A. writes:
I love reading your blog and think your feedback is really comprehensive and helpful. I hope that you can help us in our relentless search to find the perfect name and ease my indecision.
My husband and I are eagerly expecting our first child , a girl, in February. Since discovering we’re having a baby girl, we’ve been back and forth between names. Finding a boy’s name was very easy for us, but a girl’s name is proving to be surprisingly difficult.
Our goal is for her name to be feminine, pretty, vintage. We’d like it to stand the test of time, to suit her in both childhood and adulthood. We like “old lady” names that are spelled traditionally. Our surname is a difficult one to spell and pronounce – Mifsud. So, choosing a name that is simple to spell and say is really important.
We plan to have two children and have already picked a boy’s name for future use. We want to choose a girl’s name that would match nicely. The boy’s name we have chosen is Oscar Reuben. We LOVE this name :)
Our finalist names are:
Adeline
Ava
ElsieAva – We like that it’s short, feminine, sweet and can’t possibly be misspelled. It gives an old school glamor (think Ava Gardner) that I really love. Because we have a surname that is hard to spell, I enjoy the simplicity of Ava. I like that it has a sweetness to it, but with a spunky edge. However, my reservation is that Ava could be too common and dare I say it, “boring”. I wouldn’t want to use my favorite choice of middle name here, which is Grace, because I know how popular the combination of Ava Grace is. I would probably go for Ava Violet instead (violets being the birth flower of February, when she’s due). I work as a teacher, but am yet to come across a little Ava. Am I alone here? Is Ava actually really overused and I just haven’t come across any as yet? As a teacher, I’m conscious of the fact that certain names become repetitive and want to avoid this for our daughter if possible. I’d hate for her to have to be referred to as “Ava M.”
Adeline – My husband has always loved this one. It has the most syllables of the names on our list, which also opens her up to the nickname Addie, or possibly even Ada. This name has an elegance about it and again, that olden day, glamorous feel. I would also be able to use Grace for her middle name, because I think Adeline isn’t a common choice (I could be wrong, though.) The downsides to consider…firstly, spelling. I worry that due to it being an unusual name, people may spell it “Adaline” instead (which one is the traditional spelling, out of interest – Adeline or Adaline?) Secondly, pronunciation. I want her name to be pronounced “Ad-ah-line”, not “Ad-ah-lyn”. Do you think we’d experience confusion here? Thirdly, is this name too similar to Madeline? I don’t like this name very much (purely because I’ve taught too many Madelines in my time, nothing personal against the name!)
Elsie – This name is pretty, sweet, very “old lady”. It is another name that I believe to be more uncommon than Ava. I think it’s really feminine, but also a little bit spunky. This name has also been the longest standing one on our list of names. I would happily use Grace for her middle name – Elsie Grace has a nice flow to it. But, does Elsie sound too much like a nickname? Will people assume it’s short for Elsa or Elsbeth? Is it too “cutesy” for when she becomes a woman one day (for example, could you see a lawyer named Elsie?) My other consideration is that when people look at her name, would they go to call her Elise instead. I certainly don’t like the name Elise as much, so want to avoid this happening.
I really hope you can enlighten us and help ease my confusion. I know that we still have a few months left to make our decision, but would love to start calling baby Mifsud by her name when we speak to her through my belly :)
The Social Security website can help us out a bit here: nationally, in 2012, here are the rankings of the three names in the U.S.:
Ava: #5
Adeline: #239
Elsie: #397
Ava has been in the Top 10 since 2005; whether it’s likely you’d see them in the classroom would depend on what grade you teach, and your area of the country. If you teach K-3, the wave has hit and you have a good idea of what the popularity of the name means for your area; if you teach grade 4 or higher, it may not yet have arrived. But I have two third graders and a first grader, and so far we have seen only one Ava in a classroom.
While I have not yet encountered this myself, I have been assured that a number of parents are naming their babies Eva but pronouncing it the same as Ava. I don’t know how prevalent this is, but I mention it because of your preference for a name that can’t be spelled any other way.
Adeline is much, much less common than Ava, according to the chart. What the chart doesn’t tell us, though, is that Addy/Maddy names have, as a batch, become very popular. It started with Madison and Addison and Madeline/Madelyn, and now parents are going further and further out to get those nicknames. The name Adeline has been rising rapidly: in 1998 it wasn’t even in the Top 1000, but look how it’s jumped up since then:
(screen shot from SSA.gov)
As Madison led to Addison, Madelyn has led to Adelyn: that name is moving even more rapidly from it’s Top 1000 debut in 2007 (and this shows only one of the many spellings):
(screen shot from SSA.gov)
Because of that rapid rise, and based on the pronunciation confusion that already exists with MadeLINE vs. MadeLIN, I do think the pronunciation of Adeline might be one of the name’s issues. That doesn’t mean it’s off the list, but it would be something to be braced for in advance. The spelling may also be an issue: I do think you’ll see both Adaline and Adeline. The Oxford Dictionary of First Names lists Adeline but not Adaline (Adeline comes from the name Adele), leading me to think that Adeline is the standard/traditional. Usage-wise, the spelling Adeline was given to 1327 U.S. baby girls in 2012, and the spelling Adaline was given to only 138.
If you like Ava and are considering Ada as a nickname for Adeline, one option would be to use Ada.
Elsie is the least common of the three, but it taps into another trend: the quest for names that give the nickname Ella/Ellie. Elsie appeared in the Top 1000 in 2005, when the popularity of the name Ella (#23 that year and still rising) was causing parents to quest for something similar but different (Elsa is rising as well, but less rapidly):
(screen shot from SSA.gov)
We recently covered whether we thought Elsie would be mistaken for Elise, and the consensus was no, it wouldn’t be: Baby Naming Issue: Elise or Elyse?
Elsie does sound nicknamey to me. I would prefer Elsa with the nickname Elsie myself, but plenty of parents are going straight to Elsie. Are you opposed to using Elsa? It eliminates your one concern with the name.
All three names seem to me to go equally well with a potential future brother Oscar. All three names seem to me to pair up nicely, if you have a second girl and want to use a second name from the list. My own top choice based on your preferences would be Elsa with the nickname Elsie. Elsa Mifsud; Elsa and Oscar.
Would you want to consider Grace as the first name? It’s a lovely choice, easy to spell and pronounce, and the nickname Gracie reminds me of Elsie. At #21 in 2012, it’s fairly common, but it’s steadier than the other choices: it’s been hovering in the teens and twenties since 1999, never hitting the Top 10.
Let’s have a poll to see what everyone else thinks:
[yop_poll id=”37″]
Like swistle, I was going to suggest Ada. I have yet to hear the name used, but it seems like an obvious choice for you! Easy to spell and to say; has the darling and pretty sound of Ava without the popularity, and incorporated sounds of the name your husband prefers, too. I love it for you!
Elsie is sweet but does sound nicknamey, but I don’t think that’s a problem. We know a little girl with the first name Gracie, and it’s cute. I just wonder if it might be nice to have a more formal name to fall back on. In that case, Elsa is nice. I also like Elise…beautiful name.
Adeline is pretty, but for some reason feels overdone to me…probably because of the many, many Addies, Addisons, and Adalyns that I know of.
Good luck!
I actually know siblings named Ava and Adeline, and they do pronounce it Ad-eh-line. She is the only one I know, and I know five other Avas, if that gives you any indication of the popularity in Texas. I voted for Adeline bc I love it and I hear it less often. My first association with Elsie is a cow, unfortunately. I like the suggestion of Elsa, or using Elsie grace as a double name.
Seconded on the cow thing. For me, Elsie is a name for a cow in the way that Fido is a name for a dog.
I have to chime in with similar impressions of Elsie, unfortunately. What about Evie?
I think all the names are lovely. My favourite would be Elsa. A couple of names popped into my head when I was reading your post. Have you considered Eliza or Ivy?
Ivy has that “old lady” appeal, and it’s short and easy to spell like Ava. And I like Ivy and Oscar!
Eliza, for me, has a similar feel to Elsa, Adeline and Elsie. And, I just love Eliza Grace! Eliza and Oscar would make a winning sibling set too.
Good luck!
I voted for Ada on the poll because I think it might be your “hiding in plain site” solution. But I wanted to second Mel’s suggestion of Ivy (beautiful!) as well as suggest Ida (pronounced Eye-da). Ida is so lovely and as of yet, waiting to be rediscovered. If you use it now she would be quite rare (only 99 girls received it last year). Even if she climbs the charts in later years, it’s satisfying to be ahead of the curve, no?
Ida Grace is a drop-dea gorgeous name in my opinion! And while it’s short and sweet, it doesn’t sound nicknamey or cutesy. If you’re not sold on Ada this would be my top choice.
My cousin has a 2 year old named Ida. It really is a cute name, and very unusual. Ida grace does sound nice.
I have loved the name Ada for a long time and was going to suggest that. I don’t know if I would suggest using it as a nickname for Adeline though. It might cause the misspelling Adaline or mispronunciation Ay-dah-line or Ay-dah-lin. So that wouldn’t meet your criteria of simple to say and spell.
I also love Elsa because you could use the nickname Elsie and if your daughter thinks Elsie is too cutesy when she is older then she can go by Elsa.
Names on my own list are the same or similar style: Ada, Adelyn, Ava, Elsa, Ilsa, Eliza, Elise
I thought Ava and Eva were pronounced the same way, with a long A vowel — that they were actually just translations of the same name. Perhaps I’m just familiar with the Spanish pronunciation, but I would expect this to be common knowledge in the US…due to general exposure to Spanish vowels, along with Eva Peron and the musical Evita. Is there even another pronunciation?
EE-vah, like Eve with an -a, or like the last three letters of Geneva.
Some friends of mine recently had an Eva and are pronouncing it EV-ah, like the first syllable of “ever”.
My great-aunt’s name was Eva and it was pronounced with the long e sound, EE-va, not Ay-va.
If I saw the name Eva, my first reaction would be to pronounce it EE-vah.
I think Adeline fits with so many current trends that it doesn’t evoke the “old lady” name feel, if that is what you desire. Neither does Ava, IMO, as its hugely popular.
I think Elsie is the best of your list.
Ada is a great suggestion from Swistle, as is using Grace for the first name. It’s so common as a middle name right now that it is so fresh as a first name.
My favorite old lady name, that I hope to use on a second daughter, is Augusta.
Or how about Adelaide? Without the line ending, it’ll stand separate from the current “line/lyn” trend.
For what it’s worth, I’ve never met an Adeline, but I pronounced it in my head the way you like. I’m from Ohio. Love the suggestion of Adelaide for you! So unique, yet a known pronunciation. Probably would have to spell it for some people, but it’s beautiful.
I don’t know any Avas, but I do know 3 young Evas who use the Ay-vah pronunciation. I think Swistle’s concern that Ava may not be as simple as it seems is something you should consider.
I love the suggest of Ada for you. Adele is also very pretty. Ava & Elsie together made me think of Alice. Ava+ Adeline made me think of Adelaide. Another name similar to Ava but far less popular would be Avis.
I also like the suggestion of Grace as the first name. Have you considered using Violet as a first? Violet Grace would be lovely.
I think a big part of this is what you mean by Vintage. To me, saying you wants a vintage name means that you want a name that was popular a long time ago but has fallen out of use.
The problem of course is that a LOT of people want this, so the names that feel “vintage” because very popular again, the question is, when do they switch from being vintage to trendy. IMO, Ava has crossed this line long ago, its no longer thought of as an old name, but rather as a very popular current name. Adeline still feels vintage to me, but the nickname Addie has become trendy as well (As Swistle said, all of the Addy/Maddy names fall together).
Elsie does seem more like “nickname as a name” to me than anything else. I love the name Elsie, but again it doesn’t feel vintage, and it falls into the massive “e” name trend that is happening.
You never actually say though that you are looking for an uncommon name. Its kind of implied by the “vintage” label, but you haven’t outright said it. So I would suggest thinking about it. How much do you actually care if her name is common versus rare?
In the poll, I voted Adeline. I think it fits your demands the best. If you do prefer something more rare, Ada is a great alternative.
Before I even read all the comments, I immediately thought of Ada. LOVE IT. If you wanted a longer or more formal name, I also LOVE Adeline and pronounced exactly the same as you prefer (Ad-ah-line). I’m sure there may be a few people who you will have to correct from pronouncing ad-ah-lyn but once the correction is made it likely won’t be an issue at all. Plus, if you do go with Adeline, you could still use the nn Ada which is super cute, super vintage but not as common as Ava.
I’m going to throw one more out there that I think is similar style to what you like as well… what about Etta?
I’m a Kelsey (which I know is different from Elsie, but very similar) and I’ve never really cared for my name. It is my name and I’ve learned to be ok with it, but I hated it my entire childhood and would dream of turning 18 so I could change it. I have a great-aunt that I’ve never met (she lives in Scotland) and her name is Elsie… I’ve always viewed Elsie as an older person’s name but that’s just me. I guess for my own personal reasons I like this one the least. I agree with Swistle again, that I prefer Elsa or Isla to Elsie.
Good luck and keep us posted!
PS> LOVE OSCAR!! So cute!
The spelling and pronunciation issue with Adeline seems pretty minor…some people might spell it or pronounce it differently, but I think your preferences would be nearly everyone’s first guess.
I’d be a little worried about Elsie Grace with your last name…it repeats the S sound three times, and I can see that making me more likely to stumble and say Misfud. Not exactly the end of the world, but if you get frustrated when people mispronounce your name it might be worth considering.
I voted for Elsie! So sweet – Elsie Grace. I was going to suggest Alice as someone above mentioned. Alice & Oscar! So cute!
I’m a huge fan of “old lady names”. Here are a few more suggestions:
Hazel & Oscar
Celia/Cecilia (CeCe) & Oscar
Millicent (Millie) & Oscar
Helena & Oscar
Violet & Oscar
If I had been able to name my children on my own and if I had had a boy and a girl, I would have named them Oscar and Edith. Adeline was another of my favorites but I worry about all of the Adelynns and pronunciation. I do like Ava as well but it might be too common. Though I’ve only met one Ava (I have a 5 yo and a 7 mo). Elsie does seem like a nickname versus a stand alone name. I picked Elsa in the poll but now I’m having second thoughts. Really, I think you are in a “can’t go wrong” situation.
I think I’m in the minority, but when I see Adeline I want to pronounce it with a long A sound: Ay-dah-line, not Add-ah-line. When someone says Add-ah-line or Add-ah-lynn, I don’t know how to spell it. It’s a confusing name for me. For this reason, as lovely as Adeline is, I much prefer the suggestions of Alice, Ada or Adelaide.
I know two Evas (one mid-30s and one preschooler) and both pronounce with a long E sound, but especially in spanish-speaking areas, I could see the pronunciation becomming unclear.
I know a young Ada, and I think it’s a lovely name – although I also suspect that it will see a continuing surge in popularity, as parents who like vintage-style names look for ways to avoid the more common ones. The surge looks pretty slow, though.
Plus, if you name a girl Ada, you can tell her about Ada Lovelace!
I like Ada too. We had Adelaide on our shortlist for a while and were going to call her Ada for short because we didn’t really like Addie.
I know a little Elsie, and as soon as I heard the birth announcement, I thought it was so lovely. Elsie isn’t a cow’s name for me. Daisy is. Though, I love the name Daisy too!
When I think Old Lady names, I think of Florence. I love Florence! I also love Edith (I LOVE Edie!), Frances, Esme and Maisie.
I think my concern with a name like Elsa, or Elsie, is the repeating ‘s’ sounds. Your last name is already a bit of a tongue-twister, and repeating the most complicated sounds in the surname in the first name would, I think, only make the problem more noticeable.
i voted for Elsa. I think it is a totally underused name that goes beautifully with Oscar (great name btw, I know a toddler Oscar and omg does it work well on a real live baby!) and Elsa Grace is lovely.
A friend growing up was named Alida (Uh-lee-dah); I wonder if you might like that? Such a gorgeous name, not too common, and yet uses a lot of the elements you like (and is pretty spot on with the trends).
I know two women with the name Alida but both pronounce it with a long “i” as in light.
I have an Adeline in my family tree (a several-times-great grandmother) and her name was pronounced Add-a-LEEN in French, so when I see an English-speaker with the name Adeline my best guess on the pronunciation is ADD-a-leen (like Kathleen). It hadn’t even occurred to me to think of Adeline as related to Madeline, because in her case it was a nickname for Adele. I had to read your pronunciation suggestions out loud a few times before I got them. I think pronunciation and spelling are going to be a problem with Adeline more so than any other names on your list.
For an old-Hollywood-glamor sounding name, how about Audrey, Evelyn, Vivian, Marian, Marilyn, Ellen, Stella, Rosalie, or Lucille? If you like old-lady sounding names, you’d probably like browsing the SSA names from 1900s-1920s.
Oh my. I know a LOT of baby Avas. A LOT. I really like it as a name, but my husband refused to entertain it because he immediately thinks of Ava Braun.
I know an Adeline and upon introduction she often hears the question “Madeline?” Of course, this could be a regional thing, because we have a lot of Madelines here in her age bracket, but it’s something to think about. If you like Adeline would you like Adelaide?
I actually like Violet or Grace better than Ava, Adeline, or Elsie, though!
Might I suggest Adelaide? So similar to Adeline, same glamorous old time feel. Just another to consider! And I think with a long A sound in the name already, Ada is an even more natural nickname for Adelaide than it is for Adeline. Plus no line/lin pronunciation issue!
What about Ailsa? Lovely Scottish name similar to Elsa.
Love, love, love Ada.
I would also like to suggest Cora and Tessa.
Good luck!
I voted for Ada because it’s a nice combination of Ava and Adeline, but Elsa was a close second for me. I’d also like to suggest Adele. Swistle mentioned it’s the source of Adeline and it might have fewer pronunciation issues. Violet, which you’re considering for a middle, would be a lovely first name as well.
Little old ladies in my family include Ruth, Sylvia, Shirley, Frances, Irene, Evelyn, Ann, and Susan
I like them all with Oscar.
I really love the suggestion of Adelaide. Beautiful, underused, and similar to your other choices. Adelaide Grace
oh I like the suggestion of Edith, nn Edie.
What about Yvonne or Elaine? Claudine or Alberta? Or Penelope?
DesignMom has a vintage children set of Maude, Ralph, Olive, Oscar, Betty, and June.
Having read through all the comments I think some of the most pertinent address the repeating “s” sounds in some choices, though I realize this would also be the case with Oscar.
Even though Ava is quite popular, I think it’s perhaps a good thing to team a more popular name with such a very unusual surname–it makes the whole thing friendlier. Ava is actually my favorite of your choices for that reason.
I like the Ida suggestion as well as the Ada suggestion. I also wanted to second some of the other very fine choices that seem like your style and were favorites of mine (though I only had boys)- Irene, Cora, and Helen.
Finally, let me add Sonia and Sylvia (nn Sylvie)
Great suggestions! I think all three of your favourite names would be fantastic, but my favourite is Adeline. I think a lot of people will not be sure whether it’s pronounced Ade-LINE or Ade-LYN, but your preferred pronunciation is certainly not strange and people will get it very quickly. If I were in your shoes that would not deter me..
Along with the sounds you seem to like in names, I wondered if Isla might also be worth considering? I don’t know how vintage that is but it’s a name I’ve always loved and seems to have a lot in common with Ava, Ada, Ida, Ivy, Elsa.
I work in early intervention with the little ones, Ava is super popular as I feel all the Adalyns and Adeline are too. What about Isla (pronounced like island without the nd)? I also love Milly!
I disagree about the Elise-mistaken-for-Elsie poll concluding that the two would not be confused. Yes, I’d never confuse Elise for Elsie, but when I see Elsie I immediately think it says Elise. Elise is just a much more familiar name to me.
I don’t think you’ll have many troubles with folks spelling Adeline as Adaline or Ava as Eva, though. I have a student named Eva (pronounced like Ava) and even 3 months into the school year I have to concentrate to remember to pronounce it “ay-va.” In the US, Ava is just SO much more well-known and common as a spelling. I also think the familiarity with Madeline will prevent folks from thinking of spelling “Adeline” with a second “a.” After all, there’s no “Madaline” (at least not in common usage) to compare.
My favorite from your list is Adeline. I would consider non-Addy nicknames, though, if you want to avoid the trend.
I have both an Ina and a Cora in my family tree and I LOVE them both, but couldn’t use them b/c they just would not work with our one syllable last name. I think they would both be lovely choices for you!
I find Elsa, Elsie, and Grace all very tongue-twistery with your last name. I’d try to avoid the s sound if possible.
Thinking more about your question, my favorite combination with your last name is Ava Violet. I also love Violet Adeline.
I know *six* Avas under age six, two with sisters named Lila, and two Evas (they pronounce the name ee-va). I know a few Addisons and Adelaides, and have heard a few families mention the name Adeline on their list of almost-used names, and I know an Adelina. I agree that it would often get confused with Madeline and that you would have pronunciation issues, plus that it would get lost among all those Addies.
I really like the name Elsie, but as a nickname for Elsa or even Elizabeth.
I wonder if you would like Adela, Amalia, Willa, Augusta, Margot, Greta, Delia, Leona? Hazel, Cora and Ida are also great suggestions.
Have you practiced writing and saying out loud all of these names with your surname? Multiple times, quickly, in different contexts? Elsie and Elsa, to my ear, are very difficult paired with Mifsud. I can say them together fairly well, but Mifsud is a bit challenging in a Germanic/Nordic way– quite heavy sounding– and Elsa is also heavy. Elsa/Elsie Mifsud is less “vintage” and more “Old Country” in a way that is not quite in style right now. I don’t mean to hurt your feelings (I hope I haven’t!) but I think you should consider all anglings before choosing.
Ava and Adelaide are each much fresher-sounding, especially with your surname.
Other thoughts:
I love the idea of Adelaide
Or Ada
Or how about Evelyn?
Other possibilities:
Genevieve
Juliet/Juliette
Amelie
Amalia
Laurel
Annabel
Arabella
Daisy
Calla/Callie
Etta
Jessamine
Nora
Eleanor
Cecily
Louisa
Rosalie
Since Mifsud is quite heavy and masculine-sounding, my inclination would be to balance it with a longer, distinctly pretty female name with no difficult connotations (like Elsie is sometimes associated with cows…) My first pick among the vintage-y choices I listed would be Genevieve, or something equally elegant/beautiful sounding. Genevieve Mifsud is really nice, and Evie is a cute nickname.
Eleanor and Eleanora could also possibly have Elsie as a nickname… Maybe that’s an option?
Angles, not anglings! Autocorrect strikes again…
I totally agree. To my ear Elsa/Elsie sounds a little more “little old lady from the Old country” than ” old lady vintage Hollywood glam” with the last name Mifsud. It’s totally cool if that’s what your going for (love the name Elsa) but I think it’s important to take the vibe of a first name/last name combo into consideration.
I think that Isla is a great alternative- it’s popular but not common sounding like Ava is right now (Ava also makes me think of Ava Braun right away which is another negative aspect). I also think it sounds vintage chic- I can definitely see it on a little old lady but the kind of little old lady who wears pearls and smells like Chanel No. 5 and is planning her next sky diving vacation.
I also really like the name Avia (sounds like the word aviary). It’s not really vintage chic but it’s a way you could still use Ava while still setting her apart from the pack a little bit.
Good Luck!
I picked Ada as it seems really perfect- Ada Violet is so sweet if the flower of the month, and doesn’t have the repeating v sounds. It’s also great with Oscar- Ada and Oscar
Although Elsa is probably my favourite on the list, I think it sounds too close to Oscar, which would make it a good option for a second daughter. Elsie is very sweet and doesn’t have that problem, and it’s really no more cutesy than Sadie, Millie, Katie, Molly et al. Either Adeline or Elsie would be great.
I know SO many babies/kids named Ava and Adaline that I have a hard time thinking of them as “classic” right now. If timeless is what you’re going for, I would personally avoid them because I think in 20 years people will be able to guess pretty easily how old Ava is, just like we can with women named Jennifer and Megan now. I love the suggestions of Elsa, Ada, Ida, and Ivy.
I wanted to suggest “Elodie”. Good luck! :)
Just something to think about…the new Disney movie coming out this month (Frozen) features a princess named Elsa. Sooo, it might become more popular if the movie turns out to be popular…and people might associate the name with a cartoon character. I don’t know if that would be a deal breaker but I thought I’d mention it!
I voted for Elsa, because I think it is the perfect solution for you. You like Elsie, but I do think it needs a stronger more professional formal name to fall back on, and Elsa solves that problem.
Adeline/Adalyn just don’t appeal to my senses anymore. I’m sorry to say, I’m very over the “lin/lyn” endings. While Adeline itself isn’t that popular, the popularity of names like Madalyn and Addison kind of ruin that name for me.
Ava is far far to popular for my taste, but the sound is very beautiful, which is why I love Swistle’s suggestion for Ada. I think it still has the vintage sound of Ava, yet something about it is classier. Along that line, can I suggest Isla? (Eye-la). It is an absolute gem of a name, and I thnk it’s popular in blogs and such, I still have yet to hear someone with that name.
I hope I’m not too late to chime in. I just wanted to make a couple of comments:
1. I think there may be occasional confusion with Elsie, when people see the name written. Having a sister named Elise myself, I do sometimes confuse Elsie, when I see it written, with the name Elise. However it’s not a mistake I would ever make if I heard the name being said out loud.
2. As a lawyer, I wanted to make a comment about your concern about whether a name would be fit for a lawyer. This one makes me laugh a little bit. I’m from Australia, but I’m sure the statistics will be similar in the US. From about 2002 onwards, the majority of students studying law at university have been female. In my intake of graduate lawyers at a top law firm, there were many more females than males. So keep in mind, that if your daughter does want to enter the law, it will have a much more feminine face for her, than it does for us at the moment. I know female lawyers with all sorts of names, ranging from very feminine, nickname-y through to classic and somewhat masculine. I honestly think that the only name that could adversely affect somebody’s ambition to become a lawyer would be a “kreeaytif” spelling. No one would bat an eyelid at any of your three choices on a lawyer.
Best wishes.