So, I’ve got [name]Eliza[/name] [name]Wren[/name] and [name]Gwendolen[/name] [name]Iris[/name] on my list. Then [name]Phoebe[/name].
Question - [name]Phoebe[/name] [name]Marilla[/name] or [name]Phoebe[/name] [name]Mariel[/name]?
(Trying to subtly honor some familial [name]Mary[/name]-names, [name]Marie[/name] and [name]Marion[/name]. I know [name]Marilla[/name] isn’t really a [name]Mary[/name] variant.)
I’ve got [name]Archer[/name] on my boy list. I really like [name]Jude[/name], too. Two in the back burner list are [name]Toby[/name] and [name]Holden[/name]. Someone suggested [name]Ellis[/name] and [name]Hollis[/name] - I’ve long appreciated both.
Question - Clearly [name]Eliza[/name] and [name]Ellis[/name] could never be siblings, but is [name]Hollis[/name] usable for a boy these days?
I prefer [name]Phoebe[/name] [name]Mariel[/name].
I think [name]Hollis[/name] would be usable for a boy, but I don’t think it goes well with your girl names at all. I would go with either [name]Tobias[/name] nn [name]Toby[/name] or [name]Jude[/name].
I like [name]Phoebe[/name] [name]Mariel[/name] too.
I think of [name]Hollis[/name] as more feminine, but only because I know a [name]Hollis[/name] that is a chick. So, that may be a completely isolated association. I think [name]Eliza[/name], [name]Gwendolen[/name], [name]Phoebe[/name] and [name]Jude[/name] make a lovely sib-set though.
I really enjoy leahmarie512’s suggestion of [name]Tobias[/name] with the nn of [name]Toby[/name]
I like [name]Phoebe[/name] [name]Marilla[/name] with [name]Eliza[/name] [name]Wren[/name] and [name]Gwendolen[/name] [name]Iris[/name]! All three names together have a certain spunk.
As for [name]Hollis[/name]: I like it, but it could be confused with [name]Holly[/name].
Pronouncing [name]Marilla[/name] the English way, I suppose, a la [name]Anne[/name] of [name]Green[/name] Gables…
The [name]Holly[/name] thing worries me! The not fitting doesn’t, believe it or not - [name]Hollis[/name] (and [name]Ellis[/name]) both feel vintage boy to me, like [name]Eliza[/name], [name]Phoebe[/name], and [name]Gwendolen[/name] feel vintage girl. Maybe I’m way off?!
I really like [name]Phoebe[/name] [name]Mariel[/name]. And I’m going to suggest [name]Phoebe[/name] [name]Marina[/name] as a way to honor a [name]Marie[/name] and [name]Marion[/name].
And I think [name]Hollis[/name] is very usable for a boy.
I really like both [name]Phoebe[/name] [name]Marilla[/name] and [name]Phoebe[/name] [name]Mariel[/name]–I guess [name]Marilla[/name] wins by a tiny hair, though.
I think [name]Hollis[/name] feels more old fashion then your girls names. While [name]Eliza[/name], [name]Phoebe[/name] and [name]Gwendolen[/name] are vintage names but they’ve made at least somewhat of a comeback ranking 225, 303 and alternate spelling [name]Gwendolyn[/name] is ranked 514. While [name]Hollis[/name] hasn’t been on the top 1000 charts since the 1970s plus it’s got a unisex vibe. I would think [name]Hollis[/name] would have siblings named [name]Blanche[/name], [name]Ernestine[/name] or for a brother [name]Merrill[/name].
That’s a very interesting point you bring up! Huh. I still like [name]Hollis[/name], but I’m not tied to it. I feel fairly tied to [name]Archer[/name]. I do think it fits with [name]Eliza[/name], [name]Gwendolen[/name], and [name]Phoebe[/name] - it’s got a classic 1900s vibe to me, but it’s also a little more modern, and it just so happens to be literary.
What else would you suggest in that vein?! Does [name]Jude[/name] work? [name]Holden[/name]? More for me to consider would be amazing!
I think the jury’s out on [name]Marilla[/name] versus [name]Mariel[/name]! Some seem to really dislike [name]Marilla[/name], but I think it’s cool. Then again, [name]Mariel[/name] might be prettier… :-/
I love [name]Marilla[/name] – more than [name]Mariel[/name] w/ [name]Phoebe[/name]. I love the meaning “shining sea” according to nameberry. [name]Phoebe[/name] [name]Mariel[/name] looks too vowel-heavy to me (you know me and my weirdo comments!)
I just clicked [name]Marilla[/name]'s NB entry and noted that it is a variant of [name]Amaryllis[/name] and that has [name]Mary[/name] right in it for your honoring… [name]Do[/name] you like [name]Amaryllis[/name] at all? It’s a name I’ve always been enchanted by actually. [name]Remember[/name] when I liked [name]Olive[/name] [name]Amaryllis[/name]? (Neither Miss [name]Lucille[/name] nor Miss [name]Coraline[/name] are an “[name]Olive[/name]” by the way!) [name]Phoebe[/name] [name]Amaryllis[/name] sounds really cool to me.
[name]Hollis[/name] - I don’t see it as unisex personally because I’ve never known a female [name]Hollis[/name], but I agree with the others that it feels a little more old fashioned or stuffy than your girl names. I think [name]Archer[/name] and [name]Jude[/name] work best with peppy and pretty [name]Eliza[/name], [name]Gwendolen[/name], and [name]Phoebe[/name]. As you know, I feel like [name]Toby[/name] is too nicknamey, but I do like the nickname. [name]Tobias[/name] is too heavy with those girls names so I see where a stand-alone [name]Toby[/name] works, but it feels too childish to me.
A 3rd brother to go along with [name]Eliza[/name], [name]Gwendolen[/name], [name]Phoebe[/name], [name]Archer[/name], and [name]Jude[/name] would be … [name]Milo[/name] (or [name]Miles[/name]), [name]West[/name], [name]Maxwell[/name], [name]Silas[/name], or [name]Reid[/name]
I actually like [name]Hollis[/name] on a boy a lot. I’ve never heard the name on anyone before, but i did once know a man called Hollist, which was a family surname.
I like [name]Phoebe[/name] [name]Mariel[/name] better than Phobe [name]Marilla[/name], but [name]Phoebe[/name] [name]Amaryllis[/name], as suggested above, is also gorgeous
I think I may have been talked out of [name]Hollis[/name] as a first name - the comment about [name]Merrill[/name] and [name]Ernestine[/name] is haunting me.
I don’t want such an overt nature name with [name]Wren[/name] and [name]Iris[/name], so I hesitate with [name]Juniper[/name], [name]Marigold[/name], and [name]Amaryllis[/name]. I continue to like [name]Marilla[/name]'s subtle nature vibe, but [name]Mariel[/name] is so much more popular it seems! I’m not sure why I like [name]Phoebe[/name] [name]Marilla[/name] so much. I’ve already been told it sounds like [name]Manila[/name] and gorilla. Ha.
I like [name]Miles[/name] and [name]Milo[/name] (was [name]Archer[/name]'s potential MN). Which do we prefer? I’m kind of interested in [name]Silas[/name] or [name]Cyrus[/name], too! [name]Archer[/name], [name]Silas[/name], and [name]Jude[/name] are pretty neat together, yea? More ideas?
Oh…sorry, I forgot you had [name]Iris[/name] in for the middle already. Yes, you don’t want [name]Amaryllis[/name] then.
I think I like [name]Miles[/name] better for you. [name]Silas[/name] over [name]Cyrus[/name]. Did I mention I also like [name]Holden[/name] w/ the set?
More ideas… hmm… you know I am clueless on boys names.
I like [name]Holden[/name] with the other names, too. My whole issue was that it seems “forced hipster,” kind of like [name]Atticus[/name]. I’m not even using it for the literary connection - I just like it! Maybe I should just get over my petty concerns.
I agree [name]Silas[/name] is nicer with [name]Archer[/name] than [name]Cyrus[/name], and [name]Miles[/name] over [name]Milo[/name]. Is [name]Miles[/name] too stuffy? Also, believe it or not but I’m kind of liking [name]Leo[/name] today!
I’d love to know how you came up with that suggestion list, miss - ha. I’m actually fairly intrigued by [name]Simon[/name], but I knew one growing up in [name]England[/name] and my entire family still calls him [name]Simon[/name] pronounced [SEA-moan] for some reason, which pretty much kills it…
