Dear Swistle,
I am hoping you can provide some naming help for our last baby due at the end of June. We have two little girls, Laura Marie and Clara Rose. We do not know the gender of baby number three, but we are decided on a boy name. We are having a hard time deciding on a girl name as some of our nieces and nephews’ names have eliminated names or name variants that we like. And we have two girls already and coming up with a third girl name is tough. Plus we have some naming quirks (but who doesn’t, right?).
My name is Lisa and my husband is Christopher. Our surname is Lenz with a B instead of an L. We like classic/vintage names that have clear spellings and pronunciations. For girls names, I love feminine names that end in “a” – this is a requirement for me. I have always loved the names Laura and Julia. But before my second was born, we had a niece who was named Julia – so that is not an option. We love the name Clara – vintage and not overly used. Plus now we have L&C names to match our names. The third baby will throw off the L&C naming convention because although we love L&C names, I feel the next baby should have his/her own letter and not make our family lopsided.
First names that I like but have been eliminated because of nieces/nephews: Julia/Juliana, Liliana, Alexa
First Name Letters that we like: A, J, K, M, R, S, V
First Name Letters that we will not use: B (only because last name), D, E, F, G, H, Q, U, W, X, Y, Z
We are trying to come up with a name that fits well with Laura and Clara. Since they are shorter names, trying to choose something that does not have too many syllables or is too long. The top two contenders on our list are Victoria and Sophia. I have hang-ups with both. I love Victoria – it is classic, no spelling/pronunciation issues, and I like the meaning (victory). It seems to fit with the other girls’ names, especially with the “r” sound at the end. However, my concerns are nicknames (we dislike Vicky and Tory and our two girls do not have nicknames) – baby/child would have to be Victoria and I am not sure if that is realistic. It is a bit longer than the other girls’ names we have too. I like Sophia – honestly I loved this name 10 years ago but now it is so popular that I don’t feel like the name is special. I like that it is classic and like the meaning (wisdom). I feel like the “ph” spelling is more common than “f” spelling – we both prefer the “ph” spelling. It is a shorter than Victoria. But I fear the child would always be Sophia B because of its popularity.
As for middle names, Marie is my middle name and a family name. Rose is my favorite flower and I just love the name. Yes, these are common middle names, but I am okay with that because it is the middle not first name. Also, both middle names again are easy to spell and pronounce. They also end in an “e”, so it would be nice to have another middle name that ends in “e”. Also, we do consider the baby’s initials and try to avoid inappropriate initials (ex. SOB). Middle name that we are considering is Grace.
Other names that I like, but don’t seem to fit our naming conventions:
First names: Cora (out – C issue and rhymes with Laura), Violet (husband does not like, does not end in a), Serena (not classic?), Sabrina (not sold on this), Seraphina (husband does not like), Ophelia (I just think Shakespeare)
Middle names: Juliet (husband does not like), Annabel/Annabelle, (concern with “bell” sound before B surname), Olive (this is all me not sure about hubby – yet to be discussed), Lily (another flower)
So to summarize, a girl first name that ends in “a” and is classic/vintage, easy to spell/pronounce, and goes with Laura and Clara….and a pretty middle name (it can be more popular and bonus if it ends in “e”). It seems so much harder naming a third when the first two have set naming precedents!
Thanks,
Lisa
I suggest Anna. Feminine and classic; ends in -a; similar length to other names; no need for a nickname; easy to pronounce and spell but not very common; doesn’t share too many sounds with Laura and Clara.
You mention Grace as a middle name possibility, and I think Anna Grace is very nice.
Or Anna Jane is pretty, or Anna June.
Sophie would be a nice middle name, too, if Sophia is feeling too common as a first name. I like Sophia even better than Sophie as a middle name, if you’re willing to skip the ends-in-E preference. Anna Sophia.
The middle name would also be a good way to use Victoria without having to deal with the nicknames. Anna Victoria.
A few more first-name options to consider:
Audra
Nadia
Nina
Viola
I would suggest Delia, Eliza, Eva, Fiona, and Georgia, but D, E, F, and G are on the list of letters you won’t use. Is that list set in stone? It rules out so many good options. I kept getting discouraged: I’d think of another name that met all the preferences—and oh, the first letter is on the No list.
I think one reason you’re stuck is that you have too many requirements/preferences you’re trying to meet: too many letters it can’t start with, plus it has to end in -a, plus it shouldn’t have nicknames, plus it has to be easy to spell and pronounce, plus it can’t be too common. I suggest ranking these in order of how important they are to you, and seeing if some of the requirements can be demoted to preferences, and if some of the preferences can be demoted to “eh, nice if it works out, but we don’t really care.” I don’t think just because the first two names have something in common you have to continue that for a third name.
And it’s a matter of trading: each requirement/preference eliminates a large chunk of names. Each time you cut away a chunk of names, you reduce the number of names you might love. Too many cuts, and the choice becomes “Do we go with a name we love but that fails to meet some of our preferences, or do we instead go with a name that meets all our preferences but we like it much less?” That sounds as if I think you should go with the name you love, but that’s not what I’m saying; what I’m saying is that I think it will make the decision process easier if you realize the cost of each preferences, and then decide if you’re willing to pay those costs. You might find that you are willing, which could help you feel happy choosing a name you love less; or you might find you’re not willing, which could help you feel happy choosing a name that doesn’t meet a preference.
As an exercise, I recommend making a list of names without any regard for requirements/preferences. That is, put Julia on the list even though you can’t use it. Put names you like that don’t end in -a on the list. Put names you like that are a little hard to spell or pronounce on the list. Put names that start with the forbidden initials on the list—including L and C. Put them alllllllll on the list. Then you can compare the names that meet your requirements to the ones that don’t, and see if the trade-offs (in either direction) are ones you’re willing to make: that is, put the things on the balance scales and ask yourselves are you willing to forsake [preference] in exchange for [loved name]? are you willing to forsake [loved name] in exchange for [preference]? This may also give you more ideas for names that DO meet your requirements: if, for example, you’d had Anne and Annabel and Hannah on the doesn’t-meet-requirements list, that might lead you to add Anna to the does-meet-requirements list.
If it were me, the first requirement I’d knock off is the initials one. You didn’t mention why some of those initials are on your list, though, so you may have reasons that would change my mind on that if I knew them. Let’s start just with L and C: I understand not wanting to repeat initials (that’s one of my preferences, too), but I think it might be worth the trade—particularly if the next initial were L, so that it wasn’t so much “lopsided” as “alternating.”
From your list my top favorite is Sabrina. I like the repeating B-sound with the surname, and it seems like it checks all the other boxes: goes well with Laura and Clara, isn’t too long, it’s classic and easy to pronounce/spell, etc. Serena is also nice, but I prefer Sabrina.
Name update:
Dear Swistle (and blog commenters),
Thank you for all of your very helpful advice! I appreciate the time everyone took to brainstorm name suggestions. I read over all the responses several times and considered everyone’s input. The most helpful advice was to take a step back, forget the rules, and just make a list of names that we liked. We did just that – went through every page of the baby name book for girls’ names and made a long list. That really helped (or at least I felt like we had exhausted all our options and left no stone unturned!).
To update, we have a healthy third baby GIRL! She was born on July 4th – a little firecracker. (No, we did not incorporate any patriot names such as America or Liberty into her name. Baby was due at the end of June, so an Independence Day baby was not what we expected!).
Before I reveal the name, I do want to comment on names that were serious contenders based off of your suggestions.
Anna – Yes! This is definitely a great fit for the sibset. It hits all the check boxes. But it just didn’t wow us (and we have a lot of Ann’s in the family). But I think it was a close second.
Vera – I liked the V, the vintage name, length, and “ra” ending. It really works well with the sibling names. But my first thought when I saw it suggested was that is sounded too much like Clara. Then further in the comments others also mentioned this and questioned the correct pronunciation.
Elsie – Very creative! However, just not our style.
So Laura Marie and Clara Rose have a baby sister named Victoria Grace. After going through all the names, both my husband and I still loved Victoria. The real concern was the nickname issue. So we are going to call her Victoria and make sure that family/friends do too. Her 3 and 5 yr old sisters are able to pronounce her full name. We’ve noticed in preschool a lot of children going by their full long names rather than nicknames. If she wants a nickname as a teen there are options that we may tolerate (Vita, Ria), but hopefully she’ll love Victoria too. Although I would have considered possible other middle names, Olive, Juliet, June, my husband really liked Grace (and I do too) as a virtue name and religious meaning. Plus as someone pointed out to us after the fact, it is a regal name (Queen Victoria/Princess Grace). Although my history buff husband was quick to point out that our 4th of July baby has a namesake after a longstanding British monarch! I will say that we have received so many more comments from people that they like/love her name – more so than we did with the first too. I wonder how much of that has to do with the fact that Victoria is currently more popular on the baby name lists than the other two names…
Thank you all once again! We are so in love we our third little girl (and her name)!
Lisa
I can tell you REALLY love the name Julia, and am sitting here feeling sorry that you can’t use it! :( Would something like Jaina or Joanna or Johnna give you a similar feeling?
(I have a particular fondness for Jaina, which in the Star Wars fanfiction canon happens to be the first name of the daughter of Han Solo and Leia Organa Solo!)
Viola (suggested by Swistle) meets a lot of your preferences but may be a bit hard/dated for you, so what about Vera? It’s soft, short, and to-the-point like your other girls’ names.
Swistle’s suggestion of Anna is my favorite, but I think Sylvia would also be nice.
Just because a name has a really common nickname (or several!) does not mean you have to use them. I am known as Elisabeth almost exclusively. No one uses Liz, Beth, Betsy, Betty, Ellie, or Bess. (My family sometimes call me E.) When the occasional person tells me my name is too long, I tell them to bite me.
If you like Victoria, you can call her Victoria and just inform anyone who asks (or assumes) that you don’t use Vickie or Tory. It’ll work out.
I agree with Swistle that it might be wise to take a step back from your assorted must-nots. There’s a lot of them there, and too many restrictions can put one in a cage.
I babysat a little girl named Victoria, and that’s what she was called. When she was 2, she called herself Toria, but eventually was able to say her full name.
Hah I was going to say I know a Victoria and her only nickname has been Toria, which her older sister called her when they were very young.
I love the suggestion of Anna. Hard to top that one.
My immediate thought, though, is Vera.
Anna also made me think of Ava and Ada. Ada in particular goes with very well with your daughters’ names.
I also thought of Katya—it has a Germanic feel like Clara, and it is quite unusual these days.
Other ideas:
Stella
Sonia
Vivian (if you can give up the a ending)
Vera was what I was coming to say. It’s such a beautiful name and seems to tick all the boxes…
I was going to suggest Ava! Love it. Other options:
Alma
Jada
Kata/ Katia
Mara
Maya
Olivia (since you like Olive and O isn’t on your no-go list)
Paloma
Rosa
Samara
Vida
I think I like Olivia best for you. Alma is one of my all-time favorite names, Maya is spunky, and Paloma is so beautiful but I think Laura, Clara, and Olivia really fit well.
Grace is nice as a middle name. June is good since that’s when she’ll be born. Others: Anne, Maeve, Belle, True.
I LOVE Swistle’s suggestion of Anna!
Others I thought of
Isla
Mia
Sara
Stella
Tessa
Swistle, I’ve tried posting several times and getting the blank site!
Audra Marie Lenz!
Other suggestions:
Sabrina (even though you suggested it and are not sold on it)
Amelia
Matilda
Juliana
***Classic names ending in “a” are still popular and I don’t see them losing popularity anytime soon. Your options are endless!!!
I did not search to see if this name has been suggested since I posted but ELIZA!!!
I know you don’t want to use an “E” name but I love the alliteration of Eliza Lenz!
Vera was my first thought too! Or Mira, I think it would be amazing with your sibset. So my votes are Mira Marie (lovely alliteration and tie to you) or Vera Grace (such amazing meaning together.)
Anna is, of course, a classy classic you can’t go wrong with. Other suggestions for your other fave letters, maybe not as classic as Laura and Clara, but still vintage in my humble opinion: Alma, Juna, Rosa, Sela (hmm… i cannot think of one single classic K name ending in an A?! K feels very trendy anyways these days)
Kenna
Kayla
Katrina
Like others, Vera came immediately to mind. I love it.
Even though F is on your ‘no’ list, Fiona (as Swistle mentioned) is a great choice:
Laura, Clara, Fiona
Ends in A, 5 letters like the sister names, easy to spell, classic, unique initial.
From your list of middle names, I like it with Annabelle. I don’t think the b in Annabelle is problematic with your last name – in fact I like it.
Fiona Annabelle Benz (initials are FAB – but that isn’t bad, is it?)
Or
Fiona Grace Benz
Or
Fiona Belle Benz
Or
Fiona Paige Benz
Or
Fiona Jane Benz
Good luck. Please come back and let us all know what you decide!
Swistle is r Got again- Anna with a flowery longer MN gives you all the options.
Anna Isabelle Lenz – “Annabelle”
Anna Victoria Lenz
Anna Sophia Lenz
Ada works too- and my mother alllways tried to get me use Johanna…
I see it mentioned in another comment but I feel the need to second Rosa. It’s so perfect!
Me too! Rosa!!!
Olivia, Amelia, Lydia, Elena, Mila, Mia, Alaina, Joanna? (Some on no first letter list but throwing out there just in case.)
The whole time I was reading, I kept thinking “Susannah! (or Suzanna, Suzannah, Susanna, etc.)” Vera is also great, and I have an Anna of my own so I’m for sure biased there.
Maya? Lydia? Delia? Thea?
I was thinking the same … my daughter is Susannah Jane and Clara is next on my list (and I’ve always liked Laura).
We were worried about Susannah being shortened because we really don’t like any of the Sue nicknames … were hoping to go with Anna/Annie if anything … but there’s never been a need. Maybe because I love the whole package and say Susannah Jane so often it feels like we’ve shortened it when we just use the first name.
I agree that the initials you have ruled out seems overly restrictive. In fact, I think it’s the most restrictive requirement you have. In total, you’ve ruled out first initials for 14 letters-that’s over 1/2 the alphabet! If it were me, I’d probably keep the B restriction (I don’t care for alliteration) and I might keep the L & C restrictions. This is more because I have a preference for kids having their own initials-but I don’t really consider parent initials as part of the equation. However, I would consider no B, L, or C as more of a preference. I’d scrap it for the right name.
The must end in A preference is also not a requirement. I agree it would be nice, but I doubt anyone outside of the family would even notice. If I came across a sibset of Laura, Clara, and June I would think “what nice, classic names.” It would never even occur to me that June was “left out” by her name not ending in A. However, there are So Many girl names that end in A, I think without the other restrictions this would be a fairly easy preference to keep.
Grace is lovely as a middle name, and it works with most first name fairly well. I wonder if part of the reason you aren’t sold is because you haven’t settled on a first name yet? I tend to find middles come more easily once the first name has been chosen. I also noticed that you didn’t mention any special significance for Grace, like you have with Marie & Rose. Perhaps it would help to find a middle name with meaning to you and/or your husband? I would rather have a middle name that was meaningful to my parents than just “a name we liked that ended in E likes your sisters.”
So, Victoria is lovely & I do not think she’d have to have a nickname. Nicknames aren’t the default like they used to be-I know plenty of kids with longer names who don’t use nicknames. Sophia is also lovey & it sounds like you’ve liked it for a long time. Who cares if it is popular? All that means is that you’ll get a lot of compliments on her name! And being Sophia B. is not the end of the world. It’s also not the only option. She could request to go by first/middle (Sophia Grace is fantastic) or maybe the other Sophia will be OK with Sophie, etc.
I will suggest (or 2nd) Anna, Fiona, Eliza, Luna, Viola, Cecilia, Lea, Lucia, Diana, Veronica, Ava, & Sara.
Debra is nice, too, if you allow for a D. It’s a bit of a mom/grandma name to me because I have an Aunt Debbie who babysat me a lot. On the other hand, Aunt Debbie has been the cool aunt since she was 16.
Love Anna and Tessa for you.
I’m partial to Sonora, after the main character in Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken. I just love it!
Within your naming restrictions:
Theodora
Theodosia
Antonia
Jacinda
Veronica
Augusta
Samantha
Nora
Mina
Amelia
Outside of your limitations:
Lavinia
Lydia
Cordelia
Cecelia
Georgia
Gloria
Georgiana
Emma
Eugenia
Louisa
Lila
Just wanted to weigh in on Victoria, because I have a friend who just named her daughter Victoria even though she had the same concern as you with not liking the nicknames Vicky or Tory. Victoria is 6 months old now and I will say that although no adults have tried to nickname her, her 2-year-old sister did almost immediately start calling her “Baby Tory”. Tory is just so much easier for a toddler to say than Victoria! My friend has resigned herself to it and now even thinks it’s sort of cute, but if you truly hate the nickname know that it is a possibility.
How about Mara? Easy to say/spell, ends in “a”, a variant of the super classic “Mary”… Laura, Clara, and Mara. So sweet!
Mary would be beautiful here too!
I can’t leave here without trying to push you to use Sonia, it is #1 on my girl’s sad could not use list.
Sonia Lenz (with a B)
I like Rosina but it would probably shorten to Rosie naturally. Rosa wouldn’t though! Couls you sacrifice Rose as a middle name to make t a first? Laura, Clara and Rosa. Rosa Marie Lenz. Rosa Grace Lenz.
Also, Stella is beyond sweet and particularly Stella Rose. I’m sure it’s popular statistically but may not be too common in your area.
My twin nieces are Anna and Clara. I love the suggestion of Anna. Their sister is Nora.
I also like Stella quite a lot. How about Rita?
What about Olivia or Amelia? Olivia Grace *heart eyes*
I’m going to argue for a name starting with a B.
If Clara has your husband’s initial, and Laura has your initial… why can’t girl #3 have your surname initial? It makes for a lovely explanation.
Having said that, what about:
Bella Grace “Lenz”
She has five letters, two syllables, ends in ‘a’, AND has a traditional spelling. She’s a classic name, too.
She has her own distinct vowel sound that compliments her sisters. Laura, Clara, and Bella.
If you DO use Victoria, Vita is a fresher nickname option than Vicki or Tori. (And it means ‘life’).
Best wishes! Please let us know what you two decide!
Vita is a great call – I love it!
I love Amaya, and Josephina has been on my favorites list forever.
It would bother me a little bit that both of your other daughters have first initials that match their parents’, AND both have five-letter first names. I would be inclined to try to choose a five-letter name, and I think that Amaya is especially nice because the initials AB are the first two letters of the alphabet which seems special and cool to me. Amaya June? Amaya Jane? If five letters does not matter to you: Josephina Lane? Josephina Louise?
Bella was a cute suggestion from someone else, so that her first initial matches her last initial.
(Swistle – all of the blank screens upon trying to comment. So sorry if I ever send in duplicates!)
Vera is one of my own favorite names, and lovely with Grace. I worry a little though that it is too rhyme-y with Clara. Anna is very nice too. I like Anna June.
Another few to think about:
Alma (I love this name, though I couldn’t convince my husband the last time around. It means soul in Spanish and nurturing in Latin. I think it is great with Grace.)
Mira
Jenna
Rebecca (maybe has too obvious of nicknames?)
Sarah
What about Petra?
Laura, Clara and Petra
Nina, Nadia or Miranda?
Anna and Ada are my favorite suggestions. Anna is just perfect!
Good luck!
Alexa, Alana, Eliza, Diana or Erica?
I really like Victoria, i do think its style matches with Laura and Clara!! What about Emma, Hannah, or Olivia?
BTW, my favourite name for a girl is Laura too!! I like how classic and traditional, feminine sounding it is!
I second Swistle’s suggestion of Viola!
Other suggestions, based on the letters and sounds you like:
Mara (might be too similar to Clara, though–even if you pronounce it mah-ra, they LOOK like they should rhyme)
Joanna
Josephina
Ada
Amelia
Myla
I think it’s hard to improve upon Anna, but here are some other thoughts:
Alicia
Maria
Katrina
Regina
Rebecca
Sheila
Shona/ Shauna/Sheena
Virginia
With Laura and Clara, my favorite suggestions thus far are Anna and Stella. Anna Grace and Stella Grace are lovely.
Other options I like
Jenna
Viola
Rhonda
Sylvia
Maria
I know it breaks ALL the rules but I really want to suggest keeping the L C going by naming her Elsie! It gives her a unique initial but a tie to the rest of the family. Elsie Grace, Elsie Victoria, etc.
Good luck!
LOVE THIS!!!! Everyone wins and it’s short, sweet and easy to spell like her sisters.
Oooh … and if you add a middle name like Anna, Sophia or Victoria the themes are reversed – ends in E first with ends in A middle!
It’s the perfect suggestion!
I have a daughter with the initials LC and we do occasionally call her “Elsie.”
Other suggestions I have not seen (yet) on the comments: Nora or Nola.
Stella Grace is really nice. Anna is perfect though. I also want to convince you to use Sophia – so pretty w sister names. Tessa is nice too. Oh and I love the Bella idea or the Elsie (LC) idea for creative ways to handle the initial conundrum.
Kate would be a cute middle too.
Adding Elsie to my love list for you! Five letters, L+C without being L or C, switching the first-name and middle-name rules with Elsie Sophia or Elsie Victoria (LOVE that!) – it all just makes my find-an-out-of-the-box-solution heart happy!! And, although it does break all of the rules, it eliminates all of the other known issues! I especially love that you would get to use one of your favorite names in the middle position, without having to worry about nicknames or the popularity of them.
Has anyone mentioned Ida? Ida Victoire, perhaps? That’s so pretty/stunning.
Or Ada?
Or Junia? Junia Victoire.
I was going to suggest Jessa or Marla.
I like Grace for the middle.
Good luck! : )
Within *most* of the rules:
Sylvia (mentioned by others)
Julianna (might be too close to Julia)
Tabitha
Arabella (maybe a bit long)
Nina
Amelia
Breaking the rules:
Celia
Cecile
Cecily
Vivienne
Helena
Adaire
Good luck!
My first thought was Vera, but it looks like others beat me to it! I’m usually with Swistle on her suggestions, but this time I’m not. I love the idea of a shorter name, like your other girls, and I want to work WITH your preferences, not talk you out of them! I agree with you that it would be so satisfying to have three first names that end in “a” and three middle names that end in “e”!
So, my case for Vera is that it is sweet, simple, easy to pronounce/spell, is vintage, and not common. Another perk? It ends in “ra”, like Laura and Clara, but doesn’t rhyme!
I do love Swistle’s suggestion of June as a middle name, since your baby’s due then. That would be my vote over Grace. It’s just a little less common and would have a cute reason.
Congratulations on your baby!
My first thought with your sibset was Eloise. Laura, Clara and Eloise. I know it doesn’t match the criteria, but I just like it and I wonder if maybe you would consider it for a middle name instead. Out of your names, I really like Sabrina. And I love Swistle’s suggestions of Anna and Viola. But my very favorite by far is the reader suggestion of Sylvia.
Laura, Clara and Sylvia.
Sylvia is classic, ends in A, is on the permitted letters list. It’s also less common than the (also lovely!) suggestions of Olivia and Amelia. It means “From the Forest.”
I know you really want a name that ends in ‘a’ but for some reason Audrey popped into my head when I read your other daughters’ names.
Laura and Clara are both such classy names and Audrey has that same ‘feel’ to me.
Laura, Clara and Audrey. Audrey Grace is lovely too!
I still really love Anna though!
I love the suggestions of Anna, Ava, Eva and Isla. I also thought of Moira (MOY-ra). (I also thought the suggestion of Elsie was brilliant!)
Oh, I find Moira to be an excellent suggestion!
Are all the people that are suggesting Vera, pronouncing it Veera? Because the pronunciation that first comes to mind for me is V-air-uh, which makes it rhyme with Clara, which would knock it off the list for me.
Yes, Vera, with a VEE sound. I’ve never heard it the other way.
I pronounce it V-air-uh, as in Vera Wang.
Has anyone suggested Veda? as in Vay-duh?
Vera Wang pronounces it VEER-ra.
I love reading pronounciations. Where I live Vera is Veer-uh, as in veer left, like Vera Lynn. On the other hand Clara is ‘Clar-uh’ first syllable rhymes with car.
Yeah, pronunciations can definitely vary. The way I pronounce both Vera and Clara, they rhyme, the same way that Verity and Clarity rhyme.
I don’t think Emma has been suggested yet. Love the suggestions of Maria, Anna and Nora too.
I know E is on the No list, but I love Eliza Grace. Laura Marie, Clara Rose, and Eliza Grace. Laura, Clara, and Eliza. Perfect!
Argh, the commenting woes! Swistle, just FYI, the issue was that the page reloaded while I was typing my comment (without me doing anything) and my comment deleted.
I wanted to say that:
Audra sounds too much like Laura
Vera is good but there are two different pronunciations listed on Baby Name Wizard (long e and short e), I myself am not sure how I would pronounce it.
What about Elena or Vanessa? I like the list of the Top Polish Names for you, http://www.babynamewizard.com/name-list/polish-girls-names-most-popular-names-for-girls-in-poland-2014, they all end in A! And are pretty classic.
Another vote for Elsie, if you’re willing to do an E initial.
Elsie Rose?
If not, I also second Anna. Anna Rose?
Several people have suggested it, but it’s so perfect! Ada!
Ada Grace (B)enz
Ada June (B)enz
Ada Kate (B)enz
Laura, Clara, and Ada
If nothing else, Elsie would make a great ends in E middle name with an excellent story and a tie in to the rest of the family.
I have only ever heard Vera pronounced as Vee-ra.
I also pronounce Clara as Clah-ra, never even considered it may be Clair-a. 😊
I would love to know why the vetoed initials are on the list. I had a long list of no-go initials when naming my first child. The baby surname was to start with a H so I avoided any initials that could be turned into a ___ – head insult (eg d***head, s***head). I can’t even remember them all but I had a long and imaginative list of insults. I was desperately trying to prevent my hypothetical future nerd from being bullied in the playground. Now that I have children of that age I know that this is not how the world works. Bullies can always find a target if they want one and kids have ‘weird’ names now that are not in any way unusual.
I’m telling this story in case you could evaluate some of your vetoes if you look at the likelihood they will be a problem.
From the available letters I do like Veronica and Selena which I don’t think have been mentioned.
Good luck,
As soon as I read this I thought voila! Viola!
It ticks SO MANY of your boxes. You like Violet but it needs an a – done. It’s 5 letters long, like Laura and Clara. It’s one of your preferred first initials. It’s perfect with Grace.
I might be biased as it’s on my list but I think it’s truly perfect.
I like Swistle’s suggestion of Nina. A beautiful name that ticks all the boxes. From your list I like Victoria. If you don’t start with a nickname, I’ve found that people are less likely to do it themselves.
I’ll suggest (or reiterate others)…
Tessa
Nella
Junia
Tova
Adela
Thea
Annika
Nicola
Okay. This might be more vintage than classic but what about Agatha?
I will never not recommend Miranda. It is beautiful, difficult but not impossible to nickname, and means “marvellous.” It’s also been pretty steadily in the 200s on the Social Security list for several years, so not too common.
You’ve gotten a lot of great suggestions! I especially like Ada, Anna, and Stella (also Eva, Eliza, and Lydia, if you change your mind about initials).
One thing about Viola: pronunciation is not straightforward. There are three…
VIY-ə-lə (traditional–i love this)
vee-OH-lə (like the musical instrument)
viy-OH-lə (like actress Davis)
I agree with the suggestions of Nina, and Elsie. I know it breaks the repeating initial rule, but I love the name Lena.
Elsie Victoria Lenz (with a B); Elsie Lenz
Nina Grace Lenz (with a B); Nina Lenz
Lena Arabelle Lenz (with a B); Lena Lenz
Laura, Clara, and Elsie
Laura, Clara, and Nina
Laura, Clara, and Lena
Another possible nickname for Victoria could be Via – which matches with the two-syllables of Laura & Clara.
I like the previous first name suggestions: Ada, Alma, Anna, Antonia, Ida, Joanna, Marla, Nella, Nina, Susanna, Thea, Vera
First name suggestions from me: Alva, Amelina, Angelica, Angelina, Anina, Arla, Arna, Augusta, Maera, Maeva, Magnolia, Maia, Marsha, Martha, Minna, Myra, Myrna, Phaedra, Ramona, Roanna, Romea, Romina, Rosanna, Sidra, Simona, Sybilla, Sylvana, Verna, Via, Vina
I really love Ada, Maia, Martha, Myra, Nina, Thea, Vera.
I like the previous middle name suggestions: Grace, Jane, June, Louise, Maeve, Olive
Middle name suggestions from me: Adele, Alice, Beatrice, Blanche, Blythe, Camille, Celeste, Celine, Claudine, Daphne, Elise, Esme, Estelle, Eve, Faye, Florence, Francine, Joelle, Lucille, Maeve, Maude, Noelle, Simone, Wynne
I could go on for the middle names = there are so many that end in -e that are so beautiful!
Good luck to you!