We will be welcoming baby number 3, a girl, before too long. She will be joining big brother [name_m]Orrin[/name_m] and sister [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f].
My name dilemma: I really love [name_f]Maeve[/name_f]. He really does not. I especially love [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] and [name_f]Maeve[/name_f]. They just seem meant to be sisters!! Sigh. If I keep after him, it may eventually grow on him. However, he is pretty adamant. His only real contribution to names that he likes is [name_f]Cora[/name_f]. I also like [name_f]Cora[/name_f], but it is relatively popular and likely to become moreso in my estimation. We both also like [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f], and then we could certainly call her [name_f]Cora[/name_f]. But complicating matters, we have a fairly long (4 syllable) Italian last name. [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] might just be a little too much name in combination with our surname. Maybe [name_f]Coraline[/name_f]? My husband is not exactly quick to offer suggestions, but has no problem turning down my ideas (of course!). Though [name_m]Orrin[/name_m] and [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] were both mine, which he eventually agreed to and now loves.
Other names we have batted around, but did not seem to be winners for one reason or another:
Would love any new thoughts/ ideas, or if you think we already have a good option above, would love to hear it too! (Maybe you can help me convince hubby?!)
I love [name_f]Coraline[/name_f]… also [name_f]Clara[/name_f] and [name_f]Camille[/name_f] from your list:)
[name_f]Esme[/name_f]
[name_f]Ivy[/name_f]
[name_f]Sylvie[/name_f]
[name_f]Stella[/name_f]
[name_f]Annabel[/name_f] and [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f]… I love together with [name_m]Orrin[/name_m]
I like [name_f]Maeve[/name_f], [name_f]Cora[/name_f] and [name_f]Coraline[/name_f]. I also like [name_u]Blair[/name_u], [name_f]Bryony[/name_f], [name_f]Lydia[/name_f] and [name_f]Celia[/name_f]
It sounds like your husband really can’t stand [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] and if that’s the case I wouldn’t push him to use it. I think [name_f]Coraline[/name_f] or [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] are both great. I don’t think [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] would be terrible with a long last name. No worse than [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f].
I don’t think [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] would sound bad with a 4 syllable surname- it’s hard to say for sure without knowing the name, but in my head, it sounds fine Of your other choices, I adore [name_f]Camille[/name_f] and think it would be lovely with your other children’s names.
If not, I love [name_f]Clara[/name_f] from your list. [name_f]Clara[/name_f] and [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] go together better in my opinion than with [name_f]Maeve[/name_f].
I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but if he’s not on board with [name_f]Maeve[/name_f], you probably shouldn’t use it. [name_m]How[/name_m] about trying [name_f]Maven[/name_f] on him, and using [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] as a nn?
I agree with pp’s that if hubby just does not like [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] you shouldn’t use it. I like [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] and [name_f]Camille[/name_f] on your list. [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] isn’t any longer with your last name than [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] so I think it would be fine. Good luck!
I think [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] nn [name_f]Cora[/name_f] is good alongside [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] and [name_m]Orrin[/name_m]. You say it may be too long alongside a 4 syllable Italian surname, however [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] is only one syllable shy so I don’t see much of a difference. My favourites are [name_f]Lydia[/name_f] and [name_f]Clara[/name_f], however. Although [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] is a love of mine, if your hubby won’t get on board then I’d just leave it be.
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] and [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] both have a prominent ‘AY’ sound. That bothers me, that they nearly rhyme. It also bothers me that they have nothing in common in terms of style or origin. I really don’t think they work well together.
[name_f]Cora[/name_f] and [name_m]Orrin[/name_m] are too similar, and yes, [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] is too much with a 4-syllable last name.
[name_f]Lydia[/name_f] doesn’t work because it shares the exact same sounds as [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f], just in a different order.
[name_f]Clara[/name_f] is lovely! It’s a good length, it shares sounds with both [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] and [name_m]Orrin[/name_m], and doesn’t seem out of place, stylistically.
[name_f]Camille[/name_f] also works perfectly and looks fantastic with [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f]. [name_f]Camille[/name_f] is my favourite!
Thanks all for the thoughts!! Yes, [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] is probably out. And that is okay. There are lots of other lovely names out there. I do like the suggestion of [name_f]Mabel[/name_f], but not sure that will fly with him either. Contemplated [name_f]Corrine[/name_f] until I realized how similar it is to [name_m]Orrin[/name_m]! haha!
I will add now that her middle name is likely to be [name_f]Pearl[/name_f], after my husband’s grandmother. It seems a lot of my favorite options have the letter L in them, as does our last name. Too alliterative? [name_m]Will[/name_m] have to think on that.
[name_f]Camille[/name_f] [name_f]Pearl[/name_f] and [name_f]Mabel[/name_f] [name_f]Pearl[/name_f] both go beautifully with your other two kids’ names.
What about [name_f]Marite[/name_f]? It’s another pretty M name. We almost used it as a middle name for our second daughter but actually went with [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] instead!
Maeryn is another name I’ve heard that is similar to [name_f]Maeve[/name_f]. I think it’s lovely. Maeryn [name_f]Pearl[/name_f].
[name_f]Marina[/name_f] [name_f]Pearl[/name_f]? [name_f]Caroline[/name_f] [name_f]Pearl[/name_f]? [name_f]Callista[/name_f] [name_f]Pearl[/name_f]? [name_f]Do[/name_f] you use a nn for [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f]? If so, you may want to consider nns for your impending arrival that yield nns that go well w/[name_f]Adelaide[/name_f]'s nn. Good luck!
[name_f]Celia[/name_f], [name_f]Lydia[/name_f] and [name_f]Camille[/name_f] are absolutely lovely! If your husband really doesn’t like [name_f]Maeve[/name_f], I wouldn’t push it, personally. Oftentimes, if someone tries to convince me to like something, it makes me dislike it even more. I’d let it alone, and maybe revisit the name in a couple of weeks. If the answer is still no, just accept that [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] isn’t the name and move on (easier said than done, I know :)).
Of your other choices, I adore [name_f]Camille[/name_f] and think it would be lovely with your other children’s names.