Name for a fictional 11 year old girl please

[Ponymum]

Well you lot seem to know what you are talking about, so would you mind suggesting / commenting on names for a fictional girl I am trying to create?

I am writing a book for ages 9-12. Three girls aged 11 are fiends. Two girls are Polly and Annabel. Need a name for the third friend. Any suggestions?

Constraints are:

• Needs to be distinct from the other two names so that it is easy to tell the characters apart
• I want to avoid having all three girls with predictable middle class girly names, IYKWIM! i.e. reject Charlotte, Olivia, Lucy, etc
• I want a slightly "older" name, i.e. not top of today's popular list. But is anyone actually called Karen, Rachel, etc these days? Is that believable?
• The character's dad is something like a property developer, made his own money but not born to it
• She is currently Melanie which I think works for her, but I want to change it as it sounds too similar to Annabel (Mel, Bel, both 3 syllables)
• It would be ideal if it worked with Sykes as a surname.

So sorry that I am asking about a fictional person's name when there are real babies out there needing names! But if you can spare the time it would really help me out.

Any suggestions?

Becca sounds less middle class than Rebecca somehow. It goes well with Polly and Annabel, but I'd be tempted to go with an ethnic sounding name myself (aspiring author here too- how far on are you with your book?).

Was going to suggest a couple but see you have your shortlist! Rebecca and Rachel are definitely the right sorts of names, DD1 calls her friend Becca, she knows another Becky, but definitely no Bec or Becs. Rachel is often shortened to Rach in speaking, though if she writes a card to her she would write Rachel.

Kate

A quick survey of the only 10-year old in this house has revealed that - Becky is short for Rebecca!

Yes, my own experience is that children have shortened their name to two syllables, then one syllable as older teens/ young adults; so Jennifer was called Jennifer by her mum, Jenny by school friends, then Jen as an adult! (and I know two Jens!)

The only Rebecca I know is now a Bec, but was probably Becky or Becca at school. I prefer Becca actually, but does that mean it should be Becky? or Becca ?? Obviously I'm not much good at this,...

thell - my own name follows that pattern exactly, how interesting! And my DD's, now I think of it!

Leonie
Tabitha

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