So we’re having triplets – all girls! – and are trying to narrow down some middle names. We’re pretty positive the girls are going to be named [name]Philippa[/name], [name]Beatrix[/name], and [name]Virginia[/name] (thoughts on those?) but are having trouble with the middles. I am a big fan of two middle names, but I feel we can’t give only one or two of the girls two middles and leave the third with only one.
For [name]Philippa[/name], we’re considering [name]Clare[/name] (my sister’s name) and [name]Jane[/name].
For [name]Beatrix[/name], we like [name]Isabel[/name] (my cousin’s name) so far.
For [name]Virginia[/name], we like [name]Elizabeth[/name] (my mom’s name), [name]Ellen[/name], and [name]Maeve[/name].
We just want to know what else you guys have got out there, so let me have it!
Also, my name is [name]Charlotte[/name]! and though I really, really love it, my sister would love to use it for a future daughter and I’m not a big fan of naming your children after yourself.
[name]Hi[/name]! Congrats on your three girls!
[name]Love[/name] [name]Philippa[/name] and [name]Beatrix[/name]. [name]Pippa[/name] and [name]Bea[/name] are really fun, whimsical, vintage nicknames - would you use those? I do like [name]Virginia[/name], too, but I really think something like [name]Rosemary[/name] would be gorgeous with [name]Philippa[/name] and [name]Beatrix[/name]. [name]Pippa[/name], [name]Bea[/name], and [name]Romy[/name]? Cute! Anyway…
[name]How[/name] long is your last name? If it’s longer, then those short middle names - [name]Clare[/name], [name]Jane[/name], [name]Maeve[/name], even [name]Ellen[/name] - would be ideal. If it’s shorter, then longer middle names like [name]Isabel[/name] and [name]Elizabeth[/name] are great. The only thing is…[name]Isabel[/name] and [name]Elizabeth[/name] are variants of one another, so if you used them both, [name]Baby[/name] #3 would be a bit left out, right? Perhaps you could use [name]Eleanor[/name] or [name]Helena[/name] as a variant of [name]Ellen[/name], and then use [name]Isabel[/name]? Also, [name]Caroline[/name], which has the same meaning as [name]Charlotte[/name], would be nice! So, maybe you could do [name]Philippa[/name] [name]Caroline[/name], [name]Beatrix[/name] [name]Eleanor[/name], and [name]Virginia[/name] [name]Isabel[/name]? Or, [name]Philippa[/name] [name]Caroline[/name], [name]Beatrix[/name] [name]Eleanor[/name], and [name]Rosemary[/name] [name]Isabel[/name]?
[name]Lemon[/name] 
I love the names you chose, very classy.
[name]How[/name] about:
[name]Philippa[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name] [name]Jane[/name]
[name]Beatrix[/name] [name]Isabel[/name] [name]Maeve[/name]
[name]Virginia[/name] [name]Ellen[/name] [name]Clare[/name]
fyi [name]Isabel[/name] and [name]Elizabeth[/name] have the same origin/meaning, so you could use just one.
I would suggest giving each girl one mn that is a family name and one that is a name you love.
To be totally honest, I love [name]Beatrix[/name] and [name]Philippa[/name] together but I agree with [name]Lemon[/name] that [name]Virginia[/name] seems left out. If I was a [name]Virginia[/name] and my sisters were [name]Beatrix[/name] and [name]Philippa[/name], I’d be jealous of their names, but that’s just me! I would also consider the teasing potential of [name]Virginia[/name] although it’s not that big a deal.
I love love love [name]Lemon[/name]'s suggestion of [name]Rosemary[/name] and would also suggest, [name]Matilda[/name], [name]Harriet[/name], [name]Georgina[/name], [name]Tabitha[/name], [name]Louisa[/name], [name]Josephine[/name], [name]Helena[/name], [name]Romilly[/name], [name]Rosanna[/name], [name]Susannah[/name], [name]Sylvia[/name], [name]Clarissa[/name], [name]Rosalie[/name], [name]Viola[/name], [name]Lorelei[/name], [name]Althea[/name], [name]Amabel[/name] etc.
I agree that there’s no need to use both [name]Isabel[/name] and [name]Elizabeth[/name] as middle’s because they’re versions of the same name.
I would also only use [name]Claire[/name] or [name]Jane[/name] for for [name]Beatrix[/name] because I don’t like the flow of too one syllable middles in a row. Maybe:
[name]Philippa[/name] [name]Elen[/name] [name]Claire[/name]
[name]Beatrix[/name] [name]Isabel[/name] [name]Jane[/name]
[name]Virginia[/name] [name]Caroline[/name] [name]Maeve[/name]
Good luck!
Congratulations! 3 girls at once - what a fantastic naming opportunity!
You have some great names to work with here. I like pp’s idea of using one family middle for each of the girls. What is your partner’s name - would you like his name or a variant to be a contender? Any other family names that could be used?
[name]Philippa[/name] - I love this name. [name]Philippa[/name] [name]Ellen[/name] [name]Clare[/name] - a lot of L’s but I think the flow of 3-2-1 is better than 3-1-1. Maybe [name]Philippa[/name] [name]Clara[/name] [name]Jane[/name]?
[name]Beatrix[/name] - [name]Beatrix[/name] [name]Isabel[/name] is lovely. [name]How[/name] about [name]Beatrix[/name] [name]Isabel[/name] [name]Maeve[/name]? I really like the combination of [name]Ellen[/name] [name]Maeve[/name] - [name]Beatrix[/name] [name]Ellen[/name] [name]Maeve[/name]? oh but neither of those are family names right?
[name]Virginia[/name] - like the others, this isn’t my favorite name of the 3. But I do see its appeal. [name]Virginia[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name] [name]Maeve[/name] or [name]Virginia[/name] [name]Ellen[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name].
[name]Philippa[/name] [name]Clara[/name] [name]Jane[/name]
[name]Beatrix[/name] [name]Isabel[/name] [name]Maeve[/name]
[name]Virginia[/name] [name]Ellen[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name]
[name]Philippa[/name], [name]Beatrix[/name] and [name]Virginia[/name] would make stunning names for triplets, or indeed any siblings! I’m imagining three adorable little girls nicknamed [name]Pippa[/name], [name]Bea[/name] and [name]Ginger[/name] (I know the last one isn’t to some people’s taste). I’m sure you’ve considered the teasing potential of [name]Virginia[/name], of course.
[name]Isabel[/name] and [name]Elizabeth[/name] are both lovely, however they are also two variants of the same name. It isn’t obvious and very few people who weren’t name nerds would know, and as they both honour people I don’t think using them both is out of the question at all, but my concern is that one girl wouldn’t get a linking name … it would be nice if all three could. [name]How[/name] about [name]Bettina[/name], [name]Elsa[/name] or [name]Elspeth[/name]? Oh, or, as you already have a sort of pattern ([name]IsabEL[/name], [name]ELizabeth[/name]), you could then take the last two letters of [name]Elizabeth[/name] and use a Th____ name. There are some lovely options, including [name]Theresa[/name] and [name]Thessaly[/name]. Or just another [name]EL[/name] name could work, maybe even [name]Ellen[/name], which you mentioned liking (my personal choice would be the, in my opinion more classic, [name]Eleanor[/name]).
So how about :
[name]Philippa[/name] ______ (connecting name - I think three syllables work best - my choice for flow would be [name]Theresa[/name]) [name]Clare[/name]
[name]Beatrix[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name] [name]Jane[/name]
[name]Virginia[/name] [name]Isabel[/name] [name]Maeve[/name]
I love the flow of these combinations, and the fact that each girl has a family name. Also, I thought that the fairly popular [name]Isabel[/name] would balance out [name]Virginia[/name], the most vintage of the three in my opinion, nicely.
Good luck! [name]Auburn[/name]
[name]Just[/name] want to say I love [name]Phillipa[/name], [name]Beatrix[/name] and [name]Virginia[/name]. [name]Virginia[/name] is actually my favorite of the bunch! If you wanted to go really spunky there’s [name]Pip[/name], [name]Trixie[/name] and [name]Ginger[/name]. Or, if you go more classic, [name]Pippa[/name], [name]Bea[/name], and [name]Ginny[/name].
[name]Virginia[/name] as a sister to [name]Philippa[/name] and [name]Beatrix[/name] is really growing on me - I’m beginning to feel it as a set. I like pp’s idea of using another “connecting” name with [name]Isabel[/name] and [name]Elizabeth[/name], but of the ones she mentioned [name]Bettina[/name] is the only one that really feels like it’s own name as [name]Isabel[/name] and [name]Elizabeth[/name] do. So how about:
[name]Philippa[/name] [name]Isabel[/name] [name]Jane[/name]
[name]Beatrix[/name] [name]Bettina[/name] [name]Clare[/name]
[name]Virginia[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name] [name]Maeve[/name]
All girls have one family middle ([name]Clare[/name], [name]Isabel[/name] and [name]Elizabeth[/name]) and one connecting name ([name]Isabel[/name], [name]Bettina[/name], [name]Elizabeth[/name]).
What about [name]Vivian[/name]/[name]Vivienne[/name] rather than [name]Virginia[/name]?
I really like the name set you’ve got going on so far. I am a fan of giving twins/trips/etc., either a name that means the same thing, or a name with the same root, and since you already have [name]Elizabeth[/name] and [name]Isabel[/name], you could very well go with a third. The variations of [name]Elizabeth[/name] are endless…[name]Elise[/name], [name]Lilabet[/name], [name]Leese[/name], [name]Lizette[/name], [name]Bess[/name], [name]Elisa[/name], [name]Libby[/name], [name]Lizanne[/name], [name]Liesl[/name], [name]Elsie[/name], [name]Elsa[/name],…the choices go on…
Here are some combos that don’t leave the third one out.
[name]Philippa[/name] [name]Clare[/name] [name]Elise[/name], [name]Beatrix[/name] [name]Isabel[/name] [name]Maeve[/name], [name]Virginia[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name] [name]Ellen[/name]
[name]Philippa[/name] [name]Lizette[/name] [name]Clare[/name], [name]Beatrix[/name] [name]Isabel[/name] [name]Ellen[/name], [name]Virginia[/name] [name]Maeve[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name]
[name]Philippa[/name] [name]Maeve[/name] [name]Isabel[/name], [name]Beatrix[/name] [name]Elsa[/name] [name]Clare[/name], [name]Virginia[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name] [name]Jane[/name]
You have so many beautiful names to work with here. I would just look up [name]Elizabeth[/name] and write down all of the variations that you like, and play with them until you find the perfect combination! Best of [name]Luck[/name]!
Let us know what goes on the Birth Certificates!
Ooh, I’m so happy you’re using [name]Philippa[/name], I love that name! Great choices!
I love all your ideas!
I also actually [name]LOVE[/name] [name]Vivienne[/name] – I have a great aunt named [name]Vivian[/name] but i like the French spelling better – and am also sort of considering it. [name]Virginia[/name] is actually also one of my cousins and one of my best friends and I really want to use the name to honor her…but we are also not 100% set on it either. I could use [name]Virginia[/name] as a middle name for one of the girls instead, so it’s a really fluid arrangement. I would love continuing to get feedback!
So when you say “it’s a fluid arrangement”, do you mean your not set on firsts? As I said before I adore [name]Philippa[/name] and [name]Beatrix[/name] and wouldn’t change them but Virigina doesn’t seem to fit to me - [name]Vivienne[/name] or one of the other suggestions would be lovely! Or even one of the [name]Elizabeth[/name] variations suggested? I particularly think [name]Elspeth[/name] works well with [name]Philippa[/name] and [name]Beatrix[/name]. [name]Do[/name] you like any of the other suggestions ([name]Rosemary[/name] etc) as firsts?
[name]Pippa[/name], [name]Bea[/name] and [name]Elsie[/name] Adorable!!