Much Maligned Lettice…

I adore Lettice. No, not the green, leafy veggie (although I like it well enough), Lettice is the medieval variant of Laetitia/Letitia/Leticia. Lettice Knowles is where I first found her and while she’s not the best namesake, I do so love her name!

I even found a combo I’m incredibly pleased with: Lettice Coralie Jane. I know Lettice Coraline Jane flows better, but I’m really not thrilled with Coraline. But Coralie makes me sing. So Lettice Coralie Jane stays as is. I think it’s *so*8 perfect. Lettie is a love. I’ve tried Laetitia out before, as well as Leticia & Letitia. The whole *tit* thing bugs me in two versions and Leticia feels too Spanish to be comfortable for me. So again, Lettice appeals most.

I really don’t see the problem with the similarity to the veggie, I mean, other kids are given outright vegetable/fruit names (Hello: Apple)
So why pick on the green one? And if she’s Lettie 99% of the time, where’s the problem? I swear, if there ever another girl, the two going with me are Maud India Scarlett & Lettice Coralie Jane.

And as a small note: The girl informed me that her girls will be Violet & Lily yesterday. 😀

Maxfield & a Narrowing

I’ve been toying with Maxfield again, for Parrish, and I have a couple that really intrigue me. I’ve also gotten Lettie down to two of each option, would you be so kind as to review them and pick your favorite of each, in that case?

So, here’s Maxfield, in all his glory:

Maxfield Jasper Milo or Maxfield Milo Jasper (can’t decide which way I like him best) I’m still attached to Milo (as that would have been Josie’s nickname had she been a boy) and Jasper’s just a neat nature name And I’m digging the possibility of an MJ boy!

Maxfield Hamish John – which roundabout honors Pop all around, his middles are James John!

Maxfield Alasdair John – just looking for alternate homes for my lovely Alasdair, which he dislikes up front for spelling issues.

Maxfield August John – Augie for Mom, she’d be tickled, John’s for him again.

Maxfield August Sinclair – Sinclair’s yet another family surname that was randomly suggested to me, I dragged it to him & He pointed it out. It suits me fine and I like the somewhat girlie feel of Sinclair on a guy.

Maxfield Taliesin John – for both Parrish & Wright, two ‘artists’ we admire a lot, both for their way with light & nature.

If I had to choose, Maxfield Taliesin John or Maxfield August Sinclair would get my vote, because neither is exactly expected and as such, makes me smile. But I’d love to know which you like best!

 

And for Lettie, We’ve talked it down to four combos, two of Lettice & two of Laetitia, I have my favorites, he’s got his. What I’d love is for you all to pick your favorite of each and tell me why. Let’s see who’s favorites rise to the top! Just a note: Lettice bothers neither of us and if we ended up with laetitia, she’d probably be Lettice at least occasionally.

Here they are:

Lettice Romilly Pearl
Lettice Penelope Jane
Laetitia India Rosamund
Laetitia Amabel Violet

 

And there you have it, the arguments are mostly over at least for now. Wanna finish us off?  We’d appreciate it!

Lettie and her Full Forms

I have been enchanted with Lettie for a loooooong time. At least five years now, maybe longer, even. As a late teen/early 20 something I read a romance novel (I told you I was a voracious reader? Well, when I run out of new stuff to read, I borrow old romance novels from my MIL) that  took place in Elizabethan England, had a scheming Lettice as a secondary character and a girl, Douglass as a main character. If I remember correctly, the Lettice in question was a fictional form of Lettice Knollys and is what set me on the path of Medieval names.  The one thing I remember, overall, from those novels? It’s so much easier to travel through time if you have an older name!  😀 It’s also why Douglas is in my head as a girls name. Not that I’d use it, it just intrigues me.

 

Anyway, back to Lettie. Light, lilting, pretty Lettie.  I really dig Lettice, and Mildred’s post on BtN is what brought it up front in my mind again.  If she were to go by Lettie all the time, How awful would Lettice be on the birth certificate?  Gods, if I was Hollywood, I’d have a Lettice, no problem.  I’ve tried it out up here, too. Gone  into Starbuck’s  and said “Lettice” when they’ve asked for a name. Didn’t even get a blink. I’m used to doing this though, I’ve been insisting on something, anything! other than Laura since I was 2. So even friends & family don’t blink when I say a different name.

 

I have a few Lettice Combos:

Lettice Aurelia Grey
Lettice Romilly Pearl
Lettice Amabel Primrose
Lettice Penelope Frances/Lettice Penelope Jane
Lettice Romilly Katharine
Lettice Agatha Valentine
Lettice Coralie Jane
Lettice Miriam Apolline
Lettice Camilla Isabeau/Lettice Isabeau Camilla/Lettice Katharine Isabeau

 

And that’s where I stand, for now. The brain’s still going, so there may be more later. (ETA: I’ve bolded my favorites, pinked the one I love most, lit the one I like secondmost).

 

Also, Found out that Grandpop’s sisters  (he had more than 1) were Elisabeth/Elsie, Laetitia/Lettie & Elvira/Vera.   It’s amazing the stuff my Uncles are full of that I’ve never thought to ask about before. Who knew the guys paid attention!?  😀

 

 So Laetitia is back on my radar. (I like Elvira but dislike her el-vy-rah pronunciation possibility. It’s el-veer-ah! )

I’ll be working on Laetitia combos later today but wonder about Lettice’s usability. How bad is it really? Especially if she’s only Lettice on the official documents?    What do you think? What other ways are there to get to Lettie? I know the colors: Violet & Scarlett, not that I really want either of those up front.  Is there anything else?

 

 

Editing to add Laetitia combos!

In here is the original Laetitia’s original combo, see of you can pick out which one it is. It is emminently one I’d use, despite the exact repeat.  🙂

Without further ado, Laetitia in combo form:

Laetitia Elinor Rosamund
Laetitia Iris Eglantine 
Laetitia Iris Gwendolen 
Laetitia Ivy Miriam 
Laetitia Ivy Caroline
Laetitia Daisy Ophelia 
Laetitia Carys Valentina
Laetitia Poppy Kathleen
Laetitia Sylvie Plum 
Laetitia Lucy Genevra
Laetitia Amabel Violet
Laetitia Sibyl Primrose 
Laetitia Elanor Primrose
Laetitia Helen Ophelia
Laetitia Xanthe Margaret
Laetitia Esme Viola
Laetitia Flora Rosamund 
Laetitia India Rosamund 
Laetitia Edith Petronel 
Laetitia Ruby Isobel 

 

I know this a bit overwhelming a list, but see if anything pops out at you. I have a few favorites here, I want to see if any of them are yours!  As always, thanks a million! (ETA: The pinked one is the great Aunt and lit the three I like best).

Medieval Girls that Rock Today!

There are girls names that have been used since medieval times yet still sound pretty and feel usable even today. here’s a small sampling of the ones I like enough to put somewhere on *my* lists:

Cecily – is my #1 name atm.
Joan
Matilda – prefer the Swedish (and English) variant Mathilda. It just looks better to me.
Alice – was what my Mom wanted to name me.
Godeleve
Amalia
Clotilde – so light, clo-TEELD. Lovely sound!
Elvira – I say El-veer-ah. Doesn’t that sound prettier?
Agnes – I love Agnes. I think she’s so soft & sweet.
Agatha – Another love. She’s a bit stern looking but her sound is lovely.
Elinor – She figures in a lot of working combos because his favorite girl cousin is an Elinor.
Amabel –  Softer than Mabel yet just as sweet.
Amis
Anne – I love simple Anne enough to have used it, it’s Josie’s second middle.
Annora – I just love looking at her. There’s something so peaceful about Annora.
Beatrice/Beatrix – Beatrix is a favorite. I like Bea, really, but I am far happier with Beatrix and her possible Trixie.  Old Trixie Belden fan here.  Beatrix is my #3 name.
Clara/Clarice (Funnily, I’m not as fond of Claire) – Clarice has been a favorite since I was 4. She’s Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer’s girlfriend!  *sigh*
Edith – Rounds out my top 10. I love her starched crisp feel.
Euphemia – number 9. I love her look, so strong, so capable but her sound is fluffy cake.
Mirabel – she means “wonderful, for Latin mirabilis. And she reminds me of plums.
Philomena – I just like her look.
Florence – was my mother’s second oldest sister. (Josephine, Florence, Helen, Valeria/Violet & Francesca/Frances they were). I’m fond of her sound but must admit, F is not my favorite letter.
Idony
Johanna
Rose
Helen – I like the simple, serene Helen best of all the related names.
Hilde
Sibyll – although I’d spell it the “modern” way: Sibyl
Ida/Idamay – just fun to say!
Isemay
Isolde  – How do YOU say this? I say ee-SOL-də.
Jemma – She’s on my lists as a possible nickname for Jemima, along with Mimi.
Thomasina – I’m a sucker for femininsed boys names.
Kateline/Katherine/Katerina/Kathrine – I like quite a few Kath- names.
Lettice/Leticia/Letitia – I’ve love Lettice a long time. I used to name my baby dolls Lettice before I blew their heads off with firecrackers. I think I’m gonna have to name the next cat Lettice!
Ysemay
Loveday
Lucia/Lucy – Lucy was the alternate “Mom” choice for me. Lucia gives me fits over pronunciation but I still think she looks pretty!
Margaret/Margery – I adore Margery but feel she’s a bit nicknamey. Margaret’s a bit too stern even for me… but Margery works as a nickname possibility that may last until adulthood.
Marion –  Makes me associate with Maid Marian. the two spelling seem interchangeable now but Marion was a G. Aunt of his and remains the preferred spelling for me. 
 Maud/Maude –  Maud is my #4 name. I love her look and her soft sound. Maude makes me think of Bea Arthur. 

 

So, what medieval names do you think would still work today? Which of those would you use or like to see used? I’d love to hear!

The Freaky Weird Girls

Well, that’s what I used to call them but I’ve grown rather attached to the following beauties (remember, Beauty is in the eye of the beholder [Not that Beholder doesn’t conjure up monsters for me!]). I just thought, after the Popular Kids post, that I really should try swinging in the opposite direction!  So, here, for your enjoyment are my favorite ‘Freaky Weird Girls’

Tullia– feminine of Tullius, as in Marcus Tullius Cicero.

Petronella/Petronel – a German (among others) feminine form of Peter.

Philomela – Greek, meaning “friend of song”, she’s got a nasty story but in the end, is transformed into a nightingale.

Silke– a German nickname for Celia, pronounced Zil-kə.

Salome– such a pretty sound: sal-OH- may. She’s got a bum rap as the chick who demanded John the Baptist’s head but there was a Salome at the crucifixion as well as later at the tomb, among the women who discovered it empty.

Minu/Minoo– Means ‘Heaven’ in Persian. Minoo’s a variant spelling that makes me smile. It feels like a flower. Beats Nevaeh!

Eos– is the Greek version of the Roman Aurora. Eos is easier to say and looks more awesome too.

Celandine– is a flower name, comes from the Greek word for "swallow" (as in the bird, not the action). Sell-an-deen, such a pretty sound. She’s the ‘cellar door’ of names, for me.

Lettice– No, she’s not produce, she’s the Medieval form of Leticia/Letitia/Laetitia. I love Medieval names and find this one so light and charming. If it wasn’t for the similar vegetable lettUce, I’d use her in a heartbeat. I adore her.

Eglantine– Another flower name, she’s more commonly Sweetbrier. She’s in Chaucer’s ‘The Prioress’s Tale’. Told you I was a sucker for Medieval names!

Clothilde– Pronounced: clo-TEELD, she’s light, lyrical and lovely. Sadly, everyone and their third Uncle  sees the ‘clot’ and thinks it’s awful. She was the wife of Frankish Clovis the Great, whom she converted to Christianity.

Pomeline – She’s actually on my working list, she’s French, for little apple. If only Gwyneth had known!

Cleome– is actually a flower (you may know it as a spider flower) clee-oh-MAY, isn’t she pretty?

Ottoline– in reality, she’s just really uncommon, not weird but ot-TEH-leen is light, beautiful and lovely. She’s at least got some precedent; Lady Ottoline Morrell and storybook Miss Ottoline Brown. Makes Ottoline as least nominally familiar sounding. And I adore her, she’s my #2 name for a girl.