I have an unnamed character, a girl living in Surrey, [name_f]England[/name_f], maybe in the 19th or 20th century but I’m not completely set on the time period.(For all I know my story could turn out to be set in the 21st century, I’m more than a little disorganized about settings. My apologies.)
She’s someone who has a knack for observing things, and keeps a pocketbook with her at all times to write interesting things down. She’s never cared much about social protocol, she’s utterly demure when the situation calls for it but then does things her own way anyway. She comes across as very quirky, but sweet and always elegant. She likes to indulge in tea, books of any and every kind, horse-riding, and gardening.
I was thinking about calling her [name_f]Isobel[/name_f], does this name suit her? I considered [name_f]Cora[/name_f] but then as far as I know it’s always been unusual in [name_m]Britain[/name_m]…is this accurate? It’s certainly rare in [name_m]Britain[/name_m] now…
[name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] and [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] are other alternatives, I think they’re the frontrunners right now but I thought something just a little less classic would be nice.
I would be very grateful for any other suggestions as well! Thank you:)
what about combining two - [name_f]Cora[/name_f] [name_f]Isobel[/name_f] or [name_f]Isobel[/name_f] [name_f]Catherine[/name_f]? I think both [name_f]Cora[/name_f] and [name_f]Isobel[/name_f] work nicely for your character, but, personally [name_f]Isobel[/name_f] would be my favourite.
[name_f]Isobel[/name_f] feels right. [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] and [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] are alright and I think they’re so classic they’ll fit all personalities, but I agree they’re maybe a bit too classic. What about something like [name_f]Cate[/name_f]/[name_f]Kitty[/name_f] or [name_f]Eliza[/name_f]/[name_f]Lizbet[/name_f]? Or even something like [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] nn [name_f]Lily[/name_f]?
I would also suggest [name_u]Tora[/name_u]? It’s the name of a little girl in the first [name_f]Nanny[/name_f] [name_m]McPhee[/name_m] film, and the time period is why it came to mind. I remember thinking it was so pretty and always preferred it to [name_f]Cora[/name_f] (although the Torah thing is a bit of an issue, I don’t know if that bothers you… since they’re written down and the spelling is different, does it matter?).
@renrose, thanks for the information! @lawsonhaley, both your suggested combos are lovely. My only problem would be my indecisiveness as to which name to put in the first name slot! @oliviasarah, nicknames are brilliant but I can never get the full forms out of my head as I say them to myself…silly me. [name_u]Tora[/name_u] is a lovely name, I remember being fascinated when I first saw the movie:) Still thinking over the Torah association…
I was wondering whether [name_f]Nora[/name_f] would work for my character? Between [name_f]Nora[/name_f], [name_f]Isobel[/name_f], [name_f]Catherine[/name_f] “[name_u]Kit[/name_u]” and [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] “[name_f]Eliza[/name_f]”, which do you think works best?
I’m from Surrey! I think you’ll find names around Surrey back then would have been rather traditional: [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], [name_f]Mary[/name_f] etc, though plant names like [name_f]Violet[/name_f], [name_f]Heather[/name_f] and [name_f]Rosemary[/name_f] are examples form my own family around that time. [name_f]Isobel[/name_f] doesn’t seem right to me. [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f] seems more likely for the time.
