A sister for Lily Anne

My husband & I are having some trouble with another girl name.  We like traditional, easy to spell & pronounce names.  We also like a family connection & have some great names to start with, but we have different favorites. 

We'd like the name to "go" with Lily Anne (she goes by Lily mostly), but aren't looking for a pattern, theme, or tounge twister.

Inspiration names (family members...): Eva, Jane, Lynn, Rose, Mary, Elsie, Louise, Odile, Ollie, Elizabeth, Catherine, Vida, 

Middle name will need to be or include "Marie"

Here are some we are debating. Please share your thoughts on these & any you can come up with as well.

I really like "E" for the 1st name (but we are both open to other letters): Eva, Eliza, Eden (DH only likes Eva)

Middle name thoughts: Marie, Rosemarie, Lynn-Marie, Marie-Louise

 

Replies

1
June 28, 2012 4:19 PM

Can you give us a hint about the sound of the baby's last name?  That makes a lot of difference.

Lily and Rosemary as a sibset reminds me of the Bob Dylan song "Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts."  I'm a Dylan fan, so I kind of like that, but you might feel differently.

2
By Guest (not verified)
June 28, 2012 11:06 PM

Last name is Guedry. Ill have to listen to the song again :) so great to hear other points of veiw!

3
June 29, 2012 12:43 PM

I like Eva Marie, too.  All the sounds flow nicely into your last name, and Lily and Eva are a good sibset.  If you and your husband both like it, I think you've got your name!

I had to look up Eva Marie Saint on Wikipedia, but she seems like a perfectly lovely person - no bad connotations there.

5
By Guest (not verified)
June 28, 2012 11:13 PM

I love Evelyn but I'm a teacher and I had a student with the name :( I just don't know if I could get past it. 

6
June 28, 2012 5:13 PM

depending on the sound of your last name, i would go for either Eve Marie or Eva Marie or Eva Rosemarie

7
June 28, 2012 7:20 PM

Perhaps I am the only one who remembers Eva Marie Saint.  Of the inspiration names you listed, the one that strikes me is Odile.  Rather oddly in the recent thread on Ottilie, Odile was the only version of the name that wasn't mentioned (if my memory serves me).  While Odile is not as much of the current moment as Lily is, I don't think that the two names clash.  Rather I think they go together quite well. 

8
By Guest (not verified)
June 28, 2012 11:19 PM

I'm very fond of Odile. It is funny though, because it is my grandmother's first name but she doesn't like it and goes by her middle name. I'm not sure if she would be flattered or think we were nuts. Probably both. 

9
By Guest (not verified)
June 28, 2012 10:48 PM

I also thought of Eva Marie Saint.

I adore the name Eliza, but Eliza and Lily both seem like Elizabeth nns. I don't know that that's true, but it's the impression I have of them together. I'm sure one of the true experts on this site will set me straight. On the other hand, I think something like Elise would be lovely, so maybe that makes no sense....

I'm not a particular fan of Eden compared to Eva or the other inspiration names you listed. I don't dislike it; I just don't feel like it has the same sweet charm.

I personally Adore the name Jane, so Jane Marie would get my vote.

If all else fails, I also advocate for going with the name that would most please your mother in law-or whomever the pickiest member of the family may be!

Other thoughts....

Ella? Molly? (A Mary nn and a combo of Mary + Ollie) Olivia?

10
By Guest (not verified)
June 28, 2012 10:53 PM

Jenna? Jessa? 

11
By Guest (not verified)
June 28, 2012 11:22 PM

I love Jessa! I even considered Jessalyn but hubby was not too keen on it. 

12
June 28, 2012 11:40 PM

How about Jessamyn or Jessamine? It's an archaic English spelling of Jasmine, which (if you are Lily's mom not signed in) complements Lily without being as matchy-matchy as Rose or Violet. 

13
By Guest (not verified)
June 28, 2012 11:24 PM

Eliza is my favorite. I wont mark it off our list thinking maybe it will grow on him. 

14
June 28, 2012 11:53 PM

I just saw Vida on your list of names- would Vivian/Vivienne interest you?

Other options for traditional, easy to spell and pronounce E names: Edith (Edie), Elodie, Ellen, Eleanor, Estelle, Etta, Esther.

15
June 28, 2012 11:59 PM

As another comment pointed out, Lily is originally a nickname for Elizabeth. It's definitely a stand-alone name by now, probably influenced by flower-names in general, but for siblings, I wouldn't pair Lily with Elizabeth or Elsie or any other Elizabeth-derived name. (My friend Lisa, middle name Beth, would agree with me: she recalls being sorely disappointed to learn that her parents had given her the same name twice.) You can consider Elizabeth and Elsie to be "done": honored already with your first daughter's name. I think you can cross off Lynn as "done" as well: Lily is kinda like the modern version of Lynn, in terms of feel, general sound, and popularity.

If the middle name has Marie in it, then Mary can be crossed off, which leaves:

Eva, Jane, Rose, Louise, Odile, Ollie, Catherine, and Vida.

Of these, Eva and Jane are the most appealing as sisters to Lily. Rose would be too themey, Louise repeats the initial (not necessarily a big issue, but it's a point against, anyway), and Catherine looks a bit too long, comparatively. (It's not really much longer in sound, but it's more than twice as many letters as Lily.) Odile and Vida I'm not sure how to pronounce, and Ollie doesn't look feminine.

While it's tempting to combine names in the middle spot in order to honor more people, I'm not sure the idea works with a sibling with middle name Anne. Your children may feel gypped by the unequality. A classic like Rosemarie is as far as I'd go: at least rosemary is a plant, same as lily.

Jane Marie works best for me in terms of rhythm, although your surname may influence that. (I know you posted it in a comment, but the forums interface only shows the one message you're replying to, so I can't see the comment, and I don't remember what it said.)

16
June 29, 2012 6:29 AM

Off topic, but: I am sure you, like me a few years ago, used the word "gypped" not knowing that it is a racial slur. But it is (against Roma people). 

17
July 1, 2012 10:49 PM

I love your line of reasoning- it really helps narrow things down.

18
By hwar
June 29, 2012 10:38 AM

I love the idea of using Rosemarie as a middle! I think it plays off of the floral theme of Lily's name nicely, without being too in-your-face by using another flower for a first name.

Eva Rosemarie
Ella Rosemarie
Ellen Rosemarie

My second-favorite middle would be Marie-Louise. 

Eva Marie-Louise
Emily Marie-Louise
Eliza Marie-Louise
Elodie Marie-Louise

And if you're going to use Marie alone as a middle:

Eloise Marie
Louisa Marie  (Nicknames Lucy, Lulu, or just Lou)
Eliza Marie

20
July 1, 2012 10:12 PM

Thank you all for your advice!  It is so good to read other perspectives. 

Out last name is pronounced gehdree. 

I like Eva Marie (except that a google turned up the actress +a nude model). Do you think Eva Rosemarie is too old lady ? Also is Eva going to be a pronunciation problem? We are from the SOuthern US and pronounce it as Eevuh but my neighbors speak Spanish and pronounce it ehvah. Our last name is hard enough to pronounce- I'm a little concerned that she will be frusterated with her name even though I like both pronunciations. 

I liked the suggestion of Elodie but are 2 Ee endings going to be too much?

Thank you all!

21
By Guest (not verified)
July 2, 2012 3:22 PM

I highly doubt Eva is going to have pronunciation problems. I like Eva Marie better than Eva Rosemarie, and I don't think the actress association is a major issue (and the model is a non-issue).

 

 

22
July 3, 2012 2:45 PM

I have heard both pronunciations, but eevah seems more common than ehvah.  

Just going to throw out my current name crush, although is sounds like you're about settled.  Vera.  If you like Eva & you like Vida, why not Vera?  It's got that vibrant V, and is still uncommon.

23
July 3, 2012 5:17 PM

I prefer Vera to Vida but that was her sisters name. 

24
July 3, 2012 12:39 PM

Eva Marie or Julia Marie are my choices.... (althugh I was using the expert matchmaker, is that cheating?)

25
July 3, 2012 5:16 PM

Love Julia :) no that's notcheating. I'll throw it by hubby. 

27
By Jill
July 6, 2012 6:40 PM

Eva sounds...older than? not as sweet as? Lily Anne.  I don't know any real-life Evas, so I think the name is heavily influenced my Eva Mendes and Eva Longoria in my mind.  Eliza, on the other hand, matches the sweetness of Lily Anne better.  To me, the long-ago assocations of Lily as a nickname for Elizabeth are a non-issue.  

28
By Guest (not verified)
July 6, 2012 8:57 PM

I know a two year old Eva. Nice alternative to Ava.

29
July 6, 2012 10:39 PM

I'm actually a little concerned about its rise inpopularity. I've met so many little Avas & Evies, but Lily was becoming verypopular when we chose it as well. They are both family names and keeping that connection is what is more important to us. 

 

30
July 7, 2012 8:13 PM

Evie seems very popular in my area (but probably not any more so than Lily). I know a lot of 'just' Evies but Eva and Evelyn nicknamed Evie are also popular. Strangely, I only know 1 Ava! I think it just depends a bit on the circles you travel in and what is popular in your area.