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.
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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.
Congratulations!
Ophelia is a stunning name..and I do not agree that it’s going to be the next Olivia, so I wouldn’t worry!
I really love your pick of Eloise. I understand it you feel you are unable to use it (but you probably still could if it is “the one!”). You also seem to like longer, feminine and more unique picks. Also I know of a sweet little girl named Seraphim (who’s mom uses a nickname of Fim for), might that appeal more than Seraphina?
Keeping your criteria in mind, plus some song/movie ideas, how about:
Ophelia & Elowen/Elowyn
Ophelia & Seraphim
Ophelia & Samara
Ophelia & Celeste
Ophelia & Cecilia
Ophelia & Elizabeth (I know it’s a classic but it’s gorgeous with Ophelia..and a Zach Bryan album name if that at all appeals, or Elizabeth Bennett from Pride & Prejudice)
Ophelia & Meredith
Ophelia & Annabelle (Sweet Annie by Zac Brown Band)
Ophelia & Delilah
Ophelia & Ramona
Ophelia & Felicity
Ophelia & Winifred
Good luck with the naming 🙂
Ophelia Men+injer Shaw and __________ Men+injer Shaw
My first thought was Elodie, and I adore Persephone with Ophelia. Susanna is also criminally underused. From the comments, Celeste and Lenora are perfect!
If you like Seraphina, Sabrina, and Sophia, would Sylvia or Sylvie appeal? Sylvie reminds me of Elodie and Eloise, too. Ophelia and Sylvie are pretty together, and Sylvie Men+injer Shaw is gorgeous!
In a similar vein as Cassandra, maybe something like Calliope or Calypso would work? I love Ophelia and Calliope together.
Ophelia and Felicity sound very feminine and dainty together- I love Felicity Men+injer Shaw. It reminds me of Blythe, too, but a little longer.
Other very feminine, elegant names could be Estelle, Clementine, or Evangeline. Other strong, literary, vaguely witchy names could be Astrid, Athena, Lilith, or Anastasia.
A little bit of a wildcard suggestion is Delphine. It’s a personal favorite of mine- it sounds so elegant and feminine, a little bit dainty but with a lot of strength. I knew a teenage Delphine, and it wears surprisingly well. It reminds me of Seraphina, but a little lighter. Delphine Men+injer Shaw is perfect, and I love Ophelia and Delphine together.
Overall, my favorites for you would probably be Sylvie, Delphine, and Felicity, but you really can’t go wrong with any of your options! Good luck!
Elodie and Serena were my first thoughts as well!
I also love love Cassandra with Ophelia, if it won’t bother you if she may get called Cassie at times. You can still use her name in full!
Other ideas that came to mind were – Linnea, Jaqueline, Saskia, Daphne
There are a lot of great suggestions here!
Elodie, Francesca, Serena are standout from Abby’s list.
How about Callista or Celeste (if you don’t love Cassandra)?
I’d like to suggest the name Louisa. It is an excellent alternative to Eloise, which you both agree on but no longer want to use, and it fits beautifully with Ophelia.
I love the suggestion of Louisa – spot on!
Nicola, Eloise and Ophelia all have a nice O sound – maybe Colette, Rowena, Leonora, Simone, Fiona, Aurora, Theodora?
I love Sabrina and Lorelei for you too
Petra
Natasha
Magnolia
Daphne
Winifred
Astrid
Camille
Violet
Hazel
Ophelia is a beautiful name, and I love how both children will have your surname as a middle name.
From your current list, I think Cassandra could be worth a closer look. I assume Abby eliminated it because it’s often shortened, but I’ve known several Cassandras never used a nickname. It goes well with Ophelia and has such a great literary heritage!
Abby’s suggestion of Serena seems especially apt, given that Seraphina and Sabrina are both on your list. I also really like Elodie and Lorelei (I would favor the traditional -ei spelling over Lorelai).
Juliette sounds good with Ophelia, but you’d need to be okay with people assuming the names are Shakespeare references. I would avoid Persephone, which would result in the initials P.M.S.
Here are some additional ideas:
Amelie
Annalie
Athena
Aurelie
Caroline
Clarissa
Genevieve
Josephine
Natalie
Rosalie
Valencia
Veronique
Hannah, that’s a really good point about Cassandra. I may have been too quick to dismiss it!
Here are some I like. Cordelia, Cornelia, Evadne, Antonia, Penelope, Thalassa (Love that name), Julianna, Isadora, and Philomena. Congratulations!
I really like Seraphina with Ophelia!
Ophelia and
Seraphina
Cordelia
Beatrix
Magnolia
Henrietta
Gwendolen
Calliope
Evangeline
Theodosia
Persephone