I adore the name [name_f]Maeve[/name_f], both for the meaning, the origins, and the sound of it, but it works so much better as a middle name!
So either I want to find a gorgeous middle name for [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] or choose a gorgeous first name.
My two questions, therefore, are:
1: What middle names would work with [name_f]Maeve[/name_f]?
Other favorite combos are [name_f]Keira[/name_f] [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u], [name_f]Guinevere[/name_f] [name_u]Lyn[/name_u] nn [name_f]Gwen[/name_f], and [name_f]Lilias[/name_f] [name_f]Madeline[/name_f], just to give you a hint of my taste. I sort of like the look of pairing something vaguely Irish/Scottish/Welsh/Gaelic with something traditional. [name_u]Lyn[/name_u] is the traditional middle name in our family, but [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_u]Lyn[/name_u] is very harsh.
2: [name_m]How[/name_m] strange it is to call a child by their middle name?
Obviously you can do whatever you want as the parent (though you shouldn’t always!), and I’ve known several people who did this to get around a namesake requirement or simply for family tradition. Also, it allows for options as the child grows old since the middle name functions more as a nickname in this case.
However, it might make it strange for hospital records, SSC, etc. Has anyone ever dealt with this? I have a couple people off the internet I can ask as well, but I need as many thoughts as possible!
Both of my parents go exclusively by their middle names. One minds and one does not mind at all. It is mostly a matter of having doctor’s offices call out the first name and official documents using first name and middle initial. Some ideas:
I would put the name you plan to call her in the first spot as it would just avoid having to deal with “Oh, I go by my middle name”, and just for simplicity and convenience for her. I think [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] is your favourite so it is the one I would use as a first name. Maybe a middle with [name_u]Lyn[/name_u] in it? [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] on your list works well, or you may wish to use three names.
I think it’d be a bit of an inconvenience, and kind of pointless. The middle name not flowing perfectly with the first name isn’t as big a deal as having to go by your middle name.
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Cecelia[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Georgina[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Susannah[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Delilah[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Eliza[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Felicity[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Helena[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_u]Juniper[/name_u]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Louisa[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Rosalie[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Lorelei[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Abigail[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Annabel[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Theodora[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_u]Winter[/name_u]
I particularly like [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u]. You get a twist on your family tradition. But having kids is a time to break tradition if you want . I work in healthcare and you would be surpised by how many people go by their middle name and get pissed that we insist on having them fill out their legal name on forms. So… I don’t love going by middle names , but I’m also from the south and it’s common there !
I honestly would go for [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] as the first name! It can certainly work beautifully in the first spot with a longer middle name.
Here are the lengthy, traditional middles that came to my mind:
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Isabella[/name_f] (my favorite)
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Alexandra[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Catherine[/name_f]/[name_f]Katherine[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Georgiana[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f]
And I definitely second the suggestion of [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Guinevere[/name_f], since it sounds like you already love [name_f]Guinevere[/name_f], too. [name_f]Hope[/name_f] this could help!
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] is gorgeous and if I was you I would just use [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] as her first name as that’s the name you love and saves hassle of her having to correct everyone all the time by saying she goes by her middle name. I agree it’s challenging to pair with/honour family with a name like [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] because of the flow and the restrictions honour names provide. But with [name_u]Lyn[/name_u] I would just use a [name_u]Lyn[/name_u] name suggestions…
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Rosalyn[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Marilyn[/name_f] (I like the alliteration)
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_u]Lyndsey[/name_u]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Linnea[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Lynette[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Carolyn[/name_f]
Alternatively you could break tradition it’s your child you don’t necessarily have to name your child a family names. Or you could have two middle names use a lengthier choice and add [name_u]Lyn[/name_u] as the second middle name. You’d still use the honour name but it would sound better. Also I’m a massive fan of two middle names.
Suggestions…
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Arabella[/name_f] [name_u]Lyn[/name_u]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Theodora[/name_f] [name_u]Lyn[/name_u]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Valencia[/name_f] [name_u]Lyn[/name_u]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Valentina[/name_f] [name_u]Lyn[/name_u]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Seraphina[/name_f] [name_u]Lyn[/name_u]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Paulina[/name_f] [name_u]Lyn[/name_u]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Anastasia[/name_f] [name_u]Lyn[/name_u]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Alexandra[/name_f] [name_u]Lyn[/name_u]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Clementina[/name_f] [name_u]Lyn[/name_u]
Thanks, everyone! These were some gorgeous suggestions!
I love [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] Linnae, [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Katharine[/name_f], [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Lillian[/name_f]/[name_f]Lilias[/name_f] (if that gets shot down as a fn), [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Gwendolyn[/name_f] or [name_f]Guinevere[/name_f] (if that gets shot down as a fn), [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], and [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Lynette[/name_f]. I could always do [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Madelyn[/name_f], too, or [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Madeline[/name_f].
If I were to go for [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] in the mn spot, I’m considering [name_f]Katharine[/name_f] [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] ([name_f]Katharine[/name_f] is my favorite character in my favorite book, so that’s the spelling I would use even though it’s not as common!). But I’m thinking that might be too much of a pain - [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] is the name I like, so it should be the name I use. Does [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Katharine[/name_f] sound nice to you ladies? I feel like I could get used to it.
I do like double middle names, so I’m thinking about doing that and including more namesakes if that’s not shot down, too. Yeah, I’m really in the planning stage here. It’s a couple years out until I could have a baby. But I do so love names!
I’ve met a few people who go by their middle name, but I think it will be more confusing for the child and others. [name_m]Even[/name_m] if you don’t love the flow (but I think there have been beautiful suggestions made), I think its better to have [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] as the first name if you really love the name. I’ll second [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] (or [name_f]Eveline[/name_f]), [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Tallulah[/name_f], [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Delilah[/name_f] and [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Clementine[/name_f]! Those have to be my favorites but if you aren’t yet sold here are some other ideas:
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Flora[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Henrietta[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Lucinda[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Veronica[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Seraphina[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Elspeth[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Olivia[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_u]Delaney[/name_u]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Luna[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Serena[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_f]Matilda[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_u]Juniper[/name_u] (this has to be my favorite out of my suggestions)
You may feel like you’re struggling to come up with a combination you like with [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] as a first, but it’s worth struggling through. It sounds like that’s already her name, so keep that brick in place and work on the middle. I like [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] [name_u]Bellamy[/name_u].
Yeah, I’m really in the planning stage here. It’s a couple years out until I could have a baby. But I do so love names!