Lauren writes:
We are expecting our 2nd (and last!) child in 6 short weeks and are hoping you might be able to provide us your honest feedback and suggestions when it comes to finding her name. Our 19-month old daughter is Eliza Blakely and we had a relatively easy time deciding on her name, which we absolutely love. It was important to us that we find a classic yet spunky name, and the fact that the ‘E’ could honor someone very special in our family sealed the deal. Blakely is also a family name.
I would love to find another classic name with spunk and/or spunky nickname potential. I tend to like longer names when paired with our short, one-syllable last name of Jane but with a C.
Our leading contender is Lucienne. We would primarily call her Lucie (and I would love to also call her Lux, but my husband says I am alone on that one J). We have no French ties at all however, and I worry that choosing such a French name might then be a bit bizarre. I love the beauty of the name, probably in large part because it reminds me so much of Vivienne (nickname Vivi) which is a long-time favorite of mine, but only mine, if you catch my drift! Other names I like that my husband has vetoed: Vanessa, Charlotte (nickname: Lola), Talia, and Estelle/Estella. Our (only?) other joint contender at this point is Savannah. Like many women in my age group, I have loved this name since seeing the movie Savannah Smiles, and it was our runner-up choice when naming Eliza. Our hesitation in choosing Savannah is that it just doesn’t seem to fit with what I deem our ‘style’, whatever that means! It isn’t a classic name, but more of a modern beauty, and I fear I will end up feeling that it sounds dated and wish I chosen something more timeless like Eliza. I also wish it lent itself to a more obvious nickname.
Okay so that is the dilemma so far…but can we talk middle names too? My mother has been recently diagnosed with an advanced terminal illness. It is very important to me that we find a middle name that can somehow honor my mom, Terry, without using her actual name but perhaps a ‘T’ or some other variable. Currently I am leaning toward Tova (her Hebrew name), but have also flagged Terra or Tessa as possibilities.
That is a lot to chew on I know. Thanks so much for letting us pick your brain and for any name recommendations you can provide!
I think Lucienne works best. Eliza and Lucienne aren’t from the same style category, but they’re not from clashing categories either; and Eliza and Lucy coordinate perfectly. Whether it’s strange to choose a name from another culture depends on similar relationships between categories, and I’d say France and the United States aren’t the same but don’t clash either: Nicole, Danielle, Renee, Denise, and Noelle are all successful imports, and I don’t see any reason Lucienne doesn’t work too.
I agree with you that Savannah seems like a larger style leap.
Would you want to discuss the middle name with your mother, or is the honor a surprise? I’m wondering if she might be extremely touched to be allowed to help choose the name; and since you don’t want to use her actual name, she could give valuable input on what other names would feel like honor names to her. This would also give her more time to enjoy the honor, and a chance to have a long-reaching impact on her new granddaughter’s life.
If you’d rather it be a surprise, I love the idea of Tova. It feels like more of an honor than any other name that starts with T, and it gives you a little of the V-sound from Vivienne/Vivi and Savannah.
Have you thought about Susannah?
It’s similar to Savannah but more spunky/sweetly classic like Eliza.
Susie, Zanna/Zannah, Susu, Sanna, or even Anna make super cute nicknames.
I also thought of Susannah Tova, nicknamed Zuzu, but I also love Lucienne.
Hm.. personally I don’t think Lucienne or Savannah are the perfect choice.
Eliza is long sounding in that it has 3 syllables.. but it looks short (only 5 letters). So written out both Lucienne and Savannah seem so much longer to me next to Eliza. I also don’t get classic/spunky from Lucienne or Savannah tbh.
My first instinct is to suggest Lucia rather than Lucienne – this still gives you the nn. Lucie that you like, but visually Eliza & Lucia look so much more coordinating to my eye. With the “loo-see-ah” ending, I also get more spunk.
I would vote for Lucia Tova. Eliza Blakely “Jane” & Lucia Tova “Jane” – Eliza & Lucia.
yes. this.
I love this suggestion! My daugther’s name is Lucia pronounced that way and we love it! We also had Eliza on our list and may use it for a future daughter.
Hmmm. I don’t agree that sibling names need to have the same length name in order to coordinate. I like Lucia but I think Lucienne works great as well. I am not a huge fan of having a first name and middle name both end in an “a” sound and from that standpoint I think Lucienne Tova works much better than Lucia Tova. (I did notice that all of the middle name choices end in an “a” sound even if they don’t go with Tova, but Tova is by far my favourite!)
I can see that there’s a larger style gap between Eliza and Savannah, but if it’s your absolute favourite name I don’t think it’s a dealbreaker at all. I would do it myself without hesitation! The only thing is finding a middle that flows well with it. I like the nickname Savi for Savannah. Maybe Savannah Terilyn or Teralyn? I kind of like Savannah Terry the best! It flows nicely.
I would also advocate for Savannah! You love the name. I think that Savvy, Annie, Vannah, or Vanny could all work for nicknames (my preference would be for Savvy as it sounds the most spunky to me). Alternatively, why don’t you put Savannah in the middle and give her a T name first?
Talia Savannah
Tamsin Savannah
Teresa Savannah (Tess, Tessa, Terry)
Trudy Savannah
Theodora Savannah (Thea, Dora, Thora, Theda)
T initial for a middle name
Savannah Thames or Lucienne Thames
Savannah Tess or Lucienne Tess
Savannah Topaz or Lucienne Topaz
Savannah Thea or Lucienne Thea
Savannah Treasure or Lucienne Treasure (don’t much like word-word names, but the picture is so pretty and what’s a better treasure than a baby?)
I like Lucia.
Lucienne seems very French & very frilly to me next to Eliza, though I agree that Eliza & Lucy pair perfectly. Would you consider just Lucy?
I do like the suggestion of Susannah as a more classic way to get the sound of Savannah. Hannah could also work for that.
I also agree with Swistle that using Tova seems like the best namesake possible. Would you use it as her birth certificate name? Or do you intend for it to be the Hebrew name? Or perhaps both? If you use Tova only as her Hebrew name, I think Tess or Tessa would make the best birth certificate namesake. Since Tess/Tessa and Terry are all diminutives of Theresa, it seems like a perfect fit to me. If you are willing to consider the T name in the first position, I also think Tess/Tessa would pair very nicely with Eliza.
I agree with the post, and disagree with Swistle. Lucienne is extremely unusual–I actually can’t tell how to pronounce it by looking at it. I’m sure it is lovely, but I think Lucy (or Lucie) goes better with your first daughter’s name. Eliza and Lucy. Cute!
I also disagree about Savannah. In my mind, Eliza and Savannah go together really well! Susannah is nice, too. They both have a similar Southern charm, and they sound lovely out loud when paired. Eliza and Savannah. Eliza and Susannah.
If you like the nickname Susie, that sounds good– Eliza and Susie. You could also use Anna. Eliza and Anna.
As far as the middle name goes, I’d suggest Therese. It has the best rhythm with both names.
Savannah Therese Jane-with-a-C
Susannah Therese Jane-with-a-C
Lucy Therese Jane-with-a-C
What about Stella instead of Estelle?
Eliza and Stella is lovely to me!
Eliza and Lucinda? Lucille?
Good luck!
I don’t find Lucienne too frilly at all. It’s not a perfect style match with Eliza, but they don’t clash either. And Lucienne is a more timeless, unusual, and interesting name than Savannah (no offense to those who love Savannah). I also don’t think Lucienne’s French-ness is too much. Names Manon, Mathilde, Clothilde, Maëlys, are all more “FRENCH!” and “not American” to my ear and eye. Lucienne is more pan-Euro and even American.
I just did a little test on facebook and looked up Lucienne to see if anyone I knew was friends with anyone by that name. The women named Lucienne who came up were a mix of Dutch, Americans, and French. Actually there was only one French person as far as I could tell– and 3 Dutch. I’m friends with about an equal number of French and Dutch people on Facebook, so I’m not sure it is a well-used name in France. Not a scientific test, but it’s something!
As far as the middle name goes, I love Swistle’s suggestion to include your mom in the process.
I think Lucienne Tova would be a fine name, but I liked the suggestion of Susannah as well. Lucinda, Lucille, and just Lucy would work, too.
Or if you decide you’d like a T name for the first name Tasmin might be your style.
for the middle (or first) name, how about Therese? It’s got a French aspect to it, the wonderful nickname of Reese, and I think it goes well with Eliza. Theresa is another option but I’m guessing that’s your mom’s name?
Other longer names that might go with Eliza: Ahava (I’m guessing you’re Jewish since your mom has a Hebrew name?) meaning love, Samantha (lots of nickname potential), and Lillian.
Put me down as another fan of Lucienne Tova. I think Eliza and Lucie sound like sister names and work really well together. I can hear myself calling up the stairs to two little girls, “Eliza, Lucie, let’s get ready to go!” They both sound like spunky little ladies to me. At the same time, both Eliza and Lucienne/Lucie seem like classics to me, both evoking a vision of turn-of-the-(20th)-century loveliness.
I do also like the suggestion of Lucia Tova, but with the -a ending of Lucia, I kind of think it makes it too much of a “matched set” with Eliza. They almost sound too similar. They’re sisters, not a “set,” so their names don’t have to be matchy-matchy.
I personally love Lucienne Tova. Paired with the middle name Tova, it sounds so interesting, I just love it.
I also agree that Savannah or Susannah are too far away from Eliza in style. Not that that should totally matter, if you love a name you should use it. But I personally muh prefer Lucienne. Eliza and Lucie are much better fit together. I feel like the other two are much dated and I wouldn’t really care for them for my own name.
As for middle names, I LOVE Tova for many reasons. Sold. Done. That’s it!
I also love the suggestions of Lucia. Eliza and Lucia. And also Stella, maybe your husband would be more willing to choose this one? It feels more modern yet classic. Eliza and Stella.
What about Giada. Eliza and Giada.
What about Vienna? Eliza and Vienna? Or Vienne.
Eliza and Ruby. That’s extra cute and spunky!
Good luck!
We have very similar taste in names!
What first came to mind when reading your list was Evangeline. Don’t know how you feel about having another E name but I think it really matches Eliza in style. Eva and Eliza sound quirky and adorable!
I think Lucienne is beautiful but perhaps consider Lucille if you feel Lucienne is too French.
Other names you may like are:
Amelia
Adelaide (nn Addy)
Everly
Felicity
Loraine
Margo(t)
Matilda (nn Tilly)
Penelope (nn Penny)
Phoebe
Sadie
I love Tessa and Tova! Is their a middle name from your mom that you could consider?
Some T names you might like as a middle:
Theresa
Tanya
Trinity
Timber
Tora
Let us know what you end up picking for your new little one. Congrats!
I agree that Evangeline fits stylistically, but to me it has a very Christian/religious connotation and wouldn’t necessarily be the right choice for a family with other religious traditions/dual faith– maybe I’m wrong though and others don’t agree? I love the name Evangeline actually but it’s not on our personal favorites list because of its religious flavor.
Completely understand! It was just the first to come to mind :)
Lucienne Tessa or Lucienne Tova seem pretty perfect and I for one adore the nickname Lux. I wouldn’t worry about it sounding too French- at some point Amelie and Sophie probably seemed so too.
Eliza and Lucienne pair beautifully, neither too similar or completely incongruous.
Have you considered Tessa for the first name? Eliza and Tessa are also very nice.
In terms of length and style, I have an 8 letter 3 syllable name while my older sister has a 4 letter two syllable fort name. When I was learning to spell and write my name, I hated the she only had 4 letters to worry about and I had 8. I envied the simplicity of her name compared to mine. I still do to some degree.
As an adult, I learned that my sister had envied my having a name with more nickname potential. For this reason, I felt it important to choose names of comparable length and with nickname potential for all or none.
That said, this may not be an issue for you.
Lucienne is not my style (too frilly) but it is a lovely name. If I were in your shoes, I would go with Lucie Tova.
Lucienne Therese
Miranda Therese
I like Therese because it has the “Ter” sound to honor Terry and it keeps the French vibe! Miranda I threw in because Vanessa and Miranda always remind me of each other.
My first thought was Scarlett with the nickname Scout. I’ve always loved this and it seems to have more spunk than Savannah.
I quite like the idea of Scarlet. It definitely captures that modern/classic southern spunky vibe, and I think it sounds great with Eliza. I like the subtle connection to heroines Scarlet O’Hara and Eliza Doolittle, it gives the names together a bit of old hollywood glam without seeming over the top.
Scarlet is harder to make work with a T-mn though. That’s the biggest downside. Scarlet Tova runs together into Scarlet Ova for me. Scarlettess. Scarlet Therese works best to my ear.
Another MN option I haven’t seen suggested is pick something that rhymes with Terry or Tova. Carrie, Kerry, Mary, Marie, Arie, Cherie, or Nova.
I’m not a fan of Lucienne- I’m not sure how to pronounce it based on the spelling. It also reminds me of an polarizing Canadian politician though that might not be an issue if you’re in the States.
I really like the name Lucy though. It’s sweet and spunky and sounds great with Eliza.
What about Cecily? I think it meets your criteria and I like the double “c” initials too!
Eliza and Cecily sounds great.
As a mom of a little Lucy, I’m going to vote for Eliza & Lucy. We chose Lucy for its spunky, yet classic feel and it fits our little spitfire perfectly.
Lucy Tova Jane – LOVE!
Other suggestions:
Evelyn Tova (nn Evie) – Eliza & Evelyn
Sylvie Tova – Eliza & Sylvie
Hazel Tova – Eliza & Hazel
Caroline Tova (nn Linny) – Eliza & Caroline
Beatrix (nn Bea) Tova – Eliza & Beatrix
I agree with others that Eliza and Lucy are a perfect style match. Eliza and Lucienne aren’t, in my opinion, except as you’d use Lucienne to get to Lucy. (As usual, I assume that if you’re including your other child’s name in the post, you care about the two names going well together!)
I\’m baffled by the general consensus here that there’s a huge style leap between Eliza and Savannah. To me, those names evoke a very similar feel and would seem quite natural as children of the same parents.
Susannah is gorgeous with Eliza. Zanna id adorbs with Eliza. So is Felicity. They sound like colonial era girls.
Lucia/Lucie/Lucy is also great.
For mn, woukd you ever consider just Terry? I think it’s cute. Susannah terry, Lucia terry. Also like the Therese suggestion.
Susannah
I think Rose nn Rosie would be gorgeous with Eliza. If not how about Harriet nickname Hattie. Please update us with what you decide :)
Probably a very trivial concern (since the full name would rarely be used) but Tova Jane (with a C) sounds to me like Novocain (or however you spell that stuff the dentist uses?)
I think Terry would be an extremely sweet middle name with any of the names under consideration. But with that off the table, Terra or Therese are also nice. I think Susanna is the name with the most “spunk” being mentioned here. Susanna Terry Jane (with a C) is my favorite, but Susanna Therese Jane (with a C) is beautiful as well.
I like Noa, Tala, and Lilac.
I think you’ve got a winner with Lucienne Tova. If you’re looking for other ideas, I agree with the suggestion of Susanna.
The name Susanna/Suzanna is just gorgeous and so underused in my opinion.
Eliza and Suzanna are just about perfect together too, especially with the common ‘Z’. The nn Zanna is spunky!
Lucienne is a pretty name but doesn’t seem to quite ‘fit’ with Eliza I don’t think. Lucy, on the other hand, is great! Eliza and Lucy are so cute together!
The suggestion of Lucinda is a good one with the nn Lucy. The nn Indy would be a spunky one too!
Other suggestions:
Clara
Ruby
Lydia
Cora
Abigail
Vivian
Hazel
Ivy
All the best!
Liesel, Allora, Vera
Tova or Taryn are both great middle names