German parents don't have the enormous choice of baby names you have in the USA. Strict laws and official lists limit the choice.
The name has to reflect the gender of the child (exceptions can be made for "traditional" boy/girl names like Kai and Sascha), can't be a place, brand or last name. If you want to give your child an exotic name, you have to prove that it already exists first, so no made-up names or extreme spellings.
Most Germans find American style naming a bit weird (including myself, but I'm getting a more open mind by just reading this forum every now and again).
I can see future babies being named Clyde, Walter, Wilma and Jensie - and I actually really like the name Minerva ;) (Been reading too much Harry Potter, I guess...)
Josephine is a beautiful name and goes well with Theodore. I love the nickname Josie, but Jo is also cute. Beatrice is very pretty and I like the nick name Bebe.
Other suggestions for a girl:
Madeleine (Maddie) Charlotte (Charlie) Francesca/Francis (Frankie/Fran) Eleanor/Elinor (Nellie) Olivia (Liv) - if you don't mind trendy names. Helena/Helen (Lena) - I don't mind alliterations, if they don't sound too cartoon-y, if you know what I mean... Heidemarie/Adelheid (Heidi)
I'm not a fan of your ideas for boys' names, but I quite like William in its traditional form. Not very unconventional, but lots of choice for nicknames.
Other suggestions:
Carl (no nickname, but the name itself is both old-fashioned and cute in my opinion) Samuel (Sam) Julius/Julian (Jules) Adrian (Adie) Maurice (Morrie) Alfred (Alfie)
Hope that helps a bit. Good luck with your name search!
To be honest it didn't even occur to me that both Ilse and Liese are variations of Elisabeth... but I can see why you would feel uncomfortable with it. Ilse is a great name, though ;)
Okay, here are some other suggestions: (btw, I got most of these from really old children's books I have lying around here ;) )
Rosemarie Rosalie Marion Marianne Heidemarie Johanna Marie-Louise
When I hear the name Quentin I always have to think of the Lemony Snicket book series. Three of thr children (triplets) there are called Quentin, Isadora and Duncan.
(Don't know how popular the books are in the US, might be a bad idea if they are)
German parents don't have the enormous choice of baby names you have in the USA. Strict laws and official lists limit the choice.
The name has to reflect the gender of the child (exceptions can be made for "traditional" boy/girl names like Kai and Sascha), can't be a place, brand or last name. If you want to give your child an exotic name, you have to prove that it already exists first, so no made-up names or extreme spellings.
Most Germans find American style naming a bit weird (including myself, but I'm getting a more open mind by just reading this forum every now and again).
Soren (b), Ingrid (g), Magnus (b), Linnea (g), Aksel (b), Frida (g), Lars (b), Birgit (g), Erik (b)
and Kai (b).
I picked the number 20 and looked at girls names:
Favourites: Carlotta, Lorin, Meia, Phyllis, Rosaline, Sian (surprised not to find that higher up in the list), Vicki
Interesting finds: Alyxandria, Jonathan (for a girl), Mariaelena, Maryelizabeth, Rosio
I can see future babies being named Clyde, Walter, Wilma and Jensie - and I actually really like the name Minerva ;)
(Been reading too much Harry Potter, I guess...)
How about...
Marlene/Marlena
Marion
Meike
Mareike
Annamarie/Annemarie
Annelie
In Germany combined names have been popular for years, but mostly in some very specific combinations, like:
Anna-Lena (or Annalena)
Ann-Kathrin (Annkathrin)
Marie-Sophie
Marie-Louise (the shortened version Malou has become a popular first name as well)
From two or three generations ago:
Liselotte
Heidemarie
Annegret
Josephine is a beautiful name and goes well with Theodore. I love the nickname Josie, but Jo is also cute.
Beatrice is very pretty and I like the nick name Bebe.
Other suggestions for a girl:
Madeleine (Maddie)
Charlotte (Charlie)
Francesca/Francis (Frankie/Fran)
Eleanor/Elinor (Nellie)
Olivia (Liv) - if you don't mind trendy names.
Helena/Helen (Lena) - I don't mind alliterations, if they don't sound too cartoon-y, if you know what I mean...
Heidemarie/Adelheid (Heidi)
I'm not a fan of your ideas for boys' names, but I quite like William in its traditional form. Not very unconventional, but lots of choice for nicknames.
Other suggestions:
Carl (no nickname, but the name itself is both old-fashioned and cute in my opinion)
Samuel (Sam)
Julius/Julian (Jules)
Adrian (Adie)
Maurice (Morrie)
Alfred (Alfie)
Hope that helps a bit. Good luck with your name search!
My favourites off your lists are:
Amelia, Eliza, Evelyn, Louisa, Violet, Coraline, Elaine, Martina, Simone, Stephanie
My suggestions would be:
Valerie
Lydia
Alessia (if you don't mind the double A - but you have Amelia on your list, so probably not)
Gemma
Rachel
Cosima
Carla/Carlie
From Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series:
Tally
Shay
Zane
Sussy
Az
Croy
Peris
Ho
I like the names because they don't sound too strange but unfamiliar enough to have that scifi vibe...
Clay, Brooke, Levi
and
Colt
How about Elise as an alternative to Alice?
To be honest it didn't even occur to me that both Ilse and Liese are variations of Elisabeth... but I can see why you would feel uncomfortable with it. Ilse is a great name, though ;)
Okay, here are some other suggestions: (btw, I got most of these from really old children's books I have lying around here ;) )
Rosemarie
Rosalie
Marion
Marianne
Heidemarie
Johanna
Marie-Louise
Some German that might be uncommon in the US (as if I know what's common or not in the US :P ):
Malou
Madlen
Jana
Mailin
Ilse
Marlene
Marie-Sophie
Kerstin
Maren
Nele
Gisela
Freia
Ronja
Svenja
Larissa
Hope that helps :)
How do you pronounce Liev? Like Live or like Leave?
When I hear the name Quentin I always have to think of the Lemony Snicket book series. Three of thr children (triplets) there are called Quentin, Isadora and Duncan.
(Don't know how popular the books are in the US, might be a bad idea if they are)
My favourites from your list:
Beatrice
Celia
Edith
Josephine
Viola (I like Violet more though)
My suggestions:
Coralie or Cora (as an alternative to Coraline)
Elaine
Charlotte
Vera
Cecily/Cecilia
Maisie
Minerva
Enid
Helen
Rosalie
Rose
Grace
Lydia
Elisabeth
Hazel
Imogen
William
Vincent
James
Thomas
Victor
Enjoy the name search :)