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Name Help: A Sister for Chase and Gage

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Name Help: A sister for Gage and ChaseName Help is a series at Appellation Mountain. Every week, one reader’s name questions will be discussed.

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!

Jo writes:

We are expecting a daughter in July. Our sons are Christopher “Chase” Edmund and Gareth “Gage” Francis.

Chase and Gage both have fun names that (as typical little boys) they love, but they also have formal names for if they prefer that when they’re older.

I’m struggling to name our little girl in a similar way! I like Charlotte or Scarlet shortened to Lottie, however my husband isn’t keen. He prefers Dorothy shortened to Dolly, but I don’t like this. Do you have any suggestions?

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

Dear Jo –

Congratulations! How exciting to be expecting your third.

There’s plenty of good news here. The style gap between Dolly and Lottie is tiny, and the same is true for Dorothy and Charlotte. (Though Scarlet has a slightly different vibe.) And since you’ve established a pattern that you both appreciate, this feels a little more straightforward than naming with a blank slate.

The challenges remain, though. First, it’s tough to pin down the point of disagreement. Beyond that, you have to like two names equally well – the formal name and the nickname. Plus, parents who find themselves miles apart on style know that they need to compromise. Since you’re basically on the same page, it can be difficult to explain why Dorothy is a better choice than Charlotte, or vice versa.

Let’s look at some traditional, feminine names with fun, modern nicknames and see if any of these feel like a better fit.

Cecilia or Cecily, called Cece – Cecilia charts between Charlotte and Dorothy in terms of popularity. Cecily falls outside of the current Top 1000, but feels like a familiar name. Chase, Gage, and Cece sound just right together.

Everly, called Evie – I’m taking a chance with a modern, not-at-all-traditional girls’ name. Dorothy belongs to a long list of three-syllable girls’ names ending in -y or -ie. So do modern possibilities, like Everly, Bellamy, and Romilly. Other Ev- names include familiar Evelyn, but also some rarities. If you like Evie – or are surprised that you don’t have Everly! – it’s a direction to explore.

Genevieve, called Gigi or Vivi – Genevieve qualifies as traditional and vintage, but it feels fresh and new, too. Vivi feels like a lively and unexpected nickname. Gen works, too. But Gigi might be my favorite, as French as Genevieve herself. Love Gigi but not sold on the formal name? Georgia – and Georgiana and Georgette – are options, too.

Josephine, called Josie or Posey – I’m not sure if your formal name is just Jo, or Joanna or Joelle or Josephine. But if it’s not Josephine – or, really, even if it is! – I wonder if you’d consider naming your daughter Josephine. It’s not quite like having a junior, but it might make for a sweet connection between your names. Because Josephine claims so many great nicknames, there’s plenty of opportunity to avoid confusion.

Louisa, Louise, or Luella, called Lulu or Lou – As with Evie, there’s more than one formal name that works for Lulu or Lou. Louisa and Louise lean traditional, while Luella feels more vintage. All of the options seem like possibilities.

Matilda, called Tilly or Millie – I can imagine Charlotte’s sister answering to Matilda. It works with Dorothy, too. Nicknames include Tilly and Millie. Are those too vintage with Chase and Gage? I’m not sure, but it’s worth consideration.

Scarlett or Susannah, called Scout – If there’s a downside to so many of these choices, it’s that they feel like nicknames – while Chase and Gage do not. Scout strikes me as a better equivalent, but it’s tough to pin down the best formal name. Would Scarlett called Scout overcome your husband’s dislike of Scarlett? Susannah, Samantha, and lots of other S names work, too.

Theodora, called Tori, Tess, or Dolly – Reversing the elements of Dorothy gives us Theodora, the Kansas farmgirl’s elegant aunt. Theodora comes with plenty of nicknames – Thea, Thora, Tori, Tess, Teddie, Dolly, Dot. Some feel more modern, while others carry a vintage vibe. I really like Chase, Gage, and Tess together.

I’m struggling to find a favorite on this list! I do wonder if you might do better to work backwards, choosing the everyday name first. Maybe something like:

  • Bree, short for Briony 
  • Isla, short for Isabelle
  • Lola, short for Eloise 
  • Mila, short for Millicent or Matilda or Margaret

But I’m going to turn this over to the readers now, because I know they’ll have fantastic ideas – and honestly, I could go on forever!

Readers, what would you suggest as a sister for Christopher “Chase” Edmund and Gareth “Gage” Francis?

More names you might like:

Comments

  1. I think I’m a bit late on the draw here, but I just finished having so much fun coming up with names to fit this that I’m just going to post them anyway! Great sibset and nicknames OP!

    Amanda nn Amber
    Lorelei, Elizabeth, Delilah nn Lily
    Isobel nn Zoe
    Jordana, Jasmine nn Jade
    Felicia, Felicity nn Fay
    Harper nn Hope
    Katrina, Margaret, Katya, Keturah, Tabitha, Kallista, Katrin nn Kit
    Magdalena, Eliana, Helena, Lillian nn Lane
    Angelina, Valentina, Annika, Antonia, Clementina nn Nina
    Jessamine, Jasmine nn Mina
    Miriam nn Mila/Mira
    Esmeralda, Emerald nn Esme
    Rosemary/Rosemarie nn Remi
    Vivienne/Vivian nn Ivy
    Amara, Damaris, Mariam, Mariana, Marilyn, Marina, Marisol, Rosemary, Meredith, Samara nn Marley
    Caroline nn Colette
    Odilia, Odessa nn Odette
    Ariana, Adriana nn Aria
    Kirsten, Kimberly nn Kira
    Calliope, Coralie nn Clio/Cleo
    Clarabel nn Blair
    Jocelyn nn Jolie
    Kirsten nn Kia
    Willoughby nn Willa
    Lavinia nn Liv
    Caroline nn Calla
    Gwendolen nn Nola
    Gwendolyn nn Gwyn
    Esmeralda nn Mara
    Calliope nn Lila
    Emilia, Estella, Eloise nn Elle, Elsie, Elise, Elsa
    Juliet, Julianne, Juliana, Julienne nn June
    Malia, Marisol nn Molly
    Madelyn, Madeleine, Malia, Matilda, Melina nn Milla

    Reply

  3. I think it was JFK who had a family member named Katherine and they called her Kick. I think that would follow so well with your boys names. Cathriona is a beautiful formal name I think would flow well, and there are so many nickname options. Off of the suggestions, Theodora with a nickname of Teddy is great.

    Reply

  4. I think Margaret nn Daisy is perfect!

    Or maybe…

    Amelia nn Mia
    Georgia nn Gigi or Gia
    Celeste nn Coco
    Lucia nn Cece or Lulu or Lucy
    Beverly nn Bex
    Victoria nn Viv or Cora
    Beatrice nn Trixie or Bex
    Alexandra nn Xandie or Xan or Sandy
    Frances nn Faye

    Reply

  5. I love nn Rory for you–Chase, Gage, and Rory. This could come from Dorothy, Caroline, Lorelei, Aurora, or maybe even Laura or Rosemary. I also like Dorothy, nn. Dottie or Doro or Thea.

    Reply

  6. Anna — Annie, Nan, Nancy
    Caroline — Callie, Carly, Caro
    Eloise — Ella, Ellie, Lola, Lulu
    Jacqueline — Jax, Jaxie
    Jean — Scout
    Jessamine — Jessie, Mina
    Marjorie — Jorie, Maggie, Meg,
    Mary — Mamie, Marlo/Marlowe, Mimi, Molly
    Penelope — Nell, Nellie, Penny, Pippa, Polly, Poppy
    Susannah — Anna, Annie, Suzy, Zan, Zanna, Zuzu
    Victoria — Tori
    Virginia — Gigi, Ginny

    Reply

  7. I’ve seen a few suggestions of Philippa nn Piper, but I think the nn Pippi would also be great! Especially if you’re in Lindgren fan.

    Reply

  8. You like a more formal sounding first name with a one syllable nickname, so I suggest:
    Margaret (Meg)
    Elizabeth (Bess)
    Eleanor (Nell)

    Reply

  9. There was a brief thought my niece Persephone might be called Pepper, but her parents changed their minds. I loved it – but not my child, not my choice. I don’t think Persephone is your style, but Pepper could work for Penelope or similar?

    Also, we used to call our Susannah “sweet Susannah sunshine”, so Sunny could work.

    Or Daisy for Margaret … long A sound and noun nn?

    Oh, and if there’s been any mistake, a boy Michael nn “Miles” fits right in 😉

    Reply

  10. Not too much to add to all of the great suggestions, but Story seems like it would fit in well with Chase and Gage! There’s the obvious Astoria as a full name, but if Chase can work for Christopher, maybe Story could work for Scarlet or another S name?

    Reply

  11. If Dolly is the objection, then what about Doro? Or:
    CAroline, nn Caro
    Francesca, nn Chess
    Fiona, nn Finn
    Personally, I love Chess as a nn, although it is awfully close to Chase.

    Reply

  13. Chase, Gage, and Pierce for Charles, Gary, and Peter are one of my dream name sets. My taste in girls’ names goes in a different direction: Elena, Cordelia, Flavia, Nadia, Patrice, May, Josepha/Josefa, Theresa, Meredith.

    Chase and Gage are also active words. I wonder if something like Arrow, Tune, or Poem might be closer to the nickname you seek.

    Arrow: Ariana, Arlene, Arabella, Ramona, any of the Rose names
    Tune: Tallulah, Tuesday, Lunette
    Poem: Pamela, Paloma, Phoebe, Pembroke

    Reply

    • Ooooh, I like this. Three verbs, lol. This makes me lean towards “Scout” for the girl.

      I think something about Chase, Gage, and Chloe just sounds right, tho. Charlotte could be shortened to Chloe if the husband would agree.

      I also humbly submit the name we chose for our daughter — Hero Elizabeth. We call her by her first name, as she prefers, but Elizabeth is such an eminently nickable name that I can’t believe more people haven’t suggested it.

      Elizabeth gives you:

      Chase, Gage, and Lottie
      Chase, Gage, and Liz
      Chase, Gage, and Bess
      Chase, Gage, and Bette
      Chase, Gage, and Liza
      Chase, Gage, and Zizi
      Chase, Gage, and Izzy

      And so many more…

      I’d pair it with Lily or Rose, for the middle name for a feminine, vintage feel. JMHO.

      Reply

  14. The Dorothy –> Dotty (rhymes with Lottie) thing seems like such an obvious solution that I have to imagine that’s off the table for some reason.

    Parents often have different styles/rules for boys names and girl names and it seems like you do too, but you didn’t address that. There is zero connection (traditional nn rule, I mean) between Christopher –> Chase and Gareth–> Gage except the first two letters match. You don’t seem to be wanting to do that for your daughter. I’m wondering if that is why you haven’t landed on The Name. Here are some combos That came to mind: (Chase, Gage and..)
    – Winifred –> Willow
    – Pauline –> Paige
    – Regina –> (w)Ren
    – Edith –> Eden
    – Lavinia –> Lark

    Could it be that you think that men get less leeway with looking serious as adults than girls when it comes to names? Perhaps it is hard to imagine a Judge Chase X, so you may think the kiddo may need/want a “traditional” name, even when you strongly prefer Chase. It’s possible that you can clearly picture a Judge Luna X and don’t feel the need to add a “traditional” Lucinda to the birth certificate. Are you feeling that this nickname –> birth certificate name is a ridiculous exercise for your daughter? Perhaps this is the reason. Our perceptions about baby names are so tied to our subconscious cultural understanding. I personally wouldn’t waste any time railing against our culture, unless that’s your thing. Is so, get down with your bad self. Otherwise decide if parity in kids’ names is important and name accordingly.

    Reply

  15. What about

    Dorothy nn. Dodie,
    Charlotte nn.Lola

    or
    Alexandra nn Lana
    Amelia nn. Milly,Molly, Mia
    Babette nn. Bobbie
    Casey nn. Cici
    Eleanor nn. Lora
    Felicity nn. Fay, Tilly, Lilly
    Josephine nn. Joey, Posy,

    Reply

  19. Katherine – Kat or Kitty
    Alexandra – Lex or Lux
    Audriana or Adriana – Andi
    Josephine – Fi
    Clarissa – Clarke
    Scarlett – Skye

    Reply

  20. I love Susannah or Scarlet nicknamed Scout for you!

    Other suggestions:
    Bridget — Jet or Jetta
    Alexandra — Sasha
    Frances — Fern
    Katherine — Kit
    Renee — Wren
    Rebecca — Bex
    Julianna — Juno or Jules or Jill
    Rosemary — Romy or Reese
    Therese — Tess

    Reply

  21. Elizabeth with Bess as a nickname.
    Irene or Corinne with Rina as a nickname.
    Rosalind with Rosie or Lindy as a nickname.
    Mirabel with Mira as a nickname.
    Penelope with Pink as a nickname.

    Best wishes!

    Reply

  22. Love your boys’ names! We have a Gareth (nicknamed Bear), and also an Edmund (no nickname). I’m not sure where Christopher ranks right now, but Gareth is in that sweet spot of being completely outside the rankings without being unknown.

    On those lines, I like the idea of Susannah nn Scout from the list. Both the “rare but familiar” first and the “unexpected but trendy nickname”. And I think Scout fits the style of Chase & Gage in terms of being a fun, active name.

    If you want something more feminine, what about Daisy? It’s a cute stand alone name in its own right. There are a bunch of formal name options that work with it – Margaret and Marguerite of course, but you could also follow the pattern of your boys and pair it (unexpectedly) with a D name (Damaris, Deborah, Dierdre, Dorothy . . .). If your objection to Dorothy-called-Dolly is the Dolly part, maybe Dorothy-called-Daisy would be a good compromise.

    Reply

  23. YES YES YES to Scarlet named Scout. Definitely fits in with Chase and Gage. What about using Etta?

    I LOVE the name Theodora…but I would use Thea as shortened name.

    I love the suggestions of using Dottie instead of Dolly.

    Other options I love (sorry some are repeats:)
    Margaret nn Margo, Maggie or Mae, which I think are all super sweet. Margo would fit great with the boys.
    Rosamund/Rosalind Rosie, Rosa, Rose
    Francesca, Frankie or Freya
    Philipa, Piper –> great one Renee!!
    Veronica, Vera (LOVE), Roni, Rooney (as in Rooney Mara), Nica,
    Lucia or Lucienne, Lucy
    Vivienne/Vivian, Vienne, Vienna or Viv
    Ramona, Mona, Nina, Romy
    Otilia or Othelia or Odelia, Tilly, Tia, Thea, Dia

    Good Luck!!

    Reply

    • The suggestion of using Dottie instead of Dolly is actually a fabulous compromise for both you and your husband if you both like the name Dorothy. Or…going back to Theodora (which I prefer…just because I love it so much)… you could totally get away using Dottie as nn as well.

      I WISH Abby could post updates, as I really want to see what you decide!!

      Reply

      • Hi Kelsey – I do my best to post updates when I get them! And we do get some … but parents are often 3 or 4 months out when they write, so even if they send an update quickly, it’s still going to be a wait! 🙂 – Abby

        Reply

  24. I love that Chase and Gage are such solid nicknames. They aren’t cutesy, and they seem like they could easily be given names.

    Ren – short for Renata, Renee, or Regina
    Gwen – short for Gwendolen or Gwenyth
    Nell – short for any of the Helen names. Helen, Helena, Ellen, Eleanor…
    Jem – short for Jemima
    Mae (or May) – short for Mary or Margaret

    Reply

  25. Yes to everything Renee said! Love the suggestion of Phillipa nn Piper, and Abby’s suggestion of choosing the everyday name first and finding a formal name to fit. If you like Lottie and he likes Dolly, I wonder if you both might like Dottie? Dottie could be short for Dorothea or Theodora if you like those better than Dorothy.

    Some other suggestions:
    Theresa nn Tess
    Susanna nn Summer or Sunny (she is expected to come mid-summer, after all)

    Good luck! Happy name hunting! 🙂

    Reply

  27. I have a Georgia nn Gigi and a Harriet nn Hattie, and I (obviously) love them both! But My favorite for you is Josephine nn Posey! Love!

    Reply

  28. Correct me if I’m wrong, but Christopher and Gareth, Chase and Gage, feel like names that NEVER come up as suggestions here. Their nicknames feel like a bit of a stretch ( I think we would have tried to sway you to Kit and Rhett), but somehow you’ve done something wonderful and unexpected! Their full names will never date them on a resume, and their nicknames have already arrived, they’re clearly the kids, the cool kids.

    So it’s tough to suggest names that aren’t the names that we want to see people use, the ones that come up all the time that want to be revived! I feel like what you’re looking for is the next wave, or rather, the names hiding in plain sight that don’t have any sparkle on them yet. I like tons of Abby’s suggestions, but I feel like Susannah needs to be Susan nn Scout (love) and maybe Theodora is Dolores nn Dolly or Lola? I may be totally off-base here, but here are my suggestions…

    Marlena nn Arlo
    Phillipa nn Piper
    Melanie nn Nelly
    Beverly nn Vee
    Regina nn Reese
    Jacqueline nn Jett
    Alannah nn Layla
    Tiffany nn Finn
    Kathleen nn Kiki
    Gloria nn Lola
    Belinda nn Bella
    Danielle nn Ella

    I really like the Christopher, Gareth, Phillipa / Chase, Gage, Piper set for you! Can’t wait to hear what you land on.

    Reply

    • Love these suggestions! All of them; your unexpected nicknames are wonderful. 🙂 Christopher, Gareth and Kathleen / Chase, Gage and Kiki are my favorite pairing, but I would suggest Lena as a better fitting nickname for this exercise, since Kiki doesn’t really translate to adulthood as well as Chase and Gage.

      Reply

  29. I am focusing on the long A sounds of your sons’ nn’s.
    I would go with a 2 or 3-syllable girl’s name that shortens to a 1 or 2 syllable long A nn.

    Elayna/Elena nn Lane or Lanie
    Lorena
    Helena
    Linnea
    Marlena (there is a great song by the Wallflowers called Three Marlenas)

    Adalia nn Dale

    Reply

  30. Victoria, nn Tori or Vicky
    Winifred, nn Winnie
    Francesca, nn Frannie, Frankie, or Chessie
    Adele, nn Della
    Susannah/Suzanna, nn Zan or Zannie
    Rosalie/Rosamund, nn Rosie

    Reply

    • I have a Ceridwen, nicknamed Cate. Your Gareth made me think you might like that kind of name.

      Elaine or Lydia, nicknamed Lainie?

      Esther, nicknamed Tess? Or Tessa?

      Bridget, nicknamed Bea?

      Meredith, nicknamed Mae or May?

      Vanessa, nicknamed Nessie or Tess?

      Reply

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