Looking for classic & sweet-sounding girl's name

Girl Names
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I”m looking for a girl name and am having trouble coming up with one I really love. I have quite a few names that I like (but don”t quite love). I tend to like classic names that sound elegant but would also be okay for ”the girl next door”. Also, I don”t want a name that”s super popular, though it”s okay if it has mid-range popularity. I”m also okay with names that are quite rare as long as they are recognizably real names. The last name is three syllables, Dutch, starting with ”[name]Van[/name]”.

Here are some of the names I like (but which don”t quite seem to be the ONE):

[name]Adelaide[/name]
[name]Amelia[/name]
[name]Antonia[/name]
[name]Alice[/name]
[name]Abigail[/name] ” too popular
[name]Aurora[/name] – but not fond of [name]Rory[/name] as nn
[name]Beatrice[/name] – can”t find a good nn for this name, but love the meaning of it
[name]Caroline[/name]/[name]Carolina[/name] (nn [name]Carrie[/name])
[name]Clara[/name]
[name]Charlotte[/name] (nn [name]Lottie[/name])
[name]Chloe[/name] ” too popular
[name]Grace[/name] ” too popular
[name]Isabel[/name] ” too popular
[name]India[/name] ” probably not a ”girl next door” sorta name
[name]Isadora[/name] (nn [name]Izzy[/name], [name]Dorie[/name])
[name]Kirsten[/name]
[name]Matilda[/name] (nn [name]Tillie[/name], [name]Matty[/name])
[name]Margaret[/name] (nn [name]Gretel[/name], [name]Maisie[/name], [name]Daisy[/name])
[name]Maia[/name]/[name]Maya[/name]
[name]Octavia[/name] ” love the sound but meaning is a bit weird unless child happens to be the eighth-born?
[name]Priscilla[/name] (but dislike ”[name]Prissy[/name]”)
[name]Rosemary[/name]
[name]Susannah[/name] (nn [name]Sukey[/name])
[name]Sophia[/name] ” too popular
[name]Winifred[/name] (not too fond of [name]Winnie[/name] as a nn)

As far as nickname names go, I”d prefer to use the full name and not just the nickname as the birth certificate name. However, I really like the nn [name]Tess[/name], just not the name [name]Teresa[/name]. Ditto for nn [name]Jennie[/name] (but not fond of [name]Genevieve[/name] or [name]Jennifer[/name]). Like [name]Tasha[/name] but not [name]Natasha[/name].
My DH will probably be guided by me in choosing our baby”s name, though he, of course, holds veto power.
Your suggestions most appreciated!

2

From your list, my favorites are:

[name]Amelia[/name]
[name]Caroline[/name]
[name]Clara[/name]
[name]Chloe[/name]
[name]Sophia[/name]

I also love [name]Tess[/name] and think that it can be used as a stand alone name.

Some others:

[name]Juliet[/name]
[name]Audrey[/name]
[name]Elsa[/name]
[name]Ella[/name]
[name]Laura[/name]
[name]Camille[/name]

3

[name]Adelaide[/name] - very sophisticated in my opinion
[name]Amelia[/name] - cute, but I hear it a lot
[name]Antonia[/name] - nn?
[name]Alice[/name] - very pretty
[name]Aurora[/name] – i can’t think of an alternative to [name]Rory[/name].
[name]Beatrice[/name] – Lots of cute nn possibilities. [name]Bee[/name], [name]Bea[/name] (pronounced “bee-uh”), or [name]Bea[/name] pronounced like it is in spanish “[name]Bay[/name]-uh” which I [name]LOVE[/name] but might cause pronunciation problems.
[name]Caroline[/name]/[name]Carolina[/name] (nn [name]Carrie[/name]) - I prefer [name]Cara[/name] as a nn.
[name]Clara[/name] - cute!
[name]Charlotte[/name] (nn [name]Lottie[/name]) - pretty popular, I think.
[name]India[/name] ” probably not a ”girl next door” sorta name - agreed
[name]Isadora[/name] (nn [name]Izzy[/name], [name]Dorie[/name]) - cute!
[name]Kirsten[/name] - this seems dated to me. I’m in my 20’s and I know a lot of women with a variation on this name.
[name]Matilda[/name] (nn [name]Tillie[/name], [name]Matty[/name]) - one of my absolute favorites
[name]Margaret[/name] (nn [name]Gretel[/name], [name]Maisie[/name], [name]Daisy[/name]) - [name]Maisie[/name] is adorable
[name]Maia[/name]/[name]Maya[/name] - I hear this name a lot.
[name]Octavia[/name] ” love the sound but meaning is a bit weird unless child happens to be the eighth-born? - I feel the same way.
[name]Rosemary[/name] - I like [name]Rosie[/name] but prefer [name]Rosalind[/name].
[name]Susannah[/name] (nn [name]Sukey[/name]) - love the nn!
[name]Winifred[/name] (not too fond of [name]Winnie[/name] as a nn) - how do you feel about [name]Frieda[/name]? [name]Freddie[/name]?
[name]Tess[/name]- how about [name]Tessa[/name] as the full name?
[name]Jennie[/name] - how about [name]Guinevere[/name], [name]Imogen[/name] or [name]Geneva[/name] to get [name]Gennie[/name]?

Other suggestions:
[name]Audrey[/name] - I saw that someone else already thought of this!
[name]Jane[/name]
[name]Adelia[/name]
[name]Violet[/name]
[name]Scarlet[/name]
[name]Annabelle[/name]
[name]Eva[/name]

4

Here are some of the names I like (but which don”t quite seem to be the ONE):

[name]Adelaide[/name] - love
[name]Amelia[/name] - love, but I think it’s going to get super popular.
[name]Antonia[/name] - love
[name]Alice[/name] - adore!
[name]Abigail[/name] ” too popular - yeah, too popular.
[name]Aurora[/name] – but not fond of [name]Rory[/name] as nn - I love [name]Rory[/name].
[name]Beatrice[/name] – can”t find a good nn for this name, but love the meaning of it - yes, I love the meaning, too, but I don’t really care for [name]Bea[/name]. [name]Love[/name] [name]Trixie[/name], but for a pet.
[name]Caroline[/name]/[name]Carolina[/name] (nn [name]Carrie[/name]) - love nn [name]Calla[/name] or [name]Callie[/name].
[name]Clara[/name] - adore!
[name]Charlotte[/name] (nn [name]Lottie[/name]) - love
[name]India[/name] ” probably not a ”girl next door” sorta name - I would hesitate to use it, because something could go wrong with the country [name]India[/name]. Then it would be in the news, and everybody would be talking about [name]India[/name]. That’s just me though.
[name]Isadora[/name] (nn [name]Izzy[/name], [name]Dorie[/name]) - pretty
[name]Kirsten[/name] - love this, but it is dated. It’s time will come again!
[name]Matilda[/name] (nn [name]Tillie[/name], [name]Matty[/name]) - love
[name]Margaret[/name] (nn [name]Gretel[/name], [name]Maisie[/name], [name]Daisy[/name]) - love!
[name]Maia[/name]/[name]Maya[/name] - this is cool
[name]Octavia[/name] ” love the sound but meaning is a bit weird unless child happens to be the eighth-born? - I don’t really like it.
[name]Priscilla[/name] (but dislike ”[name]Prissy[/name]”) - I love the idea of it. But I wouldn’t want it to be my name, so I guess I don’t really like it that much.
[name]Rosemary[/name] - love, love [name]Romy[/name]. And [name]Rose[/name] and [name]Rosie[/name]!
[name]Susannah[/name] (nn [name]Sukey[/name]) - adore!
[name]Winifred[/name] (not too fond of [name]Winnie[/name] as a nn) - I love [name]Winifred[/name] nn [name]Winnie[/name].

As far as nickname names go, I”d prefer to use the full name and not just the nickname as the birth certificate name. However, I really like the nn [name]Tess[/name], just not the name [name]Teresa[/name]. Ditto for nn [name]Jennie[/name] (but not fond of [name]Genevieve[/name] or [name]Jennifer[/name]). Like [name]Tasha[/name] but not [name]Natasha[/name].
My DH will probably be guided by me in choosing our baby”s name, though he, of course, holds veto power.

[name]Love[/name] [name]Jenna[/name]'s idea of [name]Tessa[/name] nn [name]Tess[/name].

5

Here are some I like, some are common and some are very unique:

[name]Julia[/name]
[name]Bridget[/name]
[name]Marielle[/name]
[name]Corinna[/name]
[name]Belle[/name]
[name]Lena[/name]
[name]Emeline[/name]
[name]Cecilia[/name]
[name]Jacqueline[/name]
[name]Mirabel[/name]
[name]Eulalie[/name]
[name]Rosalia[/name]
[name]Arminda[/name]
[name]Lilac[/name]
[name]Camellia[/name]
[name]Marilla[/name]
[name]Magdalena[/name]
[name]Valentina[/name]
[name]Emilia[/name]
[name]Cora[/name]
[name]Eva[/name]
[name]Gemma[/name]
[name]Eulalia[/name]
[name]Amelie[/name]
[name]Delia[/name]
[name]Aveline[/name]
[name]Marietta[/name]
[name]Isla[/name]
[name]Lucienne[/name]
[name]Lilah[/name]
[name]Melisande[/name]
[name]Sabrina[/name]
[name]Calandra[/name]

6

Also love [name]Phoebe[/name], [name]Lucy[/name], and [name]Laura[/name].

7

Without a doubt [name]Juliet[/name] is one of the sweetest sounding classic names.

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[name]Blythe[/name]
[name]Celia[/name]
[name]Clementine[/name] (nn [name]Cleo[/name])
[name]Cordelia[/name]/[name]Cora[/name]
[name]Daphne[/name]
[name]Emmeline[/name]
[name]Eliza[/name]
[name]Flora[/name]
[name]Felicity[/name]
[name]Genevieve[/name] (nn [name]Evie[/name])
[name]Georgia[/name]
[name]Hope[/name]
[name]Ivy[/name]
[name]Josephine[/name]
[name]Louisa[/name]
[name]Lydia[/name]
[name]Mirabelle[/name]
[name]Mae[/name]
[name]Mabel[/name]
[name]Phoebe[/name]
[name]Penelope[/name] (nn [name]Poppy[/name])
[name]Pearl[/name]
[name]Rose[/name]
[name]Ruby[/name]
[name]Susannah[/name] (nn [name]Sunny[/name] or [name]Anna[/name])
[name]Sally[/name]
[name]Tess[/name]
[name]Vivienne[/name]/[name]Vivian[/name] (nn [name]Vivi[/name])
[name]Willa[/name]

Good luck! :slight_smile:

9

Thanks for the great suggestions. Please keep them coming. I really appreciate the help. I especially appreciate the suggestion of rarer names, which I may not have already thought of.

Based on your comments, I think I would cross the names [name]India[/name], [name]Priscilla[/name] & [name]Octavia[/name] off of my list. Probably also [name]Kirsten[/name]. I also think [name]Aurora[/name] might be too much of a mouthful. Somehow it”s doesn”t quite roll of tongue for me. [name]Lovely[/name] meaning, though, and I love the fairytale associations.

For a while I thought [name]Adelaide[/name] was my 1st choice, then I learned [name]Heidi[/name] is a variation of [name]Adelaide[/name]. While [name]Heidi[/name] is a perfectly nice name, I don”t have the greatest associations with it. What do you think of the connection between [name]Adelaide[/name] & [name]Heidi[/name]? Is it enough to knock [name]Adelaide[/name] off of the list if I don”t like [name]Heidi[/name]? I”m also not thrilled with the place-name association. Are there any good nicknames for [name]Adelaide[/name] besides the obvious [name]Addie[/name] nn?

I am also quite fond of [name]Antonia[/name], but my DH is not quite sure of that one since we have an [name]Anthony[/name] in the family (uncle). It might be sort of weird. Also, I can”t think of a nn I really like for [name]Antonia[/name]. Nicknames I”ve considered are: [name]Nettie[/name], Nottie, [name]Toni[/name], [name]Tia[/name], [name]Nonie[/name], [name]Annie[/name], [name]Attie[/name], [name]Toya[/name]. [name]Annie[/name] & [name]Nonie[/name] are the best, I think, but aren”t terrific.

Same trouble with [name]Beatrice[/name]. I”m not fond of [name]Bee[/name] or [name]Bea[/name] or [name]Trixie[/name].

Same trouble with [name]Winifred[/name]. [name]Winnie[/name], [name]Frieda[/name] & [name]Freddie[/name] don”t appeal. Maybe [name]Winnie[/name] would not be so bad if could get past [name]Winnie[/name] the Pooh connection.

[name]Isadora[/name] is growing on me, but it might smack of an [name]Isabel[/name] knock-off. What do you think?

I know a lot of folks are saying that [name]Tess[/name] or [name]Tessa[/name] could be a perfectly legit stand-alone name, but I still feel like they are more truly nicknames.

Of the names you all suggested, I think my favorites are:

[name]Juliet[/name] ” but how do you feel about the [name]Romeo[/name] & [name]Juliet[/name] associations?
[name]Camilla[/name] ” but am not comfortable with the association with [name]Camilla[/name] [name]Parker[/name] Bowles.
[name]Adelia[/name] ” I see this name is related to [name]Adelaide[/name]
[name]Violet[/name] ” but don”t like the alliteration with last name that starts with V
[name]Corinna[/name] ” Can the nickname [name]Cory[/name] be avoided? We have a brother who is named [name]Cory[/name].
[name]Emmeline[/name] ” I love this name & it is actually an old family name, but we have many friends whose children”s nicknames are [name]Emmy[/name]. There are so many ”[name]Em[/name]” names out there these days.
[name]Marilla[/name] ” I also considered [name]Amaryllis[/name] at one point. Other variations on this theme?
[name]Isla[/name] ” Is this a place name?
[name]Calandra[/name] ” I love the meaning of ”lark”. Could also get [name]Calla[/name] as nn, which is lovely.
[name]Phoebe[/name] ” I love the meaning & history of this name, but it doesn”t seem to come with a ready-made nn.
[name]Clementine[/name] ” starting to become too trendy? Is [name]Cleo[/name] a standard nn for [name]Clementine[/name]? I wouldn”t have thought to put [name]Cleo[/name] & [name]Clementine[/name] together.

Thanks again for your thoughts & please do keep the suggestions coming. It”s great.

10

I like a lot of the names on your list. Some suggestions:

[name]Eleanor[/name]
[name]Julia[/name]
[name]Willa[/name]
[name]Talia[/name]
[name]Rosalind[/name]
[name]Delia[/name]
[name]Louisa[/name]
[name]Sylvie[/name] / [name]Sylvia[/name]
[name]Leonie[/name]

If you like the nickname [name]Jennie[/name], what about [name]Ginevra[/name]?

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[name]Sylvia[/name]
[name]Savannah[/name]
[name]Emmeline[/name]
[name]Verity[/name]
[name]Cordelia[/name]
[name]Rosalie[/name]
[name]Lucinda[/name]

12

I love this list!

[name]Juliet[/name] ” but how do you feel about the [name]Romeo[/name] & [name]Juliet[/name] associations?

  • I love the name [name]Juliet[/name] but I’m not a fan of the play. I rarely think about it.
    [name]Camilla[/name] ” but am not comfortable with the association with [name]Camilla[/name] [name]Parker[/name] Bowles.
  • Another association I don’t think much about, I actually associate [name]Camilla[/name] more with [name]Prince[/name] [name]Charles[/name] (and I’m not British, either). It is getting popular.
    [name]Adelia[/name] ” I see this name is related to [name]Adelaide[/name]
    [name]Violet[/name] ” but don”t like the alliteration with last name that starts with V
  • I agree, not loving [name]Violet[/name] [name]Van[/name]*.
    [name]Corinna[/name] ” Can the nickname [name]Cory[/name] be avoided? We have a brother who is named [name]Cory[/name].
  • Always call her by [name]Corinna[/name] and she should always be [name]Corinna[/name]. If you have a family member already named [name]Cory[/name], I doubt they would start nicknaming her that. It’s not that long of a name.
    [name]Emmeline[/name] ” I love this name & it is actually an old family name, but we have many friends whose children”s nicknames are [name]Emmy[/name]. There are so many ”[name]Em[/name]” names out there these days.
    [name]Marilla[/name] ” I also considered [name]Amaryllis[/name] at one point. Other variations on this theme?
  • I looked, couldn’t find any. [name]Amaryllis[/name] is such a mouthful, [name]Marilla[/name] is a goregous alternative!
    [name]Isla[/name] ” Is this a place name?
  • It means Island in Spanish, so it’s kind of like a place name. [name]EDIT[/name]: It’s a Scottish place name, too.
    [name]Calandra[/name] ” I love the meaning of ”lark”. Could also get [name]Calla[/name] as nn, which is lovely.
    [name]Phoebe[/name] ” I love the meaning & history of this name, but it doesn”t seem to come with a ready-made nn.
    [name]Clementine[/name] ” starting to become too trendy? Is [name]Cleo[/name] a standard nn for [name]Clementine[/name]? I wouldn”t have thought to put [name]Cleo[/name] & [name]Clementine[/name] together.
  • I believe [name]Clem[/name] is the standard nn, but I like [name]Cleo[/name] a lot better. I don’t think it’s too trendy because I doubt there are that many people with the guts to use it.
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It’s not related, but if you like [name]Marilla[/name], maybe [name]Mariela[/name]?

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I’m intrigued by the name [name]Leonie[/name], but as I’ve never actually heard it used, I’m not certain about the pronunciation. Does anyone know? More importantly, would a girl with this name face lots of blank looks & pronunciation issues?

Thanks!

15

[name]Juliet[/name] - my husband and I had the same “[name]Romeo[/name] and” concern, so that was crossed off our list as well. I just absolutley love this name though.

[name]Camilla[/name] - I have the same issues with [name]Camilla[/name]. The name I suggested previously was [name]Camille[/name], not [name]Camilla[/name], and then someone else suggested [name]Camellia[/name] (rhymes with [name]Amelia[/name]), which I just love – it is a completely underused flower name.

Good luck!

16

I think [name]Leonie[/name] can be pronounced either [name]LAY[/name]-oh-nee or [name]LEE[/name]-oh-nee.

I don’t see how it would be bad to be associated with a classic piece of literature like [name]Romeo[/name] and [name]Juliet[/name]. It’s a beautiful name. Millions of people named their daughters [name]Bella[/name] or [name]Isabella[/name] before someone wrote a super-famous book about a [name]Bella[/name] choosing to become a vampire… I just don’t think that the “fate” of a literary character is going to have any kind of impact on the “fate” of a real, live person. And if you’re nervous she might be teased when her class inevitably studies the play in school, well… children will come up with all sorts of things to tease other children about. There’s no way you can control that.

I don’t think most people would know of the connection between the names [name]Adelaide[/name] and [name]Heidi[/name]. They certainly wouldn’t take it upon themselves to nn your [name]Adelaide[/name] “[name]Heidi[/name]” (is that what worries you?) so I don’t see why you should have to cross it off your list. But that’s my opinion and obviously how you feel is the most important thing.

17

[name]Leonie[/name] is usually pronounced [name]Le[/name]-OH-nie. It’s not used that often in the US, but I’ve heard it a couple times. It’s a form of [name]Leo[/name] and [name]Leona[/name]. I knew a little girl with the name [name]Leonie[/name] [name]Violet[/name], which I think is lovely.

18

I love the name [name]Leonie[/name]. My daughter had a [name]Leonie[/name] in of her classes a few years back and it was pronounced [name]Lee[/name]-oh-nee. I’m sure it could pronounced as any of the above posters have suggested as well. I think it’s a great name and in my lifetime I’ve only heard it used once. I wish my hubby liked this name as much as I do.

19

[name]Phoebe[/name]

Has the association btw the name [name]Phoebe[/name] & the character on ‘Friends’ TV show begun to dim at all? More importantly, how long will it be until the the association between [name]Phoebe[/name] & Friends has fallen into the background, and the name belongs to itself again?

Are there any good nicknames for [name]Phoebe[/name] besides Phoebes, which was the Friends’ character’s nn?

Thanks.

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