Looking for Some Ideas...(Updated, New Top Picks, C last pg)

General Name Discussion
1

Hello everyone,

First off, I feel that I must preface this with stating that we are not expecting now nor will be anytime soon. So this challenge is purely hypothetical. I would just like to get some new name suggestions for the future that perhaps I haven’t already thought of.

In terms of naming style, I would say that we are drawn to classic, timeless, romantic, and regal names. We also seem to like names that have a mythical or etheral quality. Meanings are important. We like ones that are related to strength, beauty, royalty, love, warrior and virtue themes. Our family is of breton/gaelic/anglo-saxon, scandinavian, german, and prussian origins, so we would consider names that are related to any of those cultures. (It would be fun to find something that is reminicent of the ‘Fingalian’ culture, a mix of Old Norse, Anglo-[name]Saxon[/name], and Gaelic.)

My DH and I both love to read, and I could see using a name that reminds us of some of our favorite stories. A few of my favorite authors are J.R.R. Tolkien ([name]Lord[/name] of the Rings), C.S. [name]Lewis[/name] (Chronicles of [name]Narnia[/name]), and L.M. [name]Montgomery[/name] ([name]Anne[/name] of [name]Green[/name] Gables). My DH also loves fantasy fiction (Tolkien), and his favorite author is [name]Robert[/name] [name]Jordan[/name] (Wheel of Time). We also like Arthurian [name]Legend[/name], [name]Shakespeare[/name], and Medieval Mythology.

We have two daughters now. Their names are [name]Katherine[/name] [name]Ariana[/name] and [name]Cassandra[/name] [name]Mae[/name]. We put a lot of time and thought into choosing these particular names for our girls. We consider their first names as “[name]Princess[/name] names” and their middle names as “[name]Fairy[/name] names”.

[name]Katherine[/name] - greek origins, means “pure”. Traditionally used throughout Europe (including several royal families), it is also my DH’s grandmother’s name. We love the nn “[name]Katie[/name]”, which is what she goes by, but we also like the fact that the name is veratile enough that she could choose any number of nn’s as she gets older.
[name]Ariana[/name] - This has always been a favorite of mine. One of the name books I have says that this name was derived from the Welsh, “[name]Arian[/name]”, meaning silver. [name]Both[/name] my DH and I love that meaning. Other sources have said that it could be a derivitive of “[name]Arlene[/name]” (my grandmother’s name, means “pledge”) or a diminutive of “[name]Ariadne[/name]” (means “most holy”).

Thus, [name]Katherine[/name] [name]Ariana[/name] - “pure silver”, pure pledge", or “pure, most holy”. We love the “pure silver” meaning because it reminds us of the mythical “mithril” (light as a feather, yet harder than tempered steel, shines like moonlit silver, and of great value). These qualities certainly describe my daughter’s personality well. I also like the “pure pledge” meaning as the birth of our firstborn child was like a symbol of our commitment to each other.

[name]Cassandra[/name] - greek origins, means “shining upon man”. The name, because of the mythology, has developed some rather undesirable alternative meanings, but for us, “[name]Cassandra[/name]” means “bringer of light to mankind”. Again, we love the nn “[name]Cassie[/name]”, yet it also has several alternative nn’s if she wanted to change it in the future. It has also been historically used throughout Europe and in european royal families. Our [name]Cassie[/name] has an extremely rare medical condition and has been pioneering treatments for it since birth. The name fits her so well, because the “light” that she brings is to enlighten the doctors, scientists, and the world about her condition. ([name]Little[/name] did we know when we chose this name for her.)
[name]Mae[/name] - so sweet, so small, so endearing, just like our daughter. “[name]Mae[/name]” could be a diminutive form of “[name]Margaret[/name]” (means “[name]Pearl[/name]”) or from the roman goddess “[name]Maia[/name]” (for whom the month of [name]May[/name] is named for, she was the goddess of spring) means “great”, or may even be a variation of “[name]May[/name]”, English for the hawthorne flower. Whatever the meaning, “pearl”, “great”, or “flower”, to us those combine as “precious” (as in a valuable[great] gem [pearl] or a sweet flower).

Thus, [name]Cassandra[/name] [name]Mae[/name] - “Bringer of light to mankind” + “[name]Precious[/name]”. She is our miracle baby and our little angel on earth. We almost lost her as a baby, so we consider ourselves blessed and thank God daily for her.

So siblings? I don’t know if we will have any more children, but if we are so blessed in the future, I would like some ideas for names that would fit in our family. (Our last name is probably the most common scandinavian surname that starts with ‘L’ and ends with ‘-son’) I have some names that I like, but I would like to see your suggestions before I share. :slight_smile:
Thanks!

2

I love your daughter’s names! It’s funny you should mention [name]Ariana[/name]; I was just thinking about [name]Arianne[/name] the other day. For girls’ names that match your style, I like:

[name]Anna[/name]
Brithon - This has a very Celtic feel to me. It’s also the name of a river in Middle [name]Earth[/name], so it matches your literary criteria. But somehow it doesn’t feel like [name]Katherine[/name] and [name]Cassandra[/name] to me–it’s too unisex.
[name]Caroline[/name]/[name]Carolina[/name]
[name]Demetria[/name]
[name]Elizabeth[/name]
[name]Eleanor[/name]
[name]Eliza[/name]
[name]Emeline[/name]
[name]Francesca[/name]
[name]Genevieve[/name]
[name]Gwyneth[/name]
[name]Helena[/name]
[name]Ivy[/name]
[name]Jacqueline[/name]
[name]Johanna[/name]

Good luck!

3

christy - thanks for the compliment!

I do like some of your name suggestions.
[name]Anna[/name]- I like this name (love [name]Anne[/name]), feels a little short in comparison to my other daughter’s names, so “[name]Annora[/name]” is actually the variation on my shortlist.
Brithon - I agree with you that it is a little too unisex for my style.
[name]Caroline[/name]/a - I have been debating this name for a while. I keep coming back to the pronounciation issue of ‘-line’ vs. ‘-leen’. I have thought of combining “[name]Carol[/name]” with “[name]Linnea[/name]” to have “Carolinnea”, but I don’t think that would be generally well accepted. (I can already hear the "ew, smish-smash name, too trendy"cries.) “[name]Carroll[/name]” is actually my grandfather’s name and I kind of like it as a middle name for a boy. (if I did that, then I wouldn’t use it for a girl.)
[name]Demetria[/name] - I know most of my other names have greek origins, but this one just is just too overly greek for me. It is pretty, though.
[name]Elizabeth[/name] - definitely a name I’d like to use, it’s my great-grandmother’s name. I would probably put it in the middle slot - I actually really like it with “[name]Annora[/name]”, thus “[name]Annora[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name]”.
[name]Eleanor[/name] - I like it but I like [name]Annora[/name] better. I probably wouldn’t use two names with the strong ‘nor’ element. I do like the "[name]Elea[/name]"nn option.
[name]Eliza[/name] - I consider this a nn for [name]Elizabeth[/name].
[name]Emmeline[/name] - I like this too, but there is still the issue of pronounciation of ‘-line’ vs. ‘leen’.
[name]Francesca[/name] - sounds too spanish for me, sorry.
[name]Genevieve[/name] - I’m kinda on the fence with this one. I like the Welsh origin, maybe it’s the strong ‘G’ or ‘V’ sounds that gets me, I tend to like soft, flowy names. It is growing on me though, so we’ll see.
[name]Gweneth[/name] - I kinda like this one, but I like some of the other “[name]Gwen[/name]-” names better ([name]Gwendolyn[/name], [name]Guinevere[/name], etc.)
[name]Helena[/name] - sorry, I have some bad associations with this name (and, unfortunately, all forms of the name [name]Helen[/name]).
[name]Ivy[/name] - too short.
[name]Jacqueline[/name] - sounds too french to me, same pronounciation issues with the ending as mentioned above. (Also, I have always had a hard time spelling this name correctly for some reason.)
[name]Johanna[/name] - a fresh, not-widely-used biblical name. This is a name that I think that I would like on someone else’s child. I am just not feeling it for mine. I don’t know why.

christy - thank you so much for your input, I really appreciate it!

4

I don’t really like [name]Johanna[/name] either. [name]Just[/name] wanted to throw it out there. I like [name]Linnea[/name]. This is really pretty, and I was going to suggest it before you posted. So . . .

[name]Linnea[/name]
[name]Laurel[/name]
[name]Louisa[/name]
[name]Margaret[/name]
[name]Mairead[/name] (MAUR-eed)
[name]Miranda[/name] (too matchy with [name]Cassandra[/name]?)
[name]Naomi[/name]/[name]Noemi[/name]
[name]Patience[/name]
[name]Rachel[/name]
[name]Sarah[/name]
[name]Seraphine[/name]/[name]Seraphina[/name]
[name]Veronica[/name]
[name]Vera[/name]
[name]Victoria[/name]
[name]Verity[/name] - (meas “truth”)
[name]Willa[/name]

and

[name]Cecilia[/name]/[name]Cecelia[/name]

I hope you find a name you like.

5

Alright, I am going to try something a little bit different. Instead of commenting on every name suggestion, I am keeping a list which I will share after a bit. For now, I’d like to throw out a couple of descriptions and see what ideas you all have for their names. So here it goes:

Name These Children

A little boy, about 8 years old, with light blonde curls that shine almost white in the bright sunlight. In contrast, his usually fair skin has been deepened to a dark tan by the long summer afternoons joyfully spent “adventuring” out-of-doors. His face is a bit angular (some would call it ‘good bone structure’), and he has big, bright blue intelligent eyes framed by long eyelashes, and a nose slightly large in proportion to the rest of his angelic face. While most boys his age idolize and try to emulate their favorite comic-book ‘superheroes’, he prefers to imagine himself a knight in shining armor, heroically slaying dragons, rescuing ‘yon fair maiden’, and undertaking the most noblest epic quests. On most days you will find him on some knightly mission wearing a flowing red cape while brandishing a sword made from a cardboard tube and a matching cardboard shield he painted himself. Today he happens to be battling an imaginary foe he has created out of one of the swings on the backyard swingset.
His little sister pops her head out the opening in the ‘tower’ (the little fort above the slide) to see how her brother is progressing at ‘rescuing’ her. She is a tiny slender slip of a girl, but is by no means fragile. She is dressed in a frilly pink ‘princess’ dress, her long blonde hair falling in tangled tresses about her shoulders. She is very much the girly-girl and has gotten just enough sun this summer to give her round cherubic face a ‘glowing’ complexion. She lookes down at her imaginary captor with a twinkle in her usually inquisitive aquamarine green eyes. Then she bats her long eyelashes and smiles sweetly to her knight, eager to play the part of ‘damsel in distress’ to the best perfection she can muster. However, she quickly bores of this game (being only 6), so she shimmies out of the dress to reveal a faded pair of jeans and a tee she has been wearing underneath. (Her girlyness is only matched by how much of a tomboy she actually is.) She flashes a grin to her big brother before she slides down the slide to join him on the ground. She tags him on the shoulder and giggles, “you’re it!” she cries as she tears across the yard on swift feet. He drops his sword and shield, disturbed from his ‘quest’, yet he too has a twinkle in his eyes. He laughs boisterously and then, not to be outdone by a girl, takes off after his sister with red cape flying in the breeze.

So, what are their names?
I look forward to seeing your suggestions. :slight_smile:

6

Hmm. They both sound very cute. For the boy, I just picture [name]Alexander[/name] somehow, but I can also see him as a [name]Nathaniel[/name] or [name]Dmitri[/name]. [name]Gareth[/name] is another one that comes to mind; it has an Anglo-[name]Saxon[/name] sound to it.

For the girl, I see [name]Amelia[/name]/[name]Aurelia[/name], [name]Cecilia[/name]/[name]Cecily[/name], Isuelt, [name]Margaret[/name], [name]Lilias[/name], [name]Anna[/name], [name]Caroline[/name], and [name]Linnea[/name].

Good luck!

7

Hello!

[name]Both[/name] sound lovely, and your descriptions were beautiful. Let’s see if I can match that in their names, okay?

For your girl, I would suggest Alannis, [name]Delia[/name], [name]Elaina[/name], [name]Hyacinth[/name], [name]Lydia[/name], [name]Nerina[/name], [name]Sophia[/name], [name]Thessaly[/name], or [name]Zenia[/name].

For your boy, I would suggest [name]Christopher[/name], [name]Dorian[/name], [name]Gregory[/name], [name]Matthias[/name], [name]Nicholas[/name], [name]Sebastian[/name], [name]Simeon[/name], or [name]Theodore[/name].

Good luck!

[name]Lemon[/name] :slight_smile:

8

I just want to comment on these suggestions real quickly before I post my list of ‘likes’. :slight_smile:

Thanks, christy!

9

christy, it is funny that you suggested [name]Alexander[/name]. That is actually one of my DH’s picks. When we were pregnant with [name]Cassie[/name], [name]Alexandra[/name] was a name that we were considering (on his suggestion), we were not thrilled with any of the nn options, [name]Alex[/name], [name]Lexie[/name], and [name]Sandra[/name]/[name]Sandy[/name]. [name]Alexander[/name]/[name]Alexandra[/name] are both bold choices (mostly because they have a ‘harsh’ sound) [name]Cassandra[/name] was a similar option, yet sounds softer and sweeter. And we love the nn [name]Cassie[/name]. (I suppose it would be good to note we pronounce it ‘Kuh-saun-dra’, no ‘ass’ or ‘sand’.)
[name]Nathaniel[/name] is another name we had seriously considered at one point. In fact, if [name]Katie[/name] had been a boy, the name would have been [name]Roy[/name] [name]Nathaniel[/name]. We have kind of moved away from the name because my [name]BIL[/name] is named [name]Nathan[/name] and we want to leave the option open for him to use it.
I am surprised by [name]Dmitri[/name], I always envisioned that on a dark haired, dark eyed, italian type.
I love [name]Gareth[/name]. I suggested this once before and my DH vetoed it. He said he didn’t want to name a son “pretty hands”. Although this is not the actual meaning of the name, Sir [name]Gareth[/name] in Arthurian [name]Legend[/name] is named Sir Beaumains by Sir [name]Kay[/name].
Girls:
[name]Amelia[/name] - means “work”, not excited about it
[name]Aurelia[/name] - I actually love
[name]Cecilia[/name]/[name]Cecily[/name] - means “blind”, also not excited about it
Isuelt - I also love this, but is it too tragic because of the legend? [name]Margaret[/name] - not with [name]Cassie[/name]'s mn of [name]Mae[/name]
[name]Lilias[/name] - ?, I guess I’d use [name]Lilliana[/name] if I were to use a lily name
[name]Anna[/name] - I like
[name]Caroline[/name] - I like
[name]Linnea[/name] - still love :slight_smile:

Thanks!

10

[name]Lemon[/name],
I love your posts and I almost always love your ideas and suggestions. Of these, though, I only really like [name]Sophia[/name] from the girls suggestions and [name]Dorian[/name] from the boys suggestions. [name]Don[/name]'t worry though, I will be posting lists of the names ‘I like’ shortly, so you’ll have a better idea of my style and what I’m looking for. I will be excited to see what additional suggestions you have then. :slight_smile:
Thanks for your response, I really do appreciate your input!

  • [name]Robyn[/name]
11

Boys Names:

Right now I am loving “[name]Roy[/name] [name]David[/name] Brynolf” for the first son and “[name]Robin[/name] [name]Carroll[/name] [name]Finlay[/name]” for a second son. Last name is [name]Larson[/name].

[name]Roy[/name] - is my DH’s name. I like that it is unusual and not very popular. It is a traditional name to use in the family every generation. There is really no question that if we were to have a boy, his fn would be [name]Roy[/name]. It means “[name]King[/name]”.
[name]David[/name] - means “beloved”, it is my dad’s name and I would like to use this in the middle to honor him.
Brynolf - scandinavian, means “armored wolf”. I like this as an alternative to the family tradition of using “[name]Adolf[/name]” (noble wolf) as a mn with [name]Roy[/name].
As a sidenote - since [name]Roy[/name] is my DH’s name, he would likely go by one of his mn’s instead of being a ‘[name]Jr[/name].’ When we were expecting [name]Katie[/name], we were going to use “[name]Roy[/name] [name]Nathaniel[/name]” (see a previous post). When we were expecting [name]Cassie[/name], it was going to be “[name]Roy[/name] [name]Ethan[/name]” and he’d go by [name]Ethan[/name], then I decided that I wanted my dad’s name too, so it was going to be “[name]Roy[/name] [name]David[/name] [name]Ethan[/name]”. I still like it, but [name]Ethan[/name] is waaay too popular now to be comfortable using it.
So, [name]Roy[/name] [name]David[/name] Brynolf ([name]King[/name]+beloved+armored wolf).

[name]Robin[/name] - the masculine form of my name (if he gets a junior, why not?), means “shining with fame”. I think this name has a debonaire and chilvarous quality to it ([name]Love[/name] [name]Robin[/name] Hood), and a certain boyish charm.
[name]Carroll[/name] - means “fierce in battle”. It is my grandfather’s name. (I have never liked [name]Carol[/name] on a girl, it’s about time it goes back to the boys.)
[name]Finlay[/name] - means “fair hero”. I like the “[name]Fin[/name]-” names, and he will probably go by “[name]Finn[/name]”. I loved “[name]Fingal[/name]” because of it’s relationship to the “Fingalian” culture (a blend of old norse, anglo-saxon, and gaelic, just like our family), but it means “white stranger” and it doesn’t work with our surname. I also liked “[name]Fintan[/name]” (white fire), but thought it sounded too much like “[name]Fenton[/name]”, which I don’t like.
So, [name]Robin[/name] [name]Carroll[/name] [name]Finlay[/name] (shining with fame+fierce in battle+fair hero).

Some others that I kinda like:
[name]Tristan[/name] - DH said NO. He wouldn’t have a son named “sad”.
[name]Fingal[/name] - I still like (guilty pleasure)
[name]Corbin[/name] -? (from Korbinian) I might have liked this better if the neighbor boy wasn’t named this
[name]Gareth[/name] - I still like this one, too (see a previous post)
[name]Dorian[/name] - I like the style and sound, I am afraid that it will only be connected to the story of “[name]Dorian[/name] [name]Gray[/name]” (which the name was actually invented for)
Cirdan - (Cierdan?) I got this from another poster and I really like it, maybe something with the same flavor?
[name]Arthur[/name] - maybe

Any other ideas in this style?

[name]Edit[/name]: P.S. My daughter [name]Katie[/name] wants two brothers that she can name [name]Phineas[/name] and Ferb. :slight_smile:

12

[name]Hi[/name], [name]Robyn[/name]!

I’m sorry that you only liked [name]Sophia[/name] and [name]Dorian[/name] from my suggestions - admittedly, it wasn’t my best work. I was trying to find names that worked well with [name]Katherine[/name] and [name]Cassandra[/name], and I think I may have forgotten to really look for ones that match your child’s description…

As for a boy, here are some more suggestions: [name]Andrew[/name], [name]Damon[/name], [name]Lucas[/name], [name]Peter[/name], [name]Stephan[/name], and [name]Zander[/name]. I just adore [name]Stephan[/name] with your girls’ names - and it means “crown”!

For a girl, perhaps [name]Estella[/name], [name]Finola[/name], [name]Fiona[/name], [name]Ginevra[/name], [name]Lilia[/name], [name]Samira[/name], or [name]Serena[/name] might work. All seem to have the princess feel of your daughters’ names, but they aren’t too girly to work with that tomboy of a girl you described.

Take care!

[name]Lemon[/name] :slight_smile:

13

That’s so funny! I was thinking of suggesting [name]Christopher[/name]. I like [name]Gregory[/name] and [name]Theodore[/name] a lot.

14

I have never seriously considered the name [name]Roy[/name], but now I am liking it. It might work well as a middle name with something longer too.

[name]Roy[/name] [name]David[/name] Brynolf is a nice name. I really don’t have any negative comment to make on it. It’s solid and respectable–and handsome.

[name]Robin[/name] [name]Carroll[/name] [name]Finlay[/name] is good too. I like its rhythm better than [name]Roy[/name] [name]David[/name] Brynolf. However, [name]Robin[/name] could often be mistaken for a girl. What about [name]Robert[/name] [name]Carroll[/name] [name]Finlay[/name], and you could call him [name]Robert[/name]?

You may also like:

[name]Roy[/name] [name]Tristan[/name] Brynolf
[name]Roy[/name] Cirdan Brynolf ([name]How[/name] are you pronouncing Cirdan?)
[name]Roy[/name] Brynolf [name]Dorian[/name]
[name]Roy[/name] Brynolf [name]Corbin[/name]

[name]Robin[/name] [name]Arthur[/name] [name]Finlay[/name] (A side note: I like this spelling of [name]Finlay[/name] so much better than [name]Finley[/name]. [name]Finlay[/name] looks so much more authentic)
[name]Robin[/name] [name]Gareth[/name] Cirdan

[name]Robin[/name] [name]Phineas[/name] Ferb ([name]Just[/name] kidding!)

[name]Edit[/name]: You may also like Finrod. It is the name of a character in Tolkien’s the Silmarillion. He was called the faithful.
l

15

Update on the list of boys names…

[name]Lemon[/name] - I really do like [name]Lucas[/name], [name]Peter[/name], and [name]Stephan[/name].

[name]Christy[/name] - My brother’s name is [name]Robert[/name], which is why I won’t use it.
I don’t know about ‘Finrod’ - I love the Tolkien reference, but I am afraid that people will hear the name as ‘hot-rod’.
(Cirdan is pronounced ‘keer-dan’)

[name]Just[/name] to clarify, my list of “kinda likes” are just that. I don’t love any of them so they aren’t really in consideration. I did want to list something that would give people a good idea of what my style is and what I might like.

Girls list is upcoming…

16

Okay, now for the girls:
(This is a very rough sketch of what I might like)

Names I love and will likely use:

Eirwen - (means ‘snow’ or alt. ‘mercy’)(also could be Eirianwen or [name]Eira[/name])
[name]Elizabeth[/name]

Names I really like:

[name]Annora[/name]
[name]Juliet[/name]
[name]Elise[/name] (or [name]Eloise[/name])
[name]Chiara[/name]
Elinora

Names I like:

[name]Aurelia[/name]
[name]Aurora[/name]
[name]Caroline[/name]
[name]Ophelia[/name]
Mairenn
[name]Brynn[/name]
[name]Sylvana[/name]
[name]Annaliese[/name]
Olysia
[name]Eliana[/name]
Mirai
[name]Iseult[/name] (or [name]Isolde[/name])
[name]Melora[/name]
[name]Serena[/name]
[name]Callista[/name]
[name]Cordelia[/name]
[name]Freya[/name]
[name]Ingrid[/name]
[name]Fiona[/name]
[name]Elin[/name]
[name]Louisa[/name] (or [name]Lovisa[/name])
[name]Sophia[/name]
[name]Emmeline[/name]
[name]Claire[/name] (or [name]Clara[/name])
[name]Diane[/name] (or [name]Diana[/name])
[name]Anne[/name] (or [name]Anna[/name])

Names I love, but can’t use:

[name]Lyra[/name] - (pro. lye-ra) (too close to surname)
[name]Keeley[/name] - (not my style, but I really love it)
Maiara - (pro. may-ar-ah) (this is what I wanted for [name]Cassie[/name]'s mn, got shortened to [name]Mae[/name], I still really like it)
[name]Linnea[/name] - (pro. linn-ae-ah) (I love this, but I don’t see it working with surname)
[name]Laurel[/name] or [name]Lorelei[/name] - (same problem with a ‘L’ surname)
[name]Aine[/name] - (pro. [name]Anya[/name]) (won’t be pronounced correctly)
[name]Eibhlin[/name] - (this sounds lovely when said by a native irish speaker ([name]Eve/nameeen), unfortunately, it won’t be pronounced right and the anglican versions just don’t have the same charm)
[name]Felicity[/name] - (If only American Girl hadn’t used this one on a doll)

Names that I like, but are probably too over-the-top to use:

[name]Aeronwy[/name]
[name]Sophronia[/name]
[name]Seraphina[/name]
[name]Xanthe[/name]
[name]Hermione[/name]

Names I kind of like the sound or idea of, but probably wouldn’t consider:

[name]Guinevere[/name]
[name]Genevieve[/name]
(I like these, but they both just seem to close to the overused, outdated [name]Jennifer[/name]. So they’re kinda iffy for me.)

Names I would so use if ‘made-up names’ were acceptable:

Keeliana ([name]Keeley[/name]+Keana+[name]Ana[/name])
Carolinnea ([name]Caroline[/name]+[name]Linnea[/name])

Alright, so thoughts? Any other ideas?
I’m open for additional suggestions!

Edited to [name]Add[/name]:

Others I considered:

[name]Abigail[/name]
[name]Bridget[/name] (or [name]Birgitta[/name])
[name]Kerenza[/name]
[name]Isla[/name]
[name]Ailsa[/name]
[name]Adelheid[/name] (or [name]Heidi[/name])
Gersemi (or [name]Gemma[/name])
[name]Sorcha[/name]
Idril (sindarin for “sparkle brilliance”)
[name]Elanor[/name] (sindarin for “star sun”)
[name]Aeliana[/name]
[name]Philomena[/name]
[name]Anwen[/name]
[name]Calanthe[/name]
[name]Eirian[/name]
[name]Lucia[/name]
[name]Mila[/name]
[name]Grace[/name]
[name]Joy[/name]
[name]Rose[/name]

17

My Top Combinations for Girls:

After much thought and consideration, I finally came up with some choices that I really like.

[name]Chiara[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name]
-(clear, bright + my God is abundance) nn. [name]Keeli[/name]?
(I have always loved the name [name]Kiara[/name], but was disappointed to learn that the Irish meaning of the name is ‘black haired, or dark beauty’, not something I could see myself using. The meaning of [name]Claire[/name]/[name]Clara[/name] (clear,bright) has always been a favorite of mine, but somehow the name just seemed a little plain. I was very excited to learn that [name]Claire[/name]/[name]Clara[/name] comes from the name of an Italian saint in the early middle ages - [name]Chiara[/name], pronounced kee-ar-ah.)

Eirwen [name]Iseult[/name]
-(maiden of mercy + ice battle) nn. [name]Eira[/name]
(Eirwen is welsh for ‘white snow’, but [name]Eir[/name] is also a norse word meaning “graciousness, mildness, mercy, and healing”. -wen is a name suffix used by Tolkien in Sindarin to mean “lady or maiden” (Elvish is largely based on the ancient nordic and gaelic languages). So “Eirwen” could also be “maiden of mercy” or “lady of healing”. Somehow that works beautifully with the meaning of [name]Iseult[/name], ‘ice battle’. Healing maiden of mercy on the icy battlefield?)

[name]Ingrid[/name] [name]Ophelia[/name]
-(beautiful + helper) nn. [name]Inga[/name]
(I have always loved [name]Ophelia[/name] for the way it sounds and liked [name]Ingrid[/name] for the meaning. Here they combine in a way that makes the sound and meaning of both lovely.)

[name]Cordelia[/name] [name]Juliet[/name]
-(daughter of the sea + youthful) nn. [name]Cora[/name]
([name]Cordelia[/name] is one of those little gems of a name that has a depth of meanings. From the late latin ‘cor, cordis’ - “heart”, and the greek ‘delia’ - “of [name]Delos[/name]”. [name]Delos[/name] is the island where the greek goddess “[name]Artemis[/name]” is said to have been born. Thus “heart of [name]Delos[/name]” or “daughter of the sea” is appropriate. Interestingly, “[name]Artemis[/name]” (possibly means ‘safe’) is the greek goddess of the moon and hunting, also known as “[name]Diana[/name]” to the Romans whose name means ‘heavenly,devine’.)

[name]Callista[/name] [name]Joy[/name]
-(most beautiful + joy) nn. [name]Callie[/name]
(a pretty name, probably the least likely combo to stay on this list.)

[name]Annora[/name] [name]Grace[/name]
-(honor + grace) nn. [name]Anna[/name]
or

[name]Annora[/name] [name]Rose[/name]
-(honor + flower) nn. [name]Nora[/name]
(I am unsure which of these ‘[name]Annora[/name]’ combinations I like better. They are both equally pretty. I really like ‘[name]Annora[/name]’, but I am having a difficult time finding a combination for it that I really love.)

So those are the possibilities I’ve got for girls. What do you think?

18

[name]Chiara[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name]: I like [name]Chiara[/name] and [name]Elizabeth[/name], but some of your other combos are more distinctive.

Eirwen [name]Iseult[/name]: It’s a really intriguing combo, but may be too over the top, and also might not be very accessible for Americans (if you live in the US)… I prefer [name]Isolde[/name] over [name]Iseult[/name] anyway. Eirwen, and its meaning, is lovely.

[name]Ingrid[/name] [name]Ophelia[/name]: I really love this combo. The names, though stylistically different, compliment each other beautifully. I’ve always loved [name]Ophelia[/name], though the connotations make it pretty much unusable as a first name. [name]Ingrid[/name] is such a strong, distinctive name. Plus the flow of the combo is wonderfully gorgeous!

[name]Cordelia[/name] [name]Juliet[/name]: This is another one I absolutely [name]LOVE[/name]! [name]Both[/name] [name]Cordelia[/name] and [name]Juliet[/name] are two of my favorite names ever. I’ve actually never thought of putting them together, but this combo is amazing!

[name]Callista[/name] [name]Joy[/name]: [name]Calista[/name] is pretty, but not very strong sounding. I’ve never like [name]Joy[/name] (or most virtue names) so I’m not as much of a fan of this combo. Also, I think the spelling [name]Calista[/name] is so much more streamlined and pretty.

[name]Annora[/name] [name]Grace[/name]: I like [name]Annora[/name] (and [name]Honora[/name]), but [name]Grace[/name] seems so filler to me.

[name]Annora[/name] [name]Rose[/name]: Same as [name]Annora[/name] [name]Grace[/name], but I think I like that one better-- the ra-ro is really hard to say, so it doesn’t flow as well. Here are other middles for [name]Annora[/name]:

[name]Annora[/name] [name]Clementine[/name]
[name]Annora[/name] [name]Beatrix[/name]
[name]Annora[/name] [name]Elodie[/name]
[name]Annora[/name] [name]Maeve[/name]
[name]Annora[/name] [name]Claire[/name]
[name]Annora[/name] [name]Lily[/name]
[name]Annora[/name] [name]Mireille[/name]
[name]Annora[/name] [name]Lucy[/name]
[name]Annora[/name] [name]Margaret[/name]
[name]Annora[/name] [name]Caroline[/name]

I [name]ADORE[/name] [name]Ingrid[/name] [name]Ophelia[/name] and [name]Cordelia[/name] [name]Juliet[/name]. Your other combos are great too, so you really can’t go wrong!

19

[name]Hi[/name], again!

I love the sound of [name]Ingrid[/name] [name]Ophelia[/name], but I don’t really care for [name]Ingrid[/name] or [name]Inga[/name], personally. These are my favorites…

[name]Cordelia[/name] [name]Juliet[/name] - This is beautiful, and it has such depth, history, character, and significance! [name]Love[/name] it, even if [name]Cora[/name] has never been a favorite of mine! (2ND CHOICE)

[name]Callista[/name] [name]Joy[/name] - [name]Callista[/name] has always seemed a bit harsh to me, and the [name]Callie[/name] nickname is certainly “modern” in comparison to your other choices, but it sounds fun and playful. (3RD CHOICE)

[name]Annora[/name] [name]Grace[/name] - I love - love, love, love! - [name]Annora[/name], especially with the [name]Anna[/name] or [name]Annie[/name] nickname! It is so sweet, soft, elegant, and feminine! It is my favorite off of your list. [name]Annora[/name] [name]Grace[/name] is such a sweet and cheerful name, but it is almost too soft for me. I’d pick it up with a bolder middle name, like [name]Annora[/name] [name]Felicity[/name] or [name]Annora[/name] [name]Fern[/name]! (1[name]ST[/name] CHOICE)

Good luck!

[name]Lemon[/name] :slight_smile:

20

From your list, I really like:
[name]Eira[/name] - it’s too short comparing to your girls’ names, though
[name]Annora[/name]
[name]Annaliese[/name]
[name]Serena[/name]
[name]Callista[/name]
[name]Cordelia[/name]
[name]Freya[/name]
[name]Ingrid[/name]
[name]Fiona[/name]
[name]Elin[/name]
[name]Hermione[/name]
My favorite combos: [name]Annora[/name] [name]Rose[/name] and [name]Cordelia[/name] [name]Juliet[/name]
What about:
[name]Annora[/name] [name]Hermione[/name] - bit mouthful, but I adore the meaning “messenger of honor”
[name]Cordelia[/name] Eirwen