Laura and Sam are struggling to finalise names for their three non-identical daughters, sisters for their son Barnaby "Barney".
Laura says: "We love his name as it is unusual and has heritage to it, without being weird, and has the religious link of St Barnabas."
They are looking for names which share the same criteria (unusual, accessible biblical/saintly), but aren't too matchy.
Their List:
Jemima - front runner
Hermione - front runner
Chloe - too popular
Claudia - Laura dislikes the meaning; Sam finds it too Germanic
Tabitha - "too feline"
Lucinda
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Three babies! What an exciting prospect -- and that's just purely from a name point of view! Jemima and Hermione are both gorgeous names. Stately, sophisticated and accessible. It's a shame that you are put off by Tabitha's tabby-cat association, as, for me, Tabitha makes the perfect compliment to Jemima and Hermione.
Talitha – If Tabitha is too feline, then maybe Talitha (TAL-ee-tha) appeals. Adopted as a name in the 17th century, Talitha is taken from Mark 5:41 Taking her by the hand he said to her, "Talitha cumi," which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise." Talitha itself means "young girl" in Aramaic.
Beatrice – This is perhaps my favourite choice, next to Tabitha, to go with Jemima and Hermione. Not only is Beatrice a sophisticated, regal and ancient choice, its also a name borne by saints. Slightly less common is the striking Latin Beatrix, borne by a 4th century martyr.
Keziah – A pretty, uncommon biblical name borne by one of the beautiful daughters of Job. The name is Hebrew for the cassia plant and spice. Strictly, Keziah is pronounced kez-Ī-a, reflecting the long 'i' in Jemima and and Hermione, however the spelling Kezia has often been pronounced KEZ-ee-a in Britain since the 16th century.
Bethia – The anglicised form of the Hebrew name Bithiah meaning "daughter of Yahweh." In the Old Testament she was a daughter of a Pharaoh, traditionally associated with the Egyptian princess who adopted Moses.
Lydia – St Lydia is mentioned in the New Testament as a woman converted by St Paul. Refined and literary, Lydia is a well known name, but only ranks at #100.
Sarai – While Sarah is a traditional staple, the original Biblical form Sarai (sa-RĪ) is exotic and unique with a lovely meaning of "princess." Also worth considering is similar biblical name Serah meaning "abundance."
Hadassah – Another under-the-radar Biblical name is sweet Hadassah. It's easy to pronounce and spell, and sound-wise sits somewhere between Hannah and Clarissa, yet doesn't even rank in the top 1000. The name means 'myrtle', a pretty flower associated with love and youth and used as a perfume in ancient times.
Aurelia – Elegant Roman Aurelia is linked to the Latin aureolus "golden," and was borne by Saint Aurelia of Strabourg. The masculine form, Aurelius, was also borne by several early saints. Even rarer is the variant Aurea, which was borne by two saints: Saint Aurea of Ostia and Saint Áurea of San Millán.
Imelda – The Spanish and Italian form of the ancient Germanic name Irmhilde "strong in battle" which was made famous by Blessed Imelda Lambertini. Sharing a similar sound (and meaning!) to popular Matilda, Imelda is accessible yet edgy.
Paloma – Though neither a biblical or saints name, Paloma is seeped in religious significance thanks to its meaning of "dove," the symbol of the Holy Spirit. It also can be classed as a Marian name thanks to La Virgen de la Paloma "Our Lady of the Dove" (La Paloma). Ranking below the top 1000, Paloma is unusual yet fashionably familiar thanks to songstress Paloma Faith.
Felicity – An elegant saints name with a joyful meaning, Felicity is a sweet virtue name that is uncommon yet longstanding.
Verity – Another pretty virtue name, which brings to mind Psalms 111:7 "The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure." Verity is the English translation of the Hebrew emeth which means both truth and faithfulness.
Adeline – A sweet antique gem which honours St Adeline. Derived from the Old Germanic adal "noble," Adeline is a heritage choice below the top 1000 and with lots of nickname potential.
Rosamund – A romantic ancient Germanic name, long associated since the Middle Ages with the Latin phrases rosa munda "pure rose" and rosa mundi "rose of the world" -- both epithets of the Virgin Mary.
Vivienne – Found in many spellings (Vivian, Vivien, Vivianne, Viviana and Vivienne) and derived from the Latin vivus, Vivienne has been used since the Middle Ages in honour of St Vivian and St Viviana.
Flora – Chic Flora is a pretty floral name which ranks only #426 and was borne by no less than four saints. For a more homespun variant, Florence is worth considering as a derivative of Florentius; a name of several saints.
Amabel – Dainty Amabel is a medieval English name derived from the Latin amabilis "lovable." It not only honours St Amabilis, mater amabilis "Loving Mother" is also a common title of Mary.
Christabel – Another 'bel' name is this medieval coinage combining Christ / Christian and bella "beautiful" and used to honour several saints bearing the name Christina.
Acacia – Botanical acacia is a type of tree used in the Bible to make the Ark of the Covenant. Acacia can also be considered the feminine form of Acacius, a name borne by three saints.
Delphine – Delphine is a chic French name used in honour of St Delphine and derived from the Latin delphina "dolphin." While not uncommon in France it is a rarity in Britain, making for an undiscovered gem.
Clementine – Sweet Clementine is the French feminine form of Clementius (Clement), an ancient virtue name meaning "gentle, merciful," and borne by a multitude saints and popes. Clementina was used as a feminine form in Britain from the Middle Ages (perhaps also thanks to St Clementina) which later became Clemence/Clemency.
Seraphina – An elegant name derived from the seraphim class of angels. It was adopted as a name in honour of St Seraphina, known for her great kindness. It is very uncommon -- sitting below the top 1000 -- but is familiar thanks to Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck choosing the name for their younger daughter. The French form is Seraphine.
Best wishes settling on your three perfect names. Please keep us updated!
