Alright. The girl name is pretty much my pick because he had [name]Henrik[/name] locked in if it had been a boy. Unless my husband’s feelings have changed he didn’t object to any of my girl options. I’m due in mid-[name]April[/name].
This child will be our absolute last baby so it’s not like I can save a name for “maybe next time”. It’s [name]Gemma[/name] vs [name]Fleur[/name] for the first name. I love how both names work in the sibset. They both mean something to me, but I’ll try to keep this concise.
[name]Gemma[/name] [name]Hermione[/name] or [name]Gemma[/name] [name]Hermione[/name] [name]Fleur[/name]: I love [name]Gemma[/name]. It’s an Italian name that isn’t popular around here, and compliments [name]Ava[/name] and [name]Mia[/name] in the girl set nicely. My son picked out the middle name of [name]Hermione[/name] and I fell madly in love with that too and for a time considered using it as a first name. I’ve had people suggest using [name]Gemma[/name] [name]Fleur[/name] instead of [name]Gemma[/name] [name]Hermione[/name] but I don’t want to sacrifice [name]Hermione[/name] at all. I do love the name [name]Gemma[/name] and I mostly refer to her as [name]Gemma[/name]. This is our forerunner, the kids are used to it, even though they understand I may pick something different. [name]Major[/name] allure: A very pretty name that I just love, works as an Italian girl set, plus with the double middle name I get all three of my name loves this time in one.
[name]Fleur[/name] [name]Tallis[/name]: [name]Tallis[/name] is pronounced like [name]Elyse[/name] with a T sound in front…so TUH-Lease. At least this is how I would pronounce it. I love [name]Fleur[/name] as a first name. I like it with our last name. It’s French in origin. I know different places and books quote different meanings but according to the book I have here at home [name]Tallis[/name] means “of the forest; woodland dweller” so the name translates to mean “[name]Flower[/name] of the forest”. The major allure of this is not only how romantic and soft I think [name]Fleur[/name] is, but that from it’s French origins to it’s meaning it honors [name]Remy[/name] [name]Forrester[/name] (the son we lost from SIDS) in a roundabout way while still maintaining her own name. But in using this name I would lose [name]Gemma[/name] and [name]Hermione[/name].
So I’m torn. [name]Do[/name] I go with the extra sentimentality of [name]Fleur[/name] and give up [name]Gemma[/name] and [name]Hermione[/name] or do I use [name]Gemma[/name] [name]Hermione[/name] [name]Fleur[/name] where I technically get all three of my loves but see [name]Fleur[/name] outshined by the other two? I know ultimately it will be my choice, and maybe when I see her I’ll just know, but if somebody has some sort of extra insight or a different way of looking at it I would surely appreciate it.
I think [name]Fleur[/name] is beautiful and I wouldn’t want to sacrifice it either. I’d go with either [name]Gemma[/name] [name]Hermione[/name] [name]Fleur[/name], or maybe have you considered [name]Fleur[/name] [name]Hermione[/name] [name]Tallis[/name]?
[name]Gemma[/name] [name]Hermione[/name] are both on my own list. I love [name]Fleur[/name], but when I say it out loud I worry I don’t say it right and lose some of the nuance a French speaker could get into it. I think [name]Gemma[/name] would be easier to pronounce. [name]Tallis[/name] is a name I am unfamiliar with. I think either [name]Gemma[/name] [name]Hermione[/name], [name]Gemma[/name] [name]Hermione[/name] [name]Fleur[/name], or [name]Gemma[/name] [name]Tallis[/name] [name]Fleur[/name]. Your little thread on the bottom says you are having a final child in [name]April[/name] named [name]Gemma[/name] [name]Hermione[/name], I think you should go with your gut and not overthink it. Best wishes and good luck!
I love every single one of your names (: I don’t think [name]Gemma[/name] [name]Hermione[/name] flows well, very M heavy when said out loud. And adding [name]Fleur[/name] at the end just makes it a mouthfull and PLUS a last name. Good grief! (: I do like [name]Gemma[/name] [name]Fleur[/name] a lot, and [name]Fleur[/name] [name]Hermione[/name] [name]Tallis[/name] sounds alright to me (:
The pronunciation you’re after is spelled [name]Talise[/name]. [name]Tallis[/name] is an English surname and the name of a famous Elizabethan composer who wrote beautiful sacred music. It’s pronounced [name]TAL[/name]-iss and it’s a fairly well-known name, so I would spell it [name]Talise[/name].
[name]Both[/name] [name]Gemma[/name] and [name]Fleur[/name] are beautiful names, but I am voting for [name]Fleur[/name] for two reasons.1) I find [name]Ava[/name], [name]Mia[/name] and [name]Gemma[/name] over-matchy, as they are all two syllable girls names with identical cadences ending in A. 2) [name]Fleur[/name] [name]Talise[/name] seems to be a much, much more meaningful choice, as a way to honor [name]Remy[/name] without being too overt. [name]Gemma[/name] from your explanation appears to be a pretty name that you liked, nothing more, and [name]Hermione[/name] was sweetly chosen by your son (possibly he heard it in HP?) [name]Gemma[/name] [name]Hermine[/name] is pretty, striking and flows well. But [name]Fleur[/name] [name]Talise[/name] is very pretty, has even better flow, and could be paired with Hermne as pp suggested ([name]Fleur[/name] [name]Hermione[/name] [name]Talise[/name]). Adding the second middle minimizes the [name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name] overtones, ech you’ve said previously don’t bother you.
I adore [name]Gemma[/name] Hermoine [name]Fleur[/name]. You get all the names, it’s perfect. Stick with [name]Gemma[/name] as the first name. It’s much more substantial.
I was just about to say the same this as [name]Blade[/name] about the pronunciation of [name]Tallis[/name]. I knew a boy with that name in middle school and he pronounced like the talis in talisman.
I love the name [name]Gemma[/name]. [name]Gemma[/name] [name]Hermione[/name] is very [name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name] to me, but if that doesn’t bother you go for it. I really like [name]Gemma[/name] [name]Fleur[/name] too.
First of all, I’m so sorry for your loss of your son. As to the names you are considering, I don’t think you can go wrong with either choice…but my favourite is [name]Fleur[/name]. Good luck!
[name]Tallis[/name] rhymes with [name]Alice[/name]. It is the last name of characters in Atonement.
I don’t know about matching the name to the baby you lost. Your daughter should have her very own name. I am very sorry for your loss.
My favorite of those names is [name]Fleur[/name]. [name]Gemma[/name] is great too, but as a pp stated, it is matchy with the other girl’s names that end in A too.
I don’t think you should change the name though. You put [name]Gemma[/name] Hermoine in your signature. You obviously love it.
All the best!
Still loving [name]Gemma[/name] [name]Hermione[/name] for you, [name]Gigi[/name]! I think it’s so beautiful next to [name]Ava[/name] [name]Dulcea[/name] and [name]Mia[/name] [name]Isobel[/name]. I love the connection to [name]Aidan[/name], and plus, I think them “em” part of [name]Gemma[/name] could sort of honor [name]Remy[/name], too. I love [name]Gemma[/name] [name]Hermione[/name] the best as it is, but if you need a stronger connection to [name]Remy[/name], I think [name]Gemma[/name] [name]Hermione[/name] [name]Talise[/name] or [name]Gemma[/name] [name]Hermione[/name] [name]Fleur[/name] (or even [name]Gemma[/name] [name]Fleur[/name] [name]Hermione[/name]/[name]Gemma[/name] [name]Talise[/name] [name]Hermione[/name]?) would be lovely.
While I can appreciate wanting to keep [name]Remy[/name]'s memory alive, I also worry to that putting too much of that on [name]Gemma[/name] (or [name]Fleur[/name]) will make her feel saddled with expectations you really don’t have. I’m sure you just want her to be herself, to be who she was created to be, which is a beautiful, loved little girl. But I know if I had been named after a sibling of mine who had died prematurely, I think I would feel that my parents had expectations that I would be all of me, and make up for the loss of my sibling, too, and that would be really hard on a kid. I think the subtle “em” connection between [name]Remy[/name] and [name]Gemma[/name] is close enough, without honoring overload. I think [name]Gemma[/name] [name]Hermione[/name] ([name]Fleur[/name]) is a great name, one that will serve her really well.
I vote for [name]Gemma[/name] [name]Hermione[/name] [name]Fleur[/name]. All three are gorgeous names that flow perfectly together. I also think [name]Gemma[/name] works much, much better than [name]Fleur[/name] with [name]Ava[/name] and [name]Mia[/name]. Depending on where you live, I can see pronunciation issues arising with [name]Fleur[/name] [name]Tallis[/name]. In my opinion, most Americans can’t quite capture the prettiness of [name]Fleur[/name] with the way we pronounce it.
I like [name]Fleur[/name] [name]Tallis[/name] better than [name]Gemma[/name] [name]Hermione[/name] (sorry) and [name]Gemma[/name] [name]Hermione[/name] [name]Fleur[/name] is a [name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name] heavy. That is my only concern. I think all three are gorgeous but [name]Fleur[/name] [name]Tallis[/name] has that extra ‘oomph’ to me. Good luck!
I really like [name]Gemma[/name] [name]Hermione[/name], and have ever since I first saw it in your signature. [name]Gemma[/name] [name]Hermione[/name] [name]Fleur[/name] does sound very [name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name] to me, although that may not be a huge deal as [name]Fleur[/name] is not a major character and it is in the middle anyway.
[name]Fleur[/name] [name]Tallis[/name] (or [name]Fleur[/name] [name]Talise[/name]) sounds lovely. I don’t know that many people will pronounce [name]Tallis[/name] the way you said it, but again if it’s in the middle, it may not matter that much. Also, I don’t want to be nitpicky at all, but pronouncing the middle name as tuh-leese makes it sound like Thalys, which the high-speed train line that runs from [name]Paris[/name] to Brussels, Koeln, and [name]Amsterdam[/name]. I don’t know how strong your connections with the French language are (since you’re in the US, but also used [name]Remy[/name] for your son): If you chose [name]Fleur[/name] because you like the name and will probably stick around the US, then it won’t matter; if you have connections or relatives in [name]France[/name], however, they will likely hear tuh-leese and think of the train line.
I’d assume [name]Tallis[/name] was pronounced like talus, the ankle bone. [name]Fleur[/name] [name]Talise[/name] is very close to “fleur de lis” to my ears.
Still,*I prefer [name]Fleur[/name] to [name]Gemma[/name]!
[name]Fleur[/name] Susilva (beneath the forest)
[name]Fleur[/name] [name]Pomona[/name] ([name]Goddess[/name] of fruit trees. Keeps with the tree theme, and is there anything more life-affirming than fruit trees in bloom? [name]Cherry[/name] blossoms! Good for an [name]April[/name] baby.)
[name]Fleur[/name] [name]Sylvie[/name] - sweet, simple, French. “of the forest.”
Thank you everybody for all your insights. With what everyone has said and gave me pause to consider I was able to refine it a little more.
The suggestion of [name]Fleur[/name] [name]Hermione[/name] [name]Talise[/name] (the alternate spelling was highly appreciated!) was such a huge help. I’m not very talented at coming up with double middle name combos. With [name]Gemma[/name] [name]Hermione[/name] [name]Fleur[/name] it was simply a matter of tacking [name]Fleur[/name] on the end to incorporate it, but it never occurred to me to incorporate [name]Hermione[/name] that way into the [name]Fleur[/name] combo! That makes it so that I wouldn’t be giving up as much should I go with the [name]Fleur[/name] as a first name.
[name]Ash[/name]'s comment made me consider two things: That [name]Gemma[/name] could be close enough in sound alone to honor [name]Remy[/name], and it also made me think that [name]Fleur[/name] and [name]Tallis[/name] in one combo was overkill. It doesn’t make me want to abandon [name]Fleur[/name], it just makes more sense to not overpower her entire name based solely on what [name]Remy[/name]'s middle name was. The French origin of [name]Fleur[/name] would be sufficient.
So I’ve decided to drop [name]Talise[/name] entirely, since I only incorporated it for it’s meaning and no other reason. [name]Elyse[/name] is a classic name that is similar in sound that I quite fancy but would not carry the same pronunciation issues but would work well if I need a second middle name for [name]Fleur[/name] in the end.
Also just to clear things up: [name]Gemma[/name] does mean something to me, it’s not something I love simply because it sounds a certain way. I absolutely just [name]LOVE[/name] the name. It’s like it found me. If it didn’t mean anything to me there would be no debate. I’m stating this just because that point has influenced some of your advice, not because I’m offended. Actually if it weren’t for [name]Fleur[/name] being used with such a sentimentality I doubt [name]Gemma[/name] would have any competition at all. [name]Aidan[/name] did come up with [name]Hermione[/name] (and yes it was straight from [name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name]) but I loved his involvement and I ended up falling in love with the name myself! While on point, I do not at all mind the [name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name] connection to either [name]Hermione[/name] or [name]Fleur[/name], and their combined HP associations in one combo.
I have to admit that I like how matchy [name]Ava[/name] [name]Mia[/name] and [name]Gemma[/name] are. The Italian/Latin connection was deliberate, as was the two syllable ending in A name trend. But I also love how the sibset works the other way with [name]Fleur[/name]. I think [name]Mia[/name], [name]Ava[/name] & [name]Fleur[/name] work together for a simple elegance that’s also a bit romantic. At least to my ears. So I did take what you said into consideration, but it just doesn’t change my feelings for the names on that point.
But I want to thank everybody for their input thus far, even if I didn’t love them or agree with them or could find a use for them. I feel a lot more progressed in the naming issue now. It may all be for moot since I’ve been calling her Gemma for so long that she may already just be Gemma, but I feel loads better being equipped with the two double middle name combos as well. It’s not my usual style, but it may be the only way I’ll have peace in the end.
[name]Gemma[/name] has [name]Remy[/name]'s -[name]EM[/name] sound. As an [name]Emma[/name], [name]Gemma[/name] and [name]Remy[/name] are two names that feel like cousins to me. You could even call her [name]Gemmie[/name]/Gemy as once-in-a-while pet-name. [name]Gemma[/name] [name]Fleur[/name] would be pretty symmetrical with [name]Remy[/name] [name]Forrester[/name]- one [name]EM[/name] name and one name that’s vaguely botanical. You get the HP connection, to incorporate [name]Aiden[/name]'s suggestion, with [name]Fleur[/name].
[name]Gigi[/name], I think [name]Gemma[/name] is absolutely beautiful with [name]Ava[/name] and [name]Mia[/name]. I like it much more than [name]Fleur[/name], and you’ve been loving this name for so long. [name]Gemma[/name] [name]Hermione[/name] and [name]Gemma[/name] [name]Fleur[/name] are both gorgeous names!
