Christabel or Emmeline?

[LissyGlitter]

We have a dd due in November. We are thinking Emmeline and Christabel as first name and one middle name and maybe Zelda as the second middle name. Our current DD is called Marianne Catherine Isabella. Any opinions?

I'm currently leaning towards Christabel first, but DP says it's too close to my mum's name (Christine) and his mum might get upset. My entire family don't like Zelda, but that's because they are thinking of the aunt from Sabrina the teenage witch, as opposed to Zelda Fitzgerald, which is who we are thinking of. But then is she a good role model as she was mostly famous for being rich and being married to someone famous (I know she was a writer herself, but it's pretty accepted she only got famous due to F. Scott) Plus she was mental, and while I am personally quite mental it's not really a life aim is it?

Of course not! If you genuinely admire someone, I think it's a very nice reason indeed.

But if you like the name then cast around looking for reasons to bestow that name, imho, it's a bit pointless.

As it happens I think the OP has settled on some very nice names. But I am not quite sure why she is saying she is going to use them in honour of some of their more illustrious recipients (as in the case of Zelda) as she doesn't really seem to be saying she admires anything about Zelda Fitzgerald.

I see what you mean.

We used to have a bit of a "thing" about the Fitzgeralds - DP still does and was adamant he wanted to call a boy F. Scott Fitzgerald (then our surname) but I've gone off Zelda a bit since. Don't get me wrong, I do think the Fitzgeralds were absolute icons and brilliant, just not so much in a way I'd want a child to emulate, iyswim...

But then Marianne's middle names are the two main female characters in Wuthering Heights (which was our obsession during her pregnancy-yes we are literature geeks) and they aren't exactly good role models are they? And her first name is mainly because of a Leonard Cohen song and DP was keen on it because of the French revolution connection. Plus it is almost Mary, and there are some pretty ace Marys- Shelley being the main one I was thinking of.

We did consider Sylvia but DP really doesn't like Sylvia Plath and he is worried people would think we had named our child after her (I actually quite like Plath, but not as much as DP dislikes her, I think mainly becuase of the habit of sixteen year old girls of thinking she was the best thing since sliced bread)

We briefly considered Diana (after wonderwoman, and obviously the goddess) but then we realised that people would just assume we really liked the Princess.

Really, it's just a case of getting a name that won't become the "in" name of that year and that will serve the child well by making people assume good things about her before they meet her. I reckon people grow into thier names anyway, although I am trying to avoid first names that are too soft sounding as I have a lisp and was bullied for being called Alicia (it came out "alithia" when I used to say it when my lisp was bad).

Christabel is one of the main characters in AS Byatt's Possession - amazing book and character - she is a poet in it, so go with that if you want meaning, esp literary We almost called our cat Christabel because of this!!

How about Sylvie instead of Sylvia - much prettier IMO.

Marianne is a great Jane Austen name, as is Catherine, so you could go with that theme and try something like Elizabeth, Anne, Emma, Louisa, Henrietta, Eleanor, Maria, Julia, Jane, Kitty, Lydia etc.

Marian is also George Eliot's real name.

If you want writers what about Jane, Virginia, Charlotte, Emily...the list goes on.

Adeline is still literary, but quite unusual.

Too many Emilys/Amelies/ etc around at the moment, which would make me not choose Emmeline, although it is pretty.

Like Christabel and would not let the family connection put me off. What is your MIL's name/middle name (or another family name from your IL's side)? Would one of them work as a middle name?

MIL is Maureen, which she hates herself, so wouldn't really work, and she doesn't have a middle name.

Well, Christabel is no more like Christine than Marianne is like Maureen...maybe you could say you had already honoured the MIL.

Christabel is gorgeous! Love it, love it. I like Sylvia too, but prefer Sylvie.

Emmeline is horrible imo. She was their mother.

Zelda is gorgeous. I wouldn't put the two together though. I don't play computer games, so I've no idea about that.

Emmeline sounds like you want to be different, or as different as you can be when you want a name that's really similar to Emily. Tring too hard to be the same. POintless.

I agree with BonsoirAnna, Christabel goes best with Marianne (which is beautiful). What is your MIL's name? Maybe you could use a version of it as a mn?

there's a lovely song by joan as policewoman called christobel, its gorgeous! i know its not exactly the same but its very similar...it would convince me when you hear her sing

One of the most awful women I've ever met in my life was named Christabel.

depends on how well it goes a particular name sounds with your surname.

sorry, that should read as -it depends on how well a name sounds with your surname. I prefer Emmeline. Also, what shortened version do you prefer- Chris/Chrissy and Emily/Emma?

zelda was the really scary witch thing from a programme i used to watch called terrahawks.....scared the shit out of me....Emmeline is gorgeous. Christabel is niceish...

Have always wanted to call a little girl Christabel after Christabel Bielenberg (don't think I spelt that correctly!). Read her books about surviving as a British woman in Germany during WW2 and you'll love the name all over again.

Also adore the name Clementine some one already mentioned.

Clementine is lovely. Christabel is nicer, though. Little Chrissy.

Christabel - it's easier to read as well.

This is obviously heresy on this forum, but it doesn't really matter, does it? Whether you call her Christabel or Emmeline or Sylvia or Emily or Nancy or whatever distinguished woman you choose, you'll love it and everyone she meets will happily accept it as her name.

But then I went through a phase of wanting to call a daughter Blanche Athena, so I can hardly talk.

Christabel