[name_f]Alethea[/name_f] - not loving the shared ending with [name_f]Cassia[/name_f]
[name_f]Aquila[/name_f] - do you pronounce it A-kee-la? Here pronunciation and spelling might become major issues.
[name_f]Aurea[/name_f] / [name_f]Auriel[/name_f] / [name_f]Aurielle[/name_f] - [name_f]Aurea[/name_f] shares [name_f]Cassia[/name_f]‘s ending. [name_f]Auriel[/name_f] I‘m not too fond of, it reminds me very much of [name_u]Ariel[/name_u]. [name_f]Aurielle[/name_f] creates too much of a [name_m]French[/name_m] theme with [name_u]Antoine[/name_u].
Chrysanthe - is a tad too complicated. I can imagine anyone who meets a Chrysanthe is going to nickname her very quickly.
[name_f]Elodie[/name_f] - lovely. It doesn‘t look too [name_m]French[/name_m] and doens‘t create a theme with [name_u]Antoine[/name_u] but they still share the same origin.
[name_f]Emmanuelle[/name_f] - sounds very masculine to me. [name_m]Just[/name_m] by hearing it, I wouldn‘t be able to tell if the baby bearing it is a girl or a boy.
[name_f]Evanthe[/name_f] - wonderful with [name_f]Cassia[/name_f]. To me it‘s a very greek name and I‘m not sure if I like it with [name_u]Antoine[/name_u].
Everild - a bit too out-there with relatively known sibling names
[name_f]Ione[/name_f] - I wouldn‘t know how to pronounce it, it probably would end up being Yone (one syllable, [name_f]Yo[/name_f] beginning). It‘s quite nice with [name_f]Cassia[/name_f] but feels totally mismatched with [name_u]Antoine[/name_u] who‘s ending is an anagram of [name_f]Ione[/name_f].
[name_f]Jacinda[/name_f] - not a fan of the [name_m]Jack[/name_m] beginning for girls. Always reminds me of [name_u]Jacky[/name_u] or [name_f]Jaqueline[/name_f]. If the right prounciation id Ja-cin-da (as in [name_f]Cindy[/name_f]), well I would have pronounced it wrong.
Lysandra - I prefer the male version and find Lysandra too unusual with [name_f]Cassia[/name_f] and [name_u]Antoine[/name_u].
Marianthe - not a fan. It feels like two names in one.
[name_f]Melisande[/name_f] - sounds so right with both children‘s names. It‘s got the magical vibe that [name_f]Cassia[/name_f] has and shares [name_u]Antoine[/name_u]‘s origin and regal sound.
[name_f]Mireia[/name_f] - I‘d say Mee-ray-a but I‘m not sure if the pronunciation might be a bit too difficult
[name_f]Nereida[/name_f] - sounds like a name out of a fantasy book. Another one for the “too out-there“ category.
[name_f]Noemie[/name_f] - sweet but would people know how to pronounce it?
[name_f]Petra[/name_f] - I never got the appeal of [name_f]Petra[/name_f]. I‘m not a fan of it in [name_m]German[/name_m] ([name_m]Petras[/name_m] are usually in their 30s here) but I find it incredibly harsh sounding when saying it in English. There‘s no soft sound in this name.
[name_f]Rosamond[/name_f] - it works well with your children‘s names and adds a third origin (though I’d spell it [name_f]Rosamund[/name_f] for convenience). When I think of [name_u]Antoine[/name_u], [name_f]Cassia[/name_f] and [name_f]Rosamund[/name_f] as siblings, all three names sound like equal but non conjoined parts of something (they don’t have to be said together like [name_m]Jack[/name_m] and [name_f]Jill[/name_f]).
I can appreciate each name‘s individual beauty. They belong together but are still different enough that you don‘t just look at them as a sibset. (It‘s hard to explain…)
[name_f]Serena[/name_f] - workes
[name_f]Silvana[/name_f] - I‘ve never liked this name, it‘s sounds very unattractive to me
[name_f]Thea[/name_f] - shares [name_f]Cassia[/name_f]‘s ending
Thanks again for all of the suggestions. To answer a few quick points:
- [name_f]Aquila[/name_f] is the English way, [name_m]Ah[/name_m]-KWIL-uh
- [name_f]Thea[/name_f] is the Greek way, [name_m]THAY[/name_m]-uh (hopeless? I don’t like the English THEE-uh for many reasons, one of which is that it sounds repetitive with [name_f]Cassia[/name_f])
- [name_f]Jacinda[/name_f] has a soft C and often a [name_m]French[/name_m] J (zhuh-SIN-dah)
[name_f]Noemie[/name_f] and Everild are out for sure.
As a long, longtime lurker, I’ve always absolutely loved your children’s names so it makes me a bit giddy to give my opinions of your name list!
[name_f]Alethea[/name_f]–Beautiful name. It’s always sounded a bit lisp-y to my ears, and I think I may prefer [name_f]Althea[/name_f]. But still beautiful.
[name_f]Aquila[/name_f]–I really want to love [name_f]Aquila[/name_f] but I can’t make myself say it a-kee-la and when I say it a-quill-la it reminds me of my father singing his favorite song–[name_f]Aqua[/name_f] lung. No idea why, really.
[name_f]Aurea[/name_f] / [name_f]Auriel[/name_f] / [name_f]Aurielle[/name_f]–I prefer [name_f]Aurelia[/name_f] but [name_f]Aurielle[/name_f] is beautiful as well.
Chrysanthe–Pretty. It’s not my favorite with [name_u]Antoine[/name_u] and [name_f]Cassia[/name_f] though.
[name_f]Elodie[/name_f]–[name_u]Love[/name_u]. It does seem a little bit dainty at first next to [name_u]Antoine[/name_u] and [name_f]Cassia[/name_f], but I think there’s an inner strength in it that pairs well.
[name_f]Emmanuelle[/name_f]–[name_f]My[/name_f] high school sweetheart was [name_m]Emmanuel[/name_m] so part of me will always love [name_f]Emmanuelle[/name_f]. Not my favorite with [name_u]Antoine[/name_u] and [name_f]Cassia[/name_f].
[name_f]Evanthe[/name_f]–[name_u]Love[/name_u]. Might be my favorite with [name_f]Cassia[/name_f].
Everild–For some reason every time I see Everild I pronounce it Everlid. No idea why but I can’t stop.
[name_f]Ione[/name_f]–[name_u]Love[/name_u]. Pronunciation might be troublesome, but that wouldn’t necessarily hold me back.
[name_f]Jacinda[/name_f]–Not my favorite.
Lysandra–I love [name_m]Lysander[/name_m] for a boy, not as big a fan of Lysandra.
Marianthe–Not my favorite. It seems very cumbersome.
[name_f]Melisande[/name_f]–I really love it. Might not be my first choice but I’d be delighted to hear [name_u]Antoine[/name_u], [name_f]Cassia[/name_f], and [name_f]Melisande[/name_f].
[name_f]Mireia[/name_f]–Once again a possible pronunciation problem. Plus the look of it isn’t quite my favorite.
[name_f]Nereida[/name_f]–I love it, but it might be a bit too fantasy next to [name_u]Antoine[/name_u] and [name_f]Cassia[/name_f].
[name_f]Noemie[/name_f]–One of my favorites, but again with the pronunciation.
[name_f]Petra[/name_f]–I absolutely love [name_f]Petra[/name_f] and I think she would go wonderfully with [name_u]Antoine[/name_u] and [name_f]Cassia[/name_f]. I’ve always found her a very strong name, but the more you say it out loud the softer she gets. Almost the opposite of [name_f]Cassia[/name_f], which gains strength. To me, at least.
[name_f]Rosamond[/name_f]–[name_u]Love[/name_u]. Absolutely beautiful. She feels like a sister for [name_u]Antoine[/name_u] and [name_f]Cassia[/name_f].
[name_f]Serena[/name_f]–Pretty. She feels light and airy, but still having a strength. She mirrors [name_u]Antoine[/name_u] in that way, to me.
[name_f]Silvana[/name_f]–I prefer [name_f]Sylvie[/name_f] or [name_f]Sylvia[/name_f], personally.
[name_f]Thea[/name_f]–She feels a bit incomplete to me.
[name_f]My[/name_f] favorites with (the wonderfully named, might I add) [name_u]Antoine[/name_u] [name_m]Raphael[/name_m] and [name_f]Cassia[/name_f] [name_f]Viviane[/name_f] [name_f]Noor[/name_f] would be:
[name_f]Petra[/name_f]
[name_f]Rosamond[/name_f]
[name_f]Evanthe[/name_f]
[name_f]Melisande[/name_f]
[name_f]Elodie[/name_f]
[name_f]Serena[/name_f]
[name_f]Ione[/name_f]
Thank you lavender for your kind words, and for coming out of the woodwork! I liked how thoughtful your comments were and agree with many of your points.
I love [name_f]Thea[/name_f] and [name_f]Petra[/name_f]. I quite like [name_f]Evanthe[/name_f] and [name_f]Silvana[/name_f]. I also really love [name_f]Melisande[/name_f], but don’t think it’s as usable. Works as a middle name, though, definitely. I prefer [name_f]Aletha[/name_f] to [name_f]Alethea[/name_f], but that’s also decent. [name_m]Don[/name_m]'t really like any of the others.
Haha I’m totally following this thread to see what everyone says. I love your choices so far so I"m eager to see what you’ll choose next.
Your best options:
[name_f]Elodie[/name_f]
[name_f]Evanthe[/name_f]
[name_f]Ione[/name_f]
[name_f]Jacinda[/name_f]
Lysandra
[name_f]Petra[/name_f]
[name_f]Rosamond[/name_f]
[name_f]Serena[/name_f]
[name_f]Silvana[/name_f]
[name_f]Thea[/name_f]
Less usable names:
[name_f]Alethea[/name_f]
[name_f]Aquila[/name_f]
[name_f]Aurielle[/name_f]
Everild
Marianthe
[name_f]Melisande[/name_f]
[name_f]Mireia[/name_f]
[name_f]Nereida[/name_f]
[name_f]Noemie[/name_f]
Would work better as a middle:
Chrysanthe
[name_f]Emmanuelle[/name_f]
I think [name_f]Melisande[/name_f], [name_f]Rosamond[/name_f], [name_f]Silvana[/name_f], [name_f]Elodie[/name_f], [name_f]Mireia[/name_f] and [name_f]Alethea[/name_f] good match to [name_f]Cassia[/name_f] and [name_u]Antoine[/name_u].
Thanks sarah & sorceress.
[name_f]Sarah[/name_f] as an Aussie-- what is the general perception of [name_f]Jacinda[/name_f]? It’s almost completely unknown here in the US but used more frequently down your way.
[name_f]Alethea[/name_f]- feels rather clunky and not very pretty. 4/10
[name_f]Aquila[/name_f]- I have a friend named Aqil@ (ak-ul-ah) so [name_f]Aquila[/name_f] seems rather “off” to me. There may be pronunciation and spelling issues. 4/10
[name_f]Aurea[/name_f]/[name_f]Auriel[/name_f]/[name_f]Aurielle[/name_f]- I prefer the dramatic and feminine but strong [name_f]Aurelia[/name_f].
Chrysanthe- I had to look up the pronunciation myself. It feels muted and hushed, having a quiet beauty, because it reminds me of chrysanthemums which are pretty flowers but not eye-catching ones. It would go well with [name_u]Antoine[/name_u] and [name_f]Cassia[/name_f], being somewhat familiar (due to its similarity to chrysanthemum) but unique. 6.5/10
[name_f]Elodie[/name_f]- I seem to be one of the few Berries who doesn’t love this. It just sounds whiny to me. I’m not a fan of a lot of names with the long O sound though. It goes well stylistically with [name_u]Antoine[/name_u] and [name_f]Cassia[/name_f] though, being familiar but with that exotic European flair. 2.5/10
[name_f]Emmanuelle[/name_f]- I agree with PPs who said there could be gender confusion. I find it a bit masculine and prefer [name_m]Emmanuel[/name_m] for a boy. It would be great for a Christmastime baby though! 5/10
[name_f]Evanthe[/name_f]- pretty, and feminine but not flimsy. Lots of history, has a vibe that’s timeless and ancient yet modern at the same time like [name_u]Antoine[/name_u] and [name_f]Cassia[/name_f]. Unusual but has the accessible NN [name_f]Eva[/name_f], in case she wants something that “fits in” more. It makes me think of fresh flowers, gardens in spring, and a cozy little cottage. 7.5/10
[name_f]Ione[/name_f]- [name_f]Lovely[/name_f] and sleek, I imagine a girl with pale blonde hair and big deep blue eyes, who’s reserved and unassuming but much more sharp-eyed and persistent than people give her credit for. On paper it’s quite similar to [name_u]Antoine[/name_u] though- its last four letters and almost in the same order. 7/10
[name_f]Jacinda[/name_f]- This name always makes me think of [name_f]Jacintha[/name_f] Saldanha, the nurse who committed suicide after the Duchess of Cambridge prank call, so too tragic for me to use. Apart from that though, it feels rather Arabic or [name_f]Indian[/name_f] (not sure which, maybe both, haha), and like the name of a tangy herb/spice or an exotic flower.
Lysandra- love [name_m]Lysander[/name_m] for a boy, but Lysandra seems rather forced and awkward. 4/10
Marianthe- one of my favourites on your list. Feminine and flowery but strong and solid. Close to [name_f]Marianne[/name_f] and has accessible nicknames like [name_f]Mari[/name_f] or [name_f]Annie[/name_f], but different. It “fits in but stands out” like [name_u]Antoine[/name_u] and [name_f]Cassia[/name_f]. 9/10
[name_f]Melisande[/name_f]- another of my favourites. It gives off a medieval vibe to me, I can imagine a sophisticated and put-together lady of the manor in beautiful gowns and jewels at banquets who’s also more than capable and willing to put on armour and defend her castle if need be. 9/10
[name_f]Mireia[/name_f]- pretty sound, a demure and dainty little girl who loves tea parties and playing with dolls. It reminds me of the [name_f]Mirena[/name_f] though (probably because I spend too much time on NB; I doubt I’d know what that is otherwise). [name_f]Mireille[/name_f] sounds similar, and it would be nice to use a [name_m]French[/name_m] name since, if I remember correctly, you speak [name_m]French[/name_m]. 7/10
[name_f]Nereida[/name_f]- makes me think of deep green waters, waves crashing and cresting, mermaids and sea creatures at play. I prefer [name_f]Nerissa[/name_f] though, which gives off a similar vibe to me. 6.5/10
[name_f]Petra[/name_f]- my first association is with tennis player [name_f]Petra[/name_f] Kvitova, since it was the first person I heard the name on, so it feels very modern to me. The association with the ancient city is a great one, especially if you love travelling. It’s peppy and snappy and fun. 7.5/10
[name_f]Rosamond[/name_f]- also a favourite. feminine, ladylike, elegant, and grounded. Uncommon but not totally unknown. I also like the similar [name_f]Rosamund[/name_f].
[name_f]Serena[/name_f]- another quietly beautiful name, soft and gentle. It seems a bit too normal next to [name_u]Antoine[/name_u] and [name_f]Cassia[/name_f] though. 8/10
[name_f]Silvana[/name_f]- for some reason this sounds slippery and slithery to me, like snakes and frogs and creatures like that! 3/10
[name_f]Thea[/name_f]- sweet name that’s probably a bit too clunky to ever become popular despite its vintage-chic charm. [name_f]Theodora[/name_f] seems to fit your style and sibset better, and the empress is an interesting one if not necessarily the best namesake. 7/10
Thank you azalea! I liked ypur ratings system especially.
[name_m]Favorite[/name_m] first names:
[name_f]Aquila[/name_f] - Amazing. I love this name more and more. Eagles and clear cold night skies. [name_m]Both[/name_m] pronunciations are great.
[name_f]Emmanuelle[/name_f] - [name_m]Long[/name_m] and winding, elegant and whole. I think it has universally beautiful sounds - just feels silky to say. It’s nearly [name_f]Emma[/name_f] and [name_f]Noelle[/name_f] (both phonetically pleasing, boring names) but [name_f]Emmanuelle[/name_f] feels like something different altogether… really unexpected. Plus, there’s the [name_m]Jesus[/name_m] thing!
[name_f]Thea[/name_f] - Gentle, clear, and just the right amount of peculiar. I wonder if it’s sharp enough for a daughter of yours. Still, one of my very favorites.
[name_f]Petra[/name_f] - Feels strong like [name_f]Constance[/name_f] feels strong. A bit masculine, in a good way. And you can call her [name_f]Pet[/name_f]!
[name_f]Rosamond[/name_f] - This one’s more [name_f]Mary[/name_f] than [name_f]Mary[/name_f]. Beautiful and spiritual and earthy too, by way of the “mond.” But with sn, do you get an awkward “ndn” thing happening?
Lysandra - Rare, intoxicating, and weighty. Makes me think of vetiver, woodsy smells… maybe because of lovestruck [name_m]Lysander[/name_m] in AMSNDream. [name_u]Love[/name_u] this.
[name_f]Ione[/name_f] - I’m on the fence about [name_f]Io[/name_f]. She’s a real weirdo, but too cool to get rid of.
More favorites - prefer as middles:
Chrysanthe
[name_f]Nereida[/name_f]
[name_f]Evanthe[/name_f]
I like these, but they don’t seem right for you:
[name_f]Elodie[/name_f] - not enough oomph
Everild - great but it’s too elfin for you.
[name_f]Jacinda[/name_f] - wonderful to say, and I agree with [name_f]Azalea[/name_f] that it’s “tangy.” Sort of like tamarind. But it’s just a hair princessy imo. I don’t know. This one’s good… it just seems not quite [name_m]Blade[/name_m].
Marianthe - too damsel in distress
[name_f]Melisande[/name_f] - same problem. velvet capes and rings worn on the middle phalanges 
[name_f]Noemie[/name_f] - love it, but only in [name_m]French[/name_m].
[name_f]Serena[/name_f] - [name_f]Lovely[/name_f] name. I could get behind it, but only if you were head over heels. It’s a little staid.
Dislike:
[name_f]Aurea[/name_f] / [name_f]Auriel[/name_f] / [name_f]Aurielle[/name_f] - I think of oreo, areola, or oral.
[name_f]Silvana[/name_f] - long vampire fingernails
[name_f]Alethea[/name_f] - prefer [name_f]Thea[/name_f] (“thayah”) or [name_f]Althea[/name_f].
[name_f]Mireia[/name_f] - no constructive feedback, just NMCOT.
[name_f]Thea[/name_f] pronounced the Greek way will be an uphill battle I think. It does depend a bit on where you live but in most places in the US I think people will have trouble overriding their instinct to pronounce it thee-a. I prefer the American pronunciation myself, but of course that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t use it.
[name_m]How[/name_m] is [name_f]Cassia[/name_f] pronounced? I think ca-see-a, but I believe it’s also pronounced casha?
I agree with you on [name_f]Elodie[/name_f]. I do think it’s a lovely name but I just don’t seem to like it as much as I think I would.