[name_m]Hi[/name_m] everyone, it’s been a while! I’ve talked quite a bit here about my desire to honor my grandparents with at least one of my children’s names. I know for sure that I will do so for my maternal grandma, (first name M@ry, middle name Eliz@beth; we share our middle name!)
I have a few ideas of how I would like to do this. I just wonder if I’m missing something great. There are also a few issues that I’m wondering if others would consider deal breakers.
So far, I have:
[name_f]Molly[/name_f] Kate—I LOVE this combination together! It honors both my grandma and my mom (my mom is M@rg@ret, but goes by her middle name). However, we have a family friend names M@rikate. We don’t see her often, and I don’t think it would bother her parents at all, (the girl’s boyfriend has a daughter named K@t€), but M@rikate is a year older than I am.
I also have an aunt whose middle name is K@th€rine, and she goes by K@th!e. I love her so much, but I am not wanting to name a child after her, just my mom and grandma in this case.
Are there other short names to go with [name_f]Molly[/name_f] that give you the same feelings, and avoid these issues, or should I go with it as is? (This would be the first and middle name).
Eliza—I also LOVE the idea of passing on a variation of El!z@beth. It still offers her something that is entirely her own! Is it strange to use a variation of your own middle name for a child, even if they’re named for someone else? (*She would be at least the 4th generation to use the name, as I have an aunt who also shares it as a middle. See above).
Maren—Too similar to K@r€n? I like the other two options better, but this one is really sweet and unexpected!
Any feedback (good and bad) and other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much! 
I think [name_f]Molly[/name_f] [name_f]Kate[/name_f] could still work, but since you’re feeling unsure:
[name_f]Molly[/name_f] [name_u]June[/name_u]
[name_f]Molly[/name_f] [name_f]Beth[/name_f]
[name_f]Molly[/name_f] [name_u]Jade[/name_u]
[name_f]Molly[/name_f] [name_u]Anne[/name_u]
[name_f]Molly[/name_f] [name_u]Fern[/name_u]
[name_f]Molly[/name_f] [name_f]Grace[/name_f]
[name_f]Molly[/name_f] [name_f]Caitlyn[/name_f]
[name_f]Molly[/name_f] [name_f]Brynn[/name_f]
[name_f]Molly[/name_f] [name_f]Opal[/name_f]
[name_f]Eliza[/name_f] - sparky, sweet and vibrant - love this 
I don’t think it’s odd - I know my cousin has my aunt’s name, but my aunt’s name was also an honour of my grandmother, so it works as a double connection?
[name_f]Maren[/name_f] - a wonderful name. I pronounce it Mare-un though (mare rhyming with care or dare) and K@ren would be Kah-run (kah like the sound it cat or Katherine). If you’re feeling unsure, maybe use it as a middle - like [name_f]Eliza[/name_f] [name_f]Maren[/name_f]?
A few suggestions to honour M@ry El!z@beth…
[name_f]Maisie[/name_f]
[name_f]Isabelle[/name_f] [name_f]May[/name_f]
[name_f]Libby[/name_f]
[name_f]Elspeth[/name_f]
[name_f]Edith[/name_f] (similar in look/letters to El!z@beth)
[name_f]Mae[/name_f]
[name_f]Marianne[/name_f]
[name_f]Marybeth[/name_f]
[name_u]Ellery[/name_u]
[name_f]Miriam[/name_f]
1 Like
[name_f]Molly[/name_f] [name_f]Kate[/name_f]- I like this! I don’t think it’s too close at all, and the name Katherine/Kathe/Kate is common enough I don’t think anyone will think you’re honouring them.
[name_f]Eliza[/name_f] is so nice! I love this name.
[name_f]Maren[/name_f] is so cool; I don’t think it’s too similar to [name_f]Karen[/name_f], but my phone did initially correct it to [name_f]Karen[/name_f], so I’m not sure anymore. I say go for it though, they feel very different from each other.
Other names that could honour a Mary…
[name_f]Mavis[/name_f]
[name_f]Mollie[/name_f]
[name_f]Marlene[/name_f]
[name_f]Marigold[/name_f]
[name_f]Marisol[/name_f]
Mary-Eliza
You could also do matching initials;
ex: [name_f]Megan[/name_f] [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f]
Any variation of [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] could work too! There are so many. 
[name_f]Hope[/name_f] you find something you like!
1 Like
@Greyblue Thank you so much! I think I will forever have a love for [name_f]Molly[/name_f] [name_f]Kate[/name_f], there’s just something special about it, so thank you for affirming that it works! 
I love all your other suggestions for [name_f]Molly[/name_f], but I think my favorite is [name_f]Molly[/name_f] [name_u]June[/name_u]. It’s so sweet, but I also think it works as a girl ages. (Bonus points for matching initials with my mom!)
I love [name_f]Eliza[/name_f] so much, and have only ever met two women who go by it (one uses it as her full name, the other I’m not sure.) I feel like it’s unique and spunky without being too out there. I [name_f]May[/name_f] even steal [name_f]Kate[/name_f] from [name_f]Molly[/name_f] and use it as an [name_f]Eliza[/name_f] combo. [name_f]Eliza[/name_f] [name_f]Kate[/name_f] is 
.
Thank you for the reassurance on [name_f]Maren[/name_f] too!
And your suggestions to honor a [name_f]Mary[/name_f] are incredible—my favorites are [name_u]Ellery[/name_u], [name_f]Maisie[/name_f], and [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f].
Thank you again so much!
1 Like
@eggcelent Thank you so much for this! I think there’s something extra special about the simplicity and spunk of Molly and Eliza. And you’re right, Maren is cool and it feels very different from K@ren. I was swayed toward Molly Kate a little bit ago, but now I keep going back and forth between that and Eliza. I don’t know!! There are so many things I love about both. But if I used Molly, I’d probably break the Elizabeth tradition. No wonder people have such a hard time naming children!
Edited to add: I really like the idea of using the same initials too. Like Madeline Eleanor (which unintentionally happens to honor a second grandparent!)
Thank you again so much!
1 Like