spicy, silly, smart, sexy, serious?

Girl Names
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[name]Read[/name] [name]Cymbeline[/name] and listen to [name]Imogen[/name] Heap!

[name]Imogen[/name] goes with almost everything. [name]Imogen[/name] [name]Wylda[/name] is gorgeous though. [name]Imogen[/name] [name]Alice[/name], [name]Imogen[/name] [name]Acacia[/name], [name]Imogen[/name] [name]Xenia[/name].
[name]Beata[/name] is more limited, you have a lot of a-names, both starting and ending with a. [name]Beata[/name] [name]Jane[/name], [name]Beata[/name] [name]Maud[/name]. [name]Beata[/name] [name]Wylda[/name]?
[name]Acacia[/name] [name]Imogen[/name], [name]Acacia[/name] [name]Maud[/name]
[name]Xenia[/name] [name]Jane[/name], [name]Xenia[/name]
[name]Alice[/name] [name]Beata[/name]

Other middle name possibilities?

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Thanks Lady Otterline. (An otterline is a kind of otter correspondence, involving shellfish.)
[name]Alice[/name] [name]Beata[/name] is pure heaven. I’m going to keep that one in my pocket and try to get someone else to use it!
Listened to [name]Imogen[/name] Heap. Wasn’t really my style, but I was impressed by a piece she did live, layering her voice and recorded claps. I can see why she’s won Grammies. Incidentally, she seems to have collaborated with a band named [name]Acacia[/name]!!! I looked at self-portraits by the photographer [name]Imogen[/name] Cunningham. Made me happy. She has an intelligent, soulful-looking face that has become more beautiful in old age. My husband and I had a productive conversation about girl names. First the bad news:

He has always disliked [name]Xenia[/name]. :frowning:
[name]Antonia[/name]- he says he prefers [name]Antoine[/name], [name]Anton[/name], or even [name]Anthony[/name]… Says he dislikes the feminization, that it feels sort of secondhand to him.
[name]Beata[/name]- This one I hate to let go of. But hearing him say the name was ridiculous. He said it made him feel like he should be speaking a foreign language. “The only time I’m comfortable making the sound ‘[name]BEA[/name]’ is when I’m saying Beowulf.” Ha!
[name]Enid[/name]- He said he would pay to have his daughter orphaned if this were her name.
[name]Una[/name] sounds a little off with our last name.
[name]Wylda[/name], [name]Alice[/name], and [name]Jane[/name] he likes, but not as much as the others.

TOP FOUR:

[name]Imogen[/name] [name]Margaret[/name]. The favorite. Opinions? Is [name]Margaret[/name] ok with [name]Imogen[/name]? I know it’s not ideal, but to me it sounds like the name of a real person. Our last name is pretty graceful, so that helps. “[name]Hope[/name]” might be another way to honor [name]Maggie[/name] (her middle) but I feel like [name]Margaret[/name] is more substantial.

[name]Mab[/name]!! Can you believe it? He said he hates [name]Maud[/name], but loves [name]Mab[/name], then starting quoting [name]Romeo[/name] and [name]Juliet[/name] to me. Such a dreamboat! What would you pair her with? Any and all middles welcome!

[name]Acacia[/name]. Also looking for middles. Anything, since [name]Margaret[/name] will most likely be used for first daughter. Nothing botanical though.

[name]Celia[/name] Dear. If we have a second daughter before a son named [name]Crispin[/name] (same namesake as Dear) we’d consider this one, though with [name]Imogen[/name], it might be [name]Shakespeare[/name] overload ([name]Mab[/name] not as much.) [name]Celia[/name] on it’s own doesn’t thrill us, but [name]Celia[/name] Dear… we can’t let it go.

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nah, I don’t really listen to ms. Heap either, but I can see she’s very talented :wink: And I’m renaming myself Lady Otterline. I love otters so much.

Ok, first of all (well, second of all) [name]Mab[/name] is pretty sweet. It’s also a moon of Uranus which you probably know already. And there is the mythological figure Y [name]Mab[/name] Darogan. However, it is close to mad and mob.
[name]Mab[/name] [name]Christabel[/name], [name]Mab[/name] Eirawen, [name]Mab[/name] [name]Eleonore[/name], [name]Mab[/name] [name]Estrellita[/name], [name]Mab[/name] [name]Faustine[/name], [name]Mab[/name] [name]Isobel[/name], [name]Mab[/name] Luscinia, [name]Mab[/name] Mondfee (gp), [name]Mab[/name] [name]Ondine[/name], [name]Mab[/name] Perizada, [name]Mab[/name] [name]Thomasin[/name], [name]Mab[/name] Fioled

[name]Imogen[/name] [name]Margaret[/name] is splendid! I love it. I don’t think you should use [name]Hope[/name]. Other versions of [name]Margaret[/name] I find cute: [name]Marketa[/name], [name]Gretchen[/name], [name]Maisie[/name], [name]Mairead[/name], [name]Margot[/name], Mererid, [name]Mared[/name], [name]Marzena[/name].

[name]Acacia[/name] Willemijn, [name]Acacia[/name] Villanelle, [name]Acacia[/name] [name]Sophie[/name], [name]Acacia[/name] [name]Angharad[/name] (AA, but still pretty), [name]Acacia[/name] [name]Caron[/name], [name]Acacia[/name] [name]Marion[/name], [name]Acacia[/name] Fidentia, [name]Acacia[/name] [name]Faustine[/name], [name]Acacia[/name] [name]Constance[/name]

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Ok, so I know I’ve said this before but I think [name]Imogen[/name] [name]Margaret[/name] is completely lovely! It’s feminine, literary, honors your aunt, and of course you get your cute [name]Ginger[/name] nn as a bonus prize. And I also still think it has the best sound next to your oh-so-likely [name]Cy[/name] someday.

Although now that you’ve got the first Shakespearean name in the running, I am casting my future vote for [name]Alice[/name] over [name]Celia[/name]… Leave the C names for the boys. =]

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Lady O: You’ve given me lots of good ideas! I am just loving [name]Mab[/name] so much that I’m feeling completely swayed away from [name]Acacia[/name] and [name]Celia[/name] if we ever have two daughters. Have you read that speech of Mercutio’s? It’s pretty much the best part of the whole play. [name]Don[/name]'t even care that [name]Mab[/name] is close to “mad” and “mob!” It’s a name with a lot of magic and mischief in it, for such a short name. Thank you for [name]Mab[/name] [name]Christobel[/name] (I think I like it with an O) [name]Mab[/name] Mondfee (squeal! but my husband would never go for it) and [name]Mab[/name] Fioled (ditto.) I love love [name]Acacia[/name] [name]Constance[/name]. That actually might be THE [name]Acacia[/name] combo. [name]Acacia[/name] [name]Caron[/name] has a great sound too, though [name]Caron[/name] on its own does nothing for me, unless it’s [name]Leslie[/name] [name]Caron[/name] playing [name]Gigi[/name]. I guess that means I like some alliteration with [name]Acacia[/name]. It already has the repeated Cs- kind of fun to throw a third one in there. [name]Acacia[/name] [name]Catrin[/name] is nice too.

Mama [name]Amy[/name]: Thanks for the reassurance! I love it too. So much that I’m feeling worried that I might change my mind and end up with a name that’s not as beautiful in a year or whenever we start having kids. [name]Alice[/name] is a little slice of heaven too. Too many names, not enough fertile years!

SO:

[name]Mab[/name] [name]Muriel[/name] …? Old family name. Means “shining sea” which I love. Very much an old lady name, but rather musical with [name]Mab[/name], no?

[name]Mab[/name] [name]Xenia[/name] …! ? I’m kind of loving this. I feel like this girl would have hot pink hair and leave chaos in her wake. I know [name]Xenia[/name] [name]Mab[/name] has better flow, but I prefer [name]Mab[/name] as a first name. And I think it’s a neat way to honor DH’s late stepfather, [name]Matt[/name].

[name]Mab[/name] [name]Christobel[/name] I do like the ring of this. Too much fairy in one name?

[name]Acacia[/name] [name]Constance[/name]
[name]Acacia[/name] [name]Catrin[/name]

Any other suggestions for [name]Mab[/name] middles? Anything. X-names and botanicals always welcome.

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The speech of Mercutio is the only good thing about [name]Romeo[/name] and [name]Juliet[/name], I know it well.

I’m glad you like [name]Acacia[/name] [name]Constance[/name], it’s my favourite as well.

[name]Mab[/name] Xylina. X and Y, your dreamboat. Xylina means “made of wood/wooden/timber/tree/wooden shrine”.
[name]Mab[/name] Xanthippe.
[name]Mab[/name] Xialoi (shee-ow-[name]LEE[/name]). Means “night/raw silk/heaven/dawn/elf/jasmine”.

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I do wonder about the usability of [name]Mab[/name]. I think it really does sound like Mad. And whatever middle you pair it with ends up sounds like an epithet + a name, i.e. “Old Mad Xanthippe.”

[name]Mab[/name] [name]Merielle[/name] (lengthen and lighten it)
[name]Mab[/name] [name]Mehitabel[/name]
[name]Mab[/name] Miroslava (“peace and glory”)
[name]Mab[/name] [name]Mireille[/name]
[name]Mab[/name] [name]Marcelina[/name]

[name]Acacia[/name] [name]Constance[/name] was lovely-- nice assonance. (I bet you hear that all the time-- nice assonance!-- esp near construction sites)

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Otter- I do like Xanthippe with [name]Mab[/name]. Something about those Ps echoing the B. But my google search brings up [name]Socrates[/name]’ wife, “an infamous shrew” “shrewish and scolding” “a nagging shrew!” Everyone seems to think it’s ok to describe women as shrews… Hm.
Xialoi- Too Chinese for us to pull off I’m afraid, but what a remarkable name! [name]Jasmine[/name] elf-silk, morning and night, heaven and hell… Xialoi’s got it covered. And yes, very relieved to have [name]Acacia[/name] so beautifully squared-away. “Nice assonance”… [name]Blade[/name] and her hot-crossed puns!

[name]Bladimir[/name]: [name]Don[/name]'t be such a killjoy! [name]How[/name] can you fail to recognize [name]Mab[/name]'s beauty? I love her so- I can almost see my daughter [name]Mab[/name] making finger puppets out of acorn caps, chasing toads and collecting stamps. Maybe I’ll move on to something else, but for now, [name]Mab[/name] is [name]Imogen[/name]'s imaginary sister. Though [name]Beata[/name] was a flash in the pan… I think [name]Mab[/name] will stick.
[name]Mehitabel[/name]. [name]Blade[/name]. I had her on my list! Huge [name]George[/name] Harriman fan here. [name]Mab[/name] [name]Mehitabel[/name] is brilliant. He named his daughter Toots! [name]Don[/name]'t you love it? If I had an [name]Imogen[/name] [name]Margaret[/name] and a [name]Mab[/name] [name]Mehitabel[/name] I might call them [name]Ginger[/name] and Toots. I know I know - way to cheapen those Shakespearean names!
I think I prefer [name]Muriel[/name] to her lighter cousins.

Very tricky this [name]Mab[/name]. I’m going to start another (more readable) thread for [name]Mab[/name] middles.

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You could also pronounce [name]Mab[/name], “Mabe”, if you like (who’s to say that’s not how they said it then, especially considering one possible origin is that it’s a shortened form of [name]Mabel[/name]).

You brought this up a while ago, but Yselda does have a precedent, and not a bad one. Very obscurely literary.

[name]Imogen[/name] is lovely, but [name]Imogen[/name] [name]Margaret[/name] feels plain to me for some reason! [name]Imogen[/name] [name]Hope[/name], though less substantial, has the spunkier feel you seem to be going for.

I’ve had fun reading this thread. For what it’s worth, I love [name]Ginger[/name]. Doesn’t feel too different from [name]Juniper[/name] etc : )

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Thanks [name]Cosmo[/name]! I love Yselda, but my husband does not. I think I need to give him a break from the names. He’ll be rolling over in bed and I’ll spring a name on him like a ninja. “[name]MAB[/name] YSELDA!” “Zzz… What!? oh… sure honey. zzz… wait! no! what am I agreeing to?”
I totally hear what you’re saying about [name]Imogen[/name] [name]Margaret[/name]. It does worry me a little, especially if we have another kid with a wilder name. [name]Don[/name]'t worry- [name]Ginger[/name] isn’t off the table, just disguised as [name]Imogen[/name]! I have a longer name but use my nick most of the time. It’s one of my favorite things about my name. So I like that about [name]Imogen[/name]/[name]Ginger[/name]. I have no illusions about [name]Margaret[/name] being some fresh zesty name, but I think I need to use it somehow, in some form, to honor my dear aunt. [name]Hope[/name] feels kind of goody-two-shoes, no?

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hey emma, i’ve been following this thread because my daughter is ginger grace. she is sweet, silly, spicy, sassy, etc…everything i had pictured when i dreamed of having my own sweet ginger.

i get complements on her name all the time. i know some people just can’t stand the name, but that’s ok. there are a lot of names that give me the heeby-jeebies. some people ask if its short for anything. we call her ‘gigi’ 50% of the time.

i love imogen and margaret so you can’t go wrong. please keep ginger at least as a nickname! its the most fun name ever, imo! xoxo

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Thanks Bluebonnet! I’m happy to hear of a real live [name]Ginger[/name] nicknamed [name]Gigi[/name]! Sassy is right! :slight_smile:

Alright folks, I’m shutting this thread down. I need to sit with the names for a while, though I’m going to keep hunting for the right [name]Mab[/name] middle. Thanks to you all for so many brilliant ideas and comments!

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