The Official Girls List!

After three weeks of neverending name discussions we have a tenative girls list!
And boy, do I mean neverending. They start before breakfast, ” Which do you like better, Poppy, Penny or Nell”. Continues throughout the day in texts/chat/email, “What do you think of Philippa Andromeda”? and winds down over supper, “I still like Maud, could we give her initials that spell it out”? So I’m happy to report that from here on out, it’ll be a less intense discussion. 🙂

The list has 7 names plus 2 wildcards, one for Him (1) & one for me (2). Without further ado, the
‘Official’ Girls List!’

Penelope Juno Alice
Cecily Pandora Jane
Beatrix Juno Frances
Winifred Elinor Plum
Elspeth Scarlett Jane
Ottilie India Violet
Jemima Lucy Frances

(1) Philippa Guinevere Alice
(2) Clementine India Jane

Noot a bad set of 9,if I do say so myself. What do you think? Aw, c’mon, you know you wanna say something!

As always, thanks for reading! 😀

Presenting: the Family Girls on my list!

Here they are, the Family names on the list:

Cecily: honors Babci Cecilia, who’s already been honored & in use by three different cousins, Cecilia, Celia & Ceil. Cecily is the only girly variant that hasn’t been used. I’m closer to the cousin Cecilia and think she’d be tickled to have a “namesake”, so to speak. I like that she’s three syllables and not common but familiar enough that she won’t get strange looks. Her combo: Cecily Pandora Jane, honors all the way through, just like Josie’s.

Tallulah: Was my Paternal Great Grandmother, my Grandpop’s mother. I never knew her. But I like Tallulah’s galloping rhythm quite a bit. I like that her combo honors beginning to end too, it’s: Tallulah Frances May.

Elspeth: Was my Great Aunt. Same Grandpop’s (from above) sister. I always knew her as Aunt Elsie. My Grandma filled me in long after both she & my Grandpop were gone. Elspeth charms me to my toes, she’s Scottish and so matches my surname very well. I like nn’s Bess, Elsie, Lily & Elsa best. But I like that she’d have about a dozen to choose from, should she want. Again, like Josie. I found the lovliest combo for her too: Elspeth Scarlett Jane.

Margery: Margery’s a lovely cousin I haven’t seen since we were 14 or so, but I remember her well. I’d probably nn Margery, Daisy or Maisie/May. Margey, which the cousin got, does not appeal, nor do the countless Mag- nicknames. Mag- is so masculine a sound to me. I’ll have a Magnus to nn Maggie before I’d use it on a girl! I found a lovely combo that honors thoroughly too: Margery Elspeth Violet.

Winifred: My lovely Auntie. Yes, really. Uncle Skip’s wife. Pop’s youngest brother. He’s a flake and a half, but she’s lovely! She’d be tickled too, if I used it. I found the perfect combo for her too: Winifred Elinor Plum. Elinor honors His side (a cousin) and Plums are His favorite fruit. And Plum is such a luscious sound!

So, there they are. What do you think? 😀

Philippa Guinevere Alice

What exactly is wrong with this combo?

Philippa Guinevere Alice

I think she’s beautiful, but she gets no love anywhere. Even He loves it, thinks Guinevere is just different enough in the middle. And it was one of Grandma Lily’s favorite names and how we wound up with a Lilivere hanging in our tree. I’d use Philippa Lilevere but think it’s far too ‘l’ heavy for daily use. Philippa Guinevere flows better. And Alice was my Mom’s first pick for me!

So: Philippa Guinevere Alice. No longer than:
Josephine Rosamel Anne, I think.

So, what’s wrong with her that I’m missing? 😦

Marvelous Margery!

I’ve mentioned Margery in the past, I’m sure. I’ve loved Margery for a long time. I’d nn her Daisy!

My problem with Margery is that she feels more like *my* name than her big sister’s. So I went digging, again, to try to find middles that made Margery more elegant. I found some that appeal quite a bit but I need help narrowing them down!

I can make combos all day, they’re fun to do. But I went a bit overboard with Margery:

Margery Elinor Blythe
Margery Luna Frances
Margery Frances Amabel
Margery Lucy Frances
Margery Primrose June
Margery Elinor Primrose
Margery Louisa Romilly
Margery Isobel Blythe
Margery Juno Coralie
Margery Honey Llanfaire
Margery Violet Leonie
Margery Frances Ruby
Margery Alice Mimosa
Margery Elinor Rosamond
Margery Elspeth Violet
Margery Honey Annabel
Margery Io Violet

See what I mean? 😀
I’m partial to a few of them,but not attached to any one overmuch, can I have some help choosing? I’d appreciate comments with any choices, so I know why they got chosen.

As always, thank you for stopping by! 😀

Rethinking Winifred!

I’ve had Winifred Elinor Plum on my list forever. It’s light, a bit whimsical and still pretty in a solid sort of way.
Winifred’s my Auntie’s name and she’d be tickled persimmon if we used it. She goes by Win sometimes, but most often is just Winifred. I love Winnie and Freda equally. I actually think, in a perfect world, that Freda has far more character than Winnie. But I digress.

I’ve decided to try Winifred out in new ways, maybe enveloping a muse or minor goddess since they thrill the Mr. so.

So here’s what we’ve whittled the masses of combos we came up with down to:

Winifred Juno Frances
Winifred Cleo Elinor
Winifred Juno Gwendolen
And
Winifred Xanthe Amabel

I couldn’t decide if my life depended on it. Anyone wanna try picking one and telling me why they chose that particular one? I’d really appreciate it! Please?

Also working on sweet Margery (I’ll call her Daisy!), Tallulah, Philippa & Susanna. Bt have to admit, Susanna’s giving me fits! More to come. Stay tuned! 😀

Ottilie Again

I’ve been thinking about Ottilie. How soft and charming she is, how pretty. yes, I still love Ottilie.

What I have been rethinking is her combo. Ottilie Alice Ghislaine is pretty stunning and isn’t going anywhere just yet but I wanted to try Ottilie out with my Mom’s name. Ottilie Frances feels a bit more grounded than Ottilie Alice, to me. I think it’s the F, that consonant is quite down to earth.

So I went digging and came up with a handful that please me in various ways, from the simple to the elaborate. Here they are:

Ottilie Frances Jane
Ottilie Frances Loveday
Ottilie Frances Valentine
Ottilie Frances Violet
Ottilie Frances Adele
Ottilie Frances Elanor
Ottilie Frances Isadora
Ottilie Frances Kathleen

I’m really digging Ottilie, for her Tillie potential, also for her overall look & sound. So pleasing both to see & hear. makes me smile.

Now I’ve been leaning towards the sweet & simple Ottilie Frances Jane but He likes a few of the more flowery pairings more. Which of these would you pick, if you had to and why did you pick that one (if you don’t mind telling me)?

I’d love to know your thoughts on these, better or worse than Ottilie Alice Ghislaine?

As always, thanks for stopping in, I greatly appreciate it!

Wilhelmina

Has appeared on my radar yet again and this time, I think I’ve got a few excellent thoughts for her combo:

 

Wilhelmina Lucy Pearl
Wilhelmina Esme Jane
Wilhelmina Lila Pearl
Wilhelmina Lila Adele
Wilhelmina Cleo Elinor

I adore Mina, just to pieces and I can easily (and comfortably) live with Willa, if she chose.   Billie is not a favorite option but I could deal, if that’s what she wanted. I can wrap my head around Billie on a girl; I grew up listening to Billie Holiday (who was born Eleanor, if I recall rightly).  I just can’t let go on Mina, in any form or fashion and Wilhelmina works in an honoring sense for me, His maternal Grandpop was Willem. Now I know Willem & Wilhelm are forms of each other and Willemina is a legit variant but I much prefer the look of Wilhelmina. Weird, but there it is!   Now I have a favorite up there as does he, but those are all our choices. Can you figure out who likes what and then tell me, which is your favorite?  I’d love to hear your thoughts.  

 

Off to the park for a picnic lunch and Happy 4th to All!

Penelope, Araminta & Elspeth

Beyond Cecily, Cleo & Maud, these three are top favorites for both of us:

Penelope: She’s galloping, sweet and I love the potential for Poppy & Nell and she can always go by Lola should I stop using it someday! I love her mythical counterpoint and the fact that Penelope’s familiar to almost everyone but not very common.

Araminta: Has long fascinated me. I think She’s strong but oh so lush & rich. I adore Minna/Mina & Min as possible nicknames and I love how Araminta seems familiar to most but it’s so rarely heard for real. It’s stunning in full, too!

and

Elspeth: Charming, feels other-worldly. Completely feminine but no fluffy thing, Elspeth has a steel core. And she would honor Grandma Lily and me, as the Scottish form of Elisabeth, which we both had/have. I adore Elsa
& Elsie as possible nicknames (not to mention the far flung Bess & Lily)!

I have combos I love for each of them:
Penelope Violet Jane
Araminta Lucy Violet
Elspeth Scarlett Jane

Now, my dilemma. Should I move these onto the primary list or leave them as wildcards? What should I toss if I did move them to Primaries? Do you like these better than the ones already there or not? What? Just help, because we can’t decide what goes where beyond Cecily (or Cleo) at #1 and Maud at #2.

Anyone have a theory why boys names come so easily to us but girls names we have to struggle with? I’m baffled!

So any thoughts are most welcome, indeed. As always, Thanks for stopping in!

😀

Some Newer Stuff

Well, “newer” is figurative. 🙂 I’ve had a few of these names on my lists before, I’m just liking them anew. Since I had so much down time, I worked on combos and came up with a handful that I really like. This is what I do with much of my free time (at least, in my head):

 

Romilly Allegra Violet
Penelope Violet Jane
India Ottilie Violet
Peregrin Henry Arthur
August James Tiberius
Matilda Esme Violet
Amos Willem Rafferty
Lucius George Pascal
Eulalie Saffron Jane

 

Romilly is back again, still searching for the perfect middles for India, Eulalie stays on the list despite Elisabeth having a brand new one while Matilda’s firmly on the list now and I’m still searching for the perfect middles for Penelope. Lucius never left, I’m still perfecting him and Amos is slowly replacing Clancy in my head.   Not entirely, but starting to. So here’s a related question for you folks:
Clancy or Amos, which do you like better (or which would you rather see on a real kid)?

 

So there they are, anything strike you as keepable?  I’d love to hear what you folks think!  As always, thanks a million for stopping by. And, I’m back!  😀

August

I’m back to August. Dignified, strong & handsome (do NOT start with me on how Month names are unisex unless you are willing to use May on a boy of yours!). yep, August is all manly for me, Augie & Gus are two lovely nickname options. I prefer Augie, but Gus is more mainstream should he want. And August honors my Mom, beloved Frances who hated her name, born 6 August 1940. I think it’s a subtle thing that she probably wouldn’t mind.  And she’d probably dig Gus. 🙂

I came up with half a dozen combos as did He and between us, we narrowed the field to these 5. Which would you choose and why?

August James Tiberius (yes, I know, it’s kitschy, and geeky, but if I could make James Tiberius ___ flow with the surname I’d use it in a heartbeat and be thrilled. What a fabulous combo! and yes, I saw the new Star Trek movie and am so jazzed!)
August James Aloysius – a bit kitschier bit not as geeky.
August Julian Oliver – I’d rather Lucian, but August Lucian doesn’t sound as good as August Julian.
August Milo Aurelian – Aurelian’s awesome and I’m still stuck on Milo, but it’s too nicknamey for up front.
August Edward Bede – gets the honoring in there, and my beloved Bede.

Now August honors Mom, James honors not only Him, but my Pop’s oldest Brother (who’s still around) and Edward honors Mom’s brother, and my cousin (who I like much better than the Uncle). Milo is what Josie would have been had she been a boy, and I still like it very much. The rest are just fun.

So, what do you think? I’d love to know!

Names I have an Irrational Dislike of

I think we all have some like this. Names that are perfectly usable but for some reason they turn us off. I have a handful for each sex and thought I’d share them. Then share yours!

 

Hannah – perfectly bland
Abigail – I still think of the “lady’s maid’ assocation.
Jasmine – the flower makes me sneeze and the princess is perfectly blah.
Theresa – Funny, I love Tessa but Theresa just does nothing for me . Absolutely white bread boring.
Karen – Not a pleasant sound for me.
Anna – it’s pretty, yeah but so everywhere. Simple Anne has always been my preferred variant.

Charles – He’s the Theresa of the boys list!
Paul – Nasty assocations aside, it’s a small name with a tight feel. And St. Paul is no friend of mine. Bah, mysoginistic fool.
Noah – Sounds like No with an Itailian accent to me. Old Italian nighbor ruined Noah for me.
Benjamin – Just feels a bit too preppy for my liking. Too fussy and preppy.
Harry – feels sloppy and messy.
Chase – It’s just ridiculous. Put it in the front and whatever you’ve paired it with sounds like a command, use it in the middle and it sounds like a bank. Blah.

 

No offense meant to anyone bearing these names, this is just my list of names I personally dislike and why. Perfectly good names (all but 1, anyway) just yuck to me.

 

What are your perfectly usable dislikes?  I’d love to hear!

Happy Memorial Day to all!

So there. Enjoy your BBQs, picnics or potlucks. I’ve got a BBQ planned for tonight but am kicking back and relaxing. Reminiscing about the Vets in my family, My Uncle Jim, a Vietnam vet, My Pop, an Air Force vet (he was in before Vietnam, was married with a  kid on the way when it started so he got left out, lucky me!). Grandpop was in the Navy for WW2, My Aunt May was a WAVE.  My OH was an Army guy for 10 years but is thankfully home safe and staying home these days.  I hope you & yours are Safe & Happy today.  🙂

 

So I was being weird yesterday  and posted a poll at BtN, Thinking about a few names specifically that I like with Josephine. Here’s what I posted, and the total # of votes each got, following:

Josephine & ? Which would you like to see most?

Josephine & Helen: 8
Josephine & Frances: 13
Josephine & Violet: 22
Josephine & Elinor: 8
Josephine & Cecily: 18
Josephine & Jemima: 11
Josephine & Imogen: 7
Josephine & Winifred: 11
Josephine & Ottilie: 12
Josephine & Edith: 6

 

What do you think of the final outcome? Which would you have voted for (it was a pick all you like poll) and tell me, am I still crazy for loving Ottilie and wanting her in first place?  Talk to me, tell me whatever you think, I’d love to hear!