Eliza or Lucy? Name of our DD1!

[Liana2021]

Hi MN,

DH and I finally set on two names that we like for our baby girl due in January.

Eliza just came to me out of nowhere; it strikes me as fun, quirky and literary at the same time, with an indirect reference to Jane Austen (“Eliza” Bennett).
Lucy has the charm of another name we love, Alice, but with a bit of added fun and the spunkiness. Also love the reference to Lucy Honeychurch from Room with a View and the meaning “light or born at dawn”.

I’m drawn to feminine and vintage names which are still classic while not being boring.

DH prefers Eliza, so does my family, I prefer Lucy and so does DH family.

So it’s a difficult decision! Do you have any favourite and why?

Our surname is one syllable and goes with both.

Thank you!! 🎄

Eliza - it'll work well with a single syllable last name.

I love all three; Eliza, Lucy and Alice (and, like you, would have trouble picking a favourite from these).

I think Lucy might possibly feel a little less commonplace, as there are a lot of Ellies, Eleanors etc currently. Having said that there are also plenty of popular two-syllable names that begin with L (Luna/Lyra/Lily etc).

Some other names I think would fit your style:
Catherine / Kate
Charlotte
Adelaide
Matilda
Madeleine
Zoe
Rebecca
Emily
Abigail
Lydia
Rose
Zara
Anna

Lucy

Luce is a terrible nn. I love Eliza.

I love all three names; Alice is my favourite. Out of your top two, I'd go with Eliza because it seems more serious, grown up name. Like you, I associate Lucy with Honeychurch and she's a bit too sweet as her name suggests. But you cannot go wrong with any of them, in my view.

I think all the thinking, reading your opinions and balancing with our short surname now make me sway in favour of Eliza.
Eliza Faye.
Might change my mind again seeing her but both DH and I love it, so we might have a winner :)
Thank you 😊😍

Eliza Faye is beautiful! Congratulations

Lovely! My vote would be for Eliza too 😍

I absolutely love Lucy. It reminds me of Narnia and so sounds quite magical to me. Lovely meaning too. In contrast, I find Eliza really quite dull. Eliza Doolittle also springs to mind. It's ok, but Lucy is a classic.

I love both and sympathise with your problem! I would slightly edge towards Eliza with a one syllable surname (but it really doesn't matter!) and in the end I think I would prefer to be called Eliza - which is all I can go on. But I agree with you about the lovely sweetness of Lucy - and Lucy Honeychurch!

I prefer Lucy. It's a classic with a lovely meaning. Eliza is faddy, nicknamey and less classy IMHO. I don't think Lucy Faye would work though; too close to Lucifer. Lucy Eliza would be better.

I wouldn't go for Eliza simply because right now every other girls' name begins with an E and especially El - it's so massively overused and boring. The playgrounds are teeming with Ellies, Eleanors, Evas, Evies, Erins... it's so likely that your Eliza will simply end up as another Ellie for short.

They are both good names, and very similar in style. I would go for Lucy as it has far more to it in this era of the E-names.

Oh and yes too to Eliza being slightly nicknamey... you'll get more than one person asking 'Oh, is that short for Elizabeth, or just Eliza?' - it's not so classic as Lucy in that respect.

See, there you go - just seen that you like the nickname Lizzie... well that's the short form for Elizabeth? Honestly just call her Elizabeth if so, and use Eliza as one of its many nicknames along with Lizzie?

This is the issue with Eliza, it hovers between a real name and a nickname.

Agree however that Lucy Faye doesn't work. Lucy Eliza/Elizabeth really does, that's lovely.

The Lucy under 10 I know - her nn is Lulu.

Eliza all day.

Eliza Faye is seriously gorgeous

Eliza Faye.

A lovely first name and middle name combo.

I know many have mentioned El names being popular, and although I know they are - Ella is 13 in the Top 100, Eleanor is 52, Eliza is 38, Ellie is 63 there are also just as many 2 syllable L names currently very popular for example: Luna, Luca, Louis, Lucy, Lily, Lola, Layla, Lucas, Lara, Lyla are all in the Top 100.

I would not worry so much about popularity, trends are constantly changing, and just go with a name you like.

I know there is a penchant for "classic" names of which Lucy, Alice (Eleanor, Elizabeth) would fall into more so than Eliza but there are many utterly gorgeous names that aren't so "classic" - Anya, Marina, Nerissa etc.

Eliza Faye is wonderful. Imo.

I’d go for Elizabeth and then you can shorten to Eliza or Lizzie.

Eliza

Lucy is a bit little girlish.

Eliza Lucy is nice

Tho if it were me I’d call her Elizabeth Lucy nn Eliza so she has the full grown up version an option (as did Elizabeth Bennet.)

Thanks everyone! Good debate on here!

I’m still undecided between Eliza Faye and Lucy Elizabeth. Lucy Faye is a no no (Lucifer! :D)

Can’t give Elizabeth as a first name. Gone off Alice as our surname ends in S sounds so is a bit too many S sonority. Although I love the name Alice.

I feel like although Eliza might be a bit more sophisticated and go better with our surname, I find a cheerfulness in Lucy that I don’t see necessarily in Eliza. Lucy makes me think of a cheerful and happy little girl, don’t know why! Probably because of Room with a View and Narnia which are my two references of the name. Never met any Lucy or Eliza which is actually quite surprising when I think about it.

I think our best bet is to meet her, then I’ll know for sure if she’s a Lucy or Eliza. Or see what name “sticks” when we’re speaking about her (can’t wait to name her something else than “the baby”)

Will keep you updated :) 🧚🏼‍♀️

Lucy

Eliza is my fave, and that’s what I’d call a little girl if I had one. I wouldn’t lengthen it to Elizabeth. With Elizabeth, I feel the emphasis is on the ‘Beth’ and I don’t like that ‘eth’ sound (e.g. my least favourite name is Ethel).

Lucy is my sister’s name, and although sometimes it’s shortened to Luce, usually she just gets called Lucy - it’s a pretty short name, so not that much need to shorten it really.

Eliza

I'd choose Lucy over Eliza. It's just lovely, short, pretty and timeless. And it does strike me as a happy name.

Eliza is OK, a bit spikier than Lucy, but it's traditionally a short form of Elizabeth. Because it's a diminutive (though now a name in its own right) I don't see it as particularly sophisticated.

Eliza Faye is darling! 💕