Hi there –
Your post (and the comments!) helped us name our second son, Theo, in 2014. After two devastating losses halfway through pregnancy in 2016, I am now 7 months pregnant with a baby girl. I’m hoping naming her will help me feel more hopeful and connected to her. I’m still worried I won’t get a baby out of this (even just sending this email feels like a huge leap of faith and “how the heck can you expect to need a baby name!?”). But I need to name her either way.
She’s due in mid-May, our last name is Cadaret (rhymes with Cabaret), and my boys are named Gabriel (Gabe) and Theodore (Theo). If she was a boy, I’d probably rally for a name with the nickname Gus.
As we explore girl names, I’m a little wary of the fact that several of the names we like are similar to other names (Adeline/Adelaide, Isabelle/Isabella, Lillian/Lilliana, etc). I’m worried about having a name that is confusing in the sense that people forget which version it is. I know a few friends named Lauren or Laura who hate how often their name gets mixed up with the other one. Is that a problem I need to worry about? I am kind of thinking I’ll steer clear of those kind of names, even though I do quite like Caroline (which is often confused with Carolyn).
Names we (or just I, but whatever I’m stubborn) like:
Isabella or Isabelle
Charlotte
Abigail
Amelia
Lily or Lillian
Penelope nn. Penny
Eleanor
Caroline
Josephine nn. Josie
Margaret nn. Maggie
EloiseWe have a trend for naming a more formal name with a nickname (Gabe and Theo), but I’m not married to the idea.
Please advise, oh wise baby namer.
Thanks,
Ashley
As a Kristen sometimes mistaken for a Kirsten, Kiersten, or Christine, I can confirm it’s definitely an annoyance—though it was not annoying enough for me to take it into account when naming my children. If you suspect it’s something that will drive you nuts, you’re wise to think of it ahead of time: my guess is that although practically any name is sometimes mistaken for another name, the Margarets and Penelopes of the world deal with it less often than the Isabelles and Adelines.
Two names on the list catch my attention for issues with the brother names. The first is Eleanor, which rhymes with Theodore. The second is Abigail, which for me is too close to Gabriel.
Looking at the name Margaret with your surname, I wonder if it would lead to pronunciation issues: Margaret Cadaret LOOKS as if the two names would rhyme, but they don’t. This bothers me for reasons I can’t quite put a finger on, but it is enough to take Margaret out of my top choices even though it’s one of my favorite names. Charlotte Cadaret gives me some of the same feeling, though lessened because the endings aren’t exactly matched.
My top choices from the list are Penelope, Josephine, and Eloise. Of those, my guess is that Eloise is the most likely to be mistaken for other names (Heloise, Eliza, Eleanor, etc.), but that the others are about as safe as names can be: that is, a Josie might sometimes be misheard as a Rosie, but only to the unavoidable extent ANY name might sometimes be misheard or misremembered. (Households containing Penelopes and Josephines should feel free to confirm or deny this.) And I love that Penelope and Josephine both meet the preference for a natural nickname along the lines of Gabriel/Gabe and Theodore/Theo.
Normally my next step would be to come up with more suggestions, but I feel as if you’ve got this covered: you have a good list with lots of strong candidates.
Augusta.
Charlotte or Josephine
(Ashley – i am so happy for you and keeping you all close to my heart)
I was going to come here to log roll for Penelope (Penny, Lupe, Poppy, etc), although Celeste’s mention of Augusta is pretty great.
I was also going to suggest Rosamund or Rosalind as two nice long forms that might get you Rose or Rosie which would be pleasant
I want to try to convince you to give Caroline another chance….
Laura and Lauren were both top 30 names for our generation and therefore people would have to check constantly which one you were.
Carolyn, at #810, is not a popular name for this generation of babies. Caroline is #56. A handful of well-meaning grandmas will ask “Was that Carolyn?” but basically everyone else will assume Caroline. It’ll be more like Lauras of our generation getting mistaken for Noras…didn’t happen much.
Also, since you tend to like formal names with informal nicknames, you can sidestep the problem all together. Caroline called Carrie or Caroline called Leena is not going to have to be constantly explaining that she’s not Carolyn.
I love Caroline too- it’s my daughter’s middle and a neighbor girl’s first and no one has mistaken it for Carolyn. I am beyond thrilled for you and your family, Ashley! I’ll be holding you & your baby in my heart.
I LOVE Caroline with your last name, and Caro/Carrie as a nickname like Gabe and Theo. And Josephine and Penelope are also excellent. Also !!!!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ So many prayers and so much love headed your way.
I’m a Caroline (no nicknames unless you count the ones family have given me that have nothing to do with my name). It does get confused with Carolyn sometimes, but usually people will say “wait lyn or line” after I introduce myself and that clears it up right away. Otherwise I’ve gotten used to just saying CaroLINE in as polite a way as possible if they start saying Carolyn. It used to bother
me because, come on, it has the word “line” in it, but I’ve gotten over it.
I love my name and wouldn’t deter from using it just because of this simple mixup.
My votes are for Amelia (nn Mia) and Josephine (Josie).
And Ashley, ohhhh, I am just so, so thrilled for you family. <3
I am so happy for you and your family, Ashley, and fervently wishing for a safe two months ahead.
Our daughter is Amelia Claire and she goes by Millie. But, I LOVE the nickname Penny for Penelope. Also, what about Margot instead of Margaret?
It’s a good name! But sister had a baby when I was due with Clare (my first stillbirth) named Margot. (Part of me wonders if two cousins named Margot and Margaret would be too much? But oh well!)
Congrats and best of luck!
I like Caroline and the suggestion for Rosamund/Rosalind for nn Rosie. What about Madeline?
I also have a friend whose daughter is Penelope, and her nn is Pippa, which is so cute, and I think pairs well with Gabe and Theo.
I love the nickname Pippa for Penelope! That’s adorable.
I also love a lot of your options, Ashley. Caroline and Charlotte are my top choices from your list, although Charlotte doesn’t particularly lend itself to nicknames (Charlie or Lottie, I guess?).
So much love to you and your family!
I also like the previous suggestion of Augusta.
I mostly agree with Swistle’s top contenders. However, I would probably take Eloise off as I think it highly likely to be confused with the more common Louise. I would also add Margaret to my top picks list. Yes, it could be confusing with the surname. But I noticed in this post and your post from 2014 that you clarified how to say it, so my guess is the surname is confusing for some people regardless. And it sounds like she’ll be Maggie most of the time anyway, so I don’t expect it to come up more often or be more confusing than if her first name were something else.
Wait, Swistle has a name? And it is the same as mine, spelled the same way? That just makes my brain go all wonky! I love the name Penelope, but, wow, so does the rest of the world. It’s really moved up in popularity. Does that sort of thing matter to you? My name has really lost popularity. Uh oh, name popularity rabbit hole.
I am so sorry for your losses. I have been lucky enough to not lose a pregnancy or child, but my daughter was born last year after a touch and go pregnancy with many preterm labor issues and months of bedrest. It was a big psychological struggle just to bring myself to go forward with the baby shower. So I understand a little bit of what you’re going through. 7 months is amazing though! 32 weeks was my major goal to make it to (and I ended up holding off labor til 36 weeks, and we got to skip the NICU). Sending you all my best.
In terms of names & your list, I’m rooting for Charlotte. I love it with your surname. I agree with Swistle that the endings are almost too matchy by sight, but with your surname’s pronunciation I think they flow in a very beautiful way.
I do agree Margaret is somehow too repetitive with Cadaret. I think the issue there is that my brain doesn’t want to switch pronunciations for the spelled the same/said differently endings. It creates a kind of stutter in my mind which interrupts the flow, even though I love Margaret as a name.
Margot came to mind though! Maggie is a perfectly fine nickname for Margot too.
I know a Caroline quite well and no one ever says Carolyn to her, that I know of.
Many good wishes your way!
Yes, Margot! Love that. And I love the nn Maisie for Margot, too.
Margaret (Maggie) is my favorite for your family. It just sounds like Gabe and Theo’s sister to me and the similar spelling at the end of the first and last name doesn’t bother me.
I also like Amelia, Eleanor, and Lillian in that group.
Oh, ASHLEY! I am beyond thrilled for you and sending so many prayers your way.
I LOVE your name choices. I have a Margaret (nn Maggie) and people often mix it up with Maddie, but I’m not sure if Madeline/Madison are as common as they once were (my Maggie is in middle school).
Penelope is wonderful, and I know a 4 year old Penelope (nickname Nell). We also know an Amelia, nickname Mimi. So cute!
For Caroline, I think CaroLINE is the more common pronunciation now, but I do know a young Caroline, pronounced Carolyn. You may find yourself clarifying how to say her name.
Sending love and best wishes in your final weeks!
Do you like Magnolia? I *love* it, but it’s ok if you don’t. I like that it gets you to Maggie without the -ret repetition with your last name and without repeating an O-type ending if you were to go with Margot (too similar to Theo?).
Also, as a Lashley-mistaken-for-Ashley since always, you get used to correcting people. ;)
If you use Magnolia, you can also use the Nolie nn, which I like even better than Maggie.
Marguerite nn Daisy? Solves the ending issue, the cousin issue and keeps the global elegance feel of your boys’ names. And such a lighthearted nickname for a rainbow baby…
I love this!
But mostly I love that Ashley has made it 7 months and I am crossing my fingers and scrunching up my face for the next two. Oh please oh please.
Since you like Penelope, do you like Daphne? Deedee makes a darling nickname (or Nini).
Gabe, Theo, and DeeDee
Your list strikes me in style as Little House on the Prairie (Caroline, Charlotte) or Little Women (Margaret, Josephine). So what are your feelings about:
Elizabeth (Beth, Betsy, Eliza)
Sarah (Sally)
Mary (May)
Amelia (Amy)
Alice (Bliss)
Harriet (Hattie)
Docia (Dot)
Susannah (Zuzu)
Or to go more elaborate with a lady…
Amaryllis (Amy or Mary)
Felicity (Fliss, Bliss, or Flick)
Jemima (Jemma)
Leonora (Nora)
Elodie (Lola, Ella)
Meredith (Merry)
Geneva (Eva, Genna)
Best wishes to you and your family! You’re wise to name your daughter; she’s your very loved daughter! May every meet under the best possible circumstances. :)
I LOVE DAPHNE!!! My sister’s dog is named Daphne, though, so it feels weird to use that? Elizabeth and Felicity were also on my list, but husband nixed them.
What great news, Ashley!
My Caroline does get called Carolyn every now and then, but only when being verbally introduced. Almost everyone reads it as CaroLINE. She is 5.5 and advocates for herself if someone mispronounces her name, which I kind of love. She doesn’t seem upset by it, but she will let you know if you’ve called her the wrong name 😂
My Josie (Josephine) has only had her name mispronounced once by a cashier at Wegmans, who thought she was Joseph. Although her official nickname is Josie, we call her Jos a lot too. One of the family members she is named after went by Jo. Wanted to offer up those other nicknames for you too.
Best wishes for the last few weeks of your pregnancy!
Josie is my absolute favorite, but my husband still needs convincing. (He wasn’t sold on Theodore at first, either, so I think if I am stubborn it might work. :-P)
I quite like Caroline with your last name and I agree with pps that at this point, people are more likely to assume Caroline than Carolyn. I also really like Amelia, Josephine, and Penelope with the brother names. Wishing you all the best!
I am so, so sorry for your losses. I am sure this pregnancy is stressful, but you are almost there!!!
My first thought for you was Elodie (possible nn’s Ellie or Lola. Or Deedee).
Gabriel, Théodore and Elodie
Gabe, Theo and Ellie
Gabe, Theo and Lola
You already have a great list and great suggestions, though. Can’t wait to hear what you choose.
All the best!!!!
I love Penelope!
What about Lucia (Lucy), Victoria, Corinne, or Iris?
I’m so sorry for your loss, Ashley. Congratulations on your rainbow baby and fingers crossed for smooth sailing here on out.
I love your names as listed. I have a friend with an Amelia with the nickname Mim, which I love. Josephine/Josie and Penelope/Pippa/Pip are great and work beautifully with your sons’ names. I wond r if you would like Evelyn. Similar to Lillian and Eleanor without matching Theodore.
Good luck on the rest of your pregnancy!
I also have a preference for longer formal names with nickname options. I have an Amelia (Lia) and a Theodore (mine is Teddy). If Teddy had been a girl, we were liking the names Rosemary, Meredith, Alice (called Lissie), and Caroline. I love Lillian and Josephine from your list for how they go with your last name, and the nicknames!
We have similar styles. I have a Theodore/Teddy and Amelia was on our list for our 3rd child who we named Carolyn with a nickname of Carrie. Honestly sometimes people do assume, if they hear her formal name that she is Caroline. I wanted something a little different than the mainstream tho. And I was totally unprepared as I was so sure she was a boy. So it was a little postpartum hormone rush.
I tried hard to convince my husband to go with Margaret/Daisy (she was actually Margaret for the first 30 min of her life) but he couldn’t get on board w Daisy. But I think it’s delightfully fresh and happy for your rainbow baby! Best wishes!
I do love the name Josephine. Margot? Phoebe? I only had boys, but I always loved those names. (And I have a Theo as well!)
You have so many wonderful names to choose from here!
Josephine nn Josie, Posey or Joey
Penelope nn Penny, Nellie or Poppy
Caroline nn Carrie
These are my favourites!
What about:
Philippa nn Pippa
Emmeline nn Emme
Emilia nn Emme or Millie
Arabella or Arianna nn Ari
Araminta nn Minty
Saffron nn Saffy
Elizabeth nn Birdie
Edith nn Edie
Louise mm Lulu
Good luck!
I’m going to suggest three names from my family: Vivian, Elizabeth, and Jennifer. All are hard to mistake for other names, all have really solid nickname potentials.
I would vote for Rosalind, but it’s really easy to mistake for Rosalyn, another name from my family.
From your list, my favorites are Caroline and Josephine. I also like the suggestion of Augusta. Gabe, Theo, and Augie or Gussy.
Thinking about Swistle’s other blog, I would like to suggest Marilla with possible nicknames Mary, Milly, or even Mae. Gab, Theo, and Milly.
Since your formal name with a nickname is only a preference, I would like to also suggest Iris. The meaning is very appropriate and I know an adorable 3 year with this name. She wears it well. Gabe, Theo, and Iris.
I know you said you’re not married to the theme of using a formal longer name and a nickname, but I think you should stick with it! I have a Charles/Charlie and a Leo–no longer form and that STILL bothers me. He was actually going to be Theodore/Theo but someone too close to us used it right before we had him and Leo was the only name we could agree on and we didn’t like longer forms.
Anyway, enough about me.
From your list, I like:
Penelope nn. Penny
Josephine nn. Josie
Margaret nn. Maggie
I’d also suggest:
Lucia–Lucy
Johanna–Jo; Jojo; Hanna
Anneliese–Annie
Theresa–Tess
Elizabeth–Libby
Louisa–Lou
Edith–Edie
If Daphne is out because of the dog, how about Phoebe?
Gabe, Theo, and Bee
Iris is also Greek and literally means ‘rainbow’ which you might find fitting for a rainbow baby.
Gabe, Theo, Iris
I like Phoebe, it was the girl name we had picked out for our son. There was a nice kid in Louisa May Allcott’s Eight Cousins by that name
I don’t have any thrilling advice on names but I was just so genuinely happy when I read this. The best part of the internet for me is knowing enough about a stranger’s story to feel pure emotion for them despite no actual connection. I will think of your beautiful family and hope for the best possible outcome for you. You are so strong.
I know a family called Gabe, Theo and Ellie (Gabriel, Theodore and Eleanor) in that order!
I like Josephine nickname Posy.
Emmeline nickname Emmy or Emma.
Rebecca nickname Becca.
Annabel nickname Annie (I’m an Annabel and love how many nicknames there are!)
Dorothy nickname Dot.
Philippa nickname Pip.
Agree with Swistle – Josephine and Penelope are my favorites from your list.
My Josephine nn Josie hasn’t had any pronunciation issues. We very rarely run into other girls named Josephine/Josie, but everyone seems to know it. The older generation (70+ yo) always seem pleasantly surprised by an infant/toddler/pre-schooler having the name.
Ashley, what an unexpected intersection. This is orchidsandtears from the pregnancy group. I’ve been a devoted Swistle reader for years.
You have amazing taste and your daughter will be well named. One name stands out to me, though: Lucy. It has the same graceful, timeless, storybook feel as all her siblings, whether you’re saying 3 names or 5. It sounds similar to Josie. And it means “light”, like Clare. She brings a lot of light with her, this girl of yours. You could use Lucia or Lucille if you’d like a longer formal name, but Lucy stands alone too. Lucy Josephine sounds pretty perfect to my ear.
I kind of adore Margaret Cadaret, and Josephine/Josie is delightful. Other great classic options include Genevieve, Cecily, Beatrice, Elise, Catherine, and Anna.