Due with baby # 3 in 6 days give or take and we are having a little trouble coming up with a name combo if we have a girl. [name_u]Baby[/name_u] will be joining big brother 0liver H@zen and big sister LeiI@ (pronounced [name_f]Layla[/name_f]) [name_f]Vienne[/name_f]. The only two names we are really considering are [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] (my front runner) and [name_u]Lucca[/name_u] (pronounced just like [name_u]Luca[/name_u]). The latter has been on our baby name list through each pregnancy but each time it seems to stir the pot with family because it isn’t a “girl” name. We get it. We just can’t seem to kick it. We would use it with that spelling to honor DH’s family who is from [name_u]Lucca[/name_u], [name_f]Italy[/name_f]. I should mention that both of our children have middle names that refer to places that are important to us.
I think the logical thing would be to name the baby [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] [name_u]Lucca[/name_u] but I’m unsure about how it sounds. Too much? TOO Italian? We have a very Italian last name that begins with an S. I’m struggling coming up with middle place names that are important to us. All I have so far is Charlestown, Heidelberg, and [name_u]Holland[/name_u].
That being said, other combos I’ve been thinking of:
[name_f]Gemma[/name_f] [name_f]Rose[/name_f] - pretty but no real significance
[name_f]Gemma[/name_f] [name_f]Marie[/name_f] - my middle name, my mom’s, and both my grandmothers. Would be nice but the name feels like a placeholder.
[name_f]Gemma[/name_f] [name_f]Louise[/name_f] - I like it but the combo feels a little rough to me especially since my DD has such a feminine name. And other beautiful, feminine middle name suggestions that are on the same level as DD’s?
Then the other option would be to just throw caution to the wind and finally use [name_u]Lucca[/name_u] as a first name. I’m sure I’d get a lot of flak for this though so we’ll see. [name_u]Lucca[/name_u] [name_f]Marie[/name_f]? Any advice?
Gemma is lovely and sounds great with your kids’ names! Lucca on a girl is certainly unusual and would raise some eyebrows, but it’s not horrible by any means. If the backlash is really a problem, you could look for a similar name—maybe Lucia? That’s assuming you don’t mind using another L—a name like your older daughter’s.
I’d say if you go with Lucca then Lucca Marie is probably your best bet since Marie is a decidedly feminine family name that’s much more familiar than Lucca. Lucca Rose would also work and has a similar feel.
But personally, I love Gemma so much with your kids’ names that I’d use that one. It sounds like it’s important to you to have a significant middle name, so don’t give up on that part. Gemma Lucca is a little sing-songy, but not unpleasantly so. There’s no such thing as “too Italian” if you’re Italian.
More ideas:
Tosca - Lucca, Italy is in Tuscany, yes? Tosca means “from Tuscany” and has the same cool, international feel as Vienne.
Holland - totally a name these days. Ireland is also catching on.
Holly - if Holland is too much.
Charlotte or Caroline - from Charlestown (may I ask which Charlestown? You could also work in the state’s name.)
Heidi - from Heidelberg.
All the combos on your list are nice. They go well with [name_f]Gemma[/name_f]. My favorite is probably [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] [name_f]Rose[/name_f].
I like [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] [name_u]Holland[/name_u] actually.
[name_f]Gemma[/name_f] [name_u]Lucca[/name_u] is nice but the double –a ending does make it flow a bit weird.
I like [name_u]Lucca[/name_u] for a girl though!! [name_u]Lucca[/name_u] [name_f]Marie[/name_f] is gorgeous!
I do like [name_u]Lucca[/name_u] as a girl name - I know it seems minor but [name_u]Luca[/name_u] to me is masculine and [name_u]Lucca[/name_u] is a unisex place name. However, I don’t think I’d name a daughter [name_u]Lucca[/name_u] if I already had a daughter named “[name_f]Layla[/name_f]” - they start and end with the same sounds and have the same number of syllables, so to me they’re too close, though maybe they aren’t to you.
I love [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] but [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] [name_u]Lucca[/name_u] doesn’t flow all that well to me (though with your surname they might be fine). Would [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] [name_f]Lucia[/name_f] work for you?
Also, [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] with a [name_f]Marie[/name_f] variant might work for you - [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] [name_f]Marina[/name_f], [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] [name_f]Mariana[/name_f], [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] [name_f]Mariska[/name_f]?
I also like the [name_f]Tosca[/name_f] suggestion above!
Ooh ladies I love some of these suggestions thank you! [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] [name_f]Tosca[/name_f] has a very cool sound to it. I had mentioned in the past if it would be weird to have a [name_f]Leila[/name_f] and a [name_u]Lucca[/name_u] to my husband but he doesn’t think so. I’m on the fence…part of me thinks a [name_f]Leila[/name_f] and a [name_u]Lucca[/name_u] could be cute sister names. For DH [name_u]Lucca[/name_u] is THE name for him if it’s a girl but would be very happy with [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] as well.
When our [name_f]Leila[/name_f] was born we actually originally named her [name_u]Lucca[/name_u] and dh’s parents were NOT happy about it. They said we couldn’t give her a boy name and they would cringe every time they would say her name. Mind you she was in my arms at this point! So we decided we couldn’t do it. We named her [name_f]Lucia[/name_f] for a day but it just wasn’t her name and in all honesty it’s not really my style either. It was just a compromise to get as close to [name_u]Lucca[/name_u] as possible.
I do love [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] though. I think it’s a beautiful name and goes well with our kids’ names. I’m just a little panicky because this could be our last chance to use [name_u]Lucca[/name_u] and if we don’t use it now it may become an unrequited love kind of situation!
Ooh ladies I love some of these suggestions thank you! [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] [name_f]Tosca[/name_f] has a very cool sound to it. I had mentioned in the past if it would be weird to have a [name_f]Leila[/name_f] and a [name_u]Lucca[/name_u] to my husband but he doesn’t think so. I’m on the fence…part of me thinks a [name_f]Leila[/name_f] and a [name_u]Lucca[/name_u] could be cute sister names. For DH [name_u]Lucca[/name_u] is THE name for him if it’s a girl but would be very happy with [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] as well.
When our [name_f]Leila[/name_f] was born we actually originally named her [name_u]Lucca[/name_u] and dh’s parents were NOT happy about it. They said we couldn’t give her a boy name and they would cringe every time they would say her name. Mind you she was in my arms at this point! So we decided we couldn’t do it. We named her [name_f]Lucia[/name_f] for a day but it just wasn’t her name and in all honesty it’s not really my style either. It was just a compromise to get as close to [name_u]Lucca[/name_u] as possible.
I do love [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] though. I think it’s a beautiful name and goes well with our kids’ names. I’m just a little panicky because this could be our last chance to use [name_u]Lucca[/name_u] and if we don’t use it now it may become an unrequited love kind of situation!
I literally posted the same thing about [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] [name_f]Marie[/name_f] on a different site. Its mine, my moms and grandmas middle name and were naming our daughter [name_f]Gemma[/name_f]. I too felt like it was a placeholder… So, can’t help you here! Lol
Tbh, I would vote for [name_u]Lucca[/name_u] if you didn’t already have a [name_f]Leila[/name_f]… since it seems so important for you to use on a daughter. But, I think the names are too similar for sisters. Plus, I feel like you should carry on the tradition of using a place name in the mn spot. It’s a nice way to link the three children.
And I love the name [name_f]Gemma[/name_f]. [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] [name_u]Lucca[/name_u] is a bit sing-songy, but not that bad. And how often do ppl go by their full names? And, you could always call her [name_u]Lucca[/name_u] if you prefer later.
I like the way [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] [name_f]Tosca[/name_f] sounds, but I just think of the opera. [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] [name_u]Holland[/name_u] is not bad… just doesn’t leap out like [name_f]Leila[/name_f] [name_f]Vienne[/name_f] does. Are you sure there aren’t any other place names that are special to you? ([name_f]Gemma[/name_f] [name_u]Paris[/name_u] would be beautiful. Maybe take a quick trip there before you give birth :D)
I clicked [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] & see Pronunciation: [name_u]JEM[/name_u]-mah.
I’ve only known one, an older Italian woman who was called G(guh)em-ah with the G like gum.
Is [name_u]Lucca[/name_u] really pronounced like [name_u]Luca[/name_u]? Not Lucha?
