[name]Just[/name] came across this combo today, and I’m quite enamored by it. Thoughts? I like that it references two of my favorite literary works, The Importance of Being [name]Earnest[/name] and Pride and Prejudice, and I love that [name]Lydia[/name] was the first European woman to believe in [name]Christ[/name] (as a [name]Christian[/name] woman with almost 100% European heritage, I like the connection). I like [name]Winnie[/name], [name]Leni[/name], and [name]Gwen[/name] as nicknames.
Also, [name]Gwendolen[/name] or [name]Gwendolyn[/name]? The Welsh in me feels like I should use the traditional feminine spelling, [name]Gwendolen[/name], but I’ve always found [name]Gwendolyn[/name] more aesthetically pleasing.
I think the 2 Ls clash a little, but it doesn’t bother me very much. I’m one of those people that if the names both have great meaning and you love it, then the flow shouldn’t be the most important thing. I agree with you completely about the spelling. [name]Gwendolyn[/name] looks more pleasing, but [name]Gwendolen[/name] is the female spelling in Welsh…
I would choose [name]Gwendolyn[/name] because I think most people here in [name]America[/name] will spell it that way anyway.
I love the combo! [name]Both[/name] names have great meaning,and the connections you gave make the combo even better.
I prefer [name]Gwendolyn[/name]! I’m usually not a fan of the -lyn names except for maybe [name]Evelyn[/name],and am all for the traditional spelling of names, but [name]Gwendolyn[/name] is definitely more aesthetically pleasing than [name]Gwendolen[/name]. For some reason I find that the [name]Gwendolyn[/name] spelling looks cleaner and more streamlined than [name]Gwendolen[/name].
I prefer [name]Gwendolyn[/name] also, but [name]Gwendolen[/name] [name]Lydia[/name] looks better together vs. [name]GwendoLYn[/name] [name]LYdia[/name]. I don’t suppose that is super important though, in the long run. I’m not a fan of a lot of the Biblical female names, but if I had to choose some, I would choose [name]Lydia[/name] and [name]Hannah[/name].
I hear Gwendolydia when I say it out loud, but since it won’t be said out loud much then I like it. [name]Gwendolyn[/name] is a lovely name and while [name]Lydia[/name] is NMS for a first name, it’s a nice middle.
I like the two names. I chose a middle name for my daughter that worked stylistically but didn’t necessarily flow perfectly. I think [name]Gwendolyn[/name] [name]Lydia[/name] is like that - the two names are lovely and are compatible as far as style. The flow isn’t perfect, but I don’t think it needs to be.
If you want to reference [name]Austen[/name], you could use [name]Charlotte[/name], [name]Emma[/name], or [name]Mary[/name]. Or stick with [name]Lydia[/name] - it’s a beautiful name.
The matching “lih” sounds in the last syllable of [name]Gwendolen[/name] and the first syllable of [name]Lydia[/name] makes it run together a bit for me, and I think the flow is rough, but I really don’t think that matters as much as using names you love that create a meaningful combo.
I prefer the look of [name]Gwendolen[/name], particularly in front of [name]Lydia[/name], but there’s nothing wrong with [name]Gwendolyn[/name], and it would probably be the easier spelling to live with in the US.
I like [name]Gwendolen[/name] [name]Lydia[/name]. My top combo is [name]Gwendolen[/name] [name]Louise[/name]. The flow isn’t perfect, but it isn’t a turn off either. I feel [name]Gwendolen[/name] is more streamlined without the y hanging down in -lyn.
While I like both names separately, I feel that the “ly” sounds at the end of [name]Gwendolyn[/name] and the beginning of [name]Lydia[/name] run together. [name]Gwyneth[/name] [name]Lydia[/name] or [name]Lydia[/name] [name]Gwendolyn[/name] would flow better.
Gorgeous name! I love both of them. You do have a lot of [name]Ly[/name] going on, but how often will the names really be said together? I say go for it! I prefer [name]Gwendolyn[/name].
I like [name]Gwendolyn[/name] [name]Lydia[/name] though I’m not a fan of the [name]LY[/name] reoccurring in both names and thus in this instance I’d go with [name]Gwendolen[/name]. Though honestly if you want a [name]Jane[/name] [name]Austen[/name] connection I find [name]Lydia[/name] an odd choice. I love the name [name]Lydia[/name] but the [name]Lydia[/name] from P&P is not the greatest roll-model for a child to have. Obstinate, spoiled, an insufferable flirt, loose with her honor. Though she did love life and adventures.
To be fair [name]Mary[/name] [name]Bennet[/name] is insufferably righteous. But at least she was incredibly studious. Also [name]Mary[/name] has a very obvious [name]Christian[/name] ties.
I know that the [name]Austen[/name] names above can seem like filler names but I fear that [name]Fanny[/name], [name]Susan[/name], [name]Catherine[/name] & [name]Elizabeth[/name] just don’t seem to fit with [name]Gwendolyn[/name] or are just too long imo to go with such a long fn.
lol, that’s why I mentioned the Biblical association, too. While I like that [name]Lydia[/name] reminds me of Pride and Prejudice in general, I don’t think [name]Lydia[/name] [name]Bennet[/name] was the best character, haha. Like you said, she’s not a very good role model. I think the Biblical connection is great, though. What about [name]Gwendolyn[/name] [name]Eliza[/name]? I used to have [name]Eliza[/name] [name]Gwendolyn[/name] on my list, and I still like the pairing quite a bit, although I don’t think I’d use [name]Eliza[/name] as a FN anymore. I have never been the biggest [name]Mary[/name] [name]Bennet[/name] fan, lol, but I love Persuasion and I always loved [name]Anne[/name] [name]Elliot[/name].
I would use a second MN to honor family, right now I’m thinking [name]Gwendolyn[/name] [name]Lydia[/name] [name]Kate[/name] or [name]Gwendolyn[/name] [name]Lydia[/name] [name]Jane[/name].
I had also really loved [name]Gwendolyn[/name] [name]Olivia[/name] ([name]Claire[/name]), [name]Gwendolyn[/name] [name]Sofia[/name], [name]Gwendolyn[/name] [name]Ivy[/name], [name]Gwendolyn[/name] [name]Eve[/name], and [name]Gwendolyn[/name] [name]Amaya[/name] in the past, are any of those any better? Or just any combo ideas in general that might be better than [name]Gwendolyn[/name] [name]Lydia[/name]? While I like the pairing, I’m certainly open to other ideas, and they don’t have to be [name]Austen[/name]-inspired (although it is nice!).
With a second middle name, I don’t notice the double [name]LY[/name] in both names because the second middle helps with the flow. [name]Gwendolyn[/name] [name]Lydia[/name] [name]Kate[/name] and [name]Jane[/name] are wonderful!
I tend to see [name]Eliza[/name] as a nn for [name]Elizabeth[/name] so as a proper name it feels incomplete. (probably a hold over from having read P&P a thousand times.)
[name]Gwendolyn[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name] seems a little long for my liking - esp if you plan on a 2nd mn - but sounds beautiful.
[name]Lydia[/name] & [name]Kate[/name] in one name remind me of [name]Lydia[/name] & [name]Kitty[/name]. [name]Lydia[/name] & [name]Jane[/name] not as much but similarly as the are the oldest and youngest [name]Bennet[/name] girls. I like both I just thought I’d throw it out there.
[name]Gwendolyn[/name] [name]Olivia[/name] ([name]Claire[/name]), [name]Gwendolyn[/name] [name]Sofia[/name], & [name]Gwendolyn[/name] [name]Eve[/name] are all beautiful.
I’m not a fan of the two y’s in these two: [name]Gwendolyn[/name] [name]Ivy[/name], and [name]Gwendolyn[/name] [name]Amaya[/name].
Suggestions: [name]Gwendolyn[/name] [name]Amelie[/name], [name]Gwendolyn[/name] [name]Viola[/name], or [name]Gwendolyn[/name] [name]Wisteria[/name] (might be a little whimsical and the two w’s are almost tantamount to two y’s but visually less obvious).
I also am seeing/hearing Gwendolydia, sorry. The repeating [name]LY[/name] in both names throws me, but I don’t think spelling it [name]Gwendolen[/name] makes it any better and actually makes [name]Gwendolyn[/name] less attractive to me.
What about [name]Gwendolyn[/name] [name]Emma[/name] or [name]Gwendolyn[/name] [name]Austen[/name]? I haven’t read much [name]Austen[/name] tbh, but I think either would work. [name]Gwendolyn[/name] [name]Emma[/name] [name]Kate[/name] would be sweet.
