Zoe and Niall are expecting their second daughter, a sister for their daughter Elodie.
Zoe writes: "Our first daughter is called Elodie Isobel. We chose Elodie because it means “foreign riches” which we felt to be apt as we live abroad, and so she is our foreign treasure after 5 years of IVF! We tend to shorten her name to Edie, day to day, which suits her very much. Her middle name is in honour of my maternal grandmother, who is still with us at the grand old age of 97. Elodie has another living great grandparent, Margaret (but we aren’t so keen on that name!).
We found out about our second on my father’s birthday (his name is Peter) and would love to honour this in some way with a name that reflects the joy and happiness of the day.
So far the names that we’ve shortlisted:
Amber – will be her birthstone and we like the associations of the stone – healing, luck, happiness and optimism.
Tessa – we just like, but it means “the reaper” which we find a little…..grim?!
Evangeline – (“bearer of good news”) but we don’t like the nickname Evie (Evie and Edie)
Freya – goddess of fertility!
Theodora
Francesca – we love that it means "free" and love Chessie as a nickname- not so keen on Frankie or Fran though which is what holds me back
Flora – my other half isn’t keen. I love that it suggests growth, spring, abundance etc.
Viola – pronounced as “Veeola”
Imogen
Jocelin
Ava – I’ve always loved the name but its way too popular now
Claudia – means “lame”
Cassia
For a middle name we would love a female version of Peter, or perhaps a variant of Margaret, to honour these special people in our lives. We particularly like Pierette and Petra for example, and Margaux which we know is popular but has less of our hearts in it.
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Elodie "Edie" Isobel is a beautifully elegant and versatile name -- familiar yet uncommon and with lovely a nod to family. I can see why you want to capture the same magic for your younger daughter.
Meaning is clearly important to you, and you have a great selection of names already, however it is worth considering that meanings given for names are often reduced and simplified so much, that the whole rich heritage and etymology behind the name is ignored. Tessa, for example, comes from Theresa which may derive from the Greek θεριζω therizo "to harvest, reap, mow, collect the crops," or from the Greek island Therasia (possibly from therao "to hunt"). It may not be Greek at all. Given that it is known to us through the Spanish wife of St Paulinus, it quite possibly derives from the Celtic taratro "augur." No matter the etymology, it is known to us through the works of Saint Teresa of Ávila and later through European royalty which give it a far richer meaning than "reaper."
Ottilie – A gracefully chic name which derives either from the Old German uod "wealth, riches, prosperity" -- sharing the same element as Elodie -- or uodal "inheritance, homeland, heritage, ancestral home". If Elodie is your foreign treasure, it seems apt that Ottilie reflects a complimentary meaning to Elodie of 'riches' as well as invoking the opposite idea to foreign with 'ancestral home. One foreign treasure; one ancestral home treasure. Tilly, Lottie, Lily, Ottie and Ollie could be used as nicknames.
Jemima – A sweet Biblical name borne by the beautiful daughter of Job and invoking the image of rosy-cheeked Victorian girls in crinoline and taffeta thanks to Beatrix Potter. The name is traditionally said to mean "dove" or "bright as the day." Its origins are complex but it could actually be derived from both at the same time.
Paloma – Speaking of "dove," Paloma is a graceful and stylish Spanish name meaning "dove." Both Polly and Molly make for great everyday names.
Verity – A gentle virtue name meaning "truth". For an even more unique choice there is also the related name Verily.
Alethea – Another name meaning "truth" is this ancient Greek name, pronounced either 'a-LEE-thee-a' or 'a-le-THEE-a' depending on which you prefer.
Clementine / Clemency – Also virtue names are ladylike Clementine and Clemency deriving from the Latin clemens meaning "merciful, gentle."
Adelaide – An ancient Germanic name meaning "noble kind," borne by saints and queens. A more exotic variant is Adeliza (both the name of a daughter of William the Conqueror and later a queen of England) and Adelise.
Beatrix – Appropriately, given your situation, Beatrix derives from the Latin Viatrix "voyager, traveller." The spelling was adopted deliberately to reflect the Latin beatus "happy, blessed" giving the approximate meaning "she who makes us happy."
Atarah – A Biblical name which means "crown" in Hebrew. It can also be spelled Atara, and feels both substantial and historic and fresh and modern at the same time.
Linnea – Pronounced lin-AY-a, Linnea is a popular name in Scandinavia but a striking, exotic choice in English-speaking countries. The Linnaea borealis, commonly called the twinflower, is a sweet botanical namesake (resembling bluebells) which was named after Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus (it was his favourite flower). His name is also botanical as it comes from the Swedish name for the linden tree. In Germanic tradition, the linden tree was associated with peace and justice, and in many European cultures it was regarded as a tree of protection.
Mattea – The stylish Italian feminine form of Matthew (pronounced mat-AY-a) therefore meaning "gift of god."
Sarai – The original Hebrew form of Sarah which means "princess." This lends the traditional name an exotic twist.
Leilani – A beautiful Hawaiian name meaning "heavenly flower garland." Children are often poetically referred to as lei so it could also be taken to mean "heavenly child."
Mirabel / Mirabelle – A medieval name which was revived by the Victorians. It derives from the Latin mirabilis "wonderful, marvelous, amazing."
Madelief – This pretty Dutch name (similar sounding to popular Madeleine) means "daisy" and would double-up as a way to honour Margaret (see Daisy below).
Margaret's Sisters:
Marit / Merit – The Swedish forms of Margaret which are chic and streamlined.
Mairead – The Gaelic form of Margaret which feels ladylike and exotic at the same time.
Marsaili – The Scottish form of Margery, which is itself a medieval variant of Margaret.
Mererid – With the stress on the second syllable, Mererid is a prettily different Welsh form.
Maisie – The Scottish petform of Mairead which is now used as a standalone name.
Daisy – For centuries, Daisy has been associated with, and used as a nickname for, Margaret thanks to the French Marguerite being used as a name for the little flower.
Margalit– The Hebrew cognate of Margaret, both of which derive from the Greek margarites. Margalit is the full name of actress Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Perla – Given that Margaret means 'pearl', this Italian and Spanish form makes for a great honour-name, especially as it also doubles up as a nod to Peter.
Peter's Girls:
Peta – Pronounced the same, Peta is the feminine spelling of Peter, which feels perfectly chic and stylish.
Piera – This lovely Italian form (pee-AIR-a) looks elegant and exotic at the same time.
Perrine – The feminine form of the French Perrin, a diminutive of Pierre (Peter).
I hope this has been helpful. Please keep in touch.
