long fancy girls name to match other DC...

[hedgiemum]

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).

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

Serephine/Seraphina nn Phinn is gorgeous

On the Saint's theme how about:-

Antonia
Ambrosia
Rafaela
Rosaria
Theodora

Lesty for Celeste is awful!!!!!!

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.

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

Sera is short for Seraphine.

Seraphine is gorgeous

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

From your list I only like Evangeline and Violet, sorry!

How about
Cassandra
Victoria
Antoinette
Bernadette
Adrienne
Magdalena
Dominique
Francesca
Geral dine
Hermoine
Julienne/Juliette
Lucinda
Madeleine
Octavia
Penelope
Charlotte
Stephanie
Ther ese

Fabienne
Regine
Sidonie
Apolline

Thanks for all the ideas, esp the unusual French ones. Will mull them over. I love Raphaela and it would be on shortlist but dh doesn't like it.

Thanks for the honesty over Angel as well; it does strike me that Seraphina is a classier way of calling a child angel!

I think I've deleted Evangeline from the list, and also Violette because DH is getting sniffy about that, so we've got;

Seraphina (need to find nn other than Fifi)
Ottilie
Emmanuelle (still can't bring myself to erase it!)

I like to go into each labour with a shortlist of 2-4 names, and decide based on how the baby looks and acts when we meet.

Severine is lovely.

the 1. matron I was under as a student nurse was called Seraphine, that is kinda a good name

the 1. matron I was under as a student nurse was called Seraphine, that is kinda a good name

I have a Cordelia and love it but I understand that knowing 2 would put you off

have your considered

Arianna
Cecelia nn Cece
Sylvanna nn Sylvie?

I heard Delphine the other day and love it too

Felicity nn flick?
Corinna nn nina

Hermione could be nn Mimi?
Calliope, Clarissa or Callista nn callie

Clemency

Evangeline is lovely (esp because my DDs have a thing for Nanny McPhee!) - nn Angel or Lenny

Awww! you didn't like Ariadne then?