Nicole and Lee are expecting their third child — a sibling for Oliver Christian "Ollie" and Harriett Grace "Hattie". They have boys' names sorted, but are struggling with girls' names.
Nicole writes: "I love both of our children's names, both middle names are honour names/family ties, and their first names to me are sophisticated and yet somewhat romantic. My only regret is that we didn't check popularity before Oliver was born and it was the most popular boy's name that year! Whereas I've only met one other Harriett of her age group since she's been born.
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Romantic and sophisticated versus traditional and recognisable. Hannelore would certainly sit in the first camp, while Eleanor fits in the second.
Luckily, there are names that bridge the gap between both camps, and have the same history and longevity as Oliver and Harriet without compromising style.
Arabella – Arabella is a name with plenty of history that doesn't feel out of place next to Oliver and Harriet: all three were well used in the early 19th century. Arabella is romantic and pretty like Aurelia but not dainty. Rather, it has a refined strength and stately elegance.
Athena – Undeniably feminine with melodic sounds and an indomitable female namesake. Athena was the Greek goddess of both wisdom, courage, good advice, war and heroism. She had brains, beauty, courage and was certainly no push-over.
Aurora – Another stylish ancient goddess name is the Latin goddess of the dawn. Sound wise, it sits between Aurelia and Hannelore with a pretty but non-nonsense style.
Beatrix – Capable and enduring Beatrix has the same "Cherry Tree Lane" Victorian style as Oliver and Harriet thanks to the eternal acclaim of Beatrix Potter. The 'x' ending makes it more striking and glamorous than sister Beatrice.
Cecily – A name of proud Medieval English princesses and genteel Edwardian ladies. Cecily Neville, Duchess of York "the Rose of Raby" (1415-1495) was known as much for her piety as her strong will and political influence.
Delilah – A glamorous name borne by the infamous Biblical siren. Unlike many biblical women, Delilah stands as an independent figure in her own right and her bad reputation stems only from her "non-Israelite" status. The name has been in use since the 17th century and has been in use ever since. It is now a hot new discovery, recently breaking into the top 100 in the South West and South East.
Delphine – A chic French name derived from the Latin name Delphinus, meaning "of Delphi" — one of the most sacred and mystical sites in Ancient Greece. Delphi's origin likely comes from the same source as the Greek delphus "womb" as Delphi was believed to be the centre of the Earth, where the divide between the human and the divine was bridged by female oracles. Delphinus is also the Latin word for "dolphin" which was used by the French for centuries as the name (Dauphin/e) and symbol of the heirs to the throne.
Eliana – The modern form of the Roman name Aeliana, born by the family of Emperor Hadrian. The French form is Éliane and Eliane (ay-lee-AH-nə) is used in the Netherlands. Modern royals include Eliane van Vollenhoven, daughter of Prince Floris of Orange-Nassau, and Princess Eliane de Merode.
Elodie – A melodic French name which is also the name of a semi-double pink lily. It's similar to Elowen but without the pronunciation issues.
Eloise – Another medieval French name which has a perfectly romantic heritage thanks to the legend of Heloise and Abelard.
Elora – Most likely formed as a shortened form of Eleanora, Elora has been in use in Britain in small numbers since at least the 19th century. It also brings to mind the Ellora Caves in India.
Emmeline – Feminine without being frilly, Emmeline is Victorian darling with Suffragette credentials.
Jemima – From famous Biblical beauty to the sweet twee style of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Jemima was a staple of the 18th and 19th century and brings to mind capable Jemima Nicholas (1775-1832), the Welsh woman who heroically led the women of Fishguard to capture French soldiers in the "last invasion of Britain" in 1797.
Josephine – A refined and dignified French name with a home-spun and down-to-earth vibe, much thanks to spunky Josephine March of Little Women.
Juliet – The epitome of romance, Juliet is an elegant name that feels familiar and traditional, yet not at all common or expected.
Lilia – An elaborated form of Lily found in the Romance languages such as Spanish and Italian. It is exotic and recognisable all at the same time.
Penelope – A sophisticated name that's far from dainty. In Greek mythology, Penelope was the faithful wife of Odysseus who skilfully and cunningly fended off bullying suitors.
Rosalie – A graceful French form of Rosalia via the Latin rosa "rose". The Rosalia was a Roman festival of roses in which they exchanged rose garlands. Like both Oliver and Harriett, Rosalie also has historic literary heritage: Anne Brontë used the name for a character in her debut novel Agnes Grey (1847) which saw the name come into regular use in Britain. The name peaked in 1938 and 1939 thanks to the film Rosalie (1938), which was based on a 1928 musical.
Tabitha – Like Jemima, Tabitha is both a notable biblical woman and a sweet Beatrix Potter character. However, the name is also borne by X-Men superhero Tabitha Smith and Tabitha Babbitt (1784–1853), an American tool maker who is supposed to have invented the circular saw.
Verity – Verity is a sweet virtue name that fits the "Cherry Tree Lane" style of Oliver and Harriett but with the stylish 'V' that adds a spark. It is a familair name but not overly common.
I hope this will help spark renewed inspiration for girls' names. Good luck with settling on the perfect name for your new family addition.
