Ok it’s not really a crisis…
I’m just second-guessing [name]Imogen[/name] Solace. I told my best friend my names yesterday, and she thought Solace was sort of “random.” I love the way it sounds with [name]Imogen[/name], the meaning, and the slightly edgy Puritan strangeness of it. But she really didn’t get it. I found myself having to defend it, and now I’m rethinking. My other names honor family, and [name]Imogen[/name] Solace doesn’t, so it is a bit less rooted.
[name]One[/name] or two siblings might be:
[name]Crispin[/name] Yew
[name]Mab[/name] [name]Margaret[/name]
[name]Vincent[/name] somethingorother?
Other thoughts are
[name]Imogen[/name] Dear (for my grandmother, Dear)
[name]Imogen[/name] [name]Acacia[/name] (husband’s suggestion - a plant with family significance. I like the imagery, but I’m not sure about the flow)
[name]Imogen[/name] [name]Marsh[/name] (family name on husband’s side - best friend likes this one bc she says it “grounds [name]Imogen[/name], which is very fanciful.” Really? [name]Imogen[/name] fanciful?)
[name]Imogen[/name] [name]Eglantine[/name] (husband hates, but I had to mention it in case anyone else wants to use it!)
[name]Imogen[/name] [name]Charity[/name] (for Dear. I like its Mayflowerishness, but I wonder if it’s too [name]Christian[/name] - I’m not. The original meaning is very very beautiful, though I find the current use of the word sometimes patronizing.)
[name]Imogen[/name] [name]Charis[/name] (stolen from [name]Ottilie[/name]. Related to the word charity, “cara” meaning dear.)
Hmm. I actually quite like [name]Imogen[/name] Solace. I don’t think I’ve ever considered [name]Imogen[/name] as fanciful… is your friend relatively unfamiliar with the name? For me, [name]Imogen[/name] Dear would edge Solace out by a smidge, especially for its family significance, and [name]Imogen[/name] [name]Marsh[/name] is unexpectedly pleasing. I could see [name]Mab[/name] [name]Margaret[/name] and [name]Imogen[/name] Dear, though. Definitely.
You don’t have to honor your family in your child’s first and middle name. I actually dislike that practice somewhat because I feel like there aren’t any names left for just your child, they belong to other people somehow. I am not crazy about Solace, but it flows nicely with [name]Imogen[/name] and you really like it. Out of your list, I like [name]Imogen[/name] Dear, Dear is a very sweet middle name.
First of all, [name]Imogen[/name] Solace is beautiful.
[name]Imogen[/name] Dear - I like this very much. But, I’m English. I’ve got Darlings, Sweets, Loves in my line.
[name]Imogen[/name] [name]Acacia[/name] - [name]Love[/name] this. Again, English, we don’t get the flow thing the way you Americans do.
[name]Imogen[/name] [name]Marsh[/name] - I don’t see [name]Imogen[/name] as fanciful. Simply beautiful. I see her as the fifth [name]Marsh[/name] sister.
[name]Imogen[/name] [name]Eglantine[/name] - We don’t mess with our hubbies, it will come back to haunt us.
[name]Imogen[/name] [name]Charity[/name] - I hear charity shop. [name]Imogen[/name] making out with the losers at the corner.
[name]Imogen[/name] [name]Charis[/name] - My favourite. It sounds beautiful, love love love.
Oh I’m excited that people are liking [name]Imogen[/name] Dear! and [name]Imogen[/name] [name]Charis[/name] too. Thank you all, quite reassuring.
Otter I love [name]Angharad[/name] and [name]Myfanwy[/name]. [name]Angharad[/name] is really magical with [name]Imogen[/name]. [name]Carys[/name] too…
[name]Charis[/name] might have a slight edge over [name]Carys[/name] though. Feels weightier to me.
Your [name]Charity[/name] analysis made me laugh. Formosa is beautiful but it has a bit of the Imperialist tea-stain.
[name]Imogen[/name] [name]Mimosa[/name]? [name]Mimosa[/name] is an acacia…
Hmm…
You know I would go with your gut. [name]Do[/name] you love [name]Imogen[/name] Solace? Obviously you do, does your husband like it? I assume he does! So you know go for it. Your friend will probably have a naming combination that you don’t like, it’s called individuality. Personally I think [name]Imogen[/name] Solace is a really interesting, feminine and spunky combination.
However if you decide against [name]Imogen[/name] Solace I also like…
[name]Imogen[/name] [name]Acacia[/name]
[name]Imogen[/name] [name]Marsh[/name]
[name]Imogen[/name] [name]Charis[/name]
Those three are lovely names.
Suggestions:
[name]Imogen[/name] [name]Parker[/name] - love the tough feminity this combination has
[name]Imogen[/name] [name]Wilhelmina[/name]
[name]Imogen[/name] [name]Kate[/name] - love the simplicity of this combination
[name]Imogen[/name] [name]Willow[/name]
I actually like [name]Imogen[/name] Solace best out of all the options! Though I don’t mind [name]Imogen[/name] [name]Acacia[/name] this would be my second choice.
I feel your [name]Imogen[/name] pain. I love it. Found it Shakespearean, elegant, feminine but tailored… a little bit buttoned-boots but not TOO dusty…
…
My mom insists I’ve made it up, because I “just wanted an I name.” And she doesn’t like “made up” names. So, yeah.
I really like [name]Imogen[/name] Dear and [name]Imogen[/name] [name]Acacia[/name]. I don’t hear that much problem with flow? [name]Imogen[/name] ends with such a grounding consonant that I don’t find [name]Acacia[/name] mashes onto it too badly. And I like there being family significance in such an uncommon nature name. I would find [name]Acacia[/name] a little bit hippie (not bad enough to be unusable, but noticeable) up front, but in the middle it’s just pretty.
I’ve never been a fan of [name]Imogen[/name] – I know it gets lots of love on here, but it’s just not my style. That said, everyone has different naming styles and if your friend doesn’t like your names, chances seem very good that there will be many of hers that you don’t like. I’m not trying to be childish about it, I’m just saying “To each his own.” If it works for you and you and your husband love it, use it. You will get the strange looks because it’s different than [name]Michael[/name], [name]Andrew[/name], [name]Aiden[/name], [name]Brayden[/name], and [name]Finn[/name] (trying to encompass many styles not lumping all those together … and just realized those are boy names and we’re talking about girls, but you get my point), but if you love it, that doesn’t matter. Once your daughter is old enough to own it herself, people will accept it as her name anyway and she won’t get those looks.
[name]Imogen[/name] [name]Acacia[/name] has the best sound and flow of all your combos [name]IMO[/name]. I actually think [name]Imogen[/name] is more grounded and [name]Acacia[/name] gives it a more fanciful air. But I do love that combo, and I especially love that it has family significance. [name]Imogen[/name] Solace does have a nice flow, but it’s just so far from my style that I’m having trouble liking it much.
I also don’t like [name]Imogen[/name], however I don’t believe that should stop you from using a name you love. It seems like you love [name]Imogen[/name] Solace, so you should definitely use it. From your list, I also like [name]Imogen[/name] [name]Acacia[/name] and [name]Imogen[/name] dear.
Thanks Cheridel and Isabellemarie for the reassurance. Solace is still on the table, I’m just really wanting to use a family name, and if [name]Imogen[/name] Solace were my first (or only?!) child, I’d miss out on honoring a dear relative.
Tori101- [name]True[/name], I don’t see eye to eye with my friend on all things, but the fact that I suddenly felt so insecure about Solace when she disliked it was a little telling. I have to let it marinate for a while I think. I love the sound of [name]Imogen[/name] [name]Kate[/name], but I don’t think it’s the one… [name]Imogen[/name] [name]Willow[/name] hm. I love willow trees, and they are my mother’s favorite. Thank you.
Stripe- “Buttoned-boots” I love that. Your mom sounds like trouble! Thanks for getting behind Dear and [name]Acacia[/name]. I guess it’s not exactly a flow issue with [name]Acacia[/name]… more of a textural contrast that I initially found jarring. [name]Imogen[/name] has such a sense of containment, a glassy, cool, smooth completeness. [name]Acacia[/name] is branchy, lacy, wild, and tart.
Catheyc and Rgp19 - Thanks for your kind, objective words. Yes, it will all be ok!
[name]Emma[/name]!
[name]Salix[/name], Saille, Salice are words for willow (Latin, Ogham, Italian). Or [name]Lucida[/name] (as in [name]Salix[/name] [name]Lucida[/name] - shining willow).
Oh thanks Otteroo. [name]Lucida[/name] is absolutely delumptious, but it’s the “shining” part, of salix lucida! I do like the idea of [name]Willow[/name], but I think I prefer it in the form of Wythe. [name]Salix[/name] is a good one too, but feels very masculine to me.
[name]Imogen[/name] [name]Sol[/name] or [name]Imogen[/name] [name]Soleil[/name]? I love [name]Imogen[/name] Dear and [name]Imogen[/name] [name]Marsh[/name] - quirky middle names to complement a playful but grounded first name.
I love [name]Imogen[/name] and [name]Imogen[/name] [name]Carys[/name]/Charys is nice and if you want something whimsical and very pretty go with [name]Imogen[/name] [name]Bluebell[/name].