Gwendolen

I forgot to mention DH’s concern about [name]Mirabelle[/name]. He’s over the frilliness ([name]Mira[/name] as a nn does ground it and pull it away from the “[name]Belle[/name]”) He said he has a hard time picturing a grown-up, 30-something, mom-type, or even an old lady named [name]Mirabelle[/name]. Does the name sounds too young/fresh?

[name]Penelope[/name] [name]Iris[/name] and [name]Scarlett[/name] [name]Rose[/name] are both beautiful!

I agree with your husband, [name]Mirabelle[/name] does seem a bit frilly. [name]Annabel[/name] is very different though, despite the similar -bel ending. [name]Annabel[/name] is classic and vintage whereas [name]Mirabelle[/name] seems newer.

You can still get the [name]Belle[/name] nn with [name]Annabel[/name] if you choose, but I also love [name]Anna[/name] and [name]Annie[/name].

Okay, this new layout is totally freaking me out! Anyway…

I totally understand where you are coming from with [name]Annabel[/name] looking more English, especially as it is a Scottish variant of [name]Amabel[/name]. But, I’m not totally sure that plays into your own sibling set, with [name]Scarlett[/name] feeling very much like a Southern [name]Belle[/name] name, and thus American, and [name]Penelope[/name] reminding me of [name]Penelope[/name] in [name]Homer[/name]'s ‘Odyssey.’ Yes, [name]Scarlett[/name] is an English name, but it doesn’t have an English feel in the way that something like [name]Hattie[/name] might, in my opinion. And [name]Penelope[/name], Greek in origin, feels a bit more spunky and even bohemian than maybe some traditional English choices, such as [name]Alfie[/name] and [name]Charlotte[/name]. Thus, [name]Mirabelle[/name], with her French flair, doesn’t feel out of place to me in your unique collection of names. And, as you mentioned before, [name]Mirabelle[/name]'s flirty image is the perfect compliment to [name]Gwendolen[/name]'s graceful feeling - thus, the two names, and the resulting four name sibling set, feels unified in a clever, unexpected, almost-bohemian way. Does that make any sense?

About [name]Mirabelle[/name]'s aging, I have the same feeling with most -belle names, to be honest. [name]Isabelle[/name] feels spunky and young, but she can grow up to be an sophisticated businesswoman or a dedicated mother, right? I definitely think [name]Mirabelle[/name] can, too! [name]Mirabelle[/name] is tame compared to something like [name]Elizabella[/name] - I thought of that last night (random, I know!) and then it appeared in the box on the NB homepage. I think [name]Miranda[/name] can age gracefully, [name]Isabelle[/name] can age gracefully, and their combination name - [name]Mirabelle[/name] - can age gracefully as well. Honestly, I can better see [name]Mirabelle[/name] on a grown woman or older lady as compared to a more modern name like [name]Kayleigh[/name], but it could just be me. [name]Annabel[/name], to me, feels rather young and cutesy, not romantic like [name]Mirabelle[/name], but just comfortable and cozy, in a good way. I can definitely see an old woman sitting in a rocking chair by the fire named [name]Annabel[/name], and I suppose I can envision her as a young mom on the go, but it isn’t the first thing that comes to my mind - actually, the old lady is! Wow, this isn’t a very elegant post today - sorry, I’m all over the place.

Talk later!

[name]Lemon[/name] :slight_smile:

I also prefer [name]Mirabelle[/name] with your sibset compared to [name]Annabel[/name]. I also prefer it to the other name on your previous list. I wouldn’t have immediately picked [name]Mirabelle[/name] as a twin for [name]Gwendolen[/name], as they do seem quite different in style (as your husband says, [name]Mirabelle[/name] is a bit ‘frilly’ and more playful than [name]Gwendolen[/name]). However, I think it gels v well with [name]Scarlett[/name] and [name]Penelope[/name] and, as a whole, this sibset would be just lovely!

I agree with what lemon has just written re finding British names to match [name]Gwendolen[/name].
As a [name]Brit[/name] (English), I think of [name]Gwendolen[/name] as v Welsh, not really typical ‘English’ like [name]Annabel[/name] or [name]Elizabeth[/name].
I really don’t think of [name]Scarlett[/name] as being an English name- it seems Southern [name]Belle[/name] to me too (although it is actually v popular in the UK at present!). [name]Penelope[/name], for me has a Greek mythological image and is also rather exotic sounding, ie not British, although I appreciate that it was fairly well used over here 50 years ago and is currently gaining in popularity too!
For all these reasons, I wouldn’t immediately think to match [name]Gwendolen[/name], [name]Penelope[/name] and [name]Scarlett[/name] with a typical British name.

I can’t decide whether I prefer [name]Gwendolen[/name] and [name]Mirabelle[/name] or [name]Eleanor[/name] and [name]Vivienne[/name] now!

Ok the new layout is freaking me out too!

First off- thank you all so much for your AWESOME, detailed comments. You are helping so, so much! I feel like I can’t talk to friends and family about this yet. They are asking me about names already though. I’ve always revealed the names before birth. I probably will again, but not yet!

[name]Scarlett[/name] is southern belle to me too.
[name]Penelope[/name] is greek mythology
So yes, I don’t really have a pattern or common thread in those two names at all! It’s ok though because I really feel like they work together and you all seem to agree too.

[name]Gwendolen[/name] being Welsh lead me to look in that area of the world for origins. That’s all I meant about English names. I don’t necessarily think I need an English name or a Scottish name. At this point, I feel like every name needs to have it’s own origin! lol They have another way of matching.

You are right, [name]Lemon[/name], I can picture an old [name]Annabel[/name] in a rocking chair. I don’t see a “soccer mom” being called [name]Annabel[/name] though at all! She’d probably go by [name]Ann[/name], [name]Annie[/name], or [name]Anna[/name]. So, in the same thread, a mom [name]Mirabelle[/name] would just be known as [name]Mira[/name]. When you are a parent, you don’t often talk about your name. do you know what I mean? Like other moms would just say “Oh hi [name]Mira[/name]. Nice to meet you” It’s not like they would immediately say, Is [name]Mira[/name] short for something? And then turn up their nose at the cutesy-ness of the name! (side note to say that the other mom saying hello to [name]Mira[/name] is probably named [name]Kayleigh[/name] and probaby going by a nickname of [name]Kay[/name] or [name]Leigh[/name]/[name]Leah[/name] to try to make her name more grown up too)

DH is starting to love the nn [name]Mira[/name] too! I’ve really become obsessed with it over the past few days.

[name]Annabel[/name] is on the top 1000 list (so is [name]Annabelle[/name]). [name]Mirabelle[/name] and [name]Gwendolen[/name] are not.

No, Crunchy, I completely get what you are saying, and I don’t see [name]Annabel[/name] on a soccer mom either - she’d be [name]Annie[/name], I think. And, you’re right, [name]Mira[/name] sounds adult enough to be taken seriously, yet it has the romanticism and intrigue that [name]Mirabelle[/name] represents - it is really the best of both worlds in a short and sweet nickname, so I can see why you and your husband are falling in love with it! As long as a frilly, flouncy name like [name]Mirabelle[/name] - or [name]Annabel[/name], even - has a more adult (not that [name]Mirabelle[/name] couldn’t be stunning on a grown woman!) nickname, I think you’re really fine. It just comes down to 1) which name you love more, and 2) which name is a better fit with [name]Scarlett[/name], [name]Penelope[/name], and [name]Gwendolen[/name]…

And, I do think [name]Scarlett[/name] and [name]Penelope[/name] are an inspired pairing despite their different origins! It almost makes it more fun - a mash-up of origins and styles create a beautiful picture when they have similar feels and connotations, I think.

[name]Lemon[/name] :slight_smile:

PS When are the girls due, again?

PPS I hate this new layout, I think. I don’t understand what all the symbols mean - what was wrong with the old layout?

[name]Gwendolen[/name] and [name]Mirabelle[/name] are so amazing together! Not a pair I ever would have thought of, but they really work so beautifully together, and with [name]Penelope[/name] and [name]Scarlett[/name]! I really love this twinset, a lot more than [name]Eleanor[/name] and [name]Vivienne[/name]. It’s just so much more interesting and unexpected. Nicknames [name]Gwen[/name] and [name]Mira[/name] are really great together, too! I think [name]Mirabelle[/name] goes with [name]Gwendolen[/name] a lot better than [name]Annabel[/name], but I really love [name]Annabel[/name], too! I do think [name]Mirabelle[/name] will age well, i can see it on any age. And you’re so right about soccer moms and how you don’t care about other mom’s names! Hmm, I’m not sure this post is coherent, I’m really tired! Basically, I love the [name]Penelope[/name], [name]Scarlett[/name], [name]Gwendolen[/name] and [name]Mirabelle[/name] sibset! Oh… Have you considered [name]Maribelle[/name]? I think I like Miribelle better for you, but I love [name]Maribelle[/name] a lot!

P.S. You guys are gonna end up loving the new layout! It’s going to make everything amazzzzzinng! Though… I haven’t figured out what any of those icons mean yet!

Things I like about the new layout – you can see previous posts, it’s easier to copy/paste stuff… you can use colors, and it’s more like other message boards. I’m not really used to it yet though.

Thanks lyndsay - I actually do like the name [name]Maribelle[/name] too. [name]Mirabelle[/name] seems to have more history and it’s own meaning though. I think I read it was used in the middle ages! [name]Maribelle[/name] seems to just be a combo of [name]Mary[/name] and [name]Belle[/name] or [name]Mary[/name] and [name]Isabel[/name]. The meaning per another website is “[name]Maria[/name] [name]Isabel[/name]” (not that I can really talk about names meaning something when my first two are “red” and “duck”)

The girls are due 12/26.

My DH sent me this link today: Category:Flowers | Wookieepedia | Fandom
I don’t see anything I like except [name]Orchid[/name], so [name]Orchid[/name] will be one of the twin’s mn’s for DH. Yes, he’s always this helpful :slight_smile:

most likely [name]Gwendolen[/name] [name]Orchid[/name].
[name]Mirabelle[/name] [name]Daisy[/name]
[name]Mirabelle[/name] [name]Dahlia[/name]
[name]Mirabelle[/name] [name]Violet[/name]

Those three names would keep the literature connection in [name]Mirabelle[/name]'s name. I haven’t found anything else that fits the specific mold. I’d like a 6 letter flower just so the # of letters match, but I can get over that. I can also get over the character name too!

I like [name]Gwendolyn[/name] and [name]Abigail[/name]. [name]Abigail[/name] is really pretty and I like [name]Gwendolyn[/name], its my grandmas name, and I like the the spelling [name]Gwendolyn[/name] better.

Crunchy,

I’m so happy you think you’ll be using [name]Gwendolen[/name] [name]Orchid[/name]! It’s amazing! My favorite from the start of this middle name conversation…

And, for literary relevance, I’d choose [name]Mirabelle[/name] [name]Daisy[/name] to go with [name]Gwendolen[/name] [name]Orchid[/name]. [name]Mirabelle[/name] [name]Daisy[/name] might seem a little light and frivolous in comparison to the strong and elegant [name]Gwendolen[/name] [name]Orchid[/name], but it is just so cute! [name]Dahlia[/name] reminds me of [name]Black[/name] [name]Dahlia[/name] - the murder case - and [name]Mirabelle[/name] [name]Violet[/name], though gorgeous, isn’t particularly interesting to me. So, yes, I’d 100% choose [name]Gwendolen[/name] [name]Orchid[/name] and [name]Mirabelle[/name] [name]Daisy[/name]!

PS You’ve got the same number of syllables with those names, so I wouldn’t worry about matching letter counts. [name]Don[/name]'t drive yourself nuts over this, okay?

[name]Lemon[/name] :slight_smile: