Megan writes:
We are due with our first baby, a girl, on Christmas Eve and have not found that perfect name. We like classic, slightly old-fashioned names, nothing too preppy. Our last name is Acosta (pronounced with a long “o”) so we are eliminating names with a long “a” ending. Tops on our list right now is Evelyn. It sounds soft and feminine and has cute nicknames like Eve and Evie. I really like it but I’m not sure it’s perfect. Other names on the short list are Ivy, Sadie, Josephine, Lucy, Penny, and Hazel. I like the rhythm of the long “e” sound with our last name. Other names we really like but are a bit too expected are names like Grace, Emma, and Kate. I’m hoping you can suggest a few more names and one will strike that perfect chord.
I suggest Genevieve. It has the Eve/Evie nicknames you like (and also Gen and Genny if you want them), it has the long E sound you like, and I like it with your surname: Genevieve Acosta.
My second suggestion is Penelope. It gives you Penny as a nickname (and also Nellie if you want it), it has the long E sound, and I like the repeating long O sound with your surname: Penelope Acosta.
If you like Grace but it’s too common for you to want to use it, you could use Gracelyn. Gracelyn Acosta.
You could do the same thing with Emma: Emmalyn Acosta. Or Emlyn: Emlyn Acosta.
I know the name Emily is common but I don’t care, I love it—and in my area, it’s not used much. Emily Acosta.
A name with the flavor of Emily but much less common is Felicity: Felicity Acosta.
This one has no tie-in, I just thought of it: Jillian Acosta.
One of my own favorites is Annabel: Annabel Acosta.
Sadie and Penny make me think of Molly: Molly Acosta.
I have a soft spot for the name Noelle used at Christmastime: Noelle Acosta. I like it as a middle name if not as a first: Genevieve Noelle Acosta, Felicity Noelle Acosta, etc.
More suggestions for the Acostas?
Name update! Megan writes:
We named her Evelyn Marie, born 12/14/09! She goes by Ev and Evie a lot too. Thanks so much for your help back then, it was very encouraging to hear positive feedback on our “vintage” name choice!
I agree that Noelle would be suiting, and along those lines, I like that Ivy is on the asker’s list. Ivy is Christmas-y without being too obvious.
I love Genevieve — I’ve been trying to convince my husband to love it too. I’m with Ashley posting above about Ivy, too.
I love Evelyn pronounced EVE-lyn, as I’ve heard it on the BBC production of an Agatha Christie story. I wonder if possibly that’s how Evelyn is pronounced in the UK? To make it happen in the U.S., I think I’d make it Eve Lyn, but use it together. I love the nickname Evie — just love it.
I also love Swistle suggestions Genevieve (also with Evie) and Penelope and Emmalyn (which may be in the running for the best name ever). Actually, I think Swistle outdid herself this time — Felicity is such a great name, and I love the nn Fliss. And Noelle is wonderful. If I had a baby girl due at Christmas time, I would HAVE to use it, for a middle name if not a first name. Either way it’s great. It reminds me of an e.e. cummings poem I used to know by heart that ends something like, “And then my little sister and i would join hands and dance around the tree singing noel! noel!”
I think Evelyn is really pretty, and I love Evie as a nickname. I love Genevieve as well.
I’m not so sure about Gracelyn, because when I say it outloud I nearly say “Grace Land” automatically.
I love Ivy Acosta! Beautiful, beautiful name. It has great rhythm to it. Other suggestions:
Belle Acosta (nickname for Isabel/Annabel?)
Ruby Acosta
Willow Acosta
Sophie Acosta
Zoe Acosta
Charlotte Acosta
Vivian Acosta (love the nicknames Vivi and Ivy)
Laurel Acosta (another subtle Christmas tie-in)
Eleanor Acosta
Jacqueline Acosta
Any of these appeal to you?
Wow, Swistle, you’re on fire with those suggestions! Of all of them, Genevieve is my absolute favourite.
Penelope Noelle and Genevieve Noelle sound great with Acosta. I am kind of jealous of that last name – its a very nice sounding name and I wish our future baby could say the same but I am afraid it won’t be able too. I love the idea of Noelle at Christmas time. Ivy is cute too but Noelle sounds more sophisticated with your last name.
I haven’t been a fan of Felicity in the past but I admit it has been growing on me. Felicity Noelle Acosta would also be a great choice imo.
Emmalyn is cute (I think I prefer Emmaline), but all of the variations of Emma remind me of the Christine, Christina, Christa, Charisa variations. If that isn’t a problem for the potential mom that’s fine but I do think it is going to be a really common set of variations for babies and young children today as they grow up.
Felicity is so perfect, I can’t get past it. Love the nn idea of Fliss, too. Fun!
I vote for Ivy, but I also like Evelyn, Josephine and Lucy. I think Violet would work for you, too.
Of the options mentioned already, I like Evelyn, Josephine, and Felicity.
How about one of these?
-Harriet (old fashioned, long ‘e’ sound, cute possible nickname of Hattie)
-Norah (like the repeating ‘o’ with your last name)
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Just have to chime in to say brilliant post, Swistle. Those are excellent suggestions.
You are really good at this!
Felicity has been a top name for me for over 10 years. I went to high school with someone named Felicity, and I really loved it. Once I learned she had the same middle name as me, Dawn, I decided that absolutely had to be the name of my hypothetical future daughter – Felicity Dawn. Then when a daughter had become a reality, I discovered my husband hated Felicity and it really was too much with our 5 syllable last name. I ended up naming my daughter Fiona which was loosely inspired by Felicity. I think it’s obvious what my vote is.
What about Geneva? Similar to Genevieve (long E sound, nicknames Eve and Evie).
I love Genevieve and Evelyn and I think both go great with your last name. Another name that I love that the husband will probably never go for is Dorothy. Old fashioned, I guess, but I just love it.
Also: Estelle (I like Stella, but it ends in the “a” sound you hoped to avoid), Eleanor, Elyse, Eve, and Jocelyn.
Happy baby naming and congratulations!
LOVE Genevieve, but thats no surprise as I’ve been touting that name for awhile. Noelle keeps with the frenchy flavor too as a middle, and I always loved it. If not Genevieve, I do love Evelyn, and from the above poster Ruby and Charlotte. I am not a big fan of Gracelyn (aside from the Grace Land issue someone pointed out already, it feels much more modern to me)but I could get behind Emmalyn. I wonder if the short naems ending in a “y” like Lucy will sound more like “Lucia Costa,” and if that is even a problem. You’ve got some great name choices that end in something more unique though, so I would go with one of those.
Oh, and my favorite nn for Genevieve aside from Eve/Eva is Genna, and you could always use GiGi too – soo much potential!
I really like Christine’s suggestion of Estelle. All the vowels and the repeated ‘s’ sounds flow nicely.
I guess I’m finding many of the other suggestions choppy-sounding, so maybe having the ‘s’ sound in the first name is helps with flow.
Penelope and Genevieve seem like too much with your last name or don’t go with it to me.
Favorites from your list:
Sadie
Josephine (although a little too much; I do like the nickname Josie with your last name)
Grace
I also like Swistle’s suggestion of Annabel.
A few I like with your last name:
Carmen
Claire
Michelle
Kay
I really love Sadie and Ivy. And I would choose one of the more common names as a middle.
Ivy Kate
Sadie Grace
Hmm, I’m not feeling the Emma for those names though.
Good luck!
Evelyn Marie is a beautiful name and very vintage. My husband has a cousin Evelyn Marie who was born in the late 1920s. She in turn has a young granddaughter named Evelyn who is called “Evie”, just like your baby. Congratulations!
(I meant to say that it’s Cousin Evelyn’s great-granddaughter who is named Evelyn.)