Longlist for baby #6

Girl Names
1

We’re expecting #6 this summer, and there are so many names we love that it’s impossible to choose! All of our children have either a classic first name and a botanical middle name or vice versa, and we would like to continue this theme.

Classic names:
[name_f]Alice[/name_f] (I feel like it’s a little boring, honestly)
[name_f]Althea[/name_f]
[name_f]Agnes[/name_f]
[name_f]Beatrix[/name_f]
[name_f]Catherine[/name_f]
[name_f]Cornelia[/name_f]
[name_f]Dorothy[/name_f]
[name_f]Esme[/name_f]
[name_f]Eugenie[/name_f]
[name_f]Leopoldine[/name_f]
[name_f]Lydia[/name_f]
[name_f]Magdalena[/name_f]
[name_f]Margaret[/name_f] (see [name_f]Alice[/name_f])
[name_f]Marianne[/name_f]
[name_f]Martha[/name_f]
[name_f]Stella[/name_f] (see [name_f]Alice[/name_f])
[name_f]Sylvie[/name_f]/[name_f]Sylvia[/name_f]
[name_f]Thelma[/name_f]
[name_f]Twila[/name_f]/[name_f]Twyla[/name_f]

Botanical names:
Bluebonnet
Camomile
[name_f]Daffodil[/name_f]
[name_f]Eglantine[/name_f] (I’m not sure I like the “Eg” part)
Frangipani
[name_f]Gardenia[/name_f]
Gladiolus
[name_f]Hazel[/name_f]
[name_f]Holly[/name_f]/Hollyhock (I’m worried it’s a bit ditzy)
[name_f]Honey[/name_f]
[name_f]Jessamine[/name_f]
[name_f]Jonquil[/name_f]
Larkspur
[name_f]Lavender[/name_f]
[name_f]Meadow[/name_f]
[name_f]Myrtle[/name_f]
Pennyroyal
Persimmon
Thistle
[name_f]Violet[/name_f]

We could really use some feedback, thoughts on the names, what you would eliminate, how you would rank our favorites, and so on. Ideally, we would like to avoid repeating initials, but it would not be a deal-breaker.

  • [name_f]Daisy[/name_f]
2

I like:

[name_f]Alice[/name_f] [name_f]Gardenia[/name_f] (I like the storybook quality of [name_f]Alice[/name_f] and think it goes well with the siblings)
[name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] [name_f]Meadow[/name_f]
[name_f]Esme[/name_f] Larkspur
[name_f]Martha[/name_f] [name_f]Jessamine[/name_f]
[name_f]Sylvia[/name_f] Larkspur
[name_f]Twyla[/name_f] [name_f]Jessamine[/name_f]
[name_f]Hazel[/name_f] [name_f]Beatrix[/name_f]
[name_f]Lavender[/name_f] [name_f]Althea[/name_f]
[name_f]Meadow[/name_f] [name_f]Catherine[/name_f]
[name_f]Violet[/name_f] [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f]

I’ll also suggest [name_f]Daphne[/name_f] and [name_f]Clementine[/name_f]. Some of the longer names like [name_f]Magdalena[/name_f] and [name_f]Leopoldine[/name_f] don’t go with the siblings as well [name_f]IMO[/name_f], and a few of the plant names like [name_f]Eglantine[/name_f] and Frangipani are too funky for me.

3

Thank you so much! [name_f]Alice[/name_f] [name_f]Gardenia[/name_f], [name_f]Lavender[/name_f] [name_f]Althea[/name_f], [name_f]Violet[/name_f] [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f] and [name_f]Hazel[/name_f] [name_f]Beatrix[/name_f] are lovely combinations. I see what you mean about Frangipani and [name_f]Eglantine[/name_f] but they are more middle name material, I think. As for siblings, they actually have longer names - [name_f]Frida[/name_f], [name_f]Pomeline[/name_f], [name_u]James[/name_u], [name_f]Rosemary[/name_f] and Hemlock.

4

Favorites:

[name_f]Beatrix[/name_f], [name_f]Althea[/name_f], [name_f]Alice[/name_f], [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f], [name_f]Esme[/name_f] // [name_f]Hazel[/name_f], [name_f]Jessamine[/name_f], Larkspur, [name_f]Lavender[/name_f], [name_f]Meadow[/name_f], [name_f]Violet[/name_f]

I think [name_f]Althea[/name_f], [name_f]Esme[/name_f], [name_f]Lavender[/name_f], or [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f] would be especially perfect in your sibset.

I’d lose/demote to MN only:

[name_f]Marianne[/name_f] - A little unremarkable with your other kids’ names, plus it repeats too much of [name_f]Rosemary[/name_f].
[name_f]Leopoldine[/name_f] - Rather stiff for a first name, and repeats the ending of [name_f]Pomeline[/name_f].
[name_f]Margaret[/name_f], [name_f]Stella[/name_f], [name_f]Lydia[/name_f], and [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] - Very tame compared to your other choices. [name_f]Alice[/name_f] is borderline but I love it too much to put it here (oops.)
Hollyhock - Sounds too much like Hemlock.
[name_f]Eglantine[/name_f], Frangipani, Gladiolus - The awkward heaviness of the sound cancels out the lovely botanical imagery, [name_f]IMO[/name_f]. Persimmon, [name_f]Jonquil[/name_f], [name_f]Myrtle[/name_f] and Thistle are also iffy.
Pennyroyal - The [name_u]Penny[/name_u]- part is appealing, but all I can think of when I see it are poison and abortifacients.

Combo ideas:

[name_f]Cornelia[/name_f] [name_f]Violet[/name_f]
[name_f]Cornelia[/name_f] [name_f]Meadow[/name_f]
[name_f]Gardenia[/name_f] [name_f]Catherine[/name_f]
[name_f]Althea[/name_f] Larkspur
[name_f]Althea[/name_f] [name_f]Hazel[/name_f]
[name_f]Beatrix[/name_f] [name_f]Meadow[/name_f]
[name_f]Beatrix[/name_f] Camomile
[name_f]Agnes[/name_f] Larkspur
[name_f]Esme[/name_f] [name_f]Lavender[/name_f]
[name_f]Esme[/name_f] [name_f]Gardenia[/name_f]
[name_f]Catherine[/name_f] Bluebonnet
[name_f]Hazel[/name_f] [name_f]Magdalena[/name_f]
[name_f]Jessamine[/name_f] [name_f]Lydia[/name_f]
[name_f]Jessamine[/name_f] [name_f]Alice[/name_f]
[name_f]Alice[/name_f] Camomile
[name_f]Sylvia[/name_f] [name_f]Meadow[/name_f]
[name_f]Lavender[/name_f] [name_f]Alice[/name_f]
[name_f]Lavender[/name_f] [name_f]Sylvie[/name_f]

More botanical suggestions: [name_f]Cassia[/name_f], [name_f]Columbine[/name_f], Nettle, [name_f]Saffron[/name_f], [name_f]Senna[/name_f], [name_f]Tamarind[/name_f]

5

Here are my favorites from your lists:

Classic names:
[name_f]Alice[/name_f] - I see what you mean about it being a bit boring. I like [name_f]Alice[/name_f], but I think it’s the kind of name you really have to love in order to use.

[name_f]Althea[/name_f] - I’m warming up to this name a lot lately. I think it’s very interesting and pretty.

[name_f]Lydia[/name_f] - [name_f]Lovely[/name_f]!

[name_f]Stella[/name_f] - I like [name_f]Stella[/name_f] a lot, I don’t think it’s boring. But I see what you mean that it has a similar vibe as [name_f]Alice[/name_f].

[name_f]Sylvia[/name_f] - I adore [name_f]Sylvia[/name_f] (with the “a”). Gorgeous name!

Botanical names:
[name_f]Gardenia[/name_f] - Very fresh idea for a botanical name! I like this a lot.

[name_f]Hazel[/name_f] - Feels a little common nowadays, but certainly pretty.

[name_f]Holly[/name_f] (not as much Hollyhock) - I have a soft spot for [name_f]Holly[/name_f] lately, although I think it would fit a little better if she was born in the [name_u]Winter[/name_u]. It feels very sweet.

[name_f]Lavender[/name_f] - I love [name_f]Lavender[/name_f] as a middle name! [name_f]Lavender[/name_f] is such a pleasant flower/plant/herb and I love that it’s connected to love and tranquility.

[name_f]Violet[/name_f] - Classic and sweet.

~
Have you considered [name_f]Jasmine[/name_f] for the botanical name? It sounds similar to [name_f]Jessamine[/name_f] but feels a little crisper in my opinion.

Combo ideas I like:

[name_f]Sylvia[/name_f] [name_f]Lavender[/name_f] (favorite combo option!)
[name_f]Sylvia[/name_f] [name_f]Hazel[/name_f]
[name_f]Lydia[/name_f] [name_f]Violet[/name_f] (feels very classic)
[name_f]Lydia[/name_f] [name_f]Lavender[/name_f] (I know you said you don’t like repeating initials but I think this just has a lovely ring to it)
[name_f]Lydia[/name_f] [name_f]Hazel[/name_f]
[name_f]Althea[/name_f] [name_f]Lavender[/name_f]
[name_f]Stella[/name_f] [name_f]Gardenia[/name_f]
[name_f]Alice[/name_f] [name_f]Gardenia[/name_f]

6

I am loving [name_f]Althea[/name_f]:

[name_f]Althea[/name_f] [name_f]Hazel[/name_f]
[name_f]Althea[/name_f] Larkspur
[name_f]Althea[/name_f] [name_f]Jonquil[/name_f]

[name_f]Sylvie[/name_f] [name_f]Jessamine[/name_f]

[name_f]Esme[/name_f] [name_f]Daffodil[/name_f]
[name_f]Esme[/name_f] [name_f]Violet[/name_f]

[name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] Bluebonnet
[name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] Larkspur

7

Favourites:

[name_f]Alice[/name_f]
[name_f]Beatrix[/name_f]
[name_f]Leopoldine[/name_f]
[name_f]Marianne[/name_f]
[name_f]Sylvie[/name_f]
[name_f]Jessamine[/name_f]
[name_f]Meadow[/name_f]
[name_f]Violet[/name_f]

Favourites for middle only:

[name_f]Twyla[/name_f]
Bluebonnet
[name_f]Holly[/name_f]
[name_f]Lavender[/name_f]

I would cross off:

[name_f]Thelma[/name_f]
Gladiolus
Thistle

8

[name_u]Love[/name_u] [name_u]Love[/name_u] [name_u]Love[/name_u] [name_f]Meadow[/name_f] and [name_f]Esme[/name_f]!

9

I don’t find [name_f]Alice[/name_f] boring, at least not as a first nane. I do think it gets overused as a middle.

From your classic list [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f], [name_f]Magdalena[/name_f], [name_f]Eugenie[/name_f], and [name_f]Twila[/name_f] stick out to me as fitting very nicely with your other children’s names.

Among the nature names I’m feeling similarly about [name_f]Daffodil[/name_f], [name_f]Lavender[/name_f], [name_f]Meadow[/name_f], and Larkspur, I see a few other that could definitely work too.

Some possible combos:
[name_f]Twila[/name_f] Hollyhock
[name_f]Twila[/name_f] Thistle
[name_f]Twila[/name_f] Bluebonnet
[name_f]Twila[/name_f] [name_f]Daffodil[/name_f]
[name_f]Sylvie[/name_f] [name_f]Daffodil[/name_f]
[name_f]Cornelia[/name_f] [name_f]Honey[/name_f]
[name_f]Cornelia[/name_f] [name_f]Meadow[/name_f]
[name_f]Eugenie[/name_f] [name_f]Meadow[/name_f]
[name_f]Eugenie[/name_f] Larkspur
[name_f]Meadow[/name_f] [name_f]Althea[/name_f]
[name_f]Meadow[/name_f] [name_f]Magdalena[/name_f]
[name_f]Lavender[/name_f] [name_f]Magdalena[/name_f]
[name_f]Lavender[/name_f] [name_f]Agnes[/name_f]
[name_f]Lavender[/name_f] [name_f]Twila[/name_f]
[name_f]Lavender[/name_f] [name_f]Sylvie[/name_f]
[name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] [name_f]Gardenia[/name_f]
[name_f]Alice[/name_f] Bluebonnet
[name_f]Myrtle[/name_f] [name_f]Leopoldine[/name_f]

My personal favorites are [name_f]Twila[/name_f] [name_f]Daffodil[/name_f], [name_f]Lavender[/name_f] [name_f]Magdalena[/name_f], [name_f]Lavender[/name_f] [name_f]Twila[/name_f], [name_f]Alice[/name_f] Bluebonnet, and [name_f]Dorothy[/name_f] [name_f]Gardenia[/name_f].