I have one sister I’m yet trying to name in this large family for a writing project I’m working on, and I’m finding myself a bit stuck. The full sibset, including a foster sister, looks a bit like this (names and approximate ages):
[name_f]Grace[/name_f] or [name_f]Claire[/name_f] might be perfect, but they’re already [name_f]Lena[/name_f]'s and [name_f]Eva[/name_f]'s middle names. I like the idea of something more short and sweet (like [name_f]Lily[/name_f] and [name_f]Eva[/name_f]) as opposed to the more classic and elaborate [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] and [name_f]Olivia[/name_f], but that’s not a hard-and-fast rule. So far, I’m considering [name_f]Anna[/name_f], [name_f]Isabella[/name_f], [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f], [name_f]Zoe[/name_f], and maybe [name_f]Tessa[/name_f]. As their father is a pastor, I like the idea of something slightly religious/Biblical in nature (like [name_u]James[/name_u], [name_m]Samson[/name_m], [name_f]Grace[/name_f], [name_m]Judah[/name_m], [name_m]Benjamin[/name_m], [name_m]Peter[/name_m], [name_m]Matthias[/name_m], [name_f]Lily[/name_f], [name_f]Magdalena[/name_f], [name_f]Eva[/name_f], etc.), but it doesn’t need to be. I’m thinking about [name_u]Eden[/name_u] or [name_f]Jane[/name_f] for her middle name, or maybe something closer to being like [name_f]Magdalena[/name_f] (maybe [name_f]Eliora[/name_f]?)? Elaborate, girly, with religious connotations.
The thing that stands out to me is that [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f], [name_f]Olivia[/name_f], and [name_f]Lily[/name_f] (and [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f], too) is that they’re very “l” heavy, so [name_f]Eva[/name_f] sticks out a bit in that regard (although she fits in with all the “E” names). Maybe something with a “v” would be nice to tie in with [name_f]Eva[/name_f] (and [name_f]Olivia[/name_f])? But most of the “v” names I can think of are probably longer than what you’re looking for:
Actually [name_f]Vera[/name_f] might be a great choice. It’s short, and in Russian it means “faith”, so it has the religious feel you were looking for. Maybe [name_f]Vera[/name_f] [name_f]Emmanuelle[/name_f]?
@mega_muffin - I had actually been thinking that very same thing? I had considered [name_f]Vera[/name_f] be rejected it, not sure it really suited the family, but after reading your comment and letting it sit, I’m starting to wonder! I may give her a shot. I had been thinking [name_f]Claire[/name_f] might be perfect, but have been giving [name_f]Eliza[/name_f] a second look, too, but I’m not sure about [[name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f]], [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f], [name_f]Eliza[/name_f], AND [name_f]Eva[/name_f] in one sibset–that would leave [name_f]Olivia[/name_f] and [name_f]Lily[/name_f] as the only girls with no “E” names…
So I think [name_f]Claire[/name_f], [name_f]Eliza[/name_f], and [name_f]Vera[/name_f] are my tentative list for her now. Anyone else have any ideas along that vein?
Ha, how neat that you were also considering [name_f]Vera[/name_f]!
Of your three current choices, I definitely would not go with [name_f]Eliza[/name_f]. Not only would that be too many “E” names, but [name_f]Eliza[/name_f] is basically just a shortened form of [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f]/[name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f]. If the character was born and named before [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f] joined the family as a foster sister, it wouldn’t be so unbelievable that the names were so similar, but looking at the ages you listed, that doesn’t seem likely. Plus, I imagine it would be a bit confusing to readers to have two such similarly named characters, on top of having two other “E” named characters as well.
Saying that, [name_f]Vera[/name_f] and [name_f]Eva[/name_f] might be too similar as well, now that I think about it. [name_f]Vera[/name_f] has all of [name_f]Eva[/name_f]'s letters, just with an added “R”. Hmm…
That just leaves [name_f]Claire[/name_f]. It still kinda bothers me that [name_f]Eva[/name_f] would be the only daughter without an “L” in her name, and you would be stealing her middle name too, but stylistically, [name_f]Claire[/name_f] does seem to match the best with the other names, and you can always just change [name_f]Eva[/name_f]'s middle name to something else if it is important for the middle name to be used in the story.
Some other suggestions:
[name_f]Emma[/name_f] or [name_f]Emily[/name_f] (but yet more E names…)
[name_f]Phoebe[/name_f] (I think there’s a biblical [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f]?)
[name_f]Hope[/name_f]
[name_f]Naomi[/name_f]
[name_f]Ruth[/name_f]
[name_f]Lucy[/name_f] (but may be too similar to [name_f]Lily[/name_f])
[name_f]Mara[/name_f]
[name_f]Caroline[/name_f] (or maybe just [name_f]Cara[/name_f] if you want a short name)
[name_f]Noelle[/name_f] (maybe she could be a [name_u]Christmas[/name_u] baby?)
Thanks, @mega_muffin! For what it’s worth, [name_f]Aurora[/name_f] has no idea [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f] is her fn by birth. She was found with a note saying to call her [name_f]Aurora[/name_f] + surname, and I think her foster mom will probably make up a middle name she will use when she’s being affectionate or reprimanding–maybe [name_f]Aurora[/name_f] [name_f]Joy[/name_f] or [name_f]Aurora[/name_f] [name_u]Lou[/name_u], or something a little religious like [name_f]Aurora[/name_f] [name_u]Eden[/name_u] or [name_f]Aurora[/name_f] [name_f]Mercy[/name_f]? But I definitely see your point–in the course of the series her full name does come out!
I get your concern about [name_f]Vera[/name_f] and [name_f]Eva[/name_f]–I’m not sure it bothers me too much, but I considered it, too. I don’t think I’d name daughters of mine [name_f]Vera[/name_f] and [name_f]Eva[/name_f], but I wouldn’t name daughters of mine [name_f]Lily[/name_f] and [name_f]Olivia[/name_f], too.
I do think [name_f]Claire[/name_f] suits her a weeeee bit better than [name_f]Vera[/name_f], and I guess I could come up with a different middle. I’ve sort of seen her going by the double barrel [name_f]Eva[/name_f] [name_f]Claire[/name_f] sometimes, so I’m more attached to it than other siblings’ middles, but [name_f]Claire[/name_f] does seem to suit her so well.
I actually thought of [name_f]Cara[/name_f], now that you mention [name_f]Caroline[/name_f], but it didn’t seem quite right? I do seem to love “C” names for her, though–I’d loved [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] for her before I latched onto [name_f]Claire[/name_f]. I really love the idea of [name_f]Vera[/name_f] now, though, since it’s a more interesting name. Sort of livens up the sibset in a way that [name_f]Eliza[/name_f] and [name_f]Claire[/name_f] don’t? I think [name_f]Vera[/name_f] fits in, on the one hand, with some of the more daring Biblical and religious names like [name_m]Samson[/name_m], [name_f]Magdalena[/name_f], [name_m]Judah[/name_m], and [name_m]Matthias[/name_m]. Maybe I just need to see a little [name_f]Vera[/name_f]'s personality? I just associate it to [name_f]Russia[/name_f] in general and designers like [name_f]Vera[/name_f] Wang and [name_f]Vera[/name_f] [name_u]Bradley[/name_u]. No cute little girls. :(. I think it’s such a beautiful name, though!
