Thanks for the link, E, and I’m happy to lend my two cents to the final saga of your renaming! Here are my thoughts:
[name]Beatrix[/name]/[name]Beatrice[/name] - I’m always going to pick the snappier [name]Beatrix[/name], but perhaps [name]Beatrice[/name] is more you in it’s staid, elegant, vaguely romantic vibe. It’s got staying power, as does perky [name]Bea[/name]. As for [name]Beatrix[/name], [name]Trixie[/name] really doesn’t sound as chic as I think you’re going for, and though Tricie is vaguely [name]Tracy[/name]-like, it’s packing a little more of a punch. That said, I like [name]Bea[/name]-whatever as a first name for you, but I don’t think it has quite enough oomph.
[name]Hermione[/name] - I’ve read through a few of the comments and I do definitely agree about the pop culture aspect of a naming, especially a renaming. [name]Hermione[/name] isn’t out of the woods yet on that front, as she’s still very, very much [name]Hermione[/name] [name]Granger[/name]. You can’t even shorten [name]Hermione[/name] to anything worth saving the name. That being said, she’d make one heck of a powerful middle name.
[name]Genevieve[/name] - Someone said this name might be a little too frilly for you, and I can see that argument, but I also find [name]Genevieve[/name] to be the epitome of class, elegance, and, yes, a bit of intrigue. We’ve discussed the similarity with your friends’ name, and considering you’re trying to distance yourself from repetition, that is something to be aware, and wary, of. However, a name like [name]Genevieve[/name] isn’t too frilly for you. It isn’t [name]Seraphina[/name] or [name]Evangelina[/name], you know? That being said, I’m not sure the fit is spot on here.
[name]Eloise[/name] - I believe I saw a little note about the sweet nickname “[name]Elsa[/name]” from you, my dear? [name]Elsa[/name], and cutesy [name]Elsie[/name], can totally be used as nicknames for Miss [name]Eloise[/name], as can [name]Elle[/name], [name]Ellie[/name], Lo, and [name]Lola[/name]. [name]Don[/name]'t be afraid to try your hand at experimentation when it comes to nicknames, okay? Also, if you’re looking for [name]Elsa[/name] and don’t want [name]Elspeth[/name], you could try [name]Elisa[/name], [name]Elisabetta[/name], or Elsinore. However, [name]Elsa[/name] on her own doesn’t say nickname to me, and she has that vintage playfulness that really suits you. That being said, I think [name]Eloise[/name] could put up a great competition for your first name, as she’s got vintage charm and spunky playfulness in an elegant, romantic package.
[name]Adelaide[/name] - Why have I missed [name]Adelaide[/name] on your list?! I don’t think this one has come out in many of our talks, miss! Well, the thing about [name]Adelaide[/name] is that she’s got all this countrified charm in a really old-school, vintage, royal-charm name. That’s very hard to do! She’s like [name]Clementine[/name] with a fancy-pants kick, you know? That being said, the charm factor makes me wary of [name]Adelaide[/name], especially when I feel you’ve got plenty an [name]Ada[/name] name to win you over. Simple [name]Ada[/name] herself packs a vintage punch, whereas [name]Adeline[/name] (though oh-so-similar to [name]Madeline[/name]) is more stuffy-staid and sweet. Then we’ve got pop-culture-phenom [name]Adele[/name] (which certainly isn’t unusable despite [name]Adele[/name]'s popularity) with her simple, sultry vibe, and [name]Adela[/name], the more romantic, yet equally festive, charming, and powerful, option on the table. [name]Ada[/name] is your [name]Clementine[/name], [name]Adeline[/name] is your [name]Beatrice[/name], [name]Adele[/name] is your [name]Hermione[/name], and [name]Adela[/name] is your [name]Genevieve[/name]. My pick for you? [name]Adela[/name]. Because, even though she’s mainly your [name]Genevieve[/name], she’s also got a whole lot of your [name]Penelope[/name]-[name]Eloise[/name]-[name]Hermione[/name] going on.
[name]Penelope[/name] - [name]Penelope[/name] is a bit of a name-of-the-moment. She’s the vintage “it” girl, where [name]Stella[/name] was a few years ago. That’s hard for you going in as a name changer, considering many a mom and pop these days will be picking your name at the same time that you’re picking it. While [name]Penelope[/name] definitely has that vintage British straightforward vibe and spunky outer shell, I’m worried about her current impact on your search.
[name]Imogen[/name] - [name]Imogen[/name] is, for me personally, one of my two least favorites on your list. I don’t love the sound of the name, nor do I particularly warm up to the aesthetic of it. However, it does seem to capture your criteria very well, as it’s stoked in old-school history and charm, yet it’s got this modern-model feel to it. Again, that’s a hard mix to fix, and this one does it! That being said, I can’t help but thing that personal favorite [name]Phoebe[/name] does the same thing in a much perkier, prettier package.
[name]Emmeline[/name] - I find [name]Emmeline[/name] to be extremely pretty, sweet, charming, simple, and elegant. She’s got lots of history and power behind her, and she isn’t sugary, like many a sweet vintage name is. That being said, I worry that [name]Emmeline[/name] takes the easy way out in re-naming an [name]Emily[/name]. I guess I always thought you really wanted to go in head-first, which makes me wary of this decision.
[name]Clementine[/name] - If [name]Imogen[/name] is one of my least favorite two names on your list, this is the absolute least favorite for me. I always tell Berries that I’ve got two pet peeve names, one for each gender (those, if you haven’t heard, are [name]Jasper[/name] for a boy and [name]Nora[/name] for a girl). However, I really should add [name]Clementine[/name] to the list. To me, it’s overly charming, overly sugar-coated, and overly trying-too-hard to be cool, chic, different, whatever. It’s got a whole lot of history, which is a plus, but it doesn’t feel like the sophisticated name I know you want and need.
[name]Leonie[/name] - This one is different, but extremely refreshing. I agree with a comment or two suggesting that this name doesn’t really fit, though. It’s like [name]Genevieve[/name] in style, meaning it’s romantic and frilly without being over-the-top feminine or lacking in strength. Indeed, [name]Leonie[/name] feels very much like the name of a woman on a mission. That being said, I honestly think you need the softer, sultrier [name]Leona[/name] on your list, which feels slightly more [name]Brit[/name] than [name]Franc[/name], slightly more lady than woman.
I know you’ve got this ends-in-A issue, E, but if I were you, I’d give it up and use one of my two top picks for you, [name]Adela[/name] or [name]Leona[/name]. If you can’t do that, my top pick off your list is probably [name]Eloise[/name].
I may not check back here to see your response - I can barely keep up with my private messages right now, let alone scouring the forums! - so please message me if I miss your reply. Best of luck!
[name]Lemon[/name]
I’m putting my focus on one name at a time, to see how I feel about it.)
[name]Genevieve[/name] is so lovely, and I’d love to see it on more people our age.