… [name_u]Baby[/name_u] girl names #2 and #3. I think the second trimester dolldrums have set in. [name_m]Can[/name_m] I have a little fellow berry pep rally? EDITED TO CLARIFY: Not looking to change names.
Our daughter is [name_f]Tess[/name_f].
For baby girl #2, due in a few months, we decided on [name_f]Claire[/name_f] like 2 years ago. We can’t find anything we like more that we would actually choose to use. It’s a good name, we both like it, and other ppl in our circle really like that name [in general] as well. (Names havent been shared yet w folks).
For future baby girl #3 (first two embryos on ice happen to be XX), I agreed to [name_f]Alice[/name_f], which the hubster has loved and wanted to used since looong before he met me. It was so great to see him light up, he was so surprised I offered! That makes me really happy.
The name [name_f]Tess[/name_f] just feels so like witty, clever, sharp… And competitively, the names [name_f]Claire[/name_f] and [name_f]Alice[/name_f] feel … softer? More docile? Plain? Less edgy? I know its the personality that makes the name and not the other way around. I dunno, I think this is mostly the second trimester dolldrums talking. Womp.
Anyone have any examples of some kickass, witty-as-hell, innovative, norm-altering, groundbreaking, or heroic Claires or Alices?
I absolutely picture both [name_f]Claire[/name_f] and [name_f]Alice[/name_f] as clever, cool, and witty! Both could be sweet and docile, but they can be equally sharp and edgy, too. I think [name_f]Tess[/name_f], [name_f]Claire[/name_f], and [name_f]Alice[/name_f] make great sister names.
I don’t have any specific celebrity or pop culture examples of heroic Claires or Alices, but I do know a teenage [name_f]Claire[/name_f] who is very witty and edgy. She matches your description of innovative and norm-altering and the name [name_f]Claire[/name_f] fits her really well.
I remember [name_f]Claire[/name_f] from the show Heroes being really cool! She had superpowers and kicked butt! For [name_f]Alice[/name_f] I think of the vampire from [name_u]Twilight[/name_u], but she was also super cool and sassy!
They’re definitely lovely names that go well with big sis [name_f]Tess[/name_f]!
I think [name_f]Claire[/name_f] and [name_f]Alice[/name_f] are totally smart, clever little girls. [name_f]Alice[/name_f] does seem a bit softer, but I imagine her as rather timid from the outside, but with a big personality around her friends. I have a cousin [name_f]Claire[/name_f] who is a very witty, sassy girl, and a friend [name_f]Alice[/name_f] who is also really fun. I think they both go great with [name_f]Tess[/name_f]!
Claire has a chic, gently [name_u]French[/name_u] vibe to it, which I like. I had a dance teacher when I was younger named [name_f]Claire[/name_f], and she was honestly just the sweetest – my friends and I all adored her! So I have only a positive view of the name. I like that it is tailored, yet feminine and has a very strong, smart feel, much like [name_f]Tess[/name_f]. I really think they are perfect sister names! And [name_f]Claire[/name_f] is truly a modern classic, perfectly timeless, and wears well on any age.
Alice, for me, has always felt very clever and playful and interesting – probably due to the classic [name_f]Alice[/name_f] in Wonderland. (Yes, the Disney one from the '50s, not the [name_m]Tim[/name_m] [name_m]Burton[/name_m] horror show.) Not soft or plain at all, imho! It has a very deep, evergreen feel to it. I heard a little girl at a park this past summer called [name_f]Alice[/name_f], and I absolutely loved seeing it on a child! It wears so well, irl, honestly. It’s so sweet and fun, yet also classy on a little girl today.
I love [name_f]Claire[/name_f] and [name_f]Alice[/name_f], but I know what you mean.
What about
Tess and [name_f]Nan[/name_f]
[name_f]Tess[/name_f] and [name_f]Nell[/name_f]
[name_f]Tess[/name_f] and [name_u]Anne[/name_u]
[name_f]Tess[/name_f] and [name_f]Glory[/name_f]
[name_f]Tess[/name_f] and [name_u]Romy[/name_u]
[name_f]Tess[/name_f] and [name_f]Polly[/name_f]
[name_f]Tess[/name_f] and [name_f]Claret[/name_f]
[name_f]Tess[/name_f] and [name_f]Chiara[/name_f]
[name_f]Tess[/name_f] and [name_f]Bryony[/name_f]
[name_f]Tess[/name_f] and [name_f]Maeve[/name_f]
[name_f]Tess[/name_f] and [name_u]Dagny[/name_u] (my favorite)
[name_f]Tess[/name_f] and [name_u]Adair[/name_u]
[name_f]Tess[/name_f] and [name_f]Blythe[/name_f] or [name_f]Blithe[/name_f]
[name_f]Tess[/name_f] and [name_f]Fern[/name_f]
[name_f]Tess[/name_f] and [name_f]Celia[/name_f]
[name_f]Tess[/name_f] and [name_f]Pilar[/name_f]
[name_f]Tess[/name_f] and [name_f]Etoile[/name_f]
[name_f]Tess[/name_f] and [name_f]Cecily[/name_f]
[name_f]Tess[/name_f] and [name_f]Flora[/name_f]
[name_f]Tess[/name_f] and [name_f]Merrily[/name_f]
[name_f]Tess[/name_f] and [name_f]Danica[/name_f]
[name_f]Tess[/name_f] and [name_f]Leda[/name_f]
[name_f]Tess[/name_f] and [name_f]Xanthe[/name_f]
[name_f]Tess[/name_f] and [name_f]Neva[/name_f]
[name_f]Tess[/name_f] and [name_f]Pearl[/name_f]
[name_f]Tess[/name_f] and [name_f]Daisy[/name_f]
[name_f]Tess[/name_f] and [name_f]Libby[/name_f]
I find [name_f]Claire[/name_f] and [name_f]Alice[/name_f] as witty, clever and sharp as [name_f]Tess[/name_f]! I think they make a darling sibset - elegant but not stuffy, feminine but not frilly, classic but unexpected. I don’t know any associations, sorry.
Just putting in a pitch that maybe it could be a good thing that [name_f]Claire[/name_f] and [name_f]Alice[/name_f] don’t strike exactly the same personality note as [name_f]Tess[/name_f]. How lovely to imagine yourself with three daughters, each impressive and wonderful in her own way. If [name_f]Tess[/name_f] is your spitfire, perhaps she needs a gentler little sister to keep her company. Maybe [name_f]Tess[/name_f] will help your [name_f]Claire[/name_f] to be more daring, perhaps [name_f]Alice[/name_f] will teach [name_f]Tess[/name_f] to be more graceful. After all, [name_f]Lizzie[/name_f] [name_m]Bennet[/name_m] needed her [name_f]Jane[/name_f], and [name_u]Jo[/name_u] [name_u]March[/name_u] needed her [name_f]Beth[/name_f]. That’s the great thing about sisters! They can balance each other out and push one another to grow.
You have created a sibset where the names sound like they belong in the same family, but each one is also unique. I feel like that’s what every berry is striving for!
Anyway, just thought I’d offer a reframe, because I do so love your choices. But, for what it’s worth, [name_f]Alice[/name_f] [name_m]Paul[/name_m] really was a badass!
Alice reminds me first of [name_f]Alice[/name_f] Waters (of Chez Panisse in [name_u]Berkeley[/name_u], CA) and novelist [name_f]Alice[/name_f] [name_u]Walker[/name_u], both really edgy and amazing feminist icons in my book. If I really think about [name_f]Alice[/name_f], I then get to [name_f]Alice[/name_f] Wu as well, but she wasn’t my first thought.
Claire is interesting… I really don’t have many strong associations other than myself (it is one of my middle names) and my ancestor for whom I was named. [name_f]Claire[/name_f] [name_m]Foy[/name_m]?
I do think that both [name_f]Claire[/name_f] and [name_f]Alice[/name_f] can be flexible in their imagery, but if “witty, clever, and sharp” are the adjectives you’re going for, I’d say:
Tess, [name_f]Nell[/name_f], and [name_f]Astrid[/name_f]/Aster
Or
Tess, [name_f]Nell[/name_f], and [name_f]Fern[/name_f]
would get you closer to that vibe.
But [name_f]Tess[/name_f], [name_f]Claire[/name_f], and [name_f]Alice[/name_f] are all fabulous names with a lot of spark and brightness to them.
Cold feet are awful… I’m sorry you’re not feeling super excited for the sibset you’ve already had in mind.
[name_f]Do[/name_f] I ever have a lot of cool Alices for you! I agree with PP who mentioned [name_f]Alice[/name_f] [name_m]Paul[/name_m] and [name_f]Alice[/name_f] in Wonderland, but I would also like to share the very cool Alice [name_m]Roosevelt[/name_m] Longworth, daughter of [name_m]Theodore[/name_m].
I can’t think of any historical or fictional Claires right off the top of my head, but I think they could both be very versatile and fit all different types of girls and women.
I don’t think sibling names necessarily need to have the same vibe, but I think these names fit well nonetheless!
I always see [name_f]Alice[/name_f] as a name with a lot of strength. To be fair, it’s one of my favorite names and a family name. [name_f]Alice[/name_f] in Wonderland, [name_f]Princess[/name_f] [name_f]Alice[/name_f] ([name_f]Queen[/name_f] [name_f]Victoria[/name_f]’s daughter), [name_f]Alice[/name_f] [name_m]Paul[/name_m], [name_f]Alice[/name_f] [name_m]Roosevelt[/name_m], and [name_f]Alice[/name_f] [name_u]Walker[/name_u] are all strong associations. It also means “noble”, which conveys strength.
I don’t know many [name_f]Claire[/name_f]’s (and since I don’t have vested interest in the name, I have fewer famous association), but I think the woman in the Time [name_u]Traveller[/name_u]’s Wife was [name_f]Claire[/name_f]? It’s a very versatile name that could fit the personality of any girl. I always imagine a clear light when thinking of [name_f]Claire[/name_f], so it does have a strength to it.
I think [name_f]Tess[/name_f], [name_f]Claire[/name_f] and [name_f]Alice[/name_f] are perfect. You may like [name_f]Pippa[/name_f] or [name_u]Penny[/name_u] ? All lovely names I don’t think you can go wrong.
To be honest, I think [name_f]Tess[/name_f] has exactly the same feel to it as [name_f]Claire[/name_f] and [name_f]Alice[/name_f]. All threes names go really well together but if you’re not in love with them then you should rethink it, if you want something a bit more exciting and sharp, maybe try:
Claire and [name_f]Alice[/name_f] go so nicely with [name_f]Tess[/name_f]!
For an example of an extremely “out there” [name_f]Claire[/name_f], the musician Grimes was born [name_f]Claire[/name_f] Boucher and she is definitely norm-altering and groundbreaking! There’s also [name_f]Claire[/name_f] Saffitz, the previously-from-the-Bon-Appetit-Test-Kitchen personality, who is incredibly smart, innovative, and determined, and a great [name_f]Claire[/name_f] to look up to. Personally, every [name_f]Claire[/name_f] I’ve known has been very cool and independent.
Some famous Alices:
-[name_f]Alice[/name_f] [name_u]Munro[/name_u], an extremely well-regarded and awarded Canadian author who revolutionized the short story
-[name_f]Alice[/name_f] [name_u]Walker[/name_u], author of The Color Purple, and long time activist for civil rights and [name_m]Black[/name_m] feminism
-[name_f]Alice[/name_f] Bunker Stockham, one of the first female doctors in the USA, who was a huge activist for gender equality and birth control.
-[name_f]Alice[/name_f] [name_m]Roosevelt[/name_m], daughter of [name_m]Theodore[/name_m] [name_m]Roosevelt[/name_m], known for being quite scandalous. She had a pet snake, went to more social events than she “should have”, and helped her father with politics.
@QuirkFlower that’s some good insight and thought-provoking reframe, thank you!
As a side note, those two literary references are probably a good 99% of the reason why I love the names [name_f]Lizzie[/name_f] and [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] , like the name [name_f]Meg[/name_f], and dislike the names [name_f]Jane[/name_f], [name_f]Lydia[/name_f], [name_f]Beth[/name_f], and [name_f]Amy[/name_f]. Hahah oh the things that make an impression on us!
Tess, [name_f]Claire[/name_f] and [name_f]Alice[/name_f] are perfect together
[name_f]Alice[/name_f] is one of my favorite names, and it feels just as witty, clever, and sharp as [name_f]Tess[/name_f].
[name_m]Just[/name_m] from the name page there seem to be lots of cool namesakes and associations. I’ve always thought of [name_f]Claire[/name_f] as cute and sweet but can hold her own.
And it is so sweet your husband is so excited about a name! [name_f]Alice[/name_f] is beautiful! Without feeling too frilly either
Claire and [name_f]Alice[/name_f] are both super cool names! Along with [name_f]Tess[/name_f], they’re all “sweet spot” names that will always be recognisable but not too popular. I like that I can see them on spunky tom boys but also girly girls! Such a great sibset.
? All lovely names I don’t think you can go wrong.
