I’ve been a long time lurker here as I have loved names from a young age.
However now is my turn to think about naming for real as we are having our first baby!
I am struggling with a girls name as I want to honour a family member who passed away called [name_u]James[/name_u], and also another family member who passed away [name_f]Jane[/name_f] (this is also my middle name after her)
Both names are obviously very similar - I have thought about using just [name_u]Jay[/name_u] as a middle name but it just seems not to honour either of them directly.
The only other thing I have thought of is to use [name_u]Jamie[/name_u]/[name_u]Jaime[/name_u] as a first name and then [name_f]Jane[/name_f] as a middle name with another middle name in between. However my partner is not too fussed on [name_u]Jamie[/name_u] and I really want us both to love the name - as we do our boys name.
My partner’s favourite is [name_f]Heidi[/name_f] - I like this but don’t love it.
My favourite is [name_f]Nia[/name_f] - I also like [name_f]Eleri[/name_f], [name_f]Ada[/name_f], [name_f]Iris[/name_f]. We live in [name_m]Wales[/name_m], so something quite recognizable but not overly common.
[name_f]Jacqueline[/name_f] is a feminine form of [name_u]James[/name_u] - and has the letters of [name_f]Jane[/name_f] in it. (Jacqueline)
[name_f]Sian[/name_f] is the Welsh form of [name_f]Jane[/name_f] and there’s also [name_f]Jenna[/name_f], [name_f]Johanne[/name_f], [name_f]Jana[/name_f], [name_f]Jeanette[/name_f] as [name_f]Jane[/name_f] alternatives
I can’t think of a way to get both [name_u]James[/name_u] and [name_f]Jane[/name_f] in there in a more obvious was than [name_u]Jamie[/name_u]/[name_u]Jaime[/name_u], but how about [name_f]Jasmine[/name_f] as an option which shares the sounds of both while still fitting your style? [name_f]Nia[/name_f] [name_f]Jasmine[/name_f], [name_f]Ada[/name_f] [name_f]Jasmine[/name_f], [name_f]Heidi[/name_f] [name_f]Jasmine[/name_f] and [name_f]Eleri[/name_f] [name_f]Jasmine[/name_f] all sound great.
More elaborate alternatives from the same root are [name_f]Jessamine[/name_f] and [name_f]Jessamy[/name_f]: [name_f]Iris[/name_f] [name_f]Jessamy[/name_f], [name_f]Nia[/name_f] [name_f]Jessamine[/name_f], [name_f]Ada[/name_f] [name_f]Jessamine[/name_f]…
Otherwise, I think using [name_f]Jane[/name_f] as one of two middles if it’s a girl, and [name_u]James[/name_u] if it’s a boy is the way to go. You could save the other for a future child. I really like [name_f]Heidi[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_f]Adele[/name_f] or [name_f]Nia[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_f]Louise[/name_f], for example.
Using the same approach as @greyblue, other feminine forms of [name_u]James[/name_u] include [name_f]Jacquetta[/name_f], [name_f]Jacoba[/name_f], [name_f]Jacobina[/name_f], Jacomina and [name_f]Jacobine[/name_f] (which also includes the letters from [name_f]Jane[/name_f]).
I really like the suggestions of [name_f]Jasmine[/name_f] and [name_f]Jessamine[/name_f]!
Ideas for honouring both at once:
[name_u]Jessie[/name_u] - either as a diminutive for [name_f]Jessamine[/name_f] or on its own: technically a Scottish diminutive of [name_f]Jane[/name_f], but resembles the -es ending of [name_u]James[/name_u].
[name_u]Jackie[/name_u] - can be said to be related to both [name_f]Jane[/name_f] and [name_u]James[/name_u], since it is derived from [name_f]Jacqueline[/name_f], and thus [name_u]James[/name_u], but also from [name_m]Jack[/name_m], which comes from [name_m]John[/name_m] (male form of [name_f]Jane[/name_f]).
Honouring [name_u]James[/name_u] and [name_f]Jane[/name_f] separately is also worth considering, of course. I like [name_u]Jem[/name_u]/[name_f]Gem[/name_f] as a sweet honour name for [name_u]James[/name_u] for a girl, and Jemett is a Medieval diminutive of it, used for both boys and girls, that could be worth reviving. Siani is a lovely option for honouring [name_f]Jane[/name_f].
You mentioned that you thought on [name_u]Jay[/name_u] but it perhaps wasn’t direct enough for you to honor your [name_u]James[/name_u] and [name_f]Jane[/name_f], but what about spelling it [name_u]Jae[/name_u], making it a little more obvious? Alternatively, if obvious is what you’re after, perhaps Jamesine?
Also, if you like [name_f]Ada[/name_f], and your partner loves [name_f]Heidi[/name_f], you might like to consider [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] (stemming from Germanic elements adal “noble”, and heid “state of being”) - if you were into nicknames, you could call her [name_f]Ada[/name_f] or [name_f]Heidi[/name_f], or both!
I actually really love [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f], it was my partners great grandmothers middle name and also I really like the place [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] in Australia and have fond memories there.
I think I might bring it back up with my partner
[name_f]Jasmine[/name_f] is a lovely idea too, and a very pretty name. This naming game is hard!
I actually know someone who named their girl [name_u]James[/name_u] - it sounded weird when I first heard it but now I love it!
It’s going to be tough to incorporate both [name_u]James[/name_u] and [name_f]Jane[/name_f] into a name since they sound and spell so similarly.
You could spell it [name_m]Jaymes[/name_m] or [name_u]Jayme[/name_u] (another way of spelling [name_u]Jamie[/name_u]) to honour your partner’s mums spelling.
Or [name_f]Jana[/name_f] (takes the extra ‘a’ from [name_u]James[/name_u]?)
[name_f]Hope[/name_f] you figure out the best name for your little girl!
I just wanted to add [name_f]Jade[/name_f], which includes the “jay” sound of [name_f]Jane[/name_f] and [name_u]James[/name_u], and has the same mixture of playfulness and stylishness as your favourites.
I like the suggestion of [name_f]Jasmine[/name_f]. [name_m]Don[/name_m]'t think anyone’s pointed this out yet, but it actually has both [name_f]Jane[/name_f] and [name_u]James[/name_u] in it, just mixed up (and a cheeky ‘i’ in the middle for a spot of pure individuality . . . ! XD). If you’re set on honouring both [name_u]James[/name_u] and [name_f]Jane[/name_f] with one name, I think you’ll struggle to find anything that does that as well or as gracefully as this, especially as she seems to fit your naming style too (and is such a lovely name anyway).
