So… What’s your favorite girls name? And why? I’m starting my own list anew and looking for ideas 
Thanks so much!
I don’t know the exact one, but I guess it would be [name_f]Elsa[/name_f].
REASONS (in no order):
- Frozen
- It’s interesting without being insane
- Nickname [name_f]Elsie[/name_f]–what could be better?
The runner-up is Euphrosyne (it’s too long to be my absolute favorite).
Maebry [name_f]Eloise[/name_f]
[name_f]Eloise[/name_f] is after my late paternal grandma. I never got to meet either of my paternal grandparents. They both passed very young. I have heard lots of stories though. I discovered the Old English surname [name_f]Mabry[/name_f] and fell head-over-heals, I honestly do not know why. I added an A, which made me fall more in love. Maebry [name_f]Eloise[/name_f] just feels so special to me. I cannot really explain.
I am unsure why this did not dawn on me. Mae is a variant of my mother-in-law’s first name and a diminutive of her middle name and my late grandma’s (maternal) name. No wonder why it feels so special. The combo honors two very special people I have/had in my life and one I wish I could have had in my life. Along with the feelings I get from the name, it is a powerful combo for me.
[name_f]My[/name_f] favourite girls names in order:
[name_f]Matilda[/name_f] [name_f]Florence[/name_f] ([name_u]Mattie[/name_u])
[name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] [name_f]Evangeline[/name_f] ([name_u]Charlie[/name_u])
[name_f]Adelaide[/name_f] [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] ([name_f]Ada[/name_f])
[name_f]My[/name_f] reasons behind the names are wayyyy too long to explain at 1:30AM (Australian time) 
Pandora Valencia Fae
She’s feisty, spontaneous and energetic. Just a bit rebellious and passionate about everything she does. She’s intelligent, but can be very direct and blunt, but she always tries to make everyone feel better, and us encouraging. The mythological connection (which I do not see as bad) links it to Ancient Greece and along with Fae gives the name a magical, slightly mysterious feel, which is what I look for in most of the names I love. Valencia means strong/healthy, which is an important quality and tops off the combined meaning: All gifted Strong Faerie. The combined meaning thing is what my dad did with my name, and it’s always made me feel really special, so I’ve always wanted to do it for my first daughter.
Colour: Deep purple | Element: Fire | Season: Spring or summer.
[name_f]Viola[/name_f]! I was thrilled when they talked about it on the blog the other day. [name_f]My[/name_f] current top combo is [name_f]Viola[/name_f] Belphoebe [name_f]Alice[/name_f].
I love it:
- Because of Twelfth [name_m]Night[/name_m]/She’s The [name_m]Man[/name_m]
- Because of the Chaos Walking trilogy
- Because it feels to me like the perfect balance of femininity and strength, has an interesting and lovely look/sound, and is familiar yet highly unusual.
I feel like I’m having trouble articulating just how much I love this name and why–maybe bullet points just aren’t my format!
Thanks for your responses! I love hearing why people love the names they do!
I love [name_f]Aurora[/name_f] [name_f]Daisy[/name_f] because it’s so feminine and light and I love that it ties in The Great [name_m]Gatsby[/name_m] which has aways been my favorite book. A close second is [name_f]Georgia[/name_f] [name_f]Eloise[/name_f]. I like that it’s feminine, southern, ties in my birthplace, and a long time friend of my grandparents who acted like a second grandmother when I was young. I guess I just really like girly names.
Can I give my top 2? I love these two equally! lol
[name_f]Juliet[/name_f] [name_f]Grace[/name_f]- [name_f]Juliet[/name_f] I fell in love with last summer. I was watching youtube video and a lady mentioned her daughter’s name was [name_f]Juliette[/name_f]. Literally the second I heard it I fell head over heels in love. [name_f]Grace[/name_f] was my great-grandmother’s name.
[name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] [name_f]Hope[/name_f]- I’ve always liked [name_f]Madelynn[/name_f] and [name_f]Madeline[/name_f], but it wasn’t til the last couple months that I have fallen in love with [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f]. Something about this name is magical. [name_f]Hope[/name_f] is my grandmother’s name.
[name_f]Isobel[/name_f] [name_m]Jamesie[/name_m] [name_f]Rose[/name_f]- [name_f]Isobel[/name_f] is my Grandma’s name and [name_m]Jamesie[/name_m]'s my nanas name
@legallybrunette - omgoodness, [name_f]Aurora[/name_f] [name_f]Daisy[/name_f] is perfection! Two of my favorites–why have I never thought of putting them together?!
Mine is [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f]. I have a combo picked out ([name_f]Isabelle[/name_f] [name_f]Aurora[/name_f] [name_f]Grace[/name_f]), and I love it, but honestly, I don’t love it to the same extent that I love [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f], so I’ll mainly focus on that ([name_f]Grace[/name_f] is my grandmother’s middle, and [name_f]Aurora[/name_f]'s meaning “dawn” sort of symbolizes to me the hope I have after going through moderate depression, the hope I want to pass on to my children).
But [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f]… She’s dainty and innocent. She’s spunky and fully feminine. She’s timeless and classy. I imagine her discovering worms in the dirt, baking muffins with mommy, fingerpainting at the kitchen table, reading [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_u]Austen[/name_u] in fifth grade, singing at the top of her lungs in her car seat in the back of my car, cuddling with grandma, intelligent and kind and good-hearted. More ticklish than me, if that’s even possible. Such a bright and happy soul. A dreamer and a world changer. And one day, she’ll do whatever she sets her heart on. I just, I can’t imagine not having a daughter named [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f], and I love everything about the name.
I love that it means “my God is a vow”, which, in essence, sums up my entire religious experience and what I know about God (and I hope it’s something she’ll one day know about God, too), and I love the tie to [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] (and [name_m]John[/name_m] jumping in her womb when he recognized [name_m]Jesus[/name_m]). I love that it’s [name_m]French[/name_m] (oh, do I love that!). I love that the nn [name_f]Bella[/name_f] means “beautiful” in several languages (and similar forms in others), and thus hints at my love for languages (something I hope to pass onto my kids!). I love that [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f] honors the two most important people to me outside my family (I sponsor a little girl in [name_u]Peru[/name_u] named [name_f]Isabel[/name_f], and my best friend was [name_m]French[/name_m]). I love that it’d work seamlessly if I ever have to navigate in a culture that speaks [name_m]French[/name_m] (like in Haiti, [name_f]Canada[/name_f], [name_f]France[/name_f], Switzerland, Belgium, etc.–all of which I can see me at least visiting in the foreseeable future!), too.
I just love [name_f]Isabelle[/name_f]! 
I get all goofy when I think about her. I just hope any potential future husband of mine will see the merits in it like I do.
Mine is [name_f]Helen[/name_f]. I’ll explain in bullet points so I don’t end up rambling too much. 
- It’s in honor of my great-grandmother who’s such a strong, resilient, loving, kind, witty, beautiful lady. I admire her so much.
- The face that launched a thousand ships! I’m a sucker for epic mythological/historical connections like the Trojan War.
- it means “torch” or “corposant,” and I really like that association with light (and there’s a possible connection to the moon)
- it’s been well-used since the Middle Ages as [name_f]Ellen[/name_f] and later as [name_f]Helen[/name_f], so the name has plenty of history behind it
- I adore [name_f]Helen[/name_f]'s no-nonsense vintage charm: it’s feminine but not frilly, strong, elegant, and intelligent
[name_f]Aurelia[/name_f]: I have a unique (re: weird, exotic) name and I really appreciate it. The nickname ‘[name_u]Rae[/name_u]’ is really cute to me, because it reminds me of a ray of sunshine. I like that this name is so unknown and sounds so nice.
[name_f]Evanna[/name_f]: It’s cute enough for a child and mature enough for an adult. I think [name_f]Eva[/name_f] is a bit sexy, so I wouldn’t just wanna use that, and I think I prefer longer names, but like that I could still use it as a nickname. Plus, I associate it with [name_f]Evanna[/name_f] [name_m]Lynch[/name_m], and I think she’s a pretty good namesake.
[name_f]Rosalie[/name_f]: I liked it better when it was lesser known, but I love that it doesn’t end in the typical -a, that it has a nn [name_f]Rosie[/name_f], that it can be grown into, that it, again, sounds pleasant, that it kinda honors my grandma, and that it’s modern but classic.
[name_f]Celia[/name_f]: I found this name through a book (We Need to Talk About [name_m]Kevin[/name_m]) that was really dark, and especially pertaining this character. I love it despite that, which reassures that this name really is lovely. Although I do think it’s kind of an unlucky name. I love that it’s used by multiple ethnicities and even though it’s not very long, it seems complete. Also has a nn, Cel. I wouldn’t use [name_f]Cecelia[/name_f] because I do not like [name_f]CeCe[/name_f] as a nn.
I would have to go for [name_f]Martha[/name_f] [name_f]Lily[/name_f]-[name_f]May[/name_f]. [name_f]Martha[/name_f] is just one name I really see myself using, and [name_f]Lily[/name_f]-[name_f]May[/name_f] honours my maternal grandparents, as well as my mum in a way
So many wonderful choices! Your stories and reasons to love these names are all so personal and compelling!
I have two…
[name_f]Amelia[/name_f]:
- [name_f]Amelia[/name_f] Pond, one of my favourite companions from [name_m]Doctor[/name_m] Who
- The nicknames- [name_f]Millie[/name_f], [name_f]Amy[/name_f], [name_f]Lia[/name_f], [name_f]Mia[/name_f], [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] etc.
- The nn [name_f]Millie[/name_f] honours my grandmother, who had the middle name [name_f]Millicent[/name_f]
[name_f]Clara[/name_f] [name_f]May[/name_f]:
- [name_f]Clara[/name_f] [name_m]Oswald[/name_m], another favourite companion
- [name_f]Clara[/name_f] [name_f]May[/name_f] means ‘bright pearl’ (swoon!)
- [name_f]My[/name_f] name ([name_f]Megan[/name_f]) also means ‘pearl’
- I love how it’s a classic but not overly popular
- I can share a secret I guess… [name_f]Aria[/name_f] is just a half of my favourite name (plus a beautiful, everyday-use nickname). It was one of my favourite book characters, but what’s more important, these books once belonged to my beloved grandmother who was kind of everything to me. She died when I was 12, but she was like a second parent to me - since I was raised only by my mother. The full name is very unusual and unique (and it’s my secret until I eventually get pregnant with a girl). So, these books are the only thing I have left after her, plus I really love the stories and the author and author’s other work. Back to the name, it means ‘a maid of a bear spear’ - which is also important to me.
- [name_f]Christina[/name_f] or [name_f]Kristina[/name_f] - it is my grandmother’s name.
- [name_f]Tea[/name_f] - I’ve always loved tea (really, like the one to drink). I share this ‘passion’ with my mom, we’ve always been trying new flavours, spend a lot of time talking over tea etc. It’s just kind of my hobby (despite the names) and I couldn’t imagine my life without a cup of tea. Besides, I like it better than [name_f]Tia[/name_f] spelling.
And my second favourite:
- [name_f]Frances[/name_f] - my maternal great-great-grandmother was named Franciszka (which is Polish version of [name_f]Francesca[/name_f] or [name_f]Frances[/name_f]). I like the soft sound of the name, it’s meaning (‘from [name_f]France[/name_f]’ -because I also have some connotations to [name_f]France[/name_f]). I would like to honor her as she is my oldest ancestor - I mean, she is as far as I can get looking the past when it comes to my mother’s family, so she is kind of a first mother of my family.
- [name_f]Cecilia[/name_f] - she also is a character from my beloved books. It’s a way of honoring the author, my grandmother, my mother and my love to these books. In some wicked way I interpret the meaning of [name_f]Cecilia[/name_f] (‘blind’) in a nice way: being blind of what’s usually visible enables us to actually look deeper and see things that are more important.
- [name_f]Mae[/name_f] - form of honoring my mother (her name is [name_f]Margaret[/name_f]). I kind of like the similarity of [name_f]Tea[/name_f] and [name_f]Mae[/name_f], and would like it for a sibset. As mentioned before [name_f]Mae[/name_f] (or [name_f]Megan[/name_f] or [name_f]Margaret[/name_f]) means pearl. [name_f]Precious[/name_f] meaning. my favourite author’s name is also a diminutive of [name_f]Margaret[/name_f].
Instead of one name I gave you six, but if I really had to choose just one, it would definitely be [name_f]Aria[/name_f].
[name_f]Persephone[/name_f]. It’s hard for me to explain why I love this name so much, I just do. The spunky nn [name_u]Percy[/name_u]; [name_f]Persephone[/name_f] was goddess of the underworld, and for some reason that sort of appeals to me. Also [name_m]Homer[/name_m] described her as formidable and majestic yet vulnerable, and [name_m]Plato[/name_m] as wise, which I like. I think of my mother as formidable (in that she is incredibly capable and inspires respect) and very wise and I’d love for my daughter to be like her. Also being the goddess of the harvest she represents [name_f]Spring[/name_f] and all it brings with it.
[name_f]Georgiana[/name_f] is my second. To me it’s feminine and kind of whimsical; pretty. I’ve always liked [name_f]Georgia[/name_f], ever since I was a child, but feel it’s a bit lacking, adding the -ana makes it all flow so nicely. Also a character from one of my favourite books, P&P.
[name_f]Genevieve[/name_f]
It has lots of nickname possibilities, it is feminine and not super popular without being way out there.
[name_f]Ariadne[/name_f].
She’s quirky, and entirely unexpected. She’s got a great edgy, audacious spice to her. She’s brave and cheeky, but too a sensitive little soul, warmhearted and passionate. I also love the mythological connection to the labyrinth, and the idea of giving the gift of free passage through obstacle - being free to make your own wrong turns, learning and growing from mistakes made.