Hello! Longtime lurker and name nerd here, so excited to be amongst you all and super excited to be naming a baby girl in January!
My partner and I have slightly different taste: I’m maybe “dark academia nerd” and he’s perhaps “Australian / North American high school novel protagonist” but we’re not really miles apart, and we can definitely agree on some names. However, nothing we’ve agreed on yet is “it”. I was hoping to crowdsource some ideas that being our tastes together.
What’s important to us? That it works in London but also in Australia. It has some good nickname options. Not at all common.
I am so grateful in advance for suggestions and comments!
[name_f]Alberta[/name_f], [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f], [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f], [name_u]Fern[/name_u], [name_f]Margot[/name_f], [name_f]Clementine[/name_f], [name_f]Wilhelmina[/name_f], [name_f]Persephone[/name_f], [name_f]Beatrix[/name_f], and [name_f]Theodora[/name_f] are my faves from your list!
I’d make the combos:
[name_f]Alberta[/name_f] [name_u]Fern[/name_u]
[name_u]Fern[/name_u] [name_f]Persephone[/name_f]
[name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] [name_f]Margot[/name_f]
[name_f]Clementine[/name_f] [name_f]Lily[/name_f]
[name_f]Beatrix[/name_f] [name_f]Wilhelmina[/name_f]
I cannot express how much I love [name_f]Thisbe[/name_f] and [name_f]Acacia[/name_f]!
I don’t think [name_f]Thisbe[/name_f] will pass his vibe check (or the nickname test) but [name_f]Acacia[/name_f] might! Plus, as Aussies, it’s a nice national tribute.
In particular [name_f]Calliope[/name_f] (would people know how to pronounce it do we think? Would she end up with Call-ope?) and [name_f]Georgette[/name_f]!
I love [name_u]Sasha[/name_u] too, and I wonder if she could be an [name_f]Alexandra[/name_f] (technically… that’s my name too), abbreviated to [name_u]Sasha[/name_u]. [name_f]My[/name_f] great grandmother is Russian so perhaps I can almost get away with it?
[name_f]Hannelore[/name_f] is new to me and I love how it looks but wonder if it would trip everyone up when they try to say it. However, it did inspire me to look up a new name: [name_u]Hellebore[/name_u]! (Ok, a bit controversial given the ‘hell’ but so pretty!)
(And now I just can’t get [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] [name_u]Fern[/name_u] out of my head!)
I’m from the US and [name_f]Calliope[/name_f] is KA-LIE-O-PEE and, while rare, is fairly easy (IMO but you might want international input on that)
[name_f]Georgette[/name_f] would probably be more internationally recognized!
I’ve never heard of [name_u]Sasha[/name_u] being short for [name_f]Alexandra[/name_f] but anything is possible!
[name_f]Hannelore[/name_f] is decently easy I would say and because it’s Germanish, I think it would do well internationally as well (especially in Europe, perhaps).
[name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] [name_u]Fern[/name_u] would be cute! Exciting and best wishes! [name_f]Hope[/name_f] to know eventually what you choose! So curious!
What a great list! From your combined list, my favorites are [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f], [name_f]Rosalind[/name_f], [name_f]Agnes[/name_f], [name_f]Beatrix[/name_f], and [name_f]Georgette[/name_f]. I’ll also throw out that I love the nickname [name_u]Jett[/name_u] for [name_f]Georgette[/name_f], which seems like a similar spunky vibe to [name_u]Kirby[/name_u].
Cross off Kirby, Lilly-Rose, Winslow. A few of the others risk coming across as a bit over-the-top, try-hard in Australia - Thisbe definitely would, and maybe Antigone. I like most of the rest. Favourites are Violet, Adelaide, Clementine, Persephone, Beatrix, Florence, Agnes. Think carefully about how unusual you want the name to be - there’s a significant difference between Violet and Calliope and then something like Agnes which is instantly recognisable but extremely rare these days. Quite a few on your list are feminised versions of male names (Georgette, Thomasina, Theodora, Wilhelmina, Alberta). Suggestions: Rosemary, Cecilia, Hilda. Good suggestions above: Xanthe, Ottilie, Bernadette,
I love [name_f]Acacia[/name_f] from your list, it’s a lovely underused name with a nice nod to Australia! Also [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] is elegant and beautiful. I’m not sure what works in [name_u]London[/name_u] so I’ll stick to Australia as thats where I’m from. I think in Australia you can get away with any name especially if it has an easily accessible nickname
Some other names you may like:
Australian Inspired:
[name_f]Amity[/name_f] (beach name) nn [name_f]Amy[/name_f] or Mitty
[name_u]Airlie[/name_u] (another beach name) nn Airy or [name_f]Air[/name_f] or [name_u]Lee[/name_u]
Mallee nn [name_u]Lee[/name_u] or [name_u]Mal[/name_u],
Banksia nn [name_f]Banksy[/name_f] or [name_f]Sia[/name_f]
[name_f]Merindah[/name_f] nn [name_f]Meri[/name_f]
[name_f]Opal[/name_f]
[name_f]Diamantina[/name_f] (out there I know, but lots of cool nn) nn: [name_f]Di[/name_f], [name_f]Tina[/name_f], [name_m]Manny[/name_m] ect…
Names with cool nickname options:
[name_f]Araminta[/name_f] nn [name_f]Minty[/name_f]
[name_f]Evangeline[/name_f] nn [name_f]Eva[/name_f], [name_f]Evie[/name_f], [name_u]Angie[/name_u], [name_u]Angel[/name_u], Van…
[name_f]Zephyrine[/name_f]: Zepphy, [name_f]Zippy[/name_f], RiRi, [name_m]Zeph[/name_m]
I love your two name styles combined - dark academia full name with a sweet, friendly nickname! So many lovely suggestions already but here are a few more
[name_f]Pomeline[/name_f] nn [name_f]Polly[/name_f] or [name_m]Pom[/name_m]
[name_u]Marion[/name_u] nn [name_u]Min[/name_u] / [name_f]Minnie[/name_f] / [name_f]Mamie[/name_f]
[name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] nn [name_f]Delia[/name_f]
[name_f]Georgiana[/name_f] nn George/Georgie
[name_f]Eugenie[/name_f] nn [name_u]Genie[/name_u]
[name_f]Theda[/name_f]
[name_f]Ramona[/name_f]
[name_f]Olive[/name_f]
[name_f]Geraldine[/name_f] nn [name_f]Gigi[/name_f]
[name_f]Maren[/name_f]
[name_u]June[/name_u]
Ooooh, @VEL I hadn’t thought about Jet for Georgette! That pushes it up the list (and is fiancée-approved).
Also Constance and Ottilie, with those nicknames, are going on the list. Thank you!
@EJK1720 Great advice, thank you. I’m obsessed with Antigone/Tiggy — but I think perhaps more for a beautiful Tonkinese cat. It’s a lot for a little girl!
@Frostivich your Aussie list is so creative and elegant. I’m taking Airlie! It also made me think of Coral / Coraline.
@Lauren.Ley [name_u]Auden[/name_u] is so perfectly in the middle: Academic, but clean. Any ideas for what her nickname might be? I also love [name_f]Arcadia[/name_f] and wonder if she could be an [name_m]Archie[/name_m]? Otherwise [name_f]Casy[/name_f]
@cactusgram thank you for describing it that way — that’s such a nice way to think of it, and perfectly apt! [name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] [name_u]Fern[/name_u] just won’t go away will it? It’s so sweet and yet elegant. Though [name_f]Alberta[/name_f] [name_u]Quinn[/name_u] is a new one and is also going to stick I think. Pommeline is so cute but makes me think a little bit of Pomeranians… [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] and [name_f]Eugenia[/name_f] though: I am taking!
What fun styles to mix together! I like the feel of it. From your list, I really like [name_u]Winslow[/name_u], [name_f]Margot[/name_f], [name_u]Fern[/name_u], [name_f]Violet[/name_f], [name_f]Agnes[/name_f], [name_f]Addy[/name_f], [name_u]Coco[/name_u], & [name_f]Winnie[/name_f].
Here are others I thought of as I read through your list:
