Rachel Charlotte or Charlotte Rachel (for a story)

[SecretlyChartreuse]

A character in a story of mine is named for her grandmothers: Rachel and Charlotte.

I'm not sure which way round is better.

If this is allowed, your thoughts...?

[ThoughtfulPenny]

How old is she? I prefer Charlotte Rachel, it brings to mind someone 30+ though.

[CrazyDuchess]

I prefer CR but RC sounds better acronym wise (my daughter is CLEM - I think too much about what the initials spell!)

[Openmindedmonkey]

Charlotte Rachel.
It's just the positioning of the 'chs' for me, no other reason.
Good luck with your book

[Sophronia]

Charlotte Rachel

[DafferDill]

Charlotte Rachael flows better I think

[SecretlyChartreuse]

The final initial is an H.

Historical character but is a baby in the story. Not sure if that's young or old.

[MitzyLeFrouf]

I assume the character won't be addressed as Rachel Charlotte/Charlotte Rachel throughout the book? What era is your book set in?

[Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost]

As previously pointed out. It's doubtful the character will actually be called "Charlotte Rachel or Rachel Charlotte. I mean who mentions the middle name, unless it's hyphenated, so. Would you not consider hypenating something like.
Lottie/Charlie-Rae for your story.

[SecretlyChartreuse]

This family did historically hyphenate girls' names though this character is fictional.

Character born 1792.

[florascotianew]

For the 18th century, the two names are a slightly unusual combination. Not impossible, of course. You might want to base the name order on social distinctions (which were much more rigid then than now), depending on your character's position in society:

Charlotte (wife of George III) was Queen at the time that your chracter was born in 1792. Her name was very much associated with the German-origin Hanoverian royal family - ie slightly 'foreign' but very upper class and establishment. Charlotte herself had been born in Germany, but had a fascinating ancesty: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_of_Mecklenburg-Strelitz

Charlotte ws not used in Britain as a name before the 17th cent, and was uncommon until Queen Charlotte made it popular. The tragic death of her 21-year-old granddaughter, Princess Charlotte, in childbirth in 1796 made it even more popular.

In the 18th cent, Rachel (Old Testament origins, obviously) was a name typically - but not always - associated with working class families*, who tended to give their children Biblical names, or with Jewish families, with followers of non-conformist branches of the Christian religion, and with members of the Society of Friends (Quakers).

• www.britishbabynames.com/blog/2013/01/gorgeously-georgian.html

[JungleBoat]

I prefer Charlotte Rachel :)

[Trills]

I was going to give an opinion but now I just want to hear more from florascotianew :o

[SecretlyChartreuse]

Flora is completely right. The Charlotte was rich and old British money and the mother's family.
The Rachel was working class American and the father's mother.
The name getting even more royalist over the 1790s is an excellent bonus.
I know the hyphenation is weird but the character (my invention) had a historical brother who was hyphenated grandfather-father and two female cousins hyphenated so it seemed natural to me to show this duality/dichotomy in her heritage by hyphanation.

[Trills]

So, they want to honour both grandmothers, but which name (and therefore which side of the family) would they choose to emphasise?

I'd guess the Charlotte?

[RockUnit]

Rachel Charlotte

[JudgeJudySheindlin]

I think either flow nicely. I guess it depends on how you are going to develop her family? Do her siblings have traditional names or are they are mixed bag?

[MrsBungle]

I'm going against the grain. I think Rachel Charlotte. I'm very intrigued about he story - let us know where we can read it!