Liz is expecting her third daughter —a little sister for Astrid and Saskia.
Liz writes: "I would really appreciate your help in finding a name for my soon-to-be third daughter, sister to Astrid and Saskia.
She will have a very common surname so I’m looking for something more unusual, but not too “out there”. She has English, Scottish and Polish heritage but her name doesn’t need to reflect that necessarily.
We’d prefer “full” names rather than nicknames, but happy for names with a shortening (eg Francesca vs Frankie). Would prefer more than one syllable but not bothered about medium vs long.
I prefer strong names and I’m not a fan of cute/girly names like Poppy or Daisy. Non-frilly is also preferred! I probably err more towards the traditional, or at least not so keen on more modern names e.g surname type names (like Harper). I also like nature-inspired names. My partner likes unusual/alternative-type names.
One of the things I like about my daughters’ names (Astrid and Saskia) is that they're generally known/heard of but not very common. We’re definitely looking for a less popular name.
We’d prefer to avoid matching initials so no “A” or “S” names. Alliteration is fine though e.g. Celeste.
Names I have considered but my partner has declined include Marianne, Iona, Hester and Petra.
I addition to the names my partner has vetoed, names I like but can’t use include Anouk, Rowan, Rowena, Soraya, Elin, Zelda"
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Astrid and Saskia are positively swoon-worthy! I love how strong and Euro-chic they feel so I've based my suggestions on names that evoke a similar image.
Calista – A mellifluous Ancient Greek name meaning "most beautiful" which is more suited to an Amazonian queen than a frilly fairytale princess.
Claudia – A pan-European elegant name descended from the Romans. It currently ranks at #554 -- between Astrid and Saskia's current rank.
Clio – Meaning "to celebrate, make famous", Clio was the name of the Greek goddess of history (one of the Nine Muses). Clio ranks #2170 and Cleo #191.
Cosima – A lyrical Italian name, the feminine form of Cosimo -- itself from the Greek Kosmas meaning "order, decency".
Eriska – Eriska is a small tidal island off Scotland's west coast and part of the Lynn of Lorn National Scenic Area. It has recently been used as a given name even though the name itself is ancient. Another beautiful Scottish island name (in use as a given name since the 19th century) is Vaila.
Ines – An exotic alternative to her more serious sister-name Agnes -- Ines is the Italian, Spanish and South Slavic form. It ranks at #641.
Juniper – A grown-up nature name, ranking comfortably at #562.
Juno – The name of the Roman queen of the gods and protector of women. Regal, interesting and not too unheard of at its rank of #485.
Kinvara – A seaport village in County Galway, Ireland which has been in use as a given name since the mid-20th century.
Larissa – Derived from the Ancient Greek name Larisa -- the name of a nymph in Greek mythology (for whom a moon of Neptune is named) and an ancient city. Larissa is the Romanised form that is most common in Britain (ranking #980) but it was made famous in modern times by the character Larisa "Lara" Feodorovna in the Russian novel Doctor Zhivago.
Lowenna – A melodic Cornish name meaning "joy, happiness" ranking at #1153. In a similar vein is the fellow Cornish Elowen meaning "elm tree" which ranks at #838.
Maelys – A popular top 100 name in France which is regarded as the feminine form of the Breton Mael meaning "chieftain". It is thought Maelys is based on the French town Maylis (used as a given name earlier than Maelys) which derives from "mother lily" in Occitan. Similarly, the Tahitian name Maeva (meaning "welcome") has enjoyed great success in France at the turn of the century. In England and Wales, it ranks #682.
Mirren – A top 100 name in Scotland but rare in England and Wales. Mirren is regarded as a Scottish diminutive of Marion. Similar sounding is the Cornish Merryn meaning "born of the sea".
Odessa – Odessa is a city in Ukraine, often called the "pearl of the Black Sea", named after the ancient Greek city of Odessos. It has been in use since the 18th century -- possibly as a feminine form of Odysseus.
Paloma – An elegant Spanish name meaning "dove", ranking at #980.
Romilly – The name of several Norman settlements that derive from the Roman name Romulus and in use as a given name since at least the 19th century. Romola is an Italian feminine form.
Thalia – This Ancient Greek name was not only borne by the goddess of comedy and poetry (one of the Nine Muses) but also the goddess of festivity (one of the three Graces. Her name was derived from the Greek adjective thalia which, when applied to banquets, meant rich, plentiful and luxuriant" but could in a springtime context mean "to blossom". It ranks at #609.
Willa – Regarded as a feminine form of William, Willa is sleek and chic in style and ranks at #897.
Xanthe – An Ancient Greek name derived from the Greek xanthos "yellow, fair-haired" which was used for a pale-coloured stone in ancient times. The name was also used in Greek mythology. It currently ranks at #796.
Of the above, I'm drawn most to Romilly, Odessa and Thalia but I think all of them would fit in seamlessly with your set.
UPDATE: Welcome, Elowen!
Liz says: "She was very nearly called Calista but in the end we opted for Elowen."
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