Hi Berries -
This week’s Name Sage post is from a mom looking to name Ravenna’s sister or brother. The name doesn’t have to be Italian, necessarily. (They’re not - they just liked the name!) But it does have to sound like they’re from the same family.
Suggestions? You can read the mom’s letter + see my thoughts here.
Best,
Abby
aka The Name Sage
[name_f]Ravenna[/name_f] is so pretty!! (i think it’s the name of the queen in snow white and the huntsman which is actually really cool)
for a girl maybe:
[name_f]Sapphira[/name_f]
Bellissa
[name_f]Aletta[/name_f]
[name_f]Avalon[/name_f]
[name_f]Mariella[/name_f]
[name_f]Eliora[/name_f]
[name_f]Amabel[/name_f]
[name_f]Milena[/name_f]
[name_f]Ariadne[/name_f]
[name_f]Isadora[/name_f]
and for a boy:
[name_m]Emrys[/name_m]
[name_m]Isidore[/name_m]
[name_m]Leonidas[/name_m]
Santiano
[name_m]Vincent[/name_m]
[name_m]Cassian[/name_m]
[name_m]Castiel[/name_m]
[name_m]Bastien[/name_m]
[name_m]Lazlo[/name_m]
[name_f]Ravenna[/name_f] is a very pretty old world charm to it. Medieval princess meets [name_u]Harry[/name_u] [name_m]Potter[/name_m]. I feel something elegant and worldly would sound lovely next to it
[name_f]Ravenna[/name_f] & _________:
[name_f]Persephone[/name_f]
[name_f]Briony[/name_f]
Kessiah
[name_f]Keturah[/name_f]
Kessiah
[name_f]Calliope[/name_f]
[name_f]Jessamine[/name_f]
[name_f]Thessaly[/name_f]
[name_u]Romilly[/name_u]
[name_f]Imogen[/name_f]
[name_f]Guinevere[/name_f]
[name_f]Beatrix[/name_f]
[name_f]Maelle[/name_f]
[name_f]Tamsin[/name_f]
[name_f]Delyth[/name_f]
[name_f]Aleida[/name_f]
Amelie/Amalia
Evande
[name_f]Elodie[/name_f]
[name_f]Ottilie[/name_f]
[name_f]Octavia[/name_f]
[name_f]Olympia[/name_f]
[name_f]Idalia[/name_f]
[name_f]Bronwen[/name_f]
[name_f]Elspeth[/name_f]
[name_f]Leonie[/name_f]
[name_f]Eudora[/name_f]
[name_f]Thalia[/name_f]
[name_u]Neriah[/name_u]
[name_f]Odette[/name_f]
[name_m]Aloysius[/name_m]
[name_m]Alistair[/name_m]
[name_m]Balthasar[/name_m]
Oberon/Auberon
[name_m]Crispin[/name_m]
[name_m]Cassius[/name_m]
[name_m]Magnus[/name_m]
[name_m]Cedric[/name_m]
[name_m]Desmond[/name_m]
[name_m]Seamus[/name_m]
[name_m]Evander[/name_m]
[name_u]Callum[/name_u]
[name_m]Lleyton[/name_m]
[name_m]Huon[/name_m]
Lucius/Lucian
[name_m]Hugo[/name_m]
[name_m]Aramis[/name_m]
[name_m]Osiris[/name_m]
[name_m]Gideon[/name_m]
[name_m]Garrick[/name_m]
[name_m]Kaius[/name_m]
[name_m]Cormac[/name_m]
[name_u]Harland[/name_u]
I would go for a name with Latin origins such as:
Girls:
[name_f]Ravenna[/name_f] & [name_f]Valencia[/name_f]
[name_f]Ravenna[/name_f] & Florenzia
[name_f]Ravenna[/name_f] & [name_f]Nephele[/name_f]
[name_f]Ravenna[/name_f] & [name_f]Ramona[/name_f]
[name_f]Ravenna[/name_f] & [name_f]Aurelia[/name_f]
[name_f]Ravenna[/name_f] & [name_f]Adrienne[/name_f]
[name_f]Ravenna[/name_f] & [name_f]Quintana[/name_f]
Boys:
[name_f]Ravenna[/name_f] & [name_m]Evander[/name_m]
[name_f]Ravenna[/name_f] & [name_m]Aurelius[/name_m]
[name_f]Ravenna[/name_f] & [name_m]Caspian[/name_m]
[name_f]Ravenna[/name_f] & [name_u]Florian[/name_u]
[name_f]Ravenna[/name_f] & [name_m]Ignatius[/name_m]
[name_f]Ravenna[/name_f] & [name_u]Thaddeus[/name_u]
[name_f]Ravenna[/name_f] & [name_m]Theodore[/name_m]
I love your lists - and [name_m]Lazlo[/name_m] for a boy could be perfect!
“Medieval princess meets [name_u]Harry[/name_u] Potter” = so well said! It makes me think [name_m]Cedric[/name_m] is the perfect brother name.
And [name_f]Briony[/name_f] is on my list for this mama, too!
Girls:
[name_f]Vittoria[/name_f]
[name_f]Octavia[/name_f]
[name_f]Aurelia[/name_f]
[name_f]Solange[/name_f]
[name_f]Saffronia[/name_f]
[name_f]Eugenie[/name_f]
[name_u]Romilly[/name_u]
Boys:
[name_m]Octavius[/name_m]
[name_u]Claude[/name_u]
[name_m]Lazarus[/name_m]
That’s a really good way to think about it. [name_u]Thaddeus[/name_u] could be awesome with [name_f]Ravenna[/name_f] …
Hmmmmm… This is tough! 
[name_f]Ravenna[/name_f] and [name_f]Marisol[/name_f]
[name_f]Ravenna[/name_f] is phenomenal!
I honestly think -raven before I think -Italian. But I absolutely agree with the dramatic, unexpected assessment. I might even add intense, in an very good way.
So focusing more on drama, sound and style and not on origin I’d name
Ravenna’s sister
[name_f]Ambrosia[/name_f]
[name_f]Apolline[/name_f]
[name_f]Araceli[/name_f]
[name_f]Araminta[/name_f]
[name_u]Artemis[/name_u]
[name_f]Astara[/name_f]
[name_f]Celestia[/name_f]
[name_f]Delta[/name_f]
[name_f]Eulalie[/name_f]
[name_f]Euphrasie[/name_f]
[name_f]Ferelith[/name_f]
[name_f]Gwyneira[/name_f]
[name_f]Heloise[/name_f]
[name_f]Illyria[/name_f]
[name_f]Leocadia[/name_f]
[name_u]Lorien[/name_u]
[name_f]Ondine[/name_f]
[name_f]Ophelie[/name_f]
[name_f]Ostara[/name_f]
[name_f]Paloma[/name_f]
[name_f]Pandora[/name_f]
[name_u]Phaedra[/name_u]
[name_f]Pomeline[/name_f]
[name_f]Sophronia[/name_f]
[name_f]Winona[/name_f]
Ravenna’s brother
[name_m]Apollo[/name_m]
[name_u]Augustine[/name_u]
[name_u]Berlin[/name_u]
[name_u]Brighton[/name_u]
[name_m]Calix[/name_m]
[name_u]Cato[/name_u]
[name_m]Cosmo[/name_m]
[name_m]Darius[/name_m]
[name_m]Draco[/name_m]
[name_u]Hendrix[/name_u]
[name_u]Idris[/name_u]
[name_m]Luther[/name_m]
[name_u]Milan[/name_u] (too themey?)
[name_m]Odin[/name_m]
[name_u]Oleander[/name_u]
[name_u]Peregrine[/name_u]
[name_u]Perrin[/name_u]
[name_u]Seneca[/name_u]
[name_u]Willoughby[/name_u]
[name_u]Zealand[/name_u]
[name_m]Zebulon[/name_m]
[name_m]Zigmund[/name_m]
Boy- [name_m]Aurelio[/name_m] or [name_m]Emilio[/name_m]
Girl- [name_f]Perdita[/name_f] or [name_f]Ilaria[/name_f]
[name_f]Ravenna[/name_f] gives me a very “intellectual” vibe (probably due to the association with ravens), so the first name that came to my mind was ‘Sage’ For either gender
[name_f]Ravenna[/name_f] and [name_u]Sage[/name_u] <3
I’m no good at boys’ names, but here are some girl names that might work:
[name_f]Nerissa[/name_f]
[name_f]Bronte[/name_f]
[name_f]Aurelia[/name_f]
[name_u]Valor[/name_u] or [name_f]Valora[/name_f]
[name_f]Tullia[/name_f]
[name_f]Viatrix[/name_f]
[name_f]Esperance[/name_f]
[name_f]Andora[/name_f]
[name_f]Octavia[/name_f]
[name_f]Fiametta[/name_f]
[name_f]Amandine[/name_f]
[name_f]Cipriana[/name_f]
[name_f]Orestina[/name_f]
[name_f]Rohana[/name_f]
[name_f]Delphine[/name_f]
[name_f]Cosima[/name_f]
I like [name_f]Ravenna[/name_f] & [name_f]Zoe[/name_f], [name_f]Ravenna[/name_f] & [name_f]Faye[/name_f] or [name_f]Ravenna[/name_f] & [name_f]Araminta[/name_f], [name_f]Ravenna[/name_f] & [name_f]Sabine[/name_f], [name_f]Ravenna[/name_f] & [name_u]Camille[/name_u] 
For a boy [name_u]Valentine[/name_u], [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] or [name_m]Theodore[/name_m].
I don’t know why but the name that keeps coming to mind is [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f]. It has the same ending sound as [name_f]Ravenna[/name_f], and both sound mildly fantastical, if that makes sense. Other names I can see working for a sister are [name_f]Essence[/name_f] and [name_f]Amalia[/name_f].
For boys the only ones coming to mind are [name_m]Caspian[/name_m], [name_m]Cassius[/name_m], and [name_m]Hezekiah[/name_m]. All pretty easy to pronounce, sort of recognizable, but would probably never have a kid in their class with the same name.
The stand out name for me is [name_m]Ambrose[/name_m] for a boy. I can’t put my finger on why, but it fits so perfectly in my eyes!
So many great suggestions already, I’d like to second [name_f]Illyria[/name_f]! It was my first thought.
If you want a bold name that is still subtly connected to Ravenna, a quick search on the nameberry page and wiki article shows a lot of cool literary and historical possibilities like Dante, Cato, Lionel, Wilde, Apollinaris/Apollo, and Byron for boys; and Clairvaux, Beatrice, Apollina, and Constance for girls.
(I looooove the idea of Byron. It’s along the same lines as Tennyson which was my favorite suggestion from the article. And I think Byron is a great a style match for Ravenna—it’s bold and unexpected and dignified but not unheard of. And it also brings to mind the line in Byron’s “She Walks in Beauty” about the “nameless grace that waves in every raven tress”, another possible but very subtle connection to Ravenna)
Other thoughts:
Damien
Caspian
Jasper
Valentine (could also use for a girl imo)
Petra
Moira
Althea
Cecily
Leonor
[name_f]Sunniva[/name_f] or [name_f]Aviva[/name_f]