Hello berries.
I have had an intense but amazing week.
After worries of pre-eclampsia after I had elevated blood pressure, and several 24 hour stints in hospital with doctors close to breaking my waters, my health stabilised and I had an easy half hour labour at home on the morning 9/07/11 (we didn’t even get the chance to get to hospital)
It was the only one of my births which was in any way fast or problem free, and was shared by just me and my husband.
I now have my final baby girl, and a name (!)
One which wasn’t even on our list to begin with- [name]Merel[/name]. It means blackbird in Dutch and we’re pronouncing it Me-RELL- so with slightly stronger emphasis on the second syllable- we looked for names meaning black after our daughter arrived with a surprisingly long and black crop
The conundrum now is picking a middle name. I want something meaningful, either something with its roots in a story or legend, or something with a meaning to match the fact that this is our last, and an utterly miraculous feeling, child.
I like names which are offbeat (other kids names are [name]Una[/name] [name]Marisol[/name], [name]Romy[/name] [name]Artemesia[/name], [name]Edgar[/name] [name]Caspian[/name], [name]Clio[/name] [name]Dorothea[/name])
Any help out there?
Wow I love your kids names, particularly [name]Romy[/name] [name]Artemesia[/name]!
[name]Merel[/name] I have never heard before, but I like it. I think another longer middle name would work very well, so how about:
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Peridot[/name] [name]Merel[/name] [name]Ariadne[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Camellia[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Marguerite[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Genevie[/name] [name]Merel[/name] [name]Eulalia[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Cordelia[/name] (biased here, i know)
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Amaryllis[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Sophronia[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Lucasta[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Adalie[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Parthenia[/name] [name]Merel[/name] [name]Temperance[/name]
Any of these do the trick for you?
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Calliope[/name] [name]Merel[/name] [name]Marguerite[/name] [name]Merel[/name] [name]Olympia[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Isadora[/name]- [name]Love[/name] the meaning!
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Juliet[/name] [name]Merel[/name] [name]Marguerite[/name] [name]Merel[/name] [name]Ophelia[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Cordelia[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] Crysanthe- Found this when following up one of your suggestions. WDYT? [name]Merel[/name] Euthalia- [name]Eulalia[/name] reminded me of Euthalia which was one of my favourites when looking for names prev. It means flower and is also a type of butterfly. Is [name]Merel[/name] Euthalia too much?
bedhead-Thank you I liked a lot of your suggestions. [name]Calliope[/name] and [name]Cordelia[/name] have a nice melodic flow, especially.
bounce- It was lovely of you to include the meanings with your names. That’s a really important part of it, for me, so thanks. I do love [name]Isis[/name] but I think the flow of two 2 syllable names together is what holds me back from it. You got my style very well.
labmama- I love [name]Olympia[/name]. I got excited about that.
harrietsmummy- [name]Merel[/name] [name]Eulalia[/name] is so nice and reminded me of an old love, brilliant. [name]Amaryllis[/name] is so out there and fun, which I liked. DH didn’t agree which is the only reason that option isn’t lingering on.
Are there any glaring problems (stylistic, flow, etc etc etc) with these, and which sounds best to you all?
Thanks again.
Oh, yay! I’m glad you liked [name]Merel[/name] [name]Olympia[/name], obviously, it’s the one that gets my vote! In second place, I’d put [name]Merel[/name] [name]Ophelia[/name].
Good luck with your decision! Please let us all know what you decide!
Congrats on your baby girl! Your children have amazing names!
I love labmama’s suggestion of [name]Merel[/name] [name]Olympia[/name], and I think it sounds great with [name]Edgar[/name] [name]Caspian[/name], so I vote for [name]Olympia[/name] (;
I also really like [name]Merel[/name] [name]Marguerite[/name]
[quote=“elizaleigh”]Merel Calliope [name]Merel[/name] [name]Marguerite[/name] [name]Merel[/name] [name]Olympia[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Isadora[/name]- [name]Love[/name] the meaning!
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Juliet[/name] [name]Merel[/name] [name]Marguerite[/name] [name]Merel[/name] [name]Ophelia[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Cordelia[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] Crysanthe- Found this when following up one of your suggestions. WDYT? I find it a little obscure.
Wow, congratulations and [name]Merel[/name] is so pretty and melodic, great choice!
Before I read the posts with lots of great suggestions [name]Isadora[/name] was forming in my mind and of course [name]Merel[/name] [name]Juliet[/name] would have my heart, I just love that one.
Or
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Guinevere[/name] (not as pretty as [name]Juliet[/name] though).
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Catalina[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Carolina[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Cynthia[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Aurelia[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Aurora[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Petula[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Poesy[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Clementine[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Calypso[/name] a fun one like [name]Amaryllis[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Jemima[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Constantina[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Tallulah[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] Makushla
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Fleur[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Athena[/name] if you like [name]Olympia[/name] but nms
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Helena[/name] or [name]Elaina[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Rosalia[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Isadora[/name] [name]Grace[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Cordelia[/name] is lovely!
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Victoria[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Anthea[/name] [name]Rose[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Violet[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Epiphany[/name] [name]Rose[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Clarissa[/name] [name]Jane[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Jordana[/name] [name]Louise[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Isadora[/name] - for the meaning and flow
AND
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Olympia[/name] - for that legendary aspect you’re after, and how it compliments her siblings’ names
[name]Just[/name] a few more to throw in there for good measure:
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Seraphine[/name] - a little dark-haired angel!
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Arcadia[/name] - loving that mythological idea of the lush paradise where the faeries lived.
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Philomina[/name] - “powerful love” - great meaning!
[name]Merel[/name] Callidora - “beautiful gift” - AW!
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Olympia[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Isadora[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Cordelia[/name]
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Calypso[/name]- loved this suggestion rollo
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Arcadia[/name]- thank you for the thoughtful suggestions peanut. I liked most of them but this is the cream of the crop, particulrly after your description)
This is really my shortlist, right now. I am tempted by [name]Merel[/name] [name]Marguerite[/name] too, but having not done the alliterative thing before, I feel like it might sound a bit silly bolted on the end. I may be overthinking.
Anyway, I do want to decide in the next day or two as I hate her not having a birth certificate signed yet.
It looks like [name]Isadora[/name], [name]Cordelia[/name] and [name]Olympia[/name] are the strong favourites here, and I suspect might be mine too.
I feel so torn. Aargh
This suggestion is left of field but I thought of it after thinking about [name]Calypso[/name]. The name that I like is [name]Jamaica[/name].
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Jamaica[/name] - too [name]OTT[/name]? [name]Jamaica[/name] a girl’s name is pronounced ja-[name]MAY[/name]-kah. The name is from an [name]Indian[/name] word meaning “isle with many springs”.
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Olympia[/name]- [name]Love[/name] this
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Isadora[/name]- Like this too, but not as much. It just lacks the ‘wow’ of the first combo
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Cordelia[/name]- Obviously I love this. Like that they both have ‘el’ in them. A nice tie.
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Calypso[/name]- I don’t think this works, sorry! [name]Both[/name] names might be unknown to non-name nerds, meaning together they might be a bit much. Plus I just think the flow is a tiny bit less ideal than the prev. combinations.
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Arcadia[/name]- Like this but it seems like a character’s name, rather than a child’s. I can’t place why.
[name]Hope[/name] this helps.
Whatever you go with, [name]Merel[/name] is so pretty and if you love it, thats the most important thing.
The conundrum now is picking a middle name. I want something meaningful, either something with its roots in a story or legend, or something with a meaning to match the fact that this is our last, and an utterly miraculous feeling, child.
Off the top of my head. Sorry for any repeats…
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Isolde[/name] I like the history of [name]Isolde[/name] it means ‘fair lady’ and she was an Irish princess in [name]Wagner[/name]'s opera ‘[name]Tristan[/name] and [name]Isolde[/name]’, I 99% like it but the words i sold it keeping popping into my head
[name]Merel[/name] Kinaya now I think Kinaya is lovely because it has such an airy fairy flowy feeling and goes so well with [name]Merel[/name].
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Guinevere[/name] Now [name]Guinevere[/name] speaks [name]LEGEND[/name] in big letters everyone knows that she was [name]King[/name] [name]Arthur[/name]'s queen.
[name]Merel[/name] [name]Eulalie[/name] [name]Edgar[/name] [name]Allen[/name] [name]Poe[/name] wrote a poem named ‘[name]Eulalie[/name]’ and if you like him as I suspect you do with a child named [name]Edgar[/name] then this is almost a no brainer.
So, it boils down to what ticks the most boxes for you, do you want lots of legend, a love poem connection, gorgeous flow and romantic feel or and Irish princess that [name]Wagner[/name] created. Or something else?
elizaleigh, you might try the old grade school trick of doodling the names on a piece of paper to arrive at your favorite. But perhaps just holding her and trying out the names, calling her by them - last name included - and seeing what feels right, will do the trick! Best wishes!
Hello! Well, first of all I wanted to ask, do you have a sort of, all my children’s middle names will be Ancient Greek theme going on?? Because I do! All my children have Ancient greek middle names my son is called [name]Axel[/name] [name]Perseus[/name], my two daughters [name]Ivy[/name] [name]Persephone[/name] and [name]Arielle[/name] [name]Athena[/name], and my soon to be born daughter will be called something [name]Artemis[/name].
As for the name [name]Merel[/name]… I love it! It sounds so unique, yet at the same time traditional and serene. I personally think that [name]Merel[/name] [name]Persephone[/name] sounds beautiful, very lady like and…flowery… My second choice would be [name]Merel[/name] [name]Isis[/name], because she is also a goddess, and I think it sounds good, although, I think a middle name to go with [name]Merel[/name] should be slightly longer, therefore, my first choice would be [name]Persephone[/name].
Congratulations on your baby girl! And I am sure that whichever name you choose will be absolutely beautiful, just like your daughter!
Your children have amazing names!
But perhaps just holding her and trying out the names, calling her by them - last name included - and seeing what feels right, will do the trick! Best wishes!