M. writes:
I am very emotional and I need some reassurance about the name my husband and I have chosen for our 3rd daughter (due this January). We have two daughters already, Annabe11e Marie and C1ara E1izabeth. Their names were chosen easily and without any conflict. Our last name is fairly normal and can go well with almost any first name. After much discussion and thought, my husband and I have chosen the name Juliette Pearl for baby #3.The problem is that I am starting to have doubts about this name. I loved it at first, so much that I told anyone who asked, including our daughters who now refer to “Baby Juliette” all the time. My husband loves the name – he thinks it sounds feminine and elegant and I agree; however, I have some issues. For one, I am thrown off that everyone is pronouncing it JU-liette instead of juli-ETTE. I am also worried that Juliette is such a heavy and grown-up name that it may not “fit” a little girl.I still love the name…I am just having cold feet. My husband thinks I am being a touch hormonal (which I acknowledge is a real possibility), and that I need to relax. I just wonder: what is your impression of the name Juliette? Is it too much for a child? Is it a sweet and elegant name that matches her sisters’ names? I know you are incredibly in demand and have a lot of requests, so I really appreciate any time that you choose to devote to this issue.Thank you so much!
I second your diagnosis of cold feet. It sounds like this is the right name for your family.
My guess is that the issue of emphasis will be persistent but minor—similar to the way Annabe11e will, over the years, regularly need to clarify for people that Annabe11e is spelled with two N’s and two L’s and an E. Most names have an issue of this type.
Juliette does not seem like a heavy name to me, which makes it hard for me to consider if it would be too heavy for a little girl. It seems sweet and elegant to me, like Annabe11e and C1ara.
But if you decide it’s not right for you, there’s still a third of the pregnancy left for changes. If you think there’s any chance you might not use the name, I’d start by telling the children that the name is not yet certain, to take some of the pressure off. Hearing the name in their little voices, it can feel like it’s a done deal—but it really isn’t, at this point. And of course I’d tell your husband that you’re not yet certain: he can call it cold feet, but if it’s NOT cold feet, he’s going to keep thinking the issue is closed until you say so. But you still have plenty of time to think and decide, and if you’re not done thinking and deciding, he needs to be brought back into the thinking/deciding stage too, instead of thinking it’s all taken care of.
Name update! M. writes:
Thanks for your help with our baby’s name. After much thought, we stuck with Juliette (nickname Jules) and it fits our little darling PERFECTLY. It’s a perfectly feminine name for the third of three sisters.
As an aside – I just yesterday learned that Mabel was originally a nickname for Annabelle. I wish I had known that six years ago when we named our Annabelle – I LOVE it as a nickname; however, six is a little old to start using that kind of nickname and my daughter hates it. I told her that I will use it when she’s being a stinker. Ha.
Thanks again for your help!
I know a two year old Juliette, the friend of my daughter, and she is adorable and fits her name perfectly. So I think it is a lovely name for a little girl. (And my daughter’s name is Elizabeth, so I think it matches nicely too.)
I don’t think Juliette is too much for a little one at all, and it’s perfect with Annabelle and Clara. It’s OK to have cold feet and continue looking, but I wouldn’t rule Juliette out unless you find something you like more.
I have a 3-year-old Juliette and it does not seem too heavy. She also gets Jules and Julie if you need something lighter, but mostly Juliette. We get SO MANY compliments on her name. Take the time you need though to decide. But it rocks :)
I happen to agree, Juliette fits perfectly in your family of girls, has some appealing nicknames, and wears well at any age.
I think Juliette is beautiful, and goes very well with your other daughters’ names.
We had a three-year-old Juliette in our preschool classroom a few years ago, and it didn’t seem too much at all for a little girl. We did call her Jules and Julsie and Julie quite often, but Juliette is certainly not heavy.
I wonder, is it perhaps the look of the name that makes it feel like too much? Would spelling it Juliet help? I prefer that spelling, but I also like Juliette.
I LOVE Juliette. Stick to your guts. It’s beautiful, timeless and goes wonderfully with your other two names.
Beautiful name that coordinates perfectly with your daughters’ names!
Juliette is so beautiful and fits in so well! Some cousins have a little Juliette (maybe spelled Juliet, now that I think of it), and it is a sweet name for a little girl.
I think that if you want emphasis on the ‘ette’ you must use your preferred spelling. Juliet would tend more to emphasis of the ‘Juli’.
The name is beautiful. I have an aunt and cousin with that name: aunt has nickname “Leelee” (nickname from childhood when her sister couldnt say it properly!) and cousin nickname Ettie. Not a ‘Jules’ in sight, but you could use several nicknames. Only family calls them these names, everyone else knows them each as Juliette. And it matches your family names perfectly And in my opinion is not too heavy for a little girl (but that is where a nickname like Ettie or LeeLee may help until she ‘grows into it’)
BUT
If you want more time to reconsider then now is the time, as u dont want to live in regret after the birth certificate is signed. Give yourself a loophole(“we think it will be Juliette but want to wait til we meet her for sure…”) but if there is no name that you love more then it is a fine choice.
I was going to write exactly what moomoo did in regards to pronounciation. The ‘ette’ ending emphasizes a more “french” pronouciation. So, JuliETTE. Whereas ‘et’ would sound less so, (JUliet). Not that that is hard-and-fast as rules go, but I’d say your daughter has a better chance of people pronouncing her name the way you intended if you keep the spelling you have. Also, for what it’s worth, I have a Clara myself and I adore your name choices; they are all ones we considered as well and Juliette fits beautifully with your theme.
I think Juliette is a keeper. You love it and it fits well into the sibling set.
Juliette sounds perfect with the names of her sisters. I have a friend with an 18 month Juliette who refers to her as Ju-Ju during those situations that require a cutesy nickname.
I think that Juliette Pearl is a lovely name! It also creates a beautiful sibling group of classic names – Annabelle, Clara, and Juliette. I think this name would be so sweet on a little girl. As a mother of two boys, I’d love to have a little Juliet one day! Such a timeless and elegant choice.
If you use nicknames, letting people know she is Juliette called Ettie/Etta, etc. might be a way to encourage people to emphasize the “ette” when using her first name. Of course, most people should follow your lead, so introducing her with a slightly exaggerated emphasis on “ette” should also help.
I do think it is a lovely name, and fits well with Clara and Annabelle.
Love, love, LOVE Juliette! Annabelle, Clara and Juliette are such great sister names!
I love Juliet/Juliette, but I wonder if you would prefer the Spanish variation, Julietta? This would fix pronunciation issues, gives you the jazzy nickname Etta, & is super cute. Also, for what it’s worth, I have a student named Juliana, and her name is one of my new favorites.
I am sorry people are mispronouncing the name, I think its lovely and it took me quite a bit of trying to figure out how they must be pronouncing it… makes me wonder what part of the country you live in! I think Julietta does fix the problem, but I also think that it will be fine just as Juliette.
I too am surprised that there is another way to pronounce it. I’ve always stressed the -ette. I have never heard the first syllable stressed in the name before.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Juliette Pearl. I think it’s gorgeous and I don’t get the other pronunciation at all. Juliet/Juliette/Julietta (love the nn Etta) are all on my list for next time if I have another girl. Please use this name! It’s beautiful!
My 4-year-old daughter is Juliette, and I had some of the same concerns about it being too “heavy,” but once she arrived, it fit her perfectly, and has ever since!
Oh Meredith!! I love Juliette!! I like the other name you have chosen, too, (a certain someone shared it with me) but this seems more perfect for you and your girls. The pronunciation issue is definitely a factor of where you are from (maybe not where you are currently living, but definitely here in your hometown. People mispronounce Ellie occasionally (calling her Ally) and it drives me nuts! Can’t wait to find out what you decide :)
I love the name! It is lovely and elegant. Perfectly sweet for a little girl, but has lots of room for growing into.
On a side note…
I don’t understand why so many folks these days are soooo concerned with how other people pronounce a name. I mean, for some, Wendy and windy come out exactly the same. So?, they’re not calling Wendy windy- it’s just how her name sounds through their accent. Believe it or not, I have heard my own name several different ways- Mi-shell, Mee-shell, Muh-shell. As long as it reasonably sounds like they are saying Michelle, I answer to it. Chances are, a Juliette will grow up saying her name the same way her mom (or dad) says it, and ignoring how everyone else says it. Isn’t that really what most of us do?
I don’t think Juliette is at all to heavy of a name for a little girl. In fact, I think it is a name that grows up quite well.
As far as the pronunciation goes, I don’t think I’ve ever heard it pronounced with stress on the first syllable and I am having a hard time hearing it when I say it (but that could be because I’ve never heard it that way). Which is to say, I wouldn’t let an occasional botch on the pronunciation bother you too much. A lot of names have to be corrected and soon everyone you know will pick up the pronunciation so you’ll encounter it less and less.
Juliette is a lovely name! I met a toddler Juliette once and I found the name absolutely charming on her, so it’s not too much for a little girl, and I think it’s a great match with Annabelle and Clara. (Plus, Juliette Pearl? Swoon.) Obviously I love the name, but if you’re honestly falling out of love it, you should keep looking. If you just need reassurance, though, then full steam ahead!
Oh, and count me as another person who has only ever heard the name pronounced with the emphasis on the last syllable, never the first.
We have a 14 month-old Juliette Taylor and her name could not fit her more perfectly. I loved having a newborn “Baby Jules” as we called her often; Juliette seemed such a happy and feminine choice, even on a tiny little babe.
Your pronunciation concern is valid (my own sister emphasizes the JUL so much) but it no longer bothers me. My husband and I say it as we prefer, and know that Juliette will do the same. Plus we adore the nn Jules and it’s seemed to catch on thus far (I do not like Julie as a nickname for her though).
We are now pregnant with our 2nd girl (YAY!) and are going through our own struggles coming up with a sister-companion name for Juliette. Your choices of the two older sisters are absolutely lovely.
Best of luck!
Juliette is such a lovely choice for your family! I suspect that people will pronounce it however you do. If they say “JU-li-ette” once, but you refer to her as “ju-li-ETTE” a hundred times, they’ll catch on.
Our daughter’s name is Juliet (we kept with the typical “Romeo and Juliet” spelling vs. the french spelling with the additional -te on the end) and she is 21 months old. We absolutely love the name… we are SO happy that we went with it and we have yet to find someone who hasn’t absolutely loved it. We get comments about what a beautiful/nice/etc. name every time we tell someone. We call her Juliet (not Julie) and for a nickname we call her Jubey right now (a weird nickname I guess that came about somewhere along the line) but as she gets older we plan on calling her Jules for a nickname.
DO IT!! We are so happy that we did!
Congratulations on your little Juliette Pearl. Her name is every bit as lovely as her older sisters’ names.
And I’m interested in your comment about Mabel being a nickname for Annabelle. I know someone who plans to name her baby (if a girl) Mabel and so I’ve done some research on that name. In the Middle Ages Mabel became a nickname for Amabel. Annabel is also said to have come from Amabel, but I don’t think that makes Mabel a natural nn for Annabel.
Oxford Dictionary of First Names gives these descriptions of how both Annabel and Mabel developed from Amabel:
Annabel: “probably a dissimilated form of Amabel”. (Annabelle is “the Gallicized from under the influence of ‘Belle’ “.)
Mabel: “Originally a nickname… the initial vowel began to be lost as early as the 12th century.”
Thus
Amabel -> Annabel
l
Mabel
With offshoots Annabel and Mabel going their separate ways so that most people today don’t know they are related names.