More Elaborate and Romantic Girl Names like Ophelia

Name Help is a series at Appellation Mountain. Every week, we discuss reader’s name questions, usually on Tuesdays and Fridays. We’re relying on thoughtful comments from the community to help expectant parents narrow down their name decisions. Thank you in advance for sharing your insight! To have your question considered, email appmtn (at) gmail. Looking for your own private #namehelp post? Order one here.

A SISTER FOR OPHELIA

Alissa writes:

We named our daughter Ophelia MyLastName MyPartnersLastName over two years ago. From a really long list, it was the one that we kept coming back to. When we heard The Lumineers song in a restaurant a few days before my due date, that was when we finally knew it was the right choice.

Reactions were mixed, but mostly everyone loves it as much as we do. Except now people ask us if we named her after the song … and they mean the Taylor Swift song. (How?! She’s two!!) I keep seeing people talking about how it’s going to be the new Olivia, and I’m a little worried about that. But oh well.

We’re now trying to name our second daughter, who will be here in March. If this baby was a boy, we had (mostly) agreed on Caspian.

Here’s what we agree on:

• Her middle name will also be my last name, which sounds like Men-plus-injer. Her last name will be my partner’s last name, Shawn without the N.
• We never shorten Ophelia’s name, so we ideally want something that we wouldn’t want to shorten.

Names we have considered:

• Seraphina – maybe too witchy for us?
• Sabrina – liked this except with the Taylor Swift/Ophelia connection, I feel like referencing Sabrina Carpenter is too much
• Cassandra – Not sure if we like this or if I just think we should like this because it’s similar to Caspian
• Nicola – feel like it would be mispronounced, my partner and I don’t really say it the same way even
• Alessandra – too close to my name
• Blythe – a name I really liked for Ophelia but now seems very short
• Hadley – a name my partner really liked for Ophelia but now seems like a mismatch
• Sophia – a name I really liked for Ophelia, now seems too ordinary
• Eloise – a name we agreed on, but our friends just used it

The closer we get to our due date, the more I’m hoping that we hear a song or see a movie and a name just jumps at us, BUT the name also has to go with Ophelia’s name, so I feel like that’s extra hard.

Is the right name already on our list? I worry that it’s not.

We’d really like some new ideas. Even if I’ve heard them before, I think I really just need someone else to say “look at these names” because I’m just constantly scrolling and nothing seems right.

Please read on for my response and leave your thoughtful suggestions in the comments.

FINDING NAMES LIKE OPHELIA

Abby replies:

Congratulations on your new daughter!

I think lots of us can identify with your predicament. We’re scrolling through list after list, and there are lots of names we like … but none we love enough for our very own child.

Ophelia’s recent rise in use might complicate things. For what it’s worth, the name Ophelia has climbed significantly over the last decade – even before the Taylor Swift song. On the plus side, though, people love the name, and it’s not a bad thing to have a name others appreciate, too.

But in general, it feels like a good guidepost for your ideal name:

• Feminine, with three-plus syllables.
• A certain romantic/literary energy.
• Something with a certain amount of distinctive edge.
• Not too common, not too rare.
• Reasonably easy to spell/pronounce.
• Unlikely to be shortened.

That rules out Cassandra, Nicola, Alessandra, Blythe, Sophia, and Eloise. It leaves Seraphina and Sabrina, both of which I think could be perfect with Ophelia. I’m particularly drawn to Sabrina. It sounds great with your last names!

But if the Sabrina Carpenter association bothers you?

Let’s look for more names like Ophelia and Sabrina that fit the other criteria, too.

INSPIRED BY SABRINA

ELODIE

If Eloise was close, but already taken, I wonder if you’d like Elodie instead?

FRANCESCA

Gently Italian Francesca turns up the volume on understated Frances.

JULIETTE

Another romantic, literary choice with a strong Shakespeare vibe.

LORELAI

From German folklore … and Gilmore Girls.

PERSEPHONE

As elaborate and memorable as Ophelia.

SERENA

The slightest tweak to Sabrina, but with less Espresso.

SUSANNA

Or maybe the obvious switch-up is Susanna instead of Seraphina or Sabrina?

VERONICA

I love the traditional but unexpected vibe of Veronica – just like Ophelia.

Overall, I’m having a really tough time picking just one! I think I’m going to say Lorelai, for that same combination of old school backstory mixed with current style. But if that’s not quite right, I’d suggest Serena. It’s the tiniest change from Sabrina, but sidesteps the pop star association.

Readers, over to you! What would you suggest as a sister name for Ophelia?