We are really struggling with a girls name for baby #5.
We have a list of favs but are really undecided about how to pay homage to my late grandmother whom was very special to me.
Her name was [name_f]Shirley[/name_f].
Im struggling to find a suitable way or alternative to use that feels right.
Im hoping someone will have ideas.
If [name_f]Shirley[/name_f] is to be a middle name our short list is:
[name_f]Sybil[/name_f]
[name_f]Ellen[/name_f]
[name_f]Mallory[/name_f]
If it is to be a first name Im not sure if we should just be bold and use it or if there is an alternative or aubtle but not obscure way to pay tribute.
[name_f]Shirley[/name_f] means bright meadow/clearing. You could use [name_f]Meadow[/name_f] as a middle name? That could be too obscure for you though. What was your grandmother’s middle name? Maybe you could use that. Or [name_f]Shira[/name_f]? I like [name_f]Sybil[/name_f] [name_f]Meadow[/name_f]! Also [name_f]Shirley[/name_f] is a cute name, but it seems like you’re not liking it enough to use it on its own. I think it would be fine in the middle spot if you like it enough!
I want to honour a grandmother [name_f]Shirley[/name_f] too, so I share your dilemma.
Did your grandmother have a middle name you could use to honour her? A maiden name? Or the name of the street she lived on? It might help you, as this has widened the ways to honour her to include [name_u]June[/name_u], [name_u]Regan[/name_u] and [name_m]Birch[/name_m] for me.
Another nice option is the name [name_f]Shiri[/name_f]. It feels more modern and underused than [name_f]Shirley[/name_f], but shares the same letters even though the sound is a little different.
I’m a [name_f]Suzannah[/name_f] named after a late grandmother [name_f]Shirley[/name_f]
I have the same middle name as her but I really appreciate my first name sounding a bit less aged, even if it deviates in sound more than something like [name_f]Shira[/name_f]. So yeah, speaking from my own life experience, I’d find an alternative S- name you enjoy that sounds good with the grandmother’s middle. Subtle enough that she has her own name, but the homage is still significant.
This is probably a strange suggestion, but since [name_f]Shirley[/name_f] sounds like “surely”, how about using [name_u]True[/name_u] or [name_u]Truly[/name_u] as the middle name?
The only alternative I could think of was [name_f]Shirlene[/name_f].
If [name_f]Shirley[/name_f] isn’t thrilling you, I’d look at other alternatives to honor your grandmother. Maybe Her middle name? Maiden name? Maybe her favorite flower or something else that reminds you of her? For instance, I intend to honor my grandfather by using the name [name_f]Irene[/name_f] because Goodnight [name_f]Irene[/name_f] was one of his favorite songs. It’s not a direct way to name a daughter after him, but I still feel the connection there which to me is what matters.
I would go with [name_f]Ellen[/name_f] [name_f]Shirley[/name_f], because I like honour names to be left in their original form. This way you’re also still using a name you genuinely like.
I actually really like [name_f]Shirley[/name_f]. It is a bit old ladyish, but I think it sort of fits in with more popular -ley names like [name_f]Kaylee[/name_f]/[name_f]Hailey[/name_f]/[name_u]Riley[/name_u] etc.
That said, there are other options:
[name_f]Shira[/name_f] (shee-ra, Hebrew, “poetry”)
[name_f]Shirin[/name_f] (she-REEN, Persian, “sweet”)
[name_u]Shir[/name_u] (Persian, “lion.” Technically masculine, but I think it could work as a middle for a girl)
[name_u]Lee[/name_u] (“Clearing,” the root of the -ley in [name_f]Shirley[/name_f])
Also [name_f]Shirley[/name_f] is a cute name, but it seems like you’re not liking it enough to use it on its own. I think it would be fine in the middle spot if you like it enough!