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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

long fancy girls name to match other DC...

163 replies

hedgiemum · 11/03/2009 14:56

I have daughters named Genevieve (Gigi) and Celestine (Celeste), and a son named William (Billy).
I'm now pregnant with DC4, another girl.
We're seriously considering;

Violet / Violette - only problem is what to shorten either to (Vivi would be confusing alongside Gigi.) Don't like Letty.

Ottilie - nn Lottie/Lotta since Tilly wouldn't work well with Billy! Any other ideas what it could be shortened to?

Marianna - nn Mimi (DH's favourite as named after his late mother). Tennysons depressing poem puts me off a bit. Also concerned that wouldn't match well with our surname, a Mc name of 3 syllables.

Evangeline - but Evie would be confusing with Gigi. Know of any other nn's?

Emmanuelle - nn Esme or Emmy. (My favourite because a family name on my side) but yes we do know the 70's soft porn connotations. Does it really matter??!

If you have a minute, which do you think "goes" best with my other children, or can you think of anything better? (Francesca has bad associations for me; DH doesn't like Josephine; DH is Irish but we don't want a traditional Irish name; DH doesn't want anything that sounds Scottish; meanings are important to us, as is being unusual (for girls).

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Tinker · 11/03/2009 19:21

Oh, yes, yes, yes to Severine. I wanted that but was overruled.

thirtysomething · 11/03/2009 19:17

Adore Emmanuelle but couldn't choose it due to the porn associations!!

Going by your other names would choose something French, so (can't type accents so insert where necessary!!):

Mathilde (nn. Mattie, Tilly)
Eleonore (nn Ellie?)
Clemence
Clementine
Severine
Aline
Cloe
Beatrice
Amalie
Nicole
Laure
Camille
Vict oire
Marine
Juliette
Sandrine
Francoise
Maude
Clotilde
Pascale

or names ending in "a":
Elena
Emma
Anna/bella
Isabella
Sophia
Francesca
Maya
Freya
Julia
Rebecca
Sarah
Mira nda
Ophelia

myredcardigan · 11/03/2009 19:14

Also wanted to add; Stay away from J names unless they are John, James, Jane or Jean.

Not that I think any of the above are to your taste. I quite like Jeanie though.

myredcardigan · 11/03/2009 19:12

Meant to add to that random post,

Seraphine is lovely. Angel is tacky and but was quite common when I was teaching in 'more challenging' areas.

myredcardigan · 11/03/2009 19:10

I want another DD now to call her Constance. Though I see my friend about 3times a week so don't think she'd be impressed.

weepootle · 11/03/2009 19:06

I think Francesca, nn Frantzi would go well with your others.

Tinker · 11/03/2009 19:02

Seraphine is gorgeous

belgo · 11/03/2009 19:01

Sera is short for Seraphine.

ramonaquimby · 11/03/2009 19:00

Angel is dreadful - I teach 2 different angel's and it's terribly precious I think

Original poster
hedgiemum · 11/03/2009 18:58

Thank you silverfrog! Much more straightforward explanation that I could find online. feel like Persephone is a bit "out there" (even for me) even though the sounds are pretty and it really isn't unlike Penelope.

I think Seraphine/Seraphina is joining the shortlist - thanks everyone! I emailed DH and he likes it too!

Other suggestions - I like Cordelia but know two at school (=bad). Ditto Beatrice/trix. Ditto Annabelle. Jacinda - don't dislike, but doesn't grab me either. Marietta - probs re surname. Rosetta - Rose names out as dd1's middle name, Florence/Florentine I like, but not Flossie/Florrie as nn. Estelle I love the sounds of and meaning of but put off by Great Expectations. I know, I'm too fussy!

Whoever suggested Mitzi - I've actually read that as a shortening for Marianna-type names, probably would work better than Mimi, but all pretty bad with our surname so going to drop Marianna I think.

New list

Seraphina (not Phinn for short though, as have a nephew called Finn)
Ottilie - Lottie
Evangeline - Angie/Angel
Emmanuelle - still can't bear to drop this but I know I should....

Still considering Delphine plus a few others suggested here.

Whats the consensus on nn Angel .... too twee for words? Pushing our luck?! Glad to hear Angie isn't as passed-it as I'd thought, had forgotten Jolie.

OP posts:
ramonaquimby · 11/03/2009 18:25

Lesty for Celeste is awful!!!!!!

Tillyscoutsmum · 11/03/2009 18:24

Serephine/Seraphina nn Phinn is gorgeous

On the Saint's theme how about:-

Antonia
Ambrosia
Rafaela
Rosaria
Theodora

ramonaquimby · 11/03/2009 18:22

what about Lucinda (Lucy) or Delphina (Delphi) ?

Hulababy · 11/03/2009 18:07

Florence
Matilda
Georgiana
Anatasia
Madeleine
Millicent
Margaret

MrsMattie · 11/03/2009 18:05

I know a Seraphina, nn Sia. She is a gorgeous, gorgeous Italian woman...

silverfrog · 11/03/2009 18:05

Persephone was the reluctant goddess of the underworld. she was kidnapped, and held against her will. Her mother was Ceres, goddess of crops, whoo pined ofr Persephone and neglected her duties, hence autumn/winter when crops/trees/fruits die off.

when Persephone was rescued, Ceres was very happy, and everything began ot bloom again - Spring/summer.

but, there was a deal struck with the god of the underworld, and so Persephone has to return to the underworld for 6 months of each year, and then spends 6 months back out with her mother.

So not all doom and gloom really, as persephone heralds the beginning of Spring/end of Winter.

Squirdle · 11/03/2009 18:02

LG&T has a Seraphina doesn't she? She calls her Phinn as a nn.

Original poster
hedgiemum · 11/03/2009 17:53

I've just researched
-Delphine. It means Dolphin, as the town of Delphi was thought to be the womb of the world and a dolphin is womb shaped (or something like that). Don't know why, but that puts me off a bit.

-Seraphine. We are Christians, so quite like the angelic connotations, and that its a saints name. Fits well with Genevieve (patron saint of Paris) and Celestine (means heavenly)!
What to shorten it too though?? Horrible feeling DH would make it Fifi, so I'd need something a bit less twee for the rest of us to use.

  • Persephone, amongst other things, she was the goddess of the underworld. So, off that!
OP posts:
lastboxoftampons · 11/03/2009 17:52

I love Delphine as well.

Also, I've been suggesting this name till I'm blue in the face on here and no one has even batted an eyelid, but I love Jacinda, which means Hyacinth in Spanish.

Hedgiemum - Angie as a nickname reminds me of Angelina Jolie (for better or for worse! Personally I'm a fan ) - I've "heard" lots of people refer to her as that (including Brad and Billy Bob! ) so I guess it works on young beautiful women as well as middle-aged ones!

myredcardigan · 11/03/2009 17:48

I have a friend with four DDs; Dorothea (Thea), Constance (Connie), Joscelyn (Josie)and Rosalind (Ros)

I love them all, especially Connie! Fab names. My DDs are so dull in comparison!

Fimbo · 11/03/2009 17:45

I agree, reminds me of Lester the boys name or worse Lester Piggot

solowitch · 11/03/2009 17:44

What about Ariadne ~ Harry for short. If Ds had been a girl, it would have been in the running

Or Marietta ~ Etta for short...friend is called this and it's lovely.

I like Ottilie though

MsBeauregarde · 11/03/2009 17:38

Fimbo, Lesty is awful. LIke Lusty!

MsBeauregarde · 11/03/2009 17:37

Your daughters' names don't end in 'a' which I like. So keeping with that I like

Annabel - I think use Mabel or Annabel. Amabel would be confusing.
Beatrice
Beatrix - pfrefer to Beatrice
Estelle
Florence
Constance
Christabel
Juliet
Vivien

Already suggested, I think Madeliene is nice and would blend well.

kkey21 · 11/03/2009 17:34

Benidict (Benni)

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