Middle name for Tess

[swancourt]

TTC DC3 and considering Tess if we get a girl :) DH loves it and wanted it for DDs 1 and 2, and I'm coming around now but slightly worried about the d'Urberville implications. Though I love the novel, Tess herself is naive and ill-fated! But I think it's a pretty name and could be persuaded if we could think of something strong for a middle name. It's hard to make Tess flow with a middle name, though! Here are the things I've thought of so far:

Tess Vivienne
Tess Felicity
Tess Imogen
Tess Abigail
Tess Matilda

Not 100% sold on any of them! Any other suggestions?

I know a Tess Annalise, and a Tessa Marie

I love it, was almost going to be dd3s name but couldn't persuade my husband - he really disliked it (because of the book). I had looked at Tess Juliet.

(I really love Lydia Joy, NN Lyddie, but DH won't have it)

I was going to say something with 3 syllables would sound good, but I see that's already your line of thinking . I think of your list, Tess Felicity flows nicely. Other 3 syllabled names that come to mind are Elizabeth, Catherine, Lucinda, Harriet

I love it, but can only think of quite long ornate things that scan with it, or quite girly French 2 syllable names, and I'm guessing that might not be your thing given your selection.
Tess Seraphina
Tess Alexandra
Tess Ariadne
Tess Adelaide
Tess Yvette
Tess Annette
Tess Delphine
Tess Claudine

Adelaine

solo, Adelaine is veeeeery close (diff spelling) to the name of somebody who will be her very, very, very close relative

Love Tess Ariadne. DH would never go for it in a million years.

Tess Madeleine is pretty though. I love Madeleine but he's never been keen.

Three syllables, with the stress on the middle syllable, is what you want.

Matilda
Miranda
Lucinda
Maria
Natasha

On the French-sounding names. Tess Elodie is quite pretty, and Tess Ottilie - but I think I agree with you tendon that the stress needs to be on the middle syllable. Otherwise it sounds like one word, which is weird: tesselodie

Tess Evangeline

Oooh! Ariadne!! I once upon a time wanted to call a girl Ariadne!!

Prompted by Juliet and Imogen, thinking of other Shakespearean names:
Tess Olivia
Tes Octavia
Tess Cordelia
Tess Viola

I like Tess Naomi, but it isn't at all as glamorous-sounding as the names of my other two children. But Naomi means happiness, which I like ...

I like Matilda because it means battle-mighty :) I'd like my daughters to be mighty in battle. It flows quite well, too. I sense another DH stumbling block, though. Actually, I think I'm going to tell him if we're going for Tess, he's going to have to let me pick the middle name. :D

Gosh, Shakespearean names are pretty, but Tess Cordelia, Tess Juliet, or Tess Ophelia would just be heaping sorrow upon sorrow!!

I love Lavinia, but again - raped and her tongue cut out, not a good ending ...

I wish Tess Eliza didn't sound like tranquilizer

Oh true and just realised that you don't want the baby's name to suggest she's sponsored by a supermarket.

Can't you have Tessa? It tends to flow better with most names, but perhaps not with your surname, I don't know.

I just much prefer Tess, but agree that Tessa flows better with other names.

And ha ha, yes, names beginning with Co are out!

Tickle?

Sorry! Lovely name though

Then I would go for Tessa as a full name for formal use, those occasions when all the names will be used. It would also take the edge off the 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles' association.

Of course you would still be calling her Tess all the time, introducing her as Tess etc. So I see it as the best of both worlds.

Just another thought. I don't suppose you like Teresa, Theresa, Therése? Tess is also a nn of those names.

Tess Clementine.....perfect!

I have a 5 year old Tess. She tells everyone that her middle name is Trouble-Maker.

It's actually Eliana