Are [name]Louisa[/name] ([name]Lou[/name] [name]Lou[/name]) and [name]Gwendolyn[/name] ([name]Dolly[/name] or [name]Gwen[/name]) matched as sister names?
Would I be setting her up for a lifetime of annoyance if I went with the [name]Gwendolen[/name] spelling?
I’m not pregnant at the moment, but we do have one son (Theordore/[name]Theo[/name]) and I found that once I became pregnant I totally stopped looking at names (I think it was the realization we would be naming a real person) but I was SO [name]GLAD[/name] I had done all my “research” prior to my pregnancy! [name]Theo[/name] came early (34 weeks) and my husband literally brought my name notebook to the hospital so we could pick his names!
Shame on me, I really don’t know which spelling is the proper: [name]Gwendolyn[/name] or [name]Gwendolen[/name]. I am leaning towards [name]Gwendolen[/name] because -lyn seems more trendy and may be made up.
I don’t think [name]Louisa[/name] and [name]Gwendolen[/name] are matchy. They have the same vintage feel but that is all. [name]Gwendolyn[/name] and [name]Rhiannon[/name] or [name]Louisa[/name] and [name]Beatrice[/name] are more matched.
I think I slightly prefer [name]Louisa[/name] with [name]Theodore[/name] if you would like to know.
[name]Gwendolen[/name] is the original spelling, I think it looks much prettier. I really don’t like the name [name]Louisa[/name], but sure; they could be sisters. I’d feel bad for [name]Louisa[/name] though
I’m sad you don’t like [name]Louisa[/name], [name]Ottilie[/name]! It’s pretty much a done deal that if the next one is a girl it will be [name]Louisa[/name] (my great grandmother was [name]Luisa[/name] and my mother’s middle is [name]Louise[/name] after that grandmother, so I would be honouring both women with that choice.)
I just love love love [name]Gwendolen[/name] ([name]Gwendolyn[/name]) as well, and I’m having a hard time finding other names for potential sisters (to [name]Louisa[/name] and [name]Theodore[/name] if the next were a girl I guess). Especially ones my husband also likes (he likes [name]Gwendolen[/name], hense the questions)
I think [name]Louisa[/name] and [name]Gwendolyn[/name]/[name]Gwendolen[/name] would be lovely additions to a family with a boy named [name]Theodore[/name]. I think [name]Gwendolyn[/name] is the more common spelling in [name]North[/name] [name]America[/name].
I love the idea of a sibset of [name]Theodore[/name], [name]Louisa[/name] & [name]Gwendolen[/name] (much prefer this spelling)! Three of my favourites, great choices
I see my questions have been pushed to page two by all this span on the forums today…I haven’t posted in a while, I hope this is not a regular occurrence now!
Anyway, Thanks for the honest opinions - I’m well aware that matching “sib sets” are not exactly a necessity, but I think its relatively important to me that my children’s names evoke the same style/ feeling…which is the reason for my hesitation over [name]Louisa[/name] and [name]Gwendolen[/name]. We are planning on having at least two more children, so I would like to have a solid list of contenders that make sense as siblings.
@mischa - thanks for the suggestions! [name]Helena[/name], [name]Augusta[/name], [name]Henrietta[/name], [name]Rosalind[/name], [name]Eugenie[/name], and [name]Winifred[/name] are among my favourites (my husband is another story LOL)
[name]Louisa[/name] and [name]Gwendolyn[/name]/[name]Gwendolen[/name] (like both spellings) are both beautiful and go wonderfully with [name]Theodore[/name]! I don’t know a [name]Gwendolyn[/name] or a [name]Gwendolen[/name] so I’m not sure which spelling you would have an easier time with it. I love mischa’s suggestions too- [name]Rosalind[/name], [name]Eugenie[/name], [name]Helena[/name] and [name]Augusta[/name] are pretty much right outside my favourites list.
I’m with @bonfireazalea - I love both [name]Louisa[/name] and [name]Gwendolyn[/name]/[name]Gwendolen[/name], and I agree they are both wonderful with big brother [name]Theodore[/name]! I mainly love both for their literary cred (that, and the Welsh connection to [name]Gwendolen[/name]!).
From what I’ve researched/been told, [name]Gwendolen[/name] is the proper feminine Welsh spelling, but [name]Gwendolyn[/name] is more common in the US. Personally, as someone who’s essentially a quarter Welsh, I feel almost bound to the proper Welsh spelling (plus, how I adore the connection to [name]Gwendolen[/name] [name]Fairfax[/name] of The Importance of Being [name]Earnest[/name]!), but I’ve just always found [name]Gwendolyn[/name] more aesthetically pleasing, and since I have a feeling that’d be the easier of the two to live with in the US (although I don’t think either would be terribly bad), that’s what I’d go with.
I personally prefer [name]Gwendolyn[/name]/[name]Gwendolen[/name] to [name]Louisa[/name], but I like [name]Lulu[/name]/[name]Lou[/name] [name]Lou[/name] better as a nn than [name]Gwen[/name] or [name]Dolly[/name] (personally, I prefer [name]Winnie[/name]). But I like [name]Theodore[/name] and [name]Louisa[/name] better as siblings, they just seem a tad bit more balanced. However, I think in the long run, something like [name]Theodore[/name], [name]Louisa[/name], and [name]Gwendolen[/name] would be just stunning!
