Tamara and Craig have two children, Charlie and Tilly, and are ready to try for baby #3. They have no problem with settling on boys' names; it's the girls which are proving tricky for them.
Tamara is looking for a name which is "pretty, cute and vintage" that, ultimately, she and Craig can agree on.
Tamara's list:
Flora
Rose -- They know a little Rosie.
Tessa / Tess -- Tamara isn't sure if it's too much with Tilly, and which sounds better.
Marcie
Mamie
Marnie
Beatrice nn Bea
Annie -- Craig really dislikes this.
Florence
Amelie
Darcy/ Darcey/Darcie -- Tamara says "Although I tend to think of Mr Darcy, I feel it suits Tilly. I like the vintage feel this name gives off, but don't like that it is unisex- will people assume when I would say my children's names, that Darcy is a boy? Also not sure which spelling to use, which is less masculine?
Molly-- Tamara really likes this but it is already used by a family member.
Tabitha -- They don't like nn Tabby as Tilly and Tabby are too similar sounding.
Other names Tamara likes: Elodie, Dulcie, Bonnie, Edie, Elsie, Romy, Blythe, Connie
Craig's List:
Yasmine -- Tamara doesn't like how it sounds with Charlie and Tilly. Jasmine is also currently used in the family.
Mailie (pr May lee) -- Craig actually made it up as he likes the name Mae and Tamara likes 'ee' ending names. Tamara isn't keen.
Anais -- Craig used to live in France so likes a few French names (but not Amelie). Tamara does not like the pronunciation and worries she would be forever explaining her name.
Seren
Margaret – Chris really wants to honour his grandmother Margaret but Tamara does not particularly like the name. They have considered using Maisy/ Daisy as a first name to honour her, however were put of due to knowing people with these names. They don't really like many of the pet forms: Maggie, Megan, Marguerite, Peggy or Pearl.
Names they both like:
Kitty -- They both really love this but Tamara is worried about teasing potential. They have considered it as a nickname, but don't like any longer forms.
Mae -- Tamara feels it's a little short sounding with Charlie and Tilly and is considering Maeve.
Clementine
Names they cannot use due to family/friends: Molly, Lilly, Rosie, Naomi, Sophie, Ruby, Jasmine, Poppy, Ebony, Amelia.
Family names which could be honoured: Jane, Amanda, Gillian, Ann, Mary, Alice, Hilda, Violet, Mabel, Hazel, Ada, Ruth, Joyce, Madge.
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I think you have a very strong list to work from, Tamara, and lots of avenues you could go down. It doesn't seem that you have any problem with finding inspiration -- you have a great list to choose from -- so perhaps it is more useful for me to weigh in on your current favourites.
Kitty
As a Primary School teacher, I can honestly say that name-teasing is something that is given more credence in the minds of adults than actual reality. I know lots of Billys who don't get "Silly Billy," several Lukes who don't get "puke," Teddys who don't get teased for having the same name as cuddly bears...
Perhaps sixty, forty, twenty years ago, when most children in British schools had a name from within the top 50, an uncommon name may have garnered more attention. These days, classrooms still have plenty of top 50 choices, but they are mixed up alongside a whole variety of exotic names and daring new coinages. And kids today don't bat an eyelid. They just take it all in their stride because variety in names is their norm.
Kids do still get teased sometimes; it's an unfortunate byproduct of navigating through the social jungle that is 'the playground'. But these days, teasing about names in a varied naming landscape just doesn't have the same sting, so most kids don't bother!
I really, honestly, don't think Kitty will be a teasing issue. Kitty as a term for a cat is quite an antiquated term, only really used for small children. I can't think of anyone I know older than five who genuinely uses the term "kitty" themselves to refer to a cat.
When I hear Kitty, I don't think of a cat, I think of it as a 19th century literary name. Kitty Bennet in Pride and Prejudice is my first thought, but then there is also Princess Ekaterina Alexandrovna Shcherbatskaya, known as "Kitty", in Anna Karenina.
Interestingly, regional data in England and Wales in 2012 had Kitty ranking far higher in the South of England than nationally. While Kitty ranked #345 overall that year, it was #265 in the South East and #290 in the South West. Given that you live down south, Kitty is in far more familiar name-territory in your neck of the woods.
If you still feel Kitty is better as a nickname, how about using Kitty as a nickname for Clementine?
Mae
I think Mae would work for you on several levels. It's a sweet vintage gem that works nicely with Charlie and Tilly. Much like solid classics Anne, Jane, Grace, Ruth, Mae's power lies in her petite proportions.
As an added bonus, Mae handily honours grandma Margaret. Traditionally, May/Mae came into use as a name as a pet form of Mary and Margaret.
There are a few other longer forms you may want to consider:
Maelie -- A French feminine form of Mael, a Breton name meaning "prince, ruler." Maelie is quite a rarity, but the form Maelys is a top 20 favourite in France.
Amabel -- A delicate vintage gem which goes back to the Middle Ages. It comes from the Latin amabilis "lovable" and therefore shares the same etymological route as Amanda. The name later turned into pretty and rising favourite Annabel. Amabel (which rhymes with Annabel) has all the same charm but is more unexpected.
Amabel nn Mae would incorporate Margaret, Amanda and Mary nicely.
Rose
Like Mae, Rose is a pretty vintage that perfectly stands alone. It is an iconic flower: beautiful, sweetly smelling and with thorns not to be messed with, something typified well by Billie Piper's feisty portrayal of adventure-loving Rose Tyler in Doctor Who.
I personally think Rose works perfectly well as it is, but if you fancy lengthening it, and Rosie is out, how about:
Posy -- It shares the same 'ose' sound so I think Posy works perfectly nicely as a nickname for Rose. Given that a posy is a small bunch of flowers, calling Rose "Posy" is a nice floral tie.
Rosalie -- This pretty French form was fashionable in Victorian Britain and lends itself easily to Rose as a short-form.
Darcy
There can be little argument that Darcy is a perfectly acceptable, and popular, girls' name, mostly thanks to ballerina Darcey Bussell. If you lived in Australia, Darcy may be mistaken for a boy, but in Britain, most will assume Darcy is a girl. Darcey and Darcy are both in the top 100 for girls, and Darcie is only just below. Add all the spellings together and the name actually ranks #32 in England and Wales.
To avoid gender ambiguity, I would opt for the spelling Darcey. It is not only the most popular spelling, it also avoids Mr Darcy connotations.
Other Strong Choices:
Flora and Tess are also good strong choices from your list.
Flora is a Victorian darling; easy to spell and pronounce yet unexpected and uncommon. Flossie and Florrie are cute vintage diminutives worth considering.
File Tess alongside Rose and Mae: a beautiful antique gem which holds strong on its own. Tess also has a refined literary feel thanks to Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles.
Far from being too much with Tilly, I think Tess (or Tessa) make a nice family tie. The dad and son have C names, the mum and daughters have T names.
Suggestions:
Belle -- Mae, Rose, Tess. You can see why my mind is drawn to Belle for all the same reasons I listed for Rose and Mae above. If you prefer it as a nickname, Amabel (see above) and French Abelie, a feminine form of biblical Abel, is worth considering.
Esme / Esmee -- With a beautiful meaning of "loved, esteemed," Esme ticks the boxes of pretty, cute and vintage perfectly.
Lottie -- There is something extremely charming about Lottie. Traditionally used as a diminutive of Charlotte, Lottie also works as a nickname for Ottilie and Violet.
Alba -- An elegant and continental vintage gem which is seriously going places. In ten years, Alba could easily be the new Ava, but until then, your daughter could be one of the trend-setters.
Sadie -- A feisty old-school diminutive of Sarah which makes a stylish and sassy companion for 'battle mighty' Tilly.
Polly -- You love Molly but can't use it, so I am drawn directly to pretty Polly. Sitting perfectly between popular Molly and Poppy, Polly is familiar and yet unexpected. Like Kitty, it is more popular in the South East and South West than the rest of the country, with 35% of the Pollys named in 2012 living in Southern England.
Aoife -- A gorgeous vintage Irish choice, meaning "beauty." The spelling is not intuitive, but Aoife is quite well known now (especially since Una Foden named her daughter Aoife Belle) and most people know that it is pronounced EE-fa.
Adelie -- Seeing Ada on your family names list brought to mind French variant Adelie. It shares the same -ie ending as Charlie and Tilly with a French twist that might suit Craig.
Evelie -- Adelie then led me to Evelie, another antique French choice, a twist of classic Eve.
Clelie -- You asked about how Clelie was pronounced. It's CLAY-lee (the first syllable is said quickly: close to CLELL). Only a step away from Chloe, Clelie is the French form of Clelia (derived from the Roman Claelius). Clelia Borromeo was a notable 18th century mathmatician, and the French Clelie also has literary ties in France.
Elysee -- Catering to Craig's "out there" taste with a French twist, Elysee is the French form of Elysia, derived from the Ancient Greek's Elysian Fields which has now come to mean "paradise."
Hopefully, this has been of help. Best wishes with the name hunting!
