Southern Girl Names!

Girl Names
1

[name]Hi[/name] there - we’re expecting our first child. We’re sorted on boy’s names - but the girl’s names have proved a bit tricky.

My husband and I live in San [name]Francisco[/name] - but I’m Southern, with roots in Mississippi, [name]Virginia[/name], and [name]Louisiana[/name]. And I come from a long family tradition of giving girls’ “Southern” names - which usually means either ultra-feminine OR very a tomboyish surname. (I have a boy’s name myself, and female cousins named [name]Carter[/name], [name]Peyton[/name] and [name]Emerson[/name]). Then there’s the whole Greek revival faction - I even had a Great Great Aunt [name]Clytie[/name] (as in Clytemnestra!).

So! Help me honor my baby’s Southern roots without ending up with a too-obvious [name]Scarlett[/name] or [name]Flannery[/name], or a too-country Bettysue :slight_smile:

I want something creative without being TOO crazy, literary would be great too.

Some current favorites:
Fontaine
[name]Clementine[/name] (is this getting too “done” among the hipster set?)
[name]Cleo[/name]
[name]Lucy[/name] (grandmother’s name, and I’ve loved it since I was a kid - but is it too common now?)
[name]Jane[/name] (my mother’s name, but it could use more kick?)
[name]Ella[/name] (other grandmother’s name - but TOO popular and already taken by a cousin’s child)

Also - 4 candidates for middle names (we usually use family surnames as middles) are:
[name]Holladay[/name] (yep, that’s the spelling)
Meriwether (is this too [name]Lord[/name] of the Rings? It really is a family name, but…don’t want to make ppl think of Hobbits)
[name]Robinson[/name]
[name]Land[/name]

Our last name is “[name]Parker[/name]” btw.

Thanks for your help and opinions!

2

My husband is from Louisville, so I get the whole name issue. I immediately think of [name]Beatrice[/name]/[name]Beatrix[/name]. I love this name and think that it fits what you are looking for. I like [name]Lucy[/name], but maybe give it flare with Lucianna. I also think that [name]Clementine[/name] is great and not too overused! Other suggestions are [name]Constance[/name], [name]Gwyneth[/name] and [name]Shea[/name]. Good luck with the middle names!

3

From your list, [name]Clementine[/name], [name]Lucy[/name], and [name]Cleo[/name] are my favorites. (A poster once suggested [name]Cleo[/name] as a nickname for [name]Clementine[/name], and I think it’s great!) Yes, [name]Lucy[/name] is popular, and [name]Clementine[/name] may be getting there (but I love both)!

I really like:
[name]Clementine[/name] [name]Holladay[/name]
[name]Cleo[/name] Meriwether
[name]Lucy[/name] Meriwether or [name]Holiday[/name]

More ideas that feel Southern to me:

[name]Adeline[/name]
[name]Adelia[/name]
[name]Clover[/name]
[name]Cordelia[/name]/[name]Cora[/name]
[name]Daisy[/name]
[name]Delilah[/name]
[name]Harper[/name]
[name]Mae[/name]
[name]Maisie[/name]
[name]Mabel[/name]
[name]Polly[/name]
[name]Ruby[/name]
[name]Susannah[/name]
[name]Willa[/name]

Good luck! :slight_smile:

Edited: I missed the part about your last name being [name]Parker[/name], so ignore [name]Clover[/name] and [name]Harper[/name].

4

Thanks ayann and jill! I love all your suggestions… [name]Adeline[/name] is one of my faves, though my husband veto’d - and [name]Beatrix[/name]/[name]Beatrice[/name] was a name we [name]BOTH[/name] loved. ([name]Shakespeare[/name] and [name]Dante[/name]!) But then we thought “[name]Beatrix[/name] [name]Parker[/name]…uh oh, is that too much like [name]Beatrix[/name] [name]Potter[/name]?”

Maybe we’re overthinking it. Curious what you guys think about the “sounds like” issue.

For a boy - we’re pretty much settled on [name]Charles[/name] [name]Ashton[/name] [name]Parker[/name] ([name]Ashton[/name] is a family name on my husband’s side that all first born sons get - not for the actor, lol!). But we also just realized…we’d accidentally picked “[name]Charlie[/name] [name]Parker[/name]” so the kid would be named after the jazz legend! We’re not sure if we think it’s cool - or if that’s just an awful thing to do to a baby. We’re sort of hoping that since he’s not the most mainstream celebrity, that it won’t be too obnoxious.

5

[name]Beatrix[/name]/[name]Beatrice[/name] is one of my all-time favorite names, but it doesn’t have a Southern feel to me. (It’s British to me…)

I do think [name]Beatrix[/name] [name]Parker[/name] is really close to [name]Beatrix[/name] [name]Potter[/name] (Darn!), so if that bothers you, I’d go with another name. ([name]Beatrice[/name] [name]Parker[/name], on the other hand, doesn’t remind me as much of [name]Beatrix[/name] [name]Potter[/name].)

I think [name]Clementine[/name] [name]Holladay[/name] [name]Parker[/name] (nn [name]Cleo[/name]?) is so pretty! :slight_smile: I missed the part about your last name being [name]Parker[/name], so I’d personally skip Meriwether as a middle name (too much -er action).

For some reason, the [name]Charles[/name] [name]Parker[/name] issue doesn’t bother me. I’m sure you’ll get some “Oh! Like the famous [name]Charlie[/name] [name]Parker[/name]?” comments, so if that’s going to annoy you, maybe you could keep looking for first names. [name]Charles[/name] could always go in the middle if need be.

Some more Shakespearean names that have somewhat of a Southern feel:

[name]Rosaline[/name] [name]Parker[/name]
[name]Viola[/name] [name]Parker[/name]
[name]Celia[/name] [name]Parker[/name]
[name]Miranda[/name] [name]Parker[/name]

Good luck! :slight_smile:

6

[name]Add[/name] to the above: I totally forgot about [name]Jane[/name]! I love [name]Jane[/name]'s elegance and simplicity.

What about [name]Clementine[/name] [name]Jane[/name]? I think [name]Jane[/name] works well in the middle with so many of your names, including [name]Lucy[/name] and [name]Cleo[/name].

Good luck! :slight_smile:

7

I wrote a long post in response to your thread hours ago, but it is missing. Somehow it didn’t get posted. Frustrating! I will try again tomorrow.
My favorite of all your names is [name]Lucy[/name] [name]Clementine[/name].

8

I love [name]Susan[/name]'s [name]Lucy[/name] [name]Clementine[/name] suggestion! Fantastic! :slight_smile:

9

I love the name [name]Lucy[/name] and it’s a bonus for you being a family name!!

****[name]Lucy[/name] [name]Beatrix[/name] [name]Parker[/name] adorable.
**[name]Lucy[/name] [name]Carolina[/name] [name]Parker[/name] sounds southern
**[name]Lucy[/name] [name]GEORGIA[/name] [name]Parker[/name]
***[name]Lucy[/name] [name]Handley[/name] [name]Parker[/name]
**[name]Lucy[/name] [name]Claretta[/name] [name]Parker[/name]
***[name]Lucy[/name] [name]Stella[/name] [name]Parker[/name]

Good [name]Luck[/name], but love the name [name]Lucy[/name] you can’t go wronge with that one : )

10
11

Thanks, [name]Jill[/name]!
I will try to reconstruct some of my lost post.
Since one of your Grandmothers was named the too-popular [name]Ella[/name] and you love Greek names, I thought of some Greek names with an “el” sound in them:
[name]Delphine[/name]
[name]DELTA[/name] - fabulous, has the “el” sound, is a Greek letter, and sounds very Southern.
[name]Helen[/name]/[name]Helena[/name]
[name]Melina[/name]
I also thought of some names with the "el sound that aren’t Greek:
[name]Estelle[/name] - to me, this could sound Southern.
[name]Della[/name] - not sure if it’s Greek, but it does sound Southern
[name]Eloise[/name]/[name]Heloise[/name]
[name]Selma[/name]

Like [name]Jill[/name], I also thought of [name]Miranda[/name], so I second that idea.
[name]Love[/name] the name [name]Jane[/name].

12

[name]Charles[/name] [name]Parker[/name] doesnt bother me either. I think it is a very strong name (Its one of our names). I second the [name]Clementine[/name] suggestion (nn [name]Cleo[/name]). My only worry would be two C-names siblings. I dont know who [name]Beatrice[/name] [name]Potter[/name] is, but if it bothers you, dont do it. Good luck!!

13

Thanks you guys! So many fabulous suggestions - you are so good at this! I’m feeling better about the [name]Charlie[/name] [name]Parker[/name] combo (thanks for removing my little nagging doubt)…and I [name]LOVE[/name] all these combos:
[name]Clementine[/name] [name]Holladay[/name] nn [name]Cleo[/name]
[name]Clementine[/name] [name]Jane[/name] nn [name]Cleo[/name]
[name]Lucy[/name] [name]Holladay[/name]
[name]Lucy[/name] [name]Clementine[/name]
[name]Lucy[/name] [name]Beatrice[/name]
[name]Lucy[/name] [name]Jane[/name]

Plus these suggested new names!
[name]Adeline[/name]
[name]Beatrice[/name] (you’re right - no [name]Beatrix[/name] for us, but with the “ice” it’s ok)
[name]Cordelia[/name]/[name]Cora[/name]
[name]Rosaline[/name]
[name]Viola[/name]
[name]Delphine[/name]
[name]Helena[/name]

Thank you!! If anybody else has ideas, keep 'em coming. :smiley:

14

I think that [name]Cordelia[/name] [name]Holladay[/name] would be lovely!

15

I’m a Southern gal too! I [name]LOVE[/name] [name]Lucy[/name] [name]Clementine[/name] or [name]Clementine[/name] [name]Holladay[/name], and [name]Delphine[/name] is at the top of my list at the moment :slight_smile: Let me see if I can think of some other names in addition to the wonderful suggestions so far…

[name]Frances[/name] ([name]Frances[/name] [name]Holladay[/name] [name]Parker[/name])
[name]Louisa[/name] ([name]Louisa[/name] [name]Jane[/name] [name]Parker[/name])
[name]Vivian[/name]/[name]Vivienne[/name] ([name]Vivian[/name] [name]Robinson[/name] [name]Parker[/name])
[name]Winifred[/name] ([name]Winifred[/name] [name]Jane[/name] [name]Parker[/name] ”wonderful!)
[name]Cecilia[/name] ([name]Cecilia[/name] [name]Jane[/name] [name]Parker[/name])
[name]Camilla[/name] ([name]Camilla[/name] [name]Jane[/name] [name]Parker[/name])
[name]Georgiana[/name] ([name]Georgiana[/name] Meriwether [name]Parker[/name]”sounds very British!)
[name]Eliza[/name] ([name]Eliza[/name] [name]Holladay[/name] [name]Parker[/name] or [name]Eliza[/name] [name]Jane[/name] [name]Parker[/name])

16

[name]Love[/name] [name]Eliza[/name] [name]Jane[/name] [name]Parker[/name] and [name]Cecily[/name] [name]Jane[/name] [name]Parker[/name]

17

Thanks y’all! Okay - after checking in with the husband, and having him 86 just about everything fun (no “[name]Clementine[/name]” sob) - here’s the latest working list. With the exception of “[name]Annabelle[/name],” all these names are from family. [name]Feel[/name] free to vote, rearrange or tweak :smiley:

[name]Jane[/name] [name]Victoria[/name] [name]Parker[/name]
[name]Ella[/name] [name]Robinson[/name] [name]Parker[/name]
[name]Lucy[/name] [name]Holladay[/name] [name]Parker[/name]
[name]Annabelle[/name] [name]Ashton[/name] [name]Parker[/name]
[name]Caroline[/name] [name]Holladay[/name] [name]Parker[/name]
[name]Elizabeth[/name] [name]Lea[/name] [name]Parker[/name]
Fontaine [name]Holladay[/name] [name]Parker[/name]

PS - Since “[name]Jane[/name]” is my mother’s first name, if we use it - I’d really rather keep it as a first than put it in the middle.

PPS - What do y’all think of “Fontaine” - honestly? I keep going back and forth on “cool” vs. “weird.” But I love how it sounds with a [name]Louisiana[/name] accent, lol :slight_smile:

18

[name]Jane[/name] [name]Victoria[/name] [name]Parker[/name]: Oh, I love this! [name]Jane[/name] [name]Victoria[/name] is actually my lifelong favorite [name]Jane[/name] combo. :slight_smile:

[name]Ella[/name] [name]Robinson[/name] [name]Parker[/name]: I think it flows really well, but [name]Ella[/name] is just too popular for my taste.

[name]Lucy[/name] [name]Holladay[/name] [name]Parker[/name]: Fantastic! I love [name]Lucy[/name] [name]Caroline[/name], too.

[name]Annabelle[/name] [name]Ashton[/name] [name]Parker[/name]: I [name]LOVE[/name] [name]Annabelle[/name] so very much, and I like the flow of this combo. I think [name]Annabelle[/name] [name]Jane[/name] is really pretty, too. (Wait…[name]Just[/name] read the [name]Jane[/name] as a first name rule…)

[name]Caroline[/name] [name]Holladay[/name] [name]Parker[/name]: I really like this, too…

[name]Elizabeth[/name] [name]Lea[/name] [name]Parker[/name]: I love [name]Elizabeth[/name] ([name]Eliza[/name], too), but I’m not liking it with [name]Lea[/name]. :frowning:

[name]Eliza[/name] [name]Robinson[/name] [name]Parker[/name]
[name]Eliza[/name] [name]Caroline[/name] [name]Parker[/name]
[name]Eliza[/name] [name]Jane[/name] [name]Parker[/name] (you could call her [name]Eliza[/name] [name]Jane[/name])

Fontaine [name]Holladay[/name] [name]Parker[/name]: I really don’t care for Fontaine (I think of [name]Joan[/name] Fontaine, which I suppose isn’t a bad thing…), and don’t think it compares to the classic names on your list. Would she be nicknamed Font? Fonty? [name]Taine[/name]? I honestly think it’s really masculine. :frowning: What about using it in the middle?

I love so many of your combos, only disliking Fontaine, [name]Ella[/name], and [name]Elizabeth[/name] [name]Lea[/name]. I think your [name]Jane[/name], [name]Lucy[/name], [name]Annabelle[/name], and [name]Caroline[/name] combos are awesome. If I had to pick one, I think I’d go with [name]Annabelle[/name], but it’s too hard to pick! :slight_smile:

19

So sad about [name]Clementine[/name].
[name]Jane[/name] [name]Victoria[/name] [name]Parker[/name] - love
[name]Ella[/name] [name]Robinson[/name] [name]Parker[/name] - [name]Ella[/name] is so popular, but if it were less popular, I would love this combo.
[name]Lucy[/name] [name]Holladay[/name] [name]Parker[/name] - fave of your list
[name]Annabelle[/name] [name]Ashton[/name] [name]Parker[/name] - so cute!
[name]Caroline[/name] [name]Holladay[/name] [name]Parker[/name] - love
[name]Elizabeth[/name] [name]Lea[/name] [name]Parker[/name] - I love [name]Elizabeth[/name] [name]Leigh[/name] [name]Parker[/name].

[name]Lucy[/name] [name]Robinson[/name] [name]Parker[/name]

20

Thanks for the feedback y’all :slight_smile: I love how detailed all your comments are - and thanks for being honest about Fontaine, [name]Jill[/name].

I’m glad you like [name]Jane[/name] [name]Victoria[/name]! That’s the one my husband and I are most in agreement on. I love the [name]Annabelle[/name], [name]Lucy[/name] and [name]Caroline[/name] too – and love the [name]Lucy[/name] [name]Caroline[/name] suggestion, [name]Lucy[/name] [name]Robinson[/name] works too (and actually would make two sides of the family happy- so great.).

I agree re: [name]Ella[/name] being too popular. I wouldn’t consider it, except that it’s for my grandmother who’s dearly missed - and I know my Dad would be OVER THE [name]MOON[/name] happy if we picked it. Sentimental value and all that. Still - there are so many other pretty names :slight_smile: