Shannon writes:
I’m having a lot of difficulty coming up with a girl’s name for this baby. I think we are set on a boy’s name. Here’s some back round information:
We have two kids, Ivan Bradley and Gwendolyn Ruth. Gwendolyn goes alternately by Gwen or Gwendolyn. I’m pretty sure that if this baby is a boy we will name him
Nathaniel Jeffrey. I feel like Ivan, Gwen & Nate sound good together.My husband is sick of me changing my mind and really doesn’t want to think about names until the last minute. I dread going to the hospital without a solid choice for either sex. We’ve talked about the name Veronica for a girl but it’s such a strong name and I think people either love it or hate it. I’ve even read on some boards that people automatically assume someone with this name is stuck up or a total b*tch. I’d hate for people to have that snap judgment of my daughter!
Here are some parameters for names. I like names that are clearly male or female. I’m not a fan of anything with questionable spelling and/or of the Greyson, Braiden, Makayla, etc. style. I’d like a girl name that is similar to Gwendolyn. Feminine not trendy and has room to be played with nickname wise. I’d really like to avoid anything that is incredible popular right now. Ivan and Gwen are names that, in my opinion, are different enough without seeming pretentious or trendy. I realize Nathaniel is more popular than my kid’s names but I feel it’s a solid choice. Jeffrey is my father’s name.
Anyway, I’m due 4.25.11 and I don’t know what I’m having. But I guess I need more help with a girl name. Thank you very much!
I think Veronica is great, and I think every name will have its own set of people who will say unpleasant things about the name as if their own personal dislike of it means the name itself is objectively bad. “Reminds me of a stripper,” they’ll say, and add “Sorry!” as if they feel bad that their individual association obviously rules out the name permanently for everyone. (Perhaps it is obvious I feel a little PRICKLY on this topic. Veronica = “stuck up b*tch,” MY FOOT.)
Another possibility is Victoria, though I don’t think it goes as well with Gwendolyn. Maybe Cordelia, or Isadora if you don’t mind repeating an initial.
I wonder if you’d like Francesca? I think it goes well with Gwendolyn: similarly feminine and unusual, and with lots of nicknames (Frannie, Frankie, Chessie).
Or Imogen?
Ooo, or Anastasia? Or Willemina/Wilhelmina? Or Philomena? Josephine?
Or Minerva?
Name update! Shannon writes:
It’s a Girl! Despite her due date, she finally arrived on the morning of May 1st. Thank you again for including my question on your blog. There were so many beautiful names suggested. My husband loved them too. In the end, I think your post gave me the confidence to go ahead and name my daughter Veronica. Thank you, thank you! So her name is Veronica Jane. Jane is a family name after my Aunt Jane who is a really cool lady in her 90s. True story, while filling out the birth certificate info as I was chatting to my husband, I nearly wrote “Mars” as her middle name. Whew! Glad I caught that one.
I don’t think the name Veronica is stuck up and I love it with your children’s names. I do love Francesca nn Frankie a whole lot too.
I have had bad associations with not one, but two, Veronicas, and so the name is ruined for me. I love the sound of it, but a couple mean girls can really sour a name for you. That being said. I do like Veronica with your sibling set. I wonder what middle names you’ve thought of?
What about Vivienne/Vivian/Vivianne? I prefer the first spelling with your sib set.
I like Swistle’s suggestion of Francesca, and I also like Penelope with Gwendolyn a LOT. Actually, Penelope might be my favorite.
Oh, I love Cordelia and Francesca. And Imogen is also a beautiful name – I read a book with a heroine named Imogen and she was a strong and caring person, so Imogene sounds like a good choice for me. Sadly I won’t be able to use the name myself as it would stand out in our German speaking surroundings…
Vivienne is great, you get the V sound with Ivan, it ends in an N and is three syllables like Gwendolyn….although not sure about nicknames but its solidly female. I like Veronica for you too, but the nicknames aren’t as pronounced. What about Caroline? or Clementine? I love three syllable end in N girl names. Madeline is too popular probably, but maybe not?
Oh and Genevieve! Same initial, yes, but different sounds, plus a V tie in with Ivan, plus solidly female, plus tons of nicknames. Ivan Gwen and Eve, love.
I think Veronica is a beautiful name. For a variation, what about Verona?
I think the impression a name leaves upon people IS something to think about, if you keep getting similar responses. Yes, you shouldn’t pay attention the random person who thinks the baby name you love sounds like a stripper name, but if half the people say that, then it’s worth considering how people will judge your daughter with a specific name.
I love Cordelia or Genevieve. I think they would go really well your children’s names.
AirLand- I agree, in general: if a name has wide-reaching associations (Cher) or specific associations in one’s own social circle or family (the name of the woman someone’s dad left the family for), then of course those should be taken into account. What I’m talking about is ignoring “a few people on a message board,” since there will be “a few people on a message board” to object to any name.
I love Ivan & Gwendolyn together and I think Veronica would go well in that group.
There have been so many good suggestions from both Swistle (you had me until Minerva, Swistle) and commenters I can’t list all the ones I like but Imogen stands out. Ivan, Gwendolyn & Imogen. Lovely.
If you don’t like the repeating initial, though, how about Rosalind or Juliana/Juliet?
The only Veronica I’ve known is one of the sweetest ladies I’ve met.
I, too, was going to suggest Verona as an alternative. :)
My baby’s name is Emmaline – which seems similar to Gwendolyn. (That is an adorable name, by the way.) We also wanted a name that wasn’t “trendy” but not so unique that it was un-pronounceable.
Francesca could have Francie as a nickname… too cute.
I have never met a Veronica in real life; I wonder if most people can say the same? My only impression of the name, therefore, comes from Archie & Jughead comics, where Veronica was a bit stuck-up. Could it be that people are basing their impressions on that?
If that’s the case, they’ll get over it quickly. I think it’s a lovely name.
I agree with Carmen- that’s where I’ve heard Veronica from, so I’m thinking that may be where the “stuck up” comes from, too. I like Veronica, but I also like some of the other suggestions of Verona, Emmeline, Francesca, Cordelia, etc.
Some other names that seem similar to Gwendolyn to me are:
Winnifred
Isolde
Violetta
Anastasia
Gabriela
Magdelena
Bernadette
Adeline
Constance
Jeanette
On a side note: it’s funny to me that you say Gwen is distinctly female, because as someone with Welsh blood, where my family is from it’s actually a name that can go for either a boy or a girl by just changing one letter (Gwen vs Gwyn)!
The name Veronica is nice. I agree about the Archie comments. I’m not so keen on the nickname Ronnie though, for me that has the kind of connotations you mentioned.
Ivan and Gwendolyn seem so different that I don’t know what would fit. Natasha or Marie would go with Ivan, Bridget would go with Gwendolyn. Maybe Catherine would go with both.
Good luck.
I like Veronica because it makes me think of Veronica Mars, which was the best show ever. If it were me I’d want a nn for the name since Gwendolyn is such a long name and can be nicknamed easily, but I’m not sure what there is for Veronica–Vonnie, Nonnie, Ronnie? I dont love any of those. I also like Fransceca (which I cannot spell) nn Frankie and I think I love Penelope even more. Or Vivienne, since you have the N ending for the others–
Ivan, Gwendolyn, Penelope–Ivan, Gwen, Penny
Ivan, Gwendolyn, Vivienne–Ivan, Gwen, Vivi
Or, radomly because I like it–Ivan, Gwendolyn, Liliana, Ivan, Gwen, Lily.
Veronica has cute nn potentials! Vera, Vee/Vi, Nica, Nicki, Very, Rona (long O sound), Via, Vicki, etc. would all work without too much of a stretch.
I’m currently watching Veronica Mars who is such a great character! Witty, spunky, independent, cute, and has a great heart/personality. I say go for it if you like it! It’s such a great name!
I also like Genevieve, Vivian, Yvonne, Phillipa, and Isadora for you.
Veronica is a beautiful name. Great choice!
Gwendolyn reminds me of Geneva, Genevieve, and Rosalyn. Do you like Phoebe? Or Miriam? Or Rhoda? Or Lorelei? Daniella? Allison?
For a little mister: Duncan? Perhaps Oscar? Norman? Gus? Martin? Arthur?
Your children have solid, classic, individual names. You have good taste. Very excited to hear what you choose! All the best to you five!
Thank you so much Swistle for posting my question. I really appreciate it! I love your suggestions of Cordelia, Isadora and most of all Minerva. Which got me thinking of another strong name I love that probably has even stronger like/dislike issues than Veronica: Ursula. Thoughts?
Thank you everyone for all of the great feedback and suggestions.
Anon from Whales: That is too funny about Gwen/Gwyn. I had no idea it could also be a boy’s name. So much for distinctly feminine!
There were so many beautiful suggestions:
Penelope,Rosalind/Rosalyn, Imogene, Emmeline (which is the name of a Ben Folds Five song I love) and Genevieve which is gorgeous.
I will definitely have to print out this post and stick it in the baby’s baby book. Welcome to the 21st Century little one, Behold: The Internet!
Many thanks,
Shannon
Hare are a few of the names babynamewizard.com’s Expert Name MatchMaker suggests for a sister of Ivan and Gwendolyn:
Lucia
Marina
Daria
Tatiana
Celeste
Mira
Claudia
Camilla
My pick would be Mira, with her given name Miranda (or Mirabel):
Ivan, Gwen and Mira
Aside from the Sea Witch, I don’t know ANY Ursulas! I think its a very pretty name, and ready for a comeback. :) I’m not sure about nicknames for it, though. Ursie? Ula? :/
Minerva is awesome, too, and has such cute nickname potentionals (Minnie, Evvy, Eva, etc) that I love! I like Veronica, too, but while it doesn’t scream “stuck up bitch” to me, it DOES seem dated to around the 50’s, probably because of the Archie Comics. But hey- old fashioned names are back in style! And the nicknames you could go with (Rona? Via? LOVE.) are so great!
I’ve only known one Ursula, a good friend of my mother’s (probably in her 60s) so I imagine it’s fairly uncommon. Pop culture associations would be the sea witch and Phoebe’s sister on Friends.
I like it.
I actually have the opposite association with Veronica due to it being the name of a dear friend. Veronica has an absolutely beautiful meaning: “true image”, and is a recognizably feminine name without being common.
I say you have a winner – go for it!
I know a couple of very lovely veronica’s so the name has good associations for me and lots of good nicknames – vron, roni etc. But if you need an alternative how about Vanessa!
I’d have to go with Philomena. I know a Philomene and she’s a pretty incredible person. We’ve got a lot of great names out in this area. Philomene is the mother of a Bridgette and the grandmother of a Titus. A few other names in the area are Mattias, Malachi, Andrez, Dixie, Ezra, Arvilla, Courage, Solomon, Virgil, Aspen,and Rememberance.
We just named our baby Veronica and have gotten very consistent responses — people say it’s a beautiful name that they haven’t heard much lately. No one has wrinkled their nose at her yet.
We call her Very, which easily lends itself to her baby moods: Very Nice, Very Hungry, Very Fussy.