Long-time lurker, now I need your help :)

[yogam.ohm.a]

I love looking through these boards and have used them in the past to help me make some name decisions/gather inspiration, but now I feel I really need the help of some other onomasts I apologize for being long-winded.

We are expecting our 6th (living) child and are planning to wait to know the baby’s sex until birth. We currently have 2 boys and 3 girls. We feel pretty solid on our boy’s name, but while I’ve many girls’ names I love, I’m just not sure if I’ve found THE one. I know I am going to be happy regardless of baby’s sex, but I also have a house full of kids rooting for a new brother. That creates a little bit of pressure However, I know that once I fall in love with the names for both sexes, I always feel totally peaceful and excited about whichever way the scale tips

Name meanings are very important to me. We tend to gravitate toward names inspired by books and authors we love, and we also like to integrate family names or names from our heritage.

The names I am gravitating to for this (maybe) baby girl are [name_f]Cosima[/name_f], [name_f]Odelia[/name_f], [name_f]Elspeth[/name_f], and [name_f]Ferelith[/name_f].

For my 3 girls’ privacy, I don’t want to list their exact names, but their first and middle names are a combination of the following: [name_f]Beatrix[/name_f], [name_f]Eirene[/name_f], [name_f]Louisa[/name_f], [name_f]Philomena[/name_f], [name_f]Pearl[/name_f], [name_f]Seraphine[/name_f], and [name_f]Theone[/name_f].

My initial pull was [name_f]Cosima[/name_f] [name_f]Odelia[/name_f]. But my dear husband says there is no way he is going to warm up to [name_f]Cosima[/name_f] as a first name. My oldest daughter is an onomast in the making, and she fell in love with and suggested [name_f]Elspeth[/name_f]. I’ve always loved [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] and really liked the idea of using the Scottish variant ( a nod to our heritage). We also both like the nickname [name_f]Elsie[/name_f], which is a family name. We were thinking [name_f]Elspeth[/name_f] [name_f]Odelia[/name_f]. Then we happened upon [name_f]Ferelith[/name_f], and we love the sound, meaning, nod to family heritage (another family name nickname possibility). [name_f]Ferelith[/name_f] [name_f]Cosima[/name_f] suddenly had the ring of being THE one. It seems like an odd combination, but I love how the meanings blend together ( a nod to our faith) and the combined cultural heritage is very us.
I just feel like these Scottish names feel maybe somewhat less lyrical and feminine than my other girls’. We’re not big on the names needing to match, but at this point we do have quite a set, and I wouldn’t want one daughter to feel maybe like the odd one out. Our boys have distinctly Scottish, Irish, and Welsh names, so she would blend in with them more maybe…

Opinions, Ideas…? Thank you so much for making it through this I knew the ladies here would get my taste in names and anxiety over choosing just the right one.

[brenae]

[name_f]Cosima[/name_f] is absolutely beautiful (we’re using it as a middle name because my soon-to-be DH also couldn’t picture it as a first). My favorite combos would be [name_f]Elspeth[/name_f] [name_f]Cosima[/name_f] (love) and [name_f]Cosima[/name_f] [name_f]Odelia[/name_f]. [name_f]Ferelith[/name_f] [name_f]Cosima[/name_f] is also pretty, so I say go for it if you feel it is the one!

[KirstGee]

[name_u]Love[/name_u] love love your names. [name_m]How[/name_m] cool is [name_f]Ferelith[/name_f]!! [name_m]Long[/name_m] time lover of [name_f]Elspeth[/name_f] she’s my fav female heroine in [name_f]Isobel[/name_f] Carmodys obernewton chronicles (even though she lost the plot and wrote a terrible last book). I’ve never been sold on [name_f]Cosima[/name_f] just doesn’t sing to me.

[name_f]Elspeth[/name_f] though, that’s a great choice. Also [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] is the sweetest nickname.

[Fireweed25]

[name_f]Elspeth[/name_f] is pretty [name_u]Love[/name_u] [name_u]Love[/name_u] [name_u]Love[/name_u] nn [name_f]Elsie[/name_f]! My husband loves the name [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] too and he is super picky. He mentioned it the other day and I was surprised. While I do like the look of [name_f]Elspeth[/name_f], I don’t enjoy saying. The s, p and th ath the end kind of run together for me.

I like [name_f]Cosima[/name_f] but wouldn’t want it as a first.

[name_f]Ferelith[/name_f], not sure I know how to pronounce this name. Is it like [name_f]Farrah[/name_f] - lith

[name_f]Odelia[/name_f] is beautiful and very melodic. I see some great nn. potential too. It’s also has easily recognizable pronounciation.

Have you considered [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f]. It seems like a nice blend between [name_f]Cosima[/name_f] and [name_f]Odelia[/name_f]. I think [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] is so gorgeous and sounds perfect with your other girls names.

[yogam.ohm.a]

Thank you for the feedback!
Fireweed, I’ve always really liked Cordelia and have considered it before, but I have a close friend with a little Cordelia now”
Kirstgee, I felt the same way about Cosima just hearing it said, but when I saw it and the meaning, I think that is when I started to love it.
I think I’m very visual, so I see spellings when I hear names… If that makes any sense. I think it means that sometimes, I find a prettiness in a name that others can’t hear because they don’t “see” it like I do, but also vice versa. That is probably my biggest drawback on Ferelith- there are other letters combinations to affect the same sound that I find “prettier”, but I don’t like to mess with spellings because I feel like it also messes with meaning (changing spellings of roots in particular). Part of the draw of that spelling too is that it makes it similar to my husband’s great grandma, Ferra. I thought it was the least “pretty” spelling of that name, but something about Ferelith, and maybe using the ancient pronounciation of Fair-la as a nn.
Anyway, the fact that you ladies can hear the prettiness in these names makes me feel peaceful. I feel like the Scottish names don’t necessarily go as well with my girls’ names, but when you hear them with my boys’ names as well, they “fit”, eapecially if I go with a mn that ends in that lyrical -a.
Thank you so much” I love talking with people who really “get” how I feel about names”

[emmamay]

I really like [name_f]Elspeth[/name_f] [name_f]Cosima[/name_f]! It’s so pretty and sweet. [name_f]Ferelith[/name_f] and [name_f]Odelia[/name_f] are gorgeous names, too (I like your taste!), but the I am still rooting for [name_f]Elspeth[/name_f].

[janinemk]

[name_f]Elspeth[/name_f] ([name_f]Elsie[/name_f]) [name_f]Odelia[/name_f] sounds beautiful.

[marcardk]

I don’t think your name choices clash with your other children’s names. I actually like [name_f]Ferelith[/name_f] quite a lot. As far as visualizing it and spelling it, it is quite similar to [name_u]Meredith[/name_u], which is not so unusual. I’ve no idea if you pronounce it at all similarly, but at least visually it doesn’t strike me as wrong. I love [name_f]Elspeth[/name_f], but personally I would go with [name_f]Ferelith[/name_f] and I don’t think two -th names would be good together.

[wrenofgrace]

Agreed with everyone. I love all your choices. [name_f]Ferelith[/name_f] is so intriguing. It’s like a combination of [name_u]Meredith[/name_u] and [name_f]Felicity[/name_f]. It looks pretty and the meaning is fabulous. [name_f]Cosima[/name_f] I want to like, but I just don’t for some reason. [name_f]Odelia[/name_f] is very pretty, makes a great middle. And [name_f]Elspeth[/name_f] is so classy with nn [name_f]Elsie[/name_f]! You have great taste.
My favorite would be [name_f]Ferelith[/name_f] [name_f]Odelia[/name_f] or [name_f]Elspeth[/name_f] [name_f]Odelia[/name_f].
Too bad you can’t use both [name_f]Ferelith[/name_f] and [name_f]Elspeth[/name_f].

[yogam.ohm.a]

Thank you
I agree with everyone. I’ve loved [name_f]Odelia[/name_f] a long time, but it feels like it should be in the middle, not as a first.
I love the meaning of [name_f]Cosima[/name_f] more than the sound.
Between [name_f]Elspeth[/name_f] and [name_f]Ferelith[/name_f], I feel more of that special spark with [name_f]Ferelith[/name_f], but I also feel like it is the riskier choice so to speak. It seems to be very polarizing. Name lovers seem to get it, but when I look at more general population type boards, there are some pretty ugly opinions. The pronounciation is nuanced but very much like [name_u]Meredith[/name_u] (thanks for pointing out an easy comparison). I read that in the history of the name it is akin to [name_f]Orlaith[/name_f] (Or-la) and that the pronunciation of the -th ending is actually part of the modern revival. I like the idea of using that as a nn, making it 2 syllable.
Decisions decisions . I’ve no mind using names that aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I don’t want something that people would flat out call ugly if it isn’t their taste.
My anatomy scan is on the 13th. Though I’m planning to stay in the dark on baby’s sex, maybe unofficially “meeting” him/her will help me gravitate to one or the other. Still plenty of time to decide for sure, but I feel like if I fall totally in love with THE right names… I have more resolve to stay surprised on the sex ;D

[marcardk]

“I’ve no mind using names that aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I don’t want something that people would flat out call ugly if it isn’t their taste.”

But this is true no matter the name. If people themselves are ugly enough to go around calling others’ names ugly, they will do it with [name_f]Ferelith[/name_f] or [name_f]Juanita[/name_f] or [name_f]Jessica[/name_f] or [name_f]Paige[/name_f].

[yogam.ohm.a]

That is a good point Thank you

[katinka]

Of the four names in contention, the only one I’m not so keen on is [name_f]Odelia[/name_f]. [name_f]Cosima[/name_f], [name_f]Elspeth[/name_f] and [name_f]Ferelith[/name_f] are all beautiful in a very delicate, ethereal way, which I think actually goes really well with the names you’ve used for your elder daughters, despite the difference in origin.

My personal favourite is [name_f]Elspeth[/name_f], so of course I’m rooting for that one for the first name slot. [name_f]Elspeth[/name_f] [name_f]Cosima[/name_f] is a wonderfully delicate yet spunky combo and [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] is a very cute, very current nickname option. [name_f]Elspeth[/name_f] [name_f]Odelia[/name_f] is also beautiful - the flow of this is perfect.

[name_f]Ferelith[/name_f] sounds like the one that speaks most to you, so perhaps you’ve found THE name already and are just a little bit hesitant to commit? If you need encouragement, I think [name_f]Ferelith[/name_f]/Fairla is a gorgeous name - airy and whimsical, but at the same time it feels strong and fierce (I actually think the spelling helps with this - anything with “ph” in place of “f” or extra vowels would feel less grounded and a bit too “princessey” for me). It’s a very unusual name, but not especially difficult to say or spell, and as @marcardk said, all names are polarizing to some degree, even Top 10 staples (especially on here). If you feel the “spark” with [name_f]Ferelith[/name_f], I think that’s the most important thing.