Lauren is expecting her second daughter imminently—a little sister for Gwendolyn Paige "Gwen".
Lauren writes: "We're set on Maude as a middle name. Both my husband and I love it, and we're currently tossing up between two first names we both love and neither of us can make a decision. I like older names, and we've been looking generally outside of the [Australian] top 100.
Elizabeth
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Do I think you can use Elspeth if her cousin is Elizabeth? Absolutely. The two are distinct enough in sound, and most people will be oblivious to the etymological connection between the two. It may even make a nice family connection. Equally, Nora and Vera are similar but not exactly rhyming like Charlotte and Scarlett or Evie and Edie. They're more akin to Ruby and Lily or Olivia and Amelia and so absolutely still worth considering. That said, ultimately, it doesn't matter if I or anyone else think Elspeth/Elsie and Vera are usable with Elizabeth and Nora in your close circle—if you feel it is too close, then neither will feel quite right.
Wilhelmina is a great pairing with Gwendolyn and, not only does it have a whole bevy of potential nicknames, it has the sweet touch of being a family name.
Here are my alternative suggestions for Gwen's little sister:
Constance – As a virtue name, Constance has substance and charm. It has soft edges without being frilly, much like Gwendolyn, and comes with the charming nickname Connie.
Cordelia – Shakespeare's heroine of King Lear is first encountered in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae possibly has an ancient Celtic origin. This perfectly matches Gwendolyn as it too has an ancient Celtic origin and was used twice by Geoffrey of Monmouth: as the wife of Merlin and for a British queen. Like Gwendolyn, Cordelia also has a ladylike charm which we associate with upper-class Edwardians. Anne of the Green Gables described Cordelia as "such a perfectly elegant name" which sums it up well.
Cressida – Meaning "golden", Cressida is a Shakespearean name which hails from Greek mythology. It is a refined and ladylike name which is recognisable and uncommon. Cressida is also a moon of Uranus and the genus name of the swallowtail butterfly.
Demelza – Part of Gwendolyn's charm is its Celtic heritage. In Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, Queen Gwendolyn was an ancient queen of the Britons who ruled independently in Cornwall. Also from mystical Cornwall, Demelza is a recognisable name (especially in Australia where most of the well-known Demelza's hail from) with plenty of character and intrigue. Thanks to the heroine of Poldark, Demelza is also the name of a strong and independent woman living in a man's world.
Euphemia – This is a bit of an outlier as Euphemia is still rather rare. However, it is a wonderful Victorian gem with an awful lot going for it if you take a closer look. In Greek mythology, Euphemia was the personification of praise and acclaim who was one of the younger Graces. Euphemia also has plenty of heritage in the English-speaking world as a medieval favourite (thanks to an early saint) and as a Victorian revival. Even better, from an early date, Euphemia gained the delightful in-built nickname Effie.
Evelina – A noble medieval name that Charlotte Mary Yonge described in 1863 as an "ornamental name" that "at present is most in vogue." It came to fame with Frances Burney's novel Evelina in 1778 which lends it not only a literary heritage but also an Industrial Age stamp of approval.
Fiona – Another 18th century literary coinage—this time by Scottish poet James Macpherson—with Celtic credentials. Fiona is a down-to-earth name with plenty of pluck and character.
Frida – Both a Germanic and a Scandinavian name, originally used as a short form for names ending in the Germanic frid "peace" or Old Norse fríðr "beautiful, beloved." It is sparky and charismatic and, despite being short in length, it holds up well next to Gwendolyn.
Henrietta – Ladylike and a little bit spunky, queenly Henrietta has heaps of personality and bags of potential nicknames such as Hettie, Hattie, Hennie and Etta.
Hermione – The Spartan princess of Homer's Iliad, an important ancient city and later Shakespeare's beautiful and virtuous queen of Sicily in A Winter's Tale. J.K.Rowling's intelligent and resourceful Hermione Granger has done much to make this once obscure name familiar and alluring.
Hester – Sweetly homespun Hester is a variant of the ancient and evocative Esther: a name with close ties to Venus. Both Hester and Esther have a sweet Victorian feel in a similar style that are similar in style to Elspeth. Hetty/Ettie make for great nicknames.
Kerensa – Like Demelza above, Kerensa is another evocative Cornish name which has style, substance and intrigue. Deriving from the Cornish word for "love" it is also (in Cornwall itself!) spelled Kerenza, Karenza, Karensa and Carenza.
Lavinia – Ladylike Lavinia is of ancient Etruscan origin, and likely derives from a river. In Roman mythology, Lavinia was the wife of the Trojan hero Aeneas and the ancestor of the Roman people. Fashionable in the 19th century, Lavinia also boasts being a Victorian darling like Gwendolyn.
Philippa – Stately Philippa is an Ancient Greek borne by medieval queens, mathematicians and philosophers. The bouncy diminutive Pippa was made famous by Robert Browning's Pippa Passes (1841).
Primrose – Meaning "first rose," Primrose is a sweet Victorian darling with a buttoned-up style and adorable potential nickname Posie.
Rowena – Much like the late Victorians latched on to Gwendolyn (especially in the spelling Gwendoline) thanks to its medieval links to Geoffrey of Monmouth's queen of the Britons, Rowena (also first used by Geoffrey of Monmouth) was also adopted thanks to its use in Sir Walter Scott's wildly popular novel Ivanhoe.
Tabitha – A sweet Beatrix Potter name with plenty of prim and proper Edwardian style. Meaning "gazelle", Tabitha was a charitable woman in the New Testament. The young daughter in Bewitched helps to give the name a youthful image.
Temperance – A virtue name with plenty of style and character to match Gwendolyn. Its quite a formal name, but if I am struggling to convince you that Temperance works on a child, I would encourage you to watch this video by Help for Heroes featuring veteran Simon Brown and Temperance Pattinson, aged 5½.
Theresa – Theresa is a formal name with substance and an ancient pedigree. It’s short form Tess is chic and upbeat. Next to Gwendolyn “Gwen” this makes for a winning pairing.
Winifred – Winifred has all the ancient Celtic heritage as Gwendolyn and it, too, was a chic Victorian darling. With potential nicknames Winnie, Freda and Freddie in tow, Winifred has plenty of sweet vintage credentials.
I hope this will help spark renewed inspiration for girls' names. Good luck with settling on the perfect name for your new family addition.
