Mercy[/name_f] [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] [name_f]Ruth[/name_f], but, I’m unsure on how well it works with [name_m]Samuel[/name_m], [name_f]Esme[/name_f] and [name_f]Georgia[/name_f].

So, going by that, for me, it’s:

[name_f]Greta[/name_f]
[name_f]Mercy[/name_f]
[name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f]

:slight_smile:

[name_f]Greta[/name_f]
[name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]
[name_f]Mercy[/name_f]

In that order - although [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] [name_f]Pearl[/name_f] is beautiful - it’s just too popular of a first name for me.

[name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f] - I love the nn potential with this name. Lissy or [name_f]Elise[/name_f] would be pretty. It a bit close to [name_f]Esme[/name_f] for me though.

[name_f]Greta[/name_f] - I really like this option. I think you should go for it if the idea of having to G names doesn’t bother you. [name_f]Georgia[/name_f] and [name_f]Greta[/name_f] are much less similar than [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f] and [name_f]Esme[/name_f].

[name_f]Mercy[/name_f] - I just don’t like this. It is a little creepy to me and just doesn’t fit in with your other daughter’s beautiful names.

[name_f]Greta[/name_f]! I think it goes great with your sibset and is my favorite of the 3.

[name_f]My[/name_f] personal favorite is [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f]. [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f] [name_f]Pearl[/name_f] is gorgeous. I think [name_m]Samuel[/name_m], [name_f]Esme[/name_f], [name_f]Georgia[/name_f], and [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f] make a wonderful sibling set.

I love [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f] and [name_f]Greta[/name_f]–especially [name_f]Greta[/name_f]–but don’t like that they both share initials with your daughters. :frowning: [name_f]Mercy[/name_f] is nms. I think my vote would have to go with [name_f]Greta[/name_f]!

[name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f]!!! I prefer it with a Z but I like the nod to your middle name [name_f]Elise[/name_f]. Either way, it’s a beautiful classic that’s been in use and loved for centuries. There have been so many great Elisabeths/Elizabeths throughout history. It could work on any kind of girl and woman. I actually don’t think it’s that close to [name_f]Esme[/name_f]- [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f] has twice as many syllables, and though they start with the same letter it’s pronounced differently (uh-lis-uh-beth/ee-lis-uh-beth vs ehz-may). They really only share the S sound.

[name_f]Greta[/name_f]- old-lady-chic, clunky but glam at the same time. It reminds me of [name_f]Greta[/name_f] [name_f]Garbo[/name_f]. I do think it’s too close to [name_f]Georgia[/name_f] though- same number of syllables, trochaic, has a strong R sound and ends in a long A sound.

[name_f]Mercy[/name_f]- I don’t like this at all, sorry. Shouting “[name_f]Mercy[/name_f]!” sounds like a very religious person asking God for mercy/salvation. I can’t see it as a name.

And Cordelia is one of my favourite names- would you consider using it as a first? It’s long but I love Cordelia Elisabeth (or Elisabeth Cordelia). It could work if the last name is fairly short.

[name_m]How[/name_m] come everyone is saying that [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f] and [name_f]Esme[/name_f] are much more similar than [name_f]Georgia[/name_f] and [name_f]Greta[/name_f]? (Refer to my previous post for why it’s the other way around for me.)

I find [name_f]Esme[/name_f] and [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f] too similar and the last two letters of [name_m]Samuel[/name_m] are the first two of [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f]'s . Although [name_f]Greta[/name_f] and [name_f]Georgia[/name_f] share an initial, they sound different enough. I love the Continental flair of [name_f]Greta[/name_f] with your children’s names. [name_f]Mercy[/name_f] would be my distant second choice. This word name would certainly stir things up a bit.

Top Three Faves

1 [name_f]Greta[/name_f] [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f]
2 [name_f]Mercy[/name_f] [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f]
3 [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f] [name_f]Pearl[/name_f]

I love [name_f]Greta[/name_f] [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f]. I like [name_f]Mercy[/name_f] ok. I love love love [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f].

[name_f]My[/name_f] vote goes for [name_f]Greta[/name_f] hands down! And since [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f] was one of the middles I like and I tried soooo hard to get DH to get on board with [name_f]Greta[/name_f] I would second mischa’s suggestion of [name_f]Greta[/name_f] [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f]. Gorgeous!

[name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f] [name_f]Mercy[/name_f] is my vote!