First, drumroll please … the winner of Nook’s Book is Elizabeth W. (I’ve already sent an email to your gmail address, Elizabeth!)
Have I ever mentioned that I have this strange and obsessive habit of naming all-girl octuplets? I’ve been doing it for so long that I don’t recall what initially inspired me. But I stumbled across a list from 2008 – written after Alex was born, but well before Clio arrived.
I also have a list I wrote more recently – funny how different the two are.
My list in 2008 was:
- Clementine Alexandra or Clementine Octavia
- Eloise Katharine Wren
- Tallulah Madeleine Kate
- Persephone Anneliese
- Hester Genevieve Rose
- Verity Elisabeth Linden
- India Christian Beau
- Leocadia Maren Wynne
I suspect that I was trying to reach the nicknames Cleo and Elke with the first two names, but I can’t guess on the rest. And I have dashes after some, making me think that I meant to go back add a second middle name for all of them. And while I know why I chose most of the names, I’m surprised to see Madeleine and Wynne on the list.
Elsewhere online:
- Is Aggie the next Abby/Addie? After reading Nook’s post on Agatha, I want it to be so!
- Love this post from Names4Real: Dimity & Diesel – a delicate. lady-like little girl and a turbo-charged rough and tumble boy. There’s also a Lalita Rose on the list – I’m not sure Lalita is enough removed from Lolita to be comfortable.
- Grove, Dune, Caldera, Wave … lots of great choices on Elea’s Non-Floral Nature Names list.
- Eponymia published the third and final installment in her Rare Dutch Girls series. Isaloe, Suze-Roos, Lio, Marisanne. Loved these lists!
- Speaking of Dutch, are double names the newest trend in the Netherlands? Marie-Lou, Ella-Noor, Emma-Sophie and Lola-Lily have all been heard in recent months.
- The Toronto Star baby name profiles are addictive. This one, about finding a name for daughter #5, really drew me in.
- I enjoyed the Baby Name Wizard’s musings on completing the sibling lists.
- Oh, Philine – the perfect middle name to honor a Philip or a Phyllis! Thank you, Sebastiane.
- Anna spotted brothers named Reef and Bede – let’s hear it for adventurous single syllables.
- Which reminds me, is Rooke too close to crook? Or too taken-from-the-chessboard? NameSoiree spotted a Rooke Hudson. Of course, that’s also awfully close to Rock …
That’s all for this week. The next installment in the Annai to Zen series is up tomorrow, plus thoughts on baby names borrowed from the gridiron at Nameberry!
I did like Bede and Reef together; they are such different names, but somehow not.
Can you imagine saying, “My first son has a cool nature surfer name, and now we’re looking for an Anglo-Saxon saint’s name that will be a great match with it”.
Somehow I could see Cliff and Reef together or Bede and Audrey but not Reef and Bede.
Well they are both English names … but just forget all about the origins and history, and forget you even speak English and then just listen to them … Reef … and Bede …. they sound good together.
Agatha is not a name I would use personally, but I do really love it on someone else and the story of the saint has always fascinated me, the patron saint against breast cancer.
Being from the south, double names are my jam! My cousin’s daughter is Shelby Geace, which, admittedly, grew on me. My current quest is to find names that sound like double names but aren’t: like Rosemarie or Anneliese. I’m also holding out that FH will come to love Maeve so I can throw it in as a double name: Ruby Maeve, Ivy Maeve… Etc.
Whoops! Her name is Shelby GRACE.
I’ve recently really started to love Agatha, and enjoyed reading Nook’s profile of the name.
I used to make lists of names for my imaginary family too. Looking back at them now, I realize they sound like upper-crust, quirky Victorians. Nowadays, in the words of one of my close friends, my style is “banjo and tin roof chic.”
Okay, I’m going to need some examples of names that are “banjo and tin roof chic.” 🙂
Yeah, spill, Emily! We need to hear these fabulously hickster (hick-hipster) names! 🙂
I love making lists for imaginary children, though I usually do triplet or quintuplet boys. I feel like one of the few name aficianados who has a much easier time with boy names than girl names.
Lalita is really close to Lolita, but it also made me think of Latika. Latika was the main female character in Slumdog Millionaire, and I think that has potential.
I love double barreled first names. But is Ella-Noor a respelling of Eleanor/Elinor or an awesome multicultural mix? I will admit that I have Sarah-Noor on my list!
I love that I’m not the only one who makes lists for my imaginary children. I don’t always do eight girls though, I like to mix it up a bit, but I love coming across an old list and wondering how some names made it on there. Love your choices too.
I didn’t think about crook for Rooke. I thought of the bird and the card game, although I think they spell it without an “e”.
I’ve always like Agatha. I would love to spot more of them.
Sarah
I am always happy to find someone else who appreciates Persephone. I usually feel like I’m the only one! Even among name fanatics.
I love Persephone!
I didn’t know that Agatha could translate as “good goddess” ! That gives the name quite a bit of a kick.
I’ve loved Madeleine for years – of course I also grew up reading Madeleine L’Engle too…and I’ve had vivid recurring dreams for years about having a second daughter named Madeleine…but the fiance is not a fan even when the “but it’s one of my favourite authors” card gets played (we do both agree on Ember Josephine though so I’ll get my French fix in there somehow!). My firstborn’s father was also a royal PITA to come up with. EVERYTHING I suggested, he vetoed so I’d go “well what names would you pick?” and he’d reply “I dunno, haven’t really thought about it”. At least my fiance has opinions of his own on the matter (his initial choice for a girl was Cinder but I managed to nudge him over to Ember since I’m not a fan of Cindy as a nickname). My firstborn is Stephanie Elizabeth.
My favourite “Phil” name is Phillida.
I went to school with twins named Stephanie and Elizabeth!
Congratulations Elizabeth W! 😀
Congratulations Elizabeth W… ! You lucky girl! But I won’t be without either, I shall get a book all of my own very soon. A treasure chest of knowledge is really too hard to pass up, this book is a must-have!