Alphabet Favorites

Object: One girls name and one boys name I like best for each letter.
Reason: Because I haven't done one of these in a while.

Girls / Boys

Amy / Aidan
Beatrice / Bartholomew
Catherine / Ciaran
Davia / Douglas
Eleanor / Eamon
Felicity / Finley
Grace / Gideon
Helena / Henry
Irene / Ian
Jocelyn / Jack
Kirsten / Kenneth
Lena / Laurence
Mary / Michael
Naomi / Nathaniel
Opal / Owen
Phoebe / Pearce
Quinn / Quinn
Ruby / Roman
Sally / Simon
Tabitha / Tristan
Una / Urias
Viola / Vaughan
Wilhelmina / William
Xandra / Xander
Yseult / Yoan
Zinnia / Zechariah

Not all of the above I'd use as first names but many I would use as middle names if I got the chance. Boy, it's been a long time since I've done one of these. I actually had to got to my lists at LadyBug Names to remember what my faves were for the more obscure letters. That was fun though. :)

Now you go ahead and do it. It is a bit hard to limit yourself to just one for each letter!

~

Descisions, descisions - boys combos

• Jack Tristan - changed from Jack Michael Auguste. I like Tristan a lot but not sure I want it as a first name.
• Crispin - I liked Crispin Lee because Crispin is related to my mom's maiden name and Lee is my mom's middle name. I've also been thinking about Crispin Lucius or Crispin Evander but I can't quite decide.
• Titus - I had Titus Andrew but I think I want to change it, perhaps to Titus Roman.
• Cianan - I love this name's closeness to Ciaran (my fave) but I'm trying to decide between Cianan Matthew, Cianan Bryce or Cianan Stuart.
• Micah - I love Micah's closeness to Michael and I love J middle name with M first names. I've been considering Micah Jubal but I think I'll go with Micah Joel.
• Elias - trying to find a good middle name. I used to love Elias Henry but I'm not too sure. I've been thinking of Elias Griffin or Elias Matthew but they're not spectacular.
• Soren - I love this name but can't find just the right middle name. I've been considering Soren Finley, Soren Gunther and Soren Dominic.
• Tobias - I've been thinking of several various middle names: Tobias Clement, Tobias Daniel, Tobias Ewan and Tobias Einion. I think Tobias Ewan is very nice but not quite sure, I'd like a name of the same kind.
• Skander - I've liked this the first time I heard it on the actor Skandar Keynes who played Edmund in Narnia. I like Skander Edmund or Skander William but I'm also thinking about Skander Amadeus, Skander Dominic, Skander Thomas or Skander Willem.
• Ian - I love this but I'm trying to decide between Ian Thomas, Ian Theodore, Ian Tavish, or Ian Carmichael.
• Cillian - I like this but I'm not sure if I like Killian better or not. I guess Cillian is best. I've been considering a wide varriety of middle names including Cillian Alastair, Cillian Bruce, Cillian Rhys, Cillian Trace, Cillian Tadhg, and Cillian Finley.
• Griffin - Griffin Bennett or Griffin Bryce. I think I need more middle name options, I'm not liking this. Brody also needs some middle name options, perhaps Ronan.

I'm also trying to decide if I like Gareth Einion or Einion Gareth better.

These I've already decided on:
Asa Benjamin
Sinjon Tertius
Corin Bertrand
Ira David
Phineas Ebenezer

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Reworking Girls Combos

Just reworking some of my girls combos that I'm dissatisfied with. Trying to decide on middle names for some of these:

• Jocelyn - Jocelyn Opal, Jocelyn Ruth, Jocelyn Opal Ruth, Jocelyn Ruth Opal
• Clara Jeanette - was Clara Rosemary, I adore Clara and Jeanette is after a favorite aunt of my mom's who I've been wanting to honor.
• Jane Sophia Elinor - trying to decide how to pair these. I like Jane Elinor and Jane Sophia but I also really like Sophia Elinor so I'm thinking about Jane Sophia Elinor since I'm not sure I'd use Sophia as a first name but I adore Jane in that position.
• Julia Rosemary - I used to love Julia Mary but I'm thinking it a bit plain and since I'm trying to get Rosemary away from Clara why not Julia Rosemary.
• Cora Beatrix - I rather like Cora and I thought about Cora Jeanette but I've also been wanting to use Beatrix.
• Mary Helena - I had Mary Adelaide but I changed Adelaide to a first name so I'm back to really liking Mary Helena (prn. heh-lay-nah).
• Esme - I love the sweet sound of this name and am trying to keep some of the Scottish/Irish connections by using names with those origins: Esme Fiona, Esme Kathleen, Esme Caitriona, Esme Sorcha.
• Maisie - I think this name is really cute and so I'm thinking Maisie Caroline or Maisie Violet.
• Liliana - this is so beautiful and I rather like virtue names paired with it. Liliana Faith is pretty but plain and I like Liliana Grace better but I'm already using Grace as a first name. My friend Karis' parents made her name from the Greek word for 'grace' which is translated Charis most often. Liliana Karis is rather pretty but I'm still not quite sure or Liliana Charis.

Just some combos I'm working on. Some I've already changed are:
Sadie Emmeline
Adelaide Cecilia
Phyllis Evelyn "Lyss"
Annika Sage
Millicent Imogen "Millie"
Felicity Ann

WDYT? Any opinions or suggestions?

~

Phyllis

I've been almost liking Phyllis lately since I've been using it regularly in my job with an elderly lady by that name. I also just recently watched an adaptation of 'The Railway Children' by E. Nesbit in which there is a young girl named Phyllis.

I've been struck by its similar sound to Phoebe which I adore. I also just looked up the meaning "foliage" and rather like it as autumn is my favorite season.

Taken all together I can't really make up my mind whether I like the name Phyllis or not. I used to think it so old sounding but now I'm starting to think it's not that bad, especially the combo Phyllis Evelyn.

So WDYTO Phyllis and Phyllis Evelyn? What are your opinions on the nn Phyl or Lis?

Adelaide

Above is a photo of my little second cousin Adelaide. It surpised me very much when my cousin used this name for his first child because it's elegance is in great contrast to the names of other cousins and even his own name and sibling's names which tend toward the trendy and popular.

I had recently started to love the name Adelaide when I found out my cousin had used it. Not too much to say about the name, it's sweet and elegant and really underused. I think it will gain more popularity as older names keep coming out of the woodwork!

I've recently been liking Adelaide when paired with Celia or other C names. Adelaide Cecilia is very appealing to me at the moment. Adelaide Mary or Mary Adelaide is also lovely.

Do you know anyone named Adelaide or even Adeline? What are your impressions of the name? Any nickname needed or fine on it's own? What about Adelaide Cecilia?

Nicknames From Novels

Just three nicknames, from novels written and set in Victorian England, which I thought were quite lovely, WDYT?

Nicodemus "Noddy" - from Our Mutual Friend

Dorothea "Dodo" - from Middlemarch
Celia "Kitty" - from Middlemarch
Theresa "Tess" - from Tess of D'Urbevilles

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My Thoughts:

I'm liking Nicodemus more and more, it's rather a guilty pleasure of mine like Solomon and other old Biblical names. Though the nn Nicky is cute it's also rather popular and too connected with Nicholas.

I think Dorothea is just lovely and Dodo is a cute childish nickname, not sure I like it or not.

Celia was prn. seel-ee-uh in the film adaptation instead of seel-yuh. My pastor's wife had family who prn. her name see-lah their from the southern USA so their accents most likely have something to do with it. Kitty just says Katherine to me but it is cute, I recently met an older lady named Kittie and the name suits her perfectly.

I've been liking Tess recently since seeing Tess of D'Urbevilles and her full name was Theresa. I've never been very fond of Theresa / Teresa but Tess and Tessa are rather cute.

So what do you think? Any you like?

My Top 100 Favorite Girls Combos

Reworking my extended favorite girls combos. There are a few in my top 20 that I changed a bit and decided on which Lydia Sadie combo and which Juliana combo.
Without further ado here they are:

1. Amy Joyce Irene
2. Eleanor Mary Frances "Lena"
3. Sally Stone Elizabeth
4. Lena Beatrice Viola
5. Lydia Sadie Hope
6. Catherine Davia
7. Jocelyn Pearl "Jocie"
8. Emma Beatrix Claire
9. Juliana Chloe
10. Phoebe Evangeline
11. Mary Adelaide
12. Leah Crystal
13. Beatrice Elena
14. Marjorie Florence "Marjie"
    
15. Clara Rosemary
16. Leanna June
17. Margaret Fiona "Maggie"
18. Felicity Evelyn "Lissy"
19. Lillias Arabella
20. Jane Isabella
21. Grace Abigail
22. Evangeline Mercy "Evie"
23. Julia Mary
24. Cora Imogen
25. Lily Charlotte
26. Juliet Hermione
27. Stella Iris
28. Alea Ruby
29. Annora May
30. Cassandra Isolde "Cassie"
31. Molly Susannah
32. Margot Eloise
33. Gretchen Helena
34. Annika Dagmar
35. Edith Amelia "Edie"
    
36. Nora Clementine
37. Esme Seraphina
38. Marguerite Solange "Margie"
    
39. Philippa Antonia "Pippa"
40. Ireleigh Paige
41. Aurelia Sonet
42. Eimear Kathleen
43. Matilda Hazel "Matty/Tilly"
44. Georgiana Eve "Georgie"
45. Millicent Sophie "Millie"
46. Liesel Wilhelmina
47. Tabitha Esther "Tibby"
48. Eithne Maeve
49. Ceana Rose (prn. Kenna)
50. Adeline Cecilia
51. Brigid Sorcha "Biddy"
52. Amity Karis
53. Sophia Elinor
54. Maisie Emmeline
55. Verity Ann
56. Charity Ruth
57. Lalage Emilia "Lalla"
58. Isabella Sage "Bella"
    
59. Elinora Mabel
60. Priscilla Opal "Cilla"
    
61. Kirsten Lee "Kirstie"
62. Michael Naomi / Michal Naomi
63. Miriam Dorcas "Miri"
64. Eliana Ophelia
    

Yep, only 64, but I haven't formed any more yet. It's not too important to me to reach 100. It's nice to be able to express my favorite names this far.

Top 100 Favorite Boys Combos

My top 100 favorite boys combos, I've been reworking my extended favorites list and here's what I've come up with:

1. Ciaran Douglas
2. Eamon Laurence
3. Nathaniel Henry Welcome
4. Simon Matteson
5. John Kenneth Crepaux "Jack"
6. Colin Stone
7. Aidan Silas Pearce
8. Jack Michael
9. Henry Buffington-Geer
10. Owen Jasper
11. William Ezra
12. Sebastian Luke
13. Gideon Micaiah
14. Caspian Miles
15. Titus Andrew
16. Ezekiel Peleg "Zeke"
17. Crispin Lee
18. Josiah Abel
19. Nathan Shippee
20. Cianan David
21. Finbar Liam
22. Matthias Oliver
23. Callum Dermot
24. Micah Joel
25. Ian Archibald
26. Tristan Evander
27. Milo Spencer
28. Soren Dominic
29. Cassius Alexander
30. Tobias Griffin
31. Asa Benjamin
32. Skander Willem
33. Dylan Lucas
34. Willoughby James "Will"
35. Roman Frederick
36. Lucian Maxwell
37. Maximilian Lucius "Max"
38. Roderick Theodore "Roddy"
39. Julian Darcy
40. Sinjon Tertius
41. Bartholomew Amos "Ollie"
42. Jonah Gabriel
43. Ronan Bryce
44. Elias Jephthah
45. Amadeus Leopold
46. Elijah Keegan "Eli"
47. Noah Wyatt
48. Oisin Declan
49. Angus Niall
50. Gilbert Tavish "Gibby/Gilly"
51. Andrew Jonathan
52. Jonas Finley
53. Ellis Vaughan
54. Hamish Charles
55. Malachi Jeriah
56. Ewan Trace
57. Jolyon Edmund "Jo/Jolly"
58. Jeremiah Seth
59. Ebenezer Jacob "Eben"
60. Archibald Roger "Archie"
61. Zachariah Jude
62. Brody Rhys

Yes, there's only 62 but it's as far as I've got so far.

What do you think? Any you like?

Alethea

Alethea is an English name derived from Greek αληθεια (aletheia) meaning "truth". This name was coined in the 17th century and may be related to Althea.

I didn't find very many refrences when I looked up famous Aletheas but here are a few ladies by that name that you might have heard about or might find interesting:


In Greek mythology, Alethea (or Altheia) was the daughter of Zeus and Arete, the personification of truth and the nurse of the infant Apollo.


Alethea Howard, Countess of Arundel (1585-1654) was the wife of Thomas Howard, 21st Earl of Arundel (1585-1646) who was an ardent art collector (having over 700 paintings in his collection) and prominent English courtier during the reigns of James I and Charles I. She was born Lady Alethea (or Alatheia) Talbot the youngest daughter of Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury and his wife Mary Cavendish; and the sister of two other countesses: Mary Herbert, Countess of Pembroke and Elizabeth Grey, Countess of Kent. She married in September 1606 and gave birth to four children: James Howard, Baron Maltravers (1607-1624), Henry Frederick Howard, 22nd Earl of Arundel (1608-1652), William Howard, 1st Viscount Stafford (1614-1680), and Lady Mary Anne Howard (c. 1615-1658).
Along with her sister Elizabeth, and their cousin Arbella Stuart, she performed in a masque celebrating the investiture of Henry Stuart as Prince of Wales in 1610.
Alethea's husband bought many pieces from her art collection using her money and left the collection of over 600 paintings and 200 sculptures to her on his death. Like her sister, Elizabeth, Alethea was interested in the use of herbs and other foodstuffs for medical purposes. Her recipes were published under the title Natura Exenterata. Little else is known about this fascinating lady.


Alethea McGrath is an Australian actress who played the role of Jocasta Nu in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. She is also known for her roles on television, playing Dot Farrar in Prisoner and two parts in Neighbours: Mary Crombie from 1989 to 1990 and Lilly Madigan in 1998.
Alethea McGrath is an Australian actress who played the role of Jocasta Nu in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.

I never used to like the name Alethea until I met a girl who did not pronounce her name like uh-LEE-thee-uh but like uh-LAY-thee-uh. Then I thought the name was just beautiful and fitted the girl's sweet and bubbly nature.

I added Alethea to my favorites list where it currently resides outside of my top 20 favorite combos as Alethea Spring, just a bit of beauty and whimsy and one of my guilty pleasures! :)

Know anyone named Alethea? What do you think of the name? Will this name ever catch on - why or why not?

"I" Love Names!

"I scream, you scream, we all scream for ICE CREAM!"

I've been hearing a several names starting with the letter I recently. I'm in general not too wild about I names as I gravitate more towards A, E and the constanants (especially C, S, L and J).
But as I hear these names used, weather on people I've met, on TV, or online, I've been thinking of all the names I do like that begin with I. Here's just a sampling:

Boys:

• Ira - I've heard this name on two different men recently and rather like it. We don't see it used much anymore and I think it could gain as much popularity as Isaac or Isaiah have.
• Ike - I met an quirky, off the wall teen boy by this name at camp this summer. His bright eyes and lively personality were totally different than the image I've always had of Ike being a stodgy old farmer or old time politician. I don't think Ike was his real name (probably something like Richard), but it actually suited him and the short spunk of the name came across to me. I now like it as a nickname for Isaac / Isaak and hope to see more of it.
• Irving - a friend's husband is named Clarence Irving, isn't that awful but so totally old-fashioned and charming at the same time? For some reason that even his wife doesn't know, he's always been called Mike. Mikey when he was young and the name just stuck so he's Mike now which really suits him much better! I'm not a big fan of this name but it certainly had a strong sound.
  
• Ian - I've always loved this name and was very pleased to hear it being used more in my social circle, once as a middle name, once as a first name. My friends who I worked with this summer named their first son Ian William last year and he had just turned a year old when I saw them in June. Their last name is Walker and the mother told me that she had seriously considered naming her son Luke Skye! I think it actually would have been cute never mind the Star Wars connection. I really like Ian William and I think they might possibly have chosen a W for his middle name because his paternal grandfather's first name begins with W. Little Ian changed the image of the name a bit for me, from bold handsome Scotsman with unruly dark hair, to a blond haired boy with big ears, bright blue eyes, a big smile and a personality all his own. :)
  

Girls:

• Ivy - I've seen Ivy a couple times this summer. My mom's friends have a little granddaughter named Ivy Dawn who I saw recently, she just turned four. I also admire her cousin's names Peter Ian and Joy Abigail, they're so...normal! :) Ivy is sweet but I always think poisin ivy and an exotic dancer when I hear this name so I tend to prefer Evie to Ivy.
• Isabelle - I know it is popular but it is pretty. A friend just named her 8th child Chloe Isabelle. She had mentioned to me that she liked Isabella because it came from Jane Austen's novels. But when she mentioned the name to her 10-year-old daughter she said "Not Isabella mommy. In books Isabella is always the bad lady!" But she must have liked the name enough to have used Isabelle anyway. I think it's pretty and as a middle name it's nice. By the by I'm liking Chloe more and more now, scary!
  
• India - I heard this name on a Jepordy contestant. In general I dislike this name and Indiana because they are place names. India to me would seem to belong to a forein woman with dark hair, bright eyes and a sense of adventure or to a trendy designer so on this lady the name had an odd appearance as she was 40ish with plain brown hair and nothing very interesting about her, kind of a quiet sort. Funny what people name their kids even if it's unpopular, not at all befitting their lifestyle or especially doesn't suit their child at all!
• Ireleigh - a little girl at church has this name. She's so cute at four with her blond hair and wide blue eyes and ever charming smile and speech inpediment. Her mother said a friend named Leigh had said it was her favorite that she didn't get to use only she spelled it Ireley. So the mother changed the spelling to Ireleigh to honor her friend who suggested it. I think it's cute though it is made up, it sounds pettier than it looks.
  
  
  "So?...what?...no ice cream then?"
  
  

So, some of my favorite I names, most of which I probably won't ever use:

Boys:
Iain
Ioan
Israel
Ignatius
Ichabod (crazy, I know)
Ishmael
Innis

Girls:
Irene (which I might use)
Isolde
Irina
Imogen "Immy"
Imelda "Immy"
Iris
Isabella
Isobel
Iliana
Isla
Ireland (yes, a place name but it's the place I like)

What are your favorite name that begin with the letter I? Have you met or do you know someone with and of these names? How do they like their names? What other I names have you heard recently?