[name_m]Hi[/name_m] berries! We’re adopting a little girl soon (she’s due in [name_f]May[/name_f]!) and we’re trying the names! My hubby and I both agree on the name [name_u]Ellis[/name_u], it was my grandmother’s name and it’s a 100%-girl name where we were both raised, though the spelling [name_u]Elis[/name_u] is way more common. It’s not as popular as our choice for baby #2, which was [name_f]Ella[/name_f] and then we changed to [name_f]Katherine[/name_f] a few days before she was born, but still has the same feeling for us. The nicknames it brings us are [name_f]Ella[/name_f]/[name_f]Elle[/name_f]/[name_f]Ellie[/name_f], [name_f]Lily[/name_f] (not usable because it’s [name_f]Kat[/name_f]'s middle name) and [name_u]Lisa[/name_u], which comes from the portuguese pronunciation of the name (the exact same pronunciation of [name_f]Elise[/name_f] in English). Problem is, everyone but our own family frowns when we mention it because apparently it’s traditionally a boys name, not that we ever seen an [name_u]Ellis[/name_u] before, so I wonder what you guys think of [name_u]Ellis[/name_u]. Too masculine? Unusable? Good? I’d love to know!
If you could throw in a couple of middle name ideas as well, i’d love to see them.
Thank you!
You could honor your grandmother using the meaning of the name, a feminine version of the name, her middle name, favorite things (places, flowers, colors, etc), …
I know one [name_u]Ellis[/name_u], and she is a little girl. I like it. I would pair it with a very feminine middle name, like [name_f]Lucille[/name_f].
[name_u]Ellis[/name_u] is 100% boy to me, and has been off-and-on my boys’ list, but I can wrap my brain around the idea of [name_u]Ellis[/name_u] on a little girl (plus, I adore [name_f]Ella[/name_f]). I’m not sure how happy I’d be as an [name_u]Ellis[/name_u], next to the girly [name_f]Kara[/name_f] and [name_f]Katherine[/name_f], especially knowing I’m adopted. Not just because it’s masculine-ish and [name_f]Kara[/name_f] and [name_f]Katherine[/name_f] are girly, but also because they both have the exact same initials, not just the same first initial, and well then, do I matter less? My parents got to pick my name when they adopted me, but I didn’t get blessed with the same initials as my sisters–do they really love me just as much? [name_m]Just[/name_m] something to think about.
I think [name_f]Elisa[/name_f], [name_f]Ella[/name_f], or even ______ [name_u]Ellis[/name_u] would work just as well to honor, if you want to keep [name_u]Ellis[/name_u] but aren’t sure about it. It wouldn’t be my first choice, but it does sound like its meaningful and [name_u]Ellis[/name_u] is certainly usable on a girl! I think _____ [name_u]Ellis[/name_u] would be a great option, actually, but maybe that’s just me. (If you do choose to use [name_u]Ellis[/name_u] up front, a “K” middle might be a nice idea to tie the girls together?) I wish I wasn’t such a [name_f]Debbie[/name_f] downer!
Not a [name_f]Debbie[/name_f] downer at all! And your points are definitely valid. I can answer to all of them though. I’m also adopted and am the only one of my siblings that don’t have the same inicial [name_f]Danielle[/name_f] [name_f]Maria[/name_f], [name_f]Danica[/name_f] [name_f]Mirella[/name_f], [name_m]Danilo[/name_m] [name_m]Henry[/name_m], [name_m]Dominic[/name_m] [name_m]Heitor[/name_m] and me, [name_f]Athena[/name_f] (no middle name, the only one adopted, they also got to pick it). Though I [name_f]ADORE[/name_f] [name_f]Ella[/name_f], I have two points that made me give up on it, first is the current popularity of the name (it’s popular for a reason though, it’s gorgeous) and the fact that my husband and I were born and raised in [name_u]Brazil[/name_u], our whole family speaks portuguese only and it’s our first language, [name_f]Ella[/name_f] is the portuguese word for “she” and it gets a little weird when we think in our mother tongue, unless it’s a nickname because, in that case, it’s totally okay for us. My husband has a little sister we are raising since they lost her parents, her name is [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] [name_u]Rae[/name_u] “[name_f]Emma[/name_f]” for short, so the “E” name wouldn’t be out of place, though it is a little off with the girls names and I have been beating myself up for it for a while. I intend to get a L-middle name or a K-middle name for her as well, still not sure if we’re going forward with it yet though. Thank you so much for your honest imput!! It’s the kind of opinion we need.
I love [name_f]Lucille[/name_f]! I actually thought of [name_f]Lucy[/name_f] for [name_f]Kat[/name_f]'s middle name before going for [name_f]Lily[/name_f]! Thank you.
I love the suggestion of [name_f]Louisa[/name_f]! I love [name_f]Louise[/name_f] as a middle name but there’s something that simply gets to me about [name_f]Louisa[/name_f], I think it’s such a rich name. Not to mention it would totally make the nickname ‘[name_u]Lisa[/name_u]’ make more sense. Thank you!
I’m also kind of wondering about the other girls with the same initials and the adopted daughter without them (like you!) While I’m really not a fan of made-up names, would you consider Kellis? It takes your beloved [name_u]Ellis[/name_u], makes it a K name, and possibly more feminine sounding…
Sidenote: [name_m]Keller[/name_m] also jumped into my head as an option. [name_f]Kara[/name_f], [name_f]Katherine[/name_f], and [name_m]Keller[/name_m] would be super cute to me! You would still get the ell sound, as well as nickname potential - and a slightly better match with her sisters.
Sorry that this is a bit random/unsolicited, but wanted to offer it just in case
I did think of that, I’m an overthinker and I’m full of “what if’s”, but with [name_u]Emmett[/name_u] in the house (hubby’s 6 year old sister we’ve been raising for the last two years), I thought that wouldn’t be that much of a problem, still thinking it might be though. I’m easily confused haha, [name_f]Kara[/name_f] chose her sister’s name because I couldn’t make up my mind. I’m not a big fan of Kellis though, as I’m not a big fan of [name_u]Kelly[/name_u] and its other spellings but I love the suggestion of [name_f]Lorelei[/name_f]! Thank you.
I know that technically it’s supposed to be a boys’ name, but tbh I’ve always found it such a feminine, pretty name! If I saw it written down without knowing any context I would definitely assume it was a girls name, probably because of he similarity to [name_f]Ellie[/name_f].
So yes, I think it’s totally workable on a girl! Much more so than lots of other gender neutral names to me.
It could work on a girl. My problem with it is I once skimmed through a horrible harliquin (sp) romance novel at an aunt’s house, and the main character was a woman named [name_u]Ellis[/name_u]. She was disappointing, to say the very, VERY least. So I’m a bit soured on that name, I’m afraid. But if it’s a name you love, go for it, and don’t tell anyone. People tend to grouse less about a name when looking at its chubby, drooly owner, but will readily give their opinion before your baby is born.
Not a huge fan of [name_u]Ellis[/name_u], but I love all the other variations you mentioned, especially [name_f]Elise[/name_f] (I think this one is underused and elegant)
[name_m]Just[/name_m] one other suggestion that came to mind: What do you think of [name_f]Anneliese[/name_f]? Its much longer than the things you discussed, but seems to have a similar vibe to your likes, many opportunities for nicknames, and is more unique than your standard [name_f]Ella[/name_f] or [name_f]Ellie[/name_f]
