Help with Names for Civil War Era Novel

[violetgray]

So, I decided to start writing a book that takes place during the Civil War [name]Era[/name] in the South. The main character is a thirteenish year old girl who is the daughter of a plantation owner. She has five siblings. Help me name them? Middle Names welcome too. Last Name is [name]McKenzie[/name].

Parents are [name]George[/name] and [name]Sarah[/name]

Main Character: A girl of about thirteen. Athletic with long, slightly curly, flaming red hair and blue eyes. She is very independent and willfull and tends to clash with her family and friends over her strong opinions and outspokenness. She is considered the “odd one out” in the family because she looks and acts nothing liker her parents.
She kinda looks like her only not as pretty and younger: http://castingsevenwaters.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/rachelhurd-wood-rose.jpg
Names I was thinking of: [name]Georgiana[/name], [name]Eliza[/name], [name]Annabelle[/name], [name]Caroline[/name]?

Oldest [name]Sister[/name]: About Nineteen. Short with dark brown, almost black hair she keeps in corkscrew curls and deep blue eyes. She is Mamma’s girl who is very prudish. She is always telling her younger sisters what to do and how to act. However she is a hypocrite as she is always breaking her own rules of propriety.
I kinda picture her with dark hair: ShareTV is Now Closed
Names I was thinking of: [name]Mary[/name], [name]Amanda[/name], [name]Cornelia[/name], [name]Lydia[/name], [name]Eleanor[/name], [name]Harriet[/name]?

2nd Oldest [name]Sister[/name]: About Sixteen or Fifteen. tall and willowy with delicate features and long, wavy sandy blonde hair, light grey/blue eyes. She is considered the most beautiful of the four sisters. She is very innocent and naive. Believes in the good in all people.
I picture someone liker her: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QNrweQsPwmY/TwUVJ4McHBI/AAAAAAAAfVI/9cC-lVoVxes/s1600/tamzin-merchant-the-mystery-of-edwin-drood1.jpg
Names I was thinking of: [name]Elizabeth[/name], [name]Isabelle[/name]/[name]Isabella[/name], [name]Clara[/name], or [name]Sarah[/name] after her mother?

Younger [name]Sister[/name]: About Nine or Ten. Wavy reddish brown hair, dark blue eyes. Passionate like her 13 year old sister, innocent like her 16 year old sister. Likes to take sides in arguments, tends to give her allegiance to the person who gives her the most attention.
Looks like her: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_MGWi3aNKb6s/THBFZkQlQfI/AAAAAAAAA0g/IK3GwfYxNXM/s1600/margaret.jpg
Names I was thinking of: [name]Emily[/name], [name]Amelia[/name], [name]Addie[/name], [name]Hannah[/name], [name]Rebecca[/name], [name]Lucy[/name]?

The [name]McKenzie[/name]'s had two children who died very young.
The first was a little girl who was their first child. She passed away before any of her sisters were born at about age two. She was a blonde haired, blue eyed little angel. When [name]Sarah[/name] [name]McKenzie[/name] gets upset with her daughter’s she often wonders aloud what “perfect little [name]Sarah[/name]” would have been like. I was thinking her name should be [name]Sarah[/name] like her mother since it was common for women to name first born daughters after themselves but then I was thinking her name should be more “angelic” and haunting.

The second was a boy, the main character’s twin brother, who didn’t survive infancy. He is bitterly missed because he was the only boy [name]Sarah[/name] [name]McKenzie[/name] ever gave birth to. It is also part of the reason the [name]McKenzie[/name]'s are very hard on the main character, because she reminds them of the son they lost and because if he hadn’t been a twin he may have lived. I was thinking he should be [name]George[/name] after his father but I am really leaning towards [name]Georgiana[/name] as the main character’s name. Would it be weird to have the twins be [name]George[/name] and [name]Georgiana[/name]?

[celianne]

This has a lot of standard names on it, but there’s also a lot that aren’t used anymore at ALL. It’s about 20 years too late, but that’s the furthest back it goes. Top names of the 1880s You could also look into history books/family trees/civil war stories and see what you can get from there.

For your first character I really like all the names you have listed, actually; To me [name]Eliza[/name] has always been a bit of a fiery name, so I’d say go for that one. Also, if her parents named her [name]Elizabeth[/name] and she insisted on going by [name]Eliza[/name], that could add a nice dimension to their relationship.

I like [name]Eleanor[/name] for the oldest daughter. It has an element of class to it, but can also be casual with nicknames like [name]Ellie[/name] and [name]Nora[/name]. [name]Mary[/name] would be my second choice.

Naming the second one [name]Sarah[/name] would be cool; that could be a source of jealousy from her sisters, but they can’t be mad at her for it because she’s so sweet.

The fourth one sounds like an [name]Emily[/name] or a [name]Hannah[/name]; tough, but sensitive.

For the first dead daughter I like the idea of going with tradition and naming her [name]Sarah[/name]. If you wanted something more angelic and haunting, though, here’s a few suggestions to get you started: [name]Angelica[/name], [name]Helena[/name], [name]Penelope[/name] (nn [name]Penny[/name]), [name]Rosalia[/name], [name]Margot[/name].

Having the boy named after the father is an excellent idea; the twinset isn’t too weird, especially since he isn’t much of a character, but it would bother me. Plus, then you’d have two [name]Georges[/name] and a [name]Georgiana[/name] running around. It could get confusing.

[mclevine]

Actually, I think some of your names are too modern. Look at Gone With The Wind characters - the most have Bible names or “old people” names not used any more. If you want your characters to be remembered well, don’t pick anything popular or dated like [name]Isabella[/name], [name]Emily[/name], [name]Amanda[/name]. However, you have some great names!
[name]George[/name] and [name]Sarah[/name] [name]Mackenzie[/name] with

1. [name]Caroline[/name] [name]Louise[/name]
2. [name]Harriet[/name] [name]Marie[/name] or [name]Eleanor[/name] [name]Mary[/name] - great choice, both [name]Harriet[/name](Bicher [name]Stowe[/name]) or [name]Eleanor[/name] have very 1800-s feel for me.
   3)[name]Sarah[/name] [name]Claire[/name] or [name]Clara[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name] suit well. [name]Isabelle[/name] is hot right now so most of the people who read your book will think about the girl they know, not about character.
3. [name]Lucy[/name] [name]Rebecca[/name] or [name]Amelia[/name] [name]Lucy[/name]. [name]Hannah[/name] seems 90-s to me and [name]Addie[/name] is a bit too nickname-y.
4. [name]Sarah[/name] [name]Margot[/name] for a first girl will be great. [name]Sarah[/name] after mom but she could go by [name]Margot[/name].
5. [name]Ashley[/name], [name]Alexander[/name], [name]Stewart[/name], Jonh? I think [name]George[/name] and [name]Georgiana[/name] are too close and, if they named first daughter after mom I doubt they will name the son after dad. Though, if he isn’t much of character, it doesn’t really matter.

[essjay]

Some of your names do come across very modern. I know they were used at the time but the average reader might not know that.

MC: I like the suggestion of [name]Elizabeth[/name] nn [name]Eliza[/name]. If she’s a fiery character I like the idea of her going by a nickname. I think [name]Georgiana[/name] is too close to [name]George[/name], especially if you refer to him as [name]George[/name] rather than Father/Dad or whatever in the story.

Oldest: I’d give her a prim and proper name that she always uses in its entirity. [name]Mary[/name] or [name]Eleanor[/name] are my picks.

Second: I think that two Sarahs (three if you count the dead sister) would be confusing. I like [name]Clara[/name] for her.

Youngest: All your names here seem very modern. [name]Hannah[/name] would probably be my pick as it’s pretty classic Biblical and fits in best.

Deceased sister: I’d name her [name]Sarah[/name] - if it’s set in the south maybe [name]Sarah[/name] [name]Louise[/name] as a double name or something?

Deceased brother: Sons named after fathers was/still is pretty common - I think [name]George[/name] and [name]Georgiana[/name] as twins is too much but [name]George[/name] and [name]Elizabeth[/name]/[name]Eliza[/name] would be fine.

So my picks would be [name]Sarah[/name], [name]George[/name], [name]Eliza[/name] ([name]Elizabeth[/name]), [name]Eleanor[/name]/[name]Mary[/name], [name]Clara[/name] and [name]Hannah[/name], with deceased siblings [name]Sarah[/name] and [name]George[/name] Jrs.