Need help choosing a name to replace a boring placeholder in my final draft!

Writers' Corner
1

My shortlist is a rather long one. As you can see I like nicknames with the option of a longer name. A little old-ish, a little boy-ish, but not too masculine and with room for sass and spunk. Any help is greatly appreciated! Yahoo Answers only dragged me across the coals :frowning:

Rory - (standalone or short for Aurora, Lorelei, or Victoria)
Pip - (short for Pippa, Piper, Penelope, or Philippa)
Bea or Bee - (short for Beatrice, Bridget, Phoebe, or Shelby)
Willa - (standalone or short for Wilhelmina)
Etta - (would love some full name ideas for this one!!)
Clementine - (unshortened, or nn Minnie, Cleo, Em, Emma, Emmy, Tiny/Teeny) (or Lemon LOL)
Winnie - (standalone or short for Gwendolyn, Gwyneth, Guinevere, Bronwyn, Arwen, or Elowen)
Monday - (no nicknames here)
Twila - (possible nn for Etoile)
Marli - (standalone, or short for Marlene or Marlowe)
June - (standalone, or short for Juniper)
Shiloh - (unshortened, or nn Lou)
Lou - (short for Eloise, Tallulah, Louisa, Shiloh)
Elowen - (nn Elle, Ella, or Winnie)
Seren - (probably unshortened but possible nickname: Ren)
Bette - (most likely short for Bernadette, but Elizabeth is also an option)

Possible others:
Darcy ?
Delia ?

Which do you love? Which do you hate? Any other names I might like? Thanks so much in advance :slight_smile:

About OC: 17 yo, lost her mom tragically and feels like it’s her fault, struggles to be herself and fit in as she moves back to her quirky hometown, idolizes her mom, loves mythology and astrology. Obsessed with finding symbolism and “signs” in everything. Quiet but intelligent. Very witty and sassy. Moody. Likes old things and dresses rather retro. Preoccupation with math, especially Fibonnacci’s Number (the golden ratio. it’s math in nature) and tries to find meaning through it. obsessed with “finding meaning.” A little crazy. Severe anxiety & depression. Tries her best. Just wants to be okay again as she struggles to balance being young with growing up and the impending pressure of leaving for college.

Important symbols/motifs (any names based on these or her interests would be awesome): the sun (!!!), moon, stars, sea, the horizon, fate/destiny, the colors blue and yellow, honesty & self-authenticity, independence.

Lastly, her love interest is currently named Roo, short for Rupert. Let me know if any of these clash with Roo! I’d also be open to hearing new ideas for him that go well with any names you might have for her. much love <3

2

Going back through this I can obviously see that Roo and [name_u]Lou[/name_u] just won’t work at all!! Thoughts of Roo and [name_u]Rory[/name_u]? Too similar?

I know a sibset by these names and thought it was adorable, but for a couple it may be too much…

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To be honest, my issue with Roo and [name_u]Rory[/name_u] is more than I see [name_u]Rory[/name_u] as more masculine than Roo, so I’d assume the genders were the other way around. They are too close as well though.

From your options, I really like [name_u]Marlowe[/name_u] but not with the nickname [name_f]Marli[/name_f]. I think [name_u]Marlowe[/name_u] doesn’t need to be shortened, and I know an adorable, sassy little girl with the name. If you want something with more of a punch, [name_f]Marlo[/name_f] could be a good spelling. I dislike [name_f]Marli[/name_f].

[name_f]Pippa[/name_f] is also a good idea, but I think [name_m]Pip[/name_m] sounds a bit childish. Roo and [name_m]Pip[/name_m] are super cute together though. I like [name_f]Pippa[/name_f] as a nickname for [name_f]Philippa[/name_f] but my favorite full name is [name_f]Philomena[/name_f].

Other ones I like are [name_u]Seren[/name_u] (love nn [name_u]Ren[/name_u] but might be too much with Roo. If you want a longer name + nickname, I’ve seen [name_u]Seren[/name_u] used as a nickname for [name_f]Seraphina[/name_f] or [name_f]Seraphine[/name_f]), [name_f]Twila[/name_f] ([name_u]LOVE[/name_u] this, and don’t think it needs a longer name), [name_f]Etta[/name_f] (so many good full name options here. [name_f]Harriet[/name_f], [name_f]Juliet[/name_f], [name_f]Violet[/name_f], heck [name_f]Etoile[/name_f] could work. Also beautiful in full), [name_f]Willa[/name_f] ([name_f]Wilhelmina[/name_f] is nice), and [name_u]Shiloh[/name_u] (no nickname needed).

[name_f]Monday[/name_f] got me thinking about [name_f]Sunday[/name_f], which has the fun nickname [name_u]Sunny[/name_u]. This would also give you a nod to the sun. Anything related to light could work too. Have you considered [name_f]Lux[/name_f]? I love [name_f]Lux[/name_f] as a full name and also as a nickname for [name_f]Lucia[/name_f]. Another idea could be [name_f]Sahar[/name_f]. It’s Arabic and means “dawn”, which is like a new horizon.
Other ideas:
[name_f]Luna[/name_f] (the moon)
[name_u]Vega[/name_u] (full name [name_f]Victoria[/name_f]?? Bit of a stretch)
[name_u]Eloise[/name_u] (I know this is on your list, but I don’t think you should throw it out because [name_u]Lou[/name_u] doesn’t work. It has a meaning related to “sun”. Other nicknames could be [name_f]Elle[/name_f], [name_f]Elsie[/name_f], or [name_f]Lola[/name_f], or I love [name_u]Eloise[/name_u] in full)
Tesni (“warmth of the sun” in Welsh. This is a GP of mine. nn could be [name_f]Tess[/name_f] or [name_f]Tessa[/name_f])
[name_f]Helen[/name_f] (nn [name_f]Leni[/name_f]? I also love [name_f]Eleni[/name_f], which is a variant and has the same meaning. [name_f]Helen[/name_f] has a meaning related to the moon)
[name_f]Selene[/name_f] (moon meaning. nn [name_f]Lena[/name_f]? [name_f]Leni[/name_f]?)
Csilla (pronounced cheela. Might be difficult but I really like it)
[name_f]Moira[/name_f] (I love this name and also know an insanely cute little girl with this name. Meaning is literally “fate, destiny”)
[name_f]Livia[/name_f] (nn [name_f]Liv[/name_f], [name_f]Vivi[/name_f], or [name_f]Via[/name_f]. Meaning “blue, envious”)
[name_f]Xanthe[/name_f] (“yellow, fair-haired”. nn [name_m]Xan[/name_m] or [name_f]Thea[/name_f]?)

Really, the only names I truly dislike from your list are [name_f]Winnie[/name_f] (doesn’t fit the character imo), [name_f]Bette[/name_f] (same as [name_f]Winnie[/name_f]), [name_f]Clementine[/name_f] (doesn’t fit character and I really dislike the name), [name_f]Bea[/name_f] (dislike the name), and [name_u]Rory[/name_u] (personal preference, I much prefer this on a boy). [name_f]Clementine[/name_f], [name_f]Bea[/name_f], and [name_u]Rory[/name_u] are more ones I just don’t like, so if you decide they are The Name for your character, don’t let my opinion stop you!

I’m neutral on [name_f]Elowen[/name_f] and [name_u]June[/name_u], which I believe are the only two names from your shortlist that I haven’t covered. I adore [name_f]Juno[/name_f], but I’m only neutral on [name_u]Juniper[/name_u]/[name_u]June[/name_u]. [name_u]Darcy[/name_u] is really pretty. Not a fan of [name_f]Delia[/name_f].

[name_f]Hope[/name_f] this helped! Sorry you had a bad time on Yahoo Answers. I’ve heard they can be pretty cruel on there.

4

[name_f]Aurora[/name_f] with the nickname [name_u]Rory[/name_u] would fit well considering the motifs!! I love [name_m]Pip[/name_m] as a nickname for any of the possible longer names as well! Although, given what you have said about the character I think [name_u]Piper[/name_u] or [name_f]Pippa[/name_f] would work best with [name_m]Pip[/name_m]. Both names have a bit more spunk and don’t sound as formal as [name_f]Penelope[/name_f] and [name_f]Philippa[/name_f] in my opinion. Other names I love from your list are [name_f]Elowen[/name_f] (nn [name_f]Elle[/name_f] or even [name_u]Wren[/name_u]!), [name_u]Shiloh[/name_u] (full name), [name_f]Marli[/name_f] for [name_u]Marlowe[/name_u]!!

5

I think [name_f]Willa[/name_f] fits, and would also go well with Roo!