Name Quest (Girls Edition): Yseult?!

We’re getting so close and I just don’t know anymore. I feel like I’ve gone through every.single.name and nothing feels right. I’m anxious in so many ways…Naming isn’t even fun now because I constantly feel this pressure to the find the perfect name.

I love [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f], [name_f]Lavinia[/name_f], [name_f]Hepzibah[/name_f] but then [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] would start an -a ending pattern for possible future daughters, [name_f]Lavinia[/name_f] is too [name_m]Roman[/name_m] with [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f] and [name_f]Hepzibah[/name_f] - too Colonial. [name_f]Hecuba[/name_f] would be a very cool nod to my obsession with [name_m]Hamlet[/name_m] but she lacks cute nicknames and looks…weird? [name_f]Galatea[/name_f] doesn’t work with our last name at all and would rule out Galahad. [name_f]Bathsheba[/name_f], gorgeous as she is, is probably too Biblical for our hip, kale-eating, yoga-doing family. [name_f]Euphemia[/name_f] and [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f] are too close to [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f]. [name_f]Margarita[/name_f] is a cocktail. [name_f]Zelda[/name_f] is a video game. [name_f]Ursula[/name_f] is our neighbor’s dog. [name_f]Ferelith[/name_f] is too Scottish. [name_f]Perdita[/name_f] sounds horrible in my mother tongue. [name_f]Altalune[/name_f] hubby dislikes. You see, we’re incredibly picky and share the dislike for popular names.

So that leaves us with [name_f]Yseult[/name_f], this dainty little [name_m]French[/name_m] girl.
Pros:

  1. it would be a very delicate, almost secret nod to Arthurian legends and would not rule out Galahad. I mean, don’t [name_f]Yseult[/name_f] and Galahad sound like natural siblings?!
  2. it’s definitely unusual but not in an your-face way, most people are familiar with it
  3. it doesn’t end with -a
  4. it seems to go well with [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f]
  5. in my native tongue (Russian), Izolda literally means “made of ice”. [name_m]How[/name_m] cool is that?!
    Cons:
  6. I’ve loved [name_f]Yseult[/name_f] for so long that I’m not as excited about her as I would like to be
  7. I guess she will have to spell her name out all of the time no matter which spelling I choose
  8. it doesn’t feel like THE name? THE name must feel like THE name, eh?

So yeah. [name_m]Feel[/name_m] free to spill out your thoughts, good or bad. I really need some help before I go crazy…
P.S The [name_f]Yseult[/name_f] spelling is the one I like the best because some people pronounce [name_f]Isolde[/name_f] like ee-sol-duh and I don’t want another -a ending name. I also like [name_f]Iseult[/name_f].
P.P.S I really really hope we have a boy…

As for middle names, we’ve been thinking [name_f]Yseult[/name_f] Elsinore [name_u]Frost[/name_u], [name_f]Yseult[/name_f] Elsinore Azula, [name_f]Yseult[/name_f] Elsinore [name_f]Morgana[/name_f], [name_f]Yseult[/name_f] [name_f]Morgana[/name_f] [name_f]Constance[/name_f] (family name), [name_f]Yseult[/name_f] [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f] [name_f]Snow[/name_f] or [name_f]Yseult[/name_f] [name_f]Hecuba[/name_f] Faerydae.

I love [name_f]Yseult[/name_f]! I know one, actually, but she’s [name_m]French[/name_m] and living in [name_f]France[/name_f] so I don’t think she has too much trouble with her name. In an English-speaking country, quite honestly I do think that most people would struggle with both the spelling and the pronunciation. I don’t think it’s as familiar as we perhaps think it is here on NB!

But I do think it’s a gorgeous name, and both unexpected and “right” with [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f]. I like the flow of [name_f]Yseult[/name_f] Elsinore [name_u]Frost[/name_u], but I think I’d prefer [name_f]Snow[/name_f] over [name_u]Frost[/name_u] in the combo.

Honestly I think you’ve found a winner with [name_f]Yseult[/name_f]!
I wouldn’t worry about her having to spell it out too much. I have a very common name but because of the large variety of variant spellings find myself spelling it out for folks all the time. There are definitely worse problems to have.

Between your preferred spellings, [name_f]Yseult[/name_f] and [name_f]Iseult[/name_f], I like it much better with the Y. Of course I’m partial to that aesthetic in general, I adore names like [name_f]Yvaine[/name_f] and [name_m]Yves[/name_m].

[name_f]Yseult[/name_f]/[name_f]Iseult[/name_f] sounds bit like word insult and I really don’t like that.

Maybe you would like [name_f]Rosina[/name_f]/[name_f]Nerissa[/name_f]?

If you are living in the US, I would say that most people are definitely not familiar with it. Spelling and pronunciation will be an issue, but I’ve dealt with spelling and pronunciation with my name and it doesn’t bother me anymore. I do think it is a pretty name but just know that it is not as familiar to others as you may think it is.

[name_f]Yseult[/name_f] is lovely, and I think it seems to work for you really well. You’ve got far more pros than cons on your list, and the cons: even people with more common names these days have to spell their names out and correct pronunciation due to the wide variety of variants out there nowadays, and also, having loved it so long it’s become a little lacklustre could well be more a pro than a con, right, particularly if it’s still, regardless, your top name (and when it’s attached to your little one, you’re sure to love it and find its lustre again).

I do prefer [name_f]Iseult[/name_f] myself, however, I think [name_f]Yseult[/name_f] is nice too.

I don’t know how you pronounce it but for me it comes awfully close to “assault”, the only thing different is the Ee-, however, I can see people only going for a slight ee sound or none at all (like people pronounce [name_f]Eliza[/name_f] as ee-liza or eh-liza or something it between).

Honestly, I don’t think you’d be starting an -a trend for girls if you went with [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f]. Most girls’ names end in -a and I don’t think anyone, not even on here, would ever think it’s weird if you have a third daughter whose name ends in another sound.

I agree with @opheliaflora that you’re overthinking the “must not use an -a ending name to avoid a theme” thing. I might avoid -ia names (and definitely -lia names, that’s way too close to Cornelia), but girls’ names ending in -a is such a common feature that I doubt it would register as a similarity to most people. If you take away that requirement, would Tabitha be THE name? Do you like it more than Yseult? Then I see no reason why you shouldn’t use it!

That being said, I do really like Yseult and none of your cons seem like a big deal. I think it’s a good thing that you loved the name Yseult for so long; I think it’s better to choose a long-time love than a possible fleeting crush. Also, most names need to be spelled out, so I wouldn’t worry about that. As for it not feeling like THE name, I think that’s fine if no other names feel like THE name either. Maybe Cornelia is your one true girl name love, so you’ll just have to settle for the best of the remaining names. However, if it turns out that you’re discarding THE name (Tabitha, in particular) due to a relatively minor issue (like the -a thing), then you need to figure out what is more important to you: using the name you actually love best or the one that fits your requirements best.

(If you decide the requirement is more important, that’s okay, too! With our second son’s name, I loved Sebastian more, but disliked the lack of great nicknames, so we went with Alexander, a name I loved almost as much but fit our nickname requirements better. Now I can’t imagine him with any other name!)

I think [name_f]Yseult[/name_f] is a fantastic choice. It is not familiar to most people and will have constant spelling and pronunciation issues, but I don’t think that should necessarily stop you using it. One of my daughter’s has a name with these issues but she still loves her name and just corrects people. I love [name_f]Yseult[/name_f] Elsinore but not sure about [name_u]Frost[/name_u]. [name_f]Snow[/name_f] would work well though.

I also don’t think having 2 a endings makes a pattern.

As others have said, I think [name_f]Yseult[/name_f] is nice but definitely not “familiar to most people” at least where I am (US). I would personally prefer [name_f]Isolde[/name_f] since more people are likely to guess the correct pronunciation (you would only have to correct the people who add a third syllable, whereas with [name_f]Yseult[/name_f] a lot of people will not know where to start. Also I have never heard anyone pronounce [name_f]Isolde[/name_f] with a third syllable and I took a lot of classes about [name_m]Wagner[/name_m] haha.).

I also agree that it would be fine not to continue the -a pattern if you used [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] and had a third daughter. [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] feels a bit more wearable to me but [name_f]Isolde[/name_f] has the mythological vibe you like and fits well with the other names you mention. From others you mention I think Marguerite would go nicely instead of Margarita.

For combos I like [name_f]Isolde[/name_f] [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f] [name_f]Snow[/name_f] to double down on the ice queen :stuck_out_tongue: And it lets you use [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f] without clashing with [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f].

I prefer [name_f]Isolde[/name_f]. But I also don’t think another -a name would force a trend. [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] is also a beautiful name.

[name_f]Yseult[/name_f] is lovely - frosty and magical.

The authentic [name_m]French[/name_m] pronunciation is “ee-zeuh” (you can listen to it on Forvo), which takes away the “insult” and “assault” problem, and in my opinion sounds even more sparkly and alluring than the anglicised pronunciation.

I really like [name_f]Yseult[/name_f] [name_f]Morgana[/name_f] [name_f]Constance[/name_f], but [name_f]Yseult[/name_f] [name_f]Morgana[/name_f] is doubly Arthurian, so I would go with [name_f]Yseult[/name_f] [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f] [name_f]Snow[/name_f] instead.

[name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] is also beautiful, and I’m very happy to see that you actually considered [name_f]Hephzibah[/name_f], even though you aren’t going ahead with her.

What about [name_f]Yseult[/name_f] [name_f]Constance[/name_f] [name_f]Snow[/name_f], by the way? That would be perfect.

I think [name_f]Yseult[/name_f] works well for your family, though I do think [name_f]Isolde[/name_f] is much, much more recognizable and easier to pronounce. I agree with pp that [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] would not necessarily start a trend and could be perfectly lovely next to [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f].

For what it’s worth, I still like [name_f]Morgaine[/name_f]. Whatever you pick, you should keep Elsinore in the middle spot. I love that for your family.

I like [name_f]Yseult[/name_f]! I do think [name_f]Isolde[/name_f] goes a bit better with [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f] and would be pronounced the same in the English-speaking world, but both are nice. I do love Elsinore as the middle name though, no matter what first you choose!

It’s a lovely name, and for me the vowel in [name_f]Yseult[/name_f] is quite different from that in assault/insult.

It is very Arthurian. I know that’s a big part of its appeal, but I don’t think it would be an ‘almost secret’ nod to Arthuriana - if people have any association with the name at all it will be some form of the Arthurian story (unless there’s another pop culture reference I’m missing).
I don’t think that’s bad, but I do think it makes Galahad and [name_f]Yseult[/name_f] quite themed (if you were considering [name_m]Mark[/name_m] and [name_f]Elaine[/name_f] or [name_m]Arthur[/name_m] and [name_u]Vivian[/name_u] the connection would be less obvious).

I agree with others that [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] doesn’t force future -a endings. [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f], [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] and [name_f]Yseult[/name_f] are fine together, as are [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f], [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] and Elsinore or [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f], [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] and [name_f]Ferelith[/name_f] or [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f], [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] and [name_f]Sybil[/name_f] or [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f], [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] and [name_f]Eluned[/name_f] (for example). On the other hand some -a ending names (even from the same languages of origin - [name_f]Julia[/name_f], [name_f]Anna[/name_f], [name_f]Rebecca[/name_f], [name_f]Sara[/name_f]) feel too expected, insubstantial or frilly next to [name_f]Cornelia[/name_f] and [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f].

I don’t think [name_f]Yseult[/name_f] is that recognizable, I’ve never heard heard of anyone with that name. I like the authentic [name_m]French[/name_m] pronounciation (as mentioned above) much better and i would spell it [name_f]Isolde[/name_f] (even though it doesnt look as pretty).
I wouldn’t worry as much with people butchering the spelling since no matter what people misspell even the simplest names.

Personally I wouldn’t mind using two A ending names if there’s an A name that you love.

Thank you so much, ladies! It’s all very helpful but we just got a confirmation that our baby is a boy so we won’t need this for a while. You can’t imagine my relief…