Most folks said [name]Gretchen[/name] or [name]Alice[/name]. My husband likes [name]Gretchen[/name] but not so much [name]Alice[/name], I’m the opposite (liking [name]Gretchen[/name] less as time goes on) but [name]Alice[/name] feels a little common next to [name]Petra[/name].
I love [name]Camille[/name] but my husband is not too keen (It just really feels like a similar type of name to [name]Petra[/name] and I love the potential nicknames). We both like [name]Oona[/name], but don’t love, and no one else seems to like it.
Names we considered for [name]Petra[/name] included [name]Lux[/name], which husband loved but I hesitated on. I [name]LOVE[/name] the name [name]Liv[/name] with [name]Petra[/name], but unfortunately know several [name]Olivia[/name]'s who use this as a nickname. We’re casting about sort of randomly right now and would greatly appreciate any suggestions. Thanks! [name]Petra[/name]'s mn is [name]Marie[/name]. Last name is 2 syllable irish name also a girls first name.
Oooh! I really like [name]Pernilla[/name]! It’s new to me as well. Aside from having the same initial and ending in a, which doesn’t bother me, I think they are distinctive in sound and actually go together quite nicely.
Have you considered [name]Orla[/name]? Like [name]Oona[/name] it is Irish and means “golden lady”!
Also, if the a ending is an issue and you are looking for different sounds may I suggest (sorry for repeats):
[name]Briony[/name]*
[name]Clio[/name]
[name]Daphne[/name]
[name]Ianthe[/name]/[name]Xanthe[/name]*
[name]Ione[/name]*
[name]Taliesin[/name]*
[name]Tamar[/name]
[name]Tamsin[/name]*
[name]Tansy[/name]
[name]Veronik[/name]/[name]Veronique[/name]*
And a few more that end in a:
[name]Cosima[/name]*
[name]Cressida[/name]*
[name]Georgina[/name]
I think [name]Camille[/name] is my favorite from your list because it compliments [name]Petra[/name] so well. [name]Mathilde[/name] and [name]Alice[/name] are lovely though.
I * my faves. Good luck!
kashed22 – LOL we have considered [name]Orla[/name] and it is utterly out. It’s funny that you mention it b/c that was our joke name when I was pregnant with [name]Petra[/name]. Did anyone else have that one name they would use just to get a negative reaction out of people as a joke? Won’t try to explain WHY it became the joke name but it did.
I like [name]Ione[/name] (pronounced eye-own-eee? or just eye-own?).
I also love [name]Tamsin[/name] but really dislike the nickname [name]Tammy[/name], and don’t want to be one of those parents who constantly have to fight against the obvious nickname (I have a friend who named her son [name]Harrison[/name] and the first several years of her life was spent INSISTING folks not call him [name]Harry[/name]).
[name]Tansy[/name] is really cute (maybe too cute for an adult?), but I instinctively think of names ending in “Y” as a nickname or shortened version of something else.
[name]Don[/name]'t need to avoid “a” endings necessarily. A previous poster pointed out how different [name]Eliza[/name] and [name]Petra[/name] sounded for ex. It is the P and the R and the ending in A that concerns me about [name]Petra[/name] & [name]Pernilla[/name]. And I also don’t want to get locked into starting a “P” trend – although I am fairly certain we will stop at 2 kids, ya just never know!!
Thanks for the suggestions - please keep em coming!
kashed22 – LOL we have considered Orla and it is utterly out. It’s funny that you mention it b/c that was our joke name when I was pregnant with Petra. Did anyone else have that one name they would use just to get a negative reaction out of people as a joke? Won’t try to explain WHY it became the joke name but it did.
I like Ione (pronounced eye-own-eee? or just eye-own?).
I also love Tamsin but really dislike the nickname Tammy, and don’t want to be one of those parents who constantly have to fight against the obvious nickname (I have a friend who named her son Harrison and the first several years of her life was spent INSISTING folks not call him Harry).
Tansy is really cute (maybe too cute for an adult?), but I instinctively think of names ending in “Y” as a nickname or shortened version of something else.
Don’t need to avoid “a” endings necessarily. A previous poster pointed out how different Eliza and Petra sounded for ex. It is the P and the R and the ending in A that concerns me about Petra & Pernilla. And I also don’t want to get locked into starting a “P” trend – although I am fairly certain we will stop at 2 kids, ya just never know!!
Thanks for the suggestions - please keep em coming!
[name]Hi[/name] [name]Moxie[/name],
Haha actually I CAN think of a reason why [name]Orla[/name] may get a reaction and actually gave me pause to suggest it…
I love the fact that you like [name]Ione[/name] (prn. eye-own) not only because it is one of my very favorite names but also because not only is it greek in origin but is similar to [name]Petra[/name] in meaning which is “violet colored stone”! It would be a subtle way to have a connection between your girls that is not matchy at all.
I too feel your pain about [name]Tamsin[/name] and the fact that most likely nn’s are out of our control. What do you think of [name]Taliesin[/name] (prn. tahl-YES-in)? It has a similar feel to [name]Tamsin[/name], is an old welsh name and means “shining brow”
Ok, I thought I’d try to find some names that have a vintage, quirky and or sophisticated, “exotic lite” (nb term) vibe similar to [name]Petra[/name]
Again sorry for any repeats or names you’ve already vetoed:
[name]Annika[/name]
[name]Anona[/name]
[name]Appoline[/name]
[name]Arava[/name] (hebrew, means willow)
[name]Carys[/name]
[name]Delphine[/name]
[name]Edith[/name]
[name]Eugenie[/name]
[name]Finola[/name]
[name]Fenella[/name] (similar to [name]Pernella[/name] but without the p and r issues)
[name]Gaia[/name]
[name]Imogen[/name]
[name]Ines[/name] (ee-nes)
[name]Ingrid[/name]
[name]Juniper[/name]
[name]Leonie[/name]
[name]Noemi[/name]
[name]Nadia[/name]
[name]Noor[/name]
[name]Odette[/name]
[name]Ondine[/name]
[name]Oriana[/name]
[name]Romilly[/name]
[name]Saskia[/name]
[name]Seren[/name] (this name is new to me, welsh, means star)
[name]Sidonie[/name]
[name]Tirzah[/name]
[name]Viveca[/name]
[name]Tirzah[/name] was on our (well, MY) short list for our first daughter – thanks for reminding me. I think I’m still hung up on the 2 syllable, letter R and ending in A similarities to [name]Petra[/name] though…
I REALLY like [name]Saskia[/name] and think it goes quite well with [name]Petra[/name].
I know several Daphnes so that and [name]Delphine[/name] are out.
[name]Imogen[/name] is not my style at all – I have no instinct to how to pronounce it ([name]Imo[/name]-gen, [name]Imo[/name]-geen?)
Surprisingly (to me at least) [name]Ondine[/name] is growing on me, as is [name]Romilly[/name]. Thanks for these – they are great suggestions.
Isn’t [name]Tirzah[/name] incredible? I remember it fondly as one of my first “NB” discoveries! I love how I can totally “namenerd”-out here with y’all and say stuff like that! The thing with your concerns about the matching r and a sounds is something I can relate to. For example the thought of repeating initials in a sibset drives me nuts I have no idea why it’s just an innate reaction where other people have no problem with that at all.
I’m so thrilled you’re seriously considering [name]Saskia[/name] and [name]Romilly[/name]! [name]Elke[/name] is new to me and I like it but could actually see it going better with [name]Alice[/name] or [name]Mathilde[/name]. I love [name]Liv[/name] as well and the fact that it is a real name in it’s own right that stands on it’s own. You could also go with [name]Lavinia[/name] as a way to get to [name]Liv[/name]. [name]Gretchen[/name]- all I hear is wretch or wretchin’ or wretched but I liked it before someone pointed that out to me. :?
I love [name]Ondine[/name]! I think it’s my new name crush at the moment. [name]Glad[/name] you like it as well. My faves right now are [name]Camille[/name], [name]Saskia[/name], [name]Ondine[/name], [name]Romilly[/name], [name]Liv[/name] and [name]Oona[/name]. You’re going to be such a stylish family regardless!
whoops - [name]Romilly[/name] is definitely out. Forgot that I can’t use a name ending in “y” b/c out last name ends in “y” and it sounds stupid. Also, I really place importance on the meaning of a name, and “[name]Man[/name] of [name]Rome[/name]” is not a meaning I would want for my daughter. (In this regard, [name]Ondine[/name] moves up the list greatly, while unfortunately nameberry doesn’t list meanings for [name]Saskia[/name] or [name]Elke[/name])
The meaning of my own name changes as well depending on what source I consult. Some are obviously more eloquent than others. For my name I have seen everything from “burly man of the highlands” (seriously I saw it with my own eyes) to a “flat place”. Leave it to NB to have my favorite interpretation, “child of the fields”. Thank goodness it’s also my mother’s maiden name. The fact that it was given to me as a way to pass on the name due to her siblings being all girls and her father immigrating here from [name]Scotland[/name] is what makes me most proud. Point is the fact that the name means something to YOU will probably mean a lot to your kids as well, whatever way you find it.
It’s funny, I didn’t realize [name]Romilly[/name] meant that. I also suggested [name]Lavinia[/name] and that means woman of [name]Rome[/name]. Hmm. Weird.
And if [name]Petra[/name]'s mn is [name]Estelle[/name] [name]Marie[/name], would it be too similar to have her sister’s mn be Maguerite? As in, [name]Sloane[/name] [name]Marguerite[/name]?
I don’t like [name]Sloane[/name] and [name]Petra[/name] together. I find [name]Petra[/name] to be such a lovely, feminine rare gem and [name]Sloane[/name] honestly has always reminded me of a sloth. It’s not very flattering compared to [name]Petra[/name] so I would go with something more feminine. I really loved [name]Romilly[/name], it’s too bad you can’t use it!
I forgot to suggest [name]Ravenna[/name], like the Byzantine city. I think it would be so nice with [name]Petra[/name] and I think you mentioned you liked place names? I do too, when they aren’t well known.
