The good news: DH has finally come to his senses and agreed to spelling [name]Catherine[/name] with a C! (I was never going to agree to [name]Katherine[/name], so I don’t know why he was being so stubborn about it.) Nickname will be [name]Cate[/name], as it was my grandmother’s maiden name.
The bad news: I’m bored with all our original middle name ideas. We were considering [name]Victoria[/name], [name]Felicity[/name], [name]Sophia[/name], [name]Olivia[/name] or [name]Luna[/name], with [name]Felicity[/name] being my personal favorite. I still think they’re all beautiful choices, but compared to our choice if it’s a boy ([name]William[/name] [name]Balthazar[/name]), they just seem to lack a “wow” factor. Know what I mean? And since hubby miraculously agreed to [name]Balthazar[/name], I’m thinking he might now be open to another middle that’s a little more unusual than our original choices.
Some ideas I had:
[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Artemisia[/name]
[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Aurelia[/name]
[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Elysia[/name]
[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Emmanuelle[/name] - Never thought much of [name]Emmanuelle[/name] before, but it’s popped up in a couple of recent posts here, and now I think it is rather stunning.
[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name]
[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Giselle[/name]
[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Guinevere[/name]
[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Helena[/name]
[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Isolde[/name] - I’m not really a fan of [name]Isolde[/name] by itself, but it does seem to sparkle with [name]Catherine[/name]…
[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Magdalena[/name]
[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Morgana[/name]
[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Ophelia[/name] - My favorite! Hubby vetoed it when we first started talking names because he’s a high school English teacher, but his classes are actually in the middle of reading [name]Hamlet[/name] right now and he admitted a couple of days ago that [name]Ophelia[/name] is a gorgeous name, despite the association. Maybe I have a better shot of talking him into it?
[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Paloma[/name]
[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Seraphina[/name] - [name]LOVE[/name] [name]Seraphina[/name], but the almost matching -ine/-ina endings give me pause.
[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Tamara[/name] - Pronounced Ta-mar-a, “mar” rhyming with “car”. [name]Don[/name]‘t really like Ta-meer-a or Ta-muh-ra.
[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Tanith[/name] - I was introduced to this name via ice dancer [name]Tanith[/name] Belbin and thought it was very pretty.
[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Tatiana[/name]
[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Teagan[/name]
[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Theophania[/name]
[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Thisbe[/name]
[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Winter[/name]
[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Verity[/name] - Very similar to [name]Felicity[/name]!
[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Verona[/name]
[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Vesper[/name]/a - Can’t decide if I like [name]Vesper[/name] or [name]Vespera[/name] better. I think [name]Vesper[/name] has a slight edge because it’s very similar to my boys’ love [name]Casper[/name] (which I can’t use with [name]Balthazar[/name] in the possible sibset), but maybe [name]Vespera[/name] seems more name-y?
[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Violetta[/name]
[name]Catherine[/name] Xanthippe - Yes, I considered [name]Xanthe[/name], but Xanthippe intrigues me more, as well as being similar to [name]Penelope[/name] and [name]Calliope[/name], two other names I adore.
As much as I think Xanthippe is freakin awesome, I think it’s flow is really off with [name]Catherine[/name] - too much “TH” sound.
I personally love [name]Paloma[/name], [name]Aurelia[/name] and [name]Artemisia[/name].
Other suggestions:
[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Elisavet[/name]
[name]Catherine[/name] Safiya - maybe more sparkle than [name]Sophia[/name]? It’s Arabic meaning “pure”, SAH-fee-ah, I’m pretty sure the stress is on the first syllable.
[name]Felicity[/name] is fab, but I love it when someone wants to raise the bar! …I like [name]Paloma[/name], [name]Verity[/name], [name]Tanith[/name], [name]Violetta[/name], and [name]Isolde[/name]. There is something sparkly about [name]Catherine[/name] with another long C- name…[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Calypso[/name], [name]Catherine[/name] [name]Clothilde[/name], [name]Catherine[/name] [name]Corliss[/name], [name]Catherine[/name] [name]Christabel[/name], [name]Catherine[/name] [name]Claudia[/name], [name]Catherine[/name] [name]Cressida[/name]
I would add [name]Catherine[/name] [name]Saskia[/name], [name]Catherine[/name] [name]Demetria[/name], [name]Catherine[/name] [name]Eugenie[/name], [name]Catherine[/name] [name]Mariska[/name], [name]Catherine[/name] [name]Damaris[/name], [name]Catherine[/name] [name]Isabeau[/name], [name]Catherine[/name] [name]Johanna[/name] in the wow-but-not-OMG category. And in the OMG wow group- [name]Catherine[/name] [name]Aquinnah[/name], [name]Catherine[/name] [name]Shoshana[/name], [name]Catherine[/name] [name]Fortuna[/name], [name]Catherine[/name] Blanchfleur, [name]Catherine[/name] [name]Leonarda[/name], [name]Catherine[/name] [name]Sosie[/name], [name]Catherine[/name] [name]Fernanda[/name], [name]Catherine[/name] Edelmira, [name]Catherine[/name] [name]Socorro[/name]
I [name]LOVE[/name] the name [name]Ophelia[/name]. And I think [name]Catherine[/name] [name]Ophelia[/name] is stunning. [name]Juliet[/name] was also a tragic character and that name has been rising in popularity. And I do also like [name]Isolde[/name].
[name]Emmanuelle[/name] is ravishing but I stopped at [name]Theophania[/name]. Absolutely show-stopping, with deep [name]Christian[/name] significance.
[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Guinevere[/name] is swoonworthy. I have [name]Guinevere[/name] on my list as a middle name for a future daughter. [name]Love[/name]!
I love that your husband is an English Teacher! And I think it would be great if your daughter’s Mn could be an ode to [name]Shakespeare[/name].
We watched Savages last night, and the female lead was named [name]Ophelia[/name], but she went by “O” and she seemed to be such a tragic character for the longest time, but she really left her namesake in the dust.
What about some other [name]Shakespeare[/name] names?
not the run-of-the-mill [name]Shakespeare[/name] names, but still easy to say and spell. And most are positive names (no [name]Juliet[/name] or [name]Desdemona[/name] here.)
Those are some really great options! I personally love [name]Catherine[/name] [name]Verona[/name] best - we’re considering [name]Verona[/name] as a middle name, too!
[name]Aurelia[/name], [name]Genevieve[/name], and [name]Violetta[/name] are my favorites from your list. [name]Maddalena[/name] I like better than [name]Magdalena[/name]. People are giving some good suggestions though!
My daughter is named [name]Catherine[/name] [name]Hazel[/name].
It wasn’t too trendy, not foreign either. I’m sure you like those “out there” middle names, but maybe one of those will suit you. If not, I’d keep it slightly simple and go with something a little closer to your traditional names but not too close.
I quite love [name]Catherine[/name] [name]Thisbe[/name] and [name]Catherine[/name] [name]Elysia[/name]! I finally settled on [name]Catherine[/name] [name]Eliora[/name], which to me has a very similar presence. I don’t know if that interests you or not. If you like [name]Thisbe[/name], have you considered [name]Primrose[/name]? While it’s a very different type of name, it has that same fanciful, fairy-like quality as [name]Thisbe[/name] has, imo. I think [name]Catherine[/name] [name]Primrose[/name] would be sweet.
I love [name]Ophelia[/name], [name]Theophania[/name], [name]Seraphina[/name], and [name]Emmanuelle[/name]. [name]Winter[/name] and [name]Vesper[/name] are runners up because of rhythm.
[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Verity[/name] is gorgeous, and I also like [name]Catherine[/name] [name]Winter[/name] (I know its not your list) I dont know why I like it, I just do =)
[name]Artemisia[/name] as a lot of spark and spunk! my favourite of your middle names choices. It stands out without being overwhelming and makes common but beautiful [name]Catherine[/name] stand out.
[name]Verona[/name] brings to mind the gorgeous Italian city (never went there but would love to!) and adds that European charm to the combo.
[name]Morgana[/name] is medieval, strong and grounded while still being elegant and feminine.
I really didn’t like the character [name]Ophelia[/name] when I read [name]Hamlet[/name], but she does have a lovely name and it sounds wonderful with [name]Catherine[/name].
[name]Catherine[/name] and [name]Thisbe[/name] are both lovely, soft, muted names and neither outshines the other.
[name]Violetta[/name] is feminine, girly and pretty, and flows wonderfully with [name]Catherine[/name].
