Desperately seeking a name for Jillian and Oliver’s little sister! If
baby was a boy, I am 100% on Theodore (“”Theo”) Henry. However, just
found out we’re having another girl and I am completely stumped! The
perfect name for me would be classy, but friendly and approachable. I
love names that have cutesy nicknames and British sounding names. I
was so worried about Jillian seeming dated and a “mom name” when I
chose it, but now I couldn’t possibly love it more. What names could
go with Jillian?A few I think I like…
Annabel: (only like this spelling) pro- cute nn “Annie” for little
girl con- “bel” names over used, is this too much associated with
being a cow’s name?Eloise: pros: love love love all of the cute nick names, love the way
this name looks written cons: “wheeze” sound sometimes bothers me,
“el” names too trendy to be timeless?Eliza: sometimes i love it, sometimes it just looks like Elizabeth
unfinished, lack of cute nnDaphne: lack of nn, really dislike “daffy”, prob. best for middle name
Margo
Clara
Isabel: pretty sound, really really popular
Charlotte: popular, don’t care for “char” or “charlie”
Would so so love and appreciate more suggestions!!! :) The perfect
name is out there somewhere, I just can’t seem to find it!I really like Lillian, but obviously not an option since we already
have Jillian! ;)
I wonder if you would like Lottie as a nickname for Charlotte.
Without a surname to work with, it’s difficult to come up with more possibilities. But here are some that feel to me like they could be a good fit with Jillian:
Abigail
April
Audrey
Bethany
Bianca
Bridget
Clarissa
Claudia
Holly
Laurel
Lindsay
Lydia
Meredith
Natalie
Molly
Sabrina
Veronica
Winifred
Have you noticed the main issue with many of these names? No good nicknames. The Holly I know is often called Holls, but that’s not a nickname in the Jillian/Jill sense: she wouldn’t write “Holls” on a school paper, for example. Bethany/Beth is equivalent to Jillian/Jill, but the nickname Beth sounds a bit mommish at this point; same with Laurie for Laurel.
The only ones that seem to me to be as good as Jill for Jillian are Winnie for Winifred and Abby for Abigail. Liddy/Lyddie for Lydia and Bree for Sabrina and Bee for Bianca are close.
I think your own list contains more promising candidates. Annabel/Annie is adorable, and I don’t think of Annabel as a cow name. I love Eloise and Eliza, and I don’t think the El- keeps them off the timeless list or that Eliza looks like an unfinished Elizabeth. When I say Eloise aloud, I don’t hear “wheeze”: at most I hear “weez.” To force the “wheeze” sound to appear, I have to shape my mouth differently. Eliza could be nicknamed Liza, which at my house would probably turn into Liza-Lou. (You could also use Ellie, but then you’d be emphasizing the part that concerns you.)
What lovely names! I’m having my third child soon, a girl, and since we have some overlap on favorite names (Margo, Clara and Eliza), I thought I’d share some others on my list in case you’d like them too.
First I love the nn Liza for Eliza.
Louisa (Lou)
Matilda (Mattie or Tilly)
Joanna (Jo)
Eleanor (Nora)
Alice (ok, no great nn)
Another fave is Julia (Jules) but that doesn’t seem to work well with Julian
I’m also crazy about Eloise. And I assume you’ve thought of the nn Maggie for Margo.
Related: Margaret (nn Meg, Maggie, Daisy)
Looking forward to hearing what you choose!
We have the same taste in names. A lot of these are my favorites too!
Other names not suggested above that I love:
Naomi (Mimi or omi nn)
Cora (coco)
I love all your choices! Even for those that seem nickname-less something will come up. I was always envious of those kids who were called random nicknames and they stuck-cricket, birdie, bean, Etc.
Keep us posted!
Have to say, one of our family friends has a Jillian the same age as my Julia, and the nicknames are very easily confused. I would not recommend it for a sibset
From you list I love Eliza and I don’t get the unfinished Elizabeth out of it. And from Swistle list I love Abigail nn Abby.
I like Annabel but you may want to consider Annaliese – Anna nickname and no Bel issues. May I suggest Tabitha (Tibby), Delia (Del), Phoebe, Clementine (endless nn options). Also how about Elizabeth nn Eliza?
Thanks for these GREAT suggestions! I feel like right now my favorite is still Eloise. Our last name sounds very very similar to Goldberg. I’ve also been giving some serious consideration to Audrey, but that lacks the nn potential as well.
Audrey Jane (Jane as a middle would have family significance, but not 100% tied to it)
Eloise Daphne
Eloise Margot
Eloise Claire
Eloise Jane
Daphne Eloise
Annabel Kate
I love these options:
Audrey Jane
Eloise Claire
Eloise Jane
Annabel Kate
I also love Jane as a first name. I think the nickname Janie is precious.
Hello,
Congratulations on your imminent arrival! Might I suggest Susanna? Our daughter is Susanna Jane, and we love it – great nickname potential (she’s a Susie, but could also easily be an Anna or an Annie), classic, but not often used (~100 in the USA each year).
Keep us posted!
I’m so overjoyed and thankful for all the amazing feedback and suggestions!!! Thank you thank you! xo
If you scrambled Theodore you get Dorothea with the adorable and simultaneously modern AND old fashioned nn Dot. I know women called Dot in every generation.
LOVE this suggestion!
I can’t help but suggest my daughter’s name, Felicity, which we liked for its British-sounding spunk. It doesn’t have any set-in-stone nicknames, but we have used Liss and Lissie and Lissie-Lou. Now that she is starting to talk and pronounce her own name, things may be headed in an Issie/Izzy direction, which I like too.
We also considered:
Claire
Matilda
Anneliese
Mabel
Elisabeth
My youngest daughter is name Felicity … and doesn’t have nn associated with her name.
My 79yrs old grandma started calling her Tootsies
For me, Eloise isn’t “British sounding”, but Annabel definitely is and I like it best with Jillian. I like Isabel for you too, but with Isabella a Top 5 name and so many forms of that name being used, I would go with Annabel instead. There’s a “lightness” yet a classic feel to both Jillian and Annabel, whereas some of the other names on your list sound more formal to me. I like Daphne very much too. I’ve always liked that name a lot, and it seems that I recently came across a nn other than Daffy, but if so I can’t recall what it was…
But this possibility just came to mind: Dani (like “Danny””) I rather like it. (I think there may be a term for creating a nn by “compacting’ a name, but I can’t recall what that is called…) Anyway from DAphNE, Dani or Danie.
So I’d say Annabel (Annie) or Daphne (Dani).
Jillian, Oliver and Annabel
Jillian, Oliver and Daphne
Either set of names sounds British to me.
Another very British sounding name to consider: Imogen. The nickname is often “Immy” (similar to “Emmy”). Imogen has been very popular in England/Wales for the last several years, but is rarely heard in the U.S. The name was used by Shakespeare.
I really love Margo/Margot from your list. I know it lacks the nickname option you want (though I think Mag, Mo, or Go work for family use), but to me it sounds most like the sister to a Jillian.
No one else seemed to be on the Margo train, so I thought I’d champion it myself. Best of luck!
Margot is my favorite on the list (I prefer Margot over Margo). I also really like Charlotte (Lottie or Charley for a nickname).
I like Annabel, Eloise, Charlotte, & Clara for you. Lottie would be a good nickname for Charlotte.
I’ve never even heard Daffy as a nn for Daphne, so I don’t think you need to worry about that. If Eliza seems too much of a nickname, why not use it as one, for Elizabeth?
How about Sarah (nn Sally or Sadie), or Rosemary (nn Rosie) or Lucy?
I know this wasnt on your list but I really love Eleanor with the nn Nell. I first heard it in a book about wales… so british!? :) Jillian, Oliver, Eleanor. Jill, Olly, Nell. (not sure if you use those nns)
What about Beatrix- spunky nn Trix or Trixie, cute nn Bea (I know an adult Beatrix who has an enormous and adorable Bee collection.) Fun nns, full of English charm- Jillian, Oliver, Beatrix
OR
Simona (or Simone)- nn potential of Mona, beautiful European charmer of a name with further international implications Jillian, Oliver, Simona
OR
Helene or Helena- nn of Helen, Lena (Jillian, Oliver, Helena)
OR
Penelope- nn Penny, Poppy beautifully ancient. (Jillian, Oliver, Penelope)
I have a few without good nicknames, but I wonder if you would like Wren- it is itself spunky and fun (Jillian, Oliver, Wren)
I was going to suggest Beatrix/Beatrice. And along with your Simone, I’d add Fiona. Fifi is not a nickname she’s likely to use as an adult but is kinda cute for a little one.
I love your naming style, from your list I like Clara best.
Do you like Edith nn Edie? I met a little girl recently who was Edith and it was so cute and refreshing on her!
Also wanted to suggest Ivy, a beautiful older style, though there are no nicknames for it.
After reading your post, I immediately thought of the name Felicity. I love the name in your sibset and I think it meets most of your naming preferences. It’s not too popular and it has cute nn options (Fliss, Lissy). Jillian, Oliver, and Felicity. What a nice British sounding sibset!
I also love Eliza (with the ultra cool nn Eli). It reminds me of names like Juliet, that have really cool nn’s like Jet. Eliza is classy, friendly and approachable with just the right amount of spunk. Love Eliza Jane! Jillian, Oliver, and Eliza.
I also like Daphne and Eloise from your list. Jillian, Oliver, and Daphne. Jillian, Oliver, and Eloise. Both are nice sibsets!
Such pretty names! Can’t wait to find out what you choose =)
Another to consider: Rosalind nn Rosie, or Lindy
Jillian, Oliver and Rosalind, Jill, Ollie and Lindy
Lydia would be pretty, but notsomuch for nicknames.. maybe Liddy?
Love the idea of Eleanor: Jillian, Oliver and Eleanor, Jill, Ollie and Nora
And Penelope, nn Poppy:
How about Phillipa nn Pippa?
Also love Matilda for you (if she wanted to be edgy as a teen, her nickname could be the symbol ~ ! )and I don’t think of wheeze when I hear Eloise! Oh and Imogen! But is the ending sound between it and Jillian too similar/rhymey?
Good luck to you!!
Oh and I forgot! If this sweet girl is going to be your last baby and you love Theo, you could find a girl name that gets you the nn Thea:
Dorothea, Althea, Theodora?
Second this! All three of these names are gorgeous – and as well as the beautiful and elegant ‘Thea’, you could get ‘Teddy’ from Theodora and ‘Dottie’ from Dorothea. There’s also Theodosia, which is maybe a little clunky, and Anthea, which I think might be a good fit with Jillian. Jillian, Oliver and Anthea.
From your list I really like Margo and Eloise.
I also really like Louisa (gets a bit more away from wheeze- sound)
What about Lucia? Nn Lucy? Or if you wanted to expand even further Luciana. Then you could also use Anne, Anna or even Annie if you really wanted to. Lucetta and you could use Etta as nn.
I immediately thought of Theodora nn Thea. Love Thea.
I love using Rosamund, Rosalind, Rosalie, or even just Rose. We have a Rose and an Oliver and just love their names.
What about Emilia? Love being able to use Emme or Emmy or Mia.
Oh I love the suggestion of Veronica. I heard it on a new babe recently and it sounded surprisingly fresh. Tons of nn. I personally love Vera or Rooney (like Rooney Mara). I think this might be my favourite option for you. Really like it with Jillian.
Other names I like:
Blythe (anytime I hear daphne I think of Blythe)
Isadora
Violet or Viola
Good luck!!!
Just had to chime in and say I love the suggestion of Lindsay. I’m a Lindsay with a younger sister named Jillian and I am obviously biased, but I think the names go great together :-D
Amelia
Annalena
Candace
Dorothea (love this previous suggestion)
Georgette
Meredith
Therese
Thea
Genevieve
I suggest Susannah nn Susie. Jillian, Oliver, and Susannah. Another possibility is Florence.
If Annabel doesn’t work for you, how about Annaliese? You still get the nickname Annie and it also contains similar sounds to Eliza and Eloise.
Since Lillian is so similar to Jillian, how about Lila or Lyla? Lila could also be a nickname for Delilah which is somewhat similar to Daphne, and I think sounds kind of British. Jillian, Oliver and Lila. All three names also have similar sounds without sounding too similar.
I also love Audrey but feel your pain with the lack of nicknames.
Ah totally forgot to include previously….
I do like Imogen. But what about Eugenie?? Can’t get much more British than that!!
I also like Eleanor, will Ellie or Norah or Nel for nn. Evelyn is cute. I would personally use Evie or Eve for nn.
Also love Beatrice!
Other name options –
Genevieve, nn: Evie
Miriam, nn: Miri
Magdalena, nn: Maggie, Lena, Laney
Verity, nn: Vera, V?
I love love Annabel nn Annie from your list! If I were you, this would be it. I like Eloise also (though I like Elodie better). But the name that immediately came to mind for me as a sister to Jillian and Oliver is Daisy. I’m sure Margaret nn Daisy is the best way to go, and I’ve always been a 100% fan of formal names on birth certs, but Margaret doesn’t seem to fit as well as just Daisy. My first vote is still for Annabel. :)
I love Annabel & Annie is super cute. I also like that she could also do Ann or Anna if she decides Annie is too cutesy at some point. Annebel is not a cow’s name (though Clarabel is). I also think the spelling you like reduces the “bel” issue. Something like Annabelle or Annabella would make me think you were going for a bell nickname. Annabel doesn’t.
If your problem with Eliza is no nicknames & it seems like a chopped short version of Elizabeth, why not name her Elizabeth & use Eliza as the nickname?
I’ll offer the same suggestion for Margo (which I love). Why not use Margaret with Margo as the nickname? And Clara could be a nickname for Clarissa.
Names with nicknames that seem like good matches with Jillian/Jill–Gwyneth/Gwen, Miranda/Mira, or Annie/Anda/Andi, Allison/Ally, Amelia/Millie or Amy.
I second the suggestion of Miranda/Mira. I have a young granddaughter by that name and should have thought of it immediately. It definitely is British sounding, and like Imogen — her Australian daddy’s first suggestion for her name — was used by Shakespeare. Jillian/Jill and Miranda/Mira sound very compatible.
Jillian, Oliver, and
Annettte
Marin
Louisa
Rosalie
Coralline
Beatrice
Eleanor
Victoria
I think Annabel is cute, and although I’ve seen that Christmas movie about the cow named Annabel I don’t think of it as a cow name. I’ve met plenty of Isabellas, but never an Annabel, so I think of it as being distinctive. A couple other suggestions:
Emmeline, nn Emmy, Em
(I think of Emmeline pronounced with the same ending as Eileen, but I know it can also be pronounced with the ending like Caroline)
Evangeline, nn Eva, Evie, Eve
I think that you could easily use NeNe as a nickname for Daphne and that Fifi might even work. I second the notion from a previous poster that, sometimes, the very best nicknames are unexpected and unrelated (directly anyway) to the original name. We made up lots of silly songs when our babies were little. I no longer remember any other words at all from one except that we rhymed part of her name (Carolyn) with Sparrow (Caro Sparrow) and Sparrow is still my special nickname for her at age 14. Her favorite nickname from me to her is Natalie; it’s what I considered naming her if we hadn’t used a family name. I even address notes to this name and she loves it. Hmm…that makes me think that she might have had the nickname Cat as I probably would have rhymed that in the song. Natty Cat. Daphne Bee. NeeBee. Little Bee. Bee…
I first thought of Lydia. Liddy nn. Also katelyn. Kate nn.
Then Cynthia. Thea nn. Or Cecilia cece nn.
I also like others suggestions of felicity. My favourite from your list is Annabel.
Melinda or Belinda, nickname Lindy
Meredith, nickname Merry
Beatrix, nickname Bee or Trix or Trixie
Alexa, nickname Allie or Lexi
I second Penelope and Felicity. From your list my favorites are Annabel, Eloise, and Eliza (in that order). You have so many pretty options, and I love your children’s names.
I have an Eliza! When we named her, we did not have a nickname plan, but our sweet girl has several now! We call her Liza or Lizy (NOT Lizzy), her aunt calls her Eli, and she is called Liza Lou at school!! So many cute nicknames for an awesome name!
Annabel, nn’d Annie, is just perfect for you.
Katherine with nn Kit;
Gwyneth nn Gwyn;
Layla nn Laney;
Beatrix nn Bix;
Jacqueline with many nn possibilities.
Good luck!
Allison was my first thought. Allie or Alice could be viable nicknames. Jillian, Oliver, and Allison.
Like Jillian, it has three syllables, double ‘L’s, and ends with an ‘N’… yet does not rhyme or sound sing-songy.
Allison doesn’t carry a time stamp and is completely familiar without being popular.
Best wishes! Looking forward to hearing what you choose for your sweet girl!
What about Louise nn Lou or Lulu?
Louise is so underused as a first name.
Jillian, Oliver and Louise
Natalie is a great suggestion too. Jillian, Oliver and Natalie!
Nicola Jane? Philippa Jane nn Pippa? Jillian, Oliver and Philippa! Love!
All the best!
Margaret (so many NNs!)
Georgette (Georgie, Geo)
Josephine
Rosemary
One more vote for Eliza! I love it! Especially with this sibling group – all siblings would share the ‘L’ sound. :)
I have a Daphne and would like to put a plug in for it. We get compliments on the name ALL THE TIME. And for nicknames our go-tos are Daph, Daffodil. Daffy has never been a problem for us at all.
I sort of skimmed the comments, but I don’t think I saw Felicity suggested, so I might suggest it with the nickname Lissy or Fliss. I’ve always thought it was a lovely name that would age well. And like Jillian, it doesn’t seem tied to any particular time-period (I feel like Annabel is very current-sounding with all the bel-names in fashion right now).
Jillian, Oliver, and Felicity sound great to me!
Oops, I’m a few sips into my coffee now and realized that someone DID suggest Felicity. In which case I second!
Penelope!
Jilly & Penny – so cute.
Jill & Penny – so British.
Jillian & Penelope – so classy.
I love Lottie or even Lettie for Charlotte.
Or, what about:
Emmeline (Emmie, Emma)
Eleanor (Nell, Ellie, Lena, Nora)
Flora
Greta (sooo good with G0ldberg)
Susanna (Sukie, Susie, Zuzu, Sanna, Annie)
Rosalie or Rosamund (Rosie)
Lucia/Lucy
Amelia (Milly, Mia)
On a more “out there” British limb, there’s Ottilie, Jemima (maybe not recommended for the US), Clementine, Primrose… All of the appear pretty often in the birth announcements for the Telegraph (London) and are considered “posh”/upper class (which is actually not always a positive thing in the UK…)
Melanie?
Annabel Daphne and Margo Daphne are lovely, I especially like Daphne as a middle name; it seems to work with almost everything I could come up with too.
Anneliese- Annie: Annie minus the trendy bel or any cow assosciations.
Marigold- Goldie
Luella- Lulu: Any of Eloise’s nicknames without the wheeze.
Carlotta- Lottie: Less popular than Charlotte, no Char.
Lois- Lolo, Lolly
Imogen- Immy, Iggy, Genie
Felicity- Fliss, Lissy, Fee, Fifi
Daisy
Gemma
Fiona, Phoebe- Fifi, Fee, Bee
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Jillian, Oliver and Annabel as a sib-set – just perfect. I think having a three syllable name to coordinate with the first two works really well here. Can’t wait to find out what you pick!
I love Eliza and Felicity, but I also thought of Josephine, nn Josie for you.
How about Evelyn? The nicknames are cute (Evie, Lynn, Eve) and it is a classic name. Only concern would be if it sounds too similar to Jillian at the end, but I love it.
Our 2 y/o is a Jillian!! I loooove her name, our Jilly/jilly bean! I love so many of the same names as you! Theo for Theodore has been a long favorite for a boy. Might I throw out Annabeth? It was one of our top pics when awaiting Jillian’s arrival but I still love it! It’s gets away from the overused bel sound but is still classically pretty with so many nickname options, Anna/Annie/Beth/AB/etc I also love Daphne and Charlotte :)
Thanks so much for all your thoughtful comments and suggestions. I think we’ve narrowed it down to Margo, Eloise or Caroline.
What beautiful choices!
She’s Here!!!!!!!! We need a name by tomorrow morning. We’re down to Eliza and Eloise. My husband is partial to Eliza, but I’m having a really really hard time letting go of Eloise even though I do like Eliza. B
Congratulations! We have friends with an Eliza Jane. They call her EJ a lot. Jillian, Oliver, and Eliza–adorable name combination! Can’t go wrong with either Eloise or Eliza, but I think Eliza matches the sibling set well!